Pan-Seared Asparagus with Lemon, Balsamic and Parmesan

This recipe for Pan-Seared Asparagus with Lemon, Balsamic and Parmesan Cheese is an excellent and delicious accompaniment for the following Lemon-Curry Chicken recipe.

Always Enjoy!

Lemon-Curry Roasted Chicken

This Lemon-Curry Roasted Chicken recipe is loaded with flavor and super-easy to make.

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Mini Egg and Bacon Pies

These little mini egg and bacon pies will be perfect for a variety of occasions. You can make this quick and easy recipe for breakfast, brunch, a snack for the kids (you too!), and for your late night trip to the fridge. I hope that you enjoy preparing these mini-pies!

Always Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken and Scone Bake Recipe

I just love OnePotChef! This is his first video and the Creamy Chicken and Scone Bake recipe looks sooo delicious. This recipe will really come in handy on a cold, blustery night when you feel like you need a little comfort food. I hope that you enjoy!

Always Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese - Fast, Easy, & Gourmet

This recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is sooo very easy to prepare and makes a great weekend dish. I hope you enjoy!

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Maple Granola

Crunchy and Yummy!

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Lime, Chilli and Garlic Prawns (Shrimp)

Oh my... these shrimp are truly fabulous! You just have to try them...

Always Enjoy!

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Strips

This recipe is fast, easy, and definitely YUMMY... I hope you enjoy!

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Spicy Garlic Chicken & Veggie Kabobs

This delicious recipe for chicken and veggie kabobs was requested by Jamie. It’s summer and the grill is hot and waiting! I hope you enjoy!

Your Ingredients: (serves 4)

8 to 12 fresh cloves garlic
2-cups Italian dressing, divided
salt, to taste (but you probably don’t need any with the Italian dressing)
3 T crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 or 3 ears of corn, cut into 2-inch pieces
Portabella mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
your favorite dipping sauce

IN a food processor, blend the garlic, 1-cup Italian dressing, salt, and red pepper flakes for about 1 minute.

ADD chicken and vegetables to a large bowl. Pour the processed garlic mixture and the remaining 1-cup Italian dressing into the bowl and make sure that all ingredients are well coated. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

PREPARE your grill and heat coals to medium-hot. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 20 minutes before threading.

DRAIN marinated chicken and veggies; reserve some marinade for basting.

IN a small saucepan, heat the reserved marinade over medium-high heat. When it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

ALTERNATELY thread veggies and chicken onto skewers leaving a small space between each piece.

GRILL over medium-hot coals 4 to 6-inches from heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked and veggies are crisp tender, about 12 to 14 minutes, turning kabobs once and brushing with marinade occasionally.

SERVE over spicy yellow rice and dipping sauce on the side.

Always Enjoy!

Thai Spring Rolls

Fast, easy, and delicious appetizer!

Always Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake

This recipe for Red Velvet Cake was requested by Marquetta waaayyyy back in the middle of April! Marquetta… I must admit that you certainly threw me off kilter with your request!

Although I’ve heard of this cake several times, I’ve never baked one or tasted one. That’s not exactly surprising though since there are very few cakes that I’ve attempted. My cakes are either fabulous, or not fit for human or animal consumption. You can ask my daughter… her Rottweiler, named Chaka (although she can’t sing), won’t even sniff some of my failures.

Finally, I found a woman (through a friend) who bakes these all the time (says she!). I hope that this recipe meets your taste buds with a smile!

Your Ingredients:

1 T unsalted butter (to butter 2 cake pans)
2 T cake flour (for dusting cake pans)
2-1/2 cups cake flour, NOT self-rising
1-tsp salt
1/4-cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2-cups canola or vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 (1-ounce) bottles of red food coloring (1/4-cup)
1-tsp pure vanilla extract
1-cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons white vinegar (NOT apple cider vinegar)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans. Dust with flour and shake out the excess; set aside.

WHISK together the cake flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

IN the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the sugar and oil on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time and blend well after each addition.

Note: DO NOT overmix the cake batter; overmixing will result in a tough cake.

ADD food coloring and vanilla and mix until well blended.

ADD 1/3 of your flour mixture and 1/3 of your buttermilk, mixing well and then repeating with another 1/3 flour and 1/3 buttermilk, mixing well, and then adding the last 1/3 of your flour and buttermilk, mixing well.

IN a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar and baking soda. Add to your cake batter and mix for a few seconds.

DIVIDE batter evenly between both prepared cake pans. Place the pans in your preheated oven.

BAKE until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow cakes to cool on a rack in their pans about 5 minutes. Remove from pans and place cakes directly on the wire rack to cool completely.

Note: If you are adept at slicing each layer horizontally (and evenly) in half, you’ll have a 4-layer cake. Otherwise, you could just double the recipe and make 4 (9-inch) layers.

White Frosting: (You will need a candy thermometer.)

1/2-cup water
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2-tsp cream of tartar
1/8-tsp salt
4 egg whites, room temperature

IN a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the water, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir constantly until mixture is clear. Continue cooking (but NO more stirring) until mixture reaches 240ºF.

IN the bowl of an electric mixer, add egg white and beat until soft peaks form. When mixer is running, slowly pour the sugar mixture down the sides of the bowl (NOT in the center). Continue beating until stiff peaks form and frosting thickens to desired consistency.

SPREAD on thoroughly cooled cake layers.

Always Enjoy!

Easy New York Steak Sandwich

Here's a short video of Chef John preparing an easy and very tasty New York steak sandwich. I prepared this on the grill using rib eye steaks instead of strip steaks since they were everyone's favorite. I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Always Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

Belinda requested this yummy Carrot Cake recipe.

A wonderful friend named Fanny who used to baby-sit my daughter gave me this delicious carrot cake recipe many years ago. It is such a moist and tasty recipe that even my late Aunt Nancy chose this one over the recipe she used to use.

Belinda, please let me know if you like it as much as my family does. Then again, just let me know if you like it because it seems that my family loves anything sweet… with no attention necessarily paid to what form the sweets come in!

Your Ingredients:

2-cups all-purpose flour
2-tsp baking soda
2-tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-tsp allspice
1/4-tsp salt
3/4-cup buttermilk
4 large eggs
3/4-cup Crisco vegetable oil
1-1/2-cups granulated sugar
2-tsp pure vanilla extract
3-cups freshly shredded/grated carrots (peel and wash first)
1-cup Baker’s sweetened flaked coconut
1-cup chopped walnuts
1-cup golden raisins
1 (8-ounce) can of crushed pineapple (keep the juice)

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF.

GREASE and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan. Set aside.

IN a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

IN the large bowl of an electric mixer, add the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla. Using the low speed, incorporate the ingredients until well blended.

ADD the flour mixture (slowly) and blend thoroughly.

REMOVE bowl from mixer and stir in the remaining ingredients (carrots, coconut, walnuts, raisins, and crushed pineapple with the juice).

POUR into the prepared cake pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour (oven temperatures vary).

ALLOW cake to cool at least a half hour before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Your Ingredients:

3-1/2-cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (or Neufchatel cheese)
1/2-cup butter, room temperature
1-1/2-tsp pure vanilla extract
1-cup chopped walnuts

PLACE the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, and pure vanilla in a bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend until smooth.

STIR in walnuts.

SPREAD the icing on a thoroughly cooled cake.

Always Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Green Chili and Crispy Corn Tortilla Strips

Green Chili? Well...I can't say that I've ever had the pleasure of sampling this dish but it looks pretty darn interesting. Let me know if you try it and how you'd compare it to good 'ole traditional chili!

Always Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

Here is Chef Jean Pierre's recipe for Beef Stroganoff. I have yet to try making this recipe but have enjoyed it on occasion while dining out. I really hope that you'll enjoy it because it looks pretty tasty!

Always Enjoy!

French Toast

This recipe request for plain French toast comes from Roxanne.

This is a very good (or should I say delicious?) recipe that I’ve been making for many years. I can’t even remember where I got it…that’s how long it’s been. All I know is that it always brings smiles to the faces of those that try it.

I hope that it brings a smile to your face Roxanne!

Your Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 eggs
1/2-cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 slices of white bread (or sliced brioche) cut diagonally to make 8 pieces
1/2-stick butter, divided (yeah, I know)
pure maple syrup
confectioners’ sugar

IN a large shallow bowl (like a soup bowl), use a wire whisk to mix together the eggs, whipping cream, and vanilla.

DIP bread slices into the egg mixture and after you’ve dipped them all, place them back into the bowl with the remaining egg mixture.

CONTINUE to rearrange the slices in the bowl so that the remaining egg mixture soaks through all of the bread slices.

MELT 1/4-stick of butter in a large skillet over low heat.

WHEN the butter has melted, pick up each slice and allow the excess egg mixture to fall back into the bowl and arrange all of the slices in the pan (hopefully your pan is large enough so that you don’t need to repeat). Cook the slices until they reach a golden brown on one side.

ADD the remaining 1/4-stick of butter to the pan and quickly turn the slices. You want the new melted butter to be the base for the second side so that it will also turn golden brown.

SERVE on dinner plates with hot, crispy bacon slices around the edges.

LADLE a bit of pure maple syrup on top of the French toast.

GARNISH with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar. You can also add strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or peaches.

NOTE: Leave the heat on low. It may seem as though the toast would cook faster with a higher flame (and it would), but you want to avoid burning the butter while completely cooking the toast.

Also, it’s nice when you use a skillet or griddle large enough to hold all of the slices at one time because when you finish the second side, the pan will probably need cleaning from the cooked butter bits. If you need to cook the French toast in two separate stages, just clean your skillet and repeat the steps. Keep the finished slices of French toast in a warm preheated oven, around 200ºF.

If you decide that you love the French toast sprinkled with the powdered sugar, you may want to invest in a shaker that’s made specifically for sprinkling (really inexpensive). Otherwise, you can just use a small strainer to accomplish the same task.

Always Enjoy!

Vegetarian Fried Rice

This vegetarian fried rice was requested by Suzanne. I cannot take credit for this recipe though. It was originally one of my late Aunt Nancy’s recipes. Boy oh boy…could that woman cook! Thank you Aunt Nancy.

For others who may be interested in another really yummy version of fried rice, try this one:

Chinese Fast Food Recipe For Fabulous Fried Rice

I hope that you enjoy this recipe Suzanne!

Your Ingredients:

NOTE: Make 2 cups of cooked white rice (you could also use brown) the day before according to package directions. Place it in a covered bowl and freeze it until right before using. (DO NOT use Minute Rice)

4-tbsp vegetable oil, or as needed
couple of dashes of sesame oil
2 eggs, beaten slightly
4 green onions, washed, dried and sliced thinly on the bias (diagonally)…use the green part too
1-cup bean sprouts, washed, picked through, blanched, and drained well
1/2-cup shredded Napa cabbage, washed and blanched
1-cup blanched shredded carrots (you can use the packaged ones but wash them even though they say they’re ready to eat and dry them well…you can even take a sharp knife to chop them even smaller if you like)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 rounded tbsps crushed fresh ginger, more or less
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2-cups of frozen cooked rice, use your fingers or a fork to separate all of the grains completely
1-cup frozen peas
1/3 cup Tamari, dark aged soy sauce
1-tsp oyster sauce (or omit if this dish should be truly vegan)
Crushed red pepper flakes (only if you like a little bite…otherwise, just use freshly ground black pepper to taste)
Salt, you probably won’t need any

PREHEAT your wok on high heat.

ADD the vegetable and sesame oil and be careful not to burn.

ADD the slightly beaten eggs to the wok and continually shred the scrambled pieces with your fork.

ADD the onions, sprouts, cabbage, carrots, garlic, ginger, and red bell pepper and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

ADD the cold rice and continue to stir-fry until the rice begins to brown (or with brown rice, maybe a couple of minutes).

ADD the peas, Tamari, oyster sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes and continue to stir fry for 2-3 more minutes.

MAKE sure all ingredients are blended well and continue stir-frying until everything is nice and hot, about 2-3 minutes more.

PLACE into warmed oriental bowls and garnish with a few snips of fresh scallions (greens onions) on top.

ANOTHER NOTE: Blanch: place your vegetables in boiling water for just a couple of minutes and drain.

LAST NOTE: If the rice sticks to the fork while you’re trying to separate the grains, place your fork under cold running water every few separations.

Always Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse

This recipe request for Chocolate Mousse comes from Thalia.

I must confess that I’ve never made any type of mousse, although I love to order it while dining out because it’s just so darn creamy and yummy.

This recipe is from my girlfriend Andre’ who lives in Florida. She’s a pretty good source for tons of things. Well, maybe not all things. No…on second thought, there are some things that I’ve learned to refrain from asking her.

With good reason, I might add. For instance, one day I asked her why she didn’t listen to a particular CD on her computer since it was right there in her bedroom. She said, “Don’t be silly…I don’t feel like going downstairs and disconnecting the CD player to bring it up here to place it on top of my computer and find a plug and all of that.”

I said, “No Andre’, there's no need for that. You have a built-in player right inside your computer. It looks like the drawer in your player downstairs.”

She got extremely defensive and started ranting and raving about…”What do you know about my computer…when my son gave it to me he didn’t put any drawers in it! I don’t have any drawers and I wish you’d stop telling me about some stupid computer drawer that I don’t have!”

Well, just to let you know…I’d used her computer frequently while I was visiting. I’d played tons of music from the drawer that she ‘just didn’t have’ and even danced to it!

About two hours later, she sheepishly admitted “Oh, that’s where it is…they should put the damn thing where I can see it!”

So Thalia, luckily for you, she’s not that absentminded when it comes to digging up recipes. I hope that the following recipe will whet your appetite.

NOTE: You will need an Insta-Read Cooking Thermometer (or a candy thermometer).

Your Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated
1/2-cup + 1/4-cup granulated sugar
1/2-stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4-cup water
1/2-pound bittersweet (NOT unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

PLACE the large (empty) bowl of an electric mixer in the fridge.

PLACE a saucepan of water over medium heat and allow it to simmer.

IN a large stainless steel bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, butter, and water.

USE a wire whisk to blend the ingredients.

PLACE the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the thermometer reaches 160ºF, about 3-4 minutes (you’re dealing with raw eggs).

ADD the chocolate and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Turn off the heat but leave the bowl over the simmering water.

REMOVE the chilled bowl from the fridge and add the egg whites. Beat the whites until they have soft peaks.

GRADUALLY add the remaining 1/4-cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (but not dry).

FOLD in about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture (to temper). Then fold in the remaining whites.

DIVIDE the mousse into 6 fancy dessert glasses, place a piece of plastic wrap on each, and chill overnight.

GARNISH with a dollop of whipping cream (the real stuff) and sprinkle a few raspberries on top.

YUM! Thalia, please let me know if you enjoy this recipe.

Always Enjoy!

Smothered Chicken For Tiffanye

This post is specifically for Tiffanye, but I thought that everyone would benefit.

Tiffanye's recipe request was for Smothered Chicken. Since it's already posted within this blog, I thought that I would bring the "search" feature to everyone's attention.

In the upper left-hand corner of your screen, there's a teeny, tiny orange box with a white "B" inside. Hey...I missed it too for the longest time! Next to it there's a search box with "Search Blog" button next to it.

Now I know that everyone's "search request" won't be found, that's why I have that little box there that asks for "Your Recipe Request." It is my intention to post recipes that you like, in addition to recipes that I think you may like.

So Tiffanye, click here to get your request for a delicious Smothered Chicken recipe.

And be sure to serve the Sinful Mashed Potatoes on the side!

Then go jogging for 3 hours and eat lettuce for 2 weeks...

Always Enjoy!

Vegetarian Corn Chowder

This is for you Amanda! I don’t know what part of the world you live in, but it is below zero where I live and my fingers just couldn’t type up anything for you that wasn’t all warm and cozy. I just couldn’t!

So forgive me if you happen to live somewhere like sunny Florida, where it’s around 90-degrees! Just save this recipe for a cooler day.

This really creamy vegetarian corn chowder is thickened by using silken tofu instead of the usual cream.


Your Ingredients: (4-6 servings)

2-tbsp olive oil (or butter)
1 medium onion, washed and diced
2 ribs celery, washed and sliced on the bias (diagonally)
2 carrots, peeled, washed and thinly sliced
1/2-cup red bell pepper, minced
3-4 cups frozen corn kernels
4-5 cups homemade vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2-tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, washed and diced
1/2-tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1-1/2 packages (12.3-ounces plus) silken tofu
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
soy milk, as needed

HEAT olive oil (or butter) in a medium stockpot over medium heat.

ADD the onions, celery, and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

ADD the carrots and minced bell pepper and sauté until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes.

ADD the corn kernels (and stripped cobs if you have them).

ADD the homemade vegetable stock, bay, and thyme leaves.

TURN heat to medium high until tiny bubbles begin to form.

LOWER heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

ADD the potatoes and cumin, cover again, and continue to simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 15-20 more minutes.

IN a blender, puree the silken tofu until smooth. Add it to the chowder and blend well with a wire whisk.

ADD salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for another 10 minutes.

TURN off heat, discard the bay leaves, and allow chowder to rest for about an hour.

SERVE in heated bowls (just run hot water in them for a couple of minutes and dry) and sprinkle with a bit of Spanish paprika to add a smoky bite to the chowder.

NOTE: If the consistency of the chowder is too thick, add a little soy milk and stir well.

ANOTHER NOTE: If you can get fresh ears of corn and slice the kernels off the cob, that will be even more flavorful. You’ll need about 6-7 ears to make 3-4 cups of kernels.

Do not discard the stripped cobs. Add them to the chowder while it’s simmering and discard at the end.

Always Enjoy!

New England Clam Chowder

I am a soupaholic. I admit it. Spring, summer, fall, or winter…soup rocks. I think that the winter months bring out everyone’s craving for the hot, sometimes thick, slide down your throat and make you all warm inside type of meal that can be eaten with a spoon and out of a bowl.

Unless of course, you decide that soup doesn’t rock. Maybe you’ve eaten rocky soup. I’ll never forget the very first time I attempted to make a fabulous surprise dinner for my family. The meal just wouldn’t be fabulous unless I had 29 courses, one of them being soup.

It was supposed to be navy bean soup with ham and bacon. I love those too. Navy beans, that is. Anyway, I didn’t have a recipe book or anything with instructions. And I certainly didn’t want to ask anyone for help for fear of ruining the surprise. Geez…how hard could it be? Even a five year old could figure out how to make navy bean soup with ham and bacon…duh. So here’s what I did.

While on my secret shopping mission, I picked up a large package of Michigan Pea navy beans, some ham and a package of bacon. Dinner would be served around 5:00 p.m. that evening.

Around 4:30 p.m., I opened the package of navy beans, poured them in the pot, added the ham lunchmeat, opened the bacon, and poured in some water. Covered it with the lid and turned on the heat. That’s it folks. No salt, pepper…nothing.

Around 5 something or other, it was time to show off my wares (so to speak). Well, at first you could have heard a pin drop. I was all smiles and gushing over my impressive meal when all of a sudden…I started hearing “WHAT THE @&%# is this?” And one family member started spitting and a small gray rock landed on the table. Another started spitting out his mouthful and said that it was all rocks (but they were only uncooked beans…sheesh, such a teeny tiny little mistake). I mean, can’t a person get a break? I tried didn’t I?

No one sued. Or asked for leftovers. Or ate anything that I cooked for a loonnngggg time. Go figure.

Here’s my delicious and quick (well... sort of quick) New England Clam Chowder recipe that I promise will keep you in the good graces of your family and out of court.

Your Ingredients: (about 4 servings)

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces (use your kitchen shears)
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 cups celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 (6.5 ounce) cans of minced clams, drained and broth set aside
Clam juice (8-ounce bottle)
3-cups diced potatoes
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
2-tbsp butter
1/2-tsp Old Bay seasoning
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PLACE a medium-size heavy soup pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces, and sauté until almost crisp.

WHEN bacon begins to crisp, add the onion, celery, garlic and bay leaf and sauté until bacon is crisp and onion and celery are translucent.

ADD the broth from the drained clams along with the bottle of clam juice to the mixture.

ADD the diced potatoes, cover, and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir the potatoes occasionally to prevent sticking.

ADD the minced clams, cream of celery soup (do not add water), heavy cream and half and half. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

STIR often and simmer for about 10 minutes.

ADD butter, Old Bay, salt, and freshly ground black pepper according to taste. (remember that the clam juice contains salt).

DISCARD the bay leaf and turn off heat. Allow the soup to rest (in the pot on the stove) for about 15 minutes.

LADLE the chowder into warmed bowls and serve with crusty bread or chowder crackers (you know, the little round soup crackers).

Always Enjoy!

Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil Focaccia Toast

This recipe makes an excellent appetizer for a crowd of 50 or for just one. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s really yummy.

I could eat about 10 of these myself. Especially while I’m reading. There is nothing better. Except if you’re reading and eating while you’re lying down in bed. Then you get crunchy crumbs all over the fresh sheets and your spouse might kick you out of the bed and ask you to eat your toast on the porch. Well what if it’s cold? What if your dog won’t even go out on the porch?

Once again, Your Smiling Chef will come to your rescue so that you don’t have to eat your toast on the porch without the dog for company. Here’s what you do:

On the evening that you plan to eat these delicious focaccia toast points, toast several pieces of regular bread separately. Crumble up the toast until you have about a quart of crumbs. Bleach them (so they’re invisible against your white crispy sheets).

Then all you have to do is sprinkle the crumbs on your spouse’s side of the bed before they get in. You lie down on your side and read your book. When they get in and start complaining about something crunchy under them that they can’t see, look at them as if they’ve lost their mind.

Tell them that they should go out on the porch and try to refresh their mind before you have to call someone. When they leave, just grab your toast, savor the taste, and read your book in peace. Simple wasn’t it?

Your Ingredients:

2 squares of herbed focaccia bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Dijon mustard
Finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 large tomato slices (thin)
4 large basil leaves, washed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


PREHEAT oven to 400ºF.

LAY the focaccia squares on a foil-lined baking sheet

BRUSH the squares with olive oil.

SPREAD a little Dijon mustard on top.

SPRINKLE mozzarella on top.

ADD a tomato slice to each square.

ADD 2 basil leaves.

SPRINKLE a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper.

TOP with a sprinkling of mozzarella.

BAKE until lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes and slice diagonally to make triangle points.

SERVE with homemade tomato soup and say aah!

Always Enjoy!

Little Chocolate Cookies

Kristen requested this recipe to pacify her sweet tooth. I hope that Kristen shares these cookies with her chocolate lover friends…it’d be a shame to hide them!

I hope you enjoy them Kristen!

Your Ingredients: (makes about 4 dozen little cookies)

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1-cup granulated sugar
1/2-cup golden brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2-tsp pure vanilla extract
2-cups all-purpose flour
2/3-cup good quality cocoa
1-tsp baking powder
1-tsp baking soda
1/2-tsp salt
12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF.

IN the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

IN another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to blend well.

ADD the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well blended.

REMOVE from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and chunks.

FORM cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and arrange balls on ungreased cookie sheets about 2-inches apart.

PLACE the filled cookie sheets, one at a time, into the preheated oven on the center rack.

BAKE cookies for 8-10 minutes. (if you’d like a softer cookie, bake for around 7-8 minutes)

REMOVE from the oven and allow cookies to set for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a cookie cooling rack to cool completely.

Always Enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

I've always enjoyed sampling recipes from different geographical locations in this huge, wonderful world we live in. Of course, there are many, many cuisines that I haven't had the pleasure of tasting. Fortunately though, this isn't one of them (although I use chicken breasts).

Let me know when you try this. Anna's instructions are also very easy to follow.

Note: If you'd like to accompany this fabulous dish with Anna's Spicy Lentil Curry recipe, CLICK HERE.

Always Enjoy!

Onion Sandwiches

Happy New Year Everyone!

Boy, have I got a recipe for you today. But you can only eat it while you’re by yourself, that’s why the recipe only serves one.

Now, if your significant other happens to catch you in the act, you have nothing to worry about. Your mouth will be full and it would be impolite to talk in this manner. So just keep your mouth closed and nod in a vertical fashion. But if the answer is no, please don’t nod. Just shake your head from side-to-side in a horizontal fashion. They’ll get your drift.

But what about when you’re finished eating? How will you be able to keep from speaking? Aha! As usual, Your Smiling Chef will come to your aid.

Here’s what you do. Grab the nearest dishtowel and wrap it around your head, securing the vertical points around your head and tie a bow at the top at the most northern part of the tippy-top of your forehead. Hopefully the towel will have some sort of design that matches the attire you’re wearing.

Then you will take the dishcloth and stuff it into the side of the lateral left horizontal angle that will be at approximately 45-degrees from your tippy-top. Now you’ve got it made.

You can scribble on a napkin beginning your sentence at the eastern portion (since you'll be writing upside-down) and jot down, “I don’t know when I’ll be able to talk to you honey. I bit down on something and now the westerly region of my oral cavity is swollen and possibly infected. Please don’t come too close.”

And that, my dear friend, is the very best remedy for onion breath.

Your Ingredients: (serves one)

4 slices of soft white bread
mayonnaise
2 bibb lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
1 large Vidalia or red onion, washed and sliced into thick rounds
salt
freshly ground pepper

USING a large round biscuit cutter (approximately 3-1/2-inches in diameter), cut out rounds from each slice of bread to make 4 rounds for 2 sandwiches. Save the edges for the birds.

SLATHER tons of mayonnaise on each round.

PLACE each lettuce leaf on 2 bread rounds.

PLACE 2 thick round slices of raw onion on each of the bread rounds.

SPRINKLE with salt and freshly ground pepper.

COVER both sandwiches with the other 2 bread rounds.

SERVE to yourself and make sure that there are dishcloths and dishtowels nearby. If you need a compass or ruler for your measurements, keep those handy too.

Always Enjoy!