I never get tired of banh mi sandwiches. They are quick to make, always satisfying, and with so many variations, they are never boring. Besides the roasted chicken version, I also make this meatball version quite often. The meatballs have all the flavor requirements of a typical Vietnamese dish - sweet, salty, and a little umami. Yes, I know that …
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Moroccan Chicken
I am always on the lookout for easy, tasty and healthy dinner recipes. Keeping dinner interesting for the family yet easy for the cook can be a challenge. But I think I found a winner with this one. It comes from this month's issue of Bon Appétit magazine featuring middle eastern inspired dishes. The chicken does need a long marinating time so a …
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White Bean Stew with Bacon, Sausage, and Spinach
I know bean stew feels more like a fall dish rather than a middle of the summer one but, really, is there ever a bad time to enjoy bacon? I have been on a real bacon kick lately and this recipe got the bacon treatment. The original recipe called for chorizo and no bacon. So, I swapped out the chorizo for healthier chicken sausage to justify balance …
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Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry with Crispy Noodles
After being out of town last week to visit family in Oklahoma, I was ready to get back to our regular routine at home. Then reality hit and I remembered that a regular routine only occurs in my fantasy life. For example, yesterday involved a swim practice, an unscheduled visit to the orthodontist for a broken retainer, a trip to the car service …
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Beef Satay
My kids are out of school for the summer and I had lofty dreams about how much I could get done since I would not have to worry about drop-off and pick-up schedules and volunteer obligations. I somehow did not think about the fact that the kids would actually be at home WITH me as I was trying to cook, photograph, and write. It turns out that …
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Vietnamese Grilled Chicken with Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Sometimes the simplest things can come together and be amazing. That is how I feel about Vietnamese noodle dishes. Each component on its own seems rather mundane - noodles, vegetables, herbs, chicken. However, when you put them all together and add in a sauce that is all about complexity and balance, you get a taste extravaganza. It is warm and …
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Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto, Basil, & Cheese
My sister's wedding is this weekend and I am a little nervous. I am not nervous about the wedding itself (my sister has every detail planned down to perfection). I am nervous because my sister asked me to be one of the photographers. I am absolutely flattered that she would trust me with this task but also extremely worried. Photographing people …
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Chicken Pot Pie
Whenever I ask my younger daughter what I should make for dinner, her reply almost always is chicken pot pie. So, when I had to make this twice in two weeks, she was thrilled. The sauce (more like gravy, really) in the filling is something you can never get enough of.
The reason I had to make this chicken pot pie twice was because the first time …
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Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Sauce Glaze
Sometimes you just need simple because life can get complicated. With two active kids comes two sets of activities - sports, social life, extra curricular - it gets crazy. We have days that require the coordination of a well planned military operation to get everyone where they need to be when they need to be. On those days, I need dinner to be …
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Marinated Beef Fajitas
I don't know about you but I am hungry. I have been cooking, styling, and photographing these fajitas for the last hour and these pictures are making my stomach growl.
It could have also been listening to that perfect sizzle as the steak seared in the hot pan.
Or maybe it was tasting the onions as they began to caramelize. Are you …
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Roasted Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
I grew up eating banh mi sandwiches so it makes me happy they are finally getting the recognition they deserve. There are hundreds of variations and this version is based on the ones my mother made when I was young. She used chicken legs (with the skin ) that were marinated overnight and then fried. She then shredded the meat and put it in crusty …
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Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
A homemade tomatillo sauce may seem overly complicated and time consuming but this sauce is neither. What it is though is dreamy and creamy without being overly rich. The most exotic ingredient, the tomatillos, are found at almost any grocery store and a quick zip in the blender makes the sauce come together quickly. The most time consuming part is …
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