Cucumber Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing
Feta, a Greek cheese, is known for its creamy yet tangy taste and soft, crumbly nature, and paired with cucumbers, provides a nice contrast to the mildness of the cucumber.…
Side Dishes (Contorni)
Involtini di Melanzane (Eggplant Rolls)
We love Eggplant in this house, whether it is roasted, grilled or fried. I had just made marinated melanzane, a flavorful salad/side dish, to take to a potluck luncheon. I…
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
This delicious salad is a fusion of flavors featuring orzo pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, Ricotta Salata (or feta cheese) chickpeas and Kalamata olives. Toss with a vibrant red wine…
Grilled Romaine Salad
Romaine grows well in the Mediterranean climate. The name “romaine” suggests that the lettuce might have originated in Rome. This lettuce is more than just a tasty leaf that adds…
Roasted Vegetable & Cheese Panini with Balsamic Glaze
This is a hearty, soul-satisfying sandwich and takes your typical grilled cheese to another level. Healthy and flavorful roasted vegetables layered between your favorite cheese on slices of brioche are…
Roasted Balsamic Vegetables
This colorful, seasonal, sheet pan full of flavorful roasted vegetables is easy to prepare and makes a great side dish or a full-on meal in itself. I often serve it…
Roasted Rapini
Rapini, also known as Broccoli Rabe, is a superhero of vegetables! It boosts your immune system, improves digestion, protects your eyesight, supports heart health, strengthens bones and detoxes. This cruciferous…
Mediterranean Grain Bowl
After I was married, the first house my husband and I bought was only a couple of miles away from my mother. Quite often I would stop by for a…
Creamy Lavender Ranch Dressing (or Dip)
My new adventure in cooking with lavender has been successful thus far. I’ve enjoyed rave reviews for my lavender scones, lavender limonata and my lavender biscotti. This creamy- tangy ranch…
Roasted Parmesan Asparagus
Fresh asparagus, whether it is roasted and tossed with ravioli, made into a tart, a salad or served with eggs, is something we look forward to every spring in California.…
Mediterranean Lentil and Bulgur Salad
Lentils are one of the world’s oldest health foods. This little lens-shaped legume came to the Americas in the early 16th century. During World War II, people began to…
Marinated Baby Artichokes
Native to the western and central Mediterranean, the artichoke is a domesticated variety of the wild cardoon. Cardone, in Italian, is a thistle and looks like large stocks of…
Pear, Pecan & Gorgonzola Salad
This past New Year’s Day, I made this sensational salad with caramelized pears. It’s really good! Today, I only have one pear and am in a bit of a…
Double Cauliflower with Chard and Onions
Inexpensive and readily available, cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse. It is high in vitamins C and K, potassium, manganese, folate, fiber and cancer-preventing glucosinolates. If you are (currently) not…
Caramelized Pear & Pecan Salad w/Gorgonzola
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One of my favorite ways to enjoy pears is the simplest, fresh off the tree with a handful of walnuts. Now, add crumbles of Gorgonzola and a drizzle of…
Burrata & Tomatoes
Burrata is a cream filled mozzarella sack. Invented in Puglia, Italy, as a way to use the scraps of curds left over after twisting balls of mozzarella. The scraps…
Shaved Zucchini Salad
This is a fresh and flavorful raw zucchini dish featuring tangy capers and ricotta salata. The words ‘Ricotta’ means re-cooked and ‘Salata’ means salted. Ricotta Salata is a Sicilian…
Fresh Peach Caprese
There is only one authentic Insalata Caprese and it originated in Capri, Italy. Traditionally, tomatoes are used in the infamous dish. Since it is peach season and I have…
Pantelleria Potato Salad
Potato salad with olives, tomatoes and capers is a popular salad on the island of Pantelleria (Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea). Capers are a small but distinctive…
Honey Roasted Fennel
Fennel, a favorite Italian vegetable, customarily eaten raw with a bit of salt, sees the year’s second crop in Autumn. We enjoy it in soups, salads, a creamy bowl…