The Best Kale Salad

I have to give credit where credit is due.  My sister-in-law, Heidi, provided this recipe.  It is truly awesome and I can’t wait for you all to make it and let me know what you think too.  As we approach the warm weather this salad  should become a staple of picnics, BBQ’s and/or any other outdoor dining experience you can think of.  It takes all of about 5 minutes to put together.

Rollos (Bolivian Cheese Pastry)

So, I was looking through my church’s library recently and came across a cookbook published in the early 90′s called “Extending the Table…” It builds the theme of doing more with less.  Many of the recipes in the book use very inexpensive and easy to source ingredients and I’m rather liking going through it to see how over-thought and over-done much of today’s food is.  It’s so true that sometimes you really can do more with less.

I came to a stop when glancing through the index which is organized by geography, and I’d found one from Bolivia. My wife Katie spent a year during her college years working in Bolivia.  She has many loves and great memories from here time there and I thought it might be neat to try and recreate something that would be familiar from there.

Here’s the catch, I REALLY don’t bake, like EVER.  I looked it over, it seemed easy and straightforward so I figured I’d give it a go.  Rollos are a street food cheese roll, often sold at bus stops to those who are travelling.  This is an adaptation.

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream

Some back story is needed here.  A few years ago when Katie and I got married we were gifted with a certificate at a store in Corvallis, Oregon called The Inkwell Homestore .  Now, here’s the problem…I could spend thousands of dollars in this store without trying real hard, so this generous gift presented a challenge.  Furniture, home furnishings and an awesome high end kitchen wares section.  We looked at stock pots, grill pans, a little of everything, then we came across the perfect solution…an ICE CREAM MAKER!

Fast forward two years.  We were over at our best friends, the Sheddens house, doing a little hedge trimming at their new home to help out and literally almost tripped over a large lavender plant that was at a perfect time to harvest.  I mentioned to Kelli that she ought to harvest some for cooking.  The next weekend she surprised me with a large bag of fresh lavender blossoms.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Okay, I know.  It’s been a really long time since I posted anything, sorry about that.  I’ll try and do better.  This was my little creation for Valentines Day this year for me and my sweetie.  Give it a try, it’s not real hard but oh so cheesy good!

Creamy Cajun Scallops Over Wilted Spinach – Recipe Update!

Scallops are possibly one of natures perfect ingredients.  Cook them right with a quick sear and pair them with sides and sauces that don’t overpower the delicate flavor and you can hardly believe the results.  This is one of my favorite quick weeknight dinners.  Hope you enjoy!

WANTED: Your Best Recipe!

That’s right, I want your BEST recipe!  I’m looking for the next batch of Five Star Recipes to feature on the site, and to that end, I want to see what you’ve got to offer!

Emerson Vineyards – Brother Red

For the 2nd installment of my favorite wines/vineyards on Five Star, I’ve decided to highlight Tom and Emerson Vineyards.  In addition to being one of the nicest people I’ve ever met at a winery, he makes some damn good wines.  My wife loves his reisling as do I but this new 5 grape blend, Brother Red, is quickly becoming one of my faves.  It’s reasonably priced and full flavored.

As before, here’s their own description as I’m sure it does a better job than I would.