finding time for cooking | for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

Hearty Fall Lentil, Butternut Squash, & Kale Salad

November 30, 2019

I had some hesitation as I decided to try out this recipe, to be honest. On the one hand, I love a hearty salad (I’m on the record as not generally loving lettuce salads…). But on the other hand, I’m not a massive fan of lentils. I don’t hate them, just tend to find the texture weird and flavor a bit underwhelming. So I wasn’t sure how this lentil, butternut squash, and kale salad would land with me.

But I was pleasantly surprised both by the flavor and texture, and how satiated it kept me for hours! I didn’t feel cheated or dread having to heat up my lunch, and for me that is a win…the cafeteria chicken tenders are always calling, and I have to avoid that call!

Besides the lentils, the base of this salad is a delicious blend of roasted vegetables. Butternut squash for heft, red onion for flavor, and kale for texture (and greenery). Personally I could have left out the pecans and wouldn’t have missed them, since I’m not hugely into nuts and they add calories. And I loved the subtle dressing that blended everything together—sometimes dressings can overpower a salad, especially on leftovers, and that’s not the case at all here.

If you’re looking for other delicious hearty salads, I’m particularly in love with this roasted vegetable and barley salad with a yummy creamy shallot dressing, and this sweet potato and chickpea buddha bowl with maple tahini dressing. Along with this dish, they all three make DELISH leftovers and are perfect for taking to work for lunch as well.

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Pear-Apple Pie With Streusel Topping

November 27, 2019

I’ve been on a kick of re-making some of my all-time favorite recipes, many of which I’ve (inexplicably) never posted on this site. Completely on a whim this week, I whipped up this pear-apple pie (and proceeded to entirely eat it myself over the course of a few days…) and fell in love with it all over again. I made up this recipe several years ago and it definitely holds up over time.

I think streusel topping is totally underrated as a pie topping. I’m a sucker for the crumbly-crunchy-spiced-sweet texture and flavor it adds, and it’s so much easier than putting a pie crust topper on. I have a basic streusel formula I use and adapt as needed for different recipes, and it couldn’t be simpler.

I almost always make this for Thanksgiving when I go home to visit my family (and we eat on it for several days), so I have a strong association with the flavors here and fall in Kansas. In particular, the beautiful (and chilly) sunsets, quiet runs on our dirt road, and a breakfast of pie and coffee the next morning.

I also love that this recipe is reasonably healthy (as desserts go) and super easy to make. Other than dealing with pie crust dough (something I’m not terribly skilled with), the filling and topping are crazy simple and don’t require any special skills. You can throw this together while making dinner or doing other things, and it’s pretty forgiving if you don’t do something exactly right. In fact there isn’t really an “exactly right” with this recipe. You do you.

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15+ Amazing Holiday Dessert Recipes

November 24, 2019

It’s that time of year…when you’re needing to figure out what to make for Thanksgiving or some other holiday gathering. This is kind of my jam. I’m that person who always gets asked to bring desserts to things, so I’ve developed a list of fool-proof recipes for every type of group, taste, and size of event. So below are some of my all-time favorite holiday dessert recipes, dishes that I think will become traditions for you as well.

If you’re needing to bake for gluten-free guests, I have a separate post on some of my favorite gluten-free breads & desserts. I’m not GF, but I still totally love every single one of these recipes and sometimes make them just because.

Traditional Holiday Dessert Recipes (Pies, Cakes, & Tortes)

These are perfect for the main event…the big meal, an office party, Friendsgiving. They feel fancy and are super season-appropriate, but (don’t tell anyone) take minimal effort and most can be made ahead of time.

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

This is a true Thanksgiving staple…taken up a notch. I’m notorious for finding boozy versions of everything (even before I worked for a spirits company), and this is one of my favorites. The maple flavor really shines through, and the bourbon just elevates things a little bit more. Recipe here.

Bourbon Pear Crumble Pie

The first time I made this, my dad said, “This is the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.” It’s become a Thanksgiving staple ever since. Somehow the addition of bourbon provides an incredible depth, and (I know this sounds weird) that tiny bit of black pepper is revelatory. This is also an insanely easy pie to make. I recommend making it the day before, because it’s better when it has time to totally cool and set up vs. fresh out of the oven. Honestly, this filling mixture would make the world’s best fruit crisp as well. Recipe here.

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Pear Hazelnut Cake With Rosemary Honey Glaze

November 16, 2019

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones where you take something you already love, and make it EVEN BETTER. I’ve been in love with my delicious apple cake with honey glaze for years. Dense, moist, chock full o’spiced apples and finely-chopped walnuts, it’s a work of art. And then I took it up a level by swapping out the apples for pears (one of my favorite fruits), resulting in this pear cake.

But then after a while, something got stuck in my mind and I started to think…how would this taste with hazelnuts? They have such a sweet, toasty flavor that seemed it would pair nicely with the pears. And I’d just made some rosemary simple syrup for a cocktail recipe and decided to throw some of that into the glaze.

I was totally in love with the flavor combo and the texture that the changes produced! If you’re in the mood for something deliciously hearty and fall-like, this is your guy!
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Almond Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

October 27, 2019

I couldn’t tell you the last time I whipped up a recipe in five minutes, barely glancing at the recipe, and it actually WORKED.

This was a very last-minute thing, because my sister needed a dessert to take to a church potluck, and I couldn’t believe how much I ended up loving them. I am somewhat ambivalent on many oatmeal cookies, but with the addition of a hint of almond extract (one of my secret ingredients), these cherry chocolate oatmeal cookies are a little like a Bakewell tart in cookie form, and I ain’t mad at them.

What’s great about this recipe is that it isn’t finicky. It takes ingredients you almost certainly have on-hand, the dough comes together in literally five minutes, and then it’s just a matter of waiting for it to chill for a bit, then voila…15 minutes of baking later you have soft, crispy, chewy gloriousness.

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A Slightly Odd & Belated Birthday…And Coffee Cardamom Cake With Bulletproof Frosting

October 6, 2019

For years I’ve had a tradition of making my own birthday cake, and trying out something a little special or complicated that I wouldn’t normally tackle. This year, though, was a somewhat strange birthday for me, in both good and bad ways.

It was my 35th birthday, and I’d planned an epic solo trip to Turkey, so I spent my actual birthday watching the sun rise over the Mediterranean on a boat, sipping sweet hot black tea. But then a few days before I left on my trip, my beautiful sweet kitty had some major health issues and very suddenly passed away, leaving me and her brother in shock and not sure what to do with ourselves.

So when I got back into the country a couple days after my birthday, I questioned whether it was worth going to the hassle of making something. While the trip was absolutely amazing, I was tired and sad, and having to deal with trying to get caught up on work things and get used to this new Dobby-less life we were now living. But ultimately I decided that tradition is tradition, and DOGONNIT we were going to make a birthday cake.

But I hadn’t gone grocery shopping or anything, or planned ahead, so the big question was what could I make that was special and unique, but used ingredients I already had in the house. After poring through Pinterest, this coffee cardamom cake with bulletproof frosting kept pulling at me, so I decided to tackle it. I love anything coffee, and the addition of a warm cardamom spice was intriguing.

One thing that caught me by surprise is how delicious the actual cake batter was…it is maybe the best-tasting cake batter I’ve ever tried! I ended up licking the bowl, beaters, rubber spatula, and my fingers clean to get every drop. I came close to just eating the batter with a spoon rather than baking it. I also kept up the tradition of making super ugly but delicious cakes—I try so hard to get better at decorating, but I just don’t know that I have it in me.

One great thing is you don’t need to use a stand mixer for the cake batter. Just stirring or whisking together is totally fine. You will want an electric or stand mixer for the frosting. This got rave reviews at work…and also lots of confused “what’s bulletproof frosting??” comments 🙂 If you’re not familiar with bulletproof coffee, just think of this as coffee frosting.

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Grilled Gorgonzola Potatoes

September 7, 2019

The grilling extravaganza continues! And this time we go a little fancier—gorgonzola grilled potatoes. My love of grilling recipes is well-documented, partly because grilled food is delicious, but also because it’s often healthier, easier, and requires less cleanup.

I’ve been in love with my grilled cheddar rosemary sweet potatoes for like a year now, and this is a similar idea, just taking it up a notch.

Now, obviously strong blue cheese is a polarizing thing. I truly adore it, but realize not everyone does. If you hate it, then I’d say move on, this isn’t for you. But if you’re kind of on the fence, then I’d recommend giving this a try…melting the gorgonzola crumbles and the thin coating it makes over the crispy potatoes and herbs really mellows out the flavor and makes it less in-your-face.

This is a perfect weeknight side dish for one person (hello!), but also could be a great fancy-feeling (and low-effort) side for a dinner party.

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Quick Healthy Thai Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

August 30, 2019

Sometimes a self-directed health guilt trip and a slapdash new recipe can actually work out for once. My track record lately on poorly-thought-out and super rushed recipe trials has been…not great. Due to tons of travel lately (and not a little bit of stress and convenience-based choices), I’m feeling less than spry and as soon as I got back from a week at the wineries of Sonoma I really felt the need to LOCK IT DOWN.

I really needed to actually eat a decent healthy lunch last week, and this thai chicken with cauliflower rice happened to catch my eye. I actually threw it together in just a few minutes *while* making my dinner for that night, and to my surprise it was totally awesome! Easy, delicious, and fast.

And best of all, it made amazeball leftovers. Like, leftovers I actually looked forward to warming up at work. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, both playing with the ingredients in the sauce slightly as well as combining a few steps to make it even easier.

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Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Skillet Banana Bread

August 24, 2019

This is a continuation of my long love affair with cake breads. Cakes masquerading as bread. I’m all about things being more awesome than they say they are, so I bring you this delicious skillet dark chocolate olive oil banana bread. It’s a mouthful in more ways than one…

But don’t be fooled into thinking this is truly dessert. It’s moist, dark, fudgy, but is a bittersweet flavor and not too sweet. I like to use white whole wheat flour to add a bit more health (and a nuttiness), and the quality of dark chocolate chips you use (and the cocoa powder) does make a difference.

I like to use my old school cast iron skillet, and it slides easily out of the pan. But I’ve used a simple non-stick cake pan and it cooked just as evenly. I’ve tried this recipe a few different times to get the amounts right, and I always take it to work…where it gets devoured almost immediately.

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How To Brine Chicken Breasts: A Secret To Amazing Chicken

August 11, 2019

Not to brag or anything, but I make darn good grilled chicken breasts. Like, my-sister-requests-them-for-her-birthday-dinner good.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts often get a bad rap for being the iceberg lettuce of the protein world…a bland necessary evil but absolutely nothing to get excited about. However, I really struggle with the texture and flavor of chicken thighs or bone-in chicken, so I’ve made it my mission to crack the code on delicious chicken breasts.

My best friend (my Cheese) put me on to brining a few years ago, and it’s become an invaluable tool in my arsenal. I often forget to put chicken in to marinate in the morning before I leave for work, and so what I will often do when I get home at night is make up a brine, throw the chicken in, go for a run, and fire up the grill as soon as I’m back.

Now, I’ve read a number of things on brining, and none of them agree fully. For instance, I haven’t tried putting sugar in my brine (though I plan to). But overall the technique is very flexible and forgiving—and it scales based on how much time you have. You wouldn’t want to use the same amount of salt for an overnight soak as you would for a 30-minute one! And this works equally well for grilling or baking.

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