Fettuccine Alfredo

This is an adaptation of too many recipes to reference here. I used several as guides, but ultimately made some arbitrary changes both for my heart health's sake (for example, using a cup of butter felt excessive even with a full box of fettuccine) and for my own tastes. I so wanted to make this the authentic Italian way, but North America's love for cream (and my love for garlic!) won out. As always, do as you feel led if you give this a try!

Egg Salad

This is my basic egg salad recipe. I personally like to add more flavor to it (and have noted what I would usually add), but sometimes you've got what you've got and/or simple is what you're craving on a particular day. To each their own!

Thai-style Green Curry

 This is essentially Pailin Chongchitnant's wonderful recipe with the adaptations I generally make when it is what's for dinner in my family. It's a gorgeous recipe - as most Thai recipes are! - and beautifully adaptable depending on your dietary needs. Definitely follow Pailin's original recipe, and make whatever adjustments work best for you!

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

As you will see when you scroll down, I woke up this morning and chose cardiac issues! Needless to say, this is a delicious casserole as a result. I used Elise Bauer's lovely recipe as a base, but made a few changes to make this work better with my family's tastes. Change what you like if you give this a try, I certainly did!

Salmon Soup with Buckwheat Noodles

I love an easy meal, and I love a beautiful broth on a cool fall day. This adaptation of Hank Shaw's great original recipe is certainly both! I enjoy it as is, but as always make it your own!

Black Bean Soup

I'm in one of those seasons in life I sometimes think of as a 'Get Out, Right Now' season. (Thanks JoJo, twenty years later and your song's still stuck in my head!) Right now this primarily concerns our pantry, which I usually like to keep well stocked, but which now needs to be liquidated or given away in the next month. During today's perusal of the shelf survivors my gaze fell upon a can of black beans trying to hide off in a corner, and after watching a few videos on Instagram, the following recipe is what resulted!

Cardamom Mug Cake

I'm not sure how I'm jumping on board this trend train so late, but here I am! My husband is away, but my cravings are not, so mug cakes have answered my need for a dessert without a bunch of tempting leftovers! This recipe is for my favorite version (so far!), but it's beautifully flexible - you could easily sub in cinnamon for the cardamom and coconut milk for the milk to get a very different, delicious cake! If you're late to the mug cake phenomenon, definitely give it a try!

Ethiopian-style Spicy Split Peas

This is another beautiful dish from Ethiopia, and makes for a nice break from meat when you find yourself wanting one. My recipe is based on the one in the classic Exotic Ethiopian Cooking cookbook, but with modifications to better fit my tastes and preferences. (In particular, my recipe differs from the book's in the oil department - I just can't use two cups of olive oil in one dish no matter how delicious it might make it!) Modify it, make it as is - whatever you do, I hope this recipe brings a little of the warmth and beauty of Ethiopia into your life.

And since it's Ethiopian New Year's Eve as I write this, I wish everyone celebrating the New Year a happy and blessed 2017! May it be a bright and peaceful year for Ethiopia and the world.

Massaman Curry with Beef

This is another of Pailin's excellent recipes, which I'm posting here to record the modifications I made to fit the brand of curry paste available to me and my family's personal preferences. We absolutely love massaman curry, and this recipe in particular - I strongly recommend checking out Pailin's original recipe for a fuller version!

Banana Pecan Muffins

This is a great, versatile recipe largely based on Sally McKenny's lovely recipe. I've tweaked the spicing to better fit my personal preferences, and also made it easier to make vegan when needful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!