Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I tend to make the same salad 95% of the time. The veggies might change, but I don't stray from my "house" dressing too often. It's my family's favorite that my mom and grandma make. However, it's sometime fun to mix it up and serve a different salad. I have always loved poppy seed dressing, but had never made it in the past. I was looking for a new, colorful salad to make for guests and decided to try this recipe. It was a hit and I enjoyed the crunch from the nuts combined with the other elements.

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German Style Hazelnut Cookies

It's cookie season, which means some new recipes have been tried, along with some of the old classics. I had a bag of hazelnuts in my pantry that I wanted to use and started looking for a hazelnut cookie recipe. This one turned out to be a delicious, crumbly cookie that everyone in the extended family loved. These lasted about 4 days in an airtight container on my kitchen counter before they were all eaten.

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Persian Eggplant Dip (Kashke Bademjan)

Persian food has always been one of my favorite cuisines. Over the years I have tried a handful of recipes, like Jujeh Kabobs and Persian Barley Soup and they are always delicious. I decided to try this recipe after having a handful of eggplants at home and needing to use them. I loved this dip and it was a hit with everyone who tried it. I simplified the original recipe so the ingredients listed are easier to find.

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Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Years ago my friend told me about his Brussels sprouts recipe and I finally got around to making it last month. I love this side dish and you can modify the recipe to suit your flavor preferences. The first time I made this I didn't add any garnishes and it was still delicious. It does get very spicy very fast, so keep that in mind when adding hot sauce.

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No Fail Banana Bread

I was having one of my lazy weekend days when I decided I wanted to bake some banana bread, but also not have to go to the grocery store. I was out of butter and milk, so I started looking for options that didn't require any of these. I came across this recipe and was very skeptical. All the reviews said the banana bread was great and I eventually decided I would give it a try and see how it turned out. This is such an easy bread to make and it has turned out wonderfully each time I've made it. I brought a loaf to work and it was gone by the afternoon. I made 3 of these loves in a month and each has turned out delicious. Don't be scared off by the slightly odd ingredient list. This banana bread freezes really well too. I could hardly tell the difference between the loaf I thawed from the freezer and the fresh loaf.

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Santa Maria Style Tri Tip

I have to confess that tri tip has been off my radar for a while. I used to love it and forgot about it until recently. I was having some friends come over and was looking for a red meat option to grill that was not steak (I am admittedly terrible at grilling steak). I found this tri tip recipe and wanted to give it a try. I was a little skeptical about it just being a dry rub and not having a specific sauce for the meat, but it turns out I never felt like a sauce was missing. You can serve with with BBQ sauce but I did not find it necessary. The rub adds a great flavor to the meat and, when grilled well, the meat will still be juicy inside. I made the rub and covered the meat in this the day prior to grilling, so not only does the flavor really come through, but you have less work to do they day your guests arrive.

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Tomato & Feta Pasta Salad

I was looking for a new pasta salad recipe recently, knowing I wanted to steer away form the usual options with Italian dressing or mayo. I wan't really finding what I wanted but this recipe changed that quickly. Of course, being an Ina Garten recipe, it is delicious! I made this for friends and sent a few home with the recipe so you know it's a keeper. The only change I made was using basil instead of parsley, but that is just a personal preference. This recipe is fantastic as written!

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Smitten Kitchen Brownies

I felt like baking recently, but also did not want to have to go to the grocery store. Yes, I was being lazy, but on the plus side, it did lead me to this delicious brownie recipe. I had everything at home to make these brownies and I typically love Smitten Kitchen recipes. I like my brownies plain, without any nuts or additional ingredients. These were the perfect afternoon treat!

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Fresh Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad

Corn salads are one of my favorite side dishes to serve at a summer barbecue. They can easily be scaled up or down based on your guest count and I have yet to make one that hasn't been a hit. I had 12 people over this past weekend and knew there was no way I'd have space on my grill to cook all the meat and corn on the cob, so I opted make this salad. I cooked the corn in the morning and prepared the salad in the afternoon so it was ready to go hours before anyone arrived. Your can also grill the corn for this if you prefer.

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Za'atar Grilled Chicken

This summer I have discovered the wonderful world of Middle Eastern spice mixes. If you love grilling but don't always have the time or energy to come up with homemade seasoning, these  mixes are the way to go. I recently purchased Baharat and Za'atar spice mixes at World Market and they are a BBQ game changer. You can mix the spice mixes with some olive oil and use that as a marinade. In this recipe, lemon and garlic are added for an extra layer of flavor. This takes about 5 minutes to put together and received rave reviews last time I made it.

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Blueberry & Honey Overnight Oats

I recently went camping and was looking for some breakfast ideas for a quick and easy, yet filling option. I was planing on an early morning hike and didn't want to spend time setting up a camping stove, but also didn't just want a bagel and cream cheese (which is often my go to camping breakfast). I started looking in to overnight oat recipes, which I had never made before but have read about. I read through a few until I found this one. It's very simple and I already had all the ingredients at home. I loved that there was Greek yogurt in the mix. You can modify this with whatever fruits you have on hand. I added some sliced bananas on top right before I ate these. I also doubled the recipe to last multiple mornings. This got totally sloshed around in my cooler getting to a from the campsite and bear box and was still great!

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Roasted Cod with Lemon, Garlic & Parsley Crust

I was recently looking up a new way to prepare fish. I tend to make the same recipes and I wanted to mix it up. I found this recipe for a crusted cod and knew I had to try it. The preparation of the dish is very easy and the end result looks impressive and tastes great. Your cooking time will vary based on what cut of the cod you are working with. If it's a thinner cut (from the tail of the fish), cook for less time than listed in the recipe.

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Avocado Pesto

A few years ago my mom made an avocado pesto that was delicious. I started looking for avocado pesto recipe with ingredients I had at home and found this one. It's a great sauce that is very easy to make. I call it a pesto only because it has some of the classic pesto ingredients, but it won't be exactly like a traditional pesto in flavor. It can also be used in many different ways. You can use is for a pasta, as a dip with veggies, or as a sandwich condiment. I am sure there are many more possibilities I haven't thought of. You could add grated Parmesan to the recipe too if  you'd like but I enjoyed keeping this a little bit lighter.

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Almond Horn Cookies

The first time I made these cookies it was Passover and I was looking for something to make other than the usual macaroons. I found this recipe and gave it a try. I absolutely love these cookies and they are something I enjoy year round now. If you enjoy a strong almond flavor (like marzipan) you will enjoy these. You can find almond paste in the baking section of most larger grocery stores. The dough is very wet so it take a bit of getting used to working with it. The recipe is also very small, making about 10 cookies. This quantity often works for me, but I imagine it can be doubled fairly easily.

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Traditional Chimichurri

Now that grilling seasons is happening, I wanted to post this great recipe for chimichurri. Chimichurri is such a versatile barbecue season condiment. I love grilling any kind of meat or fish and then topping it off with chimichurri. I sometimes event add dollops to my grilled veggies too. You can make a very basic dish exciting by serving this alongside it. It is so easy to make chimichurri at home and I love this authentic recipe.
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Jim Lahey's No-Knead Olive Bread

No-knead bread is my absolute favorite way to make bread. You need to plan ahead a bit in order to have enough time for the rise, but other than that I have found this bread making technique to be the leas disastrous (and I have had a fair few bread disasters in my time). I love this variety since it adds a bit more flavor to the traditional no-knead bread. I add a few fresh cut herbs to the bread as well sometime (thyme and rosemary work well) to give it an extra bit of flavor.

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Garlic and Parsley Butter Shrimp

I love recipes that can be thrown together quickly but still taste amazing  and look like more than 20 minutes of effort went in to them. I found this shrimp recipe that was originally intended to be an appetizer. It works wonderful as an appetizer, but can also be made a main course when serves with pasta. You can make the parsley butter ahead of time so the dish comes together quickly. The original recipe roasts the shrimp, but I found it quicker and easier to saute in  a pan. If serving this as an appetizer, using a larger, peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on works well and looks more impressive.

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Sweet and Tangy Cocktail Meatballs

I usually like making a few heartier dishes when I invite friends over for drinks and appetizers. Cocktail meatballs tends to be a hit and I have tried a few different varieties over the years. I most recently tried these when looking for a quick recipe with ingredients I already had at home. The recipe link includes three sauce varieties but the recipe below is the only one I have tried so far. These are very easy to make, and if you're really in a pinch for time, you could even use 2 pounds of frozen cocktail meatballs.

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Homemade Ranch Dip

I have always loved ranch dip and dressing. I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I think it's a great way to eat some veggies. I decided to make a ranch dip from scratch and see if I'd still be a fan. The recipe below makes for a great, flavorful dip. Serve it with your favorite veggies for a quick and easy appetizer. You can use Greek yogurt, or you can use regular plain yogurt. If you use regular yogurt, line a strainer with a few paper towels or a cheesecloth and let the yogurt strain in there for about 2 hours before using. You can place the strained over a lipped dish or bowl and let it strain in the fridge. Use about 3/4 cup when doing this and it will loose some volume.
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Red Wine Braised Brisket

Brisket is one of those foods I often forget about, but when I do make it, I always love the delicious flavor and how easy it is to cook. I made this brisket after looking for a simple recipe, with simple ingredients I already had at home. I was so happy with the end result and the house smelled amazing from the hours of baking. Once you sear the meat and mix the ingredients for the sauce, all you have to do it slow bake the brisket and baste with the sauce every now and then. You can't go wrong with this!

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Easy, Healthy Broccoli Soup

Last time I went grocery shopping I was a bit too optimistic and ended up with way too many veggies. I ended up freezing a head of broccoli, and had no clue what I would eventually make with it. We recently had a cold snap so broccoli soup suddenly sounded great. I found this recipe and couldn't believe how creamy the soup was without having any dairy in it (unless, like me, you sprinkle cheese on top). This is is very easy to make and makes about 3 minutes from start to finish.

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Vegetarian Asian Noodle Salad

My office recently had a potluck and I often struggle whit finding out the best options to bring to these. There are always too many appetizers and dessert, so my aim is usually for something a bit heartier. Since I don't own a crock pot, I am limited to cold options. I decided and Asian noodle salad would be a great option. These are best served cold so it makes the perfect potluck menu item. I kept this dish vegetarian so that everyone could enjoy it. You can make this a day ahead and just mix it before serving it the following day.

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Bacon, Cheese and Green Onion Quiche

I recently had a spare pie shell in my freeze and way too many eggs in my fridge. The obvious, easy solution was to make a quiche. I usually have some bacon in my freezer and I happened to have green onion in my fridge, making this a really easy recipe to put together from what I had laying around. As with most quiches, you can adjust this recipe with what you have at home. You can sautee regular onions and use those, add other veggies, use a different breakfast meat. It's pretty hard to mess this one up.

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Betty Bossi Greek Style Salad (Lattichsalat Samos)

My mom has a handful of Swiss cookbooks from the 70s and 80s, and while some of the recipes are a bit dated, most of them are still great. When I was visiting my parents I decided to open the salad cookbooks and found this recipe. It's a Greek style salad that can be adjusted in many ways by adding in additional ingredients. I love this salad dressing and was instantly hooked. Adding the herbs to the dressing creates a great flavor. This recipe is the original from the cookbook, but feel free to add diced cumbers, red bell peppers, red onion or any vegetables you like to have in Greek salads.

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Garlicky Cocktail Meatballs

These may not look very pretty, but they are a great cocktail meatball to serve when you're looking for something other than the often too-sweet jelly style meatballs or traditional marinara sauce. I wanted to try these when I had some friends coming over and they were a hit. Again, they're not the nicest looking, but my friends tend to trust what I make and were pleasantly surprised by these. You can roll out the meatballs a day prior to making this and have a quicker prep time the day you serve them.

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