Recipes

Herb Crusted Roast Beef

01/09/2017
1 Review (5.00 out of 5)
Serves 30 people
Equipment
food processor
Prep time
20m

This recipe came to me from my good friend and excellent cook, Eric.  I think he got it from a Cooking Light Magazine Cookbook.  In any event, it has made its way into my repertoire, with a few tweaks and nudges, and has been starring on my table on Christmas Day for many years, now.  It never fails to WOW, it makes your house smell outrageous for hours, and is really impossible to mess up.  The oven does the work and you take the credit.

This recipe will dress a seven rib roast, which is about as long as my arm and weighs about 40 pounds.  But it works beautifully on any size or type of roast, including pork! I’ve made it many times for regular old dinner, when the weather won’t let you grill, and your tastebuds won’t let you leave your meat alone. Halve all quantities below for a normal-sized, but still large roast!  Enjoy!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

11/29/2016
Serves 12 People
Equipment
food processor or box grater
Prep time
30m
Cook Time
45m

I think you’re going to like this.

post-bacon, pre-baking
Here we are, post-bacon, pre-baking (I crack myself up.)  And yeah, maybe this feeds a little more than 12… I like to give my “extra” to a neighbor or friend or my parents or, you know, whomever needs it.

Italian Wedding Soup

01/04/2017
Serves 20 bowls
Equipment
patience (for those little meatballs)
oven safe baking dish
large heavy-bottomed sauce pot
Prep time
45m
Cook Time
45m

It’s hard to imagine why/when you would prefer regular chicken soup to the complexity of this “special occasion” soup… and frankly, if you aren’t already adding some type of bitter greens to every one of your soups now, you will after you try this.  Escarole is the key here (pronounced, “shka-dole”), but a dear chef-friend of mine recently suggested swiss chard in its place!  To me, that sounds like a fantastic idea (thank you, Lucie!) and one upon which I will play in another post.

Italian-Style Potato Salad

04/29/2017
Serves 30 people
Equipment
large, heavy-bottomed pot
Prep time
25m
Cook Time
10m

The warm red bliss potatoes in this salad soak up the tangy dijon-chive dressing and make you forget all about that white globby stuff they called potato salad at the neighborhood picnics of your childhood.

Kale Chips

02/21/2017
2 Reviews (5.00 out of 5)
Serves 6 people
Equipment
sheet pans
Prep time
15m
Cook Time
20m

You’re going to love this simple, nutrient-packed, addictive snack.  Roasting breaks down the fibrous leaves and makes them delicate and crisp, with a deep, nutty, almost smoky flavor.  We eat them as a snack or side dish (instead of salad), and my family also likes to pop them into whatever soup or sauce we are having!  They dissolve in your mouth and can be eaten by the handful, absolutely guilt-free.  My teenaged step-son will eat a whole pan before they can even cool down, and I can’t say I blame him.  Move over, potato chips, nachos and french fries: kale chips are here to stay.

Kathy Kelly’s Famous Fresh Salsa

06/05/2019
Serves approx. 3 quarts
Equipment
food processor
colander
Prep time
20m

You’re going to love it with eggs!

In the batch pictured here, I didn’t have corn on hand, so I left it out, but you’re not going to want to if you can help it.  The corn adds sweetness that balances the acid in the lime juice, tomatoes and vinegar.  But by all means, better to have salsa without corn than life without salsa!

Lasagna #MABDGA

01/22/2017
Serves 20 people
Equipment
pasta machine (optional)
large, deep lasagna or roasting pan
Prep time
1h 30m
Cook Time
45m

If you’re having a bad day, make lasagna.  It will make any bad day good again.

    

Lemon Bars

03/26/2017
Serves 16 squares
Equipment
zester
9 x 13 inch baking pan
electric mixer, stand or hand held
Prep time
25m

Credit for this recipe goes to Ina Garten.  And lemons.  I’ve made a few changes to technique and added an egg, but the framework is hers.  Today, I’m going to substitute orange zest and juice for lemon and use almond flour in the crust.  I’ll let you know how it goes!  In the meantime, enjoy Ina’s classic Lemon Bars and enjoy telling all of your friends and family that you made them yourself!

 

Lentil Salad

11/07/2016
Serves 8 quarts
Prep time
40m
Cook Time
20m

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I like to make as much of this salad as I can at one time (this recipe fills my biggest mixing bowl and is just about all the chopping/dicing I can handle in one day) and store it in quart sized containers in my second fridge… then I bring up one quart at a time, and we eat it every day… for lunch, under grilled chicken or steak for dinner, or as a side dish when you are tired of leafy greens. Of course, volume is always up to you. You could do one pound of lentils and scale down the veggies to taste. I’ve found that if I’m going to do all that chopping, I might as well scale up and be stocked up for a long time— this salad will keep for weeks in the fridge! And if you have a household or two to feed, you can’t beat this dish for a fast, nutrient-rich, guilt free go-to snack or meal. It is so fresh tasting and crunchy with all of the raw veggies, the parsley and the lemon juice, and is densely packed with protein and vitamins, fiber and all things good. The crumbled goat cheese should not be overlooked. Its tang and creaminess adds the magic to this salad. Once you top with goat cheese, you can’t go without.

 

Lindquist Soup

05/29/2017
Serves 6 people
Equipment
large, heavy-bottomed pot
Prep time
15m
Cook Time
15m

It may not “cure” you, but it will break up your sinus congestion, guaranteed.  Plus, it’s good for you in every other way (it’s hydrating and high in vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, fiber and flavor), so don’t save it until you’re sick!