Cooking Method: Sautéing

Country Captain

By Leslie Blythe

Beef-A-Roni

This is my brother David's Beef-A-Roni. It's family-friendly, budget-friendly, crowd-pleasing, (trying to think of more hyphenated descriptions!) and easy to make on a stovetop. I wish I could have been there to eat it with my brother and his family and my mom. I am desperate to get into his kitchen on the east coast and cook together. 

By Leslie Blythe

Cabbage with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms

This sautéed Cabbage with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms is so simple to make are is the perfect accompaniment to sausages.

By Leslie Blythe

Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms and Madeira

I made this Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms and Madeira for a client. The term "Salisbury steak" has been in use in the United States since 1897. The dish is named after an American physician, James H. Salisbury (1823–1905). The dish is typically served with gravy and mashed potatoes or pasta. Salisbury believed that diet was the main factor governing your health, so he created a special diet for his patients suffering from anemia, colitis, gout, rheumatism, arteriosclerosis, tuberculosis, and asthma. It was one of the earliest American "fad" diets. Who knew?!

By Leslie Blythe

Pasta with Asparagus in Lemon and Wine

Yesterday, my daughter Grace invited me to lunch in her backyard. She made this absolutely delicious Pasta with Asparagus in Lemon and Wine, which she topped with garlic panko breadcrumbs. I am so proud of both my daughter's cooking abilities. I just wish we could have transported my other daughter Zoe from New Hampshire! I miss her so much, it's killing me! Grace's pasta tasted like a bit of "light at the end of the tunnel". 

By Leslie Blythe

Artichoke Heart Carbonara

Our whole family is obsessed with carbonara. When there is nothing to eat, this is our go-to meal. It's simple, fast and so good. This Artichoke Heart Carbonara is a vegetarian version (no bacon here!). Oh, and did I mention, we LOVE artichokes?! Fortunately, I always have cans of artichokes in my pantry. 

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Pot Pie Soup for a Crowd

Over the years in my catering life, I have done many crazy events. Last weekend, I was hired to serve lunch for 35 people outside at a Springer / Cocker Field Trial event about an hour and a half north of Pasadena (north of Lake Arrowhead). I served chili on Saturday (the obvious choice) and on Sunday, this Chicken Pot Pie Soup topped with a buttermilk biscuit. It had to be something I could heat up on a camping stove. The night before I had a panic attack (common before catering!) and realized it was going to be very windy. Because I could not find a "wind guard" for my stove, my extremely handy husband, made one out of sheet metal and insisted on painting it to look nice (not necessary!). Anyway, the soup was a big hit. After all that, I made dinner for 6 on Sunday for my friend/client. I am a bit too old of all of this, given that I have a VERY scary birthday coming up soon. I spent all of yesterday recovering from the whirlwind of a weekend. I also have a 4 - 6 serving recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup.

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

Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style

Marcella Hazan's cookbooks are wonderful and are credited with introducing the traditional techniques of Italian Cooking to the US and the UK. I stumbled upon this recipe for Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage and Barolo Wine, Alba Style. I love risotto and have made it over the years using the traditional endless stirring technique, the oven method, and actually in an Instant Pot. If you want to hang out in the kitchen while drinking wine and do it the traditional way (that is, when my husband does the stirring!), it can be quite cathartic. Typically, I make mushroom or butternut squash, but this risotto has a small amount of ground beef. It's really delicious. The red wine/beef combination marries surprisingly well with the creamy Arborio rice. The sage and rosemary really deliver on the flavor front and take the whole thing to a new level. Alba in Italy is known around the world for its Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is situated in the northern Piedmont region.

By Leslie Blythe

Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach

The other day I made this Pasta with Shrimp, Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Spinach. I had these random ingredients including a bag of shrimp in the freezer. You can totally change the ingredients and use, chicken, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Use whatever you have on hand. The sauce is white wine, lemon juice and a bit of half & half, which is lovely and tangy.

By Leslie Blythe