Garden Tomato Salad with Avocado, Basil and a Balsamic Reduction

Garden Tomato Salad with Avocado, Basil and a Balsamic Reduction Honestly, what could be better than garden ripe tomatoes. I wait all year to make this salad! I single out the most beautiful tomatoes. I must confess, right now my husband and I eat a tomato sandwich every day for lunch. I won’t even touch a tomato the rest of the year, from late July till late September it is tomatoes, (and corn) for me. This is a simple salad, but a real winner… Continue reading

Crispy Fried Zucchini with Tzatziki Sauce

Crispy Fried Zucchini with Tzatziki Sauce
One of my favorite summer vegetables is zucchini. Don’t be surprised if you see several zucchini dishes from me over the next few weeks. I have 5 zucchini plants producing right now and boy are they producing. This is one of my favorite dishes with zucchini. I served it as an appetizer on this occasion because it is so good. The tzatziki sauce with the fried zucchini creates an excellent flavor profile and is great for a meatless meal too… Continue reading

Raspberry Preserve French Toast Fingers

Raspberry Preserve French Toast Fingers 2
French toast fingers are something I used to make on special occasions while my kids were growing up. I always tried to make every holiday a magical event. One year on Valentine’s Day my kiddo’s woke up to 50 red, pink and white helium balloons in the dining room. Then they were served peanut butter & jelly filled french toast fingers on china and champagne glasses filled with orange and sparkling juice. Well, my hubby and I are not big on peanut butter and jelly, but we do love raspberry preserves. I used a really good loaf of sourdough from my favorite artisan bakery, Carter’s to give these french toast fingers a little twist… Continue reading

Grilled Creole Chicken


We enjoy Creole and Cajun food. Unfortunately it’s been hard to find really good restaurants that cater to New Orleans style cuisine in our area. We can recommend a few in nearby Philadelphia – Catahoula Restaurant and Beck’s Cajun Cafe, but there’s still nothing like home-cooked! The first thing to any good Creole cuisine is the seasoning. These grilled chicken leg quarters are marinated in a Creole Rub that hits just the right spot! Give ’em a try and you’ll taste what I’m talking about… Continue reading

En Papillote Salmon with Lemon, Tomatoes & Sparkling Wine

En Papillote simply means cooked and served in a paper wrapper. Foil and parchment paper are the best ways to accomplish this poaching technique. I prefer parchment because the end result is a little more dramatic. This is a great way to serve and impress company while keeping cleanup to a minimum. While the entire dish is cooking, you can be enjoying cocktails with your guests! You can make the pouches individually for each guest to receive their own little pouch, or make the entire dish in one large pouch to serve everyone. They can be assembled in advance and refrigerated while you get ready for your guests. When your guests arrive, just pop in the oven… Simple and divine! Continue reading