Patty Melts

This may be obvious to many people, but patty melts are great!  I'd never had one before and was pleasantly surprised by how simple and delicious they are.  It's not a particularly healthy choice, since it's basically a burger crossed with a grilled cheese sandwich, but it really hits the spot. 

All you need is:
Ground beef
Rye bread
Swiss cheese
Onions
Butter

Spicy Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

Not everyone's husband would be enthusiastic about the idea of cold melon soup. I'm pretty lucky.  

I used to hate cantaloupe more than any other fruit.  In the dead of winter, it just tastes gross in a grocery store fruit tray.  But then I tried a local, ripe summer cantaloupe and I saw what all the fuss was about.  

We found some farm-fresh cantaloupe on a country drive and couldn't resist.  But I knew the two of us couldn't get through a whole melon by just slicing and eating it.  

I found this recipe from Martha Stewart for chilled cantaloupe soup, which couldn't be easier or more refreshing.

Peach Raspberry Crisp

Are you ready for a shocking confession?  I've never made a pie.  

Well, to be more accurate, I've never made a pie crust.  I've made a key lime pie with graham cracker crust, but that barely counts as pie.   I've never made pie crust from scratch or baked a real pie. 

Chicken with Roasted Apricots

This is a quick and easy combination of crispy chicken and sweet, spiced fruit that tastes wonderful together.  The recipe comes from the New York Times.  Here's what you need: 

6-8 apricots
4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other vegetable oil

Spanish Sausage Hash with Potatoes & Corn

We found some more delicious sausage at The Hungary Butcher at Ogilvies Market.  This time we chose the spicy Spanish sausage.  I thought it would be nice with some crispy potatoes.  I also had some fresh corn from the market so I threw that in too.  It tasted incredible and we'll definitely have it again.  

I made this one up myself.  This will make enough for 4.  Here's what you need:

Pineapple Glazed Short Ribs

This terrific recipe comes from Canadian Beef.  The beef is marinated in pineapple juice which is then boiled and turned into a glaze to flavour the meat while it grills.

I've been trying out different kinds of organic and natural beef.  I found some "Miami-style" short ribs.  They are also called Korean-style or flanken-cut ribs, sliced thin through the bone and good for grilling.  

Here's what you need:

Lobster Rolls

You can't argue with that.

I love cooking seafood because it photographs so beautifully.  This tastes as good as it looks but it is not a "traditional" lobster roll and it is not a healthy choice.  I went light on the butter compared to the original recipe and it's still about twice as much butter as I'd normally consider cooking with.  But it was worth it.  So delicious.  

I picked up a couple of frozen lobster tails on sale this weekend and thought lobster rolls would make good use of them.  I originally intended to make traditional cold lobster rolls with mayonnaise and celery, but I got lazy at the last minute and found these buttery, Connecticut-style lobster rolls.  Never a fan of mayo, these are more my speed so I made them instead. 

First, a disclaimer.  Lobster rolls are one of those foodstuffs like pizza that people have passionate, regional, unbreakable rules about.   A real lobster roll must be made with fresh whole lobster, with mayonnaise and minimal other ingredients and served on a top-sliced, commercial hot dog bun.   Check out this awesome blog post where the writer is outraged about the use of green stuff and frozen lobster tails.   

Even though this recipe may be considered a travesty by traditionalists, it was so delicious I have no regrets.