t h e   i n d i s c r i m i n a t e   c o o k

This dish reminds me of one of my favorite childhood dishes, CHINESE CHICKEN.  I got it from a family in our congregation who has proved to be a collector of some great recipes. They named this Sweet & Sour Chicken, but I'm not sure the end result matched the name quite like I expected it to. So I've renamed it (don't shoot me - I'm not the best at naming dishes)... in an attempt to help you better anticipate what you're about to indulge on.  Its sauce is reminiscent of a sweet teriyaki, but with a hint of ginger and a slight note of garlic and pepper. 
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This is just one of those nummy good recipes that's nice to have on hand.  My friend Ellen threw a birthday party for a friend's little boy and this fruit dip was served much to my delight.  It's tangy and sweet, but not overly with either.  I liked it enough I had to have the recipe and thought I might share it with you.  Enjoy!
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I was at a baby shower last weekend that featured a fabulous spread of foods from the local farmers' markets.  Mingling with the fresh fruits and veggies were some perfectly cooked asparagus (yea for non-limp asparagus!) which randomly got me itching to buy some on my way home.  (Are you wondering why I'm talking about asparagus when this recipe has none in it?  Hang in there...) Once I arrived home with the asparagus, the itch was gone and there we were, stuck together.  Me and the asparagus. So I thought and thought of a fun way to prepare it and came up with this (well, I didn't come up with it on my very own...).  It's a fabulous vinaigrette... and not just for asparagus (hence no asparagus in the recipe... just the vinaigrette).  Toss it in some salad or over some tomato wedges... or... asparagus. 
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I've got a few favorite cookbooks.  This comes from one at the top of the list, All Fired Up by Margaret Howard (you might recall another huge favorite from the book - grilled ribeye with creamy mushroom and thyme sauce).  It's a perfectly sweet and tangy combination with the grilled mango - brushed with the spiced coconut reserve - being the real treat.  Granted, I like almost anything with coconut milk.  Still, this goes far beyond that.
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Only recently have I started to feel successful in baking cookies (other than the death by chocolate cookies that do make me feel superior every time I make them... but other than that... yea... I stink).  I know, call me odd.  But cookies in our house usually come in a tube from the chilled section of the grocery store (no lie).  But I've turned a new leaf and am experimenting more with the thing called the bakers of the world use... the oven. 

And when thinking of bakers of the world, I thought of my dear friend Gene.  Gene loves baking.  Even better is that he's really good.  So when I had an itch for peanut butter cookies the other day, I knew I could call him and get a totally-worthy-of-inhaling recipe. << MORE >>

Sorry for once again going on a cilantro kick.  It just happens.  And once there I can't really explain how I got there or how long I'll be hanging around.  I like cilantro.  So to make just one dish including it and not another seems a sin to me.  I guess consider this fair warning that whenever I post a recipe with cilantro, you can bet another one will be following shortly.

This recipe came way of sweet cousin Mailee way-back-when I was looking for her Cafe' Rio Dressing recipe.  It's a great side dish... better than the standard Spanish or boxed rice.  And no, I've never had this at Cafe' Rio, but since I know that's where this recipe is suppose to give credit to, I guess I'll do so as well.
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As I've made known to many, I'm a freak about fajitas.  If I'm at a Mexican restaurant, nine times out of ten you'll find steak fajitas on my plate.  Garin, on the other hand, will usually have the two-taco combo (and yes, I find it funny that almost every Mexican restaurant we've patronized has a two-taco combo).  And after years of seeing and being completely unimpressed with two-taco combos, I must admit that the combo at Baja Fresh caught my eye.  Their Baja-style taco is served on a corn tortilla with your meat of choice, diced onions and chopped cilantro.  That's it.  But something about it looked (and smelled) quite appealing and every time Garin ordered it I secretly wished I had the guts to order one instead of my fajita. 
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Don't ask why I've been offline for a few months.  Going from two-plus blog posts a week to one-ish in months is humbling to say the least.  Sometimes having three little ones - none of yet who can tie their shoelaces and one still able to lock himself in a closet - keeps me from dabbling in my hobbies.  Dare I admit, I'm learning to set things aside without the angst of the past and I'm enjoying the simplest of moments with the little tyrants.  Thus rather than cooking and blogging much, I've been serving boxed Mac & Cheese and lots of frozen corn dogs.  A good night has included fresh veggies rather than frozen or canned, but that's a stretch.  Don't ask me what's changed this week and gotten me back online (perhaps the sun deciding to visit us for the first time since last September???), but I've got a renewed sense of energy and determination and I'm hearing the kitchen (and the treadmill) calling. 
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The ladies were having an evening together and themed it a soup night.  I've got a number of soup recipes that I gravitate towards when the occasion calls, but I'd been itching for some leek-ish soup lately and I didn't have one in my regular rotation.  I found this in my old favorite potato cookbook.  I was intrigued by the use of arugula and was attracted to its pleasantly simple list of ingredients.  Totally totally divine.  A new favorite find.
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So real quick, before you scroll down and read the ingredients, just remember.  Every now and then, you have to splurge.  Every now and then, you don't think about the calories (or the fat or the carbs) that you're indulging in, you just indulge (otherwise it doesn't really count as an indulgence if you have a guilt trip).  This is one of those times.  It is by far one of the most amazing dishes... so don't ruin it. 
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