Prawn & Orange Curry With Basmati Rice

This recipe for Prawn & Orange Curry With Basmati Rice is from Nadiya Hussain, who is one of my favorite chefs. She won the sixth series of BBC's The Great British Bake Off in 2015. She has a show on Netflix called Nadiya’s Time to Eat. Everything she makes has an interesting and brilliant twist. The prawn curry with orange zest and juice has wonderful flavor and it's quick to make.

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken à la King

Chicken à la King is tender chicken in a creamy sauce with mushrooms,  pimientos and peas. There are many different stories about the origin of this recipe. A classic dish that evokes childhood memories, Chicken à la King is elegant and comfort food at its best.

You can read about the origins of Chicken à la King here.

By Leslie Blythe

Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil

When you have fresh tomatoes from your garden, make this no-cook pasta sauce. The roughly chopped tomatoes are marinated in olive oil, sherry vinegar, pepper flakes, shallots, garlic, fresh basil, tossed with pasta and shaved Parmesan cheese. It's light and full of the flavors of summer.

By Leslie Blythe

Honey Lime Shrimp

The great thing about this Honey Lime Shrimp is that it cooks quickly, requires minimal preparation, and tastes delicious. I served it on rice with some snap peas. The tip is not to overcook shrimp, which turns tough and chewy.

By Leslie Blythe

Curried Chicken & Pasta Salad

This recipe was printed in The Los Angeles Times in 2000. It's from the Mustard Seed Café in LA. The original recipe calls for shells, but I used fusilli. The combination of curry powder, turmeric, mango chutney, mixed into mayonnaise makes the perfect dressing and the celery and almonds give it crunch. It’s great for a hot summer day.

By Leslie Blythe

Israeli Couscous Salmon Salad

Last night we were invited to the Hollywood Bowl to see Peter and the Wolf with Viola Davis and Dudamel (it was fabulous!). I made Israeli Couscous Salmon Salad for dinner, which is a great make-ahead meal for any outdoor occasion. It has a tangy lemon dill dressing and I threw in some blanched asparagus. I also made Simple Summer Peach Cake, which I made last week, but this time I made individual tarts. I love going to the Hollywood Bowl. It's my favorite summer concert venue.

By Leslie Blythe

Zucchini Butter Spaghetti

This Zucchini Butter Spaghetti is incredibly delicious. If you are wondering how to use all of your homegrown zucchini, this is it! Grated zucchini is cooked down with butter and garlic and tossed with parmesan cheese and fresh basil. It's so simple, yet bursting with flavor.

By Leslie Blythe

Simple Summer Peach Cake

I made this Simple Summer Peach Cake for my friend's birthday. There's nothing quite like fresh summer peaches. This cake only takes 15 minutes to prepare. You could serve it with some whipped cream or ice cream, but it's delicious on its own.

By Leslie Blythe

Braised Chicken & Peaches

I happened to have had all the ingredients (except for prosciutto, so I used bacon) to make this Braised Chicken & Peaches. I love braising chicken thighs and the fresh summer peaches really work well together. There are also leeks, garlic, capers and fresh tarragon. It's the taste of summer.

By Leslie Blythe

Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostata

This Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostata is from Ina Garten's latest cookbook Modern Comfort Food. It's easy to make and very versatile. Truth be told, I didn't have goat cheese or leeks, so I used Gruyère and a shallot. You can use what you like, however, the pastry must be made exactly as written. It's the flakiest crust ever, which is due to the amount of ice-cold butter!

By Leslie Blythe