Lite and Fresh Chicken Piccata

Lite and Fresh Chicken Piccata, crispy pan seared thin chicken breast with a nutty lemon brown butter caper sauce are exceptional.  The ease of making this popular dish using light ingredients doesn't in any way take away from delivering a rich flavor.    I can never pass up Chicken Piccata.  The fresh lemon and brinny cappers make these thin chicken breasts sing in chorus.  

Spring Asparagus Salad with Tangy Avocado Lemon Vinaigrette

Spring Asparagus Salad with Tangy Avocado Lemon Vinaigrette is a spring salad that comes together quickly with fresh taste with fresh vegetables and zing in the vinaigrette, which makes someone think it is perfect for a side dish.    Spring is on its way!  And I am getting ready with my Asparagus Salad with Tangy Avocado Lemon Vinaigrette.  It is beautiful, fresh, healthy, and so vibrant. My spring salad is made with simple, fresh ingredients, asparagus, cucumbers, and chili peppers.  The salad is drizzled with an amazing avocado lemon vinaigrette.  The dressing only takes minutes to make and adds so much freshness.

Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs

Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs, easy to make yet rich and complex in the flavor profile. The preparation of this dish is virtual hands free, while the presentation is nothing less than the star of any celebratory dinner. Cooking up a winter feast with these Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs is all I could think about when I spotted the short ribs in the grocery store last week.   The short ribs get their complex flavor from the mixture of spices, ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and Chinese five spice powder. These spices and aromatics give the short ribs an incredible aroma while braising.

Old School Sloppy Joes Recipe Is Still The Best!

The Old School Sloppy Joes Recipe is still the best, consisting of ground beef, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and other spices.  The simpliest version has stood the test of time, d-lish! The name of this beloved sandwich gets it honest.   They are as tasty as they are sloppy. The name comes by piling so much of the meat sauce on a giant hamburger bun, a tiny slider buns, or between two slices of your favorite bread, you cannot help but need a napkin.  Did I say they were messy?

Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake

Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake is a chocolate fudge cake mix and fudge brownie mix that comes together to make the most scrumptious chocolate cake you will ever eat.  The chocolate ganache icing sends the chocolate love over the top.   Don't wait to make this cake.  The Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake brings back so many memories of my mother's chocolate cake growing up.    The Texas Hot Cocoa Brownie Cake has a rich, and I mean rich chocolate presence in the cake from the two mixes, chocolate fudge cake mix, and chocolate fudge brownie mix.  The cake is dense while tender and moist yet smooth.   There are only five ingredients in the recipe, meaning do not add the ingredients on the back of the mix boxes.   I used Hershey Milk Chocolate Frosting  and microwaved it for 30 seconds to make an almost homemade ganache.   If you prefer, you can make the chocolate ganache using chocolate chips and heavy cream.

Black Eyed Peas and Collards Soup Recipe

Black Eyed Peas and Collards Soup, a flavorful soup, combines two southern favorites, black eyed peas and collards with carrots and lean ham.  Drop a hot water cornbread medallion in the center of the bowl of soup that will leave you full but not weighed down. For New Year's Day, I had planned to cook a small amount of fresh black eyed peas and a small batch of collard greens since it was just me that would be eating them.   Until I remembered that I had seen a recipe somewhere for a soup made with both.   I don't know about all the good luck these ingredients bring. All I do know is this straightforward soup has few ingredients that are a comforting start to the new year.

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish for any meal, but for a holiday meal, you might say they are superb in every way.  Starting with, they can be made ahead and then refrigerated until time for your holiday meal. These Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes are rich, velvety smooth, and so decadent.  Let me just say, my family loves my mashed potatoes, but when I make these, I raise the bar.      Honestly, they are so decadent, so rich, so buttery, that I reserve these for special occasions and holidays. For our Christmas dinner, while the  Prime Rib Roast  is resting under a foil tent, the ideal time to put the Magic Green Beans  and the Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes in the oven is now. This will benefit  everything coming together at the right time.