Cooking Method: Frying

Channa Masala Tomato Soup

This Channa Masala Tomato Soup, which is a combination of Trader Joe's Organic Low Sodium Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup and frozen Channa Masala is absolutely delicious. I am going to make sure to always have the ingredients on hand. Serve it with their Malabari Paratha. 

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Greek-Stytle Chicken Meatballs

I made these Greek-Style Chicken Meatballs for dinner last night, which reminds me of another recipe called Chicken Zorba.  These meatballs are perfectly flavorful and delicious, which include spinach, lemon and feta cheese. It can be served for an appetizer, lunch or dinner.

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Homemade Breakfast Sausage

For some reason, I wanted to make my own sausage patties. These Homemade Breakfast Sausage are easy to make.  I keep them in the freezer to use for my egg McMuffin breakfast sandwiches. I used fresh herbs because I have no dried. You could also make these using ground chicken or turkey.

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Fried Egg on a Bed of Hash Browns with Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp is the new craze in condiments. ... It's one of China's, and possibly the world's, tastiest chili oils. Spicy Chili Crisp is the classic, full of crispy onions, chilies and Sichuan pepper bits. It's used mostly as a condiment or ingredient in Sichuan cold sauces. My husband came home last night after a 12 hour flight from NY to LA (long story!), so I made him this Fried Egg on a Bed of Hash Browns with Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp for breakfast. I thought it might wake him up! It turns out it is really delicious and not too spicy. 

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Easy Sole Meunière

Sole meunière is a classic French dish consisting of sole that is dredged in flour, pan-fried in butter and served with the resulting brown butter sauce, parsley and lemon. Sole has a light but moist texture when cooked and has a mild flavor.

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Artichoke Parmesan Fritters with Labneh

These Artichoke Parmesan Fritters with Labneh are delicious. They are almost like potato latkes, but with artichokes, lemon and Parmesan. Labneh is Greek yogurt that’s been strained. It’s strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency. Once strained, you add lemon zest and juice and chopped fresh dill.

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Falafel

I love falafel. When I lived in New York there was this guy with a falafel cart on the corner of 5th Avenue and 20th Street near my office. His falafel was phenomenal. The only problem was everyone in the office had to get it together because it had SO much garlic. I recently went to a Persian restaurant near my husband's office and had this wonderful falafel lunch.

Falafel is a deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. It's usually served in a pita, or wrapped in a flatbread. It can also be served over a bed of salad or pickled vegetables and drizzled with hot sauce or a tahini sauce.

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Jacques Pépin’s Criques (Crispy Potato Pancakes)

I happen to LOVE potato latkes. I ate them right before I went into labor with my second daughter Grace. These are incredibly fast and easy to make.

Jacques Pépin is an internationally recognized French-born American chef. He was inspired by the various forms of potato pancakes called criques in the Lyon region of France where he grew up.

The beauty of this recipe is that all the raw ingredients are thrown into a food processor and turned into a pulp then fried in oil to get crispy. Who doesn't like crispy potatoes?!

If you don't have a food processor, Pépin says you could make the batter in a blender, starting with the liquid in the bottom and chopping the potatoes a little smaller.

By Leslie Blythe

Cheese Ball

The Cheese Ball is the centerpiece of any Midwest cocktail party. There are many variations of this recipe. Last year I made this Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Cheese Ball. I am not a big fan of serving a boring cheese platter at a party. It usually doesn't get eaten. I guarantee this cheese ball will be the hit of your next party. Cheese balls were all the rage in the 1970s. So easy to make and the best part is that it has to be made ahead, so you can enjoy your party.

By Leslie Blythe

Spinach Salad from The Plantation Cookbook

I recently made this Spinach Salad from The Plantation Cookbook. The salad dressing is absolutely spectacular. The key is to make the dressing at least 6 hours ahead or the day before.

By Leslie Blythe