Dinner, Fall, Lunch, Main Dish, Savory, Sides, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian

charred corn polenta with herb + tomato salad

It is officially PSL season (pumpkin spice latte, in case you didn’t know), which means it should be time for all things pumpkin, right? While I adore pumpkin and pumpkin-flavored things, I have a hard time switching gears so rapidly from summer cheeseburgers and popsicles, directly to warm and hearty pumpkin-filled fall dishes without anything to bridge the gap between the seasons. In my neck … Continue reading charred corn polenta with herb + tomato salad

AmandaSeptember 20, 2015September 16, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Salads, Savory, Spring, Vegetables

grilled salmon niçoise salad

Springtime in the Southwest is a woefully short season. Usually my meals transition from hearty soups and pot pies, directly to popsicles and cooling fruit sodas with nothing much in between. Thankfully, this year we’ve had a gorgeous springtime, so I’ve been in the mood to whip up a seasonally appropriate meal. This salad is something I’ve had in my mind for a ridiculously long time, … Continue reading grilled salmon niçoise salad

AmandaMay 10, 2015September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Fall, Main Dish, Savory, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Winter

creamy polenta with gouda, portobello mushrooms + tomatoes

When I first saw the dish that inspired today’s recipe, I couldn’t wait to make it myself. Kenji over at Serious Eats sure has a way with food! I’ve always loved creamy polenta, and the skirt steak on top with those pretty tomatoes just looked killer.

Go ahead and check out that photo. See what I mean? Doesn’t it just look amazing? I wanted to create it myself, but thought I’d do a vegetarian spin on it by substituting baby portobello mushrooms for the skirt steak. It makes a super hearty, rich and creamy dish for colder weather! Gouda in the polenta lends a nice, smoky quality and the seared mushrooms are the perfect alternative to meat, still keeping that savory and satisfying component to the finished dish. The bright and fresh tomatoes have the perfect acidic twang to cut through all the richness of the cheesy polenta. Make it yourself, I dare you! I know you’ll love it as much as I did.

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AmandaNovember 9, 2014September 13, 2015Leave a comment

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Sandwiches, Savory, Summer

brown sugar bacon BLTs with fresh herb mayo

It’s not an easy task to get me to eat mayonnaise.

Oil? Fine. Eggs? Yeah, sure, why not? Blend them together, and I usually want nothing to do with the whole situation.

I did discover that if I dress up mayo with lots of fresh parsley and chives, it’s insanely good. What would this new fancy mayo be good on? Oh, how about some summertime BLTs with oven-cooked mustard and brown sugar bacon, butter lettuce leaves and some super awesome local sliced tomatoes?

I’m into it. You should be, too!

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AmandaAugust 17, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Dinner, Main Dish, Meat, Savory

mexican pizza = 90s flashback!

As a kid growing up in the 90s, there was no better night for TV-watching than Friday night. How could you beat ABC’s TGIF lineup of Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step By Step and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper?! Perfect Strangers was included in there somewhere. I always had a soft spot for poor clueless Balki.

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AmandaMay 10, 2014September 13, 20152 Comments

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Salads, Savory, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian

panzanella salad with crispy parmesan

The salad so nice, I made it twice! Twice in the same week, that is. It’s amazingly simple, and perfect for summertime when you don’t want to turn on the oven very often, and when a big bowl full of ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and good crusty bread soaked in vinaigrette is all you’d want to eat.