Main Dish Recipes

Whether you’re looking for a super healthy main dish recipe, comfort food, or a recipe for a special occasion, I’ve got something for everyone here. From a meat standpoint I tend toward chicken and beef most frequently as well as some salmon.

I also believe pasta is one of the main food groups, and that you can made amazing vegetarian dishes that won’t have you missing meat. If you’re in a hurry and need something fast, I also have a special section on meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Not sure where to start?? Here are a few of my faves:

You can dig through the full recipe index or a more visual index here, or explore the archives below…

Farro Salad with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, & Pepitas

April 14, 2019

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a simple healthy dinner recipe…probably because it’s been a while since I’ve *made* one that doesn’t require just throwing chicken and veggies on the grill. But this yummy and super easy farro salad is such a perfect way to transition from winter’s cozy comfort food to lighter summer fare that I had to share.

This is another Smitten Kitchen gem that I’ve adapted in several different iterations depending on what I have in the fridge (like that delish goat cheese with thyme and apricots you can kind of see in the pic below). This is the simplest version, but feel free to add to or switch up ingredients. The best part of this dish is the combination of different textures and flavors—creamy, chewy, salty, crunchy, sweet. So as you swap things in and out, try and maintain those elements for maximum awesomeness. You can also try it with different grains (barley is a particular favorite of mine).

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Feta & Sweet Potato Hash With Greens

February 10, 2019

It’s been over a month since I’ve posted something healthy, which feels like a pretty good indication of what my life choices have been like lately :p #allcarbsallthetime

Between work, travel, and this disgustingly cold polar vortex weather, I’ve been indulging a bit too much, and right now I feel the need to get my eating back on track. But it’s still gross cold and so these healthy options have to be delicious as well. Behold—soft, sweet, salty, healthy feta & sweet potato hash!

The flavors of the mellow sweet potato, the bitterness of the greens, and the saltiness of the feta play really well together, and the dried herbs add depth to the overall flavor profile. It’s a really comforting dish, something easy to throw together and really healthy, but feels like you’ve done something special. Here’s to good choices 🙂

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One-Pot Yellow Cauliflower Chickpea Curry (vegan)

December 23, 2018

I don’t want to oversell this, but I’ve got your new favorite Meatless Monday recipe comin’ at ya. It is LEGIT.

Easy One-Pot Cauliflower Chickpea Curry (vegan) | this super easy and healthy curry comes together quickly and provides a great Meatless Monday or healthy weeknight dinner option.

This easy cauliflower & chickpea curry is crazy flavorful and super easy to make. It’s healthy but doesn’t feel like you’re giving anything up. We all win.

The other great thing about this recipe (besides how fast it comes together) is that it doesn’t take much in the way of special ingredients. Other than red or yellow curry paste (which I think most grocery stores have now, and you can easily get online), everything should already be in your kitchen.

Make with this: Easy Homemade Naan Bread

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Apricot Balsamic Rosemary Chicken

November 18, 2018

I’ve been accidentally keeping this recipe a secret the last couple months. I know, I’m sorry…that’s not what friends do.

It wasn’t not on purpose. It’s just that life’s been so crazy, and this chicken has been one of the things getting me through. As the weather has gotten too cold for my normal nightly grilling, I had to try and find something else super easy but still healthy to have regularly. And once I tried this once, I was totally hooked.

This apricot balsamic chicken recipe comes courtesy of Joy the Baker (link at the end of this post), and it’s so simple but feels kind of fancy. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs, and it probably is best because thighs stay more moist and bring more flavor.

But I use chicken breasts sometimes, just because I struggle with the texture of thigh meat and don’t typically have it on hand. Chicken breasts work just fine, and my biggest tip is to make sure they’re sliced or pounded thin and even, so they cook quickly without drying out (also, try brining them first). I also swapped out the thyme the original recipe calls for and added rosemary instead, which I think gives it a punchier flavor.

This is the kind of recipe you can actually whip up on a weeknight after a frantic day of work in less than 30 minutes, then sit down with a glass of wine and take a deep breath.

You know you know what I’m talking about.

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Roasted Vegetable & Farro Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing

August 20, 2018

Ever since I got my grill, it’s been tough pushing myself to try new recipes that don’t require me to just throw things on the grill, because it’s my new favorite thing ever.

But this recipe has been a staple the last few months as I’ve navigated moving, living in a temporary apartment for a couple months (with a terrible kitchen set-up), and then trying to balance the gluttony of travel and meetings with the need to fit into my clothes. The key is that it’s not just healthy, it’s YUMMY.

There’s a fair amount of “dealer’s choice” in this recipe. It’s incredibly flexible and forgiving…you can substitute different vegetables, use different grains (I use farro, but barley, Israeli couscous, wheatberries, or other similar grains would do), and I’ve even had to substitute dressing ingredients in a pinch. One time I didn’t have fresh lemons or oranges, so I used a combination of lemon juice & rice wine vinegar to get the tang and acidity, and one time left out the Greek yogurt, and it was still great.

So that’s all to say, I’ll tell you how I’ve done it a few different times, but if the spirit moves you go with your gut. Grill, roast, and drizzle your way to healthy deliciousness.

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Korean BBQ Cauliflower & Chickpeas (vegan, gluten-free)

January 3, 2018

I’ve been completely obsessed with this this recipe for a couple months now. I’ve seriously made it three or four times in six weeks. And I cook like…maybe once a week?

This dish is super healthy done right—it’s so delicious that you don’t feel like you’re giving something up, and so easy that you don’t have to work hard to convince yourself to make it. Another bonus is that the main ingredients are really affordable, which isn’t always the case when using fresh, healthy ingredients.

Given how hectic things have been lately, I’ve tried out a couple of meal prep delivery services to see if they would help me be better about cooking and eating healthier—rather than relying on UberEats. I recently tried Terra’s Kitchen and focused on largely paleo and vegan recipes for my first box, to try and counteract the rest of my life.

This is a slightly adapted recipe of the first meal I made from them, and it was a WINNER! If you are wanting to try out a meal delivery service that has a lot of really healthy, fresh options, you might give them a try. This code will get you $40 off your first box (just a referral link, not a partnership of any sort).

The star of this dish is the sweet, tangy, spicy sauce that coats everything. But don’t underestimate how awesome the different textures are in combination—solid yet tender cauliflower, chewy chickpeas, crunchy peanut pieces. Nom nom nommity nom!READ THE POST

Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl

September 17, 2017

So…I’ve been chastising myself lately for my diet. Between crazy work schedules, travel, and being on crutches, I’ve just been a bit too reliant on Uber Eats and definitely lacking in fruits and veggies. It’s kind of amazing I don’t have scurvy.

Then this morning as I was working I decided to finally get around to watching “What The Health?” on Netflix, which talks through a lot of the things wrong with our diets and how that’s impacting our health, and the medical establishments and lobby groups that are set on keeping it that way.

Its basic conclusion is that we’re meant to eat plant-based diets, and that anything else is unhealthy. It’s definitely an interesting watch, and while I don’t completely agree that meat is the devil—I grew up on a family-run cow farm, after all, and I also believe that God designed us to eat some meat—I 100% agree that we’ve totally screwed up our food chain in so many ways and that a heavier plant diet is a good thing, and overall it guilted me REAL HARD into really putting on my adult pants today.

So I did some digging on plant-based diets and found some recipes that I want to try to rotate into my everyday routine. This was the first one I came across that made me go “Hmm!” The flavor combos are awesome, it’s easy to make, I’m a sucker for a good tahini sauce, and I’m hoping it’ll make an awesome lunch for a couple days this week as well. For a non-pasta vegetarian meal, I’m totally on board with this one!

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Easy & Healthy Pakistani Kima (Spiced Beef & Veggies)

April 17, 2017

Full disclosure: I have no idea if this recipe is truly Pakistani, nor do I know what “kima” is. But I *do* know that it’s delicious, filling, healthy, and easy. That’s a dinner grand slam in my books.

My sister has been making this for her family for quite a while, and she made it for us while I was visiting my parents a couple years ago. I fell in love with the incredible aroma and flavors of the spice combination. It’s truly what makes this dish special.

But it has a lot more going for it. It’s chock-full of veggies, across the color spectrum (something that I’m usually desperately needing). It’s also super satiating, with a one-two-three punch of the fat in the butter (don’t skimp on this), the lean ground beef, and the fiber-full vegetables.

It clocks in at around 320 calories per serving (if you make 6 servings out of the batch), which is great if you’re trying to keep your calories down but not feel hungry all the time.

And best of all, this recipe is super easy to make, a one-pot standby. It only takes about a half-hour total, and only requires you to do some vegetable chopping and throw everything into a pot.

I made two desserts while putting this together a couple weeks ago, because I didn’t have to spare any brainpower for it. So I’m kind of in love.

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Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Corba)

March 19, 2017

I’m on the record as stating that soup is not a meal, in and of itself, with very few exceptions.

This is one of them. (My mom’s baked potato soup is basically the only other.)

I also don’t like lentils usually. That is, until I went to Istanbul last year and we ate in a Kurdish family’s house and were served corba as an appetizer. Corba is a hearty red lentil soup, super flavorful and comforting. When I returned to the States, I started pinning recipes right away so I could try it myself. I learned that red lentils are very different than the dark ones I’d had before, and didn’t have as many texture issues for me.

I’ve made this recipe a few times, trying to get the texture and flavors just right. For some weird reason I have issues with it separating a bit (so becoming a little watery), but since I like it better with crushed up crackers in it anyway, I decided to just let that go. One time I even tore up half a bagel into the soup, and the texture was awesome!

One of the great things about this soup is that it comes together really quickly—like half an hour from start to finish. So you can get home from work, get it simmering, and go about your business until it’s time to blend everything up and serve. Efficiency FTW!
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Chicken Tikka Masala

March 4, 2017

It’s funny how quickly a new dish can become a go-to.

Indian food has been a challenge for a long time…in restaurants, even when it’s mild it’s usually too spicy for me. But I’ve also had several recipes I was dying to try. The intense combination of spices, held together with creamy sauces, is just too much to resist.

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I finally pulled myself together over winter break and gave this a try. Part of that was just making sure I had all the spices I needed. And I was shocked at how easy this dish was to make, how satisfying, and how great the leftovers were. So I made it a few days later. And the week after that.

It’s now in my regular rotation, because the lunch leftovers are unbeatable. Pair it with some of my delish and easy homemade naan, and you’ve got an exotic and yet comforting winner. Don’t be scared by the ingredient list, because you make the paste once and it will last you through several batches.READ THE POST

Chicken Massaman Curry

December 29, 2015

Massaman curry has somehow become one of my go-to comfort foods. When I’m cold, stressed, tired, or just annoyed, this particular curry—with its combination of soft and crunchy textures, its creamy sauce and slightly spicy bite—are like a warm, yummy hug.

[Some recipe photos updated January 2023]

For years I went to the same Thai restaurant and ordered the same thing (Bangkok chicken, “baby mild”, no baby corn…it’s the BOMB), but then one day I decided that I needed to branch out, and this was the least spicy of the curries.

Plus, it didn’t have green peppers, which are truly disgusting, so that was a deciding factor. One taste of this, with the silky avocado and the crunch of the onion, and I was in love.

I’m not sure what took me so long to try making this myself. Maybe it’s because I tend to find that ethnic dishes are just better at restaurants, so it’s worth shelling out for them on occasion.

Plus I’m lazy, and I tend to take one look at the long list of ingredients and get overwhelmed (not to mention my grocery store doesn’t just have this particular curry paste sitting around).

But you shouldn’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Most of them are ones you already have around, and the others are easy enough to pick up (and are great in other recipes). I order the masaman curry paste on Amazon, most stores carry the Red Boat fish sauce (the best!), and everything else should be at your grocery store.

Prepping the ingredients will take 15-20 minutes with one set of hands, but is quite easy, and then the dish comes together very smoothly. It makes amazing leftovers, and can feed a serious crowd.

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Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, & Feta

April 4, 2015

Somehow I totally forgot about this recipe. Which is bananas, because for a number of years I probably made this pasta with spinach, tomatoes, and feta…once a week???

I started making it in college, and pretty soon it was my go-to. I made it at least once a week while I was doing my internship, and later once I moved to Atlanta. Sometimes multiple times a week.

It was easy and cheap, came together in the time it took the pasta to cook, and felt kind of fancy. Before I started this blog I basically had a 3-recipe rotation…

[Editor’s note: photos updated in July 2021]

Then somehow I totally forgot about it once I started trying out lots of recipes for this site.

But when I was at the grocery store last weekend trying to figure out what to do for dinner (since my Kroger was totally out of avocados, which I’d kind of needed), I saw some beautiful heirloom tomatoes and this recipe popped into my mind.

It’s very forgiving, the veggie amounts aren’t super exact and neither is the feta amount. I recommend this for a night where you just need something on the table fast, and want fresh, healthy ingredients.

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Easy, Slightly-Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken & Veggies

August 17, 2014

Any time I’m home to visit my family, we’re always feeding a big crowd. Generally we stick with what we know—grilled burgers or chicken, taco salad or nachos, soup and chili, or something similar. But every so often my sisters and mom and I put our heads together and come up with something different.

Enter these delicious slightly spicy Thai peanut noodles with chicken!

When I was home in July, we had one night where we were only going to have like 15 people—a considerably smaller crowd than our usual 25 or more.

My sister and I decided we were really craving Thai food, so quickly had Mom poke through her cabinets to see if we had the makings for a Thai peanut sauce with noodles. Since my mom’s cabinets are better stocked than most small grocery stores, we had almost everything we needed.

Beyond the basics of the peanut sauce recipe, we totally winged it (wung it??), adding all the delicious flash stir-fried veggies we could find, chicken, and whole wheat noodles.

This dish was meat, carbs, and veggies in one, so we knew we had to make enough to get the whole hungry horde through dinner.

And it was definitely a hit! There wasn’t even a spoonful left after supper, the pan was scraped clean. Combined with the moist strawberry shortcake I made for the big group, I think everyone was stuffed.

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Heirloom Tomato Risotto (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

August 3, 2014

Heirloom tomatoes in season are seriously one of my favorite foods. In fact, I got to have a fancy dinner last night and there was an heirloom tomato and burrata salad that I could have eaten gallons of. I was in paradise.

So last week at the farmer’s market when I saw these gorgeous big lumpy heirloom tomatoes, I had to get my paws on them immediately. Thoughts of juicy chunks of tomato swimming in creamy, salty ricotta and tossed with al dente pasta danced through my head. I had plans.

Then plans changed, and I had friends coming over that night, last-minute. Since they’re gluten-, egg-, and dairy-free, I had to make some adjustments to my master plan.

I racked my brain to find something that they’d be able to eat and would still do these beautiful tomatoes justice.

I landed upon a simple dairy-free risotto, making a few adjustments to accommodate their health challenges (namely, I left out the butter and parmesan—sad, but necessary). I was worried it wouldn’t be nearly creamy enough, but it was still totally delicious.

My love of risotto is legendary, and I’ve never understood why people are so scared to make it. Yes, it’s time consuming and takes a little TLC, but it’s also very straightforward, not difficult at all. It’s the perfect dish to put on the stove when you already have people over and want to just stand there and drink wine and chat and stir constantly.

Or heck, make your guests stir and drink wine and chat while you put the rest of the meal together. This dairy-free version lets the tomatoes be the star, with a supporting cast of fresh basil and balsamic vinegar to add just a little extra.READ THE POST

Pasta with Fresh Sweet Corn Pesto

July 6, 2014

This pasta with sweet corn pesto is seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while. I had such high hopes for this recipe, and am inordinately happy that I wasn’t disappointed.

Sure, traditional pesto is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan, but the word basically comes from the Italian verb pestare, which just means “to pound or crush” (i.e. what you do with all these ingredients).

Typically you’d make pestos with a mortar and pestle (from the same verb) but most of us are way too lazy to do that on a regular basis. Because food processors are magical.

While I’ve tried kale pestos, spinach pestos, and all kinds of different nuts in the sauce as well, this is a very different take on the traditional dish.

You start with sweet, juicy fresh corn cut right off the cob. Cook some bacon and leave the drippings in the pan to start the flavor profile. Saute some minced garlic in it to release its amazing aroma.

Add a dash of red pepper flakes for just a hint of bite. And finish it off in the food processor with pine nuts, fresh parmesan cheese, and olive oil to make a creamy sauce that clings to the noodles like its life depends on it.

This dish doesn’t take long overall—the longest part is cutting the corn off the cob, which I’m pretty slow at (partly because I value my fingers). Once that part’s done, the rest moves quickly and you can have it on the table in less than half an hour.

While you could use many different kinds of pasta, I think a long flat pasta like linguine or tagliatelle is best for this (though I break most of the noodles in half before cooking).READ THE POST

30-Minute Mongolian Beef

July 4, 2014

What’s a more patriotic way to celebrate Independence Day than Americanized Chinese food? This super easy Mongolian beef is one of my new favorites and was what I was craving this year along with my fireworks.

It’s funny, I looked through all the recent recipes I’ve made but not posted yet, and there’s not a single one I’d classify as American.

Apparently I’ve been on an Asian kick, though. And this one’s a doozy—the most delicious, successful Asian recipe I’ve made since this super easy sesame chicken.

The sauce is obviously the hero of this recipe—you could switch the beef out for chicken and maybe wouldn’t even notice (update: I did and it’s amazing!). It’s a little sweet and salty and garlicky and super tangy. It’s got bite.

I honestly don’t know that I’d classify it as a traditional Mongolian beef sauce, which I think of as a little more mellow. But no matter what you call it, it’s awesome. And as a bonus, this recipe creates a lot of sauce to soak into the rice, which is one of my non-negotiables where Chinese food is concerned.

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Traditional Spanish Tortilla

June 27, 2014

Once upon a time I would have called this a frittata, and I would have been wrong. One of my co-workers is half Spanish, and for breakfast one time he brought in a traditional Spanish tortilla. While it looked exactly like the frittatas I’m so fond of, it had a few notable differences and I knew I wanted to recreate it myself.

Spanish tortillas and frittatas are very similar, though there are a few differences. Tortillas are always egg- and potato-based, while frittatas only have to have eggs.

Also, apparently the main difference is that you’re supposed to flip a Spanish tortilla on the stovetop at the end, versus finishing in the oven like a frittata. I’ll definitely be trying this method next time—I’m trying to wheedle my co-worker’s recipe out of him!

The gold potatoes are delightfully tender and add a delicate base to the dish along with the onion (this Kitchn article speaks to the technique that gets them lovely and soft).

Many also include asparagus, chorizo, and other fillings, but this one is very simple and traditional. The recipe below called for tarragon, though I used fresh rosemary and oregano instead.

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Herbed Goat Cheese Tart with Spring Peas

June 14, 2014

English peas in the spring are one of those magical things. There’s this super narrow window when they’re in season (usually a few weeks in April), and if you can catch them fresh-off-the-vine they’re this crunchy, sweet treat bursting with flavor.

My CSA box back in April came with three whole bags of English peas, still in their pods. Shelling them can take quite a bit of work—though if I’d been smart, I would have soaked them in a water or blanched them for a minute to make them softer.

I just sat in front of the TV and shelled the peas while vegging out. As soon as I got the peas, I knew exactly what recipe I wanted to make.

I pinned this herbed goat cheese tart recipe probably a few years ago, but haven’t had the chance to make it. It just sounded awesome across the board. My family teases me about how much I love goat cheese, but it’s seriously awesome!

The combination of tangy goat cheese, creamy greek yogurt, fresh herbs, a little salt, and then those sweet peas is truly unique. I wasn’t able to find micro greens, but I can see how they’d make this recipe even better.

It’s also important to note that this is NOT great as leftovers…the tart solidifies in the fridge and becomes quite hard and a little flavorless, losing the awesome texture and tang it had when it was fresh.

This recipe is perfect for something like a Mother’s Day brunch or Sunday morning bridal shower—something a little fancy, but where it will get consumed right away.READ THE POST

Ricotta, Tomato & Spinach Frittata

May 13, 2014

Simplicity, man. As I mentioned last week, I just wanted the easiest dinner possible. Something healthy, but something that didn’t require a million steps or ingredients.

Also, I’ve been on a weird ricotta kick. Like, eat it straight out of the carton with a spoon, maybe with a drizzle of honey. It’s getting weird. I used to hate ricotta and now look at me.

So I made some delicious marinated grilled (well, sauteed) chicken, and this delightful frittata.

Frittatas are such a great go-to meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re full of veggies and protein, easy, and make awesome leftovers. Basically, they’re perfect.READ THE POST

Dynamite Grilled Chicken

May 10, 2014

Last Sunday I just wanted something SIMPLE. I’d had a super long, exhausting week at work and even after resting up over the weekend I just found the prospect of cooking daunting.

[Updated 6/2018 with some new photos]

I didn’t want to assemble 20 ingredients or spend an hour preparing different elements of a meal. I wanted quick and tasty and healthy.

Also, I wanted ricotta, which is a weird craving but I went with it and threw together a delicious spinach, tomato, and ricotta frittata (bonus breakfast leftovers), then I added some more protein with this “dynamite” chicken.

Honestly, the main reason I made the chicken was so I’d have some leftovers for lunch, and also because I wanted to use my grill for the first time this spring. Aaaaand, that was a total fail because when I went out to grill the chicken like half an hour after turning on the grill, it was totally cold. I went to plan B (the stovetop), but still need to figure out what’s going on with my grill. [Updated photos with grilled chicken]

Oh well…it was worth it in the end, because the flavors on this chicken will knock your socks off. It’s really got some tangy bite, which was a nice complement to the more soothing, mellow frittata. Also, it was super easy, which is always a win in my book.READ THE POST

Roasted Salmon with Shallots & Tomatoes

May 6, 2014

Summer means simplicity. This roasted salmon with shallots and tomatoes practically screams summertime. Flaky roasted fish? Check. Juicy, wrinkly roasted tomatoes? Check. A side of roasted okra? Double check.

I wanted to grill the salmon but my grill was malfunctioning, so I went for this instead. And, boy, was that the right choice! The shallots and garlic sink into the flavor of the salmon, and it’s all just so…simple.

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Kale & Walnut Pesto (with & without Whole Wheat Pasta)

April 6, 2014

Today we’ve got a twist on a traditional pesto…specifically a kale and walnut pesto combo.

As I mentioned in my last post, last weekend I made a few healthy additions to my lifestyle, things I felt like I could manage. The first was guzzling a full glass of water before getting up every morning, and the second was making sure I ate a healthy breakfast every day. I also started to make sure I took vitamins every day.

This meal was about the last one—trying to eat more raw foods.

Cooking foods can make them more delicious, but can also destroy valuable nutrients and enzymes.

That’s not to say you should never eat anything cooked, but adding more raw foods to your diet (such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts) can significantly up the amount of benefits you’re getting from your food.

Of course, the best way to really get the most out of your food is to make sure you’re buying local and organic, since the longer since a food has been harvested, the more it loses. That’s not always feasible—either financially or availability-wise—but I am trying to get certain things organic, such as apples and carrots (two of the worst pesticide-contaminated foods).

This organic dino kale was in my CSA box, so it checks both boxes. Rather than sauteeing it up like I normally do, I decided to puree it with some raw walnuts, garlic, salt, olive oil, and a little ground flaxseed for a different take on pesto.

Toss with some curly pasta, and you get the best of both worlds—cooked whole grains with a potent creamy raw sauce. I toasted a few walnuts to throw on top, or if you don’t care as much about raw foods then you could toast all your walnuts before making the pesto.

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Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta with Crispy Kale

March 30, 2014

The CSA box I got a couple weeks ago was—much like the rest of us here in Georgia—stuck between summer and winter.

There were some delightful strawberries and spring-y butter lettuce, but a couple of sweet potatoes as well. I don’t give sweet potatoes much thought, generally, but the timing seemed perfect since I’d just pinned this sweet potato pasta sauce recipe.

I’ve been really trying to focus on cooking and eating healthy when I’m at home (minus a few Chinese food-palooza Saturday nights), particularly since I’ve had a rash of delicious but indulgent lunches and dinners for work.

This recipe seemed to balance my need for comfort food that especially-chilly day, but the presence of whole wheat pasta and adding creamy sweet potato to the sauce upped the healthy quotient.

Also, shallots, amirite?! These little guys pack so much flavor punch!! And the crispy sesame kale really takes this dish to the next level.

The sauce also has deeeelicious sautéed garlic and shallots to make a super flavorful base. I had a little trouble with the crispy kale (left it in the oven too long…yikes!) but overall this was simple and awesome and totally satisfying.

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Oven-Roasted Garlic Rosemary Salmon

March 9, 2014

It feels like spring! I think the weather is finally turning for good, and this weekend was truly glorious. I was tempted to pull out my grill, but instead went for a meal that was bright and happy—a garlic rosemary salmon and roasted okra.

If that doesn’t say “spring in the South” to you, I don’t know what does.

Bright red wild-caught sockeye salmon from Alaska is dusted with freshly-ground salt and pepper, then packed with minced fresh garlic and rosemary (from my own herb garden!) and roasted for a few minutes to bring all the flavors together.

Fast, easy, and healthy. Add a side of roasted okra, and that’s a happy Sunday night.

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Simple & Traditional Coq au Riesling

March 8, 2014

Having family stay with me always means I’m going to try something special in the kitchen. This coq au riesling had been at the top of the list for quite a while.

But while it seems kind of fancy (it’s a little like the chicken version of boeuf bourguignon), it’s actually not that difficult or time consuming. And it tastes awesome.

This dish’s flavor combination is so rich and layered—you build a base of the bacon and onions and garlic sautéed in butter and oil, simmer for a while with some sweet white wine, then finish the whole thing with some cream.

It’s rich, but not overly so—the mushrooms and chicken keep it from becoming too much.

You can serve as you see fit, over rice or pasta or mashed potatoes. While I’m not really a mashed potato person, my garlic mashed potatoes were the perfect foil for the sauce (which is fairly runny). You probably do need to serve it over something, though, or the sauce will be hard to corral.READ THE POST

My Own Personal Best Chili

March 1, 2014

Let’s be honest, chili is just an excuse to eat corn chips.

When the weather is cold, I always start getting the urge to make chili. Here’s the thing I realized this year, though. I’m much more into the *idea* of chili than in chili as its own thing.

I end up making a huge batch and then have gobs of chili leftovers, which I have to eat for a solid week to get through (yes, I realize I could freeze it, but I don’t like the texture when it’s thawed).

So once I year I make a big pot, a tradition I can’t seem to break. My recipe isn’t necessarily earth-shattering, but it’s delicious and mellow and hearty and comforting…it’s what I consider the best chili ever. READ THE POST

Souper Jenny’s Hungarian Mushroom Soup

February 25, 2014

All this cold weather and the snow days we’ve been having have made me crave soup. So I dug out some old Souper Jenny recipes and this Hungarian mushroom soup jumped out at me.

Souper Jenny is an Atlanta (Buckhead, to be specific) institution. The owner and her staff have been serving healthy, fresh soups, sandwiches, and salads to crowds often backing out the door for over 15 years.

A while back a few co-workers and I got to do a cooking class with the head chef, where she walked us through making five of their awesome soups in a couple hours.

When perusing the recipes initially, I was least excited about mushroom soup (I’m not a huge mushroom person). So I was shocked when we were tasting everything later and this may have been my favorite—or right up there with the lamb & Guinness stew.

The flavors were so much more complex than I expected, the scent was amazing, and the creaminess really hit the spot. It was also super easy, a win in my book.READ THE POST

Mac & Cheese with Kale, Roasted Butternut Squash, & Chicken Sausage

February 23, 2014

As the whole country knows, Atlanta has had some winter weather troubles lately. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough not to get stuck in the 24-hour city-wide traffic jam—only took me an hour and a half to get home (vs. 20 minutes usually).

I hadn’t had the foresight to check the weather ahead of time, so I ended up being stuck at home for a few days with only the food I had stocked up in my pantry and fridge. (I did have wine this time…a few years ago I got snowed/iced in for five days without wine. #neveragain)

I started poking around to see what I could make. I was craving comfort food but knew I needed to eat somewhat healthy. Unfortunately I hadn’t bought many fruits and veggies, but I found a butternut squash in the fridge and had some wilted kale, so I figured I could make something work.

This is a true McGyver meal, but I think it came out pretty darn good. It was creamy and warm, with the salty sausage and the kale adding different textures. It’s since become one of my go-to comfort food dishes.

So BEHOLD, I give you the best mac & cheese with kale, roasted butternut squash, and chicken sausage!

Can you tell I’ve been craving comfort food? Seriously, I could have chosen to make a quinoa casserole or something, but instead I ended up with a steamy, creamy mac & cheese.READ THE POST

Twist on Shepherd’s Pie, with Carrot, Parsnip, & Goat Cheese Mash

February 5, 2014

I’ll start this with a confession: I’m not sure I’ve ever actually had a traditional shepherd’s pie. I don’t know why exactly, but I guess why have something topped with mashed potatoes when you can top it with piecrust (a la pot pie)???

I’m definitely on the record as “meh” on mashed potatoes. But this carrot, parsnip, and goat cheese shepherd’s pie is a unique and delicious twist.

But something about this recipe captured my imagination when I first found it.

First, I love goat cheese. My sister can’t understand why I love it so much. Second, the combination of flavors in the filling just seemed interesting and so hearty. And the addition of carrots (and parsnips, which I added myself) made the filling so light and fluffy.

This unique twist on shepherd’s pie really was amazing. I had an impromptu dinner party and needed to fill a crowd.

It got rave reviews, and I was sad I only had a small serving leftover for the next day. One guy actually pulled this out of the fridge and had it for dessert instead of the cake everyone was having!READ THE POST

Mom’s Famous Lasagna

January 26, 2014

Lasagna is a very personal thing. In general, most people think their mom’s/grandma’s/wife’s/pick your relative’s lasagna is the absolute best thing in the world, and all other lasagnas are vastly inferior.

I certainly fall into this camp. I’m don’t think I even ate any other lasagna except my mom’s until I was…in college? And then I was so disappointed by it that it only reinforced my opinion.

I stand by that opinion, and have had friends reinforce it over the years. When I make this, I often get exclamations of “This is so good! It’s even better than my mom’s…though don’t tell her I said that!”

This lasagna recipe is really easy to put together, and it gets its awesomeness from a couple ingredients that are outside the norm.

Instead of a homemade marinara or a jarred tomato sauce, it uses a specific Hunt’s canned four-cheese sauce, which gives it a special flavor. And rather than the traditional ricotta, it uses cottage cheese.

Yeah, I know it sounds weird. I think we started doing that when I was a kid and I didn’t like ricotta and my mom wasn’t too crazy about it either. But what we discovered is that the little curds in the cottage cheese end up melting and take this to a whole other level of gooeyness (instead of the graininess of ricotta).

The result? Tangy, cheesy, fragrant, spice-filled awesomeness. I love it fresh out of the oven, with the steam still coming off it.

My dad loves it as leftovers, when the cheese and sauce have had a day or two to hang out and get married in the fridge. Either way, it’s out of this world. [My mom informs me that it was originally my Aunt Susan’s recipe that we tweaked over the years, so kudos to her as well!]READ THE POST

Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash & Dried Cranberries

January 12, 2014

Blah blah blah resolutions blah. Seems like that’s all anyone talks about this time of year. But the fact of the matter is, there’s nothing magical about January in terms of getting healthy.

In fact, it’s harder to make a drastic change mid-winter (when, let’s face it, your body is craving sleep and warm comfort food) than to make gradual changes over time that you can actually sustain.

For me, the two major things are exercising almost every day and eating healthy at home since my job often entails lots of eating out, drinking, and treats.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that I’m not going to stick with a diet that I don’t enjoy. That’s why one of my big focuses in the past year has been finding super healthy recipes that I absolutely love.

Make a list of the most healthy foods and ingredients you should be eating—superfoods, whole grains, spices, etc.—and then see how you can work them into recipes. Everyone’s list is going to be different. For me, I haven’t found anything involving lentils that I enjoy, and brown rice is dry and bland when eaten as leftovers.

But conversely I’ve found a lot of quinoa and barley recipes that I like and are great to take to work the next day. I love kale, brussels sprouts, all squashes, okra, and spinach, but there is no recipe or list of healthy benefits that can convince me to eat cucumbers, green peppers, or fresh ginger.

Once you find ingredients you enjoy, hunt up all sorts of different recipes using them. That’s where this recipe comes in. I’ve found that quinoa salads like this one and my sweet & savory chicken quinoa and quinoa & kale salad with feta & pecans are easy, healthy, filling, and affordable. And that’s quite the combination.READ THE POST

Fried Sage & Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

January 8, 2014

I have been wanting to try this fried sage and butternut squash lasagna recipe out FOREVER!

Why haven’t I, you ask? Mostly because I tried actually cutting up a butternut squash once many years ago and it was terrible, my hands hurt and were orange and I don’t ever want to do it again. Ever. Because I’m a chicken. So I had to wait until I remembered to pick up already-diced butternut squash from Trader Joe’s. And, sadly, that took me forever.

Butternut squash and sage is a captivating flavor combination to start with. Add in gooey mozzarella, grainy ricotta, pasta, and a hint of nutmeg? Awesome.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to put together, too. I roasted the squash a couple hours ahead of time, and the rest of the assembly was very simple—particularly since I used oven-ready lasagna noodles.

While you could add chicken if you wanted (or even sausage), it didn’t feel like it needed meat. It was hearty enough on its own, and would be great for a Meatless Monday type of meal plan.

READ THE POST

Baked Pasta with Broccolini, Kale, & Sausage

December 21, 2013

Mercy! It’s been over a month since I posted a real, honest-to-goodness main dish recipe here. I’ve had sweets and breads and pancakes, but nothing that’ll really stick to your bones.

I feel like I’ve been saying it all year, but it’s been utter madness lately. Work’s crazy, some travel, add in Thanksgiving, all the extra food and drinks around the holidays, and trying to finish everything up for the year.

That means I’ve been keeping long hours and not eating remotely normally. Pretty much no fruits and veggies, and I don’t remember the last time I cooked a real meal. But last weekend it was so cold and dreary and I really wanted to get back to real life.

I wanted comfort food, but healthy, and this baked pasta with broccolini, kale, and chicken sausage fit the bill. It’s got greens and crunch, tossed with golden sausage and firm pasta, all in the warm hug of creamy, garlicky béchamel and dots of gooey fresh mozzarella.

Basically, it’s perfect.

And fairly simple, all things considered. I was able to saute up the sausage and kale while the water boiled, then get everything else ready while the pasta and broccolini cooked, then stir everything together and pour it into the pan.

Twenty minutes later, I had a big, golden, slightly crunchy masterpiece on my hands.

The original recipe from Smitten Kitchen calls for broccoli rabe, which I couldn’t locate at my grocery store. I used broccolini instead (which isn’t quite the same, but can do in a pinch) and added some sautéed kale for some extra health and texture. Everything else was just right!READ THE POST

Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon

November 17, 2013

This is going to be kind of epically long, guys. But don’t be scared, because this is totally doable.

I’ll tell you a not-so-secret: I don’t like roast or stew. Never have. Growing up in the Midwest, with grandparents who raised cattle, I ate a lot of roast with little potatoes and carrots. Even beer roast or deer roast on occasion. And it just never did it for me.

That’s why I’ve never had that same fascination with Julia Child’s (beef) boeuf bourguignon that other cooks seem to have. To me looking at it, you put tons of work in and at the end you get…stew??

My mom came into town a couple weekends ago and brought me, among other things, my new car (my hip wasn’t up to 16 hours in the car), apples and potatoes from my grandma’s garden, and a bunch of new steaks and roasts. As I was poking through recipes, looking for something we could attempt together, I kept coming back to Julia Child’s classic dish.

For one, I felt like I had to attempt it just from a “legitimate cook” standpoint, plus I have an unholy fear of raw meat, so I figured my mom could help me trim and cut up the roast. So we decided to give it a go.

What I wasn’t prepared for was how GOOD it was! My house smelled amazing all day, and when we finally got to taste the sauce?? OH MAN. Layers upon layers of rich flavor. This boeuf bourguignon isn’t just stew or roast, this was “beef in awesome sauce”.

I realize it’s a little more work than a typical roast or stew, but if you’re going to be home all day and can tend to it from time to time, what you get in the end is totally worth it. And there’s wine, so that should be incentive enough…READ THE POST

Easy Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese

October 27, 2013

I used to be really scared of making mac & cheese. I mean the legit baked kind where the sauce starts with a roux and there’s whisking involved. Whisking is one of those things that kind of intimidates me. I have no idea why, but it seems very serious.

Luckily, I’ve tried a few recipes over the past year that have helped me get over my fear of making bechamel sauce, including some different mac and cheese recipes (it all started with the beer mac & cheese last Thanksgiving).

But every time I make it, I still get this anxiety right before I start whisking like my life depends on it…

For some reason I was really just craving some comfort food last weekend, but needed it to be healthy comfort food—I’ll be on a beach in a swimsuit in a couple weeks (vacay, finally!) and do have a little bit of vanity left in me.

So this roasted vegetable mac and cheese, with its hearty roasted veggies, whole wheat pasta, and olive oil-based cheese sauce, called to me.

One of the things that really intrigued me about this recipe is that the roux—basis for the bechamel cheese sauce—is made with olive oil instead of butter. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve seen a roux recipe without butter, so I was definitely interested to see how that went.

And I quite liked it. It gives things a little bit of an olive oil-y flavor that, when combined with the flour and whole wheat pasta, was a different twist on a regular mac & cheese. READ THE POST

Easy Crockpot Beer Chicken

October 21, 2013

I rarely go in for crockpot cooking. Everyone waxes poetic about how easy it is, how much it saves your life, and how it’s basically the best thing since sliced bread. But I guess I just don’t get it.

I mean, I don’t hate crockpots. But I just haven’t had amazing luck with them. I mean, everything’s so…soggy. But every so often I run across a recipe that makes me want to give it another shot. I’d had this crockpot beer chicken recipe bookmarked for a while, and overall I really like it.

I do think it would be a little better with a darker beer (I tend toward stouts and darker beers like Negra Modelo), but I used something sitting in my fridge that I wasn’t going to be as likely to drink.

You could try my 10-second shredded chicken hack with this too!

The recipe didn’t call for any veggies, but I added them anyway. If you have the time, it would probably be better to add the zucchini and squash to the slow cooker more like a half-hour before you’re ready to serve, since then they’ll still retain some crunch—as it is, they were practically transparent and fairly mushy. I didn’t mind but I’d probably change that next time.

You can add whatever veggies you have around, it’s a super versatile recipe. I also cooked up some farro to use as a base for the recipe. It didn’t call for it, but it seemed a shame to waste all that tasty sauce. You can use anything you have on-hand—rice, quinoa, pasta, whatever.READ THE POST

Creamy Charred Corn & Leek Fettuccine

October 2, 2013

Garrison Keillor (he of Prairie Home Companion notoriety) famously said, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn”. Corn is one of those hallmarks of summer for me. I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Kansas, and my grandma always had a giant garden—well, somewhere between garden and legit field—just for corn.

All the aunts and cousins would get together for a few days and pick corn, shuck it, blanch it, and cut it off the cob for preserving. But we’d always save the best ears for eating right away, rolled in butter and lightly salted. That sweet, juicy pop of kernels is synonymous with summer for me.

With my surgery happening in the middle of the summer (and all the preparation that came before it), I feel like I’ve kind of missed out on summer, particularly the glut of zucchini, tomatoes, and corn that usually accompany the hot months.

Right before I left for Colorado a couple weeks ago, I realized that the entire summer has passed by and I hadn’t made a single dish with fresh sweet corn. Which is totally unacceptable. So this creamy corn & leek fettuccine is like the last hurrah of summer!

This is actually an adaptation of two different pasta recipes I’d pinned, this one from A Cozy Kitchen, and this one from Pinch of Yum. Each featured charred sweet corn as the primary ingredient, but one focused more on fresh fennel, tarragon, and clams (which I don’t eat), while the other recipe had chipotle and cilantro (which are definitely not my style) but a sauce process I liked.

This recipe has some elements of each, but I made several changes as well…hence creamy charred corn & leek fettucine. A perfect comforting dish that will help us slide into fall.

To put my own spin on it, I added leeks as the flavor base for the sauce. I actually wanted to use shallots opposite the corn, but the store was out so I let the leek pinch-hit. They have a great, subtle flavor when sautéed and then partially pureed.

I didn’t have fresh tarragon, but used dried instead. I added the charred corn to the sauce (and would recommend lightly pureeing) as well as just tossing the whole, charred corn kernels with the pasta.

READ THE POST

Easy Grilled Sesame-Soy Salmon

September 27, 2013

I’m having trouble accepting that my grilling season is almost over.

Yes, I realize that the weather in Atlanta will permit grilling pretty much year-round, but it is harder to heat up when it’s cold. So I’m trying to squeeze all the grilling in that I can, and I’m on a super salmon kick.

I was so excited when my first salmon grilling (maple citrus grilled salmon) went so well, that I felt brave trying it again. This sesame-soy salmon was just as easy, but more of a savory (I always want to spell it savoury, like the Brits) spin.READ THE POST

One-Pot Farro with Tomatoes

September 23, 2013

Like 98% of the Pinterest-verse, I’d seen and pinned the ubiquitous “one-pot pasta” recipe where you put dry spaghetti, tomatoes, onions, and garlic into a cold pot of water and cook it all together.

I thought it sounded like a great idea and planned to try it at some point, until the ever-reliable Smitten Kitchen posted about how she’d tried it but the pasta had turned out all soft and gummy.

That’s when reason prevailed and I realized that what she said made total sense from a chemistry standpoint. And given my hatred of over-cooked pasta (one of our nation’s great failings), this wasn’t going to work. Instead, she submitted this one-pot farro recipe as an alternative, and she never steers me wrong.

It uses the exact same technique but substitutes a hardier grain for the soft processed pasta. Farro is better able to stand up to this kind of cooking process.

This dish was like a harbinger of fall—while the grape tomatoes were still bursting with summer flavor, the rich, silky sauce that formed around the nutty, chewy grains was like a warm hug. I’m not ready for fall just yet, but this is working on forcing me to get there.READ THE POST

Fresh Herb Grilled Chicken

September 8, 2013

With the fresh herb grilled chicken, it’s really starting to feel like I’m back! I’ve spent the last two months being almost singularly-focused on my hip surgery. I had two weeks to get everything lined up for my out-of-state surgery and being out of work for a month and a half.

Then after the procedure my world initially was a fairly regimented schedule of pills, injections, ice packs, braces, weird machines on and around me, and those absolutely terrible anti-blood clot stockings that were the bane of my existence. My mom and then my sister (and baby niece) came down to help take of me, and I worked a ton from home, but the scope of my world basically shrunk to my living room.

My mom and sister left three weeks after the surgery, when I was able to start driving again (I’m still driving left-footed out of fear for my right hip). Since then I’ve basically just been trying to do the bare minimum, getting up and down my condo stairs, starting to wean myself off crutches, getting all my physical therapy in, working from home, and then collapsing at the end of the day.

I’ve re-watched two seasons each of Bones and Castle, and devoured three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Netflix (Buffy + Angel 4EVER, amirite??).

I haven’t been making anything new lately (as you may have noticed), surviving on pre-made food and leftovers from when my sister was here. And cheese. Always cheese. But now, finally, I seem to have turned a corner.

Beyond throwing pasta with various fixings, this recipe was a first try at really cooking something (besides boiling up ravioli or baking a Kashi pizza). I knew it would need to be fast and easy, since I didn’t want to spend lots of time on my feet—I still tire really easily.

And I’m still obsessed with my grill and want to use it as much as I can before it gets cold out. Plus, my mom planted me this awesome indoor herb garden while she was here.

Isn’t that the BEST?! The only places in my entire condo (including the patio) that get direct sunlight are the two bedroom windows, so we put this in the guest bedroom. She planted tons of basil (my favorite!), rosemary, oregano, sage, and thyme. I’ve been doing my darnedest to keep them alive since she left, though I think the sage has shuffled off this mortal coil. It wasn’t terribly hardy. It’s not my fault!

Mom, if you’re reading this, I promise I took care of it…the sage just had no will to live.

Man, fresh herbs are the best. I used a combination of the rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage for this dish. I was worried the basil would be too overpowering and would burn too easily, so I left it out.READ THE POST

Garlicky Spinach & Chicken Pasta with Goat Cheese

August 31, 2013

I’ll preface this one by admitting that it’s a tad rich for my blood. Which probably puts it right in most people’s wheelhouse since I have a low tolerance for that kind of thing. But the pasta combination of flavorful rotisserie chicken, garlicky spinach, and creamy goat cheese really packs a wallop.

This is another of my infamous “kitchen sink” pastas, which have a pretty doggone good track record over the years. There seem to be some really odd but delicious combinations of random pasta-friendly ingredients sitting around my house when I’m hungry.

This one, while not my favorite ever, was warm and comforting—it would have been a great winter dish. And for someone with a taste for these things, a dash of spice (like red pepper flakes or something along those lines) would add an interesting bite to the creamy richness.READ THE POST

Maple Citrus Grilled Salmon

August 24, 2013

I’ll be honest. I was really scared to try grilling fish. But my inaugural foray with this maple citrus grilled salmon was SO GOOD.

See, I luuurrrrve fish. Particularly more “fishy” fish (as my co-worker Lucy would say) like salmon. But dry fish? Blech. I want moist, flaky fish. I’ve tried making salmon in the oven in the past but haven’t had a ton of success getting it to the right consistency. But this grilled salmon was a REVELATION.

My mom and I made this a couple days after my surgery, so simplicity was key. I was mostly useless, and cooking in someone else’s kitchen is always hard so we wanted to keep it easy on her. I found this delicious-sounding marinade/glaze on Pinterest and, since I had all the ingredients on-hand, decided it was the perfect thing to try.

We were both so shocked by how good it was, how perfect the consistency was, and just how easy the recipe was. I was really sad that we only had two tiny fillets, because I would have DESTROYED, like, an entire salmon if it’d been available. Mmmmm, salmon.READ THE POST

Cavatappi with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Kale, & Grilled Zucchini

August 18, 2013

I’ve got another “kitchen sink” pasta coming your way, and BOY is this one a goodie!

It was borne of necessity, and in the weirdest way imaginable. As I mentioned a few posts ago, I had surgery towards the end of July, and it actually happened quite fast. Typically it takes about 6-8 weeks to get a spot on the surgery list, but they had a cancellation two weeks out that I was able to grab.

But that meant I had to get a million things done in a really short amount of time—calling insurance companies, booking hotels (the surgery was out of state), figuring out what equipment I’d need for recovery, etc.

I also had to get into my regular doctor for a pre-surgery check-up. I got in, they did some bloodwork and such, and then the next day got a call that my blood clotting was the teensiest, tiniest bit below normal. Not a surprise to me, I bleed like a stuck pig, but she wanted to re-do the bloodwork after the weekend and if it wasn’t normal possibly have me see a hematologist.

So naturally, I’m freaking out, because I don’t have time for complications, and I really needed the surgery to go on as scheduled.

What does that have to do with pasta, you ask? Well, as I said, I was freaking out a little (okay, a fair amount), so I did a bunch of research on foods that help your blood clot, and foods that prevent blood clots.

Unfortunately, I learned that ALL THE GOOD FOODS keep your blood from clotting—wine, coffee, balsamic vinegar, soy, strawberries, tomatoes, basically every spice. And only a few thicken the blood. I avoided coffee and wine (yes, it was a sad weekend) and wracked my brain for what I could make for dinner Sunday night before the bloodwork Monday morning.

Veggies high in vitamin K were the first place to start, like kale, brussels sprouts, and okra, so I totally loaded up on those. I put kale and zucchini in the pasta, roasted some okra, and also had steak, goat cheese, and anything else I could find that was higher in saturated fat. I did go ahead and throw some tomatoes into the pasta, but largely avoided them when I ate it that night, just in case.

The good news is that it worked—my blood clotting came out in the normal range and the surgery went on as scheduled. It was a weekend full of worrying, but at least I was able to find a solution. And I got a delicious, super easy pasta recipe out of the bargain. So without further ado…READ THE POST

Barbecue Chardonnay Chicken

August 1, 2013

I’ve finally found a way I like to consume chardonnay!

It’s no major secret that I love wine, and there are certainly ones I love more than others. But for some reason I can NOT find a chardonnay that I like. I’ve tried a bunch, and I just don’t like them. I call it chardon-NO. My mom’s not the biggest fan either, and she’d tried a bottle I had in my fridge but didn’t like it, then had the brilliant idea to use it as a marinade instead.

We threw this recipe together a couple days after my surgery, so simple was the key word. It was actually meant to be grilled, but all the recent rain had tripped some kind of ground wire and my outdoor outlet didn’t work, so we cooked it on the stove instead. Always have a backup plan.

What was surprising was how unique the flavors were! I mean, barbecue is always good, and Sweet Baby Ray’s is the best. But you could really taste the chardonnay in there, and it added a really special flavor to the barbecue sauce—sweet without being cloying, and with that oaky depth (almost a little bite) that I don’t like in wine but somehow I really loved in chicken. Plus the sage fried up into little awesome crispy bits.READ THE POST

Pastry-Wrapped Chicken Florentine

July 25, 2013

Well. It’s been an eventful few days for me. You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting quite as frequently the last few weeks, and that’s because I’ve been getting ready to have surgery—on a very short timeframe!

I went straight from 4th of July weekend travel in Florida to North Carolina the next day for a surgery consult to frantically getting all the paperwork done, people called, things approved, and work ready for me to leave for a good long time. And this Tuesday morning my mom and I drove up to North Carolina for the surgery. Quite the whirlwind! My surgery was yesterday, I spent the night in the hospital and then we drove back this afternoon. Just got in and we are wiped out!

That’s all to say that while I haven’t been able to post as many recipes here recently, I do have several great ones stockpiled that I’ve tried but haven’t had a chance to write up, and so will be posting these during my recovery, while I’m not able to cook right now (since I can’t stand for a while). And I’ll start with this awesomeness hugged by pastry.

So back in May, I went home to visit my family and we crammed a lot into the weekend—my sister’s college graduation, a bunch of extended family graduations, a Sabbath/holy day combo, plus we decided to go ahead and celebrate my parents’ 30th anniversary since we had all of us together.

The only night we had open was when I was flying in, so I got in and started cooking right away. This pastry-wrapped chicken florentine is the recipe my mom had requested, she’d been wanting to try it for a long time.

It’s called chicken florentine, but I’m not totally sure why. I always thought chicken florentine had, like, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in it??

Whether it’s named appropriately or not, this is absolutely delicious. I’m totally on board with anything that’s wrapped in pastry or pie crust, and the flavors all work really well together. It can be a little labor-intensive if you’re on a tight schedule (which we were) but it’s not difficult at all.READ THE POST

Tomato Grilled Chicken with Barley Corn Salad

July 9, 2013

I couldn’t quite figure out what title to put on this post, because “tomato grilled chicken” just sounds weird, and “barley corn salad” doesn’t exactly scream “party in your mouth”.

But trust me, this dish is not at ALL weird, and is TOTALLY a party in your mouth.

This was my first time cooking barley, and I was a little nervous. It turned out well, though I didn’t quite follow the instructions and forgot to drain the barley (I just kept cooking it til the water evaporated).

The chicken was interesting but didn’t try to overwhelm everything else, and was super moist. I was worried that it would dry out because I had to cook mine longer (accidentally bought the super fat chicken breasts), but it kept the juice in very well.

And wow, barley was a revelation! It just had this amazing texture—chewy and nutty, which paired perfectly with the crunchiness of the onions and corn, the juiciness of the tomatoes, and the creamy avocado.READ THE POST

Grilled Balsamic Chicken

June 30, 2013

I’ve wanted a grill for as long as I’ve lived alone. In my head, a grill was all that stood between me and these awesome meaty dinners every night of the week.

Now, I can privately admit that that’s not entirely the truth—let’s not pretend I’d actually make dinner after a 12-hour day. But, I WOULD cook meat way more often, and it would open up a whole new world of culinary possibilities. Plus, who doesn’t love that freshly-grilled flavor?!

However, my apartment complex would never let me have a grill, and my new condo complex is the same. But there’s this nice patio just begging for a grill! What’s a girl to do?

Well, I did some digging, and apparently electric grills are a thing—not a very well-known thing, but a thing nonetheless. I knew I didn’t want to go the oversize George Foreman route. I found a few that got good reviews, and lucked out at Target a couple weeks ago and found a great CharBroil one on sale. This easy balsamic chicken recipe was its maiden voyage.

Isn’t that an amazing plate of food?! Look at me, making dinner on a work night like a grown-up BOSS. Ain’t she gorgeous?! Putting it together wasn’t super fun, but totally worth it.

My patio, on the other hand, looks a little rough since my dad and I pulled up the tile a couple weeks ago…READ THE POST

Chicken & Avocado Enchiladas with Creamy Avocado Sauce

June 24, 2013

So I got a real treat this year for Father’s Day—I actually got my dad! It was a last-minute decision, but we got my dad a ticket down to Atlanta a few days before and so we got to spend a long weekend together.

It seemed the travel gods were displeased with us, though, because his flight was super delayed (then cancelled, then he was put on another flight and arrived around 1:00 a.m.) on his way into the ATL, and then his flight leaving was also super delayed. Needless to say, we were tired!

He came down to help me do handyman jobs on my new place, hanging pictures and the like. While we got some down time, we also were super busy and worked hard, so my papa deserved a GOOD meal on Father’s Day!

I had bookmarked this chicken avocado enchiladas recipe a while back, and while it’s not totally in my wheelhouse, it’s definitely in my dad’s.

We attacked it like starving hyenas, totally stuffing ourselves, then finished off our evening with creamy, refreshing lemon cornstarch pudding and some wine. All-in-all, a successful Father’s Day!READ THE POST

Black Bean, Chicken, & Spinach Quinoa Casserole

June 19, 2013

I’ve been doing a lot of desperation cooking lately. What is desperation cooking, you ask?

Well, it goes something like this on an average Sunday afternoon…I look in my fridge and pantry and I have NOTHING (how is that possible?!) but I’m so hungry and I have to eat something and oh my word what will I eat, I’m going to starve and die and my cats will eat my face! But wait! There are seven completely random ingredients sitting around—what can I make???

The answer is generally something healthy, serviceable, and tasty enough, if not earth-shattering. This recipe was one of my better desperation-fueled culinary attempts, and definitely falls into that category.

Great news is it’s good for you, with protein-packed quinoa and chicken, fiber-full black beans, and superfood spinach. And cheese. Always cheese. READ THE POST

Pasta with Easy No-Cook Sauce

May 29, 2013

You know those days when you just don’t feel like cooking, or going through a million steps to get a meal on the table? A.k.a. every day? Or it’s just too hot to cook things for too long? That’s where this recipe comes in—a simple pasta with no-cook sauce.