Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken and Potatoes

I recently discovered this recipe and it has quickly become a weeknight favorite. There is so much flavor coming the sauce that it tastes great even without the cilantro yogurt sauce. If you're in a rush, feel free to skip that step and just make the chicken and potatoes with the peri peri sauce. Using chicken on the bone means that leftover will still be juicy the next day.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 I am always dabbling in a variety of chocolate chip cookie recipes. Personally I prefer a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is one of my favorites. If your over temperature runs accurately, trust the timing on this. It may seem a little under baked, but will have a great texture. These will keep for a week store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Leftover Chicken Curry

If you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner, this curry is it. Use almost any leftover chicken you have. This works well with rotisserie, roasted, or grilled chicken. I have made this with leftover cut up Peruvian chicken and it is still delicious. You can add or subtract vegetables to this as well based on what you have at home. If you want a spicier curry, add some chopped serrano pepper with your spices.

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Autumn Apple and Candied Pecan Salad

If you're looking for a festive fall salad, this is an great option. It's a sort of Waldorf inspired salad that has a simple dressing which works well with the flavors coming through from the salad. To keep it easier, feel free to use store bought candied pecans or walnuts. You can also sub goat cheese for blue cheese if you're not a blue cheese fan.

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

Though pumpkin desserts are not my personal favorite, I still like baking them for friends and family. This is a very easy and forgiving recipe. You can leave out the chocolate chips, or add in some chopped nuts. Baking times will vary based on your loaf pan shape. I use a traditional loaf pan as well as one that is longer and less wide, which needed less time in the oven.

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Midwestern Chili

This recipe comes from my friend who grew up in the Midwest. It's what I consider a very traditional American chili. We've made it ahead of time for camping trips and it has always been a success. It makes a great chili dog option too. It tastes even better on day 2. 

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Spinach and Cheese Strata

This is one of my favorite brunch recipes. You do most of the work the night prior and before your guests arrive all you have to do is bake it. Leftovers taste great too.

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Quiche Lorraine: Bacon, Cheese and Onion Quiche

Quiche Lorraine is a classic quiche recipe that never fails. It's a crowd pleaser and is usually devoured quickly whenever I serve it. I've simplified the ingredients a little bit so they are all very easy to find. Feel free to use a store bought pie crust if you prefer.

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Peach Jam

I have a peach tree in my yard that had one of the best fruit seasons this summer. That also meant that no matter how many peaches I gave away, there were still too many to know wat to do with. I figured I would dabble in canning and making peach jam. Though it can be a time consuming process, it's actually easy to do.

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Honey Lime Fruit Salad

If you're looking for a new way to make fruit salad, give this a try. The honey and lime juice add a great flavor while the fruits themselves offer something much more exciting that what is sometimes served as a fruit salad.

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Marinated Eggplant

I always enjoy having a variety of prepared veggies in my fridge. These can be enjoyed as a standalone snack, or added in to another dish. With marinated eggplant, they are delicious on sandwiches or served on top of a crusty bread. Pin It Now!

5 Ingredient Lime Pie

This lime dessert is an easy, low effort pie that tastes amazing. It's a perfect balance of sweet and tart and a definite crowd pleaser. You can easily make this the day before you need it. Feel free to decorate with whipped cream, lime slices or lime zest. You can also make these individual lime pies, just cut the baking time by about half.

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Grilled Tandoori Style Chicken

My go to barbecue meat will most likely always be chicken thighs. Their flavor and general easy of grilling have won me over. Unlike chicken breast, if you lave these on for a minute or two too long, they will still be juicy and taste great. This recipe is another easy but very flavorful way to grill chicken. You can put the meat on skewers or just grill the chicken thighs straight on the grill.

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Greek Style Pasta Salad

I have always loved all thinks Greek and Mediterranean style. This one pasta salad makes a great addition to any summer picnic or BBQ. This actually tastes better on day 2 when the flavors have been able to blend together overnight. It will last about 5 days in your fridge.

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Rotisserie Chicken Thai Curry

There are times when a rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken, makes for delicious leftovers. This recipe is one of those times. Personally, I don't like rotisserie chicken on day 2, but if it's made like this recipe, you'll wish you had more chicken to use up. You can use this recipe as a guide and use whatever vegetables you have at home.

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Classic Lemon Bars

Summer weather and lemon bars are a great combination. They make a great pot luck or BBQ dessert since they travel easily and can be made a day ahead of time. These are a traditional lemon bar recipe that comes together easily.

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Zhoug (Middle Eastern spicy herb sauce)

Zhoug is something that has grown on me over the years. Once I finally tried a good Zhoug recipe, I realized I had been missing out. This sauce goes great on Israeli Kabobs, Za'atar Grilled Chicken, falafels or even a simple grilled or roasted fish. The flavor is fresh from all of the herbs and you can control how much heat you want based on how many serrano chiles you add.

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Seared Mushrooms with Steak Seasoning

I have never had mushrooms quite like these, but they have quickly become a favorite. The cooking technique allows for them to almost crisp a bit and the steak seasoning adds a savory kick to the flavor. This is not something you can make for a big crow, but it's absolutely worth the timing and cooking precision for a smaller dinner.

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Extra Flaky Pie Crust

This is a great pie crust recipe that will yield enough for 2 9" pie crusts without any lattice work. You can easily freeze one for later use. This crust comes out flaky and buttery and it can be used for all kinds of pie or quiche.

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Sheet Pan Szechuan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

Once I discovered how easy sheet pan dinners are, I've added a couple more to my rotation. This one is the newest addition and is just as easy as the rest. The flavor is fantastic and with a little planning ahead, makes for a quick dinner.

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Homemade Applesauce

Applesauce is one of those foods that taste pretty bland and unexciting until you try making it yourself. This recipe is very adaptable to your flavor preferences and types of apple used. Adjust the lemon juice and sugar amounts to your taste. Personally, the juice of 1 lemon and 1/3 cup of brown sugar does the trick. But you may want to use less sugar is you have sweeter apples and use less lemon if you use less sugar. Start the recipe with smaller quantities of each if you're still experimenting, and you can always add more at the end.

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Egg Salad with Pickled Celery

Once in a blue moon, and egg salad sounds like a great lunch options. This recipe is one of my favorites. It's a slightly elevated twist on the classic egg salad.

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Bostock

My family is split on what to do with leftover challah. There's very strong support for making French Toast. Some prefer to keep it for dips or sandwiches the next day. And I just decided to throw in another option after finding this recipe: Bostock. I found this recipe accidentally but had a feeling I'd enjoy it since I'm a huge fan of marzipan and almond paste. This would work great with leftover brioche or challah. These sliced of almond paste topped challah are somewhere in between crispy and moist and are a fun addition to the leftover bread department.

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Ina Garten's Panko Crusted Salmon

All with all things Ina Garten, this fish is delicious. Easy, full of flavor and with ingredients you probably already have. This recipe created a crispy salmon skin and crunch panko crust.

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Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka

Having an easy sheet pan dinner in the weeknight cooking rotation is always a good call. This one is one of my favorites so far with a great Indian flavor and veggies cooked to a perfect level of doneness. Smitten Kitchen does it again with this recipe! And if you're lucky enough to have leftovers it's even better the next day.

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Simple Beet Salad

Making a beet salad from scratch might take some time, but it is easy to do, tastes delicious and can be prepared ahead of time. This is a very simple recipe that you can add to and adjust. Feel free to use different fresh herbs for flavor.

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Rosemary & Garlic Rack of Lamb

I recently discovered just how easy it is to cook a rack of lamb. Not only will your meal look impressive, but it comes together with a few simple steps. You need a little bit of time, but very little effort to produce a show stopping dinner.

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Light Caesar Salad Dressing

 

If you're looking for a vinaigrette style Caesar salad dressing, this is it. It's not creamy or heavy and can last in your fridge for 5 days. For a traditional salad, serve this over romaine with shaved Parmesan and garlic croutons. Pin It Now!