Sunday Southern Days

This is a great recipe I made in observance of the Orthodox Lenten season, where we do not consume meat for 40 days prior to Easter. This dish is a great side with broiled fish or alone and is a healthy source of fiber. 1 can petit diced tomatoes 4 c cooked lentils (cooking instructions below) 1 T dried oregano 1 T balsamic vinegar 1 small onion, diced 2 celery ribs, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth 1 t olive oil 1/8 t pepper 1/4 t salt If you are starting with a bag of dried lentils, follow these cooking instructions: Bring thre quarts of water in a large pot to boil. Add lentils and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 40 minutes. Drain lentils in a colander and gently rinse with water. Be careful not to smoosh the lentils. In a sauce pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion and celery until cooked, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add can of tomatoes (with juice), broth and lentils. Bring to boil, reduce to sim...

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions and Mushrooms) As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good beef bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated. Vegetable and wine suggestions: Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. I chose to serve it with oven-roasted red skin potatoes and buttered peas. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux-St. Emillion or Burgundy. Boeuf Bourguignon For 6 people 6-ounce chunk of bacon (I couldn't secure a full chunk of bac...

I had to print this out and put it on my office wall because I couldn't stop laughing at it on my computer screen. Seriously.

I received a beautiful pressure cooker as a wedding gift four years ago. My parents have one, my grandmother has one, my mother-in-law, and so on -- and everyone raves about them. But how can such tender meat come from a pot after only 20 minutes together? The mystery of how the pressure cooker works, and my irrational fear of it exploding in my kitchen, have prevented me from trying it out -- until now. My husband loves my mother-in-law's beef tips over pasta, so I decided to give it a whirl. I received the recipe from her (she measured some things in a 'handful' or 'teacup' serving, so I have adapted the recipe to use standard measurements where possible). The Recipe for Beef Tips over Pasta (Mosxari kai Macaronia, for you Greeks at home) 1 1/2 lbs. stew beef or beef tips 1 small can tomato paste 1 1/2 c tomato sauce OR diced, stewed tomatoes in their juice, totalling 1 1/2 c liquid) 1 c chicken broth, beef broth, OR water (or any combination totalling 1 ...

Something happens once the wedding planning is done and the thank you notes are written, but you don't yet have kids -- you work on the house! (At least, that's what goes down at Chez Poulos). While I've painted every room in the house (almost) over the last 18 months, I'm starting to work more on design for each room, making the room comfortable and cohesive, etc. For this piece, I'm focusing mainly on displaying photos and other items (post cards, notes, artwork, etc). Here is where I've been drawing some of my inspiration: Love the horizontal line to give the photo frames cohesion. I'm also digging the monochromatic frames. Frames with cork or chalkboards in them for hanging kids artwork and writing messages. Just love this photography and the mix of stills and family photos. Great idea with the map as a photo mat. I finally know what to do with all those postcards. This is great for a guest room room!

Minimal words here -- a weekend project lead me to paint two old Adirondack chairs and convert them to be Buffett-ready:

My cookbook quest continues, this time with Giada De Laurentis' Everyday Italian. I whipped up her White Bean and Tuna Salad to have on hand for lunch this week. This is an easy recipe with items you'll usually have on hand in your pantry. See my notes following the recipe to see other items you could add to this salad. 2 (6-ounce) cans of dark meat tuna, packed in oil. 1/2 t sea salt, plus more to taste 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste 2 (15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced and diced 6 T red wine vinegar In a large bown, add the tuna with it's olive oil and 1/2 t of each salt and pepper. Using a fok, break up the tuna into bit-size pieces, then toss gently with the beans and onions. Drizzle the red wine vinegar and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve as it or over a bed of fresh arugula. Chef's Tips: If you can't find tuna packed in olive oil and are using tuna packed i...