Meals Under 30 Minutes

Summer Breeze Chicken Salad

This fresh-tasting chicken salad offers a uniquely delicious way to savor sweet, seasonal peaches. The combination may seem unexpected, but once you try, I’m betting you’ll be sold!   Some people are hard to forget.  Take the gem of a teacher who totally gets your toddler.  When my older son first went off to preschool he…

Creamy Chocolate Power Shake

Thick enough to eat with a spoon and loaded with a wholesome balance of ingredients that will deliciously fuel your day.   I LOVE this shake–although you can call it a smoothie if you prefer. Initially, I was not a believer.  My friend Anita gets all the credit for showing me the wisdom of adding…

Grilled Caesar Salads… with easy options for a complete meal and a bonus recipe for watercress

Grilled Caesar salads are a summertime classic and can be a quick, well-rounded meal. This bright-tasting dressing is easy to prepare—no need for a blender or food processor—and is egg and anchovy free. Anchovy fans may absolutely serve them alongside, of course, and I’ve included my favorite ways to turn the salad into a complete…

Greek Pasta Salad

Bursting with flavor and easy to transform into a complete meal, this versatile pasta salad is equally perfect for busy weeknights and casual entertaining.    When I was pondering what to say about this light-but-satisfying, Mediterranean-style salad, four simple words came to mind: low effort, high reward. It’s a bowlful of flavor that everyone seems…

Absolutely Famous Greek Dressing and Marinade

When I look through my ever-growing list of recipes, I notice quite a few that are modeled after memorable restaurant meals or frequently used store-bought products. In an effort to save money or control ingredients, readers sometimes ask if I can replicate items that they like to eat. Recent requests are as varied as belVita…

Asiago Pesto Spread

Two types of cheese and two types of nuts provide nuanced flavor in this time-tested pesto recipe that will add memorable flavor to so many meals. (Freezes well, too!)         The flavor of pesto is unbeatable and its uses are many.  The only downfall of so many pestos is that they are…

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake

A high-protein meal replacement that pulls double duty as dessert?  Sign me up!  This thick, creamy shake has actually served me quite well over the years.  Because of my penchant for a nightly bowl of ice cream–truly one of the hardest habits for me to break–I’m always on the hunt for healthier options that truly…

Strawberry Chicken Salad with Candied Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Easy jam jar dressing and candied walnuts add amazing flavor to this crisp, fresh plate.  Leftover chicken makes it a satisfying, complete meal.   Friends and family provide some of the best recipe feedback, which often steers me towards sharing a particular dish sooner than later–or in some cases, going back to the drawing board.…

Black Bean Dip (or Salsa or Salad)

Enjoy this easy, endlessly versatile recipe as a dip with chips, a salsa for fish or chicken, a super-simple salad, or the foundation of a healthy, plant-based meal. Perfect for a potluck and can be prepared up to a day in advance!         Amidst all my experimenting with new recipes, this simple…

Easy Blueberry Lemon (or Lime) Sauce

It’s easy to pass over “component” recipes like sauces, dressings, and other condiments in favor of recipes that produce the whole meal.  Time is always at a premium, and it can be hard enough to get dinner on the table without worrying about…blueberry sauce?  Well this easy, versatile recipe might just be reason to rethink.…

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

  Have you ever wondered how to perfectly poach an egg or whether mayonnaise is a better option that butter on a grilled cheese sandwich?  A sieve is your friend when poaching eggs, and mayo is easier to spread than cold butter, but there’s a little more to the story. A few months ago, Christine…

William’s Habanero Hot Sauce… and a hot sauce taste test

Though we often cheat and hope for no frost (or April snow, as was the case this year), the safe time for backyard planting where I live is always said to begin on Mother’s Day. Ever since my husband and I bought our first house, we’ve planted a garden. There is something so satisfying about…

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