Two Bean Chicken Casserole
This casserole, is simply layers of love - from the richly browned and crisped chicken thighs, to the caramelized mushrooms, the depth of sage and the richness of a double bean stew. Pour yourself a glass of crisp white, because it is that kind of saucy indulgence - cold wine, warm belly!
Spring in My Tart - Salmon & Asparagus Vol au Vent + Lemon Mustard Glaze
Spring has arrived! Today I spotted a blue jay, which, has always been the true marker of Spring. The Cardinals brighten a winter landscape and the blue dashes with Spring’s riot of green! And with that, it is almost binary switch in my kitchen. I want more green on my plate, more vegetables and more fresh looking and tasting stuff. I am not sure how much I can garden this year, as last year’s patch has been completely razed and no longer viable. So, I am definitely focusing on being more mindful of getting produce that is in-season in the local environs (North East for me and ignoring California!). I am also angling towards quicker meals that allow me more time with family and yet bring a touch of special….
Puff Pockets With Roasted Tomato and Whipped Mascarpone
Rather impressed with what had been delivered on my Instagram feed, I allowed myself to go with the flow and tweak to my pantry! Roasted cherry tomatoes with rosemary draped over a cheese filled pastry shell. Divine! That’s all folks.
Rose and Chocolate Cake Donuts
You know sometimes, you just need to hunker down and eat donuts. Because… well, just because! :)
This past week has been amazing with the sunny weather and warming outside. The daffodils are starting to peep out and all is chirpy and joyous! The robins are back and even though we chopped down the bush that they built their nest last year, I spied them making a new home a little away from the house, in a bush along the driveway. I love the sound of their chirps as they flit across and if you listen closely on a quiet morning you can hear the voice of their fluttering wings. It is a beautiful thing. Spring is almost here!! Yay!
Oxtail Stout Pot Pies
Many of the books I read as a child were by the British author Enid Blyton - Famous Five and Secret Seven series. I loved them! These kids were having so much fun and solving mysteries to boot! I lived vicariously through their fictitious adventures. But, sprinkled liberally in these books were mentions of British foods! Pies, jams, puddings, teas .. so much more. I fell in love with these delights, without an inkling of what they were or ever having sighted most of them!
Since then, I have developed a lifelong reverence of pies - sweet at first. But, as I grew older and got into more classics and Victorian/Edwardian fiction, the savory kinds. Bakewell tarts, Spotted dicks, cherry pies, steak and kidney pies, stout pies …