seasonal : winter

The Best Easy Stuffing Recipe

November 20, 2018

This traditional stuffing recipe is a homemade classic. It’s an easy, basic stuffing made with simple ingredients to make for a Thanksgiving turkey, or served as a side dish to chicken, pork, or just about any comfort food craving any time of year.

The Best Easy Stuffing Recipe

If I were to stand at a table loaded with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner dishes, and have to choose just one to eat for the rest of my Thanksgiving dinner days, it wouldn’t be the turkey, it wouldn’t be the mashed potatoes, and it wouldn’t even be my grandma’s ambrosia salad that would make the cut. Nope.

The one dish I wouldn’t want to miss out on at Thanksgiving is this super simple, totally basic, bread stuffing I’ve been eating since I could put food in my hungry little mouth, and will still eat hot at the table or cold straight from the fridge. It’s my side dish kryptonite and the one I can never say no to.

I’ve shared other stuffing recipes that are more unusual with more ingredients, but I’ve never shared my favorite. I always thought it was just too basic, and not unique enough. But because it’s the same one I make year in and year out, and it’s the same recipe my mom made every year that I would more than happily taste test for seasoning, I figured it was high time to post it here where it proudly belongs.

There’s nothing fancy about this classic stuffing. It’s totally basic. But its simplicity is exactly why I crave it year after year after year.continue to the recipe… about The Best Easy Stuffing Recipe

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

30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

November 1, 2018

Sign me up for this list of 30 days of soups, stews, and chilis on repeat to warm up this body of mine and soothe my ever-loving seasonal soul all month long.

I know, I know–wintery weather blows in just about every 365 days from right about today, yet I’m never quite ready to give up on the gorgeous warmth of Indian summers and the fall leaves a-falling. I love me a snowy white winter, but fall has my heart.

While winter doesn’t officially begin until Christmas is nearly here, the change in weather and my freezing cold feet—now clad in fuzzy socks and boots— is the sure-fire signal for me to start craving the heartiest of rib-sticking comfort food.

This list of 30 soups, stews, and chilis are sure to warm us up and fill us up, but not fill us OUT, because each of these recipes are made with healthy, real good, real foods.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a spoon and dig in!continue to the recipe… about 30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

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

10 Easy and Healthy Brussels Sprouts Recipes to Fall For Now

October 23, 2018

Roasted or sautéed, dressed with bacon or balsamic, this “best-of” list of 10 healthy Brussels sprouts recipes are literally on everyone’s lips.

Ok. I know it might be a bold statement to make, because not everyone loves Brussels sprouts. Really?? But hear me out! These recipes are NOT the gross and gloppy suspicious green mystery orbs of your youth.

I was never a fan of Brussels sprouts, and would sneak them under the table to feed them to the dog whenever my mom made them. But not anymore. Maybe it’s the fact that my taste buds have grown up, or America’s obsession with revisiting retro classics, but these veggies have received some major glow in recent years.

From the texture (crispy, crunchy, shredded, shaved), to the flavor (blackened, buttery, smokey, salty, sweet) Brussels sprouts are are having their moment.

Welcome them to your table–or at least let them pull up a seat, and give them a try–with the 10 tasty recipes I’ve rounded up below.continue to the recipe… about 10 Easy and Healthy Brussels Sprouts Recipes to Fall For Now

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

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

October 15, 2018

Simple vegetarian soups are easy to come by, but this healthy curried lentil soup recipe serves a purpose, too.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

My best friend is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. She is a PhD. She is a dreamer. She is a CEO. She is an avid, and I mean AVID animal rescuer. She travels, she mentors, she’s curious, she’s beautiful, she loves mimosas, and in business and in life, she is the ultimate planner.

And my best friend has Stage 4 Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer.

Wait. Hold up. This is not part of Kim’s plan.

Stage 4. Cancer. Those words…they’re so scary to hear. I have no idea what it’s like to live with them banging about in your brain, rattling your heart, day in and day out.

Ironically, I received her call about the cancer diagnosis on a Saturday morning while at a Kroger retreat in Detroit. She had been to the doctor the day before. She told me the cancer was back. She told me she wished that five years ago her insurance would have allowed her to have the double mastectomy she wanted, instead of just the one she did have. I’ll never forget that phone call as I paced the floor, talking to Kim, my head spinning out and my heart breaking for my friend.

And now, here I am, sharing our story and a very special recipe in a post sponsored by Kroger’s Sharing Courage breast cancer awareness program for women, their families, and their support systems. And each and every one of them are very important stories to tell.continue to the recipe… about Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

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)

How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

September 27, 2018

One of the best features of the Instant Pot pressure cooker is when vegetables like butternut squash can go from gourd to gourmet in just 3 minutes cooking time. Who doesn’t have time for that?

You guys asked for more Instant Pot recipes besides those in my archives, and I’m here to deliver.

This Instant Pot butternut squash is a staple in my meal prep, and a recipe I make all of the time. Sure it tastes great, but even more, it’s so incredibly quick and easy to cook, there’s simply no excuse NOT to make it.

Easy side dishes give life to any meal. They’re that extra something that rounds out the plate and should add a bit more healthy to it too. I’ve always been one who would rather have a dish of three sides than anything else on the menu. Give me a bite of everything, because I can’t stand to leave any taste out.

This ridiculously easy butternut squash recipe can be a simple side to the main meal, or added to salads, rice or grain bowls, or used in recipes like these beef and butternut enchiladas.

Either way you cube it, smash it, blend it, or beat it, butternut squash cooked in the pressure cooker is the quick and easy way to go.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

September 25, 2018

Easy shredded chicken tacos get a healthy veggie upgrade when diced zucchini is added in for a fast dinner or lunch any day of the week.

“So, Sara…what’s your mom fixing for dinner tonight?”

It was my running joke with my daughter’s friend when I drove them home from Tuesday night basketball practice.

“Ugh. Taaaccccos, again,” she typically replied. “I’m kind of sick of tacos.” But how one possibly be tired of tacos?

Tacos are fast and easy to pull together as a simple vegetarian meal (these fried avocado tacos are BEYOND!) or with any sort of protein added in: fish tacos, beef tacos, slow cooker pork tacos, and yep, even spaghetti tacos. They’re one of the ultimate what-to-do-with-the-leftovers meal-prep meals.

So while Sara might be tired of Taco Tuesday, it makes a whole lot of sense to me.continue to the recipe… about Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

September 20, 2018

These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, chocolate and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t) he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.continue to the recipe… about The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

September 17, 2018

This creamy chicken and rice casserole is a fast and healthy 30-minute meal made right on the stove top, making it a favorite one-pot dinner that feeds a family of four for under $10.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

September is Hunger Action Month. As someone who has the access and the means to buy/grow/order food at my fingertips (or within a short walk or drive) every day of the week, this public initiative is a reminder that it isn’t nearly as easy for far too many. Helping others cure food scarcity is near and dear to my heart. And I hope to yours too.

So when Kroger asked me to participate in their #ZeroHungerZeroWaste donation challenge, I immediately said count me in. And now I’m challenging you to join too.

It’s one thing to donate that stray can of beans at the back of your pantry or the expired box of crackers. But it’s so much more to make healthful eating approachable and economical, showing families that there are better choices to easily cook and eat at home.

That’s why I’ve created this easy one-pot dinner to show you and those I’m donating it to that fast and easy dinners don’t have to come from a cardboard box, or sodium-loaded freezer meal, or be expensive.

They can just as easily come from real good, real food. And for many who are food challenged, most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry with little waste to be had.continue to the recipe… about One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

September 13, 2018

This hybrid of roasted and mashed potatoes is literally a mash up of cooking techniques t0 create a creamy potato on the inside with the crispy edges everyone craves on the outside, and it’s all made extra good thanks to garlic, butter and rosemary flavored smashed potatoes.

Easy side dishes should be a dime a dozen but I keep hearing from you guys that this is one of the most challenging parts of putting the finishing touch on your dinner time meal.

The beauty of a simple side dish like potatoes is they go with pretty much any main dish. Personally, I could eat them as the main dish all on their own.

So why mash when you can smash?

Because smashed baby red potatoes that are crisped with garlicky butter and rosemary like these smashed red potato babies here are the sure cure for your dinner-finishing cravings.

continue to the recipe… about Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

September 9, 2018

Linguine with fresh clams in a garlic white wine sauce (authentically known as linguine vongole) is one of those dinners that sounds totally chic and fancy but is actually one of the easiest and budget-friendly Italian pasta recipes you can make.

I was recently sent the new Fred’s at Barney’s New York Cookbook by Barney’s New York’s chef Mark Strausman who teaches us how to make some of the famous dishes beloved for years by celebrities and chic shoppers in the fashion store’s Fred’s restaurant.

Flipping through the cookbook there were tons of recipes that looked divine, but when I found this recipe for Mark’s Baby Clams and Spaghetti, fresh clams went directly on my shopping list.

Clams and spaghetti at Fred’s became clams and linguine at my house, and now no matter which pasta you choose to prepare, this recipe is on it’s way to yours.

continue to the recipe… about Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

September 4, 2018

This healthy Greek-inspired shrimp recipe in a saucy tomato base with feta can be cooked and served as a one-pot skillet dinner, or in a baking dish as a fast and easy-to-make appetizer that’s the first thing to disappear.

Don’t forget the bread.

That’s my big tip about this recipe. Don’t forget to add a few crusty sourdough slices to your shopping list. Bread is key if you’re a dipper like me. Because while you might first be attracted to this recipe because of the lure of perfectly baked shrimp (which they are), it’s every last drop of the sauce you’ll be sopping up that will have you making this recipe on repeat.

As we move from the heat of summer into fall’s cozy-up-comfort mode, this Greek flavored shrimp is the PERFECT transition recipe.

This tomato sauce is light and bright so it won’t bog you down, yet it includes the warming flavors of cinnamon and allspice to make you feel all cuddly and content.

And I’m pretty sure we can all agree that shrimp are totally right any time of year.continue to the recipe… about Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

August 29, 2018

At our house, this easy lemon rice is a side dish staple and with just 5 ingredients, it’s a super simple way to jazz up plain old white rice any day of the week.

No matter where your set your plate, it’s likely that rice will be one of the side dishes served on any international dinner table.

This lemon rice makes regular appearances alongside so much of my main meal cooking, like my Greek marinated chicken, or as a basic side for my Greek pork souvlaki kebabs or turkey kofta skewers, and always with my Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce.

But this lemon rice doesn’t travel only in Greek or Mediterranean circles. It’s a fan of crossing all culinary borders, and it does a fine job of fitting into any dinner no matter the main dish’s international personality.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

August 26, 2018

This list of 15 easy and healthy breakfast ideas will have you out the door and on the go in no time.

We’ve heard it and know it by heart—the oft-repeated mantra, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

But too often the back-to-school rush of packing lunches, figuring out dinner plans, choosing healthy snacks, etc., breakfast can get left behind in the shuffle.

Even if you’re not sending littles (or bigs) out the door, I’m all about having options to mix up my healthy breakfast eating routine, because you KNOW I’m not one to skip any meal, but most importantly not breakfast and my daily time-to-be-just-with-me quiet time.

This list of 15 easy breakfast provides three weeks worth of weekday breakfast options that will get you out the door quickly without sacrificing your diet, sanity, or valuable hair blow-drying time.continue to the recipe… about 15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

August 22, 2018

Healthy boneless chicken breasts can be shredded, sliced, or diced, and used as the base for countless healthy recipes, and when you cook them in the Instant Pot pressure cooker they can go from frozen OR fresh chicken breasts to fully cooked with just 10 minutes cooking time.

How many times have you come home and realized you’ve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonight’s dinner? If you’re like me, it’s way too many.

But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.

It seems like all too often us recipe creators aka food bloggers get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.

The recipe that intrigues.

The recipe that nobody’s ever thought of before.

But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, it’s the basics for daily cooking that we really need.

Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.

I’ve shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?

And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.

So let’s talk basics.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

August 21, 2018

You may see pinwheel wrap sandwiches so often at the store or the quick mart you don’t even realize how easy they are to make at home. But this healthy Italian Chicken Wrap sandwich has a few secrets up it’s tortilla that’ll make it so you’ll never want a take-it-with-you lunch any other way again.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It seems that lunches are the meal that can make or break your best eating intentions.

I know you know what I’m talking about. And I know that if you’ve said it to yourself once, you’ve said it 4053 times.

“This week I’m totally taking my lunch every day.”

But then it’s the night before and you’re too tired to pull a lunch together, or your morning is in a frenzy, or your delicate ingredients have all gone bad.

And then there you are. Once again, your intentions are dashed, leaving you staring emptily at the vending machine or forking over $13.84 for a lame something or another that really is just not that good. And worse, that marginal lunch is both taking away from your budget’s bottom line while adding too many calories to your very own bottom that soon won’t fit into your jeans if you keep this up young lady. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

But this easy Italian chicken wrap lunch is different. And here’s why.continue to the recipe… about Italian Chicken Wrap

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

August 13, 2018

Greek food and especially gyros are one of my favorite kind of meals, but since I’m not much of a fan of lamb, it’s my marinated Greek chicken and chickpeas that adds the protein to this easy Greek gyro style salad with a yogurt tzatziki sauce perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.

This Greek gyro chicken salad is one of those types of salads that makes a statement, declaring that Mediterranean dishes are just as good in a bowl as they are stuffed in a pita or grilled on a skewer.

This Greek salad is far from contrived, or uppity, or way too out there. It’s just a good, basic salad that covers all the major food groups. I love that this salad can be prepped ahead for take-to-work or school lunches—proven by my Ali Smudge who is obsessed with it.

On busy weeknights, it makes for a super fast dinner. It’s ready to roll for everyone at to eat together, or parceled out as your peeps filter in for meal time.

Because doesn’t it seem that’s more the case than ever these days?continue to the recipe… about Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

August 7, 2018

This Chinese Chicken Salad takes the healthier high road than the heavier versions I always see at those popular food chains that everyone loves. But this one with crunchy romaine, wontons, and an almond crunch, topped with protein-packed chicken breast, pasta noodles, and a flavor-flav sesame dressing.

Lighter fare that totally satisfies is what I’m craving now. And as summer’s flowy skirts and loose-fitting shift dresses morph into fall’s jeans and thigh hugging pants, it seems lighter food is part of my weekly anthem.

Goodbye my fave potato salad and chocolate drizzled ice cream cones dripping down my chin. Hello meal planning, gym going, and my fave weight loss plan.

And that’s where my all-time favorite—and healthier—Chinese Chicken Salad comes in.

I’ve updated this recipe post because I refer to it all the time and it needed some updated love.

I CRAVE this salad, and it’s one I love to make for ladies lunches or for a simple, and lighter meal for a crowd. Because who doesn’t love a good Chinese Chicken Salad anyway?

continue to the recipe… about Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

seasonal : winter

The Best Easy Stuffing Recipe

The Best Easy Stuffing Recipe

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

Tomato Basil Soup

Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes

30 Days of Soups, Stews, and Chilis Made to Keep Winter Warm

14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

The Best Crispy Oven Roast Potatoes

10 Easy and Healthy Brussels Sprouts Recipes to Fall For Now

Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Easy Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta

17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

Grandma’s Easy German Schnitzel

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Easy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

Silky, Saucy, Easy Chicken Alfredo Recipe

How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Follow @foodiecrush on Instagram

5 Quick and Healthy No-Sweat Simple Meals