The highlight of this Week’s Eats was by far and away the Ribolita. This is my perfect form of healthy comfort food and perfect for these chilly days. All of these recipes can be prepped on Sunday night - mostly chopping up vegetables. I know some people don’t like to store chopped onions in their fridge but I store mine in an airtight container next to the baking soda.
Read MoreIt is that time of year again…it is holiday cookie time! I am pretty sure from now until December 26th, I pretty much live off of cookies. Cookies and the holidays just go hand in hand in my opinion.
This year I thought I would do something called the 12 Days of Holiday Gift Giving. I love to give homemade gifts and what better gift is there than gifts you can eat. I am kicking off these 12 Days of Holiday Gift Giving with these ginger molasses cookies. They are always a huge hit when I make them and I promise you will fall head over heals with these delicious treats when you try them.
Read MoreOne of my favorite flavor combinations is pumpkin and cream cheese. They go together so well and compliment each other. This pumpkin bread with a cream cheese swirl is part dessert and part breakfast - it would be delicious as dessert on your Thanksgiving table or even for Thanksgiving breakfast. It is also a great hostess gift to give if you are going to someone’s house for Thanksgiving.
Read MoreSo many good recipes this week! Where do I even start? One of the highlights was the ravioli - that recipe is just so easy, tasty, and feels so sophisticated (I think it is because of that brown butter). I am also adding the Roast Chicken with Grapes and Acorn Squash to the permanent rotation. Something about that roast grape and chicken combo that makes it a total winner.
Read MoreIf you haven’t roasted grapes before, I strongly urge you to try this recipe. I am not a huge fan of raw grapes - they were just never really my thing but by roasting them, you bring out all of these complex sweet and savory flavors that elevate whatever you are cooking them with. I like to pair them with something neutral like chicken, although they would be rally good with a pork loin as well. I had half an acorn squash leftover from making baby food so I threw that in there as well. The result is a deeply rich and hearty meal that comes together all in one dish.
Read MoreI am a huge fan of anything that makes weeknight dinners just a little easier and store bought fresh ravioli and frozen peas are just that. Most grocery stores carry some version of fresh pasta - I got mine at Whole Foods at their new pasta “bar” but I have seen fresh ravioli at Trader Joes as well. If you don’t see fresh ravioli, check the freezer case where there will definitely be some options. While you are there, grab some frozen peas. Frozen vegetables get a bad rap probably because of the old school mushy vegetable medley. In this recipe I quickly blanch the frozen peas in the pasta water and serve them on top of the ravioli and a drizzle of brown butter. This recipe only has 6 ingredients (including salt and pepper) but it feels like the height of sophistication thanks to a couple shortcuts.
Read MoreIf you ever find yourself in Nashville, make sure to check Mas Tacos in East Nashville. Mas Tacos is a little restaurant will some seriously delicious tacos, but even more delicious is their tortilla soup. It is 100% the best thing on the menu and that is saying a lot when the rest of the menu is filled with delicious tacos. There is something magical about that soup.
Read MoreWhen I worked in the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen, one of my coworkers, Melissa introduced me to this recipe for mashed potatoes and it put all other recipes to shame. We loved this recipe so much in the Test Kitchen that we would literally have it for lunch in the middle of July - who says mashed potatoes are just for the holidays?
Read MoreConsider this a weeknight risotto. Normally risotto takes a lot of hands attention to stir and get the creamy consistency. There is a time and a place for that type of risotto but this recipe isn’t it. The staring is replaced by the oven cooking the risotto rice in stock and then finished with a little more stock to smooth it out. I also like to roast the squash alongside the risotto so there is minimal hands on cooking time.
Read MoreA lot of really tasty recipes coming at you this week! My husband even proclaimed that the White Bean and Chicken Meatball Soup was one of the best soups ever and put in a request for it to be added to the permanent easy weeknight meal rotation. I love it because it only has about 10 ingredients and is simple to throw together. Another one of my favorites made the list this week, the Sheet Pan Sausage, Sweet Potato, and Broccoli. It is not the most glamorous dish of food but it is EASY, tasty, and good for you.
Read MoreThis is one of my go -to easy weeknight dinners when I don’t feel like cooking. It comes together really quickly and is healthy and nourishing.
Read MoreMy husband announced that this is one of his favorite soups ever…so that is all I need to say right? Well add in there that it is super easy and healthy and it makes it an all round winner.
I am using Italian chicken sausage in this recipe but you could use pork if you wanted. Also feel free to use your favorite beans in this recipe as well as leafy greens.
Read MoreThis is the ultimate comfort food - hearty chili is baked with cornbread on top. The whole meal is combined into one pot making clean up super easy. Win win.
I once had a coworker in a kitchen that I worked in who didn’t know what tamale pie was. When I explained it to her, she was totally put off. I was so confused - how could you go wrong with tamale pie, it is basically chili baked with cornbread. I am a fan and I hope you are too.
Read MoreThe name of this stuffing is really Luke’s Stuffing but if we called it that, no one would really know what was in it, right? Well it is full of lots of delicious things including sausage, chunks of bread, and mozzarella. In all honestly this may be more of a strata rather than a stuffing, but it is Thanskgiving and it is deliciois so who really cares, right?
Read MoreAs the weather turns colder here in Nashville, I am craving hearty food. One of my tried and true recipes that I always turn to it the orecchiette with sausage. I chicken sausage because I am not really into pork these days but feel free to use either It is a one pot pasta that come together really quickly and is super filling but light at the same time.
Read MoreI am pretty sure I eat some version of this squash, lentil, and coconut milk situation at least 2 or 3 times a month. I always have the ingredients on hand and it becomes a healthy and delicious vegetarian meal with very little effort.
Read MoreSoups are the easiest meals that can be made out of basically nothing. If you have a couple vegetables, an onion, salt and pepper and some stock or even just water, you can create a delicious soup. The key with all pureed soups is to cook down the vegetables until they are basically falling apart, that way when you blend them, they will get all sorts of creamy and luscious.
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