Sheet Pan Chicken + Veggie Ranch Wraps

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So really, dinners have been about as quick and effortless as ever around here for the last few weeks.  You too?    Getting back into a school routine can be challenging for everyone involved so easy breezy meals help out a ton while trying to get everything else in order.  So heres a quick success from this week:  Sheet Pan Chicken + Veggie Ranch Wraps. Continue reading

Potato Gratin with Poblanos, Pancetta and Corn

SONY DSCHow about this weather, friends?  It’s so random this time of year.  Mornings feel like fall at its finest:  cool, crisp air perfect for that cozy sweater.  Head into afternoon and the sun is blazing and the temps are rising forcing you to tear that sweater off as quickly as you can.  Part summer, part fall, no?

And this gratin is right there with the weather these days.  Part summer with those farm fresh poblanos, potatoes and corn.  Part fall with that comfort an warmth.

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Sweet and Sticky Salmon + Coconut Rice Bowls

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Guys, you know I love a good Asian dish.  And you know that my husband is a bit meh about that whole deal-he’s an Italian food junkie.  But these salmon and rice bowls?  His fave.   Totally worthy of your meal rotation, promise!

The coconut rice is a total winner around our home.. .my kids adore it and it pairs wonderfully with basically any protein.  So I started these bowls with a base of that sweet, perfectly cooked rice.   Continue reading

Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Chive Cream Sauce

img_6592Boy oh boy it’s been a while.  How was your long weekend?  As I told you last time we chatted, we took a little road trip to visit my family down in Iowa and Nebraska and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out the summer.  It was time so well spent…with my parents, my siblings and their families.  Late nights, early mornings, donuts, happy kiddo giggles, mama’s homecooking, pool parties, coffee, pedicures…I mean it was just plain wonderful.  And now…school begins!  What a way to head into a new year, hearts full as all get out.

And as you may know, somehow, magically, each year as summer begins to slip away my seasonal cooking-brain goes right with it.  It’s incredible how it happens so organically.  Suddenly I begin craving warm food….my tummy just begins to tire a bit of all of the cool, crisp, fresh fare.  So this dish right here is just a lovely way to begin the transition….it’s warm and comforting, yet still light and fresh. Continue reading

Spinach and Pancetta Salad with Fried Egg

SONY DSCThis salad has been happening since my husband and I were dating.  It very well could be the reason he asked me to marry him.  And if it is, I am totally okay with that.  I will keep feeding him this for better or worse, as long as we both shall live.  Of course, as long as he shares with me.   Continue reading

The Maverick Blended Burger

SONY DSCA couple of months ago I had the honor of attending the launch of the James Beard Foundations Blended Burger Project here in Minneapolis.  The blended burger initiative aims to influence chefs to incorporate mushrooms into burger recipes, both for sustainability and health benefits.  Makes perfect sense to me.  And the coolest part is that this movement is being welcomed and respected to no end.   From elite restaurants to classic burger joints, these blends are showing up on menus all around the world.  And get this, schools throughout the country have incorporated blended burgers into their menus.  Can you imagine?  It’s time for change, friends, and I suppose we could start one household at a time.   Continue reading

Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup

SONY DSCWhat a weekend!  Along with some much needed, totally relaxed family time we had a quite a bit of rain around here and it was so cozy.  Turned out to be perfect weather for a light, fresh soup.  And a giant bowl of Garden Fresh Tomato Basil was just perfection. Continue reading

Baba Ghanouj | Eggplant Dip

SONY DSCWeekend warriors!  It’s Saturday!  What’s the good word?

We have a whole lot of nothing planned this weekend and I just couldn’t be more thrilled about it.  The weather here in MN is feeling a bit crisp and fall like-so as you can imagine, I intend on a cozy cup of coffee this morning with my husband who is [finally] back in town and a couple of kids running around in jammies until we decide what random Saturday adventure we would like to partake in.  Man, my kind of day.   Continue reading

Steak Balsamic Summer Panzanella

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Well now if this doesn’t scream my husbands name, I’m not sure what does.  This, right here, is one of his very favorite meals…and I have to admit, he has pretty darn good taste.

Lets just start this party immediately, guys.  There’s a lot of celebrating to do, no sense in wasting anyones time.

First, we’ve got grilled bread.  No, wait.  Glazed with olive oil, grilled, crunchy on the outside slightly crisp on the inside bread.  And you know, I don’t eat much bread on the regular.  But this bread right here?  ALWAYS an exception for this girl.  Continue reading

Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Bites

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So I think my family has fully recovered from the zucchini overload that transpired a few weeks ago.  I’ve learned that putting them through the hells of zucchini recipe testing for a couple of weeks actually isn’t too bad of a tactic to get them to completely appreciate all of the other veggies out there.  Lately I’ve been hearing things like We aren’t having zucchini?  We’re having broccoli?  YESSSS!!!  So really, we are all sort of winning here.

But this Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Rounds recipe shouldn’t even technically count as zucchini.  Fried cheese? Now that’s more like it. Continue reading