Oui, Chef

S'More Tarts

I've had the thought of these little buggers marinating in the back of my brain for a while now.  In fact, about 6 months ago I titled a post "S'more Tarts" as a placeholder and reminder that the concept seemed worthy of a little investigation and culinary creativity.  Well, last week after having seen that empty post yet again, I decided it was time to get off my ass couch and get busy making a Oui, Chef version of these treats.

Grilled Pork Chops with Clementine Marmalade

I have a confession to make.

I have never been to New Orleans.

I have a number of friends who make an annual pilgrimage to the Big Easy; some for the food, some for the music, and all for the joie de vivre for which the city is so famous.  As a lover of great food (and jazz), I'm embarrassed and a bit sad to admit that I've never made the trip myself.  New Orleans has long been known as one of this country's premier food and music destinations, and while I'm thinking that the whole Mardis Gras scene would be a bit much for me, it is definitely high on my list of spots to visit one day.

Spring Risotto with Poached Eggs

Here's a dish that is perfect for the transitional weather we're having here in the Northeast.  While we are warming up slowly, most days have still been pretty cool and our nights continue to dip into the low 40s.  That said, we are just starting to see spring's local bounty showing up in the markets, so I was excited to make this dish which calls for some lovely spring green veggies, but also has the soul-warming feel of a dish made for cool weather.

Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo

I've got some pretty exciting news to share today.  It turns out that the folks at Cooking Light Magazine have been a fan of Oui, Chef for a while now and have asked me to join their "Cooking Light Blogger's Connection".  See that cool new "Cooking Light" badge on the right of your screen?  Click on it and it will deliver you to my Cooking Light Blogger Profile, and from there you're only a short step away from all the great healthy knowledge and recipes that reside on their site.

Part of what I (along with about 80 other, terrific food bloggers) do as members of the Blogger Connection is cook and share our favorite recipes from Cooking Light to help spread the gospel of preparing and eating wholesome, "real" food with an eye to keeping things, light, fresh and nutritious.

I dare say that description sums up these tacos perfectly.

Asian Pulled Pork Tacos with Cilantro Cream

So...have you made a big batch of Soy Slow Cooker Pork  yet?  Yes?.......Good.

And you've got a few bites left-over, right?  Excellent.

Because here's what you're going to do with all that pork and almond goodness marking time in your fridge.  You're gonna make these incredibly tasty soft tacos, and have yourself a really easy and incredibly delicious weeknight meal that the whole gang will cheer.  

You're welcome.

Soy Slow Cooker Pork with Ginger and Almonds

 

This is a recipe I adapted from one that recently ran in Fine Cooking, and that I made last week when our weather was stuck on cool, rainy, and generally crappy.  On days like that I find it helps to fire up some great smelling kitchen projects to keep all our spirits up.  Things like a loaf of freshly baked bread, a long simmering pot of rich bolognese, a few sheets of chocolate chip cookies, or a multi-hour braise like this dish.

Soy Lime Vinaigrette

This recipe, which comes from chef Michael Schwartz's Michael's Genuine Food , is one I make whenever we're in the mood for a salad to accompany an Asian inspired meal.  We also like it in the warmer months as a means to tasty up a piece of grilled fish.  This batch was made to dress a salad that we served with a great slow-cooker Soy Braised Pork Shoulder (don't worry, I'll be posting that dish REAL soon), and it was the perfect complement tossed with a baby spinach salad dotted with cherry tomatoes and ripe chunks of avocado.

PB & J Bars

Here's a treat designed to please the little kid in all of us.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I still have days where I crave a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (on white bread, of course) with a handful (or three) of crispy potato chips and a tall glass of cold milk for lunch.  It was my favorite lunch as a kid, and still satisfies like nothing else can to this day.

Thankfully I've given up my childhood vice of eating "Peter Pan" creamy straight from the jar with a spoon (it wasn't a good look on me), but I bet I still eat a good old-fashioned PB & J about once a month.  If you haven't had one in years do yourself a favor and make one soon, it will make you smile.

Breakfast to Go....Eggie Muffins

 

Two flavors of muffins cooked up in a silicone mold

These little bites are a perfect, hot breakfast with which to start your day.  They are basically individual frittatas, and as such can be custom made to suit all the picky mouths at your table.  I used to make one large frittata over the weekend for cutting up and doling out as a grab and go breakfast option over the course of the week, but got tired of each of the kids squawking that there was some ingredient in them that they couldn't stand.  Now, everyone fills their respective muffin cups with the ingredients that turn them on, we fill them all with plain scrambled eggs, et voila....everyone is happy!

Orecchiette with Blue Cheese, Leeks and Brussels Sprouts

This recipe is one inspired by a dish showcased in Fine Cooking a few months back, and should hop right to the top of the list for your next "Meatless Monday" meal.  My version teams roasted leeks and brussels sprouts with salty blue cheese, sweet craisins, and earthy brown-butter pecans for a hearty and well balanced vegetarian treat.