Let's cook. And eat.

Bed of scallions, and lemons. Sea bass on top and then a puttanesca salad on top. All in a foil pouch on the grill. Yummo!

I loved how easily and quickly this cheese platter came together. And who does not like color.  A hard cheese - flavored Gouda.  A soft cheese - herb goat cheese An olive tapenade  Roasted red pepper dip Fruit and crackers

Lady G shared some homemade pesto, there was some burrata at home and some tomatoes that needed to be cooked soon. Went searching on the internet and this one fit the bill. This particular recipe was oh so good. Master S wanted the same for next day lunch too. We both stuffed ourselves more than necessary.  I did not have cherry tomatoes so I used kumato tomatoes instead. My favorite part was the garlic crostini and the marinated tomatoes. Yummy! https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/burrata-with-tomatoes-pesto/

Another winner by halfbakedharvest.  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pesto-cheese-zucchini-ravioli/ This one was easy. I substituted some ingredients- used  goat cheese instead of ricotta and champagne vinegar-water instead of white wine.  Even the kids loved it. 

I follow this chef on Instagram and I have tried a few of her recipes. Not only are the recipes easy and delicious, her photography is stunning. So I get tempted to try them easily.  This particular one was easy, looks gorgeous and super delicious. Made it without any modifications. And it was a hit multiple times.  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/strawberry-and-cream-rye-pretzel-tart/ Definitely worth trying out. 

 This recipe is a winner - quick and easy. The only thing I had to change was that I used smoked paprika instead of hot sauce since I had none at home.  https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/ Master S was joyful. 

 I found this recipe on NYT Cooking. It is by Mellie Pear Tree.  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021870-southern-caramel-cake My changes were:  I used about 1.5 cups of sugar. I did add a half cup more of buttermilk. The base cake turned out great.  For the icing I used 2 cups of confectioner' sugar instead of 3. And I still felt it was a little on the sweeter side. Maybe next time I will reduce the dark brown sugar in the caramel too. Also, the icing thickens as it cools. I poured mine while it was still hot. It is better to let it cool just a bit so it does not all just flow to the sides. I used 3/4 teaspoon salt.  Here is the recipe if the link does not work (original, without any modifications.) :  By Millie Peartree YIELD 10 to 12 servings TIME 50 minutes, plus cooling This traditional Southern caramel cake is perfect for when you want layer cake, and you'd like it fast. It's light and fluffy under the sweet caramel glaze, which hardens at room temperature and sha

This one was easy last minute dish and when Master S saw it he remarked - I have not even tasted it and I already like it 😊 https://www.katiebirdbakes.com/heirloom-tomato-tart-burrata/ Followed the recipe as is and used the black truffle cashew from TJs. Oh so good! 

Have been wanting to try these 2 dishes for a while now - teff flour has been sitting in the pantry for a couple of months. Eventually I decided to use some easy workarounds rather than ferment the dough for multiple days.  Here are the recipes used:  https://ministryofcurry.com/doro-wat-chicken-stew/ I also used the same site’s recipe for preparing the berbere spice.  https://ministryofcurry.com/berbere-spice-blend/ The stew was a little too spicy for me. Next time I will use less of the spice, but Mr S was fine with it.  For the injera -  https://thegourmetgourmand.com/injera-from-sourdough-starter/?unapproved=17399&moderation-hash=0e470cac473f001657a0c3018351d7af#comment-17399 I did not have barley flour. So I used cake flour ( 1 cup all purpose flour - 2 tbsp all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch). 

This V day Mr. S was missing in action. But to keep things upbeat, Master S and I tried to make things special. We made these chocolate dipped strawberries and stuffed peppers.  There wasn’t much to the peppers - Ms Julie shared the recipe. Her recipe called for cream cheese, but we used some hung curd mixed with honey goat cheese. Mix, stuff and top with “everything but the bagel sesame” spice.  Crunchy and oh so good. 

This recipe is a keeper. Master S was happy I made it and repeatedly thankful- it made my day. Unfortunately we devoured it so quickly that there is no picture to share.  https://www.recipetineats.com/garlic-chicken-thighs-recipe/

A few years back when we were visiting NYC, Mr. S’s cousin insisted we visit the Levain bakery. A hole in a wall kind of place, with a long line outside, I waited patiently to get my hands on the delicious gooey amazingness called their chocolate chip walnut cookies. It was worth the wait for sure.  Many years later, back at home, I went looking for a copy cat recipe online. And I found this. It works and what comes out at the end is plain deliciousness.  https://www.modernhoney.com/levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-crush-cookies/