Parmesan Polenta

My friend made this recipe for a dinner she was hosting a while back. At that point I had not had polenta in years and I realized I was missing out. This polenta was delicious. She served it with roasted brussel sprouts and salmon. I've made this roast chicken before and other times with a poached on top. The Parmesan in this recipe gives the polenta its flavor. I tend to eat way too much of this when I cook it, but it's hard to resist. This is also a very easy side dish and it works great for yourself and is also nice enough to serve for guests. You can make this look nicer by adding a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper and some shaved Parmesan on top.

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Honey Rosemary Roasted Carrots

I discovered my love for honey roasted carrots about 5 years ago when I was in a phase of making lamb roasts every few weeks. One day I decided to drizzle some honey on the vegetables surrounding the meat and I was hooked. I remembering eating more veggies than anything else that night. I now like to make honey roasted carrots as a side dish to a variety of main courses. I last made these as part of a vegetarian feast where I made a bunch of different salads and roasts (I had a ton of farmer's market veggies to use up). I use fresh rosemary in this recipe, but you can improvise with whatever you like.

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Japanese Style Carrot and Ginger Dressing

I have always loved Japanese carrot and ginger salad dressing, but until now had never thought of making it at home. Turns out it is very easy to make and tastes delicious. I served this for some friends a few weeks ago and the salad was devoured. You need to double the recipe if you want to serve more than 3 to 4 people.

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Tomato, Feta and Caramelized Onion Tart

I have always been a fan of tomato and feta based snacks. One of my favorite sandwiches is a fresh pita stuffed with tomatoes, feta cheese and basil. This tart is the fancy, guest approved version of that. I serve this with a salad and it makes a great summertime dinner. Don't go too heavy on the onions or the tart may become soggy. This tart is best straight out of the oven (plus a few minutes of cool down time). If you reheat it try avoiding the microwave.

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Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

I was looking for a salad that would be easy to transport and wouldn't get soggy if I made it ahead of time. I was bringing food to a friend's party and didn't have time the day of to do anything that required more than five minutes. Luckily, my mom's friend told me about this salad that she loves serving during the summer. I've had this as a main course before when I wasn't very hungry, but it goes great with any BBQ basics.

The dressing used in this salad can be altered for your preferences. I tend to like it on the creamy side and use more yogurt than my mom's friend. If you like the citrus kick feel free to add more lemon. I have also made this without the cranberries and nuts and have enjoyed that too. This salad will still be crunchy and delicious the next day.
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