Do you ever eat a meal at a restaurant and want to replicate it at home? Do you often think that salads you eat at a restaurant taste better than what you make at home? My friends and I have joked many times that food always tastes better when someone else makes it for you!…
Apples, pecans, and blue cheese are the base of this versatile salad, and the speedy maple-Dijon-cider vinaigrette makes it a keeper. As I was walking my boys home from school one day last spring, a friend of mine drove by and yelled a funny thing out her car window. “I love your maple Dijon vinaigrette…
Since I first accepted the new role as a flavor correspondent for Sargento, working in conjunction with Rick Bayless’ list of Top 10 Food Trends, I have started to experiment with new ingredients and combinations and to read about some of the ethnic cuisines that are less familiar to me. I am having fun in…
A “busy night” dinner that’s hearty, healthy, colorful and super satisfying. Easy to customize based on preference and what you have on hand. There are lots of “busy night” dinners that I pull together often but have not shared in this space. Why, you may ask? Well, because they are the busy nights,…
This quick, soul-warming soup is loaded with tender chicken and colorful veggies and puts on fun twist on the pasta. Pediatrician recommended and family approved! NOTE: Following is an excerpt from my February 2013 column in the Lancaster Sunday News. For the link to the referenced “Ask the Pediatrician” column, which may be of particular interest if you feel…
This Greek-inspired, one-pot meal requires a slow braise but is largely hands-off and rewards you with exceptional flavor. Wholesome comfort food at its best! Recipes that are easy to tinker with and easily adapt are often my favorites. They also tend to make for happier diners. We all like choices, right? This is why I’ve…
Easy, cheesy spinach squares are a retro appetizer that make an equally delicious side dish. The squares may be baked ahead and reheated and freeze well too. The look of today’s menu item may remind you of a crustless quiche. In this recipe, however, two eggs serve as a binder for the remaining ingredients…
A few weeks ago, a friend emailed me, saying that grapefruit is one of his favorite fruits, and wondered if I had any recipes using this fruit. On one of those aforementioned evenings, when the refrigerator was looking rather bare, I did happen to have a bag of baby spinach, a grapefruit, and a red…
With winter just around the corner, I am sort of thinking I should have chosen a different name for this salad! This is the perfect recipe to get through the cold months when fresh produce is not abundant. It is also a worthy counterbalance to the excesses of the holidays…like all that Oreo Bark! Loving…
This is a recipe I like to make at least once every fall or winter. Most of the ingredients can be easily held on hand and it is a delicious, satisfying way to get a day’s worth of colorful veggies. While this recipe works well as a unique side dish, perfectly paired with poultry or…
If you are an egg fan and haven’t yet tried making a frittata, I highly recommend you do! Not only are frittatas easy and quite versatile — allowing for the incorporation of a wide variety of vegetables, cheeses, herbs and protein — they are economical and so very satisfying. I think this savory egg dish…
I like to keep a package of fresh pasta and a package of sausage–turkey, chicken or pork are all good options–in my refrigerator for a quick, easy meal. These two ingredients, paired with any number of vegetables, cheeses, and herbs can be the foundation for what is essentially a delicious pasta stir fry. Since the…