Fajita Veggies are a nostalgic classic.

If you also came of age in the 1980’s and 90’s, maybe you can relate: fajitas were (are!) THE BEST!

When I was a kid, and we went to a restaurant that served chicken or shrimp fajitas, I was definitely ordering them.

The excitement of them coming to the table in a sizzling skillet couldn’t be beat! Even now, a homemade fajita bar is one of my favorite ways to throw a party.

My family also made fajitas at home quite a bit when I was growing up. And, as was typical for the time, we used a packet of “Fajita Seasoning Mix” to flavor our meal.

It tasted great, but upon closer inspection recently, I’ve realized the packet contained sketchy ingredients like “corn syrup solids” and “caramel color.”

You know what? I’ll pass. The good news is that now that I’m a confident cook with a well-stocked spice drawer, I don’t need the packet. These homemade fajita veggies have all the flavor you need with no weird additives that you don’t.

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This Burrata Peach Salad is the perfect balance of flavor.

Since I’m not the world’s biggest fan of peaches eaten on their own or in sweet dishes, my goal this summer was to make the best savory peach dish ever.

This Burrata Peach Salad lives up to those expectations and more.

While many peach burrata salads also include tomatoes or avocado for filler, or prosciutto, this one needs no filler or meat at all.

The co-stars of this show are lots of juicy grilled peaches and luscious burrata cheese.

The supporting players are a flurry of fresh herbs, pine nuts, and a sweet-savory dressing made with honey and shallots.

The special guest star is some rustic pesto croutons which you’ll want to gobble up before they even make it onto the salad.

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Did you know you can make a creamy pasta sauce with Greek yogurt? If you’re somebody who loves alfredo sauce but also likes sticking to a healthful meal plan, this recipe is for you.

In this case, “healthy” doesn’t mean lacking flavor, because we’re still using a bit of butter and Parmesan cheese in this sauce. Everything can be part of a balanced diet in moderation, including these things.

We’re also throwing a ton of garlic at the situation, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. The end result is a healthy pasta sauce that will simply blow your mind.

“Easy, delicious, affordable, and healthy. I especially love that it’s lower in fat and high in protein but still tastes great— that can be hard to find when cooking vegetarian. Love this dish!”

—Maddie

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You will love these Potato Cakes from Mashed Potatoes

The thing about three person families is that we ALWAYS have leftovers. Having grown up in a three person family, and now having a three person family of my own, I know this to be a fact. And it’s a fact I kind of love, to be honest.

We are not a family who hates leftovers. We love having leftovers, because it means that lunch for the next day is already taken care of!

But let’s be honest, some leftovers aren’t so great simply reheated as is (looking at you, sadly, salmon pasta). That’s why I have a breakfast casserole that serves as a leftover cornbread recipe, and I have a leftover turkey chili in my back pocket, too.

Mashed potatoes are another thing that I don’t love simply reheated on their own. Unlike mini Hasselback potatoes, which you can make in advance and then reheat, mashed potatoes are really best when they’re fresh.

After that, I think they’re a little better repurposed into something else, like the tops of mini shepherd’s pies, or my original leftover mashed potatoes recipe that is a casserole with lots of cheese and bacon.

Today, I’m sharing another idea for repurposing leftover mashed potatoes. This mashed potato cake recipe is similar to a dish my mom used to make for the three of us, and now I make these leftover mashed potato cakes for my family, too!

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The BEST Veggie Lasagna Recipe

We’ve all had bad banquet food. In my experience, it involves a choice of overcooked chicken or bad vegetable lasagna. The lasagna is mushy and overcooked. And unlike it’s meatier cousins like Greek lasagna, it’s usually runny and watery.

One of the few banquets I’ve been to that has had great food? My culinary school graduation, of course. My instructors knew what they were doing when it came to banquets. Not only did they offer up lamb lollipops and the best vegetarian quiche, but they knew that vegetable lasagna can be great if it’s made well.

And it turns out that making it well involves a secret ingredient. An ordinary item you can find at any grocery store, but it has a magical purpose when it comes to veggie lasagna.

Read on to find out what this item is, and why it guarantees that you’ll soon be enjoying the most flavorful, cheesiest, well cooked, NOT WATERY vegetable lasagna you’ve ever had.

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This Vegetarian Quiche Recipe makes brunch dreams come true!

When my husband asks me for brunch menu ideas to celebrate Mother’s Day, I have lot of opinions, of course.

At the top of my list is lemon pancakes with just some good, classic bacon in the oven (cooked to the softer side of crispy, the way I like it). And a big mug of caramel coffee or a huge bloody with epic bloody mary skewers.

But where’s the eggs? Well, I eat enough scrambled eggs any ol’ day of the week, so I want something fancier for Mother’s Day! And this veggie quiche recipe fits the bill of fancy eggs, but it’s still very easy, which is such a sweet spot.

Not only is this Easy Vegetarian Quiche Recipe perfect for Mother’s Day, Easter (don’t forget the lamb lollipops!), or any other time you want a special yet simple brunch, it also makes a great light lunch or dinner, especially when served alongside something fresh like Spring salad.

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A cheap and delicious Savory Oatmeal Recipe for dinner

Did you know that risotto isn’t just a dish, but it’s actually a method of cooking? While risotto is usually associated with rice, lots of different ingredients can be cooked risotto-style.

Savory oatmeal is a high-fiber alternative to risotto made with white rice. But if you’re thinking savory oatmeal sounds bland, think again.

Making savory steel cut oats with lots of umami-packed mushrooms turn this dish into something upscale and elegant enough to enjoy for dinner with a glass of wine.

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I’m bringing you an oldie but a goodie today. Kind of like my orange ginger chicken, this is a recipe I’ve been making my family for many years, and I’m not even sure of the “origins” of it.

I think one time I just had a half of a jar of pimentos in the fridge left over after making pimento cheese dip that I wanted to use up, to be honest.

Like my taco mac and cheese, it’s a super creamy stovetop mac and cheese. It has the sharp cheesy flavor of Monterey Jack and white cheddar, and is seasoned with “ranch” herbs like dill and chives.

And then a generous spoonful of pimentos are added for extra flavor. I hope you love this Pimento Mac and Cheese recipe as much as my family does! It’s one of my favorite side dishes for ribs.

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My first foray into eating meatless meals was when I was in culinary school. But not actually in class, I mean when I was at home.

As I had quit my full time job to pursue a culinary education, my husband and I didn’t exactly have a lot of disposable income at the time (no crab stuffed salmon recipe for us, unless I made it at school and got to bring it home!).

So, we started eating vegetarian meals as a way to save money during those years, because meat is expensive!

But over time, we got so used to eating these mostly bean-centric meals, that it didn’t really feel like we were giving up anything, or trying to eat cheaply. It just tasted good (oatmeal for dinner and vegetables lasagna are surprisingly craveable meals). And, it’s a habit we’ve continued ever since.

For us, the key to a delicious and filling vegetarian meal is loading up on fiber, usually from lentils or beans. With lentils, we love vegan lentil curry and lentil ragu over spaghetti noodles.

For beans, we usually grab black beans and make vegetarian fajitas. The other black bean recipe that we make time and time again are these Black Bean Meatballs.

With a simple list of ingredients and a quick prep time, these black bean balls can be eaten on their own, tossed with marinara sauce and served over noodles, or even incorporated into a salad.

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Remember 2016, when we were spiralizing everything? Or was that just me? I bought a spiralizer and for at least a year, I was making “noodles” out of every vegetable I could (even pickled veggies for grilled pork banh mi).

But since then, the spiralizer has collected dust, and now when a veggie noodle craving strikes, I’ll often just buy a box of butternut squash spaghetti at the grocery store, as it is widely available and so much easier than spiralizing myself.

But, if I’m not making butternut squash soup with goat cheese, and decide I do want to make my own noodles, the large size of a butternut squash makes it ideal to get nice long strands of “spaghetti.”

This makes it an awesome healthful alternative to pasta, although a decadent creamy salmon pasta will always have it’s place in my heart.

Whether you buy it or spiralize it yourself, this butternut squash noodles with garlic and lemon recipe is my favorite, simple way to prepare it.

These noodles are delightful as a main course, but also great alongside Greek chicken meatballs, black bean meatballs or a grilling flat iron steak.

“The garlic lemon butternut squash recipe was wonderful!! Just made it tonight & have sent it on to three people.  Thank you so much for your delightful cooking!”

—Gerry Ann

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