Lauren's Kitchen

Tomato Basil Bisque

on Aug 02 in Featured Post, Soup, Vegetarian tagged All, Healthy, Soup, Vegetarian by Lauren

Our garden is just on fire this month.  Tomatoes are being produced at a phenomenal rate and our basil is just in fantastic shape!   I haven’t really been posting as many recipes lately because frankly, I haven’t been cooking nearly as much.  The summertime is just my least inspired season to explore in the kitchen because of the heat, but truly, with our garden producing as much as it has, how could I not!

This bisque was a fantastic and light weeknight dinner and because W always makes crostini topped with salt, pepper, olive oil and parmeggianno reggianno when I make soup, it made for a nice meal.

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Salmon Tartare

on Aug 01 in Seafood, Starters tagged All, Appetizers, Fish by Lauren

If you happen to have a nice, sushi-grade wild caught sockeye salmon, try this dish as a delicious and refreshing amuse bouche.

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Pan-Seared Salmon in a Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce

on Aug 01 in Featured Post, Seafood tagged All, Fish, Healthy by Lauren

I know I’ve not updated in quite some time, but seeing as how summer is in full swing here in Dallas, my only excuse is that it’s hot.  Really hot.   So, in weekends past we’ve had friends in town, gone to see Lady Gaga, trolled McKinney Square for some good breakfast, and reserved “boardroom - sized” private rooms for birthday parties of 6.

W and I have been making an honest effort at eating more healthy recently, and part of that is including some fish in our weekly repertoire.

One of my favourite recent discoveries is that we have a Gordon Biersch less than 10 minutes from our house.  One of the meals that always makes me smile is their Cedar Plank Seared Salmon with a Creamy Dill Sauce.  I tried to make an attempt at that slightly sweet, very tangy, herb filled sauce, and while it’s not a direct copy, I think the flavour profile inspiration is there.  Try this dish and let me know what you think!

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Balsamic Vegetable Risotto with Pan-Fried Chicken Sausage

on Jun 06 in Featured Post, Pasta, Rice & Grains, Poultry tagged All, Chicken, Pasta/Grains/Rice, Vegetables, Vegetarian by Lauren

 

Since returning from our vacation last month, I haven’t really been incredibly motivated to cook.  But, now that we’ve been home for a few weeks, the creativity is starting to return.  As we haven’t had risotto in a while, I decided to empty the pantry one night by making a dish that included leeks, carrots, and peas and tie it all together with some saffron and good quality balsamic vinegar.  Pairing the risotto with some chicken sausages makes for a nice homey weeknight meal.

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