Tokyo Hot Dog

My daughter and her boyfriend took me to this fun brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They wanted me to try the Tokyo hot dog. All I can say is that I'm hooked and  I want to make this when I get home! I love hot dogs. This Tokyo hot dog is a new and different way to serve hot dogs. Put away the boring ketchup, mustard and relish and try this!

By Leslie Blythe

Sheet Pan Chicken with Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta

I made this Sheet Pan Chicken with Jammy Tomatoes and Pancetta while I was visiting my mom, brother and his family. I love sheet pan dinners because of the easy prep and clean up. This calls for chicken thighs, but if you'd rather use boneless chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time by about 5-7 minutes. The jammy tomatoes, which are sometimes called burst tomatoes create a sauce for the chicken. You can even use tomatoes that are looking a bit wrinkly! Waste not, want not!

By Leslie Blythe

Frozen Margarita Pie

I am visiting my daughter on the east coast and she made Frozen Margarita Pie, which is absolutely delicious. This tart pie filling pairs nicely with the rich graham cracker crust. It is an easy, make-ahead dessert that allows you one last cocktail after dinner all the while keeping you cool. And, it keeps your oven off in the summer.

By Leslie Blythe

Instant Pot Pioneer Woman Pot Roast

By Leslie Blythe

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole

Over the years, I have had many personal chef clients. I cook many different meals and package them up for the freezer. This Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole is something I made recently. This can also be made in one large casserole and it freezes really well.

By Leslie Blythe

Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa

You can brighten up your summertime barbeques with this topical salsa. My husband made this Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa, which works on chicken, fish, shrimp, pork or you can use it in fish tacos, or even with black beans as a side dish. This sweet and spicy salsa also has a hint of fresh basil.

By Leslie Blythe

Orange Muffins

These Orange Muffins a super simple, but really lovely and easy to make. There is a subtle sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on top.

By Leslie Blythe

Tuna Salad with Yogurt, Capers, and Za’atar

My husband loves tuna salad, and I gave him this recipe for Tuna Salad with Yogurt, Capers, and Za'atar to try. He loved it! You can serve it on a bed of lettuce or with pita bread. Za'atar is a spice mixture from the Middle East. You can buy it or make it yourself. I have provided a recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken

I subscribe to a YouTube chef called Sam the Cooking Guy, and saw him make this Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken. It looked so good that I made it. This chicken is spatchcocked, which is butterflied or flattened by removing the backbone. This method is a great way to roast a chicken because it cooks a lot more evenly. He slathers this bird with a paste made of butter, lemon zest, herbs (I used fresh, he used dried), and a dash of soy sauce. The chicken sits on a bed of thickly sliced lemons with a splash of vermouth (you can use white wine) and roasted for about an hour in the oven. Man, this is the juiciest, most delicious chicken ever!

You can find many videos of how to spatchcock a chicken on YouTube.

By Leslie Blythe

Crabbies

Last month we spent the weekend in La Quinta, California and had a lovely time seeing our friends at their home in Palm Desert. Judie made wonderful hors d’oeuvres, which included these Crabbies. She was kind enough to send me the recipe. The recipe has been around for years, though no one seems to know where it originated. It calls for a jar of Kraft Old English Cheese, which is a key ingredient. If you can’t find it at your local market, you can buy it online. The beauty of this recipe is that it makes a large amount that you can keep in your freezer and pull as many out as needed and bake until golden.

I make a similar hors d’oeuvres called Curried Shrimp Croustades.

By Leslie Blythe