SIMPLE SUNDAES

Blueberry parfait with whipped cream on flag napkins

I don’t know about you, but I have a boatload of people coming over for the holiday and I’m running out of time to get things ready. Here’s a really simple idea for dessert that celebrates the day and gives you time to actually enjoy it. INGREDIENTS (Serves 6) 2 pints vanilla ice cream 1…

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CREAMY CHICKEN AND ORZO

Creamy orzo pasta topped with fried shallots

I love one-pot dishes and this is one of my favorites. It’s great cooking the orzo in with all of the other ingredients so that the flavors really meld with the pasta. It’s a great dish for company, or even for a mid-week quick dinner. And the leftovers are even better the next day. INGREDIENTS…

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SAUTEED CHINESE GREENS

Sauteed leafy greens with fried garlic

I’ve become obsessed with Chinese greens. I often find myself wandering around the produce section in Asian markets or Chinatowns trying to figure out what to do with all the glorious exotic vegetables. My particular favorites are the choy family; choy sum, gai choy, bok choy, yu choy and ong choy—all variations on greens, some…

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LATKE ENCRUSTED COD

Crispy golden potato pancake with cabbage slaw

I know what you’re thinking, this is a weird one, right? Well, why should latkes be just for Hanukkah? I was planning on making a simple fried fish dinner when the light bulb went off—why not try to encrust the fish in grated potatoes and onion and then fry it? The coating came out nice…

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A GRAND MARGARITA

Martini glass with yellow cocktail and lime

When it’s hot outside, there’s nothing like a good old frozen margarita to take the temperature down a few notches. Here’s a refreshing take on one that uses Grand Marnier rather than triple sec. I find it gives the drink a touch more elegance. I always drink mine without a salted rim, but feel free…

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MATZO BREI WITH PECANS

Blueberry pancake with syrup topping.

For those celebrating Passover, the one consolation of giving up all that bread for a week is having an excuse to make Matzo Brei. This egg/matzo omelet is a sweet treat when doused in copious amounts of maple syrup. People will argue about the egg to matzo ratio, but it really depends on how you…

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ASIAN MARKET SOUP

Delicious noodle soup with fried onions.

Like most New Yorkers, I’m used to small grocery stores where you have to back your cart out of the aisle if someone is coming towards you looking for peanut butter. So, when I’m in the burbs, I’m always astonished by the sheer volume of food on the shelves, not to mention the wide aisles…

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RAZOR CLAMS

Here's an alt tag for the image: Delicious razor clams, seasoned and served.

One of my favorite seafood treats is the razor clam. They’re tough to find, although your local Chinatown fishmonger might have a stash somewhere. Whenever I see them I grab them and make this simple dish. It’s full of flavor and has a really nice kick for those of you that are chili heads. INGREDIENTS…

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BRAISED CABBAGE WITH BACON

Sauted onions and bacon in a bowl.

It’s always a feat to get certain members of my family to eat their greens. I use all kinds of trickery to sneak it into their diets. I put spinach in fruit smoothies and when desperate, I add bacon to my sautéed vegetables. Bacon can make anything taste better. I realize bacon isn’t a super…

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FRIED HAKE OVER COCONUT RICE WITH TURMERIC SAUCE

Crispy fish with rice and creamy sauce.

I’m not a huge fan of flaky white fish unless it’s fried. Originally I thought I’d try this in the airfryer—which you could do—but knew I’d like it better frying it in oil. It was worth the extra calories. I served it with some coconut rice that I had left over and I made a…

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FILO EGG PIE

Baked phyllo cheese pie with chives.

A friend of mine was having a brunch and asked if I could bring a quiche or some type of egg dish. Since quiche is so 1990s, I started to scour the internet to find something new and fun. I noticed a few videos of people using filo dough wrapped as fans to make a…

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WINTER CITRUS SALAD

Fresh mixed green salad with feta.

In an attempt to force some vegetables into me, my mom believed that salad was the key. But, it was always the same—iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumbers and tasteless supermarket tomatoes tossed with a dressing made from one of those Italian seasoning packets. It was not exactly a dish that I looked forward to. But, in…

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