Minestrone
One year, almost 20 years ago, I hand wrote recipe cards for friends and family over the holidays. I can’t believe how many people still have and use those cards. This soup was in the stack- it’s the one I hear people are still making the most.
Sauteed Greens (5-5 Method)
A lot of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables have two steps. Boil first, sear second. Potatoes, Corn, and Greens all get a variation of this treatment.
For greens, I boil them in salted water first to soften, and then saute to retain shape and some crispy edges. You can use different greens. Hearty ones like kale and mustard greens need the blanching first. Softer ones like chard get sauteed only.
Killer Salsa
For a white girl, I make a mean salsa. Though I do gringify the heat levels these days, people go crazy over my salsas. It’s probably a combination of growing up in S. Cal, dating a Mexican guy whose mom was an amazing cook, studying with a chef in Oaxaca, or just my absolute love of Mexican food.
Chocolate Banana Buckwheat Bread
I love buckwheat, which is actually a grass and not a grain. For some people the flavor is a bit too strong. Chocolate is the perfect complement as its strong flavor meets buckwheat evenly. I do cut this bread with some all purpose (gluten free) flour to mellow the flavors out.
Vegetable & Fish Curry Stew
A soup version of eat the rainbow.
Red and orange bell peppers. Yellow zucchini, purple potato, green beans and kale. Use whatever fish looks best. Use chicken. Use shrimp. The vegetables are suggestions- use what you already have in your fridge first. I bake the purple sweet potato separately & add it at the end, otherwise it turns the whole stew a weird pink color.
Instapot Bone Broth
Instapot bone broth is not as good as preparing a stock over the stove for 8 hours, but the high pressure environment draws nutrients out of the bones that would take forever. It is, however, infinitely better than using water or boxed broth. I also don’t bother roasting the bones and vegetables most days, becaused lower standards as a family cook = getting it done.
Homemade Coconut Yogurt
There are lots of good reasons to make your own coconut yogurt. One, the good stuff is $$$. Two, I love making my own because I can use targeted probiotics - the ones I know my body is low in & could use more of.
Sheet Pan Kebabs
This is a newer recipe in our family repertoire, born from my increasing laziness around preparing dinner. I wasn’t sure how the lamb would go over (it can be hit or miss), but it was a universal hit and the leftovers were devoured within a day. Choosing lean lamb & mixing it with the beef keeps the gamey flavor that turns some off from it imperceptible.
Corn, Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes & Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Buttermilk Dressing
This is one of the lunch salads I make a few times each summer. The blue cheese is optional, and you can use chicken instead of steak. This dressing is the easiest one I make -- no need to emulsify, it comes together with a hand blender and stays that way.
Turkey, Wild Rice, Winter Squash & Swiss Chard Soup
I admit, this recipe is more involved than my others. But it is so insanely delicious, nutritious & perfect for fall & winter that going to share it for those who enjoy cooking. It’s a weekend kind of project, when you are putzing around the house doing chores & can assemble the various elements before dinner.
Blueberry and Cinnamon Smoothie
A super simple weekday smoothie that won’t spike your blood sugar.
Green Bean & Pickled Pepper Salad
Like so many original recipes, this recipe started with a need to use what I already had on hand. A beautiful bag of green beans I’d received in my farm box, and a bag of miniature bell peppers.
I’d recently had a dish with pickled peppers in it, and I was still thinking about them. And that is how the idea for this recipe was born.
Writing recipes is tricky business, because so much comes down to technique. In this case, cooking the green beans well (not too much or two little), and balancing the flavors of the dressing.
It’s hard to convey those techniques with words. Pay close attention to not overcook the green beans, keeping in mind they’ll continue cooking a bit in the vinegary dressing.
And don’t be afraid to adjust the seasonings—it usually takes me 3 or 4 iterations to get it right. This one should have a good hit of vinegar, balanced with honey. If it’s too tart, add more honey, if it’s too sweet, add a tiny splash more of vinegar.
Stewed Beef Tacos- Lazy Dinners
I love an intricate Mexican feast. I tend to do those on the weekends when my time to be in the kitchen can be more spacious.
This is a weeknight adaptation, designed for maximum flavor and minimum prep time.
Chicken Tzaziki- Lazy Dinners
There are a million ways to make this recipe. Below, I give instructions on how to prepare it in a slow cooker. This is an easy recipe to get in the habit of preparing in the morning so you come home to dinner. If you are a parent and have never done this, do your evening self a favor and try it out. Meal plans and early morning prep are game changers if you are tasked with cooking for a family. And yes, I also resisted those things for many years. I’m here to keep you from making the same mistake.
Killer Salsa
Every time I make salsa, I get asked for my recipe. Even though I am a bonafide, 100% gringa, I take my Mexican food seriously. I spent some time in Oaxaca at a cooking school, often perusing the amazing central market there, where I discovered these chiles. I have eaten my way through a lot of the country. I could easily live there. And for 3 years, I dated a lovely man from Michoacán and became a study of his mother’s cooking.
Roast Turkey Breast- Lazy Dinners
Ever since getting sick this winter, I’ve been in a cooking rut. I’ve been willing myself back to the kitchen with the laziest recipes I can find. Here’s one that is insanely delicious and easy, three ingredients including the turkey!
Kale Salad with Roasted Cauliflower, Radicchio, Carrots & Tahini Dressing
Most of us need more dark leafy greens in our diet, as well as more vegetables in general. One way I’ve found to get more vegetables into my diet while juggling the business of work and family life, is to prep one salad that I eat for lunch the whole week. Each week I do a slight variation, to make sure I’m getting enough variety throughout the course of any given month.
Grain Free Cereal
A quick and satisfying breakfast for a week of liver cleansing, or for overall liver health.
Borscht
While in Vermont many years ago, we had the chance to experience making maple syrup on a friend’s family farm. One night his girlfriend at the time, my friend Julie, made borscht, and it was the best borsht of my life. I got close to recreating it once, but it’s generally been a soup I strike out with again and again, to our chickens benefit. But I’ve kept trying, determined to get it right.