Easy Double Chocolate Brownies with Sea Salt

Hello Everyone!

There's just a few recipes that I'm sharing on my other blog. This is one of them. 

Please click on the link to view this recipe: Double Chocolate Brownies with Sea Salt

xo ~ Jilly    

Restaurant Style Hummus With Smoked Paprika Drizzle

Hello Everyone!

There are a few recipes I'm sharing on my other blog. This is one of them!

Please click on the link to view this recipe: Restaurant Style Hummus Recipe

Bon Appetit!

xo ~ Jilly

Honey-Sesame Chicken For Two ~ Roasted Chicken with a Light, Lemon-Honey-Sesame Glaze

That old saying, "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach," definitely applies to my husband. He's tall and thin with a voracious appetite. Lucky him, right? One of his favorite Sunday night suppers is simple, roasted chicken. What is it about a humble, chicken dinner that makes us feel so good? Juicy, golden-brown chicken with a fluffy baked potato and a crisp salad is just the thing we need after a long stressful week. When the days turn shorter and brisker here in New England, we slip on our warm PJs and eat our Sunday supper by flickering candlelight. Whether you're married, single or somewhere in between, I highly recommend it. It's relaxing and soul-satisfying.

Sometimes, I roast a whole chicken, other times just parts. We eat a lot of chicken around here. We live just outside of Boston, where the winters are long. When cabin-fever strikes, there's nothing like sitting down to a comfy, Sunday dinner to lifts our spirits. The savory aroma coming from the kitchen is enough to bring smiles to our faces.  

I'm always looking for different ways to prepare chicken. This past Sunday, two large chicken breasts were roasted and glazed with a light, honey-sesame sauce. A squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice added a bright, citrus tang. The slightly-sweet, mildly-tart glaze helped to crisp and brown the chicken. Sesame seeds and honey are a classic Middle Eastern combo. They'll be best friends forever. They worked well together on this chicken dish.    

Light and Fresh Farmers' Market Pasta Toss ~ Fresh Fettuccine, Lots of Veggies, Olives and Lemon

A trip to my local farmer's market always ends up with my inability to resist all the fresh produce. These gorgeous multicolored cherry tomatoes seem to call my name. I end up buying a few pints of them. Could you resist?

The small, piquant black and green olives sold by the Lebanese lady are also hard to pass by. She sells pita bread, baked fresh every morning. The pita is soft with a pleasant chewy texture. I always grab two bags. One to eat and one to freeze for later. I haven't tasted pita that good since I was a kid, spending summers with my grandmother, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Everyday, we'd walk to get it warm from the bakery. My grandmother always had pita on her dinner table, even with spaghetti and meatballs. Weird, I know. But she couldn't help herself. It's part of her culture. The Lebanese lady has come to expect me at her market stand every Thursday. She sees me coming and says, "You can never go wrong with fresh baked pita and olives."

The market has an Italian vendor who makes tender, light fresh pasta and all kinds of stuffed pastas. On this visit, I scored some fettuccine. There are crusty baguettes, Vermont maple syrup, local honey, artisan cheeses, grass-fed beef, organic eggs, flowers, spices and more. Fishermen sell live lobsters and their catch of the day. No wonder my head spins with recipe ideas. These talented and hardworking, farmers, fishermen and bakers make it possible to create magical meals. It's so easy to cook well when you start with good ingredients.

The colorful produce and locally made products constantly inspire me. Ideas for new dishes pop in my head so fast, I can barely contain them. It's nice when people ask me what to do with Swiss Chard, pea tendrils or beets. I'm always happy to give them my suggestions.

Moroccan Chickpea Tagine

I've moved! Please visit my new blog to get this recipe and many more!

Sew French

Persian Salad ~ An Easy, Refreshing Chopped Salad with a Twist of Lime

Hello Everyone!

There's just a few old recipes that I'll be sharing on my other blog. This is one of them.  

Please click on the link to view this recipe:  Chopped Salad With A Honey Lime Dressing

      xo ~ Jilly    

Mediterranean Skillet Supper ~ A Healthy, Flavorful Meat Sauce Served over Fluffy Rice

I have a serious sweet tooth! I indulge my sweet tooth a little too often. To combat my often failing will power, I make this tasty, healthy Mediterranean skillet supper.

    

This skillet supper is made with ground chicken, tomatoes, oregano and marjoram. Have you used marjoram in your cooking yet? It's similar to oregano and works well in tomato sauce. The people of the Mediterranean have been using it for centuries to season everything from kebabs to vegetable dishes. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. If you don't like oregano and marjoram, this would be great with basil too. My only suggestion would be to use good quality tomato products. Pomi or Muir Glen brands are my go-to choices. 

The other day, I bought a bunch of fire-engine-red chili peppers at the farmers' market, falling in love with their feisty color. They're sitting on my kitchen counter like a bouquet of fresh flowers. One of them is added to this dish, but you could leave  it out if you don't like spicy food. 

I make this dish after indulging in too many cream puffs, lobster tails(a pastry) and cannolis in Boston's North End. If you're ever in Boston, go to Modern Pastry for the best cannoli in the city. They fill their cannoli pastry shells to order with pillow-soft cream. Expect a huge line. It moves quickly. They're worth the wait.

Mediterranean Mushrooms ~ Fresh Lemon and Za'atar

I've moved! To get this recipe and many more please click on the link:
Mediterranean Mushroom Recipe

Hope to see you there! xo ~ Jilly  

Greek Chopped Salad

Do you love chopped salads as much as I do? Eastern Mediterranean cuisine is full of different variations of them. Crisp and refreshing, they pair nicely with grilled fish, chicken or even stuffed into a pita with some creamy hummus. I find making chopped vegetable salads like this one easier than dealing with a bunch of lettuce. Just rinse the veggies, pat them dry, chop and toss with a light olive oil and lemon dressing.

Last night, the hubs and I indulged in oh-so-delicious cannolis and cream puffs at Boston's Modern Pastry Bakery. A girl's gotta live, right? If you come to Boston, remember to stand in the long line at this bakery and treat yourself to some.Today, I'm cooking light.

Honey Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes make an appearance on most holiday tables. Many Americans seem to love them covered with sweet and fluffy marshmallows, a total carb overload. But you can eat them much more often with less refined sugar and calories, especially if you use my easy recipe. The potatoes are roasted slow and low in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness. Honey-kissed with a hint of cinnamon and a touch of velvety Spanish paprika, they have a wonderful light smoky taste. Mild Aleppo pepper adds just a little heat. But, these additions are totally optional. They're just as good without them. 

Fragrant and strong Vietnamese cinnamon is used sparingly here, to add some warm spice without masking the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes. I also like using fine grain sea salt in this recipe. But again, you're free to use whatever salt you like, I promise I won't tell. 

This recipe comes together without much fuss or stress. Roast the sweet potatoes(easy) and then whip them with the spices, butter and honey. A yummy side dish awaits your roasted turkey, chicken or pork. Great with sauteed pork chops and chicken too. They're healthy, packed with fiber and nutrients too.  Estimate one sweet potato per person. You'll have lots.