
Originally posted February 3, 2011 What is cioppino? There are many versions but no matter how you slice it, you are cooking fish and seafood in a simmering broth of tomato and wine. If you want straight-forward and easy, this recipe is for you. I have lived in Northern California for over a decade…

Originally posted October 4, 2010 Our local grocery store has these delightful patties in their deli case from time to time. I decided to seize the moment and make my own version. I didn’t even look at the ingredients but I did google “sweet potato millet cake” and the first thing that came up…

Originally posted September 8, 2010 A very good friend of mine was excited to share a sweet and sour chicken recipe with me that was healthy and that her husband loved. How often does that happen? She thought I should try it too, since my kids tend to like sweeter foods. It sounded so…

Originally posted August 11, 2010 as “Polenta lasagna with roasted veggies and gorgonzola recipe” When I’m asked to create a recipe, I often have what I call a “vision” of a dish. I know it should work because I’ve done something similar before and I’m generally good at putting flavors together. For a dish…

Originally posted August 3, 2010 Soups are economical and easy to prepare. Generally, the way I make it is the same. Sauté the vegetables with seasonings. Add broth and other pantry ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer. My soup recipes all have a pattern. Once you learn how to make soup, it’s…

Originally posted August 3, 2010 For some people, soup can be a hard dish to make. My mother used to say if you didn’t season it correctly, it would taste like dishwater (true, very true). So, this is where The Family Chef comes in. I’m here to teach you how to make soup. I…

Originally posted on June 1, 2010 While trying to come up with quick and easy meals for one of my customers, I envisioned a casserole similar to a Shepherd’s Pie but with Greek flavors. I created a base recipe but needed to test it first. My husband even asked where it came from. Uhm,…

Originally posted on April 12, 2010 We recently visited Sicily for the first time and I was happy to find a dish I had never heard of before, Pasta alla Norma. I don’t think I would have ordered it except I saw it on every menu and got curious. I was pleasantly surprised to…

Originally posted on March 2, 2010 as “Weeknight Friendly Gluten-Free Meals: Quick Italian Cassoulet” If you could create a quick meal at home that tastes just as good as a restaurant, would you spend an extra couple of bucks? I recently bought a jarred marinara sauce. Yes, I do buy jarred sauce but only…

Originally posted September 23, 2009 As some of you may know, this is one of my favorite recipes; gluten-free crustless quiche. It’s so easy and so many people like it from children to grown-ups. Last week, I grabbed a zucchini from my garden (yes, my garden!), sliced it up, halved the recipe and about 40 minutes…