Feature Archives - Page 4 of 100

Dinner Planner – Week of January 15, 2024

Well, the party is over and Mr. Picky is headed back to college this weekend. He’s been a sport and has not acted like he is tired of us, but my gut tells me he is ready to go back to school where people are not asking him all day what he had for breakfast and lunch and what he did every minute of the day. Just a hunch. So Hubs and I will be empty nesters again and back to our preferred dinner of soup. LOL It is not as depressing as it sounds! Here is your dinner planner for the week:

Carrot Ginger Soup with Miso and Tahini Chickpeas Recipe

Give me all the warm and cozy soups right now! I am living on this exact soup right now and I have eaten it almost every day for the last week. It is so delicious and EASY. Miso gives a great savory flavor boost here. Low-sodium miso is a little less flavorful. Lighter misos are a bit sweeter than darker, more aged misos (e.g. red and brown.) Honestly, the tahini chickpeas take this soup from good to amazing. If your tahini is very thick and dry, you can thin it out with water. For those of you who like a little heat, feel free to add a little sriracha or a pinch of cayenne with the ginger.Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of January 8, 2024

The new January class is up and ready for your viewing if you are a cooking class subscriber! It is so good! Click here to check out the menu. There are two ways to view a class and get the recipes – an all-access subscription for $29/month which gives you access to the entire library of years worth of classes, the private FB page and a live private Zoom session with me every month or just purchasing one class for $27.

It has been so fun having my son home from college. I’m cooking some of my old favorites for him like the Deconstructed Salmon Sushi Bowls, Red Lentil Soup (from Quicker Than Quick), Spicy Caesar Salad, and Oven Baked Falafel (which I pan fry to save time!)

Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe

This is a viral trend I am LOVING! It’s fun, easy, adaptable and so much cheaper than going out for sushi! Not only is this a great dinner paired with a simple salad (I would do one with a miso dressing), but it’s also fabulous for serving to friends. I use canned wild salmon which I always keep in the pantry. But you can use canned tuna or even boneless, skinless sardines. If you can get sushi-grade fish like tuna or salmon, go ahead and use that if you like, or leftover cooked salmon from last night’s dinner. Furikake is a savory Japanese condiment sprinkled on rice, fish, and vegetables. While there are many different types of furikake available, typical blends include ingredients like dried nori (seaweed), toasted sesame seeds, dried fish, dried egg, dried herbs, salt, and sugar. I love it just to add extra flavor to simple baked fish or a rice bowl.Continue reading

Dinner Planner – Week of January 1, 2024

Happy New Year! I hope you are all having a lovely holiday season! I had a truly extra special Christmas on Long Island. All three of my kids met us there and we stayed at my mom’s house with my sisters and their families. It was relaxing and great family togetherness. This week’s Monday Musings newsletter will be published on Tuesday, January 2 and the January cooking class will also be sent out on Tuesday, January 2. I hope you enjoy them!

Lasagne Soup Recipe

I made this lasagne soup on a whim a few years ago and it was an instant family favorite. Then I taught it in one of my bootcamps and I am still getting rave reviews! It’s so easy and you can make it with meat or veggies or both. I honestly use whatever I have in the fridge/pantry, but you know I love to add lots of veggies to everything! The soup will taste as good as the marinara sauce you use since that is the flavor base. Enjoy!
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Dinner Planner – Week of December 25, 2023

Whatever you celebrate, I hope your holidays are merry and bright and shared with loved ones. I am with my family in New York for our traditional Christmas festivities. It is so much easier cooking for a crowd since all the kids are older now. I just direct traffic and boss everyone around. 😉 Plus, I keep notes from year to year as to what we served, how much and if it was well-received by most – just like I do for Thanksgiving! If you subscribe to my newsletter, the next one will be published on Tuesday 12/26 instead of Monday, which is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas, friends!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe

I always want to make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning and then I get too busy and can’t pull it off. Let me tell you, these pancakes taste like a cinnamon roll, are WAY easier, and much healthier! My family goes totally crazy for them and hubs has declared, “these are the best pancakes ever!” Use whatever pancake batter you like (I have provided a homemade batter recipe below) and you can even make them really fortified with added flax meal or hemp seeds. I like to make my pancake batter the day before and refrigerate it for a really easy morning!Continue reading