This is why we have a vegetable garden. It’s not the easiest or even most economical way to procure produce, but it sure is rewarding. Continue reading
Give Peas a Chance
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Author Archives: subeeskitchen
No-Bake Grasshopper Pie
Sure – red, white and blue flag cakes are really cute and patriotic, but there’s an easier summer dessert that will get just as many ooohs and ahhhs from the crowd: No-Bake Grasshopper Pie. In summer, sometimes simple is best. Especially if simple involves mint chocolate chip ice cream. And Oreos. Continue reading
Edamame, Corn & Farro Salad
The lazy days of summer are upon us – which for me means lots of time lounging at the pool with the kids, and lots of time thinking about how not to cook dinner. Chopping and tossing? Sure. Roasting or sautéing? Not if I can help it! This is the time of year when Meal Salads really shine – especially no-wilt ones which will keep in the fridge for several days’ worth of snacking. Colorful and potluck-perfect, this Edamame, Corn & Farro combination is my new favorite Meal Salad. Continue reading
Strawberry Short Course
Few things are as delicious as garden-grown strawberries. Unfortunately, the chipmunks, birds and squirrels agree. As a result, despite numerous attempts at fencing and netting, we never yield more than a handful of strawberries from our 4’x6’ patch. Frustrating! So year after year, we trot off to the local U-pick farms for our fill (literally – see photos below). Those berries are good, but they’re still a commercial variety—bred for maximum yield and disease resistance. They’re not the same intensely flavored, deep crimson jewels that home gardeners can experience (if they are lucky enough to live in a squirrel and chipmunk-free zone).
This year, however, we’ve unleashed our latest weapon in the battle of the backyard rodents: Keith’s Strawberry Cage 1.0!
Prosciutto-wrapped Shrimp with Basil & Creamy Garlic Sauce
Need a quick but “wow” appetizer for a BBQ this weekend? These grilled shrimp bites are just the thing. You can prep the shrimp skewers and the sauce earlier in the day, or even a day ahead. When it’s party time, toss the skewers onto the grill and cook for a few minutes until the prosciutto is crisp and the shrimp have turned pink. Serve on a platter with the sauce alongside for dipping, or spoon some sauce onto small plates for an elegant first course. (I’ve even served the shrimp over pasta and called it dinner.)
Smashburger Score
As much as I love to cook, some days I just don’t feel like it. Or more specifically, I don’t feel like it because I didn’t have time to make it to the grocery store, and/or because there are still dishes in the sink from the night before, and/or because I’m shuttling the kids from one activity to another from school dismissal to dinnertime. For those days, I rely on engineered leftovers, pizza delivery, and the one “fast casual” restaurant the entire family can agree on: Smashburger.
Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Good friends are like good recipes: they always come through for you when you need them.
3-day-old Sophie in our old kitchen (Dec. 2004)
Shortly after we returned home from the hospital with new baby Sophie, my good friend and neighbor Monica showed up at our door with a big bowl of Mexican chopped salad. I didn’t think I was craving salad, but we devoured every last citrusy drop. I think I even licked the bowl. Somehow Monica knew just what I needed without having to ask. Maybe it’s because we’re both from Seattle, and both get a little giddy when the usually-sunny skies over New Jersey turn gray and overcast. “Seattle day,” we’ll cheer in accord. Continue reading
Go-To Grilled Chicken
It’s easy to get into a recipe rut – making the same thing over and over again because it’s what you know. You know which ingredients are needed and keep them stocked – or can grab them quickly at the store without a list. You know you can crank it out quickly – say, before soccer practice or a lacrosse game. And, you know how it will turn out and that everyone in the family will eat it. This Garlic-Lime Chicken is at the top of my rut list – a weekly regular during grilling season, and often a winter guest star via the grill pan or broiler. Continue reading
No Yolk: Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta “Eggs”
Old-world panna cotta is experiencing a renaissance these days, and for good reason. This no-bake, gluten-free dessert is a giggly blank canvas for seasonal flavors and embellishments, from rhubarb compote to gingerbread crumbles. Sounds fancy, but panna cotta is really just barely-sweetened Jell-O made with cream (or milk or Greek yogurt) instead of water. Since it must be made ahead (in order to set up in the fridge), panna cotta perfect for entertaining. Busy restaurants love it for this reason as well.
Back in 1999, when I was voted one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs, I began experimenting with all kinds of different flavorings, shapes and toppings for panna cotta.
That’s me – front row, second from the right.
Crafty Cracker Baskets
While many of our friends are lounging around in sunny locales this week for spring break, sipping Piña Coladas (or Shirley Temples) and worrying about nothing but SPF coverage, we are hunkering down at home – gearing up for another snowstorm (?!) and making To Do lists for our New Jersey “staycation”.
Subee's Kitchen 