Make-Ahead Recipes

Lemon Dijon Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes & Apples

With a combination of creamy, crunchy, and crisp ingredients, this wholesome salad is sure to satisfy, and leftovers hold up well. For a protein-rich complete meal, top with grilled or roasted chicken or salmon๏ผor white beans or seared tofu for complementary meatless alternatives. Every fall, when the days start to grow shorter and colder, I sell…

Loaded Baked Potato Frittata

Fashioned after a favorite side dish, this frittata is deliciously satisfying unadorned, although the bell pepper “shamrocks” add a whimsical nod to St. Patrick’s Day. ☘️   Kids are sometimes faulted for playing with their food. Even as an adult, I canโ€™t always resist the temptation. I havenโ€™t conducted any scientific studies, but Iโ€™m pretty…

Homemade Seasoned Salt

So often it’s the simple things made with run-of-the-mill pantry items that serve us best in the kitchen.  Thanks to their ease, versatility, and great flavor, staples like classic balsamic vinaigrette, basic marinara, homemade Bisquick, and aptly-named “everything” sauce have found their way into many recipes in my kitchen and throughout this blog.   An amped up salt fits nicely…

No-Bake Refrigerator Peanut Butter Oat Squares

A wholesome, no-bake recipe with peanut butter and chocolate (what’s not to love?), these chewy bars never last long!   Since my kids were little, one of their favorite lunchbox treats has been a chewy peanut butter chocolate chip granola bar. Whatโ€™s not to like? With their convenient portable packaging and ever-growing assortment of flavors,…

Not-Mushy Oatmeal (aka Chewy Granola)

This tasty, toasty twist on the usual bowl of stovetop oatmeal may be served hot or cold with your favorite milk. Or layer it with yogurt and fresh fruit for a satisfying breakfast parfait.       Did you ever think a bowl of stovetop oatmeal could look like this?  I mean, you can actually…

4-Ingredient Low-Carb Cloud Bread

Use these unconventional but tasty rolls for hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, and the classic ham and cheese. Lightly toasting the rolls and topping with peanut butter and jam is a very good option, too.   Sometimes, I post photos of in-the-works recipes on Instagram or Facebook.  If I want to do some trouble-shooting or tweaking, I…

Pan-Seared Heart Chicken

A few simple cuts of the knife transform a boneless, skinless chicken breast into a festive meal. Fun for Valentineโ€™s Dayโ€ฆor any time! ❤️ Special occasion dinners can be memorable for many reasons. Perhaps the artistically plated tapas at a swanky new restaurant made an impression, or the view while cracking crabs by the bay…

Curried Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

Red lentils add a hearty dose of protein and minerals to this much-loved seasonal soup, yet no one would ever know theyโ€™re there. This Curried Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup is kosher, gluten-free, easily made vegan, and so very satisfying!     Many of us hardly know what weโ€™re making for dinner next week, let…

Make-Ahead Pineapple Blueberry Breakfast Parfaits

These wholesome, prep-ahead jars are reminiscent of Bircher muesli with a tropical twist. In the morning, simply add milk to your desired consistency, give the jars a good stir, and dig in!   Golden pineapples are a staple on my weekly grocery list throughout the winter.  Their tropical sweetness seems almost summer-like at a time…

Build-Your-Own Veggie and Grain Salad

It’s January. ย The weather is cold (at least it is here!) and the holiday festivities are behind us. Eating well can be a challenge when the mercury plummets, colds and flus rear their ugly heads, and warm sunshine and flip flops seem a long way off. Of course, all of this makes heavy comfort foods…

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

This hands-off slow cooker meal brings great flavor to the table with tremendous ease. The recipe is also flexible, allowing for several complementary substitutions and additions. For many years, I owned a slow cooker that I hardly used.ย  It was my grandmotherโ€™s old Crock Pot, and it had a small crack down the side of…

Winter Porridge

The formula for the basic porridge is easy, and you can prepare it in advance for speedy breakfasts throughout the week.   I’ve always been amazed by people who go sockless in cold weather. When my feet are cold, everything is cold. So, it’s remarkable that, since the beginning of fall, I’ve only worn socks…

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