Sunday Dinner

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 Bruschetta with Artichoke Hearts, Parmesan and Basil

Sautéed Veal Chops with Radicchio

Whipped Potatoes 

Cannoli Cake

Bruschetta.  What started as a piece of bread soaked in the first harvest of olive oil is now a food group on its own.  From veggies, meats, cheeses, fruit, herbs, etc...the toppings and pairings are endless. They are served at any time of day and for any occasion.

I really wanted to change the name of the recipe to Artichoke Hearts, Parmesan, and Basil Spread because that is essentially what it is.  You can serve it as a topping for bruschetta, as an accompaniment to an antipasto platter, a spread for a sandwich or panini and even toss it with pasta.  Its versatility is endless as well.  I might even put some in the mashed potatoes I am serving tonight!  

I will leave the details of preparing the bread for this bruschetta recipe up to you because everyone's preferences are different.  You can serve the bread toasted or not toasted, broiled or grilled.  And then, there is the option to rub one side of the bread with a clove of garlic.  See where I am going with this? That might have to be a blog post all on its own. So once again, "Make it for you. Make it your own". Happy Sunday!

Sunday Dinner

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Caramelized Onion and Black Truffle Cheddar-Gruyère Mini-Phyllo Tarts

Butterflied Roast Chicken

Warm Bread and Arugula Salad

Low-Fat Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberry Compote

I call this a "Use What's in the Refrigerator/Freezer/Pantry/Leftover" Sunday Dinner.  Please let me take a moment to explain.

Appetizer- Onions is in the pantry, 4-ounces cheese is leftover in the refrigerator and the Mini-Pyllo Tart Shells I almost always have in the freezer for a quick little bite.

Main Course- A whole chicken (or two or three) is always in my freezer, the warm bread I will make into croutons from my No-Knead Country Bread recipe and there was about 4-ounces of arugula that needed to be eaten up from a dinner earlier this week.

Dessert- I had quite a few lemons and wanted a little treat for breakfast this morning, so I baked this cake last night and we had a few slices this morning. The leftovers will be enjoyed for dessert tonight along with a compote from about 1 cup blueberries that were hanging out in my refrigerator. 

And that's how my Sunday Dinners roll some times.

This is a wonderful light little cake.  Low-fat sour-cream is used to knock out some of the fat without compromising the butter flavor of a traditional pound cake.  It bakes up beautifully with a nice dome, but just make sure you use an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.  Anything bigger may put a damper on the dome.  My only change to the recipe was to triple the glaze because I love me some glaze.  Having said that, you could even make this cake without the glaze and enjoy it by itself or to be used in another layered dessert. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a tea time treat, dessert, or a "just passing-by" snack and you'll be glad it is low-fat😉. Happy Sunday!

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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Goat Cheese Toasts with Garlic and Herbes de Provence

Roast Chicken

(I really need to retake a picture of my roast chicken)

Pommes Anna

Bibb Lettuce Salad with House Vinaigrette

Lemon Cloud Tart

This is one of those Sunday's that I do not have a new recipe to share.  In fact, I have shared each and everyone of the recipes on our dinner menu tonight.  The menu is a variation of one of our favorite Sunday meals; chicken, potatoes, and a green salad.  The only thing that changes seasonally is the appetizer and dessert.  Although I don't have a new recipe to share, I do have something quite beautiful to share that I captured with my camera just a little bit ago.

My next door neighbor texted me that there was a Robin's nest in the peach tree in my fruit and vegetable garden.  I called to my children, grabbed my camera and flew up the stairs to my son's bedroom window.  We spotted the nest immediately and waited for to see if Momma bird came. Moments later, the most beautiful thing happened--a momma feeding her babies ❤️. Happy Spring Sunday!

Sunday Dinner

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Shrimp Paste and Crackers

Hickory Smoked Chickens

Western Carolina Tomato-Based Barbecue Sauce

Smothered Lettuce

Corn on the Cob with Chive Butter

Tomato Slices

Buttermilk Biscuits

Lemon Chess Pie

There is nothing like hickory smoke to get one's mind right for summer food and fun.  It gets the olfactory system and taste buds communicating just right for the brain to get the message--summertime is here to stay for a good while.  Time to make some pie! 

What better way to wrap up a great Summer meal than with a sweet, lemony kiss?  This Lemon Chess pie brings the right texture and flavor to get all the senses in concert.  It brings the mouth feel of custard with a slight crackle from the dusting of sugar that will speed your fork back to the plate for another bite.  After the first serving, a slice is wonderful eaten with your hand the next day, no matter what time it is.  My husband has even eaten it for breakfast at work.  

Lemon Squares

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April showers bring May flowers... boy, you are not kidding.  The amount of rain we have had over the past week has caused road closures, flooding, and school closures (that's a new one).  Needing a little sunshine in life, I thought I would bring in a sun-kissed baked good.  

There are countless lemon bar/square recipes out there, but this one is spot on.  It has a simple shortbread crust and the filling is somewhere between lemon curd and lemon custard.  It is a perfect balance of tart and sweet.  The filling bakes up with a very thin, meringue-like top.  This layer provides texture, giving these bars three distinct levels that you will be happy to ponder while enjoying the lemony taste .  A little dusting of confectioners' sugar and these little bars of bliss are ready to chase away any rainy day blues.

Meyer Lemon Molten Cakes with Raspberries and Cream

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When planning holiday or entertaining menus, I always start with dessert first.  Why? I have an arsenal of sweet recipes to choose from and it is always hard to narrow it down to the right one.  And it can be the more labor intensive part of the meal with the creaming of butter and sugar, the rolling of the dough, the baking, the frosting, on and on... Having said that, this recipe was not hard to decide on and it comes together in no time with just a whisk and a bowl.

However, before I talk about it I want to give you a little background.  My children and I are visiting my parents in Charleston, S.C. this week during their Spring Break vacation.  Unfortunately, my husband is not able to travel with us.  Since we will not be home to spend Easter with him, I made an Easter celebration dinner on Monday before I left.  He's happy to have leftover ham sandwiches while I am gone and I am happy that I have some of the recipes to share with you. 

I first made this last year and it was good, but I knew I could make it better.  After a reader (shout out to Bobbi☺) reminded me that I needed to finally share the recipe, I put it on my springtime menu to-do list. I knew it would be the perfect ending to our Easter meal.  

I am sure many of you are familiar with the popular chocolate molten lava cakes. Well, this is a unique and wonderful twist to that concept.  The original recipe called for lemon curd, but I prefer the balanced tartness of Meyer lemon curd.  I used some from a batch of homemade, but you can substitute store-bought with good results.  Raspberries and lemons go hand-in-hand for a sweet pairing.  A dusting of confectioners' sugar and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream help to finish the dessert.  Although not pictured, after one bite I knew there was one more layer that would really make this dessert sing.  A batch of Red Currant-Raspberry sauce in the freezer sealed the deal.  The bonus to this recipe is that the batter can be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance.  So you can bake these while dinner is on the table, then impress your guests with these individual cakes.

Sunday Dinner

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Pimento Cheese

Glazed Turkey Meatloaf

Dinner Grits

Fordhook Lima Beans

Fluffy Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon Cream Filling

Before my children and I depart for a little Spring Break trip, my husband and I had a little getaway together this weekend since he is unable to travel with us.  Seeing how we would be in the car returning today, I needed to have a dinner that could mostly be prepared in advance.  A little prep work this past Friday and I only have the grits and beans to prepare.  

These blueberry streusel bars offer a hint of the tastes of Summer (yes, it will come...someday) along with a satisfying oaty goodness.  It's kind of like getting your blueberry pie fix in bar form.  Speaking of blueberry pie, I like a pinch of ground cinnamon in mine along with the lemon flavor, so I added a bit here.  I also increased the amount of blueberries for an extra good blueberry flavor.  Since I did that, I also added a couple teaspoons of cornstarch to prevent a blueberry ooze.  They are delicious on their own whether chilled or at room temperature.  But like the pie... they are also enjoyed when served with some vanilla ice cream for an a la mode treat. 

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Sunday Dinner two years ago

Southern Pound Cake

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If you follow my facebook page, you know that I was out of my kitchen this past Sunday and was unable to share our weekly Sunday dinner.  We were enjoying time with family up North, but I certainly didn't go empty handed.  

Like my mom's Chocolate Pound Cake, this is a treasured family recipe from my Great Aunt Margaret.  We didn't have many sweets growing up (making up for that in my adult life), so when they did appear on the table or in the picnic basket, they were thoroughly enjoyed.  I have memories associated with just about every slice of pound cake I ate in my youth.

This is a pretty standard southern pound cake. You can taste the sweet, creamed butter, the floral essence of vanilla and the kiss of lemon, but then there is that something.  It's that something you just can’t put your finger on.  It rounds out all the flavors into one delicious slice of heaven. That secret ingredient is ground mace. What is ground mace you ask?  It is the ground outer membrane of the nutmeg nut.  It is warm and spicy like nutmeg, but more subtle in flavor and devoid of the little black flecks that nutmeg leaves behind.   

So please, if you do not have any ground mace, pick some up on your next trip to the market and make this cake!  Then resist the urge to eat the cake on the day you make it (torture, I know). Trust me, letting it rest a day gives it that next day better goodness.  Once it is completely cool, put it on your cake plate and cover with a dome or just wrap it in aluminum foil and walk away. OK, maybe steal one of those crispy, buttery crumbs that accidentally fell of the edge of the cake and then walk away. Grab a slice for breakfast with your morning coffee, steal a slice for an afternoon snack, or serve it as dessert with some berries and ice cream. 

Sunday Dinner

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Grand Aïoli with Haricots Verts and Fingerling Potatoes

Homemade Toulose Sausage

French Lentils

Simple Salad 

Country Bread

Lemon Cloud Tart with Rhubarb Compote

For the first Sunday dinner in June, I figured one more spring dessert was in order.  This tart utilizes some of the late spring bounty of rhubarb.  As the name suggests, the filling is light in texture.  Ah, but there is a lot of flavor floating around in this dreamy, creamy sea of lemon and cream.

I use my favorite tart crust recipe and I use the Meyer lemon curd recipe, but swap out the Meyer lemons for regular tart lemons. The rhubarb compote pairs perfectly with the lemon and cream to deliver a dessert that will have you floating on.... alright, it's just really good. 

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

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Generally I associate citrus fruits with the winter months, but when it comes to lemons, I embrace them during the Spring and Summer months as well.  They pair so well with the seasonal fruits like rhubarb, berries, and melon. They help make a refreshing cold beverage.  And don't forget about that lemon curd.  But since it is still early Spring and the rhubarb in my garden is not quite ready and the berries and melon in the market are not at their peaks, I hoard most of them for baked goods recipes.

Prior to last week, I had a go-to lemon-poppy seed muffin recipe that I loved.   When I came across this one, however, I knew it was time for a change.  It is similar to the recipe that I had used before, but it uses yogurt in place of sour cream.  Instead of adding the lemon juice to the batter, the lemon juice is reserved to make a syrup to brush on the muffins while they are still warm from the oven.  This keeps the already perfect crumb moist and tender.  I added a little vanilla because I rarely bake something sweet without it.  Like the corn bread, I let the batter rest a few minutes before filling the muffin tins.  This allows for a perfect bakery-style muffin crown.  And if that wasn't enough, I drizzle the top with a lemon sugar glaze making it a perfect balance of sweet and tang.  I now...introduce to you...the ultimate lemon-poppy seed muffin!

Meyer Lemon Curd

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Oh, Meyer lemon curd, how I love thee.  However, I do wish you would change your name.  Curd sounds like..., well uh...,  I'll let you fill in the blank.  Custard would be a more suitable description of your taste and texture.  If you have never had the pleasure of enjoying a taste of lemon curd, you are in for a sensational treat.  

Thick, soft, creamy and spreadable, this curd is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet.  I use it to fill tarts, cakes, and eclairs.  I serve it with cakes, scones, and cookies.  I also fold it into whipped cream, ice cream, and yogurt.  I even eat it by the spoonful when no one is looking ☺.

Other than the Meyer lemons, the ingredients are basic and you probably have them on hand; butter, sugar, and eggs.  The technique, however, is the key ingredient to the recipe. Rushing a curd over too high of a heat will cause the eggs to scramble. Stick to a slow and slow game plan and you will be lusciously rewarded for your patience.

Lemon Icebox Pie

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I would like to introduce to you a lemony cousin of the key lime pie.  Creamy, lemony, cool, and with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream-- swoon.  Was this ever good!

Not only is this pie delicious, it is very simple to put together and it can be made in advance.  A whole week in advance, in fact.  The original recipe called for serving it from the freezer, but I found that process produces a texture that is too hard.  It can certainly be kept in the freezer, but for that luscious, creamy texture, you can either store it in the refrigerator or, if frozen, allow it to come to desired texture.  Although I made this pie in February to accompany New Orleans themed dishes (and it was great in that role), it would really be in its element as a summer treat.  No matter when you make it, you'll be glad you did! 

Sunday Dinner

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Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Chips

Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Stove-Top Baked Beans

Classic Creamy Coleslaw

Lemon Cooler Cookies

Today is Father's Day and that has me thinking about two very special men in my life; the father of my children and of course, my own father.  Since today is also Sunday, I want to have a Sunday dinner that shows the two men in my life how much they are appreciated and loved.  I think smoking 15 pounds of pork shoulder with hickory wood for ten hours oughta do the trick! 

I am not able be with my father today, but thinking of him the other day conjured up a childhood memory of mine-- sitting in the screened-in porch watching lightning and eating a box of Sunshine Lemon Coolers.  Unfortunately, those cookies are now nowhere to be found.  What happened to them and why?  To my relief, a wonderful person has created a copycat version and I couldn't wait to try them.

The original recipe called for unsweetened lemonade mix in the sugar coating, but I found packets of crystallized lemon instead.  I wanted some real lemon flavor in the cookie, so I used freshly squeezed lemon juice in lieu of the water and added a bit of lemon zest to really make them zing.  One bite of these cookies took me back a few years. So in honor of my father, I am sharing the recipe for these cookies that we are enjoying after our meal.  Thinking of you Daddy--love you!!

One Note*- the recipe makes quite a few cookies and in my opinion, they are best eaten within a day or two.  Otherwise they get too hard.  If you are not going to consume all of them in that amount of time, I would suggest keeping the remaining dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Lemon Poppy Seed Lady Cake

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If you are still undecided about what dessert you will be making this weekend, here is another idea to throw into the mix.  We had dinner with family this past weekend and I offered to bring dessert.  A nice byproduct of bringing dessert was the opportunity to make this cake.  This is one of those recipes that I tore out years ago (Martha Stewart Living, April 2003, page 207 to be exact) and filed away in my stack of to-dos.  It is a simple white cake studded with poppy seeds, layered with lemon curd that is lightened with whipped cream, then blanketed in a white, marshmallowy seven-minute frosting.  It is light, lemony, sweet, and just perfect for this time of year.  

The only change I made was to use a packet of whipping cream stabilizer for the heavy cream to keep it from weeping once folded with the lemon curd.  Overall this is a great recipe, but preparing the cake does require a bit of time in order for the filling to set properly.  However, the filling and the cake can be made the day before, then assembled the morning of and frosted.  Just remember-- due to the lemon curd filling, the cake needs to be chilled.  I don't know why it's called "Lady Cake".  I do know that this layered beauty gets a thumbs up from men and women alike.

Meyer Lemon Pudding

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After the recipe writing and eating of leftovers from our Sunday Dinner this week, I was craving something light and lemony to cut the richness.   Time to take advantage of those winter citrus fruits.


I love all things lemon and this recipe is one of my favorites.  In fact, Lori Longbothom calls this "My Favorite Lemon Pudding"--that makes two of us and I am sure you will be number three, four, five...


Lori's recipe calls for just lemons, and as good as that is, I like to take it to the next level and use Meyer lemons.  Meyer lemons are not quite as tart as lemons and are a sort of cross between a lemon and an orange, therefore they are a tad sweeter than a standard lemon with a noticeable floral essence.  If you can't find Meyer lemons,  you can get good results if you use half lemon juice and half orange juice--freshly squeezed of course.


By using simple ingredients and a simple technique, you will be rewarded with a spoonful of luscious, lemony love.  A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream doesn't hurt either.