Pesto

When you want pasta but the tomato-based sauce just doesn’t sound good 🙂 Fresh basil can be hard to find so this gives you the option of spinach, some people will also use kale. The base you use will obviously change the flavor but don’t be afraid to mix and match greens, play with this, see what you wind up with. Pesto is a thing you can truly make your own. Set a little extra aside and mix it with a little bit of mayonnaise for a pesto aioli for a salami sandwich. Also, if you can’t find fresh basil …

Italian Dressing

I don’t like bottled dressings because I see no point in sugar and preservatives in everything we eat. This is a favorite dressing that I make because I can change the oil, change the vinegar, and/or change the spices, and always have something different.

Plated Green Bean Salad

Green Bean Salad

Have you ever wondered what a new and innovative way is to have green beans?  Today I am going to share with you a new, fun, and healthier way of having green beans.  There are so many ways that you can take this simple, humble ingredient to the next level in flavor and texture. To make this vegan, switch out the feta cheese for a vegan cheese of your choosing. You can use any style and cut of green beans that you prefer.  I like to experiment with different textures and flavors of food.  A salad can be anything that …

Homemade Flour Tortillas

I think you will enjoy this quick and simple recipe! Homemade tortillas are so tender and chewy, you’ll never want the store bought ones again after making your own! All you’ll need are five ingredients to make these delicious tortillas. You can always double the recipe to make more at one time, trust me you will go through these very quickly! Enjoy!

Watermelon Sorbet

This cool and refreshing watermelon sorbet is the perfect summer time treat for the whole family! And the best part is…you don’t even need an ice cream maker! It’s super easy to make and only needs a few simple ingredients! Enjoy!

Zucchini Squash

In my family I can remember growing summer yellow squash and the zucchini squash.  I was excited to try this version of zucchini.  I think that this is  a very versatile vegetable and can be used in many ways. This is a wonderful side dish to go along with either your lunch or dinner.  It’s great for a potluck and easy to fix.  I hope you give this wonderful side dish a try.  You can make it vegetarian, or vegan.

Spinach Soup

This recipe was inspired by an article from a newsletter from a local power company in the 1970’s. I aimed to lighten and brighten the recipe as it seemed very heavy and over shadowed the spinach. I love using fresh produce when possible and this vibrant green soup was well received by the pickiest of family members. There are several ways to make substitutions to any lifestyle whether vegetarian or vegan. This savory soup may be served warm or chilled. Here’s the original from that newsletter

Sweet and Spicy Caribbean Slaw

Add some flair to this American classic with a hint of spice and some tropical fruit. This is a very simple recipe with amazing flavors!  Pairs well with any grilled protein or served on top of a burger or hot dog.  Give it a try.  It will change the way you think about coleslaw!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

This recipe is great because you can adjust it to any dietary need. You can replace the chicken with tofu or a good hearty mushroom. You can use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce to cut back on your sodium and it doesn’t contain gluten. The lettuce cups make for a fun hands on eating experience and aesthetically look great on a plate. If lettuce cups aren’t your thing, try chopping the lettuce up and make it into a salad. This recipe is a good balance of salt and savory with a touch of sweet and crunch.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is a wonderful comfort food with a fun twist on classic sausage and peppers. Any ground meat or tofu can be used in place of the sausage meat which allows you to fit the recipe into your dietary needs. Traditional stuffed peppers use rice but for this I wanted to tie in the idea of a classic fair sausage and peppers on a roll by using the stuffing. This recipe can be adjusted to using mini peppers sliced vertically and filled to be used as an appetizer option or stick to full sized peppers for an entree.

Southern Chow Chow

Chow chow is a relish made from green tomatoes, onions, cabbage, and bell peppers. It was started as a way to utilize those unripened tomatoes after frost started. Chow chow is sometimes confused with piccalilli which is another style of relish but with more of a variety of vegetables. It is suggested chow-chow originates from the French word Chou for cabbage. This relish is great on anything savory such as burgers, hot dogs, mixed into fried rice for a southern twist, or topped onto a southern corn salad.    

Musaka

This eggplant dish is hearty and comforting. It can easily be made as a vegan or vegetarian option. There are many variations of this dish, such as using potatoes in place of the eggplant.

Triple Treat Fondant

Working with fondant is one of the easiest yet rewarding items I have made in my kitchen. Before this, I had never worked with fondant and assumed it would be hard to make and even harder to work, so imagine my surprise to find that not only is it super easy to make (and very cheap) it is so fun to work with! remember kindergarten making food with play dough? Yep pretty much the same idea( except this dough is edible)  I think the best part for me besides bribing my twins to help me was adding the flavoring (we …

Mary’s Risotto

A very easy and tasty risotto dish for something a little bit different instead of plain white rice. Using the broth of your choice can easily make this a vegetarian dish and using vegan options for butter and cheese it can be vegan. Risotto really is a dish for everyone. Along with this, there is Mary’s Rice 2 Mary’s Cabbage & Rice Mary’s Creamy Rice Here are all 4 together