Make-Ahead Recipes
Nutty Coconut Pumpkin Smoothie
Stocked with fresh pumpkin puree and having recently made pumpkin pancakes, muffins, and baked oatmeal, my mind turned to smoothies. My first thought was to combine pumpkin and fresh orange juice to keep the color bright and add natural sweetness. But guess what? No oranges. No orange juice either! We have been on a cider…
Baked Pumpkin Pancakes (Grain/Gluten Free)
Pumpkin and almonds hold a special affinity for one another. Generally speaking, combining these two ingredients has the potential for greatness. Yet the concept of combining them to create a gluten-free pancake—baked in the oven, no less–had the potential for epic failure! I remember well the first time I made this recipe. The batter tasted…
Salted Lime Baked Corn Tortillas Chips
The salted, lime-infused crunch of a favorite store-bought tortilla chip is easy to recreate at home with a short list of ingredients and in minimal time. My family adores the store-bought “hint of lime” tortilla chips. As I was making my Tex-Mex Chopped Salad one evening, which includes a crunchy element on top, I realized…
Tex-Mex Dressing
This is a super simple dressing I created for my Tex-Mex Chopped Salad. While you can use your favorite store-bought ranch, I like this easy-to-make and healthier version. It is delicious and, combined with the salsa, offers a bit of a kick and just the right flavor to enhance a variety of southwestern dishes. Use…
Tex-Mex Chopped Salad
With the right ingredients, a salad can be a hearty, delicious, and wholesome meal. Good proteins, healthy fats, and different textures help. So does a homemade dressing. The simple mixture of salsa and ranch dressing lends great flavor and a little kick to this dish. While you could substitute your favorite store-bought dressing, I really…
Root Beer Pulled Pork Tacos with Vinegar Sauce
This pulled pork is a slight variation on my Lean and Mean Pulled Pork which has really become a favorite in our house. While I have always been a fan of tomato-based barbecue sauce, my Southern friend, Lisa, is partial to a vinegar sauce. She shared here recipe with me and it just might win…
Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce
We are usually the tomato-based barbecue sauce type in this family. However, a very dear Southern friend shared her favorite vinegar sauce with me a while back and it was a complete hit! Her recipe has just the right amount of tang and makes for one delicious sandwich. I asked my friend, Lisa, if…
Make-Ahead Blueberry Almond Smoothie
First, I must say that the color of this blueberry smoothie is about as luscious as the taste! Since I first tried the make-ahead smoothie concept, I have been hooked. I love a nice, thick smoothie and typically rely on frozen fruit and ice to get the consistency I prefer. Using the oats and chia…
Roasted Tomato Soup
Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic heightens their flavors, and what could be easier than scraping the contents of the baking sheet into a food processor and blending with a few additional ingredients? In my family, there are some who prefer cold tomato soups and some who prefer hot. The great thing about this delicious…
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Loving big, hearty, healthy salads as I do, I often get ideas in my head about flavors I think would taste great together. Cooler weather means the arrival of all sorts of root vegetables and winter squash, not to mention a myriad of greens. I created this nutty-tasting dressing to stand up to the flavors…
Indian-Spiced Roasted Garbanzos
Whether you call them garbanzo beans or chick peas, they make a perfect snack food when roasted. They are an inexpensive, high-protein snack and a crunchy, low-fat alternative to croutons in a salad. Put out a pre-dinner bowl when company arrives. From boring can of beans to clever hors d’oeuvres…who knew?? A simple mixture of…
Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies
These Butterscotch Oatmeal Blondies are one of my husband’s favorite treats. So much so, I have actually wrapped a batch and given it to him as a Christmas or anniversary present over the years. He likes to freeze and eat them very cold. The rest of us enjoy them at room temperature－and…
