My Madison Bistro

I have to confess that I’ve made summer rolls three times in one week. After each meal, I still had dipping sauces leftover, and those sauces kept beckoning to me from the fridge. I also had prepped vegetables in the fridge, plus some leftover chicken. . . I simply couldn’t resist.

These rolls are perfect for summer – they are light and refreshing, and once you get the hang of rolling them, they assemble quickly. Don’t worry if they don’t look perfect – ahem, did you see mine?

I also really have to recommend making both dipping sauces. Both are delicious, but so different that it’s like having two meals in one night. They both bring out completely different personalities of the same roll. If you end up with leftover peanut sauce, simply toss it with pasta, some red pepper and carrot matchsticks (especially if you have some leftover from these rolls), scallions, and leftover chicken for a quick meal.

Continue reading “Summer Rolls”

Tags: Asian food, chicken, everyday food, shrimp, Vegetables

I first made a Pavlova a couple of years ago for my birthday. Its such a pretty, girly dessert, and its something fun and different for a birthday. Unfortunately, my birthday is in early May, and its not exactly berry season at that time.

This year, I really wanted a Pavlova on my birthday, but I convinced myself to wait until the berries would actually taste good. As I was thinking about what kind of dessert to post for the 4th of July, I realized that the berry Pavlova would give me the red, white, and blue color scheme I was looking for. Though its not your typical bbq fare, this dessert is both pretty and delicious, a wonderful addition to any celebration.

“Continue reading “Mixed Berry Pavlova”

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries

Ive already demonstrated that I have a weakness for chocolate and peanut butter rice krispy bars through parts one and two of my peanut butter crispy bar wars.

A couple of weeks ago when my parents were visiting, my mom and I spent some time flipping through my stack of food magazines. I am the person who arranges old issues by month and season, so I can immediately grab the June issue of every cooking magazine I own. Yes, I am that big of a dork.

But in this case, it was the very last recipe of the new Everyday Food that caught my attention. We were planning on grilling simple burgers and hot dogs for dinner that night, and this easy recipe for chocolate-peanut butter rice krispy bars seemed to be the perfect ending to a laidback meal.

They did not disappoint. Frankly, I have to say I like this particular recipe the best I like the combination of the marshmallows and peanut butter, as opposed to using corn syrup, which produces a harder bar. Plus, these are so easy to make that you really can whip them up in less than ten minutes, or put anyone to work in your kitchen.

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Tags: chocolate, comfort food, everyday food, peanut butter

A good fruit scone is possibly my favorite go-to breakfast treat. In my old age, I often dont want an excessively sweet breakfast (though I do still sometimes succumb), but I do still want something bursting with flavor that pairs well with my morning coffee.

I had some blueberries sitting around in the fridge, and I happened to come across this recipe in an old issue of Martha Stewart Living, when I was searching for a chicken fajitas recipe that I enjoy. I think fate was trying to help me use up the blueberries, since I still havent made the fajitas!

The scones have been made, and still many reside in my freezer, just waiting for the mornings when I need a little bit of a treat. They do freeze well to reheat, simply pop one in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes. For an extra touch of sweetness, dust with confectioners sugar.

Continue reading “blueberry buttermilk scones”

Tags: blueberries, Martha Stewart, scones