Debbie Peck’s favorite southern Italy comfort food dish is called Gateau, which means cake in French. It’s a Potato Cake with ham and cheese sandwiched together with soft mashed potatoes. Get Debbie’s recipe, along with her step-by-step instructions ans photos, by clicking on the image below.
Recipe and image by Debbie Peck of Ciao from Debbie blog
This dish showcases tilapia’s outdoorsy side and the bright, fresh flavor of mangos in tropical tacos that are perfect for lunch with friends or a light dinner. Brushing the delicate fillets with a spiced lime vinaigrette seals in their juices and intensifies the flavor of the tacos.
Grilled Tilapia Tacos with Mango Salsa
Excerpted from 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Preheat barbecue grill to medium-high.
Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh or thawed frozen mango
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Tacos
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 skinless farmed tilapia fillets
4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded purple or green cabbage
Salsa: In a small bowl, combine mango, red pepper, cilantro, red onion, salt and lime juice.
Tacos: In a small cup, whisk together cumin, chili powder, salt, lime juice and oil. Brush on both sides of fish, coating evenly.
Grill fish on preheated barbecue, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Flake fish into small pieces.
Fill warmed tortillas with fish, cabbage, and salsa.
Serves 4.
With roasted vegetables, goat (or herb) cheese, and some grated Parmesan, this flat bread recipe is perfect for a party, brunch, or to accompany a salad.
Click on the image below to get this recipe.
Recipe and image by Sommer of A Spicy Perspective blog
An easy recipe for this gourmet version of Mac n Cheese from Katie Goodman of the Good Life Eats blog. You’ll want to make this often, as it is easy to prepare and a delicious twist on this most loved of comfort foods.
Click on the image below to get this recipe.
Image and recipe by Katie Goodman of Good Life Eats blog
Best made with local fresh clams (steamed or shucked), or with Bar Harbor chopped Maine clams, this classic pasta meal is surprisingly easy to prepare…and an absolute pleasure to eat!
Click on the image below to get this recipe.
Recipe and image courtesy of My Gourmet Connection blog
Most of us are looking for easy weeknight meals to make at home. This recipe for pecan coated chicken tenders is one to place on your super easy weeknight meal rotation list.
Click the image below to get the recipe!
Recipe and image by Beth of A Slice Of Southern blog
Jennifer Locklin of the Jennifer Cooks blog has a killer recipe for your next salmon meal. The salmon roasts in 10 minutes under the broiler, and the flavors of the maple-hoisin-mustard-cayenne pepper glaze will surely have you adding this recipe as a regular meal to your home dining list. And salmon is oh-so-good for you! Best when made with Maine Maple Syrup, of course.
Click on the image below to get this recipe.
Recipe and image by Jennifer Locklin of the Jennifer Cooks blog.
Debbie Peck of the Ciao from Debbie blog has a wonderful recipe for you to make these delicious cheese bread bowls to use as edible soup bowls. Make a batch of them, then freeze them for later use…perhaps with one of Debbie’s other recipes…like her Italian Bean Soup recipe, or her White Chicken Chili recipe.
Click on the image below to get this recipe with step-by-step instructions.
Recipe and image by Debbie Peck of the Ciao from Debbie blog
Much touted as the official Maine State dessert, the Whoopie Pie can be found just about anywhere in Maine that you seek them. But this recipe is a special twist on the traditional one, using red velvet cake mix to give it a festive red color and flavor.
You can make these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies at home in 35 minutes, with a prep time of 25 minutes and cook time of 10 minutes. Click on the image below to get the recipe.
Recipe and image by Stacey Little of The Southern Bite blog
Mention the name Julia Childs, and everyone starts thinking about making a delicious meal. Ursula Ayrout of the Jane Spice blog loves the way Julia made a Caesar Salad, and shares Julia’s recipe with us on her blog. As Ursula says (and we certainly agree), “A simple, perfect recipe from a master.”
Recipe and image courtesy of Ursula Ayrout of the Jane Spice Recipes blog
These brownies will melt in your mouth. Light and buttery, moist and not too sweet, and they taste even better than they look!
Click on the image below to get the recipe.
Recipe and image from My Gourmet Connection blog
Let the oven do the work for this delicious recipe, perfect for a winter weekend meal. Click the image below to get this recipe, from Cooking with Shelburne Farms by Melissa Pasanen and Rick Gencarelli.
Recipe and image from Leite’s Culinaria blog
Easy, healthy, and delicious, this recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe is perfect for a weekday meal. The combined flavors of chipotle, orange, cilantro, and worcestershire work together to create an unforgettable flavor to this meal.
Click on the image below to get this recipe
Recipe and image by Mel of Mel’s Kitchen Cafe blog
Crockpot recipes are always fun to make. There’s nothing like coming home to the wonderful aromas of the meal that has been slow-cooking for you all day.
Jamie of the My Baking Addiction blog has this recipe for pulled pork that will be good-to-go when you’re ready to feast on some pulled pork sandwiches.
Click on the image below to get this recipe on Jamie’s blog.
Image and recipe by Jamie of My Baking Addiction
Light and delicate, this recipe is always best when made with local scallops (Maine scallops are in season, and are the sweetest).
Click on the image below to get this delicious recipe.
Recipe and image from My Gourmet Connection
Sara Wells and Kate Jones started their Our Best Bites blog in 2008, and is now loaded with delicious recipes. Sara and Kate are also authors of the cookbook, Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen.
If you’re looking for an affordable and healthy meal, look no further. Add sweet and salty and delicious to the list.
Click on the image below to get the recipe for this healthy and affordable meal.
Recipe and image by Sara Wells and Kate Jones of the Our Best Bites blog.
Kalyn Denny of Kalyn’s Kitchen and Slow Cooker from Scratch food blogs has this wonderful and healthy recipe, perfect for a Meatless Monday…or any other time you want a delicious vegan dish. Dressed with fresh-squeezed lime juice, chopped fresh cilantro, and thinly sliced green onions, this will be a favorite salad that you will want to make time and time again. Click on the image below to visit Kalyn’s blog to get the recipe and see her instructional photographs
Recipe and photograph by Kalyn Denny of Kalyn’s Kitchen blog
An easy to make sandwich recipe from Kevin Lynch of the Closet Cooking blog (about cooking in a closet-sized kitchen). Kevin likes to search for, create, and photograph tasty new recipes, and like this gem of a sandwich recipe, shares them with us on his blog.
Click the image below to view this recipe on Kevin’s blog.
Recipe and image by Kevin Lynch of the Closet Cooking blog
Ok, I admit: this recipe isn’t “Top Secret”. The only secret is that it’s HOMEMADE (i.e. not from a can). Never underestimate the power of homemade chicken soup when your family is sick: The fresh vegetables, the high-quality chicken stock, the loads of garlic & a few dashes of some special “secret” spices combine to make a time-tested, tried-and-true way to get your family back on track during cold season. TIP: Try doubling or tripling this recipe and freeze half of it so you can pull it out when, inevitably, the kids give that nasty cold to You.
image: health.com
Homemade Chicken Soup
lunchbunch.com
1 brown onion, halved and sliced
1 cup baby carrots, roughly chopped (TIME SAVER! Why peel whole carrots?)
2 stalks celery, chopped
LOTS and LOTS of Garlic. Seriously, as much as you can handle. Minced.
4 cups high-quality chicken stock. Do NOT use bouillon. Try Swanson’s Boxed Stock.
1 14-ounce can low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 dash ground cumin
1 dash ground cayenne
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
In a large stock pot, add olive oil and sauté onions, carrots and celery. Salt lightly. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Pour in chicken and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Crush dried spices in hand and add to pot. Add a dash of cumin and a dash of cayenne (this will add just enough kick to help open up the sinuses), simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Taste. Add sea salt and black pepper if desired. Notice there’s no actual chicken in the recipe? That’s because the benefits are in the broth. But if you want to add some chicken for hearty texture, feel free to add some now.
Tip! Kids love chicken noodle soup. If you want to add pasta, one good trick is to buy a fun shaped pasta like wagon wheels or spirals. Buy whole-wheat or Barilla’s high-protein variety if you think your kids will eat it. Cook the pasta directly in the soup. Doing so will help the pasta absorb all that wonderful, healthy broth, so even if they only pick out the pasta, they’ll get some of the benefits too. Don’t be surprised however, if your soup becomes a little murky from the starch.
Today marks the final day of Maine Shrimp season, and we’re all shedding tears. While there will be plenty of these little critters available (both fresh or frozen) in the days ahead, now is the time to chow down on one of Maine’s finest seafood treats.
This Marinated Grilled Shrimp recipe from Jamie of My Baking Addiction is easy to make. With this incredibly mild February weather we are having in Maine, it is a perfect time to fire up the outdoor grill (or an indoor grill, if you’re lucky enough to have one), marinate the shrimp, invite some friends over, and grill up a few pounds of these sweet shrimp for dinner.
Click on the image below to view the recipe.
Image and recipe by Jamie of the My Baking Addiction blog
