The Spring Kitchen Garden

One of the more enjoyable challenges of edible gardening is figuring out how to eat all the produce you grow. I have 48 square feet in my vegetable garden, plus a small herb garden, and the abundance can be overwhelming at times. Given the premium they charge at the store, I really had no idea…

Instant Pork Shoulder

I had a revelation recently – pork shoulder is super versatile, makes superb leftovers, and can be ready in a jiffy in the Instant Pot. Who could ask for more? The beauty of the pork shoulder roast is in how many different ways you can serve it. Cook once, eat all week. You can have…

Butter chicken

Also known as murgh makhani, Indian Butter Chicken might be the world’s best takeout. It’s also strikingly easy to make at home. That lovely picture is my was my beau’s dish. I had mine on cauliflower rice because I’m still going strong on my keto experiment. One nice thing about this dish is it accommodates…

How the French eat

As I’ve continued to experiment with the whole keto thing, I’ve been struck that I’m eating how the French reportedly eat. Perhaps it’s their national secret repackaged as an American fad solution? I’ve been snacking on small portions of excellent cheese, olives and almonds, eating smaller cuts of meats and fish with gorgeous pan sauces,…

Keto makes carrots decadent

Finding carrots to be the most wonderful thing on my dinner plate is not something I ever expected to experience, but I made roasted carrots last night. And wow. They were a luxury. This recipe clocks in at 5 net carbs and 5 grams of fat per half cup serving. I had not had anything…

Mushroom pan sauce

This is an easy and tasty sauce that I used to spruce up tri tip sirloin. This is also an easy way to stick to keto at the end of a long workday when your blood sugar is low and you want to eat ALL the things you see on the way home. This dinner…

Adventures in air frying

I got an air fryer for Christmas and I’m super excited about it. It took some experimenting for me to get stuff right. I had a huge early mishap with fried chicken, but I got it right by the end of my time off. What I’ve found I like best about the Airfryer is how…

Almond brown butter Brussels sprouts – a New Years introduction

This is a family Thanksgiving classic that my aunt used to serve to “introduce” us to Brussels sprouts. It worked. They are still a favorite vegetable of mine. Butter doesn’t have a whole lot of room for improvement, but browning it really does launch it to the next level. Then you add almond slices to…

Butternut beef stew

One of my absolute favorite recipes of all time. I first discovered this in Georgeanne Brennan’s 1998 cookbook Holiday Pumpkins. Her books are a great resource for home gardeners and anyone with an interest in herbs or French food. This recipe caught my eye because it’s such an unusual combination of squash, poblano and pomegranate….

Pot roast – an easy classic

Nothing says, come in from the cold and cozy up like a pot roast dinner. This is easy to make in a slow cooker or in the oven when you are doing other stuff around the house. I made this one using my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. Start with a chuck roast. I usually…