A Great New Herb Book, Fantastic Peruvian Parsley Salsa and WHB

I just got a fantastic book and immediately thought I had to share this one with all those Weekend Herb Blogging fans out there. It's been a while since I've actually sent in an entry and a lot has changed....Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and founder of this extraordinary weekly event, handed over the reins to another awesome blogger - Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything and it's still going strong. This week's host for WHB #166 (hard to believe, but true) is Rachel, The Crispy Cook and I just had to join in the fun.

I only wrote about the book today and made my first recipe yesterday.

The Seared Scallops with Peruvian Parsley Salsa served on a bed of Arugula was awesome and the salsa will make the even the most boring dishes dazzle. I can't wait to try some on scrambled eggs or perhaps even a pasta. I really liked the flavor, which didn't overpower the scallops (that would be bad, since scallops have such a delicate but fantastic flavor) but did liven things up.

Tonight I'm pan roasting some tilapia and serving it with Puerto Rican Ajilimojili - a very spicy dish with lots of garlic, lime juice and chili peppers. You'll have to stop by tomorrow to find out more about that one.

Bottom line, though...dieting has never been tastier, especially now that I have even more ways to dazzle a dish.

Fall is in the Air and so is Thyme

Fall is here....true, not officially, but leaves are starting to change color. Along our journeys this weekend, I definitely saw some dark red and vibrant orange leaves among the mostly green forests dotting the highways. And I'm now getting up in the dark and it's starting to get dark again by 6 PM. Apple pickers were already filling their bags in the Annapolis Valley orchards and I could finally purchase my favorite Balsamic style apple cider vinegar from Boates Farm.

Pumpkin patches in the Valley were dotted with orange and Jo-Ann's Market in Mahone Bay already has pumpkins on the roof. I really do love this time of year, even though that means the long dreary winter is not too far off....but we won't talk about that.

One of my favorite herbs for Fall is thyme. It's wonderful sprinkled over roasted vegetables, and the perfect addition to hearty "stick-to-your-ribs" soups and stews. So I couldn't resist starting our weekend morning with a perfect Fall Frittata...

Mushroom, Chorizo& Thyme Frittata

And because it's Sunday...I can still send it over to Kalyn's fabulous Weekend Herb Blogging Event, this week hosted by Gretchen of Canela & Comino.

What To Make For That "Flexible" Lunch Party

Ever have one of those Sundays when you know people are coming for lunch/brunch/snack? You know PEOPLE are coming , but not sure how many - 3, 4, 5, 6?

That's what yesterday was like. Everyone is going to camp...Joanna (the Director), her husband, Ezra, who knows she's the boss...but only for the summer ; -), Boaz (who's always the boss)and his nanny for the summer, my other daughter, Sharron. And in order to get in my last fix of everyone, although we will be visiting them...it's less than two hours from here...I invited them for a meal before heading out.

But with all the last minute things they'd have to get done before hitting the road, I wasn't really sure when or for how long they'd be coming. Plus there was, at least one other house guest of theirs...another senior staff member or maybe two that might be coming with them.

So what's a Mummy/Grandma to serve? My thinking was that I'd make things we could at least use for lunches for the next few days in case, they really only had time for a quick hug. And because, I don't think I'm alone with this kind of dilemma, I thought I'd share the menu...which by the way, makes for a perfect picnic too.

Lunch Menu

Asian Coleslaw

Black Bean & Avocado Salad with Cumin & Mint Vinaigrette

Tuna Salad

I was going to make this Tuna, Avocados & Tomato Salad, but my Honey is not really a fan of avocados or tomatoes so...I didn't want to make two avocado dishes that wouldn't really last for days, especially if I'm the only one who'd be eating it.

Dakota Bread

Whole Wheat Rosemary Focaccia

Some of their (and my) favorite cheeses: Brie, Manchego, Strong Cheddar, Monterey Jack

Not great for a picnic, as you have to fry them up before serving, but Stuffed Parathas are perfect to have in the freezer. They just take a few minutes to cook. (There's a fantastic Indian grocery store nearby and these beauties are perfect for "end-of-day-too-pooped-to-cook-but-I'm-starving" snack with a little hot Indian pickle.

And here are a few of my "standards" that I didn't whip up this time around, but are on many a picnic/lunch menu around here...

Chick Pea Salad

Chicken Salad plus Tomatoes & Goat Cheese with Fresh Basil

And a ton of other salads you can find here.

Plus some dessert things we didn't get around to...

Norene's Unbelievable Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

Because they were gone within hours of me making them on Saturday!

Gingery Carrot Loaf

(There was some left, but everyone was stuffed...good! more for me during the week)

I also had some Balkan style yoghurt and fresh local strawberries in the fridge and some tasty jams & honey, but...no dessert for this group...at least not yesterday.

A Little Greek to Brighten the Day

Nothing invokes sunshine to me, like thinking of the Greek Islands. I don't know why, really since I have never been. It is high on my "Places to See" list though, I assure you. I adore their food and love every Greek I've ever met. They're so charming, warm and full of life.

I just got the latest Donna Hay Magazine and naturally everything looks awesome, but I was particularly drawn to a number of great Mediterranean looking dishes that I'll be trying out over the next week or so.

And I thought I'd start with this one, made with vine leaves from my local fantastic Mid Eastern Food Emporium ...

Haloumi Baked in Vine Leaves

What more can I say, besides...dig in! And because oregano is definitely a herb and vine leaves are definitely plants...I'm sharing with Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging Event, this week hosted by Maninas from Food Matters.

The Other Saturday Ritual

My Honey and I decided that, especially now that Spring is finally here in Halifax, it's time to get more exercise. So today is our first Saturday in our new world order and it included a long walk in Point Pleasant Park before we did our errands.

Once we got home...we were definitely hungry so I knew I had to whip something up fast before we scarfed down the Goldfish crackers we bought for Boaz's visits. And what's better, quicker, easier or more resourceful than the proverbial...

Kitchen Sink Scramble

Just open the fridge, see which herbs and greens are starting to wilt, pick a cheese that goes with it. Add any other leftovers that appeal to you and within five minutes...you're in heaven. I even served it with some toasted homemade three grain bread, that I made a couple of days ago. It was okay, but not as good as any of these... French Whole Wheat, or Dark Pumpernickel or Norene's Brown Bread.

Since it is the weekend and there's fennel fronds, oregano and baby spinach in the scramble, how remiss would I be if I didn't send this in to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging Event, hosted this week by Cate of SweetNicks.

Saturdays and Market Omelettes

I love early Saturday mornings here in Halifax. It's my time to head over to the Halifax Market and beat the crowds. In fact, I'm often there as farmers and artisans are just setting up for the day. Time to chat and find out a bit about their products. It's no wonder I always leave feeling very calm - even on a cold and rainy day like today.

Although it is officially Spring, it's not really evident yet at the market. Except, perhaps at the Riverview Herbs stall. They produce delicate fresh herbs and edible flowers, baby greens.....and they're only about an hour from Halifax so guess where I'll be driving once the weather improves. In the meantime I'm glad I bought a few potted plants - basil, rosemary & thyme to sit on my window sill and bring a little sunshine and a lot of flavor to my kitchen.

Time to head home with visions of breakfast (after all it's only 8 AM and I'm already done). Today, I'm thinking it will be an omelette with some things from the fridge - like baby spinach, cremini mushrooms (Brad from Maritime Mushrooms had some gorgeous shitakes, but I passed them by - silly me, now that I'm home, I'm still thinking about them - oh well, there's always next week - he says the best time to visit his operations near Bridgewater, NS is in August - I can't wait), leeks...and some wonderful things from the market - farm fresh eggs from free range & organically fed chickens and some Garlic & Cayenne Goat Cheese from Ran-Cher Acres (another farm I must visit), some fresh thyme.

Recipe for a perfect South Beach Dietbreakfast (add some wonderful toasty, crispy bread if you don't care)....

Market Omelette

Last step in this herby recipe...share with Weekend Herb Blogging. This week Kalyn is doing the hosting herself.

Lasagna - A Tribute to One of the Most Popular Pastas

It's quite the challenge for me to write about my favorite pasta. Frankly, I've never met a pasta dish I didn't like...make that LOVE! But this week in particular...

...the big One Year Birthday Bash I plan on sharing some of my personal pasta favorites. But where to start?! Do I think about the sauces? the pasta itself? baked? quickly thrown together? spectacular?....hmmmm.

Well, there's always...lasagna. Over the course of the last year there have been more than 3 dozen different variations of it at Presto Pasta Nights. One week even had 4 lasagna entries! And I personally have shared a few of my own... Crockpot lasagna - not picture worthy, but a great easy dish for those days when there really is no time to cook. I even made two without pasta...

Eggplant Lasagna South Beach Diet friendly,

and this one for Passover...Mazzagne al Pesto.

My daughter Joanna (and a team of sous-chefs and baby sitters) even made our own pasta for this Spicy Olive & Sun-dried Tomato Lasagna.

But the one lasagna recipe I cherish the most is in my cookbook - Every Kitchen Tells Its Story.

I call it Auntie Shelley's Lasagna...and it really does have a history.

While I was growing up, my Auntie Shelley (one of my mother's sisters) lived in Cornwall, Ontario, about an hour drive from Montreal and we would spend the weekend several times a year. The dish I remember best is her lasagna. It was the dish that greeted us when we arrived. It was the dish that any of the sisters made when they were having company and it was the dish I chose to make for my first dinner party. I was 16 and I served it with garlic bread and Caesar salad to my friends - who were very impressed (so was I!). There was a secret ingredient that truly did make is special...shhhh, don't tell (too bad I can't find any to actually make it true to the original) Piazza Tomasso's Meat Sauce.

It’s umpteen years later and these days I make it with my own Lazybones Marinara Sauce, but it still reminds me of growing up and visiting Auntie Shelley, Uncle Eddie and Mel & Carole.

So what's the pasta dish that really takes you back to the "good old days"? And what are you bringing to the big Presto Pasta Night Birthday Bash!

A Wintry Frittata for Weekend Herb Blogging

Not another fritatta, you say....personally, I can't think of a more versatile dish...always different and ever the easiest thing to whip up on a Sunday morning....especially since I can't find great Challah here in Halifax. Perhaps I'll start baking my own, but in the meantime...fritattas have become our Sunday tradition. And I've made a bazillion that you can find here. They're all slightly different, depending on the season, my mood and what's in my fridge.

Wintry Fritatta

This one is full of mushrooms - shitakes and cremini and there was some fresh thyme in the fridge crying out for my attention...a perfect marriage in my mind...that earthiness and richness was perfectly matched with the red onion, marinated roasted red peppers and roasted rosemary ham I picked up at the deli department of Pete's Frootique this week where I also found some fontina/fontana...not sure what name it goes by, but think mozarella with its chewiness and just a bit saltier. Put them all together and you have a rich, body & soul warming plate of goodness. So how could I not share with Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging Event (one of my all time favorites) and this week hosted by The Skinny Gourmet (don't I wish that were me...the skinny part, anyway)