Some ingredients are delicious on their own, and when it comes to using those ingredients in a recipe, simple but pure is the way to go. This unspoken rule can apply to the tomato. It’s juicy and even lightly sweet when ripe. It has an easy to recognize taste and texture; it brings vivid color to salads and life to pasta dishes.

Daphne’s Tomato Sauce won’t overwhelm your favorite dish, it will enhance it. The sauce brings out everything we love about tomatoes and more. It’s mild and clean, an uncomplicated recipe that pairs roma tomatoes with their favorite partner, basil. Garlic can also be tasted in the background, adding dimension to the sauce without distracting from the spotlight ingredient, a red fruit that doubles as a vegetable.

Use it to make an Italian meal. Drizzle it over oven-baked chicken breasts or fresh fish. There are so many ways to enjoy Daphne’s sauce, read what else she has to say about it on her blog, Edible Tulip.

When you’ve cooked up something you’re proud of, and there aren’t any leftovers by the end of the meal, you know that’s a better compliment than a simple thank you followed by that was delicious. Jeanette’s Fancy Ratatouille is a gobble-it-all-up kind of meal. It’s one of those recipes that doesn’t need fancy talk to persuade anyone to make it.

So just how good is it? Well, even the kids enjoyed it! She talks about it on her site In Our Kitchen. Jeanette loves getting together with her daughters to cook, and their Fancy Ratatouille has made it to the top of the list, their list of favorite dishes!

Don’t worry, you won’t find any little mice swimming in this ratatouille, even if the recipe is similar to the one used in the movie :). In fact, you’ll just find the freshest ingredients. Jeanette and her family hand-picked one of the vegetables from their back yard; it doesn’t get any more local and fresh than homegrown summer squash :).

I must confess that I am not a huge fan of fried rice, but when I read Lauren’s recipe for Pineapple Fried Rice I was intrigued and knew I had to try this out. Lauren first discovered this dish by accident when a coworker ordered it for lunch and ended up not wanting it. She has always been a bit skeptical of tofu, but her adventurous tongue would not let her go without giving it a taste; she was hooked immediately. She has since ordered it several times and has found a similar recipe so she can make it at home.

Making fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice, and Lauren comments that she has learned that the best results have actually come from using day-old rice. Check out more great cooking tips and recipes from Lauren on her blog, Healthy Delicious!

Lisa’s friend Lionel is bored with chicken. I think it is safe to say that most of us are bored with chicken. We’ve fried it, baked it, grilled it and roasted it and in the end it still just “tastes like chicken.” The question is, has the bird actually become boring or have we just made it boring?

When Lionel came to visit Lisa he told her that she had to cook everyday, and surprisingly he requested that she make roast chicken– “the not boring one - the honey spicy thingy.” The honey spicy chicken Lionel was referring to is Lisa’s infamous Honey Lemon Spicy Roast Chicken. On her blog, Lekker Lekker Lekkerste, she says, “I always make roast chicken when I have friends for dinner especially when I have real, old, comfortable like slippers friends. The kind I cook with and just throw everything and anything on the table.”

I think Lisa has answered my question. Maybe it is us and not the bird that have become boring. Maybe we just need to spice things up a bit, and I think Lisa’s roast chicken is the first step in the right direction.

Judging by the photo of this warm and filling meal, you’d never guess that Michael’s fish stew is quick and easy to prepare, but it is. It’s quick and easy to eat, too :). This is an unarguably fresh seafood stew. The vegetables and white fish Michael uses all contribute to the broth’s golden orange color, it’s completely homemade. Complex in taste, you’d never guess that Michael’s stew wasn’t simmering on the stove for hours.

Inspired by other Mediterranean dishes, Michael creates a stew that will satisfy all the senses. Though Michael’s list of ingredients would suit my tastes, he does say that when it comes to putting the stew together, “it’s all about your tastes and preferences.” This is something that’s definitely comforting to hear, especially for those of us who have a difficult time following recipes :). It’s hard to go wrong with Michael’s instructions; this is a recipe that you’ll enjoy putting together, whether you’re a beginning or advanced cook.

Healthy and pleasing to the eye, Michael’s fish stew is just one of the many beautifully plated and deliciously prepared meals featured on his blog Cooking with MIKLB. It’s also a place that you’ll want to check out for cooking tips!

The holiday season is right around the corner, it’s my favorite time of the year. Not only because I’m allowed to go overboard on purchasing kitcshy decorations, but also because it marks the start of baking season. Halloween candy apples and Thanksgiving pies will line your party tables, but so will the cookies, and there’s nothing worse than a naked sugar cookie! Forget about the sprinkles, it’s time to make room for Louise’s Royal Icing recipe!

Louise is a baking aficionada; when it comes to making elegantly decorated treats and cookies, she takes the cake! If you don’t believe me, take a minute (though I know you’ll want to stay there longer) to check out her blog CakeJournal. Sweets like flawlessly iced butterfly cookies and perfectly crafted sugar roses are what you’ll see! Her Royal Icing recipe with instructions and follow-along photos really caught my attention. I know I won’t be pulling my hair out over a bad frosting recipe this year, thanks to Louise :).

Her in-depth instructions are clear and concise. She even offers extra tips, like what to do if you want a runnier frosting for your cookies. Your favorite baking cookbook might be taking a rest this year, just follow Louise’s recipe and you’re set. Let the baking begin!

Quiche has always been a classic “go to” recipe for brunches and easy breakfast dishes. The great thing about quiche is its versatility. It has endless ingredient combinations and serving styles. Rachelle, from Mommy? I’m Hungry!, discovered this amazing quiche recipe on Allrecipes. Combining onions and bell peppers with chicken, sour cream, cheddar and swiss cheeses it’s easy to see why Rachelle fell in love with this recipe. She suggests doubling this recipe to ensure leftovers; her favorite way to eat this is cold the next day for lunch.

Quiche is a great breakfast or lunch recipe to serve to friends or guests staying at your home during this holiday season. Most quiche recipes are quick and simple, so you wont spend all of your time in the kitchen. You can make one large pie or several mini pies, serving each guest their very own. There are tons of possible flavors, so start getting creative, or just click here to see a few of the hundreds of quiche recipes found on Key Ingredient.

Rice doesn’t have to be the bland side dish that gets overlooked next to a much more exciting entree, it can be the fancy entree. In Cooking with Chopsticks, Hanna discusses all the labor and love that goes into preparing a rice dish cooked with bamboo shoots, or takenoko. Not only must care be taken with how the takenoko is cooked, but also how it is preserved. There is a reason why this plant tends to run on the pricier side, it needs quite a bit of well-deserved tender lovin’ care and attention.

Rice with Bamboo Shoots is the translated name, but the traditional name that Hanna uses to refer to this rice dish is takenoko gohan. Hanna explains that the dish tastes best when fresh bamboo is used as opposed to canned; she says the flavor comes out as much more subtle. Combined with shiitake mushrooms, salt, and soy sauce, what would appear to be a simple rice dish is enhanced with crunchy bamboo in Hanna’s takenoko gohan.

Taiyyaba’s Roasted Corn and Chicken Stew will come to your rescue in many ways, for many reasons. You might have too much guacamole left over from last night’s dinner get-together, or maybe you don’t know what to do with the extra dark meat of the huge chicken you bought on sale this weekend; it always seems to get turned into quesadillas or chicken salad at my house. It’s time for a change!

Instead of throwing out the leftover’s, make something you’ll appreciate eating. Something with pizazz, veggies, a little of this and that, but definitely a ton of hearty flavor. Try Taiyyaba’s Roasted Corn and Chicken Stew, and you’ll get all that and more. So many tasty Southwestern flavors in each bowl, you’ll taste everything from tomatoes and jalapenos to guacamole, lemon, and shredded chicken.

This is a recipe that comes with a great photo; you’ll probably find yourself drooling over it in awe before cookin’ it up. It’s a beautiful stew that tastes just as good as it looks. It goes by many names. In A Cup of Tea, Taiyyaba also refers to it by these names: “Why Is It So Cold In The Spring In NC” Soup or “We Just Had A Huge Barbeque on Saturday, What Will I Do With All The Leftovers” Soup. Call it whatever you like, so long as delicious is thrown in there somewhere.

Imagine if we could create a product that not only embraced everything you love about recipe blogging, but went one step further and allowed you to put those recipes in a digital device that goes in the kitchen. Well, we have! The name of the first and only digital-recipe reader is the Demy:

http://www.mydemy.com

Picture your recipes and beautifully captured photographs on a device that people everywhere are buying! We would like to include your recipes on our pre-loaded Demy. Please email me if you’re interested, you will receive credit for your recipes.

For every 5 recipes you submit, your name will be placed in a drawing to win the Demy! Be sure to check The Back Burner in the coming weeks for more details about the Demy’s release.

See the official rules here:

http://blog.keyingredient.com/official-rules-demy-giveaway/

Please contact sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining the contest.