I love cooking and I’ve dabbled in it here and there, but I’m still working on having a full adult repertoire of  healthy everyday and special dishes.  Check out my wins and flops here!

More recipes to come soon, with photos and tips as I make them.

Breakfast

– Apple-Cinnamon-Ginger Muffins – these muffins have a kick to them!

– Lemon Poppyseed Muffins – not too sweet, not too tart, and perfect fresh or frozen.

Appetizers

– Baked Brie – the universal party pleaser.

– Bacon-Wrapped Chili-Almond Stuffed Dates – the classy way to eat bacon at a party.

– Anything I made at my 2013 Oscar party including corn muffins, mini pigs in a blanket, chocolate mustaches, and more!

Main Meals

– Tahini Salmon on Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Craisins – a colorful, exotic dinner that’s great as leftovers.

– Tortellini with Spinach, Basil, and Pine Nuts – start with something awesome and make it 10x better in 20 minutes.  (Can also be vegetarian!)

– Classic Quiche – it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner in one cheesy pie plate.  (Can also be vegetarian!)

– Cornflake Chicken with Pineapple Salsa – a sophisticated classic with a citrus twist.

– Cameron Diaz’s Garlicky Lemon Chicken – an easy dish that is super adaptable to whatever you have handy.

– Chicken-Butternut Tagine – ideal for warming up a winter night.

– Couscous Salad with chicken and chopped vegetables – I tripled the number of veggies in this and it was 3x as good.  Even Grandma asked for seconds!

– Asian Beef Stew in the crockpot – delicious and different without forcing you to buy tons of ingredients you’ll never use again.

Vegetarian Meals

– Tahini Orange Squash and Tofu – based on this recipe but taken in a totally new direction, makes a ton of good food.

– Easy Baked Tofu – perfect for when you have a little time and are looking for something delicious and healthy.

– Simple Stir-fried Tofu – for when you’d rather throw it all in a pan!

– Rich and Creamy Risotto with Squash – so tasty, it’s totally worth the prep time.

– Lean Bean ‘n Cheese Enchiladas – courtesy of Hungry Girl – an easy, fun, filling dinner!

– Cajun Sweet Potatoes – I made these the other night and they were the perfect light autumn dinner.  I added an onion and cloves of garlic – delish!

– Quinoa with Tofu and Basil – an easy, healthy summer meal.

– Quinoa and Cheese (aka quinoa mac and cheese) – a fresh take on the classic, with lots of possibilities.

– Stuffed Artichokes – just a few ingredients make this an easy delicacy.

Dessert (new!)

– Blueberry Lemon Cobbler – 10 ingredients toward sweet perfection – very easy to transport, too!

– Five Ingredient Fudge (from Cookwise) – super easy, super sweet, really fun to make fudge!

– Mocha Cookies (from Gourmet) – decadent and delicious.

– Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with an Olympic twist) – my dad’s favorite and light enough to be a good finish for any meal.

Next Up!
Recipes to try later (let me know if you want to come test them out!)

– S’mores toasted over our own grill

– Fondue, cheese AND chocolate

– Chicken pot pie

– Roasted chicken (after all, it’s included in the five year plan!) Done!

– This butternut squash gratin, because just looking at it is making my mouth water (and it’s 10:30 AM)

– Homemade arepas – this recipe is full of win.

– This fall spaetzle, which I have bookmarked every time I’ve seen it.

– Homemade tater tots

– Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls

– Orange muffins