Sunday Dinner

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Cheddar Cheese Coins 

with Cream Cheese and Red Pepper Jam 

Southern-Style Green Beans

Rice and Gravy

Southern Fried Chicken

Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake

If you are from the South, you are familiar with cheese crackers and cheese straws. There are countless recipes out there, but this one works for me and I hope it works for you.

They are delicious on their own, but I like them served with a dollop of cream cheese and red pepper jam.

Happy Sunday! 

Sunday Dinner

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Goat Cheese Toasts with Garlic and Herbes de Provence

Rack of Lamb Persillade

Braised Spring Vegetables

Potato Gratin

Strawberry Tarts

Spring is in the air and in my kitchen! Radishes, asparagus, sweet peas and fresh herbs are a welcome addition to any springtime menu or meal and they come together beautifully in this dish.  The vegetables are braised (simmered in a liquid) and then lightly glazed with the buttery reduction of the braising liquid. The fresh lemon zest and herbs make the dish sing (or should I say spring?).  Now, let me briefly talk about each vegetable.

Radishes- I adore them in any way. They add a peppery crunch when served raw and when cooked, like in this dish, they become sweet and tender.  If you haven't tried cooked radishes, please do.  It might change your mind/taste buds.  

Asparagus- I adore them in any way as well.  If I am not snacking on the raw spears, I enjoy making pesto for pasta and to use as a spread for sandwiches and tartines (recipe can be found HERE). I like to use medium-sized asparagus for this dish (see my post and kitchen tip HERE about preparing them and roasting them).  

Sweet Peas- Fresh or frozen is the only way for me (canned peas are just blah).  Frozen peas are used in this recipe because they are readily available and I live in Northern Illinois, so the ground in my garden is just barely thawed. 

Once prepped, this dish comes together rather quickly and should be served immediately while it is still warm.  It is the perfect accompaniment to any Springtime fare, like ham, chicken or lamb.  But it is equally delicious all on its own. Happy Sunday!

Sunday Dinner

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Caramelized Onion and Black Truffle Cheddar-Gruyère Mini-Phyllo Tarts

Butterflied Roast Chicken

Warm Bread and Arugula Salad

Low-Fat Lemon Pound Cake

Blueberry Compote

I call this a "Use What's in the Refrigerator/Freezer/Pantry/Leftover" Sunday Dinner.  Please let me take a moment to explain.

Appetizer- Onions is in the pantry, 4-ounces cheese is leftover in the refrigerator and the Mini-Pyllo Tart Shells I almost always have in the freezer for a quick little bite.

Main Course- A whole chicken (or two or three) is always in my freezer, the warm bread I will make into croutons from my No-Knead Country Bread recipe and there was about 4-ounces of arugula that needed to be eaten up from a dinner earlier this week.

Dessert- I had quite a few lemons and wanted a little treat for breakfast this morning, so I baked this cake last night and we had a few slices this morning. The leftovers will be enjoyed for dessert tonight along with a compote from about 1 cup blueberries that were hanging out in my refrigerator. 

And that's how my Sunday Dinners roll some times.

This is a wonderful light little cake.  Low-fat sour-cream is used to knock out some of the fat without compromising the butter flavor of a traditional pound cake.  It bakes up beautifully with a nice dome, but just make sure you use an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.  Anything bigger may put a damper on the dome.  My only change to the recipe was to triple the glaze because I love me some glaze.  Having said that, you could even make this cake without the glaze and enjoy it by itself or to be used in another layered dessert. Enjoy it for breakfast, as a tea time treat, dessert, or a "just passing-by" snack and you'll be glad it is low-fat😉. Happy Sunday!