los angeles / las vegas / sacramento 424-249-9094
Grilled stuffed pork chops. (Noelle Carter
As if grilled pork chops couldn’t get any better, try stuffing them with added goodness just to gild the lily. In this recipe, I stuff thick, center-cut bone-in chops with a blend of spinach, garlic, goat cheese and crumbled bacon, along with a touch of finely-chopped rosemary and thyme.
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Bacon-wrapped meatloaf. (Noelle Carter)
Done right, meatloaf is a meat lover’s dream come true. Like so many of our favorite comfort foods, the dish is borne of humble beginnings. It started out as a way to stretch various leftovers — ground meats, stale bread crumbs, a blend of spices and flavorings — into supplemental meals. And like so many iconic dishes, meatloaf variations can be found the world over, from French pâté to Middle Eastern kibbe, Vietnamese gio to South African bobotie — even Swedish and Italian meatballs. And while it may be hard to find a “bad” meatloaf, there are ways to improve upon an already great dish.
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Weeknight chicken stew. (Noelle Carter)
You can never have too many good recipes for chicken. This chicken stew is one of my favorites. It’s a relatively simple recipe: Sear chicken thighs in a Dutch oven or pot until they’re nicely browned, then sauté a blend of onions, mushrooms and garlic. Add canned tomatoes and a few other flavorings, and finish the stew in the oven until the chicken is tender and the flavors are all happy together. Voila. Dinner is ready.
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Shrimp skewers with charmoula. (Noelle Carter)
Ever heard of charmoula? The spice blend — actually, it’s more of a paste — is a North African blend of fresh herbs and spices which works well as everything from a marinade to a dipping sauce. Use it as a quick flavoring for fish — it’s especially good with shrimp and shellfish — or as a finishing sauce for grilled meats or vegetables. I’ve even served it alongside grilled or toasted bread as a dipping sauce. Best of all? It’s simple to make, coming together in minutes.
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Slow cooker lamb tagine. (Noelle Carter)
Have I mentioned how much I love my slow cooker? Prep the ingredients, throw everything in the cooker, then set it and forget it. The slow cooker is the definition of convenience, particularly if you’re planning weeknight meal ideas, or tackling 20 different projects at the same time — or sometimes simply forgetful, like me, about watching a pot simmering away on the stove top. It’s perfect for long-cooked dishes: stews, chili, hearty soups. And it turns out a wonderful lamb tagine, with very little active work on your part.
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Herb-roasted spatchcocked chicken. (Noelle Carter)
Looking for a fun alternative to a traditional roast chicken? This herb-roasted spatchcocked chicken is one of my favorite go-to methods, both because it saves time (cooking a spatchcocked chicken takes much less time than a traditional roast chicken), and it browns all pieces evenly.
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Grilled salmon with lemon and dill. (Noelle Carter)
It may only be April, but here in Southern California it sure feels like summer. So much so, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling — it’s just too nice outdoors to spend my time in a hot kitchen. I love grilling salmon, particularly on a weeknight, because it cooks in almost no time — I can have dinner ready in about the time it takes to set the table. Put together a simple salad to go with it, and the meal is ready to go. Boom.
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Grilled cheese with marinated tomatoes. (Noelle Carter)
While I’m not normally one for making a big thing about food holidays, I have to make an exception when it comes to grilled cheese. I mean, who can resist something so gloriously rich and unapologetically messy? A great grilled cheese is comfort food perfected. One of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches combines a great melting cheese with marinated tomatoes.
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Ultimate beer ‘n’ bacon burger. (Noelle Carter)
Could it possibly get any better than burgers, bacon and beer? Probably not. Except when you combine them in what I like to call my “ultimate” burger.
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