Lamb Stew

This is lamb shanks with onion, garlic, tomatoes, celery, carrots, smoked paprika, salt and pepper...

... cooked on a Dutch oven for three hours last night. 

Salmon, Fennel and Tomatoes

The day just slipped away! Here's what I prepared for dinner tonight.... a slab of salmon cooked on a grill pan, a bulb of fennel, diced potatoes and sliced cherry tomatoes.

We'll share...

Beef Fajita

So it is beef fajita with green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, smoke paprika, cayenne and lime juice for dinner tonight...

Peruvian Dinner

Stopped by a Peruvian restaurant in the hood to grab dinner... Pollo a la Brasa with aji verde and yellow sauce, rice and Inca Kola.

Birds & Blooms

Key to a great Spring morning... 

... a yummy breakfast, 

     ... beautiful blooms, 

         ... and singing birds!

Chicken, Potato, Edamame and Greens

Tonight I cooked whatever's left on the fridge and in the pantry... organic chicken breast, red onion, potatoes, shelled edamame, baby spinach and baby aragula.  

A sprinkle of rock salt, a good cracking of black pepper and a dash of caraway seeds.

Strawberry Smoothie

... on a mason jar made from  organic fresh strawberries, Horizon organic milk and organic cane sugar.

Rigatoni and Eggplant Ragù

It's pasta night tonight!

The arsenal:  a box of rigatoni pasta, eggplant, a can of  San Marzano tomatoes, mild pork Italian sausage and chopped parsley. 

Tofu, Bean Sprouts and Soba

The secret to a stir-fry is to prepare all the ingredients first.  

For this vegetarean dish, I fried hard tofu on a pan and cooked soba on a pot of boiling water for about four minutes.  On a wok with sesame seed oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce, I stir-fried shredded cabbage and mung beans then I added the cooked soba, tofu and sprinkled a tablespoon of sesame seeds.

There you go... healthy and delish!

Loup De Mer En Papillote

I placed two sprigs of thyme,  two lemon slices and a pinch of salt into the cavity of a whole Mediterranean sea bass.  The skin, I  brushed them with olive oil, sprinkled salt and freshly ground black pepper and added more thyme and lemon slices on top.  Then I wrapped the fish in parchment paper and placed in a 400-degree pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Mediterranean Breakfast Skillet

It's Springtime breakfast of tomatoes,spinach, baby aragula, sausage, scrambled organic cage-free eggs served on a cast-iron skillet.

Lemon Chicken with Thyme and Sage

A drizzle of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, cloves of garlic, salt & pepper, chicken thighs, sprigs of thyme and oregano then baked on a 400-degree preheated oven for an hour.

Dinner is served...

Mussels & Wine from Mosel

I am always looking forward to Friday night -- our date night at home with the Little Guy.  Tonight we had a pot of Moules Marinieres which is black mussels cooked in white wine, butter, crushed garlic, thinly sliced shallot and garnished with parsley. 

On the side we had toasted sliced baguette, a bottle of Riesling from Mosel and a flickering candle light. 

Tuna Pasta Bean Salad

Cavatelli pasta, navy beans, potatoes, tomatoes, caperberries, albacore tuna, a sprinkle of rock salt and a generous amount of creme fraiche. 

Orecchiette, Tomatoes and Peas

Tonight's dinner is orecchiette cooked in a pot of salted boiling water for twelve minutes then spooned over to a pesto sauce with cherry tomatoes cut in quarters, green peas and a cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day celebration at the dinner table with a platter of corned beef (nitrite/nitrate free), organic cabbage, organic potatoes and organic carrots.

A Trip to the Danish Village

A spontaneous getaway up north to the beautiful Danish town of Solvang about two hours drive from Los Angeles.

We strolled around as we had in the past, ate some sausages and the traditional Danish pancake called aebleskiver, grabbed a couple bottles of wine and some cheese and drove back home -- while enjoying the gorgeous wildflowers along the way.

Arabian Night

For our Friday Arabian-themed date night at home, we had  fattoush salad, baba ghanoush, sauteed lamb, stuffed grape leaves, pita and dates.

Lamb Shank

Cooked on a Dutch Oven with chopped tomato, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, mint, vegetable broth, salt & pepper. 

On the stove first for about 30 minutes until the meat turned brown. Then on to a 300-degree pre-heated oven for two hours. 

Beef with Cabbage and Orzo

A one pot dish perfect for a weeknight meal. 

The arsenal: chopped cabbage, ground beef, a box of orzo, tomato sauce, chicken broth, salt & pepper.

Dover Sole a la Meuniere

This is super quick and easy dinner to make. 

Four pieces of Dover Sole, lightly dredged in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then dropped onto a pan with melted butter and sautéed on a medium heat for about three minutes on each side. Each of the fish was spooned carefully onto the plate. 

More butter was added on to the pan along with chopped parsley, lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper. When butter turned brown, the sauce was poured over fish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Making a pot of tortilla soup before it gets warm. Weather forecast for the weekend is in the 90s.

Slurp, slurp!

Grocery for the Week

The usual Sunday routine... church, brunch and grocery shopping.

A snapshot of what we will be eating and drinking in the upcoming week...

• Cereal and Oatmeal
• Orzo 
• Tortilla and Salsa
• Pistachios
• Orange Juice and Blueberry Lemonade
• Creime Fraiche
• Salmon Caviar
• Leg of Lamb, Dover Sole, Ground Beef and Chicken
• Plums, Orange, Strawberries
• Cabbage, Zucchini, Celery, Carrots, Dino Kale
• And, lots and lots of tomatoes in different colors...

Sunday Brunch at Blu Jam Cafe

Back to our favorite brunch spot... Blu Jam Cafe!

On the table:

• Rome via Paris 
• Brunch Carbonara
• Blueberry Pancake

Yum, yum!

Spring Forward >>>

Daylight saving time kicked off at 2 o'clock AM Sunday which means it's time to move the clock an hour ahead.

On our way to church this morning I took this snapshot of the sky before sunrise.

Snapdragon

A quick peek in the garden this morning shows the snapdragon from last season is blooming. How I wish I can find time to do some gardening. There are some plants to tend and weeds to pull, but it has been really hectic at work these past weeks and our weekend calendar has been equally crazy busy.

I'm so looking forward to spring and summer when we can BBQ and have weekend brunch here... and dinner on weeknights when the sun is still up at 8 o'clock at night... possibly a bonfire and some marshmallows on a stick. Lots and lots of plans.

go

Chicken, Olives and Artichoke

Chicken thighs sauteed in caramelized onion and garlic until brown then simmered in its juice and a cup of chicken broth.  An hour later, kalamata olives, lemon zest and artichoke heart were added. Then garnished with lemon and sage from the garden.

Dinner is served.

Beef & Aubergine Stew

First I sauteed chopped onion and thinly sliced garlic.  Then I added two pounds of chuck roast cut into cubes by our butcher at Whole Foods. Five minutes later I poured in the crushed whole tomatoes, a squirt of tomato paste, a tablespoon sugar, a handful smoked paprika, a pinch of salt and pepper.  It was simmered for about an hour on low fire before aubergine was added.  Then cooked for another twenty minutes. 

Garnished with fresh thyme from the garden.

Tuscan Pasta Salad

Cavatelli was cooked on a pot of salted water.  When pasta was half done I added the cannellini beans then spooned them all up on to a bowl.

The vegetables were grilled on a pan -  a bulb of fennel, red pepper and a bunch of  broccolini.

Tossed them all together and topped with shaved parmigiano-reggiano. Then eaten  with grilled sockeye salmon.

Barley, Chard & Pita Chips

This hearty soup is perfect on  a cold winter night 

The ingredients:  barley, chicken breast, Swiss chard, chicken broth, tomato paste, harissa, garlic and onion, hard boiled eggs, caraway seeds and pita chips