Ameera’s Sweet 16th Birthday Party Dessert Table Vanilla Cake with Buttercream and Strawberry Filling covered with Fondant and Chocolate Cake with Buttercream and Raspberry Filling Cake Truffles White Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting White Chocolate Dipped Oreo … Continue reading →

Roasted Purple Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Pecans, Gorgonzola and Maple Syrup I love Brussels sprouts and was very inspired when I saw these beautiful purple sprouts at Trader Joes.  They don’t taste different from the green sprouts, but the color … Continue reading →

Beef with Korean Rice Cakes, Asparagus, Carrots, and Spicy Black Bean Sauce The tteokbokki or traditional Korean rice cake noodles used in this dish are a thick, elongated noodle that are soft and chewy and go really well with the … Continue reading →

Chocolate Chip Cookies This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and I have used it for years.  I always use dark brown sugar, add lots of vanilla and always refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before I bake them. … Continue reading →

Carrots with Orange Glaze, Za’atar Spices, Cranberries and Pistachios The orange glaze and za’atar spices give these carrots a wonderful sweetness.  I made this dish with fresh rainbow baby carrots that I peeled and cut in half, but you could … Continue reading →

Five Spice Chicken with Vermicelli, Mushrooms and Fennel Chinese five spice powder is a wonderful spice combination that has been used for centuries and traditionally has Szechwan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and anise or fennel seeds that are ground … Continue reading →

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies with Caramel These chocolate hazelnut thumbprint cookies with caramel centers and drizzled with chocolate will be a big hit at any cookie exchange or dessert table.  The chocolate cookie has a nice crisp bite and when … Continue reading →

Japanese Chicken Tenders with Lemon Sauce Sometimes you just crave something fried and this is really good to make without having to get a deep fryer out. It’s also quick to cook because the chicken tenders have no bones and … Continue reading →

I made this salad to serve alongside a middle Eastern lamb dish I made and it was just right with the acidity and tartness paired of the oranges with the rich rack of lamb.  I couldn’t find blood oranges in … Continue reading →

Quince Saffron My friend has a quince tree that was brimming with ripe quince and he brought me a bag of this beautiful fruit from his backyard.  Quince is a fall fruit and resembles an apple or Asian pear, but … Continue reading →