Summer Youvetsi — Καλοκαιρινό Γιουβέτσι

Here’s a summery, light take on the traditional Greek dish Youvetsi (lamb baked in a tomato sauce with orzo). I’ve taken some chicken thighs (the skin of which I removed to keep things light), seasoned them with a sprinkling of Sweet Smoked Paprika, salt and freshly ground pepper and simmered them with fresh bell pepper, onion, garlic and a juicy red tomato. A healthy dose of fresh parsley livens it all up and creamy orzocooked directly in the tomato sauce tops off this healthy dish. Try this and I promise you that in no time at all you’ll have a

Moroccan Temrika Meslalla — Garlic Beef with Cracked Green Olives

I ordered a Moroccan cookbook, Cooking at the Kasbah by Kitty Morse, last week and after impatiently waiting a whole three days for it to be delivered, it finaly arrived and I eagerly thumbed through its pages the second it did. The following day, I didn’t hesitate to try my hand at the first recipe that caught my eye: Temrika Meslalla or Garlic Beef with Cracked Green Olives. Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse with notable Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean and Arab influences. Temrika Meslalla, it is said, is a dish typically served on the eve of the Sabbath

Orecchiette “Paella” with Sausage and Clams

I was sure I’d created a winning recipe. But it was not to be … You see Johnsonville was running a contest in partnership with Tastespotting earlier this fall and I submitted this Orecchiette “Paella” with Italian Sausage recipe to them and although I still think it’s a winner, it didn’t make the cut. No worries. But I do hope I can persuade you to try it soon.

Minestra Maritata (aka Italian Wedding Soup or Italian Meatball Soup)

It was a balmy 6 degrees outside when we woke up this morning. The day’s high temp registered at 22 degrees. It’s freezing here in New York to say the least. And when it’s freezing we cook and eat soup … and lots of it.

Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs) with Potatoes, Bacon and Peas

Christmas is just days away … and I am exhausted. And there are still gifts to wrap, more baking to finish up and of course some holiday cooking to partake in. So, I’m going to keep this short and sweet: I made a slight variation of the commonplace Greek dish, soutzoukakia (basically meatballs in a tomato sauce) and am here to share it with all of you.

Baked Macaroni with a Ground Turkey, Red Pepper and Cumin Bolognese

Ground Turkey can be  a little bland, I know, but when you spruce it up with tons of great flavors (think red peppers, cumin, red wine, fresh thyme) it can turn into something really great. And that’s just what this Bolognese was.