A mixture of collard, Swiss chard, and dandelion greens makes a great trifecta of greens for Easy Weeknight Southern Garlicky Greens.

Steakhouse Purple Sweet Potato Wedges are an easy weeknight side that goes with just about anything! I can pop these in a high-heat oven while I’m chopping up a salad and frying up some burgers or air frying some chicken thighs. Dinner can be on …

This Japanese Steakhouse Edamame with Flaked Salt is a restaurant-quality appetizer made at home. It’s even better than what we get at most restaurants because of my secret ingredient—toasted sesame oil. The majority of time I’ve had this appetizer at restaurants the edamame comes to …

Roasted Curry Sweet Potato Wedges make an easy weeknight side dish. The sweet potatoes are quartered—cut in half length-wise and then cut in half again. Lightly coat the potato wedges with olive oil. Sprinkle them with a simple curry spice blend consisting of curry powder, …

Yes, it is possible to roast a whole spaghetti squash without cutting it in half first! Most posts I see on the internet call for cutting a spaghetti squash in half. I have a large sharp knife but I still don’t like cutting it in …

Do you want to know the secret to making the best baked sweet potato fries? It’s the potato. My favorite market, Jimbo’s, carries three to four kinds of sweet potatoes on a regular basis. You can see them from left to right in the picture …

Broccoli-Potato Mash Up is a delicious combination and the perfect solution for picky eaters who wouldn’t otherwise eat broccoli.

I’ve been making sauteed zucchini for years but only recently (and by accident) did I discover the ultimate secret to perfectly sauteed zucchini. Here are a few important tips for making Perfect Sauteed Zucchini: Whether keeping the zucchini sliced in half or quartered the seeds …

Sometimes you just need a sauce to take an ordinary dish to an extraordinary dish. Arugula walnut pesto is a universal sauce that can be used on roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, sauteed fish, scrambled eggs, and pasta. Not only does it taste delicious but it’s …

I love going to a produce store and seeing bins of fresh vegetables like snow peas, snap peas, mushrooms, and green beans up for grabs. You can buy as many or as little as you need, and you can hand-pick them to be uniform. It’s …

Vegetables are such an important part of our diet and most people don’t eat nearly enough. Vegetables are loaded with important vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, phytochemicals, and fiber. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and it is especially beneficial—like medicine. Making cruciferous vegetables a regular part of …

I’m not sure where I’ve been that I have not heard of delicata squash until this year. A couple months ago a dear friend had a small birthday party for me. It was a delightful party for eight. We enjoyed appetizers and conversation outside while …

The first time I had blistered shishito peppers was at a speak-easy in Ft. Collins, Colorado called The Social. My husband and I celebrated many special occasions there: birthdays, anniversaries, and out-of-town guests. They had the best atmosphere (in the basement of a building like …

I have been making this recipe for years, roughly since the early 2000’s when one night I contemplated and savored what I loved about Boston Market’s green beans (which now appears only on the catering menu). So, now you can make them at home. I’ve …

These potatoes  remind me of my childhood. Mom’s fried potatoes were one of my favorite side dishes growing up. I remember when I was old enough, Mom put me in charge of flipping the potato slices. One of the many ways she introduced me to …

There are many variations of vegetables you can grill on the barbecue. Here is a combo of vegetables that are readily available through, spring, summer, and fall. All you need is sliced vegetables, olive oil, salt, and pepper to grill a delicious side dish. Eating …

We all know that broccoli is good for us. Why exactly? It provides vitamin K, vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins, calcium, potassium, loads of amino acids, and fiber. Not to mention broccoli contains cancer-fighting antioxidants and feeds your gut microbiome.  Until recently, I’ve …

Doing a Whole30 challenge brought sweet potatoes back into my life. I shunned all potatoes, fruit, and starchy vegetables for far too long. I put them in a “bad food” category. I’m recovered from that thinking. I now know that they are good for me …

Brussels sprouts weren’t on my radar. I don’t remember the first time I had them. I don’t remember my mom making them. My best guess is that I was at a restaurant that served them roasted. I was probably at a steak place with friends …

If you’ve been to a picnic or a church potluck then chances are you’ve seen Broccoli Salad. I often see Broccoli Salad for sale at stores in the deli section. What makes this recipe unique is bacon, dried cherries, and shelled pumpkin seeds. To the …

I don’t know why I have waited so long to blog about this salad. My husband and I have enjoyed this salad for years. We serve it to company. You can serve it family-style, split between six bowls, or split between two bowls. Add some …

We love Caesar salad in our house. We make it often. So when we got our new Weber gas grill this summer the very first thing I made was a grilled chicken Caesar salad. By “grilled” I mean grilled chicken, grilled Romaine, grilled baguette slices, …

In full disclosure this is a semi-homemade salsa because this recipe uses canned tomatoes. Someday if I run across amazing tomatoes from a farmer’s market, or if I grow my own then I’ll make a 100% homemade version. That said, this salsa tastes so fresh …

When I find myself in an abundance of zucchini I turn to this Zucchini Frittata recipe or this dairy free Tomato and Zucchini Frittata. But, one day I wanted to do something different and I did have plenty of zucchini in the fridge. After a …

Now you can make your own Oven-Roasted Green Chilies. They are fresh tasting and you can make a big batch for less money then buying them in cans. I love certain convenience foods. Don’t get me wrong. Canned soups, beans, and green chilies out of …

This is not-your-ordinary fruit salad because tomatoes, olives, and avocados are not often thought of as fruits. Technically, they are fruits. Add apples to the ingredient list and that makes four fruits in this salad. This salad is a bit like a party in your …

When I was a kid I loved when my Mom made her recipe for wax beans with buttered bread crumbs. She often served them with pork chops. As I got older, I even remember begging her to make bigger batches. I would have been happy …

I never had corn pudding before, until my husband and I had this at a friend’s house for dinner.  Our hosts served corn pudding with spiral sliced ham.  I can hardly believe that I haven’t experienced this combination before.  I’m very grateful to have received …

One of the more popular posts on this site is for a steakhouse baked potato.  It’s a recipe for a crispy-skinned Russet potato. However, there is more than one kind of potato that you can get at most steakhouses.  Let’s not forget the sweet potato! …

Recently, my husband and I entertained another family for dinner. Our guests were unexpectedly surprised with a menu that was Thanksgiving part II. We did the whole thing all over again: roaster turkey, crock pot mashed potatoes, classic turkey stuffing, etc. We were all happily …

Now I know what the fuss is all about. I think everyone knew about kale chips except for me. Several months ago I saw an episode of Down Home with the Neely’s on Food Network. When I finally got around to making these and tasting …

These Easy Oven-Roasted Asparagus are crispy yet tender from end to end because part of the stalk is peeled. They are quick and easy enough to make for a week night dinner, and elegant enough to serve to guests. Sometimes you can find tender thin …

This Steakhouse Baked Potato with Salt Jacket is something that my husband taught me how to make while we were dating! I added the “salt jacket” part, and it is still the best baked potato I’ve ever tasted. It’s better than all the restaurant potatoes …

Walking through Whole Foods the other day I noticed a giant display of gorgeous Swiss chard. I bought a bunch thinking that at the very least I could wilt them in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper. In reality, when it came time to …

A few weeks ago I happened to catch Food Network show with Giada. One of the dishes she made really stuck in my mind. So much so, that the next time I went grocery shopping I bought fingerling potatoes. As Giada was cooking the potato …

Using a slow cooker is very useful for making sure Thanksgiving day (or any special dinner with guests) goes smoothly.  After all, there are so many dishes to make sure we get to the table hot – why not take an opportunity to make it …

The other day I was walking through Whole Foods admiring their salad bar area (I often cruise by to get ideas) and I saw the biggest station of roasted garlic cloves that I had ever seen—hundreds of little cloves in a light amount of olive …

Friends of mine have a bountiful garden, and I’m grateful that they have shared their abundance with me. They gave me spring onions, Japanese eggplant, zucchini, carrots, turnips and basil. Also, my neighbor gave me some yellow squash. So, almost everything in this salad is …

While I was grocery shopping in the produce section, I noticed that the pico de gallo was $3.99 for an 8 oz tub. Now, it is not beyond me to pay for something chopped up and ready made once in a while for a quick …

Tired of the same old side dish vegetables? This is good enough to turn into a meal by adding some protein. I was doing some shopping in my new favorite health-food market Jimbos, and in the vegetable section they had about a pound of asparagus, …

You have heard of wilted spinach, right?  Well, here is another version of a wilted green, and it is oh so good for us.  According to Wikipedia “Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory.  Kale is …

I love sweet potatoes!  I didn’t know this until last week. Until now, I have confused sweet potatoes with yams. I didn’t realize that there was a difference until I went to a grocery store that had both and were clearly marked! Yams are the …