Nothing says reality like taking out the trash, changing a diaper or cleaning up cold wet hair balls my cat unwittingly leaves lying around in all the places I am sure to step on in the middle of the night or broad daylight in my case.  Yes, the excitement of an email informing me that Taste of Home Magazine’s Simple and Delicious is going to do a feature article on me, uh well, 10-minute meals was short lived about three minutes worth to be exact as I stepped in Pooky’s hair mess–his little way of reminding me reality is always lingering no matter what blessings you’re trying to waller in.  Seriously, my fluffy fur ball of a cat yawned when I hovered over the mess cleaning it and sputtering how I’m going somewhere. I’m doing big things.  My focus is on point and I don’t have time for this cleaning up stuff.  No doubt a scene straight out of a Garfield episode, Pookie and I had an understanding going on.  I’m the Queen.  He’s the amusement. Yawning as we discuss this makes me think he’s not settling in on his part of the agreement very well and perhaps we should re-visit where we both stand.  Clearly, he is not aware of his– I could easily punt you like a football height.  It’s when he rolls over, waves his paws at me looking all cute that I realize he knows exactly his place in this home.

The news is exciting to me, at least, the cat, not so much.  It’s moments like these that make me thankful I cooked an awesome dinner with leftovers chilling in the icebox.  I love finding the middle ground between discipline and dessert everyday.  A complicated life is shaded a perfect color of rosey pink when you sprinkle it with good food, good people, and of course, animals who know their place.

Alone the ingredients are tasteful and nourishing but together they are unstoppable.  And where fresh vibrant colored produce go, sheer heaven is sure to follow especially if you bathe it in a lime citrus shower.  I know, I’ll give you a minute to take in the profundity of that statement.  And now I’ll explain. Let’s review purple cabbage for example.  I mean, I enjoy chomping on a leaf every now and then.  And it’s good but when I want to make slaw, I always grab the flashy colored sister cabbage of the more subdued regular green cabbage.  Why you ask?  Well, according to Darrell Miller getting a variety of different colors, “one can get the best all-around health.”  He claims each color holds a plethora of nutrients unique to its own color.  Red vegetables such as tomatoes contain lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin and Hesperidin all of which I’ve never heard of.  Apparently, people in medicine have completed studies that these nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol, scavenge harmful free-radicals and  aids in the battle against arthritis.  I won’t go into all the different colors as it is quite lengthy in its abilities.  What I did gather is a few commonalities among all vegetables.  Most contain a healthy dose of vitamin C along with hordes of immune building nutrients, trace minerals that help reduce inflammation and a steady supply of cancer fighting anticarcinogens.  I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that any vegetable eaten in it’s most natural state (not cooked) will increase its nutrient power.  So, when I bring all the colored vegetables together and instead of cooking, braising, or boiling them, I simply run my knife through them, find a kickin’ sauce to go with it, add a little cheese, a few fresh herbs and bathe it in some lime juice, it is now together that they are unstoppable.  See, alone they were “eh!” but in a recipe like this crunchy, light and airy dish they are a force to be reckoned with.

This is a meal with many colors of cancer-fighting crunchy flavors.  I paired them with some smoked salmon and stuffed it in a whole wheat pita.  You could certainly lose the pita bread and eat this as a salad.  Either way it’s fresh, light and delicious and surprisingly filling without even turning on your stove.

I make a living searching for perfect recipes, discarding the ugly big time fails and savoring the huge monumental scores all the while reporting my finds back to you–the curious ones.  There aren’t too many dishes I feel guilty about eating–that is until I met Mr. Muffaletta.  Oh, I haven’t introduced you yet.  This is my new find, Muffaletta.  I love how that sounds when I say it but when I eat the gently pressed together meat and vegetables all “sandwiched” between layers of cheese, olive oil and the extra olive tapenade I made last week, I admit I blush a teeny bit.  What with all the flavors hanging out and only deepening with each minute they linger together, I am keenly aware of the aromatic symphony going on in the hollows of the bread bowl in which the carefully selected meat and vegetables reside.   To say this new find has made an impression on me is an understatement because as I sit here and try to put down my true, genuine raw-as-it-comes to me opinion of this meal I realize it’s coming off a bit seductively and now I’m truly concerned as I think, “Should I really be this passionate about food?”  With everything that is in me I have decided the answer to that question is a big fat, yes!  Afterall, food is life-sustaining and we may as well make it an experience.  And this oiled and pressed hot mess of a big oversized updated sandwhich is certainly an experience everyone should try at least once–though I believe you’ll be as smitten as I am when you see how easy it comes together yet impresses with its elegant symphonic play of ingredients.

I sat this down before a room full of boys and as they grabbed their portion they asked, “Hey, what’s in it?”  Fearing they’d stop dead in their tracks if I revealed the cast of ingredients, I said, “Does it matter?”  I knew it would only matter if they liked it and only then would I give up my secrets.  They completely destroyed my beautiful creation and I’m happy to report they loved it as much as I did minus the blush, of course.

I loved that they were hungry enough to give it a try and even more excited that the boys stepped out of their comfort zone and actually enjoyed the meal that completely rocked their taste buds and compelled them to ask what they just ate.  Muffaletta–A simple meal with elegant tasteful flair all pressed together in a bread bowl of love.

I made this for Easter dinner.  My babies are practically grown–one off at college and my youngest 17 with a job that took him away from me this year for Easter.  It was a very solemn day having no offspring to look at and admire with pride knowing I’ve have made many Easter dinners for their little sweet baby faces.  But I’ve learned not to esteem one day over another so I made the best of the day and thanked God they’re growing into productive young men.

A very simple cobbler to serve at any event any time of the year.  It’s always a dish that garners that question–Please, could I have the recipe for this?  It’s very buttery, sweet, light and fluffy but includes the must-haves.  Must have crispy edges, must be sweet, and must have the out of this world flavor that only butter can deliver.  You’ll find a few of its relatives, black berry and cherry cobbler on this site as well.  I  snapped this picture, liked it and thought you might agree that sometimes imagining anything like your favorite dress in a different color really doesn’t have the same effect as seeing it for real, in person.  So, here it is the peach version of my famous cobbler.  It’s famous for this one reason alone:  It’s so simple but tastes award winning–like God made it or something.

I wish I could tell you this recipe has a history and my reasons for sharing it today held some semblance of a story that would warm your soul, an earnest story one with heart.  If I were a different sort of writer, I might delve into my Italian past and crank out a few lines about my great great grandmother who ate gazpacho by coincidence because they were so poor it was meant to be a fresh stew with meat cooked over a fire but that   particular spring wiped out all the wood and a fire couldn’t be had. So in order to stay warm they sold their last cow that would’ve found its way in the stew.  But this dish didn’t go down quite that way and I don’t have Italian ancestors.  Plus, I suppose you could say I’m changing the whole face of cooking while I eliminate the time involved preparing meals so very little of what I come up with has a history.  No, my inspiration for this dish was born in a dream and I woke up thinking about it.  Yes, now you know my secret. I dream in vibrant color and food any sort of food is the main character.  I’d like to think it clearly shows my dedication to my craft or the method to my madness.  It could just mean I’m a sucker for a tawdry, delicious meal and subliminally my mind delivers what I truly hunger for.  Or maybe, this girl knows where true art is born and I eat sleep and breathe the process in order to deliver my best just for you.  I could just be pulling your leg but in this case or should I say recipe it’s all true.  I really did dream about it.

I love chili and I love pico de gallo and the freshness it imposes on anything it touches.   And because you add in the pico sauce after the cooking of the beans you don’t lose the essence of the sauce.  The freshness remains.   In my dream the two married and it was a glorious occasion.  In reality it was a perfect union that did more than live up to my dream, it became a meal that I had to share with you.  This combination will turn the saddest can of beans into a freakishly lively pot of deliciousness– something you’d eagerly anticipate for any meal.

I used to make these when I first opened the cafe.  They were so popular I kept running out each week.  It was then that I decided to dedicate one day a week to make this dish the special.  Thursdays became my busiest day.  I eventually changed my menu altogether excluding the famous crab cake.  Why, you ask?  Well, mostly I was tired of making it and very annoyed by the fish smell that imposed a very unattractive aroma smacking all my customers who entered the cafe.  The girl giveth and the girl taketh away.  But at least I’m giving you the recipe.  It’s so easy and with the addition of the panko crumbs there’s no soggy cakes here.  A very crispy outer coating makes this a cake no one at your dinner table will soon forget.

The sauce is very tangy and for once not very spicy.  I usually want some heat but I decided to take it easy on this one and make it a simple contrasting flavor rather than a set your mouth on fire addition.  Go ahead, make you dinner a light elegant experience tonight.

It’s an undeniable party of flavors where the down home and comfortable have already met but somehow can’t rest until the sophisticated are introduced as the flavors open up their welcoming arms with a meet and greet that crosses all social barriers and says, “Come on in, we love everybody.”  And wow, does this dish give good love!  So much so, your only dilemma will be figuring out how to present the dish to match its spectacular unrelenting “good love” sentiment.  True story, I think about this a lot.  How do you make a dish that is so delicious but presents wildly out of control when you look at it on the plate?  Casseroles are not known for their svelte appearance.  I only know that nothing is more beautiful than fresh produce like tomatoes, green onions and avocado strategically or not so strategically placed which is how I improve on a dish that finds it hard to stand as tall and beautiful as it tastes.

Salsa verde is quite the star in this mix of Mexican fare.  It’s a green salsa made with tomatillos and in this recipe you can use your favorite jarred version.  I find it to be more robust than regular salsa and has no problem doing war with the competing flavors of the chicken and cheese which can be a little drab on its own.

Comfort food is a friend to everyone and does more than its fair share supporting all the reasons we are compelled to eat and this little number does not disappoint.

Of course you could eat this alone or even better eat this on the hearty wheat 35 calorie bread and make your body smile with the addition of the fiber the bread offers.  It’s simply delicious!