Moroccan Chicken with Dates & Olives

This Moroccan Chicken with Dates & Olives is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Here are two ways to make it, one in a pressure cooker and the other on the stove top. The chicken is melt in your mouth good!

By Leslie Blythe

Wild Mushroom, Pancetta & Pea Risotto

This Wild Mushroom, Pancetta & Pea Risotto recipe is for a pressure cooker / Instant Pot. It's a great way to make risotto without all the constant stirring. The rice turns out perfectly, and you save a lot of time and effort. It's a meal that will justify buying that Instant Pot.

By Leslie Blythe

Carrot with Smashed Tofu and Sesame

This Carrot with Smashed Tofu and Sesame salad is a recipe from Japan, The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. She is a native Californian and has lived with her Japanese farmer husband and three sons in their 80-year-old traditional farmhouse for the last 27 years in rural Japan. She moved from California to Japan in 1988. This cookbook is Japanese cooking for the home cook. I have many Japanese cookbooks. It's a thing of beauty.

By Leslie Blythe

Potatoes à la Ketchup

This recipe for Potatoes à la Ketchup seems sort of bizarre. You basically put the potatoes in foil packets for the grill and add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. It's actually quite good and a bit unusual which always appeals to me. You should try it the next time you fire up your grill.

By Leslie Blythe

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

We've been experimenting with different pizzas and dough lately. This Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Walnuts will definitely be kept in our repertoire. The combination of the sweetness of the caramelized onions, the creaminess of the gorgonzola and the crunch of the walnuts work really well together.

By Leslie Blythe

Grilled Salmon with Maple Butter Glaze

This Grilled Salmon with Maple Butter Glaze is the best salmon we've ever done on a grill. I bought my husband a Big Green Egg for his birthday (or was it for mine?). All I can say is WOW! Everything we've made on it has been amazing. The marinade is amazing and this recipe would work on a regular grill or in the oven. 

By Leslie Blythe

Avocado and BLT Salad with Roasted New Potatoes

My sister-in-law brought me the food magazine from Waitrose, which is a supermarket in the UK. This Avocado and BLT Salad with Roasted New Potatoes got my attention immediately. It was very easy and really delicious. And yes, there's bacon...

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

This Creamy Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette is good on grilled vegetables, a dip for artichokes or a salad. I love the combination of lemon and fresh basil. You can make it in advance.

By Leslie Blythe

Lime Dill Sauce with Shrimp

There have been countless times in my cooking career that I have made mistakes. I get so mad at myself and usually realize the glaring error after I finished the dish.

Rule #1 - ALWAYS read the entire recipe first!
Rule #2 - get you ingredients organized (mis-en-place)!
Rule #3 - Don't take it too seriously!

This recipe for Lime Dill Sauce with Shrimp is a) meant to be a salad with creamy sauce b) supposed to have chopped celery in it c) you are meant to whip the cream. I did none of those things! I was obviously very tired! This recipe morphed into something better and everyone I served it to loved it.

By Leslie Blythe

Bambi’s Bali Hai Bananas

My friend Chris told me about Bambi's Bali Hai Bananas. It's a recipe she adapted for the grill.  You can also do it in the oven. You can serve them with ice cream and whipped cream. This recipe is a snap to prepare, making even the most amateur, inexperienced cook look like a rock star.

By Leslie Blythe