I hope each of you had a wonderful, restful holiday.  Our holiday was the usual whirlwind, race to the finish dash that seems to happen every year no matter how stalwart my intentions for better planning.  I like this dish because it has the same comforting, special feel of a Sunday or Holiday roast but takes no time at all to prepare and is a healthier alternative to fatty roasts.  It is a great, quick meal for a weeknight and the fish turns out rich and luxurious.  It is also a very forgiving recipe, use whatever herbs you have on hand and feel free to roast the fish a little longer if you like it more well done.  We like our salmon on the rare side of medium but not everyone does.  One note: this roast is buttery and divine and better suited to a leaner wild salmon fillet, a very fatty farmed fillet will be a little over the top.  Click here for the recipe »

Salmon is one of our favorite weeknight meals.  In addition, to being good for us, it cooks in a snap.  These kebabs are a fun way to serve it and, with a grill pan, are great year-round.  I forgot to add the tzatziki before I took this picture but it is an essential part of the dish and I urge you to make it while the salmon marinates.  You can serve these gyro style with warm flat breads or with a rice pilaf.

I love this tabbouleh salad.  It has the perfect balance of bulgur, tartness, and fresh herbs.  It is a great winter salad and the hearty parsley will hold up in the fridge for several days.  I am so happy to finally have a recipe in my repertoire.  Enjoy!  Click here for the recipe »

Why is it that the best recipes are the ones that are hardly a new recipe at all but simply a creative way of approaching an old recipe?  There is no secret ingredient here-these rolls are just a traditional lasagna perfectly portioned into individual servings.  I wanted them to be extra ooey, gooey, cheesy and packed with spinach so I used a full recipe for the ricotta filling and portioned it onto six lasagna noodles.  These rolls can be individually frozen before baking and cooked fresh anytime, prefect when you just need to serve yourself.  One tip: I like to use fresh spinach, wilted in the microwave, over frozen spinach because it doesn’t add extra liquid.  Click here for the recipe »

If you had a Czech Grandma she would make you these kolaches.  If you are not familiar with this Texan breakfast treat, kolaches are decadent sweet yeast rolls that are stuffed with fruit or savory fillings.  Here, while there are plenty of independent kolache bakeries, kolaches can be found pretty much anywhere you can get breakfast.  This recipe for the sweet dough is my favorite kind-it is a friend of a friend’s grandma’s recipe which gives few measurements and such specific instructions as “salt til you can taste it.”  Be warned, it makes a ton of dough, enough for about 4 dozen fruit kolaches.  Luckily, they freeze perfectly and thaw quickly at room temperature. 

For parties, potlucks, or a treat for the office, I like to make half fruit and then stuff the remaining with sausage and jalapenos or ham and cheese.  The fruit kolaches can sit at room temperature, covered, for a couple of days.  This is a great recipe to make on a chilly weekend puttering around the house.  Click here for the recipe »