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May 31, 2023

Lavash Bread with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Fontina

Lavash Bread with Spinach, Tomatoes, Olives, and Fontina topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese - an Armenian-style flatbread that, with the toppings, makes a light, easy, and nutritious meal. 

Lavash bread topped with spinach on a cutting board.


This spinach and cheese lavash is like a very thin crust pizza that is extra crispy and crunchy. The combination of the spinach with the cheese, tomatoes, and olives is so flavorful too. 

May 29, 2023

Sweet Potato Muffins | #MuffinMonday

These sweet potato muffins are loaded with pecans and topped with a cinnamon sugar coating. 


 


These muffins are slightly sweet, cinnamon-y, and super moist, especially if you use the red-orange variety of sweet potato. 

May 27, 2023

Spaccatini Rolls | Little Cleft Rolls

Spaccatini rolls are lean crusty Italian buns that have a split down the middle. While the only ingredients are flour, water, salt, and yeast, they are totally flavorful from the overnight rise. 

Spaccatini Rolls in a basket with a plate in front with one roll.


These spaccatini rolls are wonderful with a salad, soup, or a pasta dish, just as I imagine they might be enjoyed in Italy. 

May 21, 2023

Chinese Egg Noodle Salad with Pork

This salad, with Chinese egg noodles, sliced pork tenderloin, and red bell peppers is hearty enough for lunch or a summer dinner. 

Chinese Egg Noodle Salad with Pork in two bowls.


This salad is tossed with a vinaigrette of oil, sherry vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, plus a tiny bit of sugar and hot sauce. It's so tasty, bright, and refreshing. 

May 20, 2023

Lavender Lemon Weekend Cake

This lavender lemon weekend cake is fragrant and lemony, and is topped with a sweet lemon, blackberry, and lavender glaze. 

Lavender Lemon Weekend Cake sliced with a lemon glaze.


This lemon lavender cake is inspired by the cakes of France. With the abundance of fields of lavender in the French countryside in the summer, a cake filled with the essence of lavender is so perfect.  

May 19, 2023

Grilled Steak Sandwich with Horseradish Cream

This grilled steak sandwich begins with slices of a freshly grilled steak that are stacked on a garlicky grilled ciabatta bun and finished with a delicious horseradish cream. 

Grilled Steak Sandwich with Horseradish Cream on a blue plate.

 


This grilled steak sandwich is simple yet elevated, with not too many extra ingredients.. just pickles, crispy lettuce, and the creamy horseradish sauce. 

May 17, 2023

Blueberry Chipotle Grilled Flank Steak

Add this blueberry chipotle flank steak to your summer grilling rotation. You'll be the star of the cookout. 

Blueberry Chipotle Grilled Flank Steak on a plate with a salad.

 


This flank steak is marinated in a sauce made with blueberry jam and chipotle chiles in adobo, along with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, and molasses. 

May 16, 2023

Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Buns

Make these Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Buns for a deliciously unique and sweet take on garlic bread.   

Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Buns on black plates.


These garlic buns are rumored to have begun as a trendy street food in the city of Gangneung in South Korea. 

May 15, 2023

Grilled Chicken and Peach Mixed Green Salad

This grilled chicken and peach mixed green salad is the perfect summer dinner, and you'll love the amazing blueberry vinaigrette. 

Grilled Chicken and Peach Mixed Green Salad in bowls.

 


Start with a bed of mixed greens and top them with chicken breasts that you grill and slice after marinating them in a pineapple juice and soy sauce-based mixture. 

May 13, 2023

Popovers (Homemade)

These homemade popovers are crispy, puffy, light, airy, and custardy all at the same time. They're pretty magical and a baker's dream. 

Homemade popovers with butter and jam on a blue plate.


If you've never made popovers before, you need to give these a try. You don't even need a special pan to make them! 

May 9, 2023

Homemade Ciabatta Grilled Garlic Bread

This ciabatta garlic bread begins with an easy-to-make ciabatta loaf that is sliced and brushed with lots of butter and garlic and finished with a quick char on the grill. So good!

Grilled Buttery Garlic Bread in a basket.

 


Make a soft and airy loaf of ciabatta and turn half of it into amazing crunchy, buttery, and garlicky grilled bread. 

May 6, 2023

One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings

Your fingers will be definitely be coated with sauce after eating these One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings, but it will be worth it. The flavors are amazing. 

One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings in a bowl.


These sticky wings are coated with a sweet, mildly spicy, Asian flavored sauce, which is reduced as the wings are stirred and tossed in it. 

May 3, 2023

Loaded Baked Potato Breakfast Burritos

These loaded baked potato breakfast potatoes bring together two of my family's favorite dishes and merge them into one delicious breakfast. 

Loaded Baked Potato Breakfast Burrito cut and stacked in a shallow bowl..

 

This breakfast burrito has all of the components of twice-baked potato, including cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, butter, and a delicious sour cream sauce. 

Apr 29, 2023

Mexican Cemita Rolls

Cemitas are rolls used for the torta (sandwich) with the same name. They originated as a street food in the historical city of Puebla, Mexico. 

Mexican Cemita Rolls stacked in a bread basket.


The term "cemita" can refer to both the bread and the sandwich

Apr 27, 2023

Buttery Ginger Shortbread Cookies

These buttery ginger shortbread cookies are crispy and crumbly, and are flavored with both candied ginger and vanilla. 

Buttery Ginger Shortbread Cookies in a bread pan.


A wonderful thing about these cookies is that you can make them on impulse! No chilling of the dough is required. Okay, you do have to let the butter reach room temperature, but if you cut it into pieces, it reaches room temperature pretty quickly.

Apr 26, 2023

Vietnamese Coffee Cake

This Vietnamese coffee cake incorporates the flavor of Vietnamese coffee into an amazing chocolate and coffee dessert. 

Vietnamese Coffee Cake on plates.

 

This cake is not a cake from Vietnam that's served with coffee. Instead, it's a cake topped with an amazing sauce inspired by Vietnamese coffee. 

Apr 24, 2023

Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos

Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos are simple to make tasty treats that you can have ready for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert in just over a half an hour.  

Two Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos in a blue bowl.


Also known as Pastelitos de guayaba y queso, they are a popular treat from the Caribbean, especially Cuba. They are made with a filling of melted cream cheese and guava paste and are super convenient and amazingly delicious. 

Apr 23, 2023

Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

These buttermilk crumb muffins, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, remind me of old school coffee cake. 

Buttermilk Crumb Muffins with a blue teapot in the background.


The flavor of these buttermilk crumb muffins is similar to cinnamon crumb cake doughnuts, or even Snickerdoodles. 

Apr 22, 2023

Pretzel Buns (Laugenbrötchen)

I've always wanted to try making pretzel buns. They look so gorgeous with their dark outer crust contrasted against the white interior. 

Laugenbrötchen in a basket.



The interior of these pretzel buns, (the buns are also known as laugenbrötchen), is soft and dense, and the crust is thin and crispy, just like a soft pretzel. 

Apr 20, 2023

Concorde Chocolate Meringue and Mousse Cake

This Concorde Cake (Gâteau Concorde) is a fun and delicious cake to make. Plus, it's so rich and chocolatey. 

Concorde Chocolate Meringue and Mousse Cake stacked on a cake stand.

 


Making this chocolate meringue and mousse cake is a bit of a project, but it's definitely worth it, and most of the time is hands off. It's actually pretty easy to make. 

Apr 16, 2023

Mixed Grains and Seeds Ciabatta

This mixed grains and seeds ciabatta, with a sourdough poolish is a hearty take on the airy Italian "slipper bread." 

Mixed Grains and Seeds Ciabatta on a cutting board.

 


The goal in making this bread is to add a lot of hearty whole grains and seeds and still capture some of the airy ciabatta-like texture in these loaves. 

Egyptian Kushari

Kushari (also spelled koshary, koshari, or kushary) is one of the most popular street foods in Egypt. In fact, I've seen it referred to as the national dish of Egypt. 

Egyptian Kushari Servings and Toppings.


Kushari is typically made with layers of rice, two kinds of pasta, lentils, spicy tomato sauce, chickpeas, and topped with crispy onions. 

Apr 12, 2023

Bacon and Guacamole Grilled Cheese

This bacon and guacamole grilled cheese sandwich will satisfy your craving for something melty, crispy, and irresistable. 

Grilled Cheese sandwiches on a blue plate.

 

This grilled cheese sandwich is made with four kinds of cheese, crispy bacon, and fresh and spicy guacamole. 

Apr 11, 2023

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pan Pizza

This easy-to-make pepperoni and mushroom pan pizza has a soft and airy crumb and a crispy outer crust and can be ready to eat in just four hours from start to finish. 

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pan Pizza on a cooling rack.


This pizza is like a focaccia, with a little less olive oil, topped like a pizza. The dough is super flexible, and can be baked right away or refrigerated and baked the next day. 

Apr 8, 2023

Homemade Taco Seasoning for Ground Beef Tacos

This homemade taco seasoning mix is easy to put together, and it works just like the taco seasoning you buy in packets.


Three tacos in a bowl.



One batch of this taco seasoning is enough for making six one pound batches of taco meat. I just keep the mixture sealed in the pantry and grab it when I want to make ground beef tacos. 

Apr 5, 2023

Garlic and Chive Flower Buns

These steamed garlic and chive flower buns contain twists and layers filled with sweet crispy garlic and fresh chopped chives. 

Huā Juǎn with garlic and chives on a black plate.

 


These buns are fun to make and delicious to eat. They are made with the dough you would use to make any steamed bun, such as gua bao (the folded bun), mantou (unstuffed), or stuffed steamed buns (baozi). 

Apr 4, 2023

Caesar Tartlets with Sweet Garlic Butter Crusts

These Caesar Salad Tartlets with Sweet Garlic Butter Crusts are a wonderful first course to any dinner. 

Caesar Tartlets with Sweet Garlic Butter Crusts on plates.


How elegant would it be to serve these Caesar Tartlets with Sweet Garlic Butter Crusts at a dinner party? Your guests would be blown away. 

Apr 2, 2023

Mini Chicken Empanadas with Cheese and Chiles

These mini chicken empanadas with cheese and chiles are the perfect game day snack. It was really difficult not to devour more than my share of these when I pulled them out of the oven. 

Mini Chicken Empanadas with Cheese and Chiles on a blue plate.



They are ridiculously tasty... and so easy peasy to make! 

Apr 1, 2023

Chinese Jamaican Stir-Fried Beef and Carrots

This Chinese Jamaican Stir-Fried Beef and Carrots recipe is filled with tender marinated beef and crunchy carrots, and tossed in a delicious peppery West Indian hot sauce. 

Chinese Jamaican Stir-Fried Beef and Carrots in a white bowl.


This recipe has a simple list of ingredients and is one of the easiest stir-fry dishes to make. The flavors are a fusion of Chinese and Jamaican ingredients. 

Mar 27, 2023

Vanilla White Chocolate Chunk Muffins

These vanilla white chocolate chunk muffins are tender, sweet, and feature a crunchy sparkling sugar topping. 

Vanilla White Chocolate Chunk Muffins on a wire rack cooling.

 


You can actually use this vanilla muffin recipe by itself, or you could substitute dark or milk chocolate chunks for the white chocolate. 

Mar 25, 2023

White, Whole Rye, and Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

This White, Whole Rye, and Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread is a wonderful combination of three kinds of flour. 

White, Whole Rye, and Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread on the top of a Dutch oven.


This bread begins with an active levain (sourdough) and requires a couple of days to complete. The interior is super soft and the crust is very chewy. It makes great deli-style sandwiches.

Mar 24, 2023

White Chocolate Fudge Sauce

This white chocolate fudge sauce, with little flecks of vanilla seeds throughout, is wonderful drizzled over ice cream or cakes, or in sandwich cookies.  

White Chocolate Fudge Sauce poured over chocolate ice cream.


This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

This hot fudge sauce, made with vanilla, white chocolate, and homemade marshmallow creme is easy to make and perfect for an ice cream sundae party. It's easy to make ahead and reheat when you are ready for dessert. 

Mar 22, 2023

Ginger Pear Cake

This ginger pear cake is loaded with sweet butterscotch pears barely held together with a tasty batter of all-purpose and buckwheat flour and flavored with brandy and and crystalized ginger. 

Ginger Pear Cake in a pan.


This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

This is a wonderful snacking cake, and it's also a great way to have cake for breakfast. After all, it's full of fruit just barely held together with batter. 

Mar 20, 2023

Funfetti Conchas

These funfetti conchas are a great take on the Mexican bakery pan dulce, perfect for a birthday breakfast... because sprinkles make everything better!


 


This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Conchas are traditionally sold in Mexican panaderías. They consist of a brioche-like roll topped with a sweet crunchy crust carved to look like a shell. The topping is usually flavored with chocolate or vanilla, and typically is pink, brown, or white.  

Chocolate Corks (Bouchons au Chocolat)

These chocolate "corks" are little bite-sized treats that will satisfy almost anyone's chocolate cravings. 

Chocolate Corks on a pink cake stand.

 

These chocolate corks, or bouchons au chocolat, are deeply flavored with two kinds of dark chocolate plus dark chocolate chips, espresso (to bring out the chocolate flavor), and a little bit of dark rum. 

Mar 18, 2023

Rotisserie Chicken Ramen

This rotisserie chicken ramen recipe uses readily available ingredients to create a comforting noodle soup. 

Rotisserie Chicken Ramen in two bowls.


If you like ramen, but the idea of spending hours making all of the components and hunting down specialty ingredients seems a little daunting, you'll love this soup. The flavors are wonderful and the soup is so easy to make. 

Mar 17, 2023

Cod Soup from County Cork

This cod soup, inspired by the Good Things Café of West County Cork, Ireland, combines Provençal-style flavors with Irish regional ingredients, especially cod. 

Irish Cod Soup in a shallow bowl.


Ireland, surrounded by ocean all around, is a seafood rich country, and soups containing fish and shellfish is common along the coasts. 

Mar 16, 2023

Greek Village Bread (Horiatiko Psomi)

This Greek village bread, or horiatiko psomi (χωριάτικο ψωμί,) is a hearty bread with a crispy crust, perfect for serving with soups, stews, and salads. 

Greek Village Bread (Horiatiko Psomi) with semolina sliced on a cutting board.

 


This bread gets its gorgeous yellow color from the addition of fine semolina, a flour normally used to make pasta. 

Mar 14, 2023

Scallion and Sesame Rolls

Scallion and sesame rolls, with their soft and tender interior and pull-apart deliciousness, are a wonderful addition to your dinner table. 

Scallion and Sesame Rolls in a basket.


These scallion and sesame rolls are a delicious result of the fusion of the flavors of Hokkaido milk bread dinner rollsChinese scallion pancakes, and sesame scallion bread.  

Mar 11, 2023

The Waterford Blaa | Irish Breads

The Waterford Blaa is a large, soft, and fluffy roll that is exclusive to Waterford City, Ireland. It is also distinguished by its floury crust.

Waterford Blaa rolls stacked on a brown wooden board.


This bread has achieved PGI (protected geographical indication) status, which is a big deal in the European Union. Any bread sold as a Waterford Blaa must be made by one of the certified bakeries.

Mar 4, 2023

Beef Chow Fun

Beef Chow Fun (gon chow ngau huo) is a Cantonese noodle dish made with haw fun, noodles made in broad sheets from a rice batter that is steamed on lightly oiled sheet pans. 

Beef Chow Fun in a bowl.


These haw fun noodles are sold at room temperature on the day they are made, and are best used the same day. You can't really refrigerate them because they will become hard and must be steamed again to soften. 

Mar 1, 2023

Homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Making your own homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Sauce is a fun and tasty adventure.  

Homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Sauce in a bowl.


Homemade pasta has been on my bucket list to make forever. Dried pasta is great for noodles where you like a little chew. Fresh pasta is wonderful for stuffed pasta, where a tender pasta works so nicely, especially when you want to make your own filling. 

Feb 27, 2023

Churro Muffins

These churro muffins are filled with the delicious flavors of cinnamon and Mexican vanilla.  

Churro Muffins in a basket.



These muffins have a super soft and light crumb plus a thin crispy crust on top. They are also filled with a layer of cinnamon sugar and butter mixture in the middle. 

Feb 25, 2023

Shepherd's Pie

This shepherd's pie, made with ground beef and fluffy mashed potatoes, is pure comfort food perfect for the whole family. 

Shepherd's Pie in a bowl.



How beautiful is the concept of shepherd's pie, especially when the weather is cold and you want something warming that checks all of the comfort food boxes. Plus, it's so retro! 

Feb 20, 2023

Spelt Chocolate and Coffee Cake

This spelt chocolate and coffee cake (Cake à la Farine d'Épeautre au Chocolat et au Café) is so moist and loaded with the flavors of chocolate and coffee. 

Spelt Chocolate and Coffee Cake slices on plates.


Along with the spelt flour, the batter also includes almond flour, espresso, brown sugar, and a generous amount of cocoa powder. 

Feb 18, 2023

Matar Kulcha (or Chole Kulcha)

Matar kulcha or chole kulcha is a north Indian street food meal that is a combination of several components, including either white pea "salsa" or white pea curry, and most importantly, kulcha, a delicious yeasted flat bread.


Matar Kulcha (or Chole Kulcha) with all of the salsas in the background.



The kulcha is super soft and fluffy with an airy crumb. It puffs up when it is "baking" in the pan, and it is delicious served with matar/chola, which is a "salsa" made with white peas or chick peas, onions, tomatoes, chiles, and ginger. 

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Lentil Soup

This Spicy Turkey Sausage and Lentil Soup is a delicious big bowl of comfort. You can make it ahead of time and it tastes just as good, if not better, the next day. 

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Lentil Soup in bowls.


This lentil soup just may become one of your all-time favorite soups. Plus, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator. 

Feb 17, 2023

Shrimp in a Blanket

Shrimp in a blanket is a crunchy and tasty little appetizer. 

Shrimp in a Blanket in a bowl.



These are really easy to make too. Just marinate the shrimp for a short time in a hoisin sauce mixture, wrap them up in spring roll or egg roll wrappers, and deep fry them for about two minutes. 
Feb 16, 2023

Cypriot Flaounes (Easter Cheese Bread from Cyprus)

Flaounes are a traditional cheese-filled pastry meant to be enjoyed for Easter after weeks of giving up dairy and eggs for Lent. 

Cypriot Flaounes on plates.


This bread originates from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and is flavored with some ingredients that are unique to the region, such as mahlab, mastic, and a special traditional fresh Cypriot salty goat or sheep's milk cheese called paphitiko. 

Feb 14, 2023

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

This Loaded Baked Potato Pizza has all the flavors of your favorite twice-baked potato on a slice of pizza. 

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza on a board.

 


If you love twice-baked potatoes, you will adore this pizza.