Cooking Method: Roasting

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Truth be told, I am not a big meat eater, though when it's good I'm in. My brother David gave me this MEATER+ intuitive meat thermometer and I tested it out on this Roasted Pork Tenderloin. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meat. You choose the cut and the temperature (rare, medium, well, etc.) and it does the rest all on your smartphone. Anyway, this has a delicious rub and is doused with a sauce. I have to say, it was perfectly tender and juicy. 

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

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

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

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato and Broccoli

I love sheet pan dinners - easy to prepare and minimal clean up. This Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato and Broccoli is a nice combination of flavors and can be scaled up or down to serve 2 or 8 people.

By Leslie Blythe

Eggplant Smothered with Charmoula Marinade

Charmoula is a Moroccan spice blend, is best known as a tart marinade for fish. Here, its fresh taste is a perfect complement to the warm creaminess of eggplant. This dish should be prepared ahead, to give the eggplant time to absorb the charmoula.

By Leslie Blythe

Tuscan-Style Roasted Asparagus

As we are approaching asparagus season, I made this Tuscan-Style Roasted Asparagus, which has pinenuts, lemon, finished off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Asparagus is low in calories and a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate and vitamins A, C and K. Eating asparagus can potentially help with weight loss, improved digestion, healthy pregnancy outcomes and lower blood pressure.

By Leslie Blythe

Salmon with Cabbage and Olive Vinaigrette

This Salmon with Cabbage and Olive Vinaigrette is simple to make. The salmon is roasted in the oven, served over sautéed cabbage, and top with this chunky vinaigrette. The vinaigrette uses sweet golden raisins, which works well with the saltiness of the olives.

By Leslie Blythe

Baked Feta Pasta Trend From TikTok

I usually view viral recipes with a raised eyebrow, though I have to admit, this is a brilliant method for making cheesy pasta with absolutely no effort.  As I usually do, I changed it to suit my taste. Instead of using a block of feta cheese, I used goat cheese and used fresh thyme, and oregano instead of basil. I  also added some onion. The beauty of this dish is that you can make it your own and use what you have on hand. I'm sure I will get a lot of flack for going off the rails, but tant pis (means too bad in French and also the name of our family cat - it's a long story!...)

This viral TikTok recipe originally came from Tiiu Piret, who posted a version of the dish on her blog in February 2018, fellow Finnish blogger Jenni Hayrinen is credited with making uunifetapasta (Finnish for “oven-baked feta pasta”) go viral in her country after posting her simplified version a year later. The stores actually ran out of feta cheese. See Washington Post article. Because I am a lazy cook, this suits me to a tee!

By Leslie Blythe

French Onion Cauliflower

I love French Onion Soup and decided to take the idea and transform a head of cauliflower. It turned out rather delicious. I caramelized some onions and topped the florets with some Gruyère cheese and croutons. I went back into my archives and found my recipe for French Onion Chicken Meatballs, which is also a winner.

By Leslie Blythe