tuna patties recipe
Everyone this week was asking about my Mother's Day and I realized I completely forgot to recount the day for my dear readers!  After all, it has been tradition the last couple of years that my husband and bother-in-law...

asparagus and artichoke frittata recipe
I was talking to some ladies in one of my classes last week about their plans for Mother's Day.  It turned out to be a really funny conversation and rather interesting to hear how everyone spends the "holiday."  I...

cilantro-lime rice and an unexpected rice and bean burrito bowl
We all love to cook, right?  Ok, maybe some us just like to cook.  And I know that I'm the biggest cheerleader of planning your meals ahead so that dinnertime is stress free and a walk in the park....

tex-mex stuffed sweet potato skins recipe
I know time flies when you're having fun, but these days I think it flies because everything moves at warp speed, whether you're having fun or not.  And sometimes I think it's not very fun when life happens so...

chicken adobo recipe
Well, dear people, all good things come to an end and our trip to England came and went too quickly.  We had such a good time and just as importantly, we traveled there and back in one piece.  But...

tex-mex matzo brei recipe (migas with matzo!)
I used to look forward to Passover when I was a child even though I wasn't Jewish and was never invited to a seder.  But Pathmark and Shop Rite would carry matzo for about 2 weeks around the time...

slow cooker white bean soup with sausage and collard greens recipe (stovetop version, too)
I know so many of you are fighting cold weather and stuffy noses, so I thought I would share with you a new favorite soup in our house.  My friend and student Lynette gave me the recipe because it...

slow cooker whole chicken and stock recipe
Daughter #2 asked me the other day if I was "ever going to put that thing away?"  She was referring to my slow cooker, of course.  Not that Daughter #2 is complaining since she's the first one to the...

slow cooker vegetarian chili with sweet potatoes (stovetop version, too!)
As I type this, my slow cooker has been on for 36 hours straight.  Is that allowed?  I am officially obsessed and I completely understand why you all have been too while I was under a little rock.  Wow!...

slow cooker chicken tacos recipe
You have all waited patiently while my life changed with the arrival of my slow cooker.  Apparently, I am very late to this party.  I had no idea there was this...

spinach pizza quesadilla recipe
When I am hungry, I am not picky.  I can find a lot of different options in my refrigerator or pantry that will do the trick.  Give me last night's roasted sweet potato or a couple dates stuffed with...

stir-fried soba noodles with vegetables and tofu
You know what's harder than sticking to new year's resolutions?  Getting back into a normal routine after you've had a very leisurely vacation away from home.  After two weeks of no mail, no work (sort of), no carpools, and...

italian wedding soup recipe
I love new beginnings and thankfully we have so many opportunities to start fresh.  For me, the first day of school, beginning of summer, first day of spring and of course, January 1st are all times of the year...

deer valley-style turkey and black bean chili recipe
Are we having fun yet?!  Good, good.  I have been running around the house yesterday and today like a busy bee, very excited that the big day is almost here.  I'm taking a quick breather from the Thanksgiving marathon...

roasted whole bone-in turkey breast recipe
This is it, friends!  We're in the home stretch and I've got one last recipe to share before the big day.  By now you know I get most excited about the side dishes, but in my classes I spend...

red lentil dal recipe
I think Indian food is very misunderstood in this country.  Many people have the impression it's overly spicy, heavy and greasy.  Perhaps it's because there aren't a plethora of great Indian restaurants here and very often the not-so-great ones...

roasted vegetable lasagne recipe
I feel like my universe is in a state of transition right now.  Although I'm sensing this shift in energy in lots of people, not just me.  We've transitioned from vacation to school, about to move from summer to...

kale, mushroom and brown rice bake recipe
Daughter #1 is my 15-year-old who used to turn her nose at her plate if food groups were touching.  So you can imagine how very satisfying it was for me when she sighed, "I could eat Kale, Mushroom and...

wild fish in parchment with summer herbs recipe
We're baaaack!  What an amazing trip.  The five of us had an unbelievable 3 1/2 weeks together in Europe.  We shared so many great experiences, met interesting people and really grew together as a family.  People have been asking...

shrimp with tomatoes, white beans and spinach recipe
Since my husband and I both have our own businesses, a big family vacation hasn't been in the picture for many years.  We never felt that we could take the time off from work or spend the money during...

summer garden frittata recipe
While I was away last week, my husband thought it would be a great idea to refinish the cabinets in the kitchen.  No wait, we might as well do all the cabinets in the entire house, he thought to himself.  Why...

pasta with 5-minute cherry tomato sauce
Mr. Picky and I had the most glorious week on Long Island visiting my parents.  My sisters and their kids came to be with us too, so it was quite a full house.   It kind of felt like...

lime-soy grilled fish recipe
Do you live in a house where everybody agrees on what should be served for dinner?  Where your favorites are his favorites are their favorites?  Are you that lucky?  No?  Consider your household normal, as is mine and the...

southwestern quinoa salad recipe
Have you ever read a cookbook or food blog where an unbelievable, creative recipe was put together with "odds and ends" from the pantry or produce bin?  I am always in awe of people who can do that.  Those...

chickpea burger recipe
If I had to pick one cuisine to stick with for the rest of my life, it would be a tough a call.  But I could easily live off of Mediterranean food every day.  I love the emphasis on...

wheat berry salad with lemon-tahini dressing recipe
In a perfect world we would all be eating mostly whole foods, that is foods that came into this world a certain way and stayed that way.  Whole, unprocessed, unrefined foods are more recognizable by our bodies and better...

thai (grass-fed) steak salad recipe (or with chicken)
Oh people.  We are on the brink of my favorite time of year.  A time of backyard barbeques, picnics at the beach, sand between my toes, fresh tomatoes and basil, peach pie, and long nights under starry skies.  Ahhhh,...

mexican chopped salad recipe
Very often I have an idea for a recipe and it takes me a few times to get it right.  In fact, usually it takes me more than a few times!  But once in a blue moon, I try...

grilled fish taco recipe
I think you should have a Cinco de Mayo party!  Wouldn't that be fun?  Even if you're not up for hosting a bunch of people next Saturday night, you at least need to prepare some delicious Mexican-inspired food for...

baked chicken with artichokes and capers recipe
Something tells me that you organized cooks out there are in the midst of planning your Easter and Passover menus.  Am I right?  My mom had me on the phone the other day trying to get side dish suggestions...

spinach risotto healthy recipe
I had a bad day recently and what I really wanted to do was inhale a pan of brownies, but I had just published a post about how I beat a sugar addiction and I didn't want to...

turkey meatballs
Have I shared with you that I don't really like meat and poultry all that much?  It's not even for ethical or health reasons.  I just don't enjoy the texture and flavor of animal protein.  I was a pescatarian...

spinach and quinoa salad with feta and dill (aka, spanakopita without the guilt)
I know it's still February, but I think a spring bug bit me.  The new strawberries, asparagus, sugar snap peas and artichokes were calling my name last weekend at the farmer's market and I felt myself thinking ahead to...

“special occasion” chicken pot pie and other ideas for a delicious valentine’s day
Chicken pot pie is one of my family's favorite meals and this recipe, adapted from The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook, is the best one I've ever tried.  Pot pie falls in my "10%," that is 90% of the...

chicken and avocado soup
Even though I'm a big football fan and I love a good game (especially when my team wins), when it's over, it's over.  Whether the outcome of the game is favorable or unfavorable, life goes on and so do...

roasted vegetable and black bean enchiladas verdes (and a casserole version!)
A few weeks ago, six other families and mine planned to get together for a pot luck at my friend Lana's house.  One of the families keeps kosher, so we decided to go with a fish and dairy meal....

stir-fried grass-fed beef and broccoli
Happy Chinese New Year! Mr. Picky is very excited to celebrate the holiday at his school today and the girls are happy that I'll be making a Chinese meal for dinner tonight. I'm fun that way! My whole family...

potato and bean soup (patate e fagioli)
Who invented the idea of "Meatless Monday?"  The U.S. Food Administration did during World War I and urged families to conserve key staples to aid the war effort, but the idea was revived in 2003 by an ad...

farro and kale with roasted pears and turkey bacon
I hope your Christmas was merry.  We have been sharing a lovely week with my family in New York.   My mother really outdid herself and gave me Christmas day off, which was a gift unto itself.  If you...

spaghetti squash with kale and chickpeas
Did you participate in the low-carb craze of the 90's?  If you did, you may have eaten a lot of spaghetti squash with tomato sauce trying to convince your carb-starved body that you were actually eating pasta. The body...

rustic butternut squash soup with fennel and wild rice
One way that I have learned how to be a more confident cook is by identifying certain "formula" recipes and then just changing the ingredients around to come up with something that seems like a different recipe. One day...

traditional roast turkey with gravy
My husband and I offered to host Thanksgiving at our new home a few months after we were married in 1995.  We were young and naive, but we were excited to play house with all our new china and...

smoky braised lentils with (or without) turkey sausages
Do you have a son younger than college age?  Did you ever have one?  Do you know that he probably doesn't eat lunch at school?  I know you pack him something wonderful and maybe he even helped pick it...

spice-rubbed wild salmon
Although the best descriptor for this recipe is "Spice-Rubbed Wild Salmon," I could just as easily call it what it better represents to me, which is "7-minute Salmon."  Or "Plan B Salmon."  Or my favorite "I-Cannot-Believe-This-Game-Is-Going-Into-Extra-Innings Salmon."  Of course,...

black bean burgers with smoky red pepper sauce
Not so fast.  You see "Black Bean Burgers" and you're already making a run for it?  Well, I can't blame you if your only experience with veggie burgers are those dry, thin hockey pucks in the frozen section of...

easy no-fail roast chicken
If you eat chicken, you absolutely must learn how to roast one whole.  It is beyond easy to do, never fails me, everyone loves it and is arguably the most delicious way to eat chicken.  WHAT MORE CAN YOU...

california greek salad
One of my most favorite places in the world is Greece.  I have only been there once, but since that time I have dreamt of when I would return.  Six years ago, the hubby and I took the girls...

my favorite tuna salad
Well people, sandwich season is upon us and I'm proposing that we branch out and see if we can avoid making peanut butter and jelly everyday.  In fact, I know many of you are in nut-free schools and can't...

late summer minestrone
  Oh, I am not very good at goodbyes.  And saying farewell to summer is just inevitable now, isn't it?  My minestrone soup is one of those recipes that bridges summer and fall.  Zucchini and tomatoes are still plentiful in...

watermelon and tomato salad with feta and mint
This is the time of year when I am furiously trying to maximize my consumption of all things summer.  The seasonal window for some of my favorite foods is just too short, especially tomatoes.  In my classes July through...

chicken and vegetable kabobs with chimichurri sauce
This summer has been a blur.  My husband and I have (thankfully) been working a lot and Daughter #2 was just bat mitzvahed this past weekend.  There hasn't been too much free time to experiment in the kitchen as...

pasta alla checca
When people tell me they don't know how to cook, I know what they really mean.  They mean to say they don't know how to cook well off the fly or they don't have a deep repertoire of dishes...

farro with cucumber, golden beets, feta and mint vinaigrette
Someone asked Daughter #1 yesterday what her favorite dish is that I make.  She thought that was a tough question since she really does like everything I cook at home.  So she decided to narrow it down herself to...

citrus poached wild salmon with cucumber-yogurt sauce
So Miss Vegetarian (aka Daughter #2) has decided that she isn't as opposed to meat as she once declared.  You might remember back in April that my 12-year-old announced her abstinence from all animal flesh and whole eggs....

chopped grilled vegetable salad
When I moved from Beverly Hills to Manhattan Beach almost five years ago, one of the things that I had to adjust to was how much more casual the beach was.  Everyone here was more laid back in how...

corn and edamame succotash
This house sure is quiet.  The girls are still in Connecticut and Mr. Picky is off at the batting cage for a little bit with his dad.  I don't think I've been alone in my house in a year....

grilled chicken paillard with arugula and lemon vinaigrette
By now you have figured out that I promote one meal for the whole family.  I think there is a beautiful connectedness that comes from everyone sharing the same meal and sharing the same energy from that food.  In...

white bean salad with celery and mint (and sometimes tuna)
Happy summer!  I really can't believe it's here, but I am just thrilled to bits.  Even though I still teach during the summer, I find that my schedule with the kids is a little easier and frees me up...

quinoa tabbouleh
Father's Day is this Sunday and we are getting ready to celebrate the man of the house.  I have already begun planning my menu, which no doubt will involve some grilling since we all know that's a man's...

tasty turkey burgers
Let's play a little word association game!  When I say "turkey burger," you say ...?  I think I heard "bland," "dry," "flavorless," "pointless."  You know what I say?  "No thank you!"  Until now. I have never been a big meat-eater,...

grilled lemon-herb chicken with mint drizzle
I'm so glad you came back.  I was afraid I might have scared you off with that black cloud of grilling hanging over my website, so to speak.  But the important message in yesterday's blog is that even...

pantry pasta
My father called me the other day.  My father never calls.  He always jumps on the phone when I'm speaking with my mother, but he is not in a habit of actually dialing my number unless there is something...

fajitas
You all know my seven-year-old son, Mr. Picky.  I need to re-introduce you to Daughter #2, who just announced last night that she is now a vegetarian.  That's Miss Vegetarian to you.  Hmmm.....She is the same child that asked to try...

seared wild salmon with beet, blood orange and spinach salad
Don't let the fancy name fool you.  This recipe is as easy as it is beautiful and it's absolutely delicious.  All of this is in season right now -- from the wild salmon and spinach to the blood oranges and...

swiss chard frittata recipe
The conversation went like this:  Daughter #1, "I don't like eggs." Me, "Did you change your name to Sam-I-Am?  You do like eggs." Daughter #1, "You're not funny.  No, I don't."  Me, "You like frittatas, so you like eggs." Daughter #1, "That's different." Really?...

orange and rosemary glazed chicken
It's not my husband's fault he can't find his way around the kitchen.  He grew up with a mother who is a very willing and capable cook.  She made hot breakfasts every morning and power lunches for school.  Each night...

parchment baked halibut with cilantro and ginger
When I was a child, my mother would announce on Ash Wednesday, "Since it's Lent, I would like all you kids to give up something for the next 40 days that would be meaningful to you, something that would be...

chicken and vegetable curry
Growing up in a traditional Italian home, I learned very little about food that wasn't Italian.  I could tell you the names of about 80 different shapes of pasta (you could, too if you ate it four times per week)...

turkey (or beef or tempeh) tacos
In light of the recent discovery that Taco Bell's meat for its beef tacos is mostly, um, NOT beef, I thought it was necessary to get a high quality taco recipe out there.  One of the things I find...

vegetable fried rice
When parents struggle with "what to make for dinner," one tip I like to offer is to find a dish that everyone likes to eat when you go out, and try to make it at home.  Fried rice, however, is...

asian noodle salad
I really don't think anyone needs another way to get pasta into his or her diet, or peanut butter for that matter, but I can't help myself here.  I taught this Asian noodle salad in a class last year and...

harira
Harira is a Moroccan stew that is traditionally served during Ramadan to break the daily fast.  In my house it is a nourishing one-pot meal that is perfect for a chilly winter evening.  I have seen many versions of recipes...

lemon-thyme chicken
Once upon a time, I used to enjoy spending lots of time experimenting in the kitchen.  I had fabulous cookbooks in which I found interesting and challenging recipes to make for dinner.  On a weekday.  And then it was over....

turkey sausages with cabbage and fennel
People ask me all the time for more recipes that are Fast!  No, faster!  And easy!  I understand the challenges that people face when pulling together a weeknight meal, whether they are parents or not.  However, we need to put...

onion-braised grass-fed beef brisket
Let me come right out and say that I don’t like to promote the consumption of too much beef for several reasons (here come the hate emails from the National Cattle Industry – you think I’m kidding).  In our...