It’s avocado season again, and that means getting creative with the multitude of avocados I pick from now through May. Every year I get very excited for the first avocados to ripen, which generally happens right around the time of football season, and plentiful guacamole is made. After a while my excitement for guacamole wanes, and I start searching for other recipes to use the avocados in. A while back, while perusing the cooking app from New York Times, I came across a recipe for causa, a cold potato dish from Peru that I enjoy. Inspired by the avocado layer, I bookmarked the recipe for spring when the sun would start shining and I would be tiring of guacamole. (more…)

Filed under:
Appetizers, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch by Courtney

It’s been a while since we’ve had a rabbit recipe on here, hasn’t it? While many of my rabbit recipes have been heavier meals, this one is versatile. You can make it a bit heavier, or a bit on the lighter side. This evening I made it lighter, on accident, but decided it was the preferred way to serve this dish during the summer months.

I was first attracted to this recipe because of its use of the liver in the sauce. It’s not that I’m gaga for livers, I just like the idea of using all the bits that might otherwise find their way to the trash. The other reason I was attracted to this recipe was the pasta; it looked super simple to make. When doughs are involved, even pasta dough, it’s really 50/50 as to whether or not it will turn out right for me. So let’s take a look at this super-simple recipe. (more…)

Filed under:
Dinner, Gourmet, Italian by Courtney

Continuing with the tapas this week, the Spanish tortilla is a super-duper easy dish to make, and it can be served warm, cold, or room temperature. One of the best things about the tortilla is I usually have all of these ingredients on hand – eggs, onion, garlic, potatoes, olive oil – all staples in my kitchen. The key to a good tortilla is making sure your potatoes absorb a lot of flavor from the spices and garlic/onions. (more…)

Filed under:
Appetizers, Brunch, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Spanish, Vegetarian by Courtney

One of my favorite quick meals in the summer is a stuffed piquillo pepper. Piquillo peppers are a roasted, red Spanish pepper. They’re not too spicy and have a hint of sweetness about them. You can stuff them with any number of things, such as cheese, seafood, meat, rice. While one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is stuffed with a goat cheese (more on that another day), I had eyed this shrimp salad recipe from Martha Stewart for a long time and decided it must be tried. One super-simple summer meal coming up! (more…)

Filed under:
Appetizers, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Spanish by Courtney

When my husband and I were in Venice on our honeymoon, we stopped into a small restaurant for lunch just off Piazza San Marco. We were the first people in the door for lunch, and we were the last to leave, with the waiters sweeping up around us after closing up until dinner. We enjoyed many great foods that day, but the wine was what really stuck out in our head. We enjoyed a bottle of La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino that day, and when I was at a loss for what to buy my husband for his birthday this year, I decided to stock up on this memorable wine. (more…)

Filed under:
Dinner, Gourmet, Italian, Sunday Suppers, Wine pairings by Courtney