Cooking Method: Simmering

Orange Ginger Rice

Living in Southern California, we are lucky to have a plethora of citrus trees. I am always trying to figure out how to use the oranges on our tree. This Orange Ginger Rice is so good. It's cooked with shallots, orange juice & zest, ginger, golden raisins and has loads of flavor.

By Leslie Blythe

Country Captain

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

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

My friends Jennifer and Heather reminded me of Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter recipe. It’s one of the simplest, sweetest most delicious tomato sauces. It takes only 5 minutes to prep and then simmers on the stovetop. She recommends using it on gnocchi, spaghetti, penne or rigatoni.

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

Chicken with Apricot-Chipotle Glaze

This Chicken with Apricot-Chipotle Glaze is smoky, sticky, sweet and spicy. What more could you ask for?! And, it's it all done in one pan. Serve this on a bed of rice and BAM, you're done!

By Leslie Blythe

Mexican Fideo (Vermicelli)

I was researching ways to use Fideo pasta (Vermicelli) and ran across this recipe. It was actually called Sopa de Fideo, though there is nothing "soupy" about this. It's more like a tomato mac & cheese. Regardless, this Mexican Fideo (Vermicelli) (I renamed it!) was a huge hit with my husband. It only took 10 minutes to make. If you have kids at home, this is a must-try dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Vaquero Bean Soup

I love using a leftover ham hock to make soup. I also happen to have some Rancho Gordo Vaquero beans. If you don't know about Rancho Gordo, then you need to check them out. You can substitute other beans for this soup, like black beans. I have given you the recipe for 3 cooking methods - Instant Pot (which is what I did), Slow Cooker or stovetop. Before serving, I love adding a splash of sherry vinegar, which brightens it up and add a burst of flavor.

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

Chopped Salad with Medjool Dates, Manchego & Farro

My husband had this Chopped Salad with Medjool Dates, Manchego & Farro salad at a restaurant called True Food Kitchen. You can add salmon to the top to make it more of a meal. I am in love with this salad, mainly because it has so many textures. It calls for Marcona almonds, but I used toasted slivered almonds instead.

Farro is a food composed of the grains of certain wheat species. Because it contains more fiber than other popular grains like rice or even quinoa, farro might have even more positive benefits when it comes to digestion and cardiovascular health. It's also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals.

By Leslie Blythe