Summer Recipes
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 prepareโno need for a blender or food processorโand 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…
Zucchini Noodles in Rustic Tomato Sauce
This easy, one-pan meal is plant-based but will satisfy meat eaters too. Use prepared zucchini noodles or spiralize them yourself, and feel free to enjoy the simple sauce with regular pasta as well. Kitchen cabinets are like closets. One never seems to have enough of them. Since space is at a premium, I…
Snappy Honey Grilled Shrimp
Have you ever wondered what food item is most commonly stolen from grocery stores worldwide? (Stick with me here…I’m going somewhere with this.) The answer surprised me. It’s cheese. In the United States, cheese actually ranks fourth behind meat, candy, and baby formula. (France skewed the global figures.) These stats are one more reason the following…
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. ย The only downfall of so many pestos is that they are…
Abbyโs Watermelon Salad
A little sweet, a little saltyโฆ ย this quick-to-assemble salad is perfect on a summer night paired with something off the grill. Though we only attended the same school for one year and werenโt even in the same grade, my friend Abby and I have a unique history and never fail to relive old memories…
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…
Beer Margaritas
This unconventional recipe makes a large pitcherful and tastes like the best version of the classic drink. Leftovers freeze well and become slushy-like! Cinco de Mayo is the perfect reason to enjoy a favorite Mexican meal, but what exactly is the holiday all about? Cinco de Mayoโthe fifth of Mayโcommemorates the Mexican armyโs 1862…
5-Ingredient Tropical Green Smoothie
I was skeptical. I purchase fresh spinach in a 5-ounce box, and the thought of putting all of it into a single smoothie recipe seemed…well…excessive. But in the name of helping a friend, I gamely tried this recipe. Ally Phillips, cookbook author, blogger, and longtime friend in food, was looking for a little assistance as…
Blistered Green Beans
Cook green beans in a flash while bringing out their very best flavor with this minimalist but effective approach. Need a 10-minute side dish that tastes great and goes with practically everything? For years I steamed my green beans. Occasionally, I roasted them. For the past year or two, however, broiling has been…
Greek-Style Grilled Chicken Dinner Salad
Last year, I shared a story about a friend of mine, Sarah Lanphier, whose successful college fundraiser led to a thriving granola company. Nuts About Granola produces a variety of uniquely delicious flavors–think carrot cake and PB&J–as well as a grain-free Forager line. Recently, Sarah launched a line of savory granolas, fittingly named Sarah’s Savory…
