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.

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Happy (belated) Fourth of July, dear readers! Among the many American traditions that go along with Independence Day, one of the greatest is EATING! This dish is based on a recipe from one of my favorite old fashioned American cooks: Nathalie Dupree. She calls this deliciously fresh dessert “Liberty Cobbler” for its red, white, and blue hues. It is essentially a strawberry cobbler with a blueberry sauce. The flavors are every bit as colorful as these pictures portray: a terrific combination of crispy cobbler, sweet-tart berries, and cool and creamy topping.

My dad even said that this was the best cobbler he had ever eaten. It’s definitely a winner!

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So when I went out in search of the perfect recipe for boeuf bourguignon, I knew right where I would start:  Julia Child.  After perusing her flawless recipe, I knew I’d found The One.  I made very few changes to the original recipe, mainly altering a few ingredients for the sake of convenience.

The result?  Boeuf Bliss!!!  Even the husband remarked that it was one of the best dishes I have ever made for him.  The sauce is so rich, each layer of flavor reveals itself to you in turn as you make your way through the dish.  This is no ordinary beef stew.

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I ended up with a large amount of arugula after I bought a big batch for a recipe I made recently.  Well, I’m not one to let perfectly good greens go to waste, so I decided to put my leftover arugula to good use.  I have seen so many different green used in various forms of pesto, that I decided to try substituting arugula in my regular basil pesto recipe.  It turned out to be delicious! I tossed it with pasta and parmesan cheese – such a zesty and brightly flavored dish!  Arugula has a bit of bite to it, so it really shined in this pesto.

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