Sweet and Sour Sauce

Condiments are the key to whipping up a healthful, from-scratch meal. Having homemade mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, jam, Asian peanut sauce or salad dressing in the fridge makes grain bowls, pasta, cookies and pork more nutritious — and more delicious. Often those same sauces purchased from the grocery store are full of sugars or other unpronounceableContinue reading “Sweet and Sour Sauce”

Pantry Carbonara

Carbonara can seem fancy because there is a technique to getting those eggs to form a perfect sauce rather than become a scrambled mess atop your noodles. But my husband — with his Italian roots — reminds me that it’s really a simple supper, meant to be an easy weeknight meal using what every householdContinue reading “Pantry Carbonara”

Layered Chocolate Cake

This super moist, incredibly delicious dessert has graced many a holiday table at our home over the years. My girls discovered it at the Two Peas & Their Pod website and have stirred it up over and over — for birthdays and Christmas and, yes, for Valentine’s Day, as well. So if you’re looking forContinue reading “Layered Chocolate Cake”

Ham Roast With Blueberry Sauce

We often roast a cut of local pork for our holiday dinners. It feels festive but not fussy, and it leaves lots of room for sides. This ham-blueberry-honey dish has graced more than its share of celebratory tables, often alongside scalloped potatoes, mashed butternut squash, corn pudding and apple pie. But it works just asContinue reading “Ham Roast With Blueberry Sauce”

Molasses and Mustard Pork Ribs

Ribs are the ultimate in finger food — messy, tasty, chewy, lip-licking. This recipe is perfect for a summer meal on the patio or a winter dinner complete with baked potatoes and broccoli — the house will smell divine while they’re cooking. Double the recipe and invite some friends if you’re feeling social. Recipe inspiredContinue reading “Molasses and Mustard Pork Ribs”

Cuban Sandwiches

My son loves pork and he loves sandwiches and somewhere between food truck visits and repeated viewings of the movie Chef, the brilliant creation of the Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, came into our lives. We don’t always take the time to make a Cubano “right.” Sometimes we’ll turn ham roast leftovers into a sandwich withContinue reading “Cuban Sandwiches”

Bacon Rosemary Corn Pudding

Corn is a popular side dish at our house, with corn soufflĂ©, corn chowder, and cornbread all favorites. In choosing menus for holiday meals this year, we came across this gem, which we made, then promptly gobbled up, my mostly vegetarian youngest eating it as her main dish on more than one occasion (while pickingContinue reading “Bacon Rosemary Corn Pudding”

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

As the nights grow darker and cooler and broccoli shows up again at the farmers market, my family clamors for this comfort dinner. It’s surprisingly quick to come together. Serve it with fresh bread from the oven or a salad on the side and you’ve got your bases covered, deliciously. Makes 4 to 6 servingsContinue reading “Broccoli Cheddar Soup”

Scalloped Potatoes

We plant our seed potatoes in March and harvest them in July. We store a big box of local potatoes through the winter and can usually find baby potatoes at the farmers market by early summer. To say potatoes are a staple on our family’s table year ’round is an understatement. But this dish ofContinue reading “Scalloped Potatoes”

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We’re not big dessert eaters at our house. Maybe some ice cream or good chocolate. A lot of muffins get made and devoured. But if there’s cake in the oven, there’s a good chance a celebration will be following. My youngest asked for carrot cake for her birthday last fall. When my February birthday winkedContinue reading “Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting”