Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

I have several black bean soup recipes that have floated into my kitchen over the years. Some with a splash of orange juice, others with a bit of pork stirred in. I like the chunks of sweet potato in this version — and using my Homemade Taco Seasoning, which is always at the ready inContinue reading “Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup”

Stir-Fried Broccoli With Mustard Glaze

I have loved this recipe for a long time. It’s quick and easy, using ingredients I typically have on hand. By searing the broccoli on high heat and then quick steaming it, the veggies never get mushy or lose their nutrients to a pot of water. This is a perfect side to a dinner of pork chops andContinue reading “Stir-Fried Broccoli With Mustard Glaze”

Zucchini Cheddar Muffins

As much as I love a hunk of warm crusty bread alongside my soup or salad, I also love the idea of having my bread bring more to the table than a pile of carbs. That’s the beauty of the savory muffin. Filling and flavorful, these gems boast cheese, eggs and veggies, which add protein, fiberContinue reading “Zucchini Cheddar Muffins”

Chex Muddy Buddies

I’ve come late to the Baking With Cereal Party, but as my kids get older, they are making more and more of the snacks and treats they eat. Chex mix and Chex Muddy Buddies are recipes they can own that are relatively healthy for them. So, if someone says they’re looking to stir up a snackContinue reading “Chex Muddy Buddies”

Kielbasa, Corn and Potato Chowder

Potatoes are one of those vegetables that we keep in a box in our basement. Along with the butternut squash and sweet potatoes, the garlic and the onions, we save what we grow in our garden and when those run out, we buy in bulk from our farmers markets. So when the darkest days of winter arrive,Continue reading “Kielbasa, Corn and Potato Chowder”

Classic Lemon Bars

I love cookies. I really do. More than cupcakes or cheesecakes or pies or … well, maybe not more than doughnuts. The point is that if you love cookies as much as I (and, thankfully, my children) do, then you need a long list of cookie recipes to choose from. These lemon bars are aContinue reading “Classic Lemon Bars”

Carrot and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash

All fall long and well into the winter, produce from the amazing squash family is abundant in gardens and grocery stores, food stands and farmers markets. Beside the best-known pumpkins and butternut squash, there are cushaws and delicatas, acorn squash and spaghetti squash, Hubbard and Kabocha — all slightly different in taste and texture andContinue reading “Carrot and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash”

Even Better Than the Original Chex Mix

My mother is an incredibly generous cook. When I was growing up, I swear at least once a week she made her signature Tollhouse Cookies to give away. At Christmastime, our kitchen became a veritable cookie factory. These days, she lives 3,000 miles away. But when she flies in, she always arrives with a batchContinue reading “Even Better Than the Original Chex Mix”

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

I have exactly one cookbook that I absolutely, positively could not live without. It’s Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. I love it because it’s plant-based and it uses herbs and spices in a way that make my vegetables sing. I’m sure there are other cookbooks that could make similar claims, but Moosewood landed in my hands when IContinue reading “Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread”

Kale and Tomato Hoppin’ John

Growing up, greens and black-eyed peas were as big a part of my New Year’s Day as packing away the Christmas decorations and listening to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 Year-End Countdown. My family ate them because it was tradition and good luck — and likely because it was an easy dish to pull together afterContinue reading “Kale and Tomato Hoppin’ John”