Quiche with Caramelized Onion, Mushrooms, and Ham Serves 6 as an Entrée Note: I cut back the amount of mushrooms and onion for the specifics of this recipe, but we highly recommend that you make a much larger batch of the duxelle of shrooms and onion for other dinners. I freeze single serving sizes and[…]
Grilled Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey with Cinnamon Butter
Mariel here. This isn’t so much a recipe as a reminder of the delicious flavor combinations lurking in your pantry. During the first few months of my son’s life, my lunch – if I ate one – consisted of slices of Boar’s Head turkey. Just fistfuls of deli meat, no condiments, no cheese, no class.[…]
Mushroom Quiche with Crisp Turkey Bacon and Sweet Onions
Mariel here…on behalf of Mary Anne. Since my mom has been over everyday helping me out with my little man and making sure I eat a proper dinner, I thought I’d do her a favor and write an intro to HER delicious quiche recipe, since she’d been fretting over finding the time. I wouldn’t want[…]
Tuscan Sausage Soup with Shell Pasta, Spinach & White Beans
Mariel here. I happen to be one of those people that swears certain pasta shapes just taste better than others. Penne, rigatoni, cavatelli and orecchiete all top my list. Elbow macaroni and farfalle? Ehh, I could take ’em or leave ’em. I suspect it has something to do with their meager sauce-sopping abilities. In any[…]
Four-Cheese Southwestern Breakfast Strata with Chorizo
Mary Anne here. Last week an old high school friend wrote to me on Facebook and waxed eloquent about her family reunions where apple-laced stratas were frequent features and she got me thinking about this versatile, old fashioned favorite. This rustic breakfast staple also used to be a staple in my catering repertoire when I[…]
Meyer Lemon Pasta with Fresh Herbs, Shallots and Toasted Walnuts
Mariel here. I’m a creature of habit. I wake up at the same time everyday – 7:45 – whether it’s a weekend or a weekday; I always kick-start the morning with a big bowl of berries and cereal; and the Today Show eases me into my routine before hitting the road for a run with[…]
Curried Chicken Salad with Crisp Green Apples and Soft Raisins
Mariel here. Lately I’ve been highly suggestible when it comes to food ideas. I trotted past a Dunkin’ Donuts ad for their new Tuna Fish Croissant and, BLAMMO, that’s all I wanted for dinner. After fielding a question from a reader about our Penne alla Vodka, I just had to remake it myself. So the[…]
The Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich
Mariel here. Egg salad once occupied the same reviled space as Bloody Marys, tomato soup and green olives. My mom has always been a fan, but for the life of me, I could not figure out how or why people would toss together hardboiled eggs and mayo and slap it between two slices of bread.[…]
Cider-Roasted Pulled Pork Sliders with Braised Red Cabbage and Crisp Apples
Mariel here: After whipping up that delicious Spiced Cider Bundt Cake last week, I had about a pint of leftover cider so I decided to take the dregs for a spin in a savory dish. I’m a fan of sliders – I firmly believe that small bites simply taste better than a big honkin’ bun[…]
Beggar’s Salad with Raspberries, Prosciutto, Chevre and a Chunky Almond Vinaigrette
Mary Anne here. I realize that given the ingredient list, the name for my salad is a bit of an oxymoron, since it’s certainly one of the most elegant combinations I’ve ever tossed into a bowl. But in my opinion, it’s a beggar’s salad because it was inspired by a bounty of fresh greens that[…]
Crab Salad Sandwiches with a Zesty Grapefruit-Honey Dressing
Mariel here. This weekend was one for the books. Despite the weatherman’s warnings that Saturday would be rainy and gray, Mother Nature pulled out the big guns and dished up two days of clear blue skies and 70-degree temps. My husband and I headed east to see both of our moms for Mother’s Day and[…]
Mixed Greens with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries
Mary Anne here. Salad is the simplest of all preparations, and as far as I’m concerned, no dinner is complete without one. I love most things green, but nothing more so than the crisp snap of spinach or arugula tossed with dried fruits, cheese, and crunchy nuts. Often, when I’m just too tired to even[…]
White Beans, Sausage and Fresh Spinach
Mariel here. There are several grocery stores within a five-block radius of my apartment – not to mention CVS and Duane Reade, which have become mini grocers in their own rights. But like everything else in NYC, the prices at the local Gristedes and D’Agostino are pretty insane. My mom tells me that when she[…]
Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
Mariel here. As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent the first few weeks of January house-sitting for a family member who owns a lovely little plot in a scenic beach community outside of the city. The off-season is quiet – dead quiet – which afforded me more than enough time to get my[…]
Whole Wheat Parmesan Drop Biscuits
Mariel here. On a mission to whip up whole wheat biscuits that weren’t like little mounds of lead, I worked and re-worked this recipe more times than I care to admit. I had three requirements: they had to be somewhat healthier, they had to be flaky, and they had to be delicious. I started with[…]
Carrot Ginger Soup with Candied Walnuts
Mariel here. In anticipation of the post-Christmas blizzard, I scurried to the local grocery store to stock up on supplies. You know, just in case a crowd of wayward travelers landed on my front door in need of a hot meal. I overdid it – to say the least – and ended up with three[…]
Salade Nicoise (a la On the Cheap)
Serves 6 Mary Anne here. As far as I’m concerned, this salad is only limited by one’s imagination. While I’ve written my version of a traditional Salade Nicoise, feel free to improvise. Asparagus or canned artichokes sub-in nicely for green beans, or swap out the sweet red pepper for a tangy green one. Eliminate portions[…]