Palmiers/ Elephant Ears

My bff loves palmiers. I didn’t even know of their existence until she went into ecstasies about them – so of course I had to learn how to make them.

There couldn’t be an easier recipe. All you need is puff pastry and sugar!

 

 

Almond Raspberry White Chocolate Bars

I recently went to a gathering hosted by Hearst Magazines where Celebrity Chef Alex Hitz, House Beautiful’s new food contributor and author of best-selling cookbook My Beverly Hills Kitchen, prepared a fabulous three-course dinner.

For dessert he served these fabulous bars which dessert blew me away. The recipe is actually really simple and I substituted almonds for walnuts but you can use any nuts you like.

 

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp (General Tso’s Shrimp)

My mother-in-law Atsuko makes this shrimp dish, which is sort of a Japanese rendition of a General Tso’s recipe. You can substitute the shrimp with chicken or any vegetable too.

 

 

Mushroom and Spinach Pinwheels

My friend Sonu makes these really super appetizers with puff pasty using a mushroom filling which I love! Here is a really simple rendition of her recipe to which I added spinach.

Thai Style Salmon Cakes

This super healthy recipe for fish cakes is from Chiva-Som, which is a wellness spa in Thailand and has some of the best food I have ever eaten. I love these fish cakes – you can use any fish you like and feel free to add spice to the recipe.
 
 
 

Edamame & Asparagus Hummus

I recently was invited to a media event where the Kenmore brand marked its 100th Anniversary. The event was celebrated with a live “cookmore”  demonstration and tasting of super eats from Kenmore’s in-house chef Kari Karch showcased easy recipes, filled with flavor and fun.

This dish was one of my favorites – a really healthy and easy green hummus made with asparagus and edamame.

Build-A-Bear Birthday Party Cake (Teddy Bear Cake)

Here’s how my daughter celebrated her 10th birthday! She wanted to take just a few friends to Build-A-Bear Workshop – so here is the cake I made for her!

 

Chili

I just recently discovered just how wonderfully nourishing a bowl of chili can be. There are many different ways to make chili – I choose to use organic whole beans, which I soak the night before. I vary the combination of beans that I use which the red kidney beans always being most used and then a combination of cannellini, black eyed and so on.

You can choose to add meat to the chili or keep it vegetarian. I usually make it with ground turkey. This recipe is based on Giada De Laurentiis’s California Turkey Chili recipe.

 

 

 

Rachael Ray’s Corn and Crab Chowder

Chowders are such wonderfully comforting anytime dishes – especially in winter. They are so simple to make and one can use many different combinations of ingredients. Here is a particularly simple yet satisfying recipe from Rachel Ray.

 

 

Buttercup Bake Shop Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a wonderful recipe for oatmeal chocolate chop cookies which are always a favorite.