Harissa & Honey Glazed Broiled Salmon

There’s a sushi place up the street from my house that has salMONDAYS. As in they have a salmon promotion on Mondays. (I know today is Thursday by the way.) For the most part salmon (or some kind of fish) is on ‘special’ at our house on Mondays too mainly because we go grocery shopping on Sunday & if we buy fish we either make it the same day or on Monday.

This week I broiled the salmon (like I did here) but spiced things up with some honey & harissa half way through the cooking process. If you like salmon & a little bit of spice this one is for you!

Greek Earth Bowl

It’s that time of year again when the temperature rises & I automatically feel like I should be eating some sort of salad for ever meal, yes even breakfast! This earth bowl (a salad with some hearty grains) is one of those dishes that you could eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can eat it (just-cooked farro) hot, room temperature or cold from the fridge. It’s a heartier salad but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. You can use the veggies & other add-ins I did or you can use what you have on hand.


PS: happy birthday (tomorrow!!! - doh!) to one of my favorite Greek goddesses - Stacy! Love you hot latte ;)

Farro with Tomatoes, Cannellini Beans & Pesto

How was our vacation already more than a month ago? Is it me or does life always seem a bit easier, a bit lighter when it’s spent at the beach? Maybe it’s because I don’t live at the beach so every time I am there life really is, just that, a vacation :)

I’ll come back from my tangent now. So last month Chris & I ate at a cute little spot in the Isle of Palms it also had my maiden name (Pesce) in the name so we had to try it. We walked into Coda del Pesce (which if you’re practicing your Italian means 'tail of the fish') on a Sunday night. When we asked to see the menu the server said they didn’t have one for Sunday nights. Yep, that’s right, Sunday nights were reserved to family styled meals of whatever the chef felt like cooking.  We thought it over for about 3 minutes & knew right then we needed to roll the dice on the 5 course meal we were promised. Isn’t one of the best parts of eating with your family just eating what’s there & not having to make any decisions? Well it is for me.

The smiley server said 5 courses but we definitely had more dishes than that on our table & each one was just as delicious as the last.  One of the first dishes we had was an antipasta dish that was a simple combination of fresh pesto & beans. I’m sure there was something else in there - maybe a potato but the beans & the pesto are what really stood out to us. Chris loved it. I loved it. Weeks after we’ve returned I’m still thinking & talking about it, maybe even drooling a little bit. Taking a nod from this great antipasta dish I made a simple supper with the same kind of cannellini beans & pesto but I added some tomatoes & farro. It’s a great weeknight meal or just a great one if you feel like going meatless.

PS: Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Eileen! I love you!

Thanksgiving Sides

Clockwise from top left corner: Parsnip Puree | Simple Herb-Lime Farro | Celery Root Puree | Root Vegetable Stuffing

'Twas the Monday before Thanksgiving & you haven't gone grocery shopping yet. You're not hosting but you said you'd bring a side dish to dinner. What will it be?

Truth be told, I've yet to host Thanksgiving or cook a whole turkey (or chicken) myself.  Each year I usually bring a dessert or side or both. This year I will be making mashed potatoes for an army - the request was specific so potatoes it is. If someone else is whipping up your mashed potatoes this year & you're looking for a tasty side dish to make these are some that I've made before that are super tasty & a little bit different.  Let me know if the comments below if you try them or if you have another side you recommend.

Simple Herb & Lime Farro

Farro is a new whole grain to me. After hearing my gal Alice talk about how good it is I thought I should at least try it. I found it in the bulk grain aisle at FairWay & filled up a bag to go.  I have to admit it sat in my pantry for a week or two before I tried it.  I wasn't sure exactly how to cook it & I wanted to give myself ample time to prepare it, which is usually rare on "school nights." I finally had time on my side & gave it a try.  Turns out this is an Italian grain. It looks & tastes more like rice (to me) but you cook it like pasta - go figure.  It's surprisingly easy to make & Chris likes it.  So we'll be having it again soon.

PS: HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of the best people of all time,  Maggie! Love ya girl!