Radicchio Salad with Pear, Parsley and Blue Cheese

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I love salads! You might remember my post on their origin HERE and another post HERE. Most often, they are a balance of sweet and savory, and this recipe fits the bill! Fruit, cheese, and nuts are the highlight of this salad, but what really makes it a show-stopper is the colorful blend of fresh Italian parsley and Raddiccio.

Radicchio can be bitter to some. To tame the bitterness, thinly slice it with the grain and soak it in water. Once the Radicchio is dried, toss it with the dressing before adding the rest of the ingredients. That will remove some of the chemical compounds that make it bitter. The end result will be Radicchio ridiculously good! Enjoy!

Sunday Dinner

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Mini Brie and Cranberry Phyllo Tarts

Braised Pork Spareribs and Sauerkraut

Duck-Fat Roasted Potatoes

Buttermilk Tart

Sunday dinners are different from what they used to be.  With two children out of the "nest" and one in college, it is quiet around the dinner table.  But I still enjoy ending or starting (depending on how you look at it) the week with a nice meal, and planning menus has always been something I enjoy!

Planning this menu was particularly easy because I had everything on hand—yes, even the duck fat! With more holidays right around the corner, I wanted to share this quick and easy appetizer.

To make holiday entertaining come together quickly in terms of food, I love to keep Athens Phyllo Shells in my freezer.  They are a perfect vessel for a myriad of ingredients. Tonight, they will be filled with leftover Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce, Brie cheese, and... THAT'S IT! Said in my best Ina voice," How easy was that?" If you want a little more flavor, add some chopped Candied Pecans or some chopped fresh rosemary.  They are all winning combinations! 

Speaking of winning combinations, I am sharing a few more ideas below that utilize those phyllo pastry shells.  If you click on the links to the recipes, you might even find even more great ideas for appetizers and entertaining! Happy Sunday!

Mini Brie, Apricot and Pistachio Phyllo Tarts

Mini Fig and Blue Cheese Phyllo Tarts

Mini Mushroom, Cheddar and Herb  Phyllo Tarts

Holiday Quinoa Crunch Salad

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I am sure most of you have those ubiquitous side dishes for your holiday meals that are a requested staple from family and friends. I know my family has theirs. But why not change things up and introduce this gem of a recipe? This salad is excellent alongside a holiday roast, but it is also a well-received option for your vegetarian guests. Quinoa, pomegranate arils (seeds), a bit of red onion, fresh flat-leaf parsley, and almonds make up the base of this recipe, making it packed full of nutritional benefits and texture but also a "gotta go back for more" flavor!  

Speaking of flavor, I think what really got me with this salad was the dressing. It is a light citrus dressing that has just a hint of holiday spice from cinnamon and allspice. So, use only some of those spices in your desserts!

Since it is the holiday season and life gets a little busy, I like to make things easier in several ways. I make the quinoa the night before, I buy pomegranate arils already seeded (but if you are feeling ambitious or have a kitchen helper, see my kitchen tip here on how to deseed a pomegranate), and I also buy a package of Honey-Roasted Sliced Almonds (you should be able to find these or a similar salad topping in the produce section of a grocery store). 

It is lovely, as I have just described, but the addition of avocado and Queso Fresco really takes it over the top by adding another layer of texture and flavor. Both are definitely optional, but they come highly recommended! Note: if you do use avocado, I like to keep it on the side for the holiday meal or if packed individually for weekday lunches to keep it from oxidizing.

Feel free to change the flavor profile by using a different type of nut, like roasted pistachio or candied walnut.  Can't find Queso Fresco? Feta would be a good substitute, or you can omit the cheese altogether (or serve it on the side) to make it vegan.  As I always say, "Make it for you; make it your own." Happy cooking!

Cranberry-Goat Cheese Spread

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Well, hello there fellow foodies! I hope you are all doing well. It certainly has been more than a minute since you heard from me, but here I am. I could bore you with details of my absence, but I'd rather jump right back in and share some good eats for the holiday season.

How many of you still have a bit of cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving? My hand is raised!  Since I am satiated with my share of leftover turkey, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce sandwiches, I wanted to share an easy spread that utilizes some of that sauce that is probably still lurking in your refrigerator. It can be served as an appetizer, on a buffet or even on a cheese board.  It is ridiculously easy to put together and if you make it ahead, it is nice to have on hand for last minute house guests.

I use a mild goat cheese that doesn't have too much tang, but you can certainly use what your tastebuds prefer. For a very festive flavor combination, I like to serve it with  Carr's Rosemary Crackers, but is equally delicious with assorted crackers or crostini. Happy cooking!

Sunday Dinner

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Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Easier French Fries

Peppermint Ice Cream

Season's Greetings from TGG! Sorry, it's been a while, but there has been soooooo much (did I say so much?) going on.  I have been working, decorating, cleaning, shopping, and a few other things that I will share with my diary and my pillow. But for now...

🎵 It's the most wonderful time of the year... 🎶 

I am questioning those lyrics right now.  But what I am not questioning is this recipe.  I think most of us need a good and solid dip/appetizer this time of year and this classic combination of spinach and artichokes delivers.  What separates this dip from the norm of creamy and cheesy is the crunch from the...canned water chestnuts.  Notice that I said canned because canned water chestnuts have absolutely no flavor at all. Zero. They are just a nice add-in for crunch to balance the creamy and cheesiness. 

The one thing that I want to point out in this recipe is the overall execution.  I use a cast iron skillet for cooking and serving purposes, but you can cook it in a large skillet and transfer it to an oven proof serving vessel.  Now, if you cook it right before serving while it is still hot, you can skip the baking and just put it under the broiler so the cheese can brown and bubble.   Having said that, you can make this ahead of time and that's where the baking comes into play.  So, I will let you and your holiday schedule decide on which way to prepare it.  Tonight it is going from the stove-top, to the broiler and then into our bellies! 

Speaking of serving, you can serving this dip with crackers, toast points, croutons,  and it is really tasty with bagel chips.  But I will be honest, it is really good with just a spoon 😋. Happy Sunday!

Sunday Dinner

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Cheddar Cheese Coins 

with Cream Cheese and Red Pepper Jam 

Southern-Style Green Beans

Rice and Gravy

Southern Fried Chicken

Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake

If you are from the South, you are familiar with cheese crackers and cheese straws. There are countless recipes out there, but this one works for me and I hope it works for you.

They are delicious on their own, but I like them served with a dollop of cream cheese and red pepper jam.

Happy Sunday! 

Good Eats with an Irish Flare

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"Doing anything later in the week? Well now you have a little updated reading material and some inspiration to cook up a grand feast for St. Patrick's Day."-  (said in my best Irish accent)

Sláinte! 

Guinness and Cheddar Cheese Spread

Leek, Cheddar and Guinness Dip  

Guinness, Shallot, and Blue Cheese Pâté

Whiskey Glazed Corned Beef

Guinness and Cheddar Meatloaf

Sausages with Guinness Gravy and Colcannon

Cabbage Gratin

Glazed Carrots

Whipped Potatoes and Parsnips

Irish Champ

Parslied Potatoes

Caraway Rye Bread

Cloverleaf Rolls

Brown Soda Bread

Guinness Caraway Rye Bread

B-52 Cake

Chocolate Guinness Puddings with Baileys Whipped Cream

Chocolate Guinness Caramel Cake

Triple Chocolate Guinness Cookies

Grasshopper Pie

Guinness Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Toffee Bits

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Turkey and Cranberry Barbecue Pizza

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How many of you still have leftovers lurking in your refrigerator? Even after leftover plates, sandwiches (turkey, cranberry, and mayo with a pinch of salt on a homemade roll is my all time favorite!) and gumbo on Sunday, I still have just a wee-bit of turkey and cranberry sauce to put to good use.  

I found this recipe last year, but I didn't try it because I was, sadly, out of my barbecue sauce (how that is even possible, I don't know).  Thankfully, I booked marked it and the culinary stars were aligned this year.  If you follow me on FB, you'll know that I made a hickory smoked pulled pork poutine. With that said, I thankfully had some of my barbecue sauce on hand. 🤩 

I like to use my homemade pizza dough   my leftover whole berry cranberry sauce and my tomato-based barbecue sauce, but of course, you can use any good quality store bought ingredients.  Chihuahua cheese excellent for its flavor and melting properties, but Monterey Jack would be a nice substitute. I used only breast meat on my pie, but if you prefer the dark meat of the thigh, then go for it. Red onion and cilantro add a nice fresh flavor, but the real kick to this recipe is the thinly sliced jalapeño. If you are sensitive to anything on the Scoville scale, I would just omit it.  But, you might want to give it just a little taste test first.  Sometimes they can be as mild as a green bell pepper and others, well, they can be 🔥. If you can handle a little heat, but not too much, then I would removing the seeds and ribs of the pepper and chopping it into a fine dice. If you are on board with a little zap to the taste buds and maybe a little nose run, then go for the whole slices! 

It seems like it is an odd combination of flavors, but it gets an even two thumbs up 👍👍 in our house. 

Sunday Dinner

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Muffuletta Dip

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Creole Cabbage Slaw

Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Every Sunday after Thanksgiving is Gumbo Day. It is a family tradition that I hold close to my belly heart and it is an oh so yummy way to use up that leftover turkey. The only thing that really changes on that menu is the appetizer and dessert.

I have already talked about the origin of Muffulettas in THIS post. What I didn't talk about was the spelling and pronunciation; Muff-UH-letta or Muff-AH-letta. It's kind of like Pimento/Pimiento; both are acceptable. This Muffuletta dip, to me, it's a "clean out your refrigerator" kind of recipe.  I mean, I literally had 6 out of 8 of the ingredients in my refrigerator that needed to be put to a tasty use. It comes together quickly, but the only thing to really point out is that it needs to be made several hours in advance, or preferably overnight, for the flavors to develop. I like to serve it with NOLA French Bread crostini or, in tonight's case, just some store-bought bagel chips.  Happy Sunday!

Mini Mushroom, Cheddar and Herb Phyllo Tarts

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There's a lot of work and time that goes into developing most recipes.  I mean, I took me years and trials to perfect my barbecue sauces. Fortunately, for me (and for you), this one only took me one night.

How did this come to be, you ask? Well, I had an idea.  I wanted something relatively easy with mushrooms, herbs and cheese. The easy part came to me as I passed the up the stock of Athens Min-Phyllo Tarts in the freezer section. (Actually, they were above the frozen foods because they can be kept at room temperature, but freeze them if you won't be using them within a week.)  I have used them multiple times, like in THIS recipe. They are the perfect "already made for you" vessel to be filled with just about any savory or sweet concoction. And, they are pretty inexpensive. One (1.9-ounce) package is $3 or under. 

Now, let's talk about the mushroom component; easy and economical, as well. Buy the mushrooms already cleaned, stems trimmed or removed and sliced for this recipe. Because let's think about it...why would you pay the same price for 8-ounces of whole mushrooms if you're going to clean off the dirt and trim or remove the stems?  I don't know about you, but I don't want to pay for dirt and stems that I won't use. Just make sure that the sliced white button mushrooms are still white and firm and the sliced Shiitakes are in good shape.

On to the cheese and other ingredients. I originally wanted to use Gruyère, but I have a ton or aged white cheddar, so I went with that. Shallots, garlic, thyme and parsley are a natural combination with just about any savory mixture. I used butter and olive oil to sauté said ingredients because of both flavors and the oil keeps the butter from browning over a higher heat. 

After taste testing, there was still something missing. In comes the crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick and a couple tablespoons of crème fraîche to make it a little creamy with a hint of decadence.

Put it all together and it is a winning combo or flavors and textures! Add this to your appetizer list for upcoming holidays or any occasion.  Enjoy!

Turkey and Black Bean Taco Salad

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Who grew up with taco salad consisting of ground beef, a taco seasoning packet, lettuce, cheese, Doritos and a dressing made with mayonnaise and ketchup? It pains me to admit how much I enjoyed that taco salad. Thankfully, my taste buds have matured and moved on.

I call this Turkey and Black Bean Taco Salad because I do have other taco salad variations depending on the protein used.  Having said that, feel free to use what ever ground meat you prefer in this recipe.  And speaking of preference, add or omit any veggies of your choosing.  This is a great salad to serve with the components set out separately so everyone can construct their own.  Any way you make it or serve it, your family or guests will be love it!  Taco-bout delicious🌮🥗!! Ok, I had to write that in😉.

Lemon-Herb Goat Cheese Ball

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Remember that cheeseball from Sunday? Well, here it is in all of its cheesy-herby (that's not a word) glory.  

If you are not a big fan of goat cheese like my husband, please give this recipe a go. The addition of cream cheese to the goat cheese really helps dial back that tangy flavor and sometimes chalky texture. 

The original recipe suggested processing the cheese mixture in a food processor, but that would make the mixture to loose and difficult to shape. I've made my fair share of cheese balls, so I just break out my hand mixer or even the back of a spoon and mix away. The original recipe also called for crumbled goat cheese, but I use goat cheese in log form for a smooth texture. (I use a Montrechat style goat cheese.) Last change...the original recipe only used chives to coat the ball, but since this is an "herb" cheese ball, I added some finely chopped parsley and that added additional freshness and helped fully coat the ball with herbs. Phew.

Serve this with crackers, crostini or crudité (like Green Zebra Tomatoes😋) and you will certainly have a crowd pleaser to add to your appetizer caché.

Sunday Dinner

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Shrimp with Sauce Verte

Grilled Chicken Marinated with Herbs and Wine

Fresh Tomato Galette

Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Frozen White Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars with Blackberry Swirl

I've been playing in the kitchen today trying out a few new recipes, but this Fresh Tomato Galette has been a keeper for over a year now.  Fresh garden tomatoes, herbs and cheese all tucked into a buttery flaky crust? Yes, please!!  

It is a pretty straight forward recipe.  The only trick is to make sure the tomatoes are drained of excess juice in order to keep the crust from becoming soggy.  The sliced tomatoes are salted and drained in a colander, but I like to take it a step further and drain them on paper towels as well. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes and you can use any variety of tomato to your liking.  Tonight  I used a mixture of heirloom tomatoes from my garden; Brandywine, Big Rainbow, Green Zebra and Whopper.  I have also used cherry tomatoes when they are in abundance.  The herbs I use are fresh thyme and basil, but you can certainly use any herb of your choice.  Gruyère cheese is scattered on the bottom of the dough before baking, but a good sharp cheddar yields equally good results.  As I have said many times before, make it for you, make it your own.  Happy Cooking!

Thin-Crust Skillet Pizza

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What do you do when you are craving pizza, but you don't want to crank up the oven to 575° F because it is hot as blazes outside? You make Thin-Crust Skillet Pizza, of course!

This is the perfect pizza to make this time of year when fresh garden tomatoes are at their peak and you have an abundance of basil growing in the garden, Those are not secret ingredients for a great pizza, but in this recipe there is one.  Beer (I use a full-flavored ale, like New Castle).  I know,  this is not a traditional pizza dough, but let me tell you it works.  Haven't you heard of beer bread?  What about beer in a fry batter?  The beer is used in lieu of yeast to achieve that yeasty flavor.  The baking soda is used for leavening.  Some of you might already be asking, "What can I use other than beer?"  I cannot speak from experience, but I suppose you could use water, although you might want to add just a touch of dry-active yeast for flavor.  

The recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas and you'll need a 12-inch non-stick skillet.  Make sure that when you add the dough round to the hot oil in the skillet, gently lay the dough away from you to avoid oil splatter. The first side is cooked until deep golden brown and crisp, then the dough is flipped, the toppings are added, and the pizza is covered with a lid in order for the cheeses to melt.  (Watch your temperature so the bottom does not burn.)  Transfer to a cutting board, slice and serve.  😋🍕 Happy Cooking!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

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So yeah...I kind of vanished from the food blogging radar once again.  I'll spare you the details of a nasty fall that I had at the end of May. It left me pretty banged up and bruised from my knees down. And by bruised, I mean a severe bone contusion in my right knee that left me immobile for a couple weeks until I had to push through the pain and gimp around The University of Missouri on crutches for Jack's freshman orientation.  Less than two weeks later, I was hobbling around the streets of Nashville to visit Vanderbilt University for Emma.  Since then,  I've been home, resting and recovering as much as I can before I have to leave for another road trip tomorrow.  Mabelle's U13 soccer team won their Midwest Regional soccer tournament and we are off to Indianapolis to watch them compete for The National Cup⚽️🏆. Woohoo! So as you can read, it has been a painful, but proud two months of not blogging.  Ok, that was a couple of details😉.

On to the food...pasta salad.  It's the quintessential summer bowl of goodness that can be made in advance to feed a large crowd all at once or to feed a busy family in shifts because everyone is constantly coming and going.  I swear one these days I am going to have revolving doors installed in the front and back of the house! Like most pasta salad recipes, the ingredients are flexible.  For instance, the original recipe called for 8-ounces each of sopressata and hot capicola (actually they called for salami, but we prefer hot capicola), however I only use 4-ounces of each because I think that is enough cured meat flavor.  I also dial back on the sharp provolone, but then toss in some fresh mozzarella pearls because my family loves that creamy texture. I even add quartered artichoke hearts and a little oregano to bulk up the finished product and flavor.  But the one step in the recipe that is definitely a keeper and really makes it stand out is when the mushrooms are sautéed in part of the vinaigrette.  They become tender and deeply marinated in those antipasto flavors.  Having said that, "Make it for you, make it your own."  Happy cooking!

Grilled Steak Fajita Sheet Pan Pizza

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When you're working for the day and all you have is take-out pizza on the brain for dinner, but you're kind of craving Mexican food and you still have a leftover grilled strip steak in the refrigerator that you don't want to go to waste...what do you do?  You come home on break, do a quick search on one of your favorite cooking sites and then become inspired to make Grilled Steak Fajita Sheet Pan Pizza, of course! Doesn't everyone think like that??

The original recipe technique required pulling out the grill and grilling the steak, vegetables and the pizza.  But my steak was already cooked and I have several mouths that I need to feed, so I broke out my Sheet Pan Pizza recipe and got down to business.  While the dough was rising, I made the sauce. Oh my, the sauce is so good!  It's a South of the border adaptation to my traditional pizza sauce.  Just make sure you use chipotle chili powder and not regular chili powder for a nice smokey flavor. Instead of vinegar to brighten the sauce, I used pickled jalapeño juice that comes from a jar of jalapeño nacho slices. 

While the dough was still rising, I decided to broil the peppers and onion instead of dragging out the grill for a nice charred flavor.  Then I had my daughter, Mabelle, grate a mixture of Cheddar, Chihuahua, and Monterey Jack cheese for me before she went to soccer practice ⚽️ (she's such a good helper in the kitchen).  The only thing left was to chop some cilantro, stick my head in the oven 😉 and throw it all together!  

OMG y'all--this was mind blowing! It was like, stuff-your-face good! Or like, I can't-wait-to-have-leftover-steak-to-make-this-again good.  So, if you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo this week...make this pizza!! It has all Mexican-American flavors covered.

Skillet Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Breadcrumbs

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Dear Skillet Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Breadcrumbs,  

It has been only days since you last pressed against my lips.  I can't stop thinking about you.  When the days are long and busy, you are there for me and comfort me.  I miss you.  I understand why you had to go, but I will patiently wait for you return.

         

All My Love,

Nicole

Readers, followers, and fans of all things food, I'd like to introduce you to my new skillet love--creamy, cheesy homemade mac-n-chesse (with a veggie bonus) in one skillet and on the table in under 25 minutes.  Did you just feel a drop in the blue box sales?  Well, I did.  This is some seriously good stuff, not to mention easy-peasy.

I love a comforting bowl of cheesy pasta, but I also like to have a little something in it or on the side for some added texture and flavor (cue the bread crumbs and broccoli).  I start by sautéing a little garlic in some butter before tossing in some freshly crumbled white bread slices.   Once toasted, I wipe out the skillet and then start on the pasta.  The pasta is simmered in water and evaporated milk (I used 2%) for a few minutes before adding the broccoli.  This ensures that the broccoli doesn't over cook and become mushy.  Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked to perfection, a little cornstarch goes in to thicken the sauce before adding the cheeses.  The original recipe called for cheddar and jack cheese, but I love the combo of a quality, aged sharp white cheddar and good ole white american--sharp and creamy indeed.  

I brought the skillet to the table and told everyone that this serves four.  They looked at me with funny faces and said, "Four what? Four hungry bears?" Let's just say we had leftovers for school and work lunches (another bonus).  However, if you have hearty appetites to satisfy, then you might stick with the "serves four" portions.  One tip--if you think you might have leftovers like we did, serve the bread crumbs on the side and store the leftovers in separate containers.

As far as the pasta goes, you can use any bite-size shape that you like.  Elbows are a natural choice, but I have also used medium shells or in this case, lumache.  It's a sea shell kind of shape that compliments the size of the broccoli pieces.  I just love how the cheese seeps into the crevices so that when you take a bite you get this little explosion of cheese in your mouth.  Fire in the hole!  Speaking of fire, if you can handle a little heat, go ahead and spice it up with some ground cayenne pepper.  

P.S. Thinking of you always!

Hawaiian Pizza

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Ok pizza purists, stay with me here... Most of you know that I am a big fan of sweet and savory combos, but I have been unable to grasp the idea of putting pineapple on a pizza, not to mention calling it Hawaiian.  Trust me, I lived on Oahu many moons ago and I don't recall this kind of pizza.  It just seemed odd and against the "rules".  But let's face it--when it comes to pizza, there are no rules.  Well, that is unless you are talking about the true Neapolitan-style and you have to have a certain type of flour and such.  I get that.  But when you are slinging pies at home, anything is fair game in my book.

This week I had leftover ham from Easter and a fresh pineapple on the counter.  And since pizza is usually on my brain for dinner, all I could do was think about Hawaiian pizza.  Somebody PLEASE tell me why it is called Hawaiian and why it is the most popular pizza in...wait for it... Australia?!? Scratching my head.  Anyway, these were my thoughts--pineapple likes ham, ham likes cheese, and cheese likes sauce, and everything loves bacon, right?  Throw in a little green onion and serrano or jalapeño for some zing and...ok this might have to happen.  

One thing that I was concerned about was the amount of moisture in the pineapple.  I didn't want that to soggy-up (that's not a word, but I use it) my crust.  So, I caramelized the slices of pineapple in a dry non-stick skillet.  This helped reduce the amount of moisture and intensify the pineapple flavor.  Another thing that I was concerned about was the sauce and cheese ratio to the other ingredients.  I knew this wasn't going to be a traditional pizza parlor flavor, so I used slightly less sauce and cheese than I normally would.  I wanted there to be a good balance of all the flavors going on so that one wouldn't overpower the others. Speaking of the cheese, I used two--mozzarella mostly and a bit of provolone.  I thought the sharpness of the provolone would pair nicely with the sweetness of the pineapple.  Also, when cooking pizzas like this at home, I shape the pizza dough, sauce it, then slide it on the stone for a few minutes.  This gets the crust going and it absorbs some of the sauce without over-burning the cheese.  Then I take it out, throw on the cheese and toppings, and put it back on the stone. I like my cheese just melted with a good brick oven crust.  Unconventional? Yes, but it works.

I have never been so scared, yet so pumped to eat a pizza.  Seriously, before I even assembled the pizza, I had all the ingredients out on the counter in bowls.  I stood there leaning over the counter sniffing from bowl to bowl.  I got the sweet, the savory, and the essence of the heat. Would this be just ok and weird?  Would it be a winner? Or would it be an epic fail?  Time for a taste test. Oh yeah people...we have a winner!  

Sausage, Pepperoni and Onion Sheet Pan Pizza

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Pizza... I love this food! Thin crust, deep dish, St. Louis-Style, Skillet, Neapolitan-- you name it and I am all over it.  This one is a favorite weeknight meal in my house. One dough recipe + one pan = easy peasy.  This recipe means no stretching several balls of dough with different toppings and sticking my head in and out of a 500º F oven throwing pies.  I'll save that for the weekend.

The dough itself is simple to make and not much kneading is required.  Unlike my thin crust pizza dough, there is no overnight rest or long period of rising.  The key to success with this recipe is to make sure that the sauce dries out to prevent the cheese from oozing off the dough in one glob.  So first, the dough is partially baked with just a little bit of fresh Parmesan to make a nice crust.  Then the sauce (I like to use my favorite) is spread and meat and onions are sprinkled on top.  The pizza goes back into the oven to darken and for the sauce to be dried out.  Lastly the cheese is scattered on top and baked until melted and lightly browned.  (Ok, so I did stick my head in and out of a hot oven a few times, but it was just for one pizza and it's worth it.) Once baked, I let the pizza rest on a wire rack for a few minutes so that the crust stays nice and crisp before cutting into it.  Hit a square with a few crushed red pepper flakes, serve with a nice green salad and your pizza parlor dinner is served.

Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Dip

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Easter weekend heralds the official start of Spring for many.  The resurrection of Jesus and the rebirth of Mother Nature make for a beautiful and welcome marker on our calendars.  Many of us will celebrate this weekend with a standout Sunday meal.  When I think of Easter meals, I of course think of the glazed ham.  The next food that "springs" to mind (yow!) is asparagus.  It just goes with Easter and lots of people (including me) love it.  Yes, the asparagus is there in a starring role on top, but there is a lot going on underneath in the flavor department.

Those flavors are a blend of earthy sweetness from spring vegetables and herbs blending with the sharp, tangy notes of the cheeses accented with a kick from a bit of cayenne (optional, but good).  The texture has a creaminess that makes the dip perfect for spreading on crostini, toasts or crackers.  It is a great starter for your Spring gathering, but with a glass (or two☺) of white wine, it can easily be made into a meal.