Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I love making frittatas for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is also a great way to get rid of leftovers in the fridge.

The usual base is potatoes, onions with a bit of garlic. Those three things are always in my pantry. So are the eggs, cheese and some kind of vegetable in the crisper.

In this case, we were getting together with family for brunch and my cousin was making blueberry pancakes. I decided to make something savory. She was also serving bacon with the pancakes so I decided to keep the frittata vegetarian. In the past I have made it with baby spinach, asparagus or green beans. This time, I decided to top it with a baby arugula salad. It looks pretty and tastes delicious. It took me no time to put the omelet together. I sliced the potatoes really thin and sauteed them with onions and garlic. I then covered the potato mixer with eggs beaten with a bit of half and half and cheese. Any kind of cheese can be used. I had a pack of four Italian cheeses- it was delicious. Once the frittata was fully cooked, I mixed arugula with a bit of lemon juice, salt and olive oil.  I then topped the dish with the arugula salad right before serving. It looked gorgeous- the bright green against the creamy yellow eggs. The taste was not so shabby either- the slight bite of the arugula went perfectly well with the savory, creamy eggs and potatoes. We all enjoyed the brunch with the delicious pancakes, bacon and mimosas.

• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Pepper
• ¼ cup half and half
• 1 cup shredded four-cheese mix (asiago, provolone, parmesan, mozzarella) divided

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, half and half and half cup cheese. Beat well and keep aside.
Click here for the recipe… »

This is a perfect spring/summer salad. I used golden beets instead of the regular red ones- there isn’t much taste difference but I love the way they look. They are a tad bit milder than the other ones. I paired them with a lovely bunch of asparagus.

I individually wrapped the beets and roasted them in the oven. I like them roasted the best- they become nuttier and sweeter. Half way through, I roasted the asparagus in the same oven and I was done.

The rest was easy- I made a vinaigrette with mustard, olive oil and some white wine vinegar. I love a big burst of salt – so, decided to add some crumbled feta and kalamata olives.

The salad was delicious. This will be perfect with any grilled meal you decide to make this weekend. Enjoy!
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Here is another delicious drink recipe courtesy of my dear husband. As I have mentioned before he is a great mixologist and our friends and family are very grateful recipients of his creative talent.

He made this drink for the barbecue we were having. I was making the lamb burgers paired with the carrot and potato salads.

The delicious drink is made with the usual white rum but in this one citrus white rum is used- it imparts a great lemony flavor. The other important flavor of course is the pomegranate liquor- the star ingredient. The tangy pomegranate flavor goes perfectly well in this delicious drink. It provides the right amount of sweetness.

Some ice and lots of fresh mint make this drink perfect. It is ideal for the summer months- especially for the upcoming long weekend.

Make this delicious drink and your guests may never leave the backyard…

• 1 oz pomegranate liquor
• 1 oz citrus white rum
• ½ oz limejuice
• ¾ oz simple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• 2 oz club soda
• Ice

In a drink mixer, add the fresh mint and simple syrup. Muddle the mint with the back of a spatula. Add the pomegranate liquor, rum and limejuice. Shake well and pour into a glass full of ice. Add the club soda on top and serve.

You have to admit- this salad (like yesterdays) looks gorgeous. Like the carrot salad, this one has most spices used in Moroccan cuisine. I did use smoked paprika- which is more of a Spanish ingredient- but since I love this spice on potatoes- I decided to use it in this salad.

The good thing about this dish, besides the taste, is that it can be made in advance. In fact it tastes better as the potatoes bathe in the delicious dressing for a few hours. The main ingredient in the dressing is a lot of powdered cumin. I always have lots of cumin seeds at hand but never buy the powdered variety since powdered spices loose their flavor very quickly. I ground the cumin and added it to the oil, cilantro, parsley and lemon juice. The smoky dressing was a great compliment to the creamy potatoes.

I grilled the potatoes the same way I did the carrots. It was very easy to make and the dish went perfectly with the lamb burgers and the carrot salad. It was a delicious, simple and healthy barbecue to prepare.

We all had a wonderful time and washed the delicious food down with some fabulous pomegranate mojitos. How do you make them- you ask??? Stay tuned tomorrow and I will share my husband’s fabulous recipe.
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This dish is delicious and great looking. I love making dishes that look attractive since we eat with our eyes first.

This is a continuation to yesterday’s post. I made the lamb burgers with this carrot salad. Since my general theme was Moroccan inspired- I looked for sides and salads to serve with the burgers. The first thing to come up was carrot salad. I looked at a bunch of recipes and came up with this one.

I used baby carrots but regular sized will do just fine too. I sliced them really thin and grilled them. I have a grill pan that I use for grilling vegetables, fish or anything that is difficult to manage on the grates. Once the carrots were golden brown but still crunchy, I added the super yummy orange dressing. I reduced some freshly squeezed orange juice and added honey, cumin, lemon juice and some herbs. It resulted in an amazing, flavorful sauce.

The great thing about this salad is that you can make it in advance since it is served at room temperature. I had everything ready in advance and all I did once company came was grill the burgers.

It was simple, convenient and a crowd pleaser- exactly the ideas you want for a fabulous long weekend- enjoy!
Click here for the recipe… »