In our house, Sunday morning is synonymous with waffles. It is a tradition that my husband brought into my life and that I have wholeheartedly embraced. Wile we generally stick to a classic Belgian waffle, we mixed it up this week with a tasty recipe from my local hero Alton Brown.

Oat Waffles
from Alton Brown

5.5 ounces old fashioned rolled oats
4 ounces all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar (or brown sugar for extra flavor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces melted unsalted butter
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Heat a medium skillet and add the oats. Toast over medium heat, stirring or tossing occasionally, until the oats are very fragrant (about 3 minutes). Cool the oats completely and toss into your food processor. Process for 3 minutes, until the oats resemble the texture of whole wheat flour.

Preheat your waffle iron according to the appliance directions.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon). In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter into the eggs, and then whisk in the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Let the batter rest for at least five minutes.

Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron’s directions. Waffles should be golden brown and pull away from the iron easily. Serve with butter and real maple syrup.

If you ask me, fall is the perfect time for an easy. flavorful, crock-pot soup. We all seem to be so busy at this time of year, and everyone would rather be outside enjoying the crisp weather and beautiful fall colors than slaving over a complicated dinner recipe. So throw this easy chicken salsa soup in the crock pot and get outside and enjoy the day!!

To make this recipe even easier, you can add the onion and garlic to the crock pot raw, and use pre-cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. The salsa in this soup is a great shortcut, delivering tons of flavor with minimal work! Use spicy salsa for a zestier soup. I always like to use low-sodium broth in my soups so that I can control the level of salt in the final product. I would recommend serving this soup with a nice cornbread or a handful of tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Chicken Salsa Soup

From AllRecipes.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 package of frozen corn
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
Sour cream, avocado, and/or cilantro for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Empty the skillet into your crock pot, and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat and add to the crock pot. Add the salsa, corn, beans,  chicken broth, and cumin. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve with your choice of garnish.

Here is a nice, light, springtime dish for a weeknight meal or a fun dinner party. The fresh lemony flavors, delicate crab meat, colorful veggies, and tangy feta make this a wonderfully complex, yet simple dish.

Lemon-Feta Crab Pasta
from a little card we picked up at Kroger

8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning or dried oregano
12 ounces lump snow crab meat
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Cook the pasta according to the package directions so that it is al dente. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the Greek seasoning.

Stir in the crab meat, the spinach, and the tomatoes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until crab is heated through and spinach begins to wilt. Add the lemon juice and zest and toss to combine.

Add the crab mixture to the warm pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with feta. Yield ~ 4 servings. Enjoy!

This is an easy, reasonably healthy, and absolutely delicious side dish that my husband and I love to add to our dinners.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, washed
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice your sweet potatoes into thick-cut “fries,” roughly 1/2″ thick. Cut as uniformly as possible to ensure even cooking. Toss the potato slices with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until completely and evenly coated.

Spread the slices in an even single layer across a large baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, tossing the fries occasionally to evenly brown them on all sides. Serve plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.

My husband made me dinner tonight, and it was fabulous! This is a perfectly flavorful and light pasta dish to add into your rotation. The addition of the lemon to the traditional pesto flavors really adds an extra zing and freshness. And I absolutely love the idea of adding white beans to a light pasta dish for that added flavor and texture (not to mention protein and fiber). The original recipe does not call for chicken, but I loved the combination of the textures of the beans and the chicken in this delicious and zesty dish. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken.

Chicken-Lemon-Basil Pasta
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

10 ounces uncooked linguine
1 19-ounce can white kidney beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 grilled or sauteed chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Cook the pasta following the package directions, adding the beans for the final two minutes. Remove about 1 cup of the cooking liquid and set it aside. Drain the pasta and beans in a colander, cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add the lemon zest. Cook for one minute and remove from heat.

In the small working bowl of your food processor add the cooked lemon peel, the lemon juice, the basil leaves, and the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil. Process until basil leaves are fine and consistency is smooth. Add the reserved cooking liquid, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency for your sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chicken to the pasta and beans. Toss all with the basil-lemon sauce. Garnish with extra basil, if desired. Makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!

We’re nearing the end of peach season in the south, a bittersweet time of year for peach lovers like myself. Bitter because I dread the peach-less months of the year that loom ahead, but sweet because I try to fit peaches into nearly every meal of the day in order to savor the peak of their juicy freshness.

Here is a delicious way to add some fresh peaches into your dinner menu. The grilled swordfish pairs perfectly with this sweet and tangy salsa. Add some fresh diced jalapeno if you are looking for some heat with your sweet!

Grilled Swordfish with Fresh Peach Salsa

2 swordfish steaks
Salt and pepper to taste

1 large fresh peach, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of one fresh lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until the fish reaches your desired done-ness. Don’t be afraid of using a meat thermometer if you don’t have experience cooking this type of fish!

Combine the peach, tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Cover and allow the flavors to meld for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Top your swordfish with the salsa and serve immediately.

Every year, we grow vegetables in our garden over the summer. It feels so good to get out there and dig in the dirt every spring, and it is so rewarding when you are able to make dinner entirely of vegetables picked from your own garden! Recent years have been difficult for our garden, as Georgia underwent a severe drought. Luckily, the drought is over (for now), and this summer has been one of the wettest we have had in many years! What did this mean for our garden? An abundance of veggies!

The first budding tomatoes of the season - May 2010

I grew two cherry tomato plants this year, and they produced like CRAZY! Most of them became ripe at the same time, so I was challenged to find dishes that would use these sweet and juicy tomatoes up at their peak of flavor. We love to eat them as a salad, sliced in half tossed with feta, basil, and balsamic vinegar. But they are also great to cook with. This is a recipe that I have tweaked over the years, originally inspired by Cooking Light. It is also great if you add in some diced and sauteed onions….mmmm!

Cherry Tomato Pine Nut Spaghetti
Inspired by a recipe in an issue of Cooking Light magazine

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
3 cups fresh cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3-4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and toss together lightly. Toast the mixture for about 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs turn a light golden brown. Remove the toasted mixture from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, or until the tomatoes turn wrinkly and begin to soften and release some juices.

Add the remaining garlic powder, the sliced garlic, and the Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes over medium heat; then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the mixture simmer while you cook the pasta.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, and drain. Add the hot spaghetti, the toasted pine nuts, the breadcrumb mixture, the fresh basil, and the feta and parmesan cheeses to the tomato mixture. Toss lightly to combine, and serve immediately.

Dear readers, I have a special treat in store for you today.  This is a cake that I save for special occasions because it is so close to my heart.  It’s a perfect way to celebrate spring, whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day, or a special family event.  Daffodil Cake – a light and lemony angel food cake marbled with beautiful batters and topped with a citrusy glaze.  When you make this cake for someone, you will make them feel truly special and loved.

This cake always reminds me of my dear Auntie Gladys.  The first time that I made it, I was about ten years old and she had come to town to visit us.  She raved and raved about how wonderful it was, and over the years she continues to ask whether I have made one lately. So when I made it for my mother-in-law, my mom, and my grandmother this mother’s day, I thought fondly of my sweet Auntie Gladys in California.  If only she were closer, I could have made one more for her!

Daffodil Cake
from my trusty old Betty Crocker Cookbook

1 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
12 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Stir together the cake flour and the 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.

In a large electric mixer bowl with the whisk attachment, ,beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt for about 60 seconds, until foamy. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Gently fold the vanilla and lemon zest into the meringue.

In another electric mixer bowl, beat the egg yolks for about 5 minutes, until they are very thick and lemon colored. Set aside.

Sprinkle the flour-sugar mixture, one quarter at a time, over the meringue, gently folding the flour in just until the dry ingredients disappear. Pour half the batter into the bowl with the whipped egg yolks, and fold gently together.

Get out an ungreased tube pan, about 10×4 inches. Spoon the yellow and white batters alternately into the pan, and gently cut through the batters with a knife to swirl.

Bake on the bottom shelf of your oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched with a finger. Invert the pan on its funnel and let the cake hang until it is completely cooled.

While the cake is cooling, it’s time to make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and add the lemon zest. Add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time to the powdered sugar, whisking vigorously until the mixture is smooth.  The mixture will thin very quickly as you add the juice so go slowly and stop when you get to your desired glaze consistency.

Carefully remove the cake from its pan and spoon the glaze over the top.  Enjoy!

Our family strives to put mostly seasonal fruits and veggies on the table.  Not only is it more economical, but veggies that are in season tend to be more nutritious because they don’t have to travel from the other side of the globe before they reach your plate!

Seasonal produce in the spring come as such a refreshing change after the winter.  Asparagus, strawberries, and avocados are such a welcome change!!  Here is a delicious way to prepare asparagus that will tempt even the asparagusphobes in your household.  It also really captures and highlights those fresh-from-the-garden flavors that just sing out “It’s Spring!!!”

Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

1 large bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle over the cheese and the salt ad pepper. Use your hands to toss the ingredients together until the asparagus is completely coated with the oil, cheese, and seasoning.

Bake for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, dear readers!!

Is this recipe Irish?  Not really.  Is it hearty, warming, delicious, and cozy?  Yes.  Good enough for me!!!

These Apple-Oat-Walnut-Flaxseed Muffins are moist and tender, fluffy but chock full of good-for-you goodness!  They freeze well for a quick breakfast on the go.  And they’re packed with 5 grams of fiber per muffin!  So feel free to have seconds!

Apple-Oat-Walnut-Flaxseed Muffins

adapted from a recipe on the package for Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseed Meal

1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup diced apple (McIntosh is best!)
1 1/2 cups natural, unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups dried apple slices, diced
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten.
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 and line 18 muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, flaxseed meal, brown sugar, soda, powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Add the diced apple, the applesauce, the dried apple pieces, the walnuts, the milk, the eggs, and the vanilla.  Stir just until combined.

Scoop into prepared muffin pan, filling the cups almost to the top.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the muffin is done.  Enjoy!!