Avocado BLT Fresh Rolls with Warm Bacon Nuoc Cham

Avocado BLT Fresh Rolls with Bacon Nuoc Cham
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It seems I can’t let a summer pass without making fresh rolls – a couple of rounds at least. And because I am a weirdo, I am incapable of making any of the traditional versions. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rice paper rolls from my local Vietnamese place and I have enjoyed a shrimp roll or two in my day. But as far as I’m concerned, these classic rolls are best when they’re made by seasoned hands. My lemongrass chicken rolls will never approach the perfection I get from Pho Challenge up the street from me. So, I mess with the fillings and what I have learned from my experiments is anything you can put in a sandwich you can put in a rice paper roll. And these Avocado BLT Fresh Rolls are further evidence of my findings.

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Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava & Fingerling Hodge-Podge

Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava and Fingerling Hodge-Podge
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I’m two weeks deep into my fully vaccinated life and I’m starting to feel the rush of familiarity. I ate on a patio this past Monday and I just booked my tickets home at long last. The everyday joys of my pre-pandemic life are creeping back in. And bigger ticket items, like travel, are no longer flights of fancy – pun very much intended. So in honor of my approaching return to Nova Scotia, I present this plate inspired by my beloved home province – Molasses Glazed Pork Chops with Fava and Fingerling Hodge-Podge.

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Avocado BLT Salad with Ranch Onion Rings

Avocado BLT Salad with Ranch Onion Rings
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I think it’s time to revoke my status as a salad-hater. I don’t think it’s a true statement anymore. Given the number of salads I’ve recently posted and the several I have waiting in the wings, it’s fair to assume I’m a salad-lover at this point. But I don’t have love for just any salad. A salad must come with a side of naughty to mask a bit of the nice. I’m not proud of this childish approach to eating my greens. But if onion rings can make me feel a touch more enthusiastic about spinach so be it. And this Avocado BLT Salad with Ranch Onion Rings made me very excited about consuming leafy greens and I think it will do the same for you.

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Braised Red Cabbage with Kielbasa & Forbidden Rice

Braised Red Cabbage with Kielbasa and Forbidden Rice
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Okay, this is admittedly an intensely moody dish for the first weekend of spring. I know everyone is busting out the verdant greens and sunny yellows. And here I am with a bruise of a bowl. But I can’t help it. Even in the dead of summer my favorite colors will always be purple, black, and pink. Black is always central to my aesthetic because it accentuates color so well. But in spite of my lack of enthusiasm, as we move towards sunnier palettes, I am happy to see the return of spring. Today’s Braised Red Cabbage with Kielbasa & Forbidden Rice may not reflect that, but please know I feel it in my heart.

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