Triumphs at the table

In this article, I would like to show you that you need to make just a little effort in the kitchen, in order to make big triumphs at the table.

I always have frozen handmade fettucine. So, when time is limited, I have a quick option for dinner: Chicken Puttanesca with kalamata olives, capers, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. It is just delicious.



Chicken Puttanesca with Homemade fettucine and Parmesan Cheese

I like the crispy romaine lettuce, but honestly it can get really boring. So, to make it interesting for your family, try different toppings each night. For instance, my greek topping consists of kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh oregano. The variations are endless!



Romaine Lettuce with Greek Style Toppings

When blueberries are in season, I like to buy plenty of them. I add them to our yogurt parfaits, use them as a garnish for our breakfast platters, and most importantly, I mix them with my muffin batters for incredibly moist treats!

Lemon scented fresh blueberry muffins

This was the first time I made this mango-kiwi salsa and it was so good over wild Alaskan salmon! The salsa gets its kick from the jalapeno and the wild salmon get its high point from the crispy skin. The jasmine rice acts as the perfect bed for those tropical flavors.



Crispy-skin salmon topped with mango-kiwi salsa and served over jasmine rice

Sometimes we have savory breakfast. Most often, it is open faced sandwiches with different toppings. These ones are Margherita style: mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil. Yummmmm.



Open-faced Margherita sandwiches for breakfast

Instead of throwing away the skins from the salmon, I used them to make salmon-skin-chips. Those are great for decorations and besides that, my husband likes to eat them. I crisp them in my small oven. It takes only 8 minutes, a little salt, and a little pepper. And voila! Another triumph!!!



Crispy salmon skins are an elegant decoration for my kiwi-mango topped fillet

I made individual tiramisu cups, but this time my bark is different. This one consists of semi-sweet chocolate, roasted cashews, dried cranberries, and sea salt. It is really fancy and easy to make!



My new bark: semi-sweet chocolate, cranberries, and cashews

These are so far my favorite hazelnut scones :) They are so soft, but crunchy at the same time. The chocolate ganache on top is the best indulgence ever. I like to split them in half and to spread some strawberry jam on top of each half. It is like a French pastry :)



My favorite hazelnut scones topped with chocolate ganache



My favorite thing to do for dinner are simple, yet flavorful pizzas. This week, I roasted onions, summer squash, zucchini, and red bell peppers. Then, I invented these Mediterranean pizzas: ricotta and parmesan cheese on the bottom. Top with the roasted vegetables. Add sun-dried tomatoes and chorizo (optional). At the end, add fresh basil from the closest garden :)

Grilled vegetables pizza two ways: with chorizo or vegetarian



 I have never tried rice bread before. But I was surprised how good it is. The texture is chewy and since it is made from Basmati rice, it is also very aromatic. We used it for sandwiches and it is a real keeper...

Basmati Rice Bread: the newest chewy treat in my repertoire

My husband grows beautiful sunflowers. I use them as a center piece. Very creative and colorful, isn't it?



If you have sunflowers in your garden, use them as a center piece

 I cooked together spinach, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. Then I used this mixture to stuff pork chops. I seared them in olive oil and finish them in the oven. It was so delicious!!!



Pork chops stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese

Look at my sweet potatoes fries. They are served in this cone for a super restaurant quality experience!


My stuffed pork chops are serve with sweet potato fries, ketchup, and red wine!

I can not get enough of my sunflowers. They get better and better each day. The whole room is filled with joy :)

The sunflower gets prettier and prettier...

Finally, I used the same spinach filling to stuff chicken breast. The result was equally amazing and delicious. Try it at home, you will love it!!!



Makeover: chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta!