Last week, my boyfriend and I were eating this Thai-inspired peanut quinoa salad for dinner and watching an old episode of Modern Family. In the episode, Jay is trying to convince Manny to try pickles, and Gloria jumps in and suggests that in exchange, Jay should try blood sausage. As someone who doesn’t eat a lot of meat in the first place (and who has always been somewhat of a picky eater), ...
Side Dishes
Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Patties
St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and today I am bringing you something that is…not even remotely Irish. #foodbloggerfail, I know. I wanted to make something to share with you in honor of St. Patrick’s Day like I did last year, but planning that far in advance is just not my strong suit lately. Just know that I WILL be wearing green (mint green counts, right?!) and eating potatoes and plenty of Irish ...
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Today is my first ever REAL snow day! I’m not going to lie – I’m pretty darned excited about it. In true graduate student fashion, however, I'm excited about it because it means that I can stay home and have time to work without interruption. My university cancelled class once last year as well, although technically that wasn’t because of snow accumulation, but rather because the ...
Cherry Cashew Rice Pilaf
In college, I had already been living in an apartment and cooking for myself for almost a year before I took a real interest in cooking, and shortly thereafter, I received America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook as a Christmas gift. Having grown a bit bored with living off basic chicken and rice dishes, green bean casserole, and tuna melts, I was super excited to try some new recipes, and this ...
Sweet Potato & Apple Stuffing
I’m going to level with you: I have no words left in my brain. After writing two research papers in the last week and a half, have words my brain nope no longer. ...
Pepper Jack Mac Cups
Mac and cheese is one of those dishes that need very little introduction. It’s a classic, yet the variations are endless. In this version, Greek yogurt brings in some tanginess and added protein, and pepper jack cheese introduces an element of heat – this is actually my favorite way to use pepper jack! In my family, we typically have macaroni and cheese as an entrée, but it’s a ...
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
It’s always a challenge for me to put together quick, healthy dinners. I’m no good at planning a whole week’s menu and sticking to it, so when I go to the grocery store, I usually buy the ingredients for two or three specific recipes and then figure that I can create the remaining dinners from whatever happens to be on hand. ...
Walnut & Chicken Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
I have a problem. I’m obsessed with pick-your-own-fruit orchards. First, I picked tart cherries in northern Michigan last month, and that was all fine and dandy and I limited myself to about six or seven pounds of cherries. Then, while visiting family in western New York last week, my aunt asked if I wanted to tag along with her to the blueberry fields, and I figured heck, why not? And so I picked ...
Cherry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
Happy Monday! Today, I'm bringing you another recipe along the same lines as last week's cherry cornmeal buckle, to continue taking advantage of cherry season: cherry poppy seed chicken salad! ...
Tuna Tarragon Pasta Salad
As a child, my all-time favorite restaurant was Fresh Choice. It’s probably not a coincidence, either, that my favorite restaurant was the one and only buffet-style restaurant we frequented. Let me assure you, my parents were getting their money’s worth whenever they took me to Fresh Choice! As a child, I relished the opportunity to make my own salad with all the good stuff (iceberg lettuce, ...