Pan Fried Shrimp with Spicy Pickled Lemon Mayonnaise

With extremely hot weather outside, even with the A/C on, the last thing anyone want is to stand by the stove for a long time. The following quick pan-fried shrimp dish is a good way to avoid that.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomatoes

In the following tasty and easy to prepare dish, cooked green olives are the dominant flavor component, and impart their unique flavor to the chicken and the sauce. While the concept of cooked olives is not widely familiar in many cuisines, it is an integral part of the Moroccan cuisine, as well as other Mediterranean cuisines, such as the French, Spanish, Italian, Greek and more, and the dish was inspired by them.

Lamb and Fennel Stew

This quick and easy to prepare stew is the perfect dish for this season, when spring somehow refuses to fully arrive, yet the heavier winter’s stews are not as happily accepted.

Fennel is a wonderful vegetable, with a distinctive anise flavor, which is one of my favorites. Its fresh flavor pairs wonderfully with the relatively heavy lamb cut. To enhance this anise flavor, I’ve added fennel seeds and a bit of Ouzo, the Greek anise flavored liquor.