Shimogamo Jinja, Kyoto, Japan

Forgive me please, for a brief diversion from our usual posting of recipes. I recently took two weeks off from cooking and blogging to travel to Japan, my first extended vacation in the nine years or so that I’ve been publishing this site. For those of you who might be interested in a peek at our adventure, I thought I might post a few photos of some of the highlights of the trip. (If you aren’t interested, just ignore, there will be a new recipe soon enough.)

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Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares his quick and easy version of the Greek classic avgolemono soup, a chicken soup with lemon and egg. ~Elise

The mixture of eggs, lemon and hot broth is a classic combination in Greek cooking. And if there is a classic dish that highlights this combination, it is the chickeny avgolemono soup. Avgo-wha? Ah-vo-LEMEN-o, or at least that’s how I remember the Greeks at the local diner in New Jersey saying it. The “g” isn’t always pronounced.

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About once a week, for my entire upbringing, my mother would prepare a very simple side of pasta with a sweet, buttery tomato sauce. Usually she used elbow macaroni pasta, because usually a small bowl of tomato pasta would be served alongside tuna macaroni salad, our standard Catholic fish-on-Fridays family meal. Mom would just make extra macaroni and stir in the tomato sauce for it. She did this because my dad requested it, and he wanted it because that’s what his mother in Minnesota used to make for him. Oddly, the hot buttery tomato pasta was, and still is, a perfect taste complement to the cool, crunchy, acidic tuna salad.

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When my friend Kerissa Barron first told me about this buttery rice pilaf, I couldn’t wait to try it. Then she told me it had saffron in it. Uh oh. For some reason, saffron is a spice that sort of tastes like soap to me. Not a big fan. But, I’ll try just about anything once, and in this case, thank goodness. I couldn’t stop eating this rice. Browned in clarified butter, with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, cooked in a saffron infusion, and tossed with nuts and raisins, this rice is the bomb.

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Here’s another recipe from the archives while I’m on vacation. Enjoy! ~Elise

Spring here means strawberries and rhubarb, sweet peas and asparagus, and dreams of the summer bounty to come. Asparagus are everywhere, big, fat, and fresh. And yes, although we can get them all year round, I’m especially happy to eat them in Spring. Not only are they likely to have been grown in the same Hemisphere, and could even be local, their very abundance signals the renewal of the season and a good-bye to Winter. Here is a fresh and easy asparagus soup recipe, a perfect excuse to buy more than one bunch.

Continue reading “Creamy Asparagus Soup” »

Here is another simple and yet delicious idea for a grilled cheese sandwich, pulled chicken grilled cheese. This recipe consists of shredded chicken mixed with your favorite BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and dill pickle slices. You can experiment with different types of cheese if you want, smoked Gouda may be a good option. If you would prefer, you can also cook the chicken in the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce. If you are feeling adventurous and want to make your own sauce, I have an excellent recipe for BBQ sauce on this blog. This makes for an easy and delicious dinner. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup BBQ sauce
8 dill pickle slices
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 slices white bread
butter (for spreading)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Add chicken to a sauce pan or a large deep skillet. Fill with enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Boil until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Drain any excess liquid from the pan and shred the chicken using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce pan and mix with BBQ sauce. Cook on low heat until heated through.
Step 2: Heat a skillet to medium heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place two of the slices into the skillet butter side down. Top each slice of bread in the skillet with 1 slice of cheese, pulled chicken, 2 dill pickle slices, and another slice of cheese. Cover with 2 of remaining bread slices, butter side up.
Step 3: Cook the sandwiches over medium heat until browned on the bottom. Flip them over and cook until browned on the other side and the cheese has melted. Repeat the process with the 2 additional sandwiches.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Fresh Mexican-style salsa recipes are a light and delicious appetizer. This salsa can be served with tortilla chips or it goes great on chicken tacos or on various other dishes. This avocado-cucumber salsa recipe combines avocados, cucumber, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice. You can season the salsa to your liking with a little bit of salt. Make sure to clean the jalapeño peppers well before chopping them or the salsa may be too spicy. You may also want to consider wearing gloves when slicing the jalapeno peppers so you don’t burn your hands. The serving size is for an appetizer and may vary but you can easily double the ingredients if you want to make a bigger batch. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 medium English cucumber (seeded and diced)
2 medium firm-ripe avocados (peeled, pitted, and diced)
½ red onion (diced)
juice of 2 limes (about ¼ cup)
salt (to taste)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
3 jalapeno peppers (seeded and finely chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl combine cucumber, avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño peppers.
Step 2: Add the lime juice and season with salt. Gently toss to combine. Serve within an hour of preparing.
(Makes 4 Servings)

I always enjoy a good Mexican recipe and these beef quesadillas made a simple and delicious dinner.   I actually prefer using ground beef in quesadillas because it is a little easier than using chicken or steak. These quesadillas use a burrito-style filling which consists of taco seasoned ground beef, refried beans, and green chilies.  You can use whatever type of cheese you like but I prefer Mexican cheese blend. These quesadillas go great served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. If you are looking for a dinner that is very easy to prepare, this is the one!  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
½ cup refried beans
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies (drained)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 (8 inch) flour tortillas
Butter (for spreading)
2 cups Mexican cheese blend

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Stir in fried beans, green chilies, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
Step 2: Heat another skillet to medium-low heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with butter, place butter side down into the pan. Evenly sprinkle cheese over the top of the entire tortilla. On one half on top of the tortilla, add some of the meat mixture. Cook until the bottom has browned and the cheese has melted. With a spatula fold the half of the tortilla without the meat mixture over the half with the meat mixture and press down. Remove from the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Step 3: Cut into wedges and serve.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Baja chicken pizza is a delicious and simple taco style pizza. This pizza is topped with a ranch dressing/salsa sauce, baked chicken, tomatoes, red onion, cheese, lettuce, and avocados. For the sauce you can either use a blender or you can do it all by hand mixing. The chicken is first rubbed with taco seasoning, then baked in the oven and sliced before putting it onto the pizza. I like to use a prepared pizza crust because it saves time, and a whole wheat thin crust would be perfect for this recipe. You can use whatever type of cheese you like but I prefer a Mexican cheese blend. This recipe is very easy and makes a perfect dinner. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
½ cup ranch salad dressing
1/8 cup salsa
½ tablespoon lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons cilantro
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (1.25 ounce) envelope taco seasoning
1 prebaked 12-inch thing pizza crust
½ cup tomato (chopped)
½ cup red onion (chopped)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium ripe avocados (peeled and thinly sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub chicken breasts on both sides with taco seasoning and place onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Remove from the oven, allow the chicken to cool for 10 minutes and slice into strips.  In a blender or food processor add ranch dressing, salsa, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and process until smooth (this can also be done by hand, by whisking in a bowl). Set aside.
Step 2: Turn the oven up to 425 degrees. Place the pre-baked crust onto a 12-inch pizza pan. Spread the ranch dressing mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the sliced cooked chicken, tomato, onion, and cheese.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with lettuce and top with avocado slices. Serve immediately.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day so I thought it would only be appropriate to share another delicious grilled cheese recipe. There is nothing unique about this recipe, it is pretty much what you would expect from a breakfast grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe puts eggs, bacon and cheese onto a grilled cheese sandwich. You can get creative with this and add additional breakfast items such as cooked breakfast sausage or cooked hash browns. I like to serve this with the hash browns on the side, but I am positive it would be delicious in the actual sandwich itself. If you need a good method for cooking crispy bacon, please read my article on How to Cook Crispy Bacon. This of course makes an amazing breakfast idea but would also go great served for dinner. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper (to taste)
3 teaspoons butter (divided)
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 slices Colby-jack cheese
4 slices crispy cooked bacon

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Heat 1 teaspoon of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture. As the eggs begin to set, gently pull them across the pan with a spatula, forming large curds. Continue cooking while pulling and folding the eggs until thickened no and visible liquid egg remains. Remove from the pan, set aside. Clean out the skillet.
Step 2: Heat the skillet to medium heat. Spread the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. Place 2 slices in the skillet butter side down. Top each with 1 slice of cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon, and an additional slice of cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices, butter side up.
Step 3: Cook sandwiches over medium heat, until browned on the bottom. Once they are browned on the bottom flip them over and cook until browned on the other side and the cheese has melted.
(Makes 2 Servings)