Pantry Ingredients

I cook a lot of Thai food, which I find so easy to make, once you have all the ingredients on hand.  The perfect thing about this cuisine is the hard-to-find ingredients can all be bought in a large amount and frozen - to be used whenever the Thai mood strikes you.

Thai Eggplant

I saw these fun looking eggplant at the grocery store and figured I needed to add them to a Thai dish. 

Satsuma Sorbet

Oh La!  Was this ever amazing  So refreshing and easy to make.  I had bought a box of deliciously sweet satsumas (no different than a mandarin orange) and tried to figure out what to make with some of them.  My ice cream maker hasn't seen any action in maybe a decade, so I thought I should bring it out and give it a try.  I was so happy I did, and wondered why I haven't made sorbet before.  This is lovely for a hot summer's day.

Jamie Oliver's Rhubarb Souffle

I made my first ever souffle.  Rhubarb.  I was so excited about it, until my 14 month old stomped into the kitchen during the last 2 minutes and it fell.  I always thought that was an old wives tale.  Turns out, it's true.  Oh well, props for even trying.  It still tasted great.

Breakfast Hash

While in Albuquerque, we had a traditional New Mexican breakfast made with green chiles, eggs, cheese, and potatos.  Upon returning home, I was craving that breakfast, but decided to make it a bit healthier so I can feed it to my son.  This is so simple and SO delicious.  The best part is that you can reheat it for lunch or breakfast the following day.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

I made this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad for company, and it was outstanding.  I have never eaten a salad and wanted a second helping.  Unfortunately for me, my guests loved it as well, so the bowl got licked clean and noone got seconds.  It's a fantastic meal all on it's own.

Cashew Baklava

This is the first time I have ever made baklava.  After making this, I have no idea why I have not done it before.  Oh yeah, because my husband is allergic to nuts.  So, while he was at work, I found some leftover phyllo and cashews stashed in the pantry, and decided to make baklava.  Completely easier than the apple turnovers I made before, because with baklava, there is no rolling.  Just layer the phyllo in a pan, brush it with butter, apply even more phyllo layers, layer it with ground nuts, bake it, and pour syrup overtop.  Practically makes itself.