Cooking Method: Searing

Filet Mignon with Mustard Cream Sauce

We have recently discovered a fabulous gourmet store/warehouse, which we have been to twice in two weeks! Anyway, I bought this "fancy" mustard and my husband made this Filet Mignon with Mustard Cream Sauce. The mustard that we used is Edmond Fallot Blackcurrant Dijon Mustard. They have many other flavors, which I will be experimenting with soon. Also, you should be using your good dishes and not wait for some special occasion or holiday. Why have nice dishes and cutlery if you are not going to use them! I think a filet mignon merits some fine china. I once cooked for a very hoity-toity lady. After the butler (wearing a tux, I kid you not!) let me in the back door, she asked me if I knew my way around fine china. Needless to say, I did not work for her for long.

By Leslie Blythe

Thomas Keller’s Oven-Roasted Zucchini

Thomas Keller's (The French Laundry) Oven-Roasted Zucchini recipe seems to have gone viral. It looked so good that I had to try it. He scores the cut zucchini and fries them in a very hot pan, then roasts them in the oven to create this amazing crispy and soft zucchini.  Then it's topped with a mixture of tomatoes, shallots, and fresh herbs. I will be making this quite a bit next summer when the zucchini is fresh from the garden. I've also seen this topped with a Greek yogurt and pistachios.

By Leslie Blythe

Salmon Glazed with Orange, Rosemary & White Wine

This Salmon Glazed with Orange, Rosemary & White Wine is pan-fried until crispy and topped with this citrusy rosemary sauce. It's ready from start to finish in less than 20 minutes, which makes it perfect for a busy work night dinner.

By Leslie Blythe

Melting Cabbage

Melting Cabbage literally melts in your mouth. It's nestled in a bed of caramelized fennel and braised in tomato and wine and finished in the oven. You add parmesan rind, which is an Italian trick that adds depth of flavor. I keep parmesan rinds in a bag in the freezer and use them in soups and stews.

By Leslie Blythe

Pork Chop Shop with Sweet Potato Mash and Spinach

When I was recently at my daughter Grace's house I was in her kitchen watching her cook us dinner (one of my favorite pass times!), I saw Snoop Dogg's From Crook to Cook cookbook on her shelves. It's actually her roommate's book. I leafed through it and made his Pork Chop Shop with Sweet Potato Mash and Spinach. The recipe looks like a long process, but it's not. The lemony spinach works really well with the sweet potato mash and the barbecue sauce is divine.

I love his long friendship with Martha Stewart and their show Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. Gee, I wonder what they have in common?!

By Leslie Blythe

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

Instant Pot Pioneer Woman Pot Roast

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Paillard

I had this divine Chicken Paillard in the desert last weekend at a French/Japanese fusion restaurant. It was absolutely delicious. Paillard is a French term for a boneless piece of meat that has been pounded thin or butterflied. The process of pounding the meat tenderizes the chicken and it cooks faster with less moisture loss.

By Leslie Blythe

Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle

My husband has been binge-watching Jamie Oliver cooking videos on YouTube. We have been fans of him for years. We used to live a few blocks away from him in London when he first got married. We decided to try this Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle, which is very easy to make and packed with flavor. I could not find Patak’s Korma Spice Paste, so I used curry paste instead, unfortunately for me, I could only find mild! The rice is cooked with a red chili, a half a lemon and some coconut cream, which is a new revelation. You chop up the lemon and chili and serve it on top to the rice. The quick cucumber pickle adds a bright note to this dish. 

By Leslie Blythe

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