current-glazed lamb chops with pistachio couscous

This was a tasty dinner - the lamb chops were pan seared and then glazed with a bit of current jelly and pomegranate juice.  While the chops cooked I whipped up a batch of Israeli couscous, throwing in some chopped pistachios and mint.

gnocchi gratin with Gorgonzola dolce

This is the ultimate luxury comfort food!  It took 3 hours from start to finish but I really do love making my own gnocchi.  These are baked off in a creamy Parmigianno/Gorgonzola sauce and are amazing. 
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gnocchi-Gratin-with-Gorgonzola-Dolce-368961

shrimp curry dinner

I made an Eastern Indian flatbread, then topped it with a shrimp vegetable curry mixture on one side, and coconut rice on the other side.  For the rice I sauteed some ginger and jalapeno in a bit of oil; added basmati rice, coconut milk and salt - then simmered (covered) over low heat until the rice was done.  I stirred in some chopped cilantro and topped it all with toasted shredded coconut. 

pork with leek sauce, pan fried cabbage & bacon

Have this on a day other than Ash Wednesday!  I just pan fried some boneless pork cutlets, the sauce was sauteed leeks with a bit of chicken broth and blue cheese.  The cabbage was an easy stir fry topped with cooked crumbled bacon. 

rack of lamb with mustard sauce

I get the racks of lamb from either Costco or Trader Joes, they really make  a quick weeknight dinner.  This time I served it with a caramelized pear and pecan salad.  This lamb recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, which I found at a Middle Eastern market here in town. 
http://www.marthastewart.com/874410/rack-lamb-mustard-sauce

chocolate-almond bark with sea salt

We are so loving the Marcona almonds (we get ours at Trader Joes) - this was the perfect blend of dark chocolate, caramelized nuts, and saltiness  Check it out in the Dec. 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Almond-Bark-with-Sea-Salt-368956

veal and potatoes

This was a cold-weather comfort food kind of dinner.  I made pan-fried breaded veal cutlets (one of my favorite dishes to order out in 'fancy' restaurants when growing up) and a potato-bacon rosti (a kind of potato pancake) with more of those fabulous Idaho spuds.

honey-roasted pineapple

I like the taste of pineapple, but the commercial, store-bought ones have too much acid for my taste.  We were delighted when friends brought us a Maui Gold pineapple back from Hawaii - now that is one sweet fruit!  After we gobbled down the first half of it, I used the rest in this dessert. 
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-roasted-pineapple

parsley pesto pasta

This is a light pesto made with parsley, pine nuts, olive oil and lemon zest.  I love it tossed with a wonderful twisty shape pasta.  We used strozapretti here. 

bacon waffles with blackberry-maple syrup

I just added cooked crumbled bacon to the waffle batter.  The maple syrup was heated up with some fresh blackberries crushed in, and more berries on top.

wiener schnitzel

This was perfect for a cold winter night.  I topped the schnitzel with a sage buerre blanc - that also went well with some asparagus.  I had some leftover mashed potatoes to heat up and add to the plate (thanks to a friend who brought me back some freshly harvested spuds from Idaho). 

pecan sea salt drops

These little jewels were mini-muffin sized pecan brittle pieces, sprinkled with sea salt. 
http://www.marthastewart.com/346958/pecan-sea-salt-drops

asparagus and eggs makes a great dinner

We first had this type of dish on our honeymoon in Italy - the kind of meal made in someone's home - and we were hooked.  Here I wrapped proscuitto around asparagus and baked it, plated it with Parmesan toast and a fried egg.  I also used up the rest of a case of holiday pears on a butter lettuce, blue cheese, pecan salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. 

lamb and roasted veggies

These grilled chops were topped with a mint pesto, which was a nicely sweet addition.  I roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips with fresh thyme, olive oil, pecans, and a bit of honey - a wonderful combination that also had sweet undertones.  This was a satisfying meal on a cold winter night.