quick meal

This baked pasta with cauliflower is my latest and greatest easy meal and I can’t praise it enough. Baked pasta is a classic comfort food that’s been around, in some form, for centuries. Food historians can trace baked pasta dishes to the ancient Greeks, who would toss cooked pasta with eggs and cheese before baking […]

Crispy tofu with Napa cabbage slaw is a tried and true family favorite. Dredging the tofu in cornmeal and cornstarch, before lightly pan frying, creates a crunchy exterior with a soft, pillowy texture inside. This is not my recipe, it’s from Cook’s Illustrated magazine. I have adapted this recipe a little over the years, but […]

Easy dinner alert. This soy-glazed beef fillet is a lovely, Asian-inspired, dish that should be in your recipe arsenal if you’re a meat eater. A tender fillet of beef and flavorful shiitake mushrooms complement one another perfectly, with a prep-and-forget marinade I adore. A quick sear on high heat makes for a simple finish minutes before […]

Beef with broccoli reminds me of my childhood. My mom never made it from scratch, but we ordered it often when we ordered Chinese food and it remains, to this day, a favorite. And while this beloved Chinese-American dish graces the menu of almost every Chinese restaurant I’ve been to over the years, I never […]

Are you a carb counter? No judgment if you are, I know many. While I don’t classify myself as one, I have certainly become much more aware of carbs over the years. I still believe in having it all in moderation, and with that comes choices. And I can’t lie, I like pasta. But not […]

Soup is good for the soul they say and I believe it. Chicken tortilla soup is one of the most representative dishes of Mexican gastronomy and it’s one I’ve loved for ages. Also known as “sopa azteca“, which means “soup of the Aztecs,” the exact origin of this famous soup is unknown, although many assume […]

It’s no secret, I’ve blogged about my love for a great veggie burger before. But this time, it’s different. This is my chickpea veggie burger with sriracha mayo and it’s my new favorite. And although it sounds shocking, this meatless burger is a great quick meal option. Meatless burger recipes are often labor-intensive. But that’s […]

This is a lovely recipe from Ian Garten’s Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? cookbook that I have been making for years. My husband first introduced me to this effortless shrimp dish years ago after having it at a friend’s house. Now it’s considered a staple in my weekday meal repertoire. Ina Garten is a well-known […]

I have always loved linguine with clams, a simple, classic pasta dish. Honestly, what’s not to love? Called linguine alle vongole in Italian, this traditional Italian favorite is the perfect warm-weather go-to pasta dish no matter where you live. Widespread and popular on almost every Italian coast, Naples boasts it all began there and is actually […]

Sometimes a smoothie just doesn’t cut it. So I’m mixing it up a bit with this raspberry-pineapple protein slushy and it’s perfect for the Spring and Summer months. I thought a bright, fruity, protein slushy might be just what I needed to kick-start my Spring and give me a non-caffeinated energy boost. Personally, with all […]

Life is busy. Regardless of what you do, almost everyone complains that there is not enough time in a day to get everything done. Sometimes, getting dinner on the table feels like a true miracle.  Chances are, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Even as a trained chef, I feel that way–and most of […]

Everyone needs a quick meal sometimes, and this is a delicious one, plus it’s gluten-free. Sautéed rice noodles with ground pork is an easy, family-friendly dish that is also a quick meal. Asian noodles, a long-time consumer favorite, have become increasingly popular, at least in part because of their gluten-free factor.  With more people becoming […]

My younger son loves salmon, in part because he likes the taste, in part in part. After all, according to him, they are “smart fish.”  Salmon are typically “anadromous:” they are born in freshwater, migrate to the ocean, and then return to freshwater to reproduce.  Folklore has it that salmon return to the exact spot […]