I’m a big fan of the savory pie. While I do love a good hand pie (such as the pasty), the single pie is not only faster to prepare, but offers more filling to crust ratio. Butternut-Spinach Pie is a lovely blend of honey roasted butternut squash, a kicky bleu cheese (such as Gorgonzola), a bit of crunch from the pecans, and sweetness plus color from the dried cranberries. The spinach, of course, adds a vegetable to the mix, which is great for veggie-phobic kids. TIP: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t suggest (nag) you to freeze the leftover egg was ..read more

When I heard about a risotto dish featuring Gorgonzola, pears, and walnuts, I was intrigued. Salty, sweet, and crunch combined in a creamy risotto? Whoa! Four worlds colliding! (Seinfeld fans will understand my reference.) I set to work to create the recipe which, surprisingly, only took 2 tries. Delizioso!!!! NOTE: While any type of pear will do for flavor, I suggest using a deep red pear to add color to the dish. RISOTTO WITH GORGONZOLA-PEARS-WALNUTS – makes about 3 cups 1T (14g) butter 31g (1/3 cup) shallots, sliced into strips 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 ground black pepper 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 1 ..read more

If I’m going to have dessert – and, I AM going to have dessert – it has to be worth the calories. What’s the point in exercising off a dessert I didn’t absolutely love?! So, while I like cheesecake, I rarely eat it since there are so many other choices that I prefer. That changed recently when I watched an America’s Test Kitchen episode where they featured a lemon cheesecake. It looked so good, I decided I had to make it. And so began the evolution of my Lemon Cheesecake. As I watched the episode, I copied down the recipe (or so I thought). One of the first steps was to combine 1/4 cup sugar ..read more

Calzoni are a favorite hand-pie in our house. They’re not difficult, but they do take some time because of the rise time of the dough (1-1.5 hours), so plan accordingly. The actual hands-on work isn’t all that much, especially if you knead the dough in a food processor (it’s not cheating!) Leakage is always a worry with hand-pies. Try not to roll them too thinly, especially in the center (which is a weak point). 6.5″ (17cm) is about as big a circle as you should roll out. Try to use low-moisture mozzarella. This will help discourage leakage. TIP: Rather than buying bread flour, I make my own ..read more

I’ve been making burritos with homemade tortillas for years. And they were good. But one day I thought I’d make enchiladas (which I hadn’t made in years), and decided to make the enchilada sauce from scratch. Afterwards, I had some leftover sauce and, as a woman who hates waste, decided to make burritos, covering them with said sauce. Wow! Game changer! Those burritos went from good to “I could eat these everyday” great!!! This fast and easy recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce. As Queen of Freeze, I would be remiss if I didn’t suggest you double the recipe (try it first, to be sure you like it ..read more

Tamale Pie is one of my favorite meals to prepare. Not only is it delicious, but it’s quick to assemble and bake….that is, IF you’ve already made my HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN “GROUND BEEF” or use purchased imitation ground beef (such as Impossible Burger or Morningstar Crumbles). For this reason, I always keep 1 lb (1/2 kg) portions in my freezer. In the morning, I set it out to thaw. NOTE: As a woman who prefers to wash as few dishes as possible, I use a cast iron skillet for this recipe since it can go from stovetop to oven. You can also use a different type of skillet, as long as the handle is a ..read more

Let me state up-front: this HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN GROUND BEEF recipe is NOT designed for a patty – it’s too mushy to form a firm burger. What it’s fabulous for is as a substitute when you need ground beef for a recipe and you’re a vegetarian or vegan. I’ve used it successfully in shepherd’s pie, burritos, tamale pie, and Greek moussaka. It’s not a difficult recipe, but it takes about 25 minutes to cook off the liquid at the end. Because of this, I double or triple the recipe then, as Queen of Freeze, I freeze it in 1 lb or 1/2 lb portions for future use. This way, if I decide to make a shepherd ..read more

I’ve become obsessed with this Salsa Roja recipe. Not only is it fast and easy, but it perks up all that it touches! This, as well as my Enchilada Sauce topping, has become a game changer for my burritos. SALSA ROJA – makes a little bit more than 2 cups 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/3″ (1 cm) pieces 2 tomatillas, chopped into 1/3″ (1 cm) pieces 1 serrano chili (discard seeds & spines), minced 1 jalapeno chili (discard seeds & spines), minced 1/4 cup (4 T) fresh cilantro, chopped 1.5 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced fine 3/4 tsp table salt 1 tsp li ..read more

My wonderful sister-in-law, Terry, sent me a picture of her grandmother’s recipe card for Date Bread so I could make it for my husband (her brother). My husband remembered the bread with fondness so, of course, I decided to make it. I have to admit I was skeptical – dates in desserts were NOT something I grew up with. My mother was a sworn chocoholic, and I was following in her footsteps. But when I took my first bite of Grandma’s Date Bread, I felt like a whole new world opened up. It was absolutely, and unexpectedly, delicious! How could this these dried, brown fruit create such a tender an ..read more

Holidays in my house were always spent with my Armenian father’s side of the family. As it so often is with immigrant gatherings, food played a major role. The main meal was served in the early afternoon. Then came the clean-up, followed by a second round of the main meal. Armenians love to eat! Dolma (stuffed grape leaves) was a favorite and always plentiful. My grandmother’s recipe was the absolute best! (My Lebanese friend, Deborah, claims her grandmother’s is the best…but we’ll have to agree to disagree.) Of course, once I became a vegetarian, my grandmother’s beef and lamb filled dolmas ..read more