Potato Salad

A classic picnic and/or BBQ side dish is potato salad and what would Memorial Day be without it on the table?! It was a low key Memorial Day for us since we had quite a busy weekend with my best friend's wedding the past couple of days. Here's a great Potato Salad I prepared that we enjoyed for lunch...

Moroccan Chicken

Since moving to the suburbs, one thing I do miss is the accessibility of good Moroccan cuisine. I especially like Moroccan cuisine during the spring and summer months because of the exotic and bright flavors. With a craving for Moroccan cuisine grumbling in my stomach, I'm glad to have come across this recipe for Moroccan Chicken that highlights a wonderful combination of aromatic spices and tender, braised chicken...

Thai Beef Stir Fry

My husband always knows the right thing to say. His most recent compliment was that some of my best meals come about when I cook without a recipe (or very loosely follow one) and just improvise as I go. Last night's dinner happened to be one of those meals when I prepared this Thai Beef Stir Fry. I must say that although I did use a recipe very loosely as a guide, this was a dish that was better than what we have ordered at local Thai restaurants!...

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

When you think of pesto, does the traditional basil pesto usually come to mind at first? That's what I think of but there's a whole world of other kinds of pestos to check out! I've been experimenting with various kinds of pestos and my current favorite is this recipe for Cilantro Lime Pesto. It's definitely one to try and there's so many ways to use it, such as in these Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos...

Cheesy Italian Meatballs & Marinara Sauce

There are some foods I see at the grocery store that sometimes make me cringe. One of those things are pre-made frozen meatballs. Now I'll be the first to admit that I've purchased and prepared them myself out of convenience but if at all possible, I'll try to make them from scratch. What makes me cringe about these pre-made frozen meatballs is the amount of sodium those little morsels are loaded with... not to mention how much fat is rendered out of them when cooked. But when I came across this recipe which I adapted for Cheesy Italian Meatballs & Marinara Sauce, I made sure I made enough to freeze for a few meals. These meatballs are freshly made, full of flavor, easy on the sodium and light on the fat...

Cornflake Chicken Tenders

Looking into my pantry, I noticed there was a box of cornflakes that we forgot about. We're not big on cereal but I do recall buying a few boxes in an effort to get us to have breakfast more regularly. Well, apparently our box of cornflakes has been neglected. Then it occurred to me that cornflakes aren't just for breakfast! In fact, crushed cornflakes make for a great, crispy coating for meats like chicken. With that in mind, here's a great recipe for Cornflake Chicken Tenders that makes use of cornflakes in a deliciously savory way...

Strawberry Lemon Scones

I've been in a baking mood lately... perhaps because it's a relaxing activity for me and there's nothing like the sweet smells of a kitchen with something baking in the oven. Today, I wasn't sure what to bake up but I did have some strawberries and plain yogurt to work with. I came across this recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Scones and decided to put my own twist on them by adding some notes of lemon. What I ended up with after some tweaking were these deliciously moist and sweet Strawberry Lemon Scones...

Lemon & Oregano Roast Chicken

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday with my husband at a local restaurant called the Lake House. We had heard quite a few raves of this restaurant and were anxious to try it out. This restaurant is known for it's rotisserie chicken and there's no question why - they do a delicious job! One of their specialty rotisserie chicken dishes was simply prepared with lemon, oregano and topped with fresh feta cheese. I ordered this dish and ever since, had a craving for it. Here's a recipe for Lemon & Oregano Roast Chicken that came pretty close to the restaurant version, if not better than what I enjoyed...

Smothered Pork Chops

So much for a summer like weekend as poorly predicted by weathermen yesterday. I was looking forward to a grilled dinner to take advantage of the warm weather but since that didn't happen, we settled for a more comforting dish for dinner instead. Fresh from the freezer, we enjoyed this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops that I made in advance and froze. It tasted fantastic and took about 30 minutes to warm up!...

Mom's Banana Bread

I never expected to have much free time once our baby arrived. Ironically, while I'm nursing my son, I actually have quite a bit of time in between feedings to relax (and sleep!)... and I've had time flip through some food magazines while I'm nursing. As I was nursing my son yesterday, I checked out the recent issue of my Saveur magazine subscription. This recipe for Mom's Banana Bread was in the issue and I knew I had to make it when I had a chance. Fortunately, my good friend Megan came to visit today and I decided to make some mini loaves of Mom's Banana Bread for her to take home...

Almost No Knead Bread

It's been a long time since I made some bread from scratch. I've missed baking bread after all these months but now that we're settled at our new home and the baby's here, I can get back on the bread baking bandwagon once again. I've had my eye on this recipe for Almost No Knead Bread and I finally took the time to make it. I knew it was an easy recipe but after preparing it, I regret I didn't bake it sooner. This is seriously an easy, no-fail bread recipe that any yeast-fearing baker can attempt successfully!...

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

When I'm in my cooking 'zone', creative juices tend to flow and I start throwing random things together so nothing goes to waste. This recipe is a result of using up leftover ingredients I had from other dishes I prepared for the freezer. I figured chicken, pesto and cheese would work with pasta fairly well and so I hoped for the best. We enjoyed these Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells from the freezer and even my husband was impressed how these came out! I guess I'll have to make this again soon and/or experiment some more...

Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork

The other night, we had a couple of our friends over for dinner. They're expecting their first child, a daughter named Lily, in September and we couldn't be more excited for them! Ever since we've moved to the suburbs, they have been great friends to welcome us into suburbia in so many ways and we were happy to introduce them to our little man. For dinner, I prepared this quick recipe for Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork and it was a hit with no leftovers to be seen!

Southwestern Breakfast Burritos (Freezer Friendly)

Mornings can often have a late or slow start in our household. We're very much nocturnal and if we could, we'd rather be up at night and sleep through the day. But with a baby that needs to be fed around the clock and my husband's job that starts pretty early, we're forced to get up in the mornings like the rest of the world. Breakfast is sometimes an afterthought so to make sure we all get fed even when our mornings are rushed, I made these Southwestern Breakfast Burritos that are perfect to grab and go. Better yet, these can be made in advance and frozen so breakfast is never too much effort to make!...

Herbes de Provence Chicken (Freezer Friendly)

If there's a specialty food shop where I can easily go overboard, it's a spice shop... specifically, Chicago's Spice House. Stopping in for spices isn't just an 'in and out' visit. For me, I love to take my time and check out the various spice mixes, rubs and all other goodies they have available. On my last trip to the Spice House months ago, I picked up some Herbes de Provence, a mix of dried herbs including savory, fennel, basil, thyme and lavender flowers. I didn't have any recipe in mind to use this but figured it would be good to play with... which I certainly did with chicken! I used this French spice mix to make this Herbes de Provence Chicken for my special Baby Homecoming Dinner and it was fantastic!...

Strawberry Tiramisu

 Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits and are a staple in my fridge all year round. With strawberry season just around the corner, there have been some early crops resulting in lots of strawberries on sale lately. I wanted to create a light and refreshing dessert for my child's homecoming dinner to make use of the strawberries I picked up. This recipe I came across for Strawberry Tiramisu was a perfect ending to our delicious and special meal...

Cantaloupe & Crispy Prosciutto Arugula Salad

Last summer I had dinner with my mother in law at this restaurant, Atwood Cafe. It was a wonderful dinner smack in the middle of bustling downtown Chicago with great people watching views. We enjoyed a prix fixe menu and our salad course was delicious proscuitto wrapped cantaloupe slices over a bed of arugula, topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I really loved how the flavors tasted together and made a similar salad for the special Homecoming Dinner I prepared this weekend. Here's my take with this Cantaloupe & Crispy Prosciutto Arugula Salad...

Happy Homecoming for Baby Joel!

A week ago, I became the proud new mother of my handsome son, Joel. He was a bit impatient and decided to come out into the world a month early - a day before Mother's Day in fact! As much as we were overjoyed, he ended up staying in the hospital  for a week to grow and develop a bit longer so he could come home. Finally, we have our son in our arms and welcomed him home. To celebrate, I prepared a special Homecoming Dinner in honor of my son, which is also the dinner I initially planned to prepare for Mother's Day this year. Although it's a week later, I wouldn't have it any other way and I'm glad to add another chair to the table for our new family of three...

Freezer Meals: The Preparations

When planning to stock my freezer with meals to enjoy after my son was born, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for my husband and myself to make meals effortlessly. Besides, since we'll most likely be sleep- and energy-deprived, who wants to spend all day in the kitchen prepping meals? I know many friends who automatically think freezer meals are limited to casseroles, soups, chilis, etc but why limit the possibilities to just a few kinds of dishes? Here's how I prepared my freezer with meals. Perhaps it will help you look at your freezer in a whole new light...

Freezer Meals: The Menu

With a new foodie in the family, we anticipate many sleepless nights and experiencing exhaustion at a whole new level... so meals made in advance will definitely help us out. In fact, the entire day and night prior to going into labor, I was in my kitchen preparing meals for our freezer. I still have a few dishes to prepare but a majority has already been done...

Meet the Newest Foodie of our Family...

You know how sometimes you bake something in the oven and are anxiously awaiting for it to be done... but then you get antsy and decide to check on it a few minutes before your timer goes off to find out it's ready? Well, the special little bun I had in the oven baking up since fall last year was scheduled to be ready as of June 8, 2010. However, this little sweet bun decided to come out of the oven a month early so I could enjoy him just in time for Mother's Day!

Our newest foodie family member, Joel, came fresh out of the oven on Saturday, May 8, 2010, at 2:19pm CST, weighing in at 4lbs 15oz and measuring 18.5 inches in length. Everyone in our new family of three is doing well and I'm anxious to get back into the kitchen soon. Until then, here's wishing everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day holiday weekend!

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

What would a tropical themed dessert table would it be without something made from bananas? It was an obvious ingredient to use and what better way to incorporate them than with a simple cupcake recipe! The last dessert to feature this week from my friend's recent bridal shower is the Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting I made. These were ridiculously easy and no one could tell that these cupcakes actually came from a box!

Queso Fundido al Tequila

One of my favorite chefs specializing in Mexican cuisine is Chicago's very own, Rick Bayless. No Cinco de Mayo menu would be complete with one of his represented! So for my recent birthday fiesta, I made Rick's recipe for Queso Fundido al Tequila and it was one of my favorites of the spread!

Mango Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

One of my favorite summer fruits is mango because it captures the essence of summer with it's golden yellow orange flesh and it's refreshing, sweet flavor. I knew I would incorporate mango somehow when I came up with desserts for my friend's bridal shower. As a result, I mashed up some fresh mangos and swirled them into a buttery yellow cake batter and made these Mango Cupcakes topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. I got so many compliments from the bridal shower guests on these. Little did they know how I cheated!...

Pork Barbacoa

I'm getting reacquainted with my slow cooker/crockpot these days. In fact, you'll probably start seeing more crockpot recipes featured here in the future because I'll be using it to prepare some freezer meals. To get myself into crockpot mode, I prepared this recipe for Pork Barbacoa which I served up at my recent birthday fiesta. Now more than ever, I'm ready to give my crockpot a real good workout for upcoming recipes!...

Mexican Churros

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I've been blogging now for over three years and have always tried making new recipes every week. There are a few recipes I've been going back to every so often and this recipe is one of them. I first blogged about these Churros when I made them for a Superbowl gathering back in February of 2007. Back then, didn't have a picture of the end product then but since I made these Churros for my recent birthday fiesta, I thought I'd bring this recipe back to life!

Dorito Taco Salad

Being that it's Cinco de Mayo, what better salad to have today than a taco salad? I really enjoy salads that have a combination of fruits, nuts and cheese... the only exception is when it comes to taco salad. Instead, I like taco salads chock full of all my fave ingredients I'd put into a burrito. This specific taco salad has another fun component - Dorito chips! Yep, that's right... and this Dorito Taco Salad has more surprises in store...

Southwestern Eggrolls

Cultural crossovers in food is fun to me. You know, when a common dish in one culture is transformed or twisted slightly to incorporate flavors of another culture? Take for example these Southwestern Eggrolls I made for my birthday fiesta... All the great flavors of Tex Mex cuisine served up with Chinese eggroll flair! These were a great appetizer for my Cinco de Mayo inspired menu so if you're looking for something to make to celebrate tomorrow, give these a try!

Pina Colada Cheesecake Truffles

When it comes to tropical flavors, I can't help but think of those cool, refreshing umbrella drinks. Maybe it's due to my pregnancy brain that is subconsciously longing for a taste of alcohol with the summer months around the corner. Nonetheless, I could really use a pina colada right now! But since that isn't a possibility, I decided to take the flavors of a pina colada and put them in a cheesecake truffle. These Pina Colada Cheesecake Truffles were another hit at my friend's bridal shower and they're easier to make than you think!...

Spicy Lime & Honey Wings

If there's an appetizer my husband loves, it's wings! He's always up for chicken wings but rather than making the same old recipe, I like trying different flavors. Besides, why limit it to the usual buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce? With a Cinco de Mayo theme to work with for my birthday fiesta, I prepared these Spicy Lime & Honey Wings for my menu and they sure didn't last long...

Passion Fruit Cheesecake Truffles

Passion fruit just sounds like it belongs somewhere on a wedding menu, doesn't it? Well, in the case of my friend's recent bridal shower, not only was the name of this fruit fitting, it also captured the tropical flavors of Hawaii for their luau themed shower. I incorporated the sweet flavors of passion fruit to make these Passion Fruit Cheesecake Truffles for her sweets table...

My Birthday Fiesta!

Happy Birthday to me! Or should I say, Feliz Cumpleaños? Although my birthday was yesterday, May 1st, friends and I got together today to celebrate with a birthday fiesta. I tied in the popular Cinco de Mayo vibe with my birthday menu and it was muy delicioso!...

Love is Sweet! Dessert Table

I love luau themed parties because they're so colorful and festive. Besides that, luaus remind me of Hawaii - one of my most favorite places in the world. It couldn't have been a more fitting party theme for my friend's bridal shower today since May 1st is also Lei Day in Hawaii! For her shower, I prepared some desserts for the dessert table and had a fun time incorporating tropical flavors in doing so...

Judging Sara Lee's Sweet Ideas Recipe Contest!

As a food blogger, I've had some great opportunities come my way. Aside from networking with many food industry companies, businesses and even some media appearances with food celebrities, I always enjoy food related events. Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Sara Lee as a judge for their Sweet Ideas Recipe Contest...