seasonal : spring

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw

February 14, 2019

If you’re feeding a crowd, there’s not many recipes easier or more beloved than slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches topped with a simple, crunchy, vinegar-dressed slaw.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Whether it’s summer get togethers or a laid back game day gathered ’round the TV, there’s no better option for easy eats like pulled pork sandwiches. They’re simple to make, easily customizable, and it’s rare I don’t hear enthusiastic, “Oh, that sounds so good” from those I’m making them for.

These sandwiches start with my slow cooker pulled pork that seriously tastes even better the longer it sits in the fridge, making it perfect for make-ahead menus and weekly meal planning.

And in the world of recipe making, how many can claim that distinction?!

continue to the recipe… about Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw

Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

February 11, 2019

When your main dish recipe needs a decadent side dish side kick, there’s nothing like a creamy, thyme-infused cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe to do the job, and to do it easily too.

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

There are few side dishes that are more comforting than those made with potatoes. Creamy mashed potatoes. Buttery parsley potatoes. The best potato salad ever. Smashed, twice baked, and roasted potatoes, and so many more.

But au gratin potatoes hold a special place in my food loving heart. They’re creamy, cheesy, and no matter how you slice, spoon, or stack them, they fit in just right alongside both special occasion main dishes or simple weekend burgers.

Creamy on the inside with crisped bites along the edges, these au gratin potatoes don’t call for a floured roux or canned soup, instead letting the potatoes, cream and broth combine to do their creamy thing they do so well.

And here’s the final fact of this potato act…whether you make au gratin potatoes for a crowd of one or a crowd of many, they’re going to be a crowd pleaser every which way.continue to the recipe… about Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

February 7, 2019

Slow cooker pulled pork is one of the easiest, foolproof recipes to make in the crock pot, and since it makes plenty of leftovers, it should be a staple for every home cook’s meal prep plans.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Whether serving for a crowd to cheer for on game day, or adding to your weekly meal prep plans, slow cooker pulled pork is one of those meals that keeps the masses happy. And since it’s so easy to make, it’s a natural favorite of the cook in the kitchen, too.

Next to classic baked chicken breasts, pulled pork is pretty much the gold standard for batch cooking. It’s plentiful in portions yet still leaves enough for leftovers to be turned into loads of different recipes stemming from just one base.

With just a few basic rules to follow, the method for making Crock Pot pulled pork is a cinch to master:

Choose the right cut of meat
Layer your flavor builders
Low and slow is the way to go
And finally, shred it like you mean it

Let’s do this.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Just Like Taco Bell Tacos Recipe

February 4, 2019

Forget the drive thru, this is how to make a beef tacos recipe that tastes just like Taco Bell tacos for an easy Taco Tuesday dinner at home any night of the week.

You Quiero Taco Bell Tacos

“So, where did you have lunch today?”

It’s pretty much the same question I ask my husband every day. I mean, there’s only so much stimulating conversation to be had when documenting our day to day after all these years of marriage. And pretty much every day for the past 20 years he has the same answer. “Taco Bell.” If he was a guy who was into tattoos, it’s likely he’d have, “Yo quiero Taco Bell” emblazoned somewhere on his body.

And I have to say, I can’t blame the man for loving his tacos, because say what you will about fast food—I’m not much of a fan—but Taco Bell tacos are pretty much the cat’s meow when it comes to drive thru Mexican food.

I blame my mother in law for creating my man’s Taco Bell taco obsession. Because my MIL makes the best homemade beef tacos ever, and while it took me a while to realize it, one of the reasons they are so good is because they taste eerily similar to the beloved Taco ala Bell.

Years ago I ditched my own taco recipe in favor of hers, and today I’m finally sharing the secrets to these homemade tacos that make them taste so good they could very well curb your drive thru habit too.

continue to the recipe… about Just Like Taco Bell Tacos Recipe

Gwyneth’s Blueberry Muffins Recipe

January 23, 2019

These blueberry muffins are moist, loaded with berries, and so easy to make from scratch I’ll never make the boxed kind again.

There are several recipes for my favorite baked goods that I am perennially trying to find the PERFECT recipe for. My top three recipe-seeking baking obsessions are: the best chocolate chip cookies—CHECK! and with chocolate chip with oatmeal—CHECK!, the best brownies—CHECK!, and the best blueberry muffins—now it’s CHECK CHECK CHECK!

I made these blueberry muffins as I always do for Christmas morning, and then I made them again a week later, and then I made them again just a few days ago. After referring to this post that many times I wanted to give it a refresh. So here we are, all shiny and new.

A few years ago when I purchased my copy of the multi-faceted-actress-singer-Goop-creator-now media mogul Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter cookbook, and discovered her mother’s recipe for blueberry muffins, my heart skipped a beat.

The photography plus my girl crush on Gwyneth back then made me pick up the book. But it was that blueberry recipe that sold it. And why I’m sharing it again today.continue to the recipe… about Gwyneth’s Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Ina Garten’s Easy Cioppino Recipe

January 21, 2019

You don’t have to be a chef to make this recipe for the Barefoot Contessa’s authentic cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew loaded with shrimp, cod, mussels, and clams for a healthy soup and surprisingly easy dinner that goes from fridge to table in just about an hour.

Fun fact. Back in the day I worked as a server (we called ourselves waitresses then) in the best seafood restaurant is Salt Lake City. It was the summer after graduating college and I was saving money for a trip to Europe. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at a job, and even better, it’s where I met my husband.

I was a good waitress. Most of the time. But there was that one time I definitely was not, that dinner service I was carrying a tray loaded with three iron serving skillets atop china plates filled with hot-as-hell cioppino to be served to my table that was up the stairs and around that always tough-to-navigate corner.

As I rounded the corner, I felt it happening. The heavy platters saddled with those steamy pots of Italian fisherman’s stew slowly began to slide. I braced myself and tried to rebalance. It didn’t work. The platters of cioppino slid off the china plates. And then off the tray. And then directly into the lap of my hungry customer. It was a waterfall of tomato stew. My customer had been totally cioppinoed.

That poor guy was not one bit happy about it. But then who would be? And yes, his dry cleaning bill came out of my check.

Luckily that whole nightmare of an experience didn’t tarnish my love for cioppino. In fact, it inspired me to learn to make it at home. Safely at home.continue to the recipe… about Ina Garten’s Easy Cioppino Recipe

Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

January 16, 2019

This sautéed spinach recipe with sweet, caramelized slivers of garlic takes just 10 minutes to cook for a healthy side dish that goes with any meal.

Who else is joining me on the eat-more-plants train? And doing it the super easy way? I see you! You’re coming along for the ride too!

Getting more greens in our diets should be the focus of every eater, and the darker and leafier, the better.

While pretty much everyone likes a wedge of Iceberg, it’s the dark, leafy greens where you’ll find the real health benefits of getting in your veggie greens. Sorry iceberg, but all greens are not created equal.

This spinach side dish is fresh and light, with chunks of sweetened, caramelized garlic that infuses the oil the spinach is cooked in. It makes a perfect pairing for just about any main meal.continue to the recipe… about Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

5 Easy Tips for Juicy Roast Chicken

January 14, 2019

A juicy, crispy roast chicken with vegetables is one recipe every home cook can—and should—easily master.

Roast Chicken Recipe

Why would a little old bird seem so intimidating to me? Maybe because the little clucker has inspired more failed recipe attempts for me than any other recipe I’ve tried to master.

Am I alone here?

Roast chicken is supposed to be easy. It’s not like you need new technology or fancy schmancy ingredients. It’s one of the basics and cooks have been roasting birds for, like, forever.

So what was my problem?

continue to the recipe… about 5 Easy Tips for Juicy Roast Chicken

50 Favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes

January 13, 2019

The Mediterranean Diet has been named 2019’s diet of the year, and this list of 50 breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes makes it easy to add more of the Med-inspired lifestyle to your weekly meal plan.

The Best Diet of 2019

Just as we were setting our sights on eating better with the New Year, US News and World Report came out with their standings of the best diets to follow for 2019, and for the first time, the Mediterranean Diet took top honors. CNN reports the diets were ranked on: “how easy it is to follow, its nutritional completeness, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its safety and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease.”

Unlike many of the trendy, silver bullet diets that are at the bottom of this year’s list and you see everyone jumping through hoops to try (and ultimately bail out on), the Mediterranean diet is a centuries-old lifestyle for long-term health and wellness instead of a quick weight loss fad that never seems to really last.continue to the recipe… about 50 Favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Easy Chicken Piccata

January 9, 2019

This easy chicken piccata recipe with a lemon-caper sauce is a classic you’ll find on the menu of nearly every Italian restaurant, and because it can be made in just 20 minutes, it’s one of my favorite at-home recipes too.

“I have too many easy chicken dinner recipes” said nobody ever. And you guys agree, the more healthy the flavor, the more better. Not grammatically correct, but dang it tastes good.

When it seems there’s nothing to cook for dinner, this chicken recipe is one I can always pull out of my magic hat and wow my family with dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.

Because nobody ever said they didn’t want more fast dinners, too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Chicken Piccata

50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

January 7, 2019

This list of 50 slow cooker recipes for chicken, chili, pot roast, and even pizza are the secret to getting easy crockpot dinners on the table fast.

We all know money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither does time. Despite our best laid plans, it always seems to slip through our busy little fingers, and before we know it, we glance up from our watches after a hectic work day, and it’s already 5 o’clock.

On marathon days like these, coming home and having to scramble to figure out what’s for dinner, or diving into a multiple step recipe with a laundry list of ingredients is pretty much the last thing we feel like doing.

However, coming home to a kitchen that smells like Ina Garten’s taken over and has been cooking for Jeffrey all day—that’s just what the doctor ordered. And thanks to a little planning and a little slow cooker magic, it’s perfectly achievable.

Check out this list of FIFTY (!) slow cooker recipes for easy, breezy weeknight dinners that work for weekends too.

continue to the recipe… about 50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

Easy Instant Pot Monkey Bread

January 2, 2019

This easy pull-apart bread starts with frozen dinner rolls that rise overnight and are then baked in the Instant Pot pressure cooker for a sweet and fast cinnamon sugared breakfast or brunch treat.

I’m not sure who made up the name for this sweet, sticky pull-apart bread, but whoever did nailed it on the head. Because just like monkeys who are known to pick, pick, pick at their favorite things, this cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecan-laced monkey bread is the perfect sweet breakfast or brunch finger food.

This overnight monkey bread is made with frozen yeast dinner rolls so be sure to plan ahead and allow time for the rolls to rise overnight.

The unique part of this recipe is that instead of being baked in the oven, this monkey bread is baked in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Yes! You can bake in the Instant Pot, and successfully do so too.

The other part of this recipe I love so much is the “balls” of the monkey bread are cut in half before baking to make smaller bites, ensuring that every single nugget is lathered in that classic sticky, cinnamon and brown sugar goodness.

Half the size means you can enjoy them all year long, whether it’s Christmas breakfasst, or New Years brunch, or any time you’re craving that sweet treat any monkey would put his hat on and dance for.continue to the recipe… about Easy Instant Pot Monkey Bread

Easy Shrimp Cocktail

December 27, 2018

This shrimp cocktail platter with my favorite 5-ingredient homemade cocktail sauce is one of my secrets for an quick and easy appetizer to throw together on the fly.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

One of my favorite memories of going to Las Vegas and hitting the casinos wasn’t gambling, showgirls, or watching the synchronized fountains become performers all upon themselves. Nope. My Las Vegas goal was always to find at least one old school casino $1 shrimp cocktail to snack and savor. Today’s Las Vegas makes them harder to find, but that doesn’t mean I am willing to go without.

Those vacation shrimp cocktails are the inspiration for one of my favorite easy appetizers that fits any season and every appetite. They also make a healthy, low-fat snack or paired with a simple salad they’re the perfect take-to-work lunch or fast supper.

But whether I’m making this shrimp cocktail as a before dinner bites from my list of favorite appetizer recipes or impressive addition to the potluck party, my platter presentation is simple but elegant, without all the fuss.continue to the recipe… about Easy Shrimp Cocktail

How to Make an Instagram-Worthy Charcuterie Board

December 11, 2018

Charcuterie boards loaded with all the antipasti snacks have taken over the internet. Here’s my tips for how to make your meat and cheese plates Instagram-worthy, along with a special treat for all to share.

This post is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

‘Tis the season for…charcuterie boards taking over the internet.

Whether it’s a spur of the moment gathering for cocktails and fellowship, or a full-blown party to deck the halls and the tree, a meat and cheese board is the easiest appetizer to pull together fast, and it’s always sure to please.

But how do you make your charcuterie board totally delicious, and at the same time a totally impressive image to show off to all your Instagram friends?

These are my tips for building the best charcuterie meat and cheese board platter that’s almost too good to eat. And I do mean, almost…

But first, I have a treat for you!continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Instagram-Worthy Charcuterie Board

Sesame Soba Noodles

December 10, 2018

This Japanese Sesame Soba Noodles recipe makes a simple Asian side dish or easy main meal that can be served hot or cold, and is on the table in 20 minutes or less.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

When we talk about where to go if we’re eating out, 8 out 10 of our favorite spots are going to be Asian. Funny enough, Chinese is probably the lowest on the list, with Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and of course Japanese all vying for our taste buds top spot.

When we go out to eat, we don’t even think about how complicated a dish might be. But when we cook at home, you can bet your chopstick that simplicity is a big part of our dinner-making decisions.

New Years Day is one day we won’t be heading out anywhere to eat. For us it’s all about taking it easy and cooking at home. Asian noodles are a traditional New Years Day dish, with signifying longevity, good luck, and starting the year with a clean slate. Plus, these soba noodles are light yet savory, and filling enough to cure any of the aftereffects of New Year’s Eve’s shenanigans.

This Sesame Soba Noodle recipe ticks all of our favorite recipe-making boxes. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s totally flavorful. And it goes with so many of our favorite mains, and it even makes a main meal all in itself.

continue to the recipe… about Sesame Soba Noodles

French Onion Dip

December 5, 2018

This homemade French Onion Dip mixes sweet caramelized onion with Greek yogurt to make a healthy dip that’s the hit of the party.

This recipe is brought to you by Stonyfield

You see it at every party as the host tries to steer guests out of the kitchen and into the actual party. But people linger, dipping into the appetizer nibbles, and always congregating around the food.

And what’s the favorite at every party? It’s always the chips and dip. Everyone loves a dip. Because what’s not to love?

And pretty much there’s no dip more lovable than an easy, savory, French Onion Dip. It’s the gateway drug for anyone who claims they don’t like onions. It’s caramelized and sweet, and sturdy enough to take on any veggie or chip.

The only thing better? The fact that this homemade French Onion Dip tastes better because it’s made healthier with organic Greek yogurt.

continue to the recipe… about French Onion Dip

Easy Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables

December 3, 2018

Traditional tandoori chicken is made in a clay oven, but this version of the classic Indian chicken dinner is baked on a sheet pan with Indian spiced vegetables for a complete meal any night of the week.

Chicken dinner ideas that are full of flavor but easy to make are definitely my idea of weeknight success.

It’s what I call my dinner flavor jam. Minus the literal jam.

This 30-minute chicken recipe comes to you from the New York Times Best Seller Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook, written by my friend Gina of the blog Skinnytaste. This is Gina’s third cookbook, and home cooks everywhere are applauding and thanking it every time they use it.

Each of the recipes are family favorites made healthy and Weight Watchers friendly. They’re all cooked in either a skillet, in the slow cooker, in the Instant Pot, in the air fryer, or on a sheet pan in the oven, just like this easy, all-in-one sheet pan Tandoori Chicken dinner.continue to the recipe… about Easy Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

November 19, 2018

Knowing how to make mashed potatoes is a basic recipe every home cook needs in their kitchen skill set, and this easy recipe shows how to make the best creamy, buttery, mashed potatoes every time.

The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Does the internet really need another mashed potatoes recipe? To some, the answer could be a “no”, but then the naysayers haven’t tried my easy recipe for the best mashed potatoes that works every single time.

Sure, flavored mashers like garlic mashed potatoes are tasty, and crock pot mashed potatoes might be convenient, but the best mashed potatoes to pair with any recipe are the kind mom used to make. Potatoes that are fluffy and creamy at the same time, and that don’t skimp on the butter.

There are a only a couple of easy tricks you need to master to get a great mashed potato to complete any meal. After years of mashed potato making, I’ve figured them out, and that’s why I’m adding my mashed potato recipe to the internet today.continue to the recipe… about Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

November 11, 2018

This easy, healthy, delicious kale salad with cranberries, sliced apples, sharp white cheddar cheese, and crunchy sunflower seeds is massaged tender with a maple syrup sweetened apple cider dressing for a savory and sweet salad everyone at the table will love.

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

Kale has easily become one of the most healthful ingredients in salads today. The health benefits of kale and the virtues of eating this superfood raw—like in salad—are many, including being one of the most nutrient dense foods around. Besides being high in fiber to help you feel full (and regular), every 1 cup of raw kale providing nearly 3 grams of protein and contains more vitamin C than an orange.

With stats like that, you really can’t ignore kale’s super delicious super powers any longer.

This easy kale salad is one you can make up any night of the week, yet it’s pretty enough to add to any holiday dinner table.

But even better, because kale likes to sit and soak in it’s dressing and still hold it’s leafy shape, this kale salad is awesome for the buffet table or to take to potlucks, too. In fact, the last photo in this post is from when I pulled it straight from the fridge and into a bowl to eat for lunch 2 days after I made it.

Now that’s a trendy salad that stands the test of time.continue to the recipe… about Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

Tomato Basil Soup

November 7, 2018

This tomato basil soup recipe, homemade with fresh tomatoes roasted in the oven, adds a healthy and deliciously creamy flavor you won’t find in any old can.

If I think back to my childhood, tomato soup is at the top of the list of my all-time favorite comfort foods. But unlike my ultra creamy macaroni and cheese or my mom’s spaghetti recipe, tomato basil soup is on the lighter side of the comfort food scale.

Even better, when you have a stash of roasted tomatoes in the fridge, it’s an easy recipe to whip up for an easy dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day.

I’ve seen some recipes for this soup that call for canned tomatoes, but I use fresh tomatoes roasted with garlic and herbs in my tomato soup. Earlier this week I shared my recipe for roasting the tomatoes here, and since I had a jar left over, I decided to update the photos and post for this recipe too.

Soup at our house is a regular menu item, in fact, my husband has gone on an all-soup diet more than once. It’s also likely that our early marriage was built on tomato soup with grilled cheese. Because can one even eat tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich for dunking?continue to the recipe… about Tomato Basil Soup

Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes

November 4, 2018

While there’s nothing quite like biting into a garden-fresh tomato, quick roasted tomatoes in the oven create a savory sweetness that’s delicious made into a simple roasted tomato sauce on pasta, made into soup, or served as appetizers, no matter what time of year.

You could say I’m obsessed with roasting tomatoes.

Even when they’re at their most flavorful, summertime prime, it’s highly likely that sweet cherry tomatoes, Italian plum roma tomatoes, and just about every other variety I pick up (minus the big beefsteaks) typically find their way into the oven at some point for a quick roast to pull out their most jammy-sweet flavor.

But the real appeal of roasting is when we’re eating those dead-of-winter tomatoes. You know the ones. The tomatoes who left their taste at the door.

I love long, slow-roasted tomatoes at a low temp in the oven, but sometimes there’s no time to wait. When it comes to quick and easy, no-fuss roasted tomatoes, the big return on the little time invested is totally worth it, because a roast in the oven for less than an hour is all that’s needed to release the super sweet powers of any noble tomato. continue to the recipe… about Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes

14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

October 29, 2018

What can I cook for breakfast? It’s a question repeated by millions every single day. And I bet you’re one of them.

I talk a lot about my cravings for easy, healthy breakfast recipes, because, hey, it’s the most important meal of the day, right?

Why is breakfast important? Because eating breakfast helps with weight loss, brain function, and keeping you moving all throughout the day. That’s why I am ALWAYS on the lookout for easy breakfast recipe ideas to keep this healthy habit fresh and fun. Because as we all know, breakfast is too easy to skip, and too often breakfast is boring too.

This list of 2 weeks, or 14 days, of seasonal and simple healthy breakfast recipe ideas offer up WAY better than average starts to your day and make eating breakfast a habit you’ll actually enjoy.

These breakfasts focus on all the flavors of fall, with some geared toward on-the-go and others for easy weekend breakfast or brunch. They’re seasonal but simple recipes for eggs, breakfast sandwiches, simple frittatas, oatmeal, avocado toast, and protein pancakes will make breakfast your favorite meal of the day.continue to the recipe… about 14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

October 24, 2018

Crispy oven roast potatoes are an easy, healthy side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, because no matter what time of year, they fit every meal.

The Best Crispy Oven Roast Potatoes

Forget feeling all the feels, lately I’ve been feeling all the sides.

Maybe it’s because when I make up my weekly not-a-plan-flexible-meal-plan (subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send it to you each Saturday for FREE) I realize there are so many easy side dishes I make that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog.

Or maybe it’s because if I had my druthers, my plate would be composed of a taste of this and a bite of that. Variety is my friend.

These crispy oven roasted potatoes will also add variety to your plate, with a variety of herbs, and served at a variety of times, these taters are at the top of my easy side dish list. And now, they are about to shoot to the top of yours. continue to the recipe… about The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

October 22, 2018

Salmon recipes can be cooked many ways, but in my book, there’s nothing as easy as baked salmon in white wine and lemon for a healthy dinner, or to make and use for meal prep all week long.

Whether it’s baked salmon, poached, grilled salmon, pan-seared, whole salmon, or cut into filets, the benefits of cooking and eating salmon are not only fast and easy enough for any level of cook to make, but so incredibly good for your health, too.

While visiting my mom earlier this year, my Aunt Jane cooked us this simple salmon dinner baked in wine and topped with lemon, then topped with an easy, and totally flavorful creme fraiche sauce.

Jane is one of those cooks where everything seems effortless. But she confided that while she loves to entertain, she doesn’t always feel so confident in the kitchen, especially when cooking for others. That’s why when she does, she zeroes in on a recipe that’s tried and true. It leaves less margin for error, and more time for enjoying guests rather than time in the kitchen worrying over the stove.

Being from Seattle, this baked salmon with a creamy creme fraiche sauce has pretty much become Jane’s signature dish, and now it can become yours, too.continue to the recipe… about Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

October 18, 2018

The fresh bite of this arugula dinner salad with a simple lemon dressing and shaved Parmesan is made three ways for three easy salad recipe ideas to go with any dinner’s main course meal.

Choosing a main course dinner idea is pretty easy to do. But when it comes to rounding out the meal with some extra plant nutrition, it can add another layer of what-to-make-wondering to your meal planning.

That’s why I depend on a few simple recipe ideas for side salads and dressings that are easily customized to dress up or dress down, depending on what extra ingredients I have on hand.

That’s why this easy 5-ingredient arugula salad recipe with big flakes of salty parmesan is often where I get my start.
continue to the recipe… about Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

Easy Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta

October 11, 2018

This easy 5-ingredient couscous recipe combines the Mediterranean flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, toasted pine nuts and feta cheese for a healthy 10-minute side dish.

This recipe is brought to you by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Mamma Mia! Here we go again! Literally.

We don’t need many excuses to eat good Greek or Mediterranean food at our house, but when we can make a themed night of it, it’s even that much more fun.

So when I was asked to create a recipe that ties into the DVD release of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Sing-Along Edition (yes! more Abba to sing along to while I cook!) it was just another reason to get the party started.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta

17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

October 10, 2018

Pizza is the ultimate gathering food, and these 17 homemade pizza recipes are the best reason to forget all about delivery and make yours at home instead.

Raise your hand if you love pizza. Anyone? Everyone? YES, indeed, everyone! Ok, good.

It seems like Fridays are a popular pizza-prep night, but then come the weekend there’s all the football games, and then Sunday turns into Monday and how easy is it to whip together a homemade pizza pie to cure those Monday night blues?

Pizza fits into every day.

Pizza is universally appealing, and not just because we’re all trying to capture the perfectly Instagrammable cheese pull. (BTW, have you seen the new Instagram-worthy pizza pop-up museum for us perfectly crusty diehards?)

It’s the ultimate delivery vehicle for innovative flavor combinations, complimentary textures, and beyond-infinite varieties suitable to any diet or taste preference—and season.

That’s why I’ve put together this list of pizza night faves for fall, plus a few FoodieCrush favorites that’ll make you forget all about dialing up to order your delivery-style pizza, and make it at home instead. continue to the recipe… about 17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

Grandma’s Easy German Schnitzel

October 8, 2018

Cooking thinly sliced, breaded meat in a fry pan is the easy technique used for any authentic, crispy German or Austrian schnitzel recipe. I use bone-in, thinly cut, tenderized pork chops coated in panko bread crumbs, but you can easily substitute tenderized chicken breast instead.

There are precious few things that can take you right back to childhood like certain foods can.

When looking back to those childhood faves, you either crave it like no tomorrow, laugh in hysterics at the lengths you’d go though to avoid it (liver and onions passed under the table to Posey the dog), or vehemently defend it as haute cuisine. Ambrosia anyone?

At my house, German schnitzel—or as we knew it, wiener schnitzel—was a favorite of everyone at the table. My dad loved it because he grew up on it, my mom loved it because it’s easy to make, and me and my little sister loved it because it was breaded, crispy, and totally non-threatening. Sorry pup, you’re not getting any of this passed to you for dinner.

Today you can find a version of schnitzel on many dinner tables, and you don’t even have to be Austrian, or German, or attend Oktoberfest to make it your own family favorite recipe, too.continue to the recipe… about Grandma’s Easy German Schnitzel

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

October 4, 2018

This easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe gets a healthy boost with almonds and yogurt to make a moist muffin everyone will declare the very best.

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

You know how there are some ingredients that you just can’t say no to when it comes to a particular food?

Like, for me, the only cake that’s worth its weight in birthday candles is German Chocolate Cake. Or if I’m choosing an artisanal cheese it’s going to be a stinky, gooey, triple cream.

So when my Ali Smudge wanders through the bakery section of the grocery store, I don’t even have to wonder what request she’s about to pose. Because it’s always the same. And it’s always for a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin.

continue to the recipe… about Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

October 3, 2018

This easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a classic one-pot meal made even faster in the Instant Pot pressure cooker (or on the stove top) for a comfort food dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes or less.

Silky, Saucy, Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

I’ve finally felt a brisk bite in the air. Oh, why, hello October! I’ve yet to make the jump from t-shirts and flip flops to down coats and scarves, but layering is definitely a part of my current wardrobe.

It’s what I like to call hoodie weather. Which in my cooking world translates to comfort food.

I’ve not yet fully committed to the long braise I love so much in colder months, but my Instant Pot is totally getting a workout. And because you’ve asked to see more pressure cooker recipes here on le blog, I’m sharing this simple, silky, saucy, super easy Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine.

This Chicken Alfredo recipe comes together fast. The chicken and noodles are cooked together with the cooking liquid becoming a creamy sauce you could slurp through a straw. It’s incredibly easy to create whether you have an Instant Pot, or want to use the stove top instead.

And just like a zippered hoodie, it’s a simple classic, too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (Instant Pot or Stove Top)