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In a double rite of passage, I became a grill owner a few short days after becoming a homeowner. My purchase was an optimistic one, made with the hope that Ben might take to grilling with, if not enthusiasm, at least cooperative direction-following. Neither came to fruition. (Though he still washes dishes, so I will keep my grievances to an inaudible mumble.) Rather than miss out on the easy, healthy, and indisputably delicious genre that is grilled food, I decided to pick up my skewers and learn to grill myself....

Here’s how it goes down: You begin at one end of the pumpkin pull apart bread; your friend begins at the other. Twenty minutes later, you meet in the middle with the simultaneous, elated realization that this bread (and ok, each other) are the only two things you need to be deliriously happy for the rest of your lives. Here’s what I love about this pumpkin pull apart bread recipe:...

Thank you for filling my life with the pictures, messages, and conversations about how The Well Plated Cookbook has found a home at your table. It’s been just over one month since The Well Plated Cookbook has been available. In that time, many of you have sent pictures of you sharing its meals with your family and others. Many of you have let me know that it has already positively influenced your health goals, that your picky eaters LOVE these wholesome recipes, and that your confidence in the kitchen has grown....

This is literally a one-ingredient recipe. Red bell peppers. That’s it! One simple ingredient that, when roasted, enhances your meal with abundant vibrancy and a complexity that will make you wonder what other depths our vegetables have been hiding from you all along. Since roasted red peppers keep well in the fridge, like Roasted Tomatoes, you can roast a large batch of them in your oven to have on hand for sprucing up an array of recipes – from pizzas and pastas, to sandwiches, salads, and scrambles....

I purchased this punch bowl nearly five years ago. Every year I make a point to validate its space in my cabinet by using it at least once. Christmas Punch is lightly fizzy and features apple cider, sparking wine, and rum or brandy.Champagne Punch is glittering with raspberries.Skinny Margaritas are begging to be made by the pitcher (er, punch bowl). This year, I wanted to return to the punch bowl’s roots and make a traditional rum punch, but with one important twist....

This healthy baked salmon recipe is a riff on my everlasting, always reliable Baked Salmon in Foil. After making it (literally) dozens of times (and, all my other healthy salmon recipes), I can tell you it is the best baked salmon recipe in the world. It’s also incredibly adaptable! For today’s sweet and spicy baked salmon twist, I took the same core concept of baking salmon in the oven in a large foil a completely different flavor direction....

I am chronically late. No matter how much time I allow myself or how important the occasion is, I never seem to be able to push myself out the door at the proper hour. Honestly, I would have been late to my own wedding if I didn’t have six assertive bridesmaids shoving me into the back of an SUV (and a dreamy Strawberry Cake, erm husband-to-be waiting for me). Inevitably, I arrive at my final destination frazzled and lightly perspiring, but these strawberry oatmeal breakfast bars are my saving grace (these Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats save me often too)....

When we tumbled out of our hotel room in Chiang Mai at 10:45 p.m. in fervent search of dinner after a delayed flight, my stomach’s resolve to eat the first food we could find was outmatched only by my relentless determination to not, under any circumstances, waste a single meal in Thailand. I forced Ben to bypass several restaurants that I deemed “too touristy,” and after we had been walking 10 minutes, he stopped firmly in front of what was one of the first open restaurants we’d seen in a while, pointed to the menu, and asked me, a look of animal-like desperation in his eyes, “Can we PLEASE eat here?...

In theory, croutons should be one of the best things in life: lightly crunchy bread that adds texture, soaks up flavorful sauces (like this Caesar Dressing), and express delivers them to my taste buds in carb form. In practice, they’re far from it. Most are dry little bread rocks that scrape the roof of my mouth and are too solid to spear with a fork. This is no proper way for food to behave and recipes (like in this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad) deserve better....

The past few New Year’s Eves, Ben and I have gone out to a late dinner with friends, and because my hanger and I can’t handle waiting until 9 p.m. to sit down to dinner, I like to host a small group at my house beforehand for a warmup drink and snacks. On the beverage side, we keep it sparkling. A glass of the bubbly feels lighthearted and celebratory, the way New Year’s Eve should....

I’ve had trauma with a wide assortment of vegetables in the past (Grilled Brussels Sprouts and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms helped me finally overcome the limp, overcooked offenders of the past). Eggplant is an exception. We’ve only ever been on the best of terms. My experience of eggplant is of a healthy vegetable that’s versatile, filling, and quick-cooking. Eggplant can work as a meat stand-in, as it does in Eggplant Pasta....

What is the best thing to cook in an Instant Pot? Whether I’m cooking for a crowd or looking for a yummy meal to last us all week long, this easy Instant Pot chili is one of my favorite recipes to make (along with this Instant Pot French Onion Soup). Made with simple, nutritious ingredients like ground turkey (or ground beef if you prefer), canned beans, and sweet potatoes, it’s healthy, hearty, and will warm you to your core....

Fall-apart tender pork in a lightly sweet-and-smoky homemade barbecue sauce, this pressure cooker recipe is ideal anytime you need a big-batch meal, much like my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Be it a gathering of guests with multiple tastes (I have yet to meet someone who, in their heart of hearts, does not like BBQ), dietary restrictions (that friend who doesn’t eat carbs can skip the bun), or you happen to have a pulled-pork loving husband who delights in eating it three nights in a row, Instant Pot pulled pork hits the spot....

Despite my occasional fantasies about selling our house and moving into a condo, due to Ben’s greatest vice, we’ll never actually be able to leave. Ben has a serious (and thus-far incurable) book-buying addiction. While I support Ben’s love of learning and admire the fact that he wants to read a biography of Benjamin Franklin in his free time (I’ll stick to perfecting the No Knead Focaccia in mine), the idea of attempting to transport these books to a new location makes my lower back quiver in fear....

I prize recipes that combine pantry staples and fresh ingredients to create fast, healthy meals. Mixing fresh and pantry items means that I only need to buy one or two things to make dinner. Cooking and shopping this way is often less expensive, AND because pantry items are typically quick and convenient, I can get dinner on the table sooner too. Just like Garlic Pasta, this healthy Mediterranean pasta is a perfect example....

I’m not one to rush to superlatives or swoon at the concept of a soul mate, but these mint brownies are THE ONE. A lifetime lover of chocolate mint, and self-proclaimed brownie aficionado, I can say with confidence that no other chocolate mint dessert touches these mint brownies. They are transcendent. The brownie layer is deep, dark, and decadent – a chocolate lover’s paradise. On its own, it risks being too rich, but the fluffy, fresh mint layer majestically lightens and balances it....

Simple summer recipes are made even better when paired with this orange chicken marinade. Not only flavorful and delicious, but this marinade also represents how I want my summer dinners to go down —> more time relaxing, less time cooking. The chicken marinade is made with: Orange JuiceHoneySoy Sauce That’s it. THREE INGREDIENTS. My favorite way to enjoy this marinade is in kabob form (for all my kabob tips see this Chicken Kabob post) because the vegetables cook right along with the chicken, meaning you don’t even need to make a separate side dish if you aren’t in the mood....

This book has been nearly three years in the making! The recipes are BRAND NEW (you can’t find them on my blog or anywhere else), and they are my absolute favorite ones I’ve ever created! It would mean the world to me if you would preorder a book today. I have some really special, exclusive bonuses planned for those of you who do preorder (be sure to save your email receipt....

A baking enthusiast who a) loves any excuse for cake, b) can be a bit particular about said cake, and c) happens to post cake recipes online, I love sharing a new sweet treat with you every May. It’s as if we are virtual elementary school classmates and it’s my turn to bring birthday treats! Well, maybe not elementary school. I completely soaked this year’s Pink Cake in an orange and rosé wine syrup....

Splurging for a special breakfast treat, only to be met with something cakey and bland will seriously damper your day. This year, instead of reliving the pain that occurs every single time I order a pumpkin scone at Starbucks (which is to say annually because why do they look so good even though they taste like nothing?!), I’m turning to this pleasing, perfect homemade pumpkin scone recipe instead. Lightly crispy on the outside, perfectly soft and fluffy on the inside, and richly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, these maple pumpkin scones are the very taste of fall....