Hmmmm.......

Though, Sophia may not be sure of this dinner , we were. All that we ask of her is to enjoy and if there is something she doesn't care for, quietly put it aside. There were some quiet moments!

beet and buttermilk soup

Yup, another absolute must! Again, from my darling friend, Barb!
So, again, easy, smeasy, I promise, if you don't believe me you know I WILL come to your home to show you just how easy it is, that's my job ( giant smile) after all!

4 C chopped cooked beets
1C unsweetened apple juice
2 C buttermilk
1 Tbls fresh dill (I use more)
1/4 C minced scallions or chives, I loved chives, just a bit more subtle.
salt to taste
finely chopped cucumber ( I love the english cukes)

In a blender or food processor, combine the beets, apple juice, and buttermilk and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in dill and chives. Refriderate for at least 2 hours. Add salt to taste and serve topped with finely chopped cucumber. I used a small dollop of creme fraiche or greek yogurt. Sooooo good! Clean and fresh. The color is spectacular!

~ Two 15 ounce cans of whole beets, drained and coarsely chopped , are fine in this recipe. If you are using fresh beets, 4 or 5 medium beets ( about 1 1/2 lbs) is the right amount. Trim the leaf stems to about an inch and simmer the beets in water to cover for about 40 min, until easily pierced with a knife. Drain the beets and rinse them with cold water. When cooled, squeeze them with your hands and skins will slide of easily. Cut stem off and chop.

Those of you that know me, know I am a food snob and proud of it, but when push comes to shove, opening a can of beets is fine by me!!!!! Enjoy

honey-lime salmon with confetti corn salad

O.K. My foodie friends, this is an absolute must! It tastes as beautiful as it looks!
It screams summer to me! Oh the fresh lime juice and lime zest in it is divine.
This recipe is so easy, not to mention cooking the salmon. I chose to broil the salmon , instead of putting it on the grill, keeping the flavors more simple and clean! What I've done in the past is to leave it to you to let me know if you would like the recipe, but I can't help to spill it all out for you now!
My dearest friend, Barbara gave me this recipe, and made it for me, all I could do or undo was a  button to allow more room! It was that comfortable full. You know what I mean??

1 tsp grated lime zest (I used more)
1/4 FRESH lime juice (I used more)
1 tbl canola (I used olive oil)
1 clove garlic, I used 3 (do you see a pattern?!!!)
2 tsp honey
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 ground pepper
4- 4oz salmon fillets
2 cups of fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 C chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley ( I prefer the italian parsley)

1.  Combine the lime zest, lime juice, garlic , honey, s&p in a small bowl. Put 3 T of the lime mixture in a lg ziploc bag add the salmon. Refridgerate, turning the bag occasionally, about 30 min. Set the remaining dressing aside.

2. Preheat broiler , remove salmon from bag, and discard the marinade. Broil 5 inches from heat. I broiled the fish on parchment paper for 6 min only.  For moist tender fish the rule of thumb is to cook fish fillets 8-10 min per inch, I always undercook a bit , because once the salmon is out of the oven it is still cooking. Trust me on this one!

3. Plate salmon, top with the confetti corn salad! Sprinkle some parsley around the dish just for the beauty!

Any questions , simply contact me! xxx

How do you spend your Sunday morning?

You can find me most every sunday morning either on the couch or on the front porch armed with cookbooks! Sipping rich french press coffee.
Of course still in my jammies, it would be too formal to be already dressed as though it were a work morning. Nope, not me , sundays are for lounging around, gently coming into the day, surrounded by cookbooks and coffee.....

beef sashimi

This is one of the most decadent things I have ever eaten, melt in your mouth.
It is a lightly seared filet mignon served sashimi style with a garlic ponzu sauce. The good news is I'm sure we could make it, the bad news this came from a lovely Japanese restaurant in Round Rock , TX.
The name of the restaurant is Beluga.
If it were not for my sister Sallie and her husband Luu, cooking equally fabulous food, I would have eaten here every night!  Just imagine!

weaverville yoga

This morning I went to the most wonderful yoga class at Weaverville Yoga. Barbara Schauer who owns the studio, is the most magnificent teacher. I cannot wait to take her class again. Do check it out , it is located right next door to the Well Bred Bakery!
One of Barbara's teachers Kelley Wolfe has this favorite quote I thought you all might appreciate.
"Yoga is a gift for older people. One who studies yoga in the later years gains not only health and happiness, but also freshness of mind since yoga gives one a bright outlook on life. One can look forward to a satisfying, more healthful future rather that looking back into the past. With yoga, a new life begins, even if started later. Yoga is a rebirth which teaches one to face the rest of one's life happily peacefully and courageously."    Geeta S. Iyengar                

Thankyou Barbara!             

Ma Po Tofu

I'd have to look up the recipe to tell you what's in this dish, besides the obvious! This gem of a dish is served over rice. I cannot wait to make it myself!

the best food ever!

Recently our family spent almost 2 weeks in Austin with my sister Sallie and brother.in.law Luu. There was never a reason to eat out because their cooking surpassed any place we could have eaten! ( Yes, Luu even the 1 restaurant we went to!)
Sallie made this wonderful cold eggplant dish, and just seemed to doctor it up with rice wine and other goodies, so simple, though I swear I would have to call her for exact instructions! She did the same thing with the bok choy. I should have sat there taking notes!
Luu made the most incredible halibut, I do know that it also had some rice wine vinegar, oil, sallions, garlic and ginger, and that was just the marinade.
When he was done perfectly sauteeing the fish, he then put scallions , more garlic and more ginger in the hot pan until they became crunchy then put them on top of the halibut, it was melt in your mouth. There was nothing else to do but moan! Thanks guys, still dreaming of food! xxxx

the brother in law!

Luu, is this really you?

sister sallie!

This is my sister, lucky me! She is still smiling even though Austin is 110 degrees! Hang on though, wait till you see the food we ate! She is a superb cook!
It's a bit of a tease, but I will be posting later, gotta get back to work!

thanks to Jennifer!

O.K. food lovers, we are back from vacation and thanks to my dear friend Jennifer, computer wiz, besides beautiful and brilliant, I should be up and running now!
Keep checking ! New things to come!   Maggie

a little plate of art...

I know, I know it's been far too long, something was acting up with my computer, oh well, here I am again!
As you know this is one of favorite little "noshy" plates, actually one of my quick favorites, along with a wonderful salad dressed simply with a white balasmic and an excellent quality olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!
We are on a lovely vacation, and will not be blogging until we get home!
Happy Summer!    Maggie