Zucchini, Bacon, and Rice Casserole

All I needed to see was “one mixing bowl, one dish” in the caption on Pinterest to know I needed to make this zucchini, bacon, and rice casserole.  Sometimes, for weeknight meals, I don’t care how long a recipe takes.  Maybe I ate a late lunch so I’m not going to be hungry right away…

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Inspiration Station: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

The Dish: Dating a vegetarian could be a deal breaker for a guy (it may even be one for me) so Andie tells Ben she doesn’t eat meat to scare him away…and then scarfs a hot dog in the back of the hippy restaurant after crying to the waitress that her boyfriend thinks she’s fat.…

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Seasonal Tastes: October – Spicy Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts

Cooking with seasonal ingredients takes advantage of when produce is at its best.  There’s usually more flavor, it can be more cost efficient, and it just feels more genuine.  Each month I’ll cook a dish showcases and in-season ingredient. I may make brussels sprouts all year long, but now is when they’re really in their prime.…

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Snickity Snack: Fish in a Stream

Food Network Magazine had a mini “Family and Kids” mag in the back of a recent issue.  In this section, they reinvented ants on a log, the classic after school snack of celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins.  I’m pretty sure this article was all about sneaking veggies into your kid’s…

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Pasta with Salami

Instead of having a cheese plate for supper two nights in a row, I recently incorporated some leftover Hungarian salami into a pasta dish.  I boiled up some spinach and chive linguine (Trader Joe’s) and tossed it with some store-bought marinara.  The trick here is to put in enough sauce to just coat the pasta.…

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Lamb Kofta, Rice wtih Scallions and Peas, & Cucumber Yogurt

Kofta is a Middle Eastern or Indian meatball.  I was lucky enough to find lamb version with masala sauce in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s ($4.99!) that required no more than 8-10 minutes in a pan.  They are so flavorful – coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric – so many spices!  As long as they like…

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Fruit and Yogurt Dip

When it came to cooking for my last book club meeting, I just wasn’t havin it.  Oddly enough, I wasn’t even that busy; I just didn’t want to tie myself down to preparing a specific travel-well recipe for a group.  My solution was to open up one of my “easy” cookbooks.  Every recipe in this…

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Rice with Mushrooms and Onions

This side dish is basically cheating it’s so easy.  Cook some rice (I use a rice cooker because it’s easier than easy, but an old fashioned pot is totes fine) and while there’s about 10 minutes left, sauté mushrooms and onions in butter with salt and pepper.  Or if you’re using a rice cooker, it…

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Seasonal Tastes: September 2014 – Roasted Mushroom Salad

September is the official start of fall and while most people excite in the change of seasons because it signifies a change in wardrobe, I like the transition to fall because it means new ingredients.  One thing that’s in season in September is arugula.  Arugula is a lettuce, which usually means “salad base”.  That’s still…

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