Tuscan Salmon

The Tuscan Salmon is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and bathed in a delicious creamy sauce. The fresh  baby spinach and cherry tomatoes make it a beautifully vibrant dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Cranberry Rosemary Cheese Spread

This jewel-studded Cranberry Rosemary Cheese Spread is a delicious combination of flavors. It even has dried apricots in it. It would actually be delicious on a toasted bagel.

By Leslie Blythe

Chopped Salad with Medjool Dates, Manchego & Farro

My husband had this Chopped Salad with Medjool Dates, Manchego & Farro salad at a restaurant called True Food Kitchen. You can add salmon to the top to make it more of a meal. I am in love with this salad, mainly because it has so many textures. It calls for Marcona almonds, but I used toasted slivered almonds instead.

Farro is a food composed of the grains of certain wheat species. Because it contains more fiber than other popular grains like rice or even quinoa, farro might have even more positive benefits when it comes to digestion and cardiovascular health. It's also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals.

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken with Artichokes in Creamy Mustard Sauce

This Chicken with Artichokes in Creamy Mustard Sauce is all done in one skillet. It's a simple recipe that gets real depth of flavor by adding broth, white wine, Dijon mustard and a touch of cream. We had leftovers, so the next day I cut up the chicken and served it on spaghetti for lunch!

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Polenta with Sautéed Apples, Mushrooms, & Calvados

This Creamy Polenta with Sautéed Apples, Mushrooms, & Calvados is a warm comforting dish for a chilly night.
Calvados is apple cider that has been distilled into Brandy, which highlights the sautéed apples and mushrooms.
Polenta is made from cornmeal and is gluten-free. However, if you’re making this for someone with Celiac disease, be sure that the polenta you buy is labeled “gluten-free” so that you can be sure there hasn’t been any cross-contamination with wheat.

By Leslie Blythe

Italian Orange Slices

Our friend Melanie taught us this method of making Italian Orange Slices. They are simple and yet are incredibly delicious. We happen to have an orange tree in our backyard that is bursting with fruit. You can also add sliced red onions, olives, oregano, or fresh basil, which is more like the Sicilian recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Coconut-Lime Salmon

We made this Creamy Coconut Lime Salmon and were blown away. The funny thing is that we did not have any canned coconut milk, but used cream of coconut instead, which I think is meant to be used for drinks. We watered it down and it worked, though next time I will buy some regular coconut milk. The combo of fresh ginger, lime juice, basil, peppers brightens everything up. It's certainly something we will make again.

By Leslie Blythe

Spicy Garlic Butter Linguini

My brother David is an amazing cook. They just moved into a house in Connecticut that happens to have a Viking range with a griddle. It's killing me not to be able to see him and cook with him in his fabulous kitchen. Anyway, he has been raving about this Spicy Garlic Butter Linguini recipe, which I am dying to try.

By Leslie Blythe

Basil-Butter Steaks with Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe

My brother David sent us a fabulous box of Omaha Steaks, which are incredibly tender and delicious. We made Basil-Butter Steaks with Tomatoes and Broccoli Rabe for dinner, which was easy and outstanding.

By Leslie Blythe

Cauliflower-Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust

This Cauliflower-Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust is a recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, which was written in 1977.  It was listed by the New York Times as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time. She was a pioneer in vegetarian cuisine. It's very dated and yet right on par with what we all should be thinking about - using simple ingredients to create an interesting and delicious meal.

I brought this cookbook with me when I was a newlywed in London. I always write notations in all my cookbooks and this particular recipe said it was a definite "make again". We have been strictly quarantining in our home this past week and happen to have the ingredients to make this. It had been years since I did, and now I wonder why it took me so long to revisit this.

By Leslie Blythe