Cooking Method: Simmering

Hearty Beef, Leek, & Barley Stew

This Hearty Beef, Leek, & Barley Stew is the ultimate in comfort food. I have made this recipe for years. It's from Gourmet LA, a Junior League cookbook. It is a stew that is simple to make and not your typical beef stew recipe. It is light and delicious for the chilly winter nights. Serve it with a nice loaf of crusty bread and a salad.

By Leslie Blythe

Pasta with Chickpeas and Za’atar

I was home alone and rummaged through my pantry and made this Pasta with Chickpeas and Za’atar from Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, Simple. Za'atar is a mixture of sumac, sesame seed and herbs used throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean. It was the perfect dinner channel surfing in front of the TV.

By Leslie Blythe

Cranberry Bean Soup

I bought these Cranberry Beans online from Rancho Gordo. They are amazing heirloom bean producers located in Napa, California. I decided to make this Cranberry Bean Soup. These beans are absolutely incredible, very creamy inside. These beans are versatile and velvety, this thin-skinned Borlotti bean produces a rich, indulgent bean broth, making it perfect for classic Italian dishes as well as simple pot beans. The soup was so easy to make. I actually made it in a slow cooker.

By Leslie Blythe

Braised Red Wine Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta

My daughter Zoe made Braised Red Wine Beef Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta. Browning and then braising the short ribs for hours in the oven makes them "fall off the bone" tender. The creamy Parmesan polenta is a nice alternative to potatoes or rice.

By Leslie Blythe

Lemon Posset

A posset was originally a popular British hot drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was often used as a remedy. Shakespeare mentions possets several times in his writings. In the 16th century, the drink evolved into a cream, sugar and citrus-based confection, which is still consumed today as a cold set dessert. 

This Lemon Posset is a cross between a lush pudding and a silky lemon curd, this amazing English specialty is made with just three simple ingredients - lemons, heavy cream, and sugar. The beauty is that I almost always have these 3 ingredients!

By Leslie Blythe

Braised Red Potatoes with Dijon and Tarragon

This Braised Red Potatoes with Dijon and Tarragon recipe is a simple, one-pot potato side dish that features the benefits of both boiling and roasting. The halved small red potatoes, butter, and salted water are simmered in a skillet until the potatoes turned creamy and the water fully evaporated. In the then-dry skillet, the potatoes and butter were left alone to fry and develop great flavor and color. Subtle aromatics like thyme and garlic balance well with last-minute additions like Dijon mustard.

By Leslie Blythe

Spinach Madeleine

This Spinach Madeleine is incredible. A certain person at my dinner table who doesn't like spinach said, "Never in my life did I think spinach could be that delicious!" It's a good way to introduce spinach to your family.

This recipe is rather famous in Louisiana. It's from the Junior League of Baton River Road Cookbook. The original recipe calls for a roll of 6 ounces of Jalapeño cheese. Kraft Foods no longer makes it, so you can substitute 4 ounces of Velveeta cheese, cubed, and 2 teaspoons of minced jalapenos. I actually used Tillamook Pepperjack.

By Leslie Blythe

Salmon with Lemon-Butter-Caper Sauce

This Salmon with Lemon-Butter-Caper Sauce is elegant and surprisingly simple to prepare. It's a classic French beurre blanc sauce, which basically are shallots simmering in a mixture of white wine and vinegar until the pot is nearly dry. Then cold cubes of butter are then added to enrich the sauce at the end.

By Leslie Blythe

Shrimp Caneel

This Shrimp Caneel recipe is something I used to make a lot when I was newly married. I often made it with chicken. It's a Caribbean inspired dish with a touch of curry powder. The recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Beyond Parsley, the cookbook of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri.

By Leslie Blythe

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken

What could be better than Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken? It's very fast and easy to make and guaranteed to be a hit the whole family will love. This chicken dish uses boneless skinless chicken breast and tastes delicious. Great as an appetizer or as a main dish served over rice.

By Leslie Blythe