Appetizers

Salt & Pepper Roasted Nuts—Daydreaming of Chile

Almonds and walnuts tossed in a salt and pepper mixture, then roasted, make a wonderful afternoon snack or easy appetizer. (Hey, the Super Bowl is coming up!) I’ve whipped up several batches of these nuts in the past week because they disappear so quickly. This recipe was inspired by an opportunity that came up recently […]

Three pepper jelly and goat cheese served with crackers makes my list of perfect party foods. All of the work on this appetizer is done ahead of time, making it perfect for a stress-free party lineup. When it comes to entertaining, I am all about easy. Yes, I want the food to be good, but […]

Merry Christmas Eve!! I can’t believe it is already December 24th. This month has flown by quicker than I could say Kris Kringle. We have especially enjoyed the Christmas season in our family this year, as Squirrel is more excited and filled with wonder about the magic and traditions of the holiday than ever before, […]

A match made in comfort food heaven: roasted potato wedges sprinkled with fragrant nutty gomashio—Japanese sesame salt, one of my all-time favorite condiments.

Orange slices topped with a basil lime sugar is one of my favorite quick snacks, or simple appetizers to whip up when I’m craving citrus. I hesitate to call it a recipe because there’s really nothing to it, but I’m sharing it with you nonetheless. This dish is also a great way to work on […]

Is it just me, or does the word “nachos” strike a comfort food chord for you too? There’s something about the combo of crunchy, cheesy, salty, and juicy that tastes so darn good! The non-comforting part about nachos is their tendency to be a bit higher in the calorie and fat counts. Well, I recently […]

Add this recipe to ZipList! Lighter Avocado Dip Makes 10 servings 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 ounces nonfat plain Greek yogurt 3 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 1 red jalapeno, […]

Add this recipe to ZipList! Turkey Avocado Onigiri Footballs Makes approximately 6 onigiri 1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 thin slices turkey (lunch-meat style) 3 cups freshly steamed Japanese rice 1 sheet nori (seaweed) Special equipment: football-shaped cookie cutter 1. Mash the avocado, lime juice, and […]

Add this recipe to ZipList! Renkon no Sunomono (Marinated Lotus Root) Makes 6 servings 8-inch piece of renkon (lotus root) 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon salt Finely grated lemon rind, for garnish 1. Wash the renkon thoroughly, then peel off the outer layer with a vegetable peeler, and slice […]

Add this recipe to ZipList! Tazukuri (Soy Sauce Sugar-Glazed Sardines) Makes 4 servings 2 ounces gomame (dried baby sardines) 1/3 cup dashi (or water) 1/3 cup soy sauce 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon mirin 1 takanotsume (Japanese “hawk claw” pepper) (or substitute 1 dried red chile pepper) 1. Pick out any broken fish. […]

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