Blog | leavedinnertolettie

Dec 28, 2018
2 min

Charred Carrots with Pomegranate, Mint and Rosemary

Often with the new year comes a change in your eating habits. Whether it is part of your resolution for the next year or you are just trying to cleanse your body of all the sugar you enjoyed over the holidays, a healthier menu finds its way into most homes. The best way to make this healthier eating habit stick is by finding recipes that are healthy, delicious and easy. You need foods around the house that are easy to make and store so when your tummy grumbles you can make th

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Chili Lime Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Skewers

Chef Lettie

Jul 23, 2018
2 min

Chili Lime Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Skewers

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of watermelon myself, but it is a summer staple so I have been playing around with it a bit this summer. The more recipes I create, the more that I am enjoying it. So now I'm actually eating watermelon sometimes. I never thought that would happen. I've always loved the synthetic watermelon flavor in gum or candy, but not the fruit itself for some reason. One of the things that I like about watermelon is that it has a subtle flavor so it

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Chef Lettie

Jun 26, 2018
2 min

Simple Tomato Bruschetta

Ever since I lived in Italy for the summer I have been in love with bruschetta. Now maybe it had to do with the fact that tomatoes in Italy taste truly amazing even when eaten plain, but there is something about this blend of flavors that I truly enjoy. It isn't just me. Every time I make this bruschetta people ask for the recipes and it’s so simple. There are very few ingredients in it, but each one packs so much flavor. This is obviously best when tomatoes are in season

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Sheet Pan Greek Tofu and Roasted Vegetables Brown Rice Bowl

Chef Lettie

Jun 21, 2018
3 min

Sheet Pan Greek Tofu and Roasted Vegetables Brown Rice Bowl

We are trying to eat more meatless meals in our home this summer. Mostly to ensure we are getting enough vegetables, but also because there are so many delicious things to make that don't have meat in them. I know not everyone loves tofu, so you could skip that part of this recipe. You can either just do the vegetables or add shrimp or chicken to the dish instead. By changing the protein, the cooking time of the dish will change as well, so just keep that in mind. This recipe

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Chef Lettie

Jun 8, 2018
2 min

Easy Foil Roasted Greek Potatoes

With a 20 month old and a growing business I love easy dinner ideas as much as the next person. I recently put this one together for a client. Nothing groundbreaking here, but delicious and great for any time of the year. You could do these in the oven or on the grill since they are wrapped in foil. Feel free to play with the ingredients too. These would be great with some fresh rosemary and balsamic vinegar topped with a little goat cheese. Yum, I have to try that now. My mo

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Chef Lettie

Jan 26, 2018
1 min

Buffalo Blue Cheese Slaw

This was a recipe that I created many years back. Well before becoming a personal chef. Since then, my family takes it upon themselves to throw this together for every family occasion throughout the summer. It is a recipe that fits many dietary restrictions, which makes it perfect for a summer or football potluck. Many people do not like coleslaw or at least the flavor of the sauce. I am one of those people that is very particular about my coleslaw. Since I love cabbage and

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Chef Lettie

Aug 2, 2017
2 min

Brown Butter Garlic Zucchini

When you have a garden, you often end up with an abundance of one vegetable. For some reason our zucchini plants like to produce all of their zucchini in a two week period and then die. So we have a ton of zucchini for a little while every summer. I try to find creative ways to enjoy it, so that we don't grow sick of zucchini. I stuff it, grill it, saute it, you name it, I've probably tried it. This recipe is adapted from one that my friend Nicole showed me many years ago. In

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Broccoli Rabe Salad with Lemon, Basil, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Chef Lettie

Apr 27, 2017
2 min

Broccoli Rabe Salad with Lemon, Basil, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

The first time I created this recipe I used shaved asparagus in it. While shaving the asparagus can be time consuming, you don't need to even blanch it because the shavings are so tender. You just shave it, mix together the rest of the ingredients and you are done. I recently had a client ask if I could use a different vegetable in the salad instead so I tried the broccoli rabe. I have to admit, I generally don't like broccoli rabe. It is too bitter for me. But I loved it in

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Chef Lettie

Mar 24, 2017
2 min

Orange Roasted Cauliflower

I love roasting vegetables both at home and for my clients throughout the year, although I do it a little less in the summer. During the warm months I prefer the grill if I can get it. Roasting helps to bring out all the delicious flavors in the vegetables while with ruining the texture and making them mushy. Roasted vegetables also keep well, which is important when I am cooking for clients. I suggest you roast up a big batch of this cauliflower when you have time and then y

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Chef Lettie

Feb 24, 2017
2 min

Cherry Season is Around the Corner

With spring time comes the beautiful cherry blossoms. We are lucky to live close enough to DC that we can enjoy the cherry blossoms when they are in full bloom. In fact my husband proposed to me after running the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. Unfortunately that year the cherry blossoms were blooming later then expected so not many had oped up yet. OK, back to the topic at hand. After the cherry blossoms are gone, we of course get to enjoy delicious, juicy and healthy cherries. Che

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Chef Lettie

Aug 16, 2016
3 min

Creamy Roasted Tomato and Basil Dip

A week ago I needed to come up with a recipe for my large family reunion. I wanted something that most people would enjoy, could feed a crowd, had a summer flair and wouldn't cost me a bundle to make. After all, there were close to 60 people there. As is the case every summer, I had an abundance of tomatoes from my garden, so I wanted to come up with a way to use them. I have been roasting the tomatoes a lot lately. Although they are sweet enough this time of year and don't r

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My First Time Cooking with Fiddlehead Ferns

Chef Lettie

May 4, 2016
3 min

My First Time Cooking with Fiddlehead Ferns

While researching fresh spring vegetables, you most likely recognize the usual suspects. Asparagus, arugula, artichokes, and peas just to name a few. But what about fiddlehead ferns. You may have read about them, but have you ever tried them? Fiddlehead ferns are forged and not grown just like another popular spring vegetable, ramps. And just like ramps, they can be really hard to find in the grocery store. I have been hearing more and more about fiddlehead ferns in recent ye

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Chef Lettie

Mar 31, 2016
2 min

Cooking With Spring Vegetables

There are so many wonderful things about spring. The smell of the thawing ground and blooming flowers, those bright colors, the warming weather and of course getting to enjoy fresh vegetables for the first time in months. Gone are the days of winter squashes and potatoes. Instead we get to start cooking with fresh, flavor packed vegetables and fruits that bring brightness even to a simple dish. Let's take a look at what vegetables and fruits are in season right now. There are

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Chef Lettie

Feb 18, 2016
2 min

Brown Sugar Butter Acorn Squash

This simple side dish is perfect for both fall and winter. My only problem this year has been finding fresh squash in the store. Has anyone had that issue this year? One time I couldn't find acorn squash so I cut butternut squash into rounds and used that instead. It wasn't as sweet but it was still delicious. If you want to make this simple recipe even simpler, you could do it in the microwave. It wouldn't get as brown and caramelized but it would be quicker. If you are like

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Roasted Tomatillo Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt

Chef Lettie

Dec 21, 2015
2 min

Roasted Tomatillo Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt

I was recently asked to bring a dip to a friends house for a gathering. When I got to the grocery store they either didn't have what I needed or the produce just didn't look good for the recipes that I wanted to make. Like under ripe avocados. I was not going to serve hard, tasteless avocados. On my way to the store I had started to think about a salad dressing that I could make for a client's salad in the coming week, and a tomatillo ranch came to mind. So I tried it out as

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Chef Lettie

Nov 14, 2015
3 min

My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and while every family has their traditional recipes that they love to cook every year, it can be fun to find one or two new ones to switch in every once in a while. This definitely makes it more exciting for the cook and hopefully more exciting for the guests as well. The key is to make sure the new dish is so delicious that they don't miss their boring old side that they have had a million times. There aren't that many traditional d

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Chef Lettie

Sep 9, 2015
2 min

Hoisin Glazed Baby Bok Choy

There is something about baby bok choy that excites both my husband and I, every time I cook it. At first I thought it was just because baby bok choy is hard to find so we didn't have it very much. However, now that I live closer to a Wegmans (the grocery store above all other grocery stores), I can get it whenever I want and we still get excited about it. It is easier to find the regular sized bok choy, but I'm not as big of a fan. There is something about the crunchy stalks

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Chef Lettie

Aug 20, 2015
2 min

Go To Dips

We have all been there. You find out last minute that a friend is coming by to catch up or maybe you had something scheduled for weeks and you just completely forgot about it. Whatever the case may be, the situation leaves you scrambling for something that your guest(s) can munch on. After all, you don't want to drink that wine on an empty stomach. Here are two of my favorite go to dips. They both involve ingredients that you most likely already have around your home and they

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Brown Butter Quinoa Salad with Caramelized Onions and Kale

Chef Lettie

Jul 9, 2015
2 min

Brown Butter Quinoa Salad with Caramelized Onions and Kale

It has been way too long since I lasted posted. Time has gotten the better of me. Hopefully this recipe will make up for it. I made this for a clients summer dinner party a couple of weeks back. I wish I had been one of the guests! We had talked about some kind of quinoa salad then I just took it from there. It was served alongside of chicken caprese so I wanted to pull some similar flavors out. Serves 4 as a side dish Ingredients 1 cup uncooked Quinoa 1 medium Onion, slice

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Chef Lettie

Mar 17, 2015
2 min

Strawberry Avocado Salsa

As we get closer and closer to strawberry season, it is fun to think about different ways to use them. Sure they are delicious just on their own, in desserts, smoothies or on salads. But what about making a savory dip out them to enjoy with your sangria outside as you relax after a long day. Doesn't that sound divine! As with all salsas or guacamole you can really customize this with your favorite flavors. You can serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or even a sweet chip lik

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