Posts

This recipe is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. This is carrot cake at its best! Fully loaded with a kitchen sink of mix-ins. Topped off with a lavish slather of cream cheese frosting. Indisputably moist and tender, yet substantial enough to hold a slice, just as carrot cake should. My goal with this recipe was twofold. First and foremost, I wanted to bake a killer carrot cake, one that would fill my heart with optimistic feelings of springtime and taste like a happy, celebratory moment....

Green chickpea curry has been one of my go-to weeknight meals ever since we visited northern Thailand last year, and I’ve received a few questions about where on earth in Milwaukee I can find the ingredients. (If an Indian chickpea curry recipe is what you are after, take a look at this vegan Potato Curry or one of my other Indian recipes.) Answer: Target. Walmart. Kroger. Literally, any grocery store around me, and I’m willing to bet around you too!...

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made this crock pot recipe for shredded buffalo chicken with Greek yogurt sauce since I first shared it last year. In a direct match up between our frequency of eating it and the number of plaid shirts in my closet (my other fall uniform), I might even give it to the healthy buffalo chicken. If you’ve hung out with me September through March, you know this is not a light statement....

Mocha is coffee and chocolate living in perfect harmony. Both flavors are able to coexist while somehow making the other taste even better. The cake itself is majestically moist and decadent. I can best describe it as a melt-in-your-mouth brownie sponge cake. It’s my vision of the perfect chocolate cake with a grown-up hit of espresso. Whether you need an impressive cake for a special occasion (this cake makes a fabulous birthday, anniversary, or Valentine’s Day cake) or are simply in the mood for a mouth-watering chocolate-smothered cake, this is the recipe for you!...

While the recipes on my list may not be the ones that broke the internet, they’re no less deserving of recognition. These recipes held a special place in my heart this year for multiple reasons. Some are easy, healthy, family-friendly recipes that would fit nicely among Your Favorite Recipes of 2022. Others are scrumptious sweet treats that I love making on repeat in my kitchen. One recipe is incredibly meaningful to me (in addition to being completely delicious)....

This brownie recipe is the product of a long, obsessive, chocolate-stained quest to find the perfect homemade fudge brownie recipe. Meet the winners! These from-scratch brownies are classic, supremely satisfying, and make my chocolate-loving heart (I submit my full collection of chocolate dessert recipes as evidence) go pitter-patter. Here’s why I love this recipe: Ultra soft and chewy.Unapologetically fudgy and chocolaty (just like my irresistible Brownie Cookies and Brownie Bites!...

This baked chicken breast recipe has elements of an elegant meal—toasty, crunchy pecan crust; juicy, meaty interior; creamy sauce you can plate alongside it—yet requires less than a half-hour of active effort. It also feels fancy, without being too fancy. At the risk of giving myself away here, it’s essentially a grown-up version of my Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders. Translation: kids of all ages (and kids at heart) will love it!...

Clean-eating approved, low carb, and protein-packed, these healthy energy bites taste like chocolate chip cookie dough but are made entirely from wholesome, good-for-you ingredients. As someone who mutates into Oscar the Grouch when she’s hungry, I’m constantly looking for easy, healthy snack ideas. Call it hanger-management. These cookie dough protein balls are everything I could ask for in a healthy snack: Quick and Easy. We’re talking one bowl, no baking....

I grew up with a love of cinnamon rolls of all kinds. My Grandma Dorothy spoiled her family with her legendary from-scratch cinnamon rolls for as long as I can remember. To me, these will forever be the greatest cinnamon rolls in the world. On summer mornings and weekends, my sisters and I would pop open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and devour the entire batch—no comparison to Grandma’s but convenient and delish....

My Grammy introduced me to roasted asparagus. She’d let me help snap off the ends to prep it for cooking. Later, when I was old enough, she passed me the potholder and let me wiggle the pan halfway through cooking so that the asparagus would roast evenly. I loved watching the asparagus spears roll in the olive oil, then caramelize under the oven’s heat. While Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Beets, and Roasted Broccoli took me until adulthood to embrace, savory fresh asparagus and I got along right away....

One of the most rewarding parts of cooking is seeing raw ingredients transform. It’s hard to find one whose transformation is more spectacular than roasted garlic (it’s even more wondrous Oven Roasted Vegetables!). I do not mean to belittle raw garlic or sautéed garlic. In any form, garlic is an essential aromatic for everything from Garlic Shrimp Pasta, to soups and stir fries, to Feta Dip, and well beyond. Roasted garlic is its own supreme being....

This Asparagus Egg Toast looks simple, but do not be deceived. The combined effect of the toasty bread with the creamy scrambled eggs and lightly crispy Roasted Asparagus (or Air Fryer Asparagus) is far greater than any single part. I want to be clear that Ben’s aversion to this Asparagus Egg Toast has nothing to do with the recipe and everything to do with the fact that, for whatever mysterious reason, he doesn’t like eggs at dinnertime....

This recipe is sponsored by ALDI While shrimp might not be the first protein that comes to mind when you think of a burger (Italian Turkey Burgers or even black bean Vegan Burgers tend to be mentioned first), the texture of shrimp makes it ideal for forming patties that you can pack with a heap of mix-ins and spices, without the need to add breadcrumbs or any other binders. Fewer binders = better, more powerful shrimp flavor....

Growing up, spaghetti squash was an “on the side” affair…and even then, only if was topped with an appropriate level of butter and brown sugar. I still enjoy baked spaghetti squash this way every now and then for the sake of nostalgia—and because who am I pretending to be here? It’s delicious. I’ve also come to adore spaghetti squash as a component of more savory sides such as Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Mushrooms and main dish recipes like Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats, Spaghetti Squash Boats with Chicken and Bacon, and today’s Italian-inspired Spaghetti Squash Casserole....

Golden acorn squash that’s baked until caramelized and tender, then stuffed with a harvesty blend of Italian sausage (I use chicken sausage to keep the recipe on the lighter side), mushrooms, apples, warm spices, and herbs, this recipe is super filling, easy to make, and healthy too. I finished the Italian sausage stuffed acorn squash with Parmesan cheese, which is nutty and becomes bubbly and crisp while the squash bakes....

What is Brining? Brining is THE most important step to cooking a moist roast turkey (other than not overcooking the meat). Brining is the process of allowing meat to rest in a salt solution for about 24 hours prior to roasting. Brining works through osmosis. It tenderizes the meat and the meat absorbs the brine’s flavor, so the turkey tastes seasoned throughout, not just on the outside. (You can read more about brining science here)....

After tiring of the same routine in my immediate post-college survival days (a rotation between frozen meals and Anything With Eggs), I decided to spread my wings and tackle the vegetable lo mein I adored in Chinese restaurants as a kid. Little did I know that this all-in-one vegetable extravaganza would be my reliable recipe BFF for years to come. Simple vegetable lo mein is the saving grace of any health-conscious yet frugal adult in her first post-college job....

Whenever I’m lacking healthy dinner inspiration or I need a quick weeknight dinner, salmon (especially Baked Salmon in Foil is my go-to). Between you and me, I find the fact that salmon recipes are now on our menu at least once a week semi-hilarious, because I spent most of my adult life being afraid to cook fish. We didn’t grow up eating fish at home, so I assumed cooking something like this Whole30 salmon recipe was fancy or complicated....

You see, no matter how many sides you serve at a party, your guests are going to go craziest for the one that’s wrapped in bacon. It’s not personal. It’s because bacon is delicious. And among the best of the best bacon-does-party recipes you can make: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus! You can prep Bacon Wrapped Asparagus well in advance. It counts as a legitimate serving of vegetables (just look at all that green!...

I have absolutely no idea what this would be like as a side because, despite my intentions to serve it as such, we devoured the entire thing for our main meal. I meant to serve this Brussels sprouts mac and cheese with chicken, but as soon as he tasted the mac, Ben scooped a huge serving of it onto his plate, gave me a sincere look, and stated matter of factly, “I’m not having any chicken....