Spring Equinox fell on March 20th this year, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for winter to end (and I lived in Massachusetts for five years)! I gated up my deck, opened the slider and all the windows in the house, kicked off the winter gear, and bounded about in the backyard…
Month: March 2021
Coffee Stout Braised Beef
Spring is finally here, but for my last winter dinner I decided to go with an old school, down home kinda’ comfort meal. Braised beef is nostalgically delicious and especially so when root vegetables, like turnips and radishes, join the sultry party. Serve this succulent beef with rice or mash or whatever you like and…
Chili Paneer
I pretty much watch every video Padma Lakshmi posts on Instagram, and so I was craving paneer pretty badly and threw this solo dinner together in less than 30 minutes. I highly doubt my take on this popular Indo-Chinese dish is anywhere near as tasty as Padma’s fresh, handmade paneer, but it was close enough…
Rice Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Smoked Pork Chop
Once we’re all properly vaccinated, the first thing Imma’ do is make a beeline for my fav Vietnamese restaurant, order all the things, and slowly relish mask free dining! Until then, recipes like this fresh and flavorful noodle bowl will have to suffice. Per usual, I utilized the raw veg I had on hand already,…
Honey Mustard Smoked Chicken with Skillet Green Beans
Tuesday was gorgeously warm and my defrosted deck beckoned me to bask in the afternoon sunshine, which me and the furbabies did! I fired up the offset and smoked chicken thighs and pork chops for the week, and it felt absolutely delightful listening to the chirping birds, barking dogs, and bustling spring projects getting underway…
Acini de Pepe Soup
This hearty yet simple soup is perfect for slurping around the fire pit on chilly spring evenings with the fam. Ingredients 4 servings frozen meatballs of choice 2 cups dried acini de pepe 2 large carrots, sliced into coins, larger coins sliced in half 3 cups collards, mustard greens, chard or kale, rough chopped 5…
Braised Greens over Polenta
I love greens, and I’ve been eating them since I was a toddler zooming around my parents trailer in pull-ups. Although I don’t have a copy, there’s a picture of me to prove it. Fortunately, my mother semi-divorced me back in 2011 after I moved “way up North” and followed through with my “supposed marriage”)…
Kung Pao Gnocchi
This simple sweet and spicy solo dinner recipe is ready in 15 minutes for a no-fuss veggie forward meal. Increase the ingredients for two or more servings and, as always, add as little or as much heat as you like. Ingredients 1 cup frozen gnocchi 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed 2 celery stalks, trimmed…
Skillet Shrimp & Rice with Smoked Sausage and Okra
Mardi Gras just didn’t have me Ya Ya-ing this year. I dunno if it was the arctic like snow storms or covid or the wife being on a business trip or generalized cabin fever disorder, but I ended up not making my traditional batch of Gumbo and pitcher of Bloody Mary’s this year. Instead, I…
Orecchiette with Sweet Sausage & Arugula
Recently, I joined my first book club, which the LGBTQ+ Alliance Group in my area organized. For our first book we’re reading All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. The Queer discussion and support is such a welcomed relief and I find myself lingering in the video chat long after our official 8pm time…
Smoke & Charm Farm 