Red Lentils and Rice with Yogurt, Preserved Lemon and Pomegranate

I'm beginning to think I should call my husband the Grad School Gourmet. For a poor grad student back East, he ate pretty surprisingly well. Instead of packets of instant noodles, he'd buy giant bags of beans and rice to get by. He usually ate these lentils and rice with a little fresh tomato on…

ByMichelleDecember 20, 20160Comments

Main Course Recipes

Quinoa Black Bean Burgers

With 12 days to go until Christmas, there's no sign of the treat train letting up. It's one of the benefits to working from home, no break room donuts or cookies or cake to tempt you. Of course, when you yourself go to See's Candy to pick up a few pieces, because it's Christmastime and…

ByMichelleDecember 14, 20160Comments

Main Course Recipes

Spicy Dhal with Tomatoes and Swiss Chard

Man, what a grey old day we had. It's the Pacific Northwest, but man, the first one of the year, the day where it doesn't get light until after 7 a.m. and it's in the mid-40s, and it's stormy, it's just a slap upside the head. And I'm just done with turkey for now. I'm not hating…

ByMichelleDecember 1, 20160Comments

Cooking Pizza Recipes

Friday Night Slice: Peter Piper’s Pizza

I've been a little chile obsessed this week, so there's no better way to wrap up than with a red Anaheim, jalapeño and green pepper pizza. Pick a peck of peppers at your grocery or farmers market this weekend and you too, can have the Peter Piper pizza. As usual my keys to a good…

ByMichelleAugust 26, 20161Comment

Cooking Main Course Pasta Recipes

Summer Pasta Solution #1 – Penne with Zucchini, Ricotta & Chickpeas

Summer is officially here! And along with the beach parties, cookouts and s'mores, it's time to complain about zucchini! Get ready, overzealous gardeners every where are about to start leaving crazy amounts of zucchini on your doorstep. I've never been lucky enough to live next door to someone whose zucchini crop gets out of control every…

ByMichelleJune 20, 20160Comments

Dessert Recipes

Peach Melba Ice Cream – the Easy Way

I think of Peach Melba as an old school dessert. It's true, the real peach melba dates back to the 1890s, but for me, it dates back to the 1980s when that peach-raspberry combo was my mom's fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt of choice. This week, it's the dessert of choice and the best part is, you can…

ByMichelleJune 17, 20160Comments

Recipes Salads Side Dishes

I Don’t Even Like Radishes Salad

My husband doesn't eat mayonnaise. He's lucky. Mac salad holds zero --no, less than zero--interest for him. But I'm not going without. When it comes to summer barbecues, I usually end up making a couple of salads. Mac salad for me, and something else for him. After seeing a couple of Instagram friends post pix of…

ByMichelleMay 31, 20160Comments

Baking Pizza Recipes

Friday Night Slice: Asparagus Flatbread with Kalamatas & Mama Lil’s Peppers

Asparagus is so good on pizza, I had to do it two ways this week. Sunday's edition was for the asparagus purist -- dough simply stretched and brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, then topped with mozzarella and fontina. The asparagus spears are cut in half, and the bottoms are cut into…

ByMichelleMay 27, 20160Comments

Recipes Salads Side Dishes

Spring Fever Salad w/ Mango, Radishes and Sugar Snaps

Spring fever salad season is in full effect. After months of kale Caesars and roasted beet salads, it's finally time to break free. Sugar snaps are in. And not even the first-of-the-season price was gonna scare me off this week. Usually I like them simple -- just blanched and drizzled with a little sesame oil and salt.…

ByMichelleMay 24, 20160Comments

Main Course Recipes

BAM! Balsamic Beet Slaw, Arugula & Mozz Sandwich

I had to wait until the last buttery, crunchy crumbs of National Grilled Cheese Day were licked from plates across America before posting this balsamic beet slaw sandwich. Although there is cheese here, for the most part, this sandwich is clean eating and probably just what you need after yesterday's fromage fest. It's also the…

ByMichelleApril 13, 20160Comments