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New Summer Fav Salad –

Posted on July 3, 2026 | 1 comment

This is my new go to summer salad and I just love it – so easy to make and so delicious.

I only use Avocado, Cucumber, Fresh Charred Corn, some salty feta, and peppery arugula or if you’d like use romaine.

The dressing is Lemon and Dijon dressing which hits the right flavors. it’s tangy and slightly sweet.

This salad belongs at every bbq, potluck lunch or dinner throughout the summer , I know it will be on my table and if you come to my house for a meal you’re bound to get it.

This is what I did, salads are not an exact science so just enjoy and use as much or as little of any of the ingredients and make it your way. The dressing is sort of exact measurements though.

Happy Summer!

Ingredients for the Salad:

4 ears fresh corn husks removed

2 ripe avocados, diced

3 mini cucumbers or those little baby ones are great you’ll have to eyeball those

3 cups arugula, chopped or not or use crunchy romaine chopped

4 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

Lemon Dijon Dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

I put corn on the grill outside — You can lightly coat with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and cook turning occasionally until lightly charred on all sides, transfer to a plate and cool down

If no grill you can just cook in some boiling salted water till bright yellow , after a few minutes in boiling water I put in ice bath to cool down and stop cooking — corn will turn bright yellow

In a small bowl, I used a measuring cup or a mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon, dijon, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper until emulsified and smooth.

Prepare the salad ingredients, once corn is cooled down slice the kernels from the cob and add them to the salad

Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss. I didn’t use all the dressing, I lightly dressed and added as necessary.

*of course you can add a protein and make this a complete meal

Serve immediately and hope you love it as much as I do.

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15 Minute Marinara Sauce and Shrimp Marinara

Posted on June 29, 2026 | 1 comment

Sometimes you just can’t wait for the two to three hours slow simmering sauce as delicious as it is and wonderful tasting it’s just sometimes not possible. The other night I wanted to make Shrimp Marinara but I didn’t want to use a jarred sauce and believe me I love Raos and Carbone sauces and this shrimp would have been just fine using one of them which I know and encourage you to use if you don’t want to make your own.

This is my recipe for a quick sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, anything marinara when I don’t want to make my slow sauce.

Enjoy! and this is what I did.

15 minute Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes we like it spicy so I use 1 1/2 if you hate spicy omit it all together

1/2 -1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 28oz can crushed red tomatoes, not pureed, not whole not diced

Directions:

Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the pan to medium high heat. Saute till fragrant , try and avoid burning the garlic don’t let it get brown . Stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, this will take a few minutes.

I added a little additional salt, and a little additional water. Also I use the pasta water from spaghetti so it got to the right consistency , just add a little water at a time. My sauce was sitting in pan while I prepped shrimp and pasta so it got thicker than I wanted. Easy to thin out , use the pasta water it will help sauce to stick to spaghetti.

Shrimp:

Prepare the pasta– follow directions on packaging for al dente.

Clean Shrimp, pat dry with paper towels and lay out and sprinkle with salt and pepper

I bring sauce to a boil and add the shrimp , the shrimp will start to curl as they cook , stir the shrimp through the sauce a few time and depending on the size of your shrimp they should cook in about 10 -12 minutes , smaller shrimp will cook faster.

Don’t over cook shrimp no body likes rubber shrimp.

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Once shrimp is cooked turn off the heat, finish the pasta , take some pasta water and incorporate into sauce. ( about 1/2 cup) but if you need more use more.

Plate it up and it’s done. Delicious homemade sauce with shrimp or meatballs.

Enjoy!

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Summer Salad

Posted on June 26, 2026 | Leave a comment

I made this salad the other night and it came together so beautifully and it was very very tasty if I do say so myself. I made it with grilled chicken and bacon but if you want to keep it vegetarian you can . You can also serve chicken and bacon on the side if you’d like. It’s a yummy chopped up salad with lots of tasty items that I love together. The lemon vinaigrette dressing has a bit of kick but you can easily leave out the crushed red pepper. I used fresh butter lettuce but any lettuce will do .

Enjoy!

*this served 4

Salad Ingredients:

8 slices bacon — I used microwave bacon and cooked for 3 minutes and cooled it off and crumbled it. Of course you can use any type of bacon or omit — up to you

app. 1 /2 -1 pint blueberries

1/2 cup crumbled Feta or Goat Cheese — I hate blue cheese but if you love it use that

1 handful small cut up basil leaves

app. 4 cups farmers market lettuce or any lettuce you like — I used a soft butter lettuce this time–I tore it into small pieces

3 corn on the cobs kernels removed — leave it raw — it’s sweet and delicious

1-2 avocados — depending on the size of your avocados — I used 2 small ones

Grilled Chicken:

I used about 4 chicken breasts — small ones and brushed some olive oil and salt and pepper and a little dried oregano and grilled them on the grill for a few minutes on each side till done and set aside with aluminum till ready to serve salad and then cut up chicken into small pieces.

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing:

I made salad dressing in my mini chopper — Perfect and easy if no mini chopper just mince garlic by hand and whisk all ingredients together adding olive oil in last slowly.

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar

3 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt — more to taste — didn’t need it

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

I used my mini chopper and started with the garlic and put all other ingredients and added the olive at the end slowly.

Taste for salt and pepper but it was fine by me.

  • 1/2 teaspoon or more or less crushed red pepper flakes –we like kick and so did our guests so you may or may not want to use this which is fine

In a large salad bowl add in lettuce, chicken , blueberries, cheese, basil leaves, crumbled bacon, avocado and corn. Drizzle with the vinaigrette or serve salad and let your guests dress their own — up to you. Once salad is dressed serve immediately. I

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Cucumber Avocado Salad

Posted on June 8, 2026 | Leave a comment

Light and easy — Cucumbers and Avocado Salad with a light lime dressing. This side salad will disappear very quickly and you’ll be wanting more.

I made it without the green onion so feel free to add it or not it was just as yummy without. Just happen to have avocado and cucumber in the house but next time I will make sure to add a little green onion!

Ingredients:

2 English Cucumbers –Slice Cuke in 1/2 — scoop out seeds and slice or use any cucumbers you like I just like to remove seeds and cut smaller cukes into smaller pieces — it really doesn’t matter how you slice them up– if I use kirby type cucumbers (as pictured) I cut into smaller pieces — totally up to you– it’s all good — small Persians work well here and you’ll probably need 3 or 4 — I don’t scoop out seeds from the Persian cucumbers

1 large avocado pitted, peeled and cut into chunks or slices whichever you prefer

*1/3 cup green onion , chopped

2 Tbsp. Lime Juice from 1 medium lime

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Kosher Salt or Sea Salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

In a medium sized salad type bowl, combine sliced cucumbers , avocado and if you’re adding green onions.

Drizzle with lime juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. I sliced cucumbers and dressing earlier than right before I served it added the avocado so it wouldn’t brown. The lime juice should prevent it from turning brown though.

That’s it and very delicious side salad .

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Chili Crunch Salmon

Posted on June 4, 2026 | 2 comments

I made this for dinner the other night and gotta say it was pretty delicious , served alongside some rice and asparagus which are so delicious this time of year. A quick and easy meal made with salmon fillets and some Momofuko chili crisp ( available on Amazon) but make sure you get the mild one , the hot one is pretty hot even for me who likes hot , it’s also delicious on soba noodles or linguine, check it out -see photo of it below.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless salmon fillets

3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise — full fat kind please

2 Tbsp. chili crisp–you will use oil and crunchy bits and as I said I love Momofuko brand and available on Amazon -there are a few different ones and they’re all delicious

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Honey — if using mild chili crisp you can try Hot Honey

1 tsp. Rice vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic -minced

1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger — there is no substitute for fresh

and if you’d like you can finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, sliced scallions, lime wedges, or some extra chili crisp which I always do

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

I used a pyrex glass baking dish which I sprayed with Pam cooking spray –I also drizzled just a little olive oil on the bottom of the pan

Whisk together all the other ingredients until smooth, it should be spreadable , not runny.

Mayo, chili crisp, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil , garlic and ginger

Pat the salmon dry and place skin side down in the prepared baking dish

spoon or brush some of the chili crisp mayo combo over the salmon, don’t use it all save a little for the table for serving

Bake for app. 8-10 minutes and then broil for a few minutes , salmon thickness varies so be careful, I also like my salmon a little undercooked so don’t cook for as long , up to you. Use your best judgment knowing that it will finish cooking while it sits out of the oven .

Once finished you can spread more of the glaze on top and finish with any toppings you like.

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Lemon Parmesan Salad –Crunchy and Fresh

Posted on May 30, 2026 | 1 comment

This salad is so delicious so fresh tasting and so easy to make. Very simple with very simple ingredients — Romaine lettuce, Lemons, Parmesan Cheese, Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper.

It’s zesty lemon flavor with the rich taste of Parmesan Cheese. Perfect accompaniment to chicken, fish or any main course meal.

This is what I did.

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce– 3 Romaine Hearts are perfect and chop them up and put in a large bowl

Obviously place the lettuce in a salad spinner first to clean.

2 large lemons, juiced or 3 small lemons

1 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup Good Olive Oil

Kosher Salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Rinse romaine and chop up into small bite size thin pieces. Discard the ends. Clean in a salad spinner and spin to remove excess water. I then put into paper towels and place in fridge till ready to use.

When ready to eat add the lettuce to a large bowl .

I place all other ingredients except for Parmesan Cheese in a small mixing bowl. Taste for Salt and Pepper. I whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together . Pour over lettuce mix well and add cheese and serve .

That’s it — Super Simple –Super Easy — Super Delicious

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Chicken Piccata

Posted on May 22, 2026 | Leave a comment

Pan fried chicken in a sauce which is a combination of butter, fresh lemon juice, oil and capers and a little chicken broth and the perfect amount of lemon and lemon zest! This chicken dish is super easy and super fast to make for dinner I don’t add cream because I find it rich enough with the little butter and oil in it. If no broth use a dry white wine like pinot grigio. Always use fresh lemon though and the zest for that extra brightness and zing. Capers add the briny salty deliciousness which balances it all out. If you’re in with all these ingredients then here you go.

One more thing– of course you can buy chicken breasts in supermarket and slice in 1/2 and pound, I feel it’s worth the extra $$ to go to butcher and have them slice and pound . A lot of supermarkets have butchers which will be happy to do this so you can ask. I know Whole Foods will.

I served alongside brown basmati rice but any rice or pasta will do or mashed potatoes or a simple parmesan arugula salad, you get it. I had fresh asparagus on hand so used that but any green will do.

Enjoy! and your welcome

Ingredients:

1 – 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets –this was actually 4 cutlets perfect for the two of us with a little left over.

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic powder

Flour–enough to dredge 4 pieces of chicken –I use a flat plate to dredge

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter -divided

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 -1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine

1 Lemon juiced and zest of 1 lemon –I used an average size lemon a little bigger won’t hurt but not smaller

1 Tablespoon brined capers – drained

Directions:

I take chicken and pat dry and generously sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder

Heat 2 Tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large enough skillet over medium high heat — I only did 4 cutlets otherwise you’ll have to do in batches — and add more butter /olive oil/broth/lemon juice etc. basically just do the sauce again for more cutlets

Once the pan is hot, cook the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden and set aside on a separate plate

Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken broth or wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining butter and capers to the skillet , you’ll de glaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits

I then return pan to medium high heat and add a very little bit of flour to thicken and once it’s bubbling again add chicken back into the pan –you may want to add a little broth as well depends on how reduced sauce is — I added a little bit more — if sauce thickens too much add wine or broth

Add the chicken to sauce and cook for another 4-5 minutes and that’s it

*this was good for the two of us with one cutlet left over

serve hot with whatever sides you like and Enjoy!

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Balsamic Chicken

Posted on May 19, 2026 | Leave a comment

This delicious balsamic chicken loaded up with flavor is easy to make and a wonderful weeknight meal .

I made it with bone in skinless thighs, you can make with regular chicken thighs, bone in skin on, or boneless skinless chicken thighs and if you must chicken breasts just be careful with the cooking because they do tend to dry out. A little marination is good if even for an hour – I did two hours yesterday but overnight is sort of ideal but I know that’s tough to do. I also used my cast iron skillet to cook them in but a simple pyrex baking dish will do , just spray with cooking spray because the marinade can get sticky.

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Here’s what I did last night and enjoy!

Marinade:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons Balsamic Glaze not Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1 tsp. Honey

1 lemon juiced

4-5 garlic cloves minced ( large) but if no garlic cloves you can use garlic powder — 4 teaspoons for 4 cloves and 5 teaspoons for 5 cloves

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme–1 teaspoon of dried thyme if no fresh

1 teaspoon dried oregano–

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

8 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs about 1 1/2 pounds

Kosher Salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, olive oil, balsamic glaze, tomato paste, honey and lemon juice, add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and sweet paprika. Whisk to combine.

Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat, I gave it a few hours do what you can. Like I said overnight is ideal.

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees and adjust rack to middle

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish or heat safe skillet

Cook for apple. 25 minutes and then I put under the broiler for about 5 more minutes –keep an eye on it you don’t want to burn it.

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Sheet Pan Chicken –Meditteranean Style-String Beans and Potatoes

Posted on May 18, 2026 | Leave a comment

I love one pan and one pot dinners! Just amazing! This is an easy no-fuss meal cooked in the oven on one sheet with a marinade that has a distinct Mediterranean flavor from the lemon juice, olive oil and oregano.  Use chicken thighs or legs , I prefer dark meat for this but if you insist on using white meat –go ahead. Some green beans and potatoes make this a one pan staple. Delicious and Nutritious. Did I mention super easy to clean up?  You’ll need a rimmed baking sheet for this recipe.

Enjoy! this is for 2 +people but you can double for 4. It will probably feed 2+ but depends on your people. This is what I did for the 2 of us. We ate the whole thing! no leftovers! If you are making for a larger crowd (4 or more) either use a very large baking sheet or 2 baking sheets — don’t crowd the pan.

Ingredients:

6 smallish chicken thighs — usually 1 package will do perfectly

1/2 lb. baby red potatoes I quartered them but if they are very small you can cut in 1/2 If they’re too big they won’t cook in 45 minutes so smaller is best.

1/2 lb. green beans , trimmed

2 Tbsp. olive oil plus for marinade

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, I salt chicken liberally and potatoes because they tend to be bland –see notes below on salt and pepperimg_3437

*2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley – totally optional along with some slices of fresh lemon for beautiful presentation

Marinade for the Chicken- Marinate for about an hour

app. 1 package of chicken thighs– bone in , skin on . When I say 1 package it is usually a little under 2 lbs ( 6 smallish thighs)  which is more than enough for 2 people. Usually about 6 chicken thighs in a package depending on the size of thighs.

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon- I used juicer because I wanted to make sure I got every drop

1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper , to taste–I used 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and about 10 grinds on the pepper mill for the marinade

In a large Ziploc Bag, combine chicken, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and oregano; season with app. 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds (10-12) of freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Marinate for at least an hour, turning the bag occasionally. Remove the chicken from the marinade by draining it, discard the excess marinade.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a large size baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with chicken in a single layer. Salt is an important component here–I sprinkled a light amount over chicken and potatoes and string beans –probably another 1/2 teaspoon and a few grinds of the pepper mill

Place into the oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, should register 165 degrees with a meat thermometer after about 1/2 hour -45 minutes. After I check for readiness I place under the broiler for a few minutes, till skin is golden brown and a little charred ( but not too charred) watch chicken for signs of burning.

Serve immediately, you can garnish with lemon slices and parsley for a beautiful presentation!

Enjoy

This was my finished pan last night! Delicious.
And always delicious served with some homemade cranberry sauce!

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Chicken Shawarma

Posted on May 11, 2026 | Leave a comment

I got this recipe from Pamela Salzman’s cookbook Kitchen Matters. I absolutely loved it. I made the chicken and then proceeded to turn it into a rice bowl. The rice bowl accompaniments can be whatever you like. I use Tzatziki Sauce instead of Tahini white sauce. You can also serve over salad which is quite delicious as well. Greek Salad in particular would be great! Add some delicious pita or Naan bread and it’s perfection! I made a side order of roasted peppers and onions and you can add mushrooms as well. I did this in the oven about an hour before dinner. (cut up peppers and onions add a little olive oil to coat and salt and pepper and 400 degrees for about 45 minutes )Big thumbs up on the peppers and onions in the rice bowl. Feta cheese is a must here! (buy a good one) and pepperoncini in mine! Peppers, mushrooms and onions can also be cooked in a large frying pan on stovetop , I do mushrooms first ,then peppers and onions . First heat a little olive oil up, sprinkle salt and pepper on mushrooms and cook till they fry up nicely, put mushrooms on a plate wipe off pan from residue with a paper towel , if you need more olive oil add it salt and pepper the onions and peppers, you can do separately like mushrooms or together up to you.

I cooked on my outside grill but this can be cooked indoors on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Or use a grill pan which would probably cook faster — either way it is delicious.

I also highly recommend marinating for as long as possible. I prepared the chicken in the morning and probably marinated for about 7 hours. Minimum of 1 hour and you can do overnight as well. This marinade was very flavorful.

Thanks to www.pamelasalzman.com

Marinade:

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice– I used 2 average sized lemons

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon — I used a heaping 1/8 teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper– I used a heaping 1/8 here too

Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper –probably 1/4 teaspoon as well

4 minced garlic cloves

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs– we obviously prefer thighs but if you must use white meat go ahead but be careful it doesn’t dry out this is why we prefer the thighs to the breast especially in this recipe.

Directions:

prepare the marinade– Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large glass bowl. Add the raw chicken and toss to coat. Marinade in the fridge for as many hours as you can — this was key. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 1/2 hour before cooking.

I cooked on my outside grill for about 7 minutes on each side. I like the outside edges a little crispy since I don’t have a revolving spit to cook my chicken on this is as close as I could get. When I can’t grill ( like in the city) I cook in 400 degree pre-heated oven for about 30 mins. then broil for just a few minutes to get it all crispy. Keep an eye on it in the oven though.

*Another perfect thing to do is to double it up on the day of prep. Take out what I will need for that night and freeze the remainder of the marinated chicken. The next time we’re in the mood for this yummy dinner I just have to take it out of freezer in the morning and defrost and cook! Saves me the time of making the marinade again.

Enjoy! I know you will.

I sliced up chicken served it in a rice bowl and we each used different accompaniments. The peppers and onions were perfect with it. Highly recommend it and you can buy store bought tzatziki which would be just fine. Would be good with some delicious toasted pita or naan bread.

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