Fig Jam
At our house, fun dinners typically fall into one of two categories: make your own _________ (could be pizza, panini, quesadilla, etc.) or munchies. Recently, we had a make your own panini night, which made that dinner fun for everyone. As all of our tastes vary, the requests for the shopping list range from the expected to the unique. There were requests from everything from ham to blue cheese to figs.
As much as I would love to say that one of our four was so adventurous that he or she requested figs, that isn’t the truth. I was the one…
Homemade Tzatziki
When one thinks of meatballs, usually some sort of marinara accompanies it. However, if the meatballs are made of lamb and have seasonings that lean toward a Greek-inspired dish, then you need a sauce to match. For me, that is cool and creamy tzatziki. Made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, and garlic, it is incredibly simple to make.
I know, many of you may be thinking, but it’s even easier to buy. I will admit that I have bought tzatziki when in a rush, and there are some decent store-bought tzatzikis to be had. However, my recipe has only six ingredients (four,…
Balsamic Reduction
As I sat here, mentally preparing this post, I had an internal debate: Is making a balsamic reduction a recipe, or should I create a helpful hint category?
The part of my brain that thought recipe won the debate, though by no means was it a firm and final decision. All that you need to make the reduction is one ingredient and time. So, I don’t think that makes it a recipe. However, if you’re seeking a delicious topping for vegetables, meat, and more, this “recipe” will give the ultimate finishing touch.
Besides being a delicious addition to a meal, it…
JP’s Marinara
It’s April vacation week in our state, so the kids have had a relaxing week. With no school there also has been no gymnastics, no track practice, no conditioning sessions, no dinner has to be served at an exact time to meet our schedules’ needs. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it was a quiet week here. When you have a teen and almost teen in your house, time off from school equals time spent with friends. So, for three of the four weeknights there were sleepovers either at our house, a friend’s house, or both.
On the fourth night, in…
Simple Cheese Sauce
On Wednesday I posted the recipe for Black Bean & Beef Nachos. In the directions, I noted that you can top the nachos with either shredded cheese or cheese sauce. As observant readers would have noticed in the picture, the kids opted for a cheese sauce topping on their nachos. While the thought of making cheese sauce from scratch may sound daunting, it really isn’t.
This simple to make cheese sauce also is quite versatile. It can be used with cooked pasta to make homemade mac and cheese. It also can be used as a topping for steamed veggies or…
Not Your Typical Tomato Sauce
Last week, there was no Tapas Monday. My husband was traveling for business and there’s no joy in candlelight tapas alone, so it was a regular dinner at a normal time last Monday. However, as my husband was returning from the trip on Friday morning and we had an evening softball game to attend, it seemed like the perfect reason to have tapas on Friday.
With the softball game ending at 8 and a jet-lagged husband, I knew we would want a dinner that was ready shortly after we returned home. Therefore, I needed dishes that either needed little preparation or…
Spinach Alfredo
Last week, my son requested pasta with spinach sauce. I hadn’t made it for him in a few years and wasn’t sure if I still had the recipe. I decided that I would create my own recipe that was creamier than what I used to make.
To make this a multi-faceted recipe I made the base of the sauce similar to an alfredo. This way anyone who didn’t want spinach in her sauce could have her portion set aside before the spinach was added. Needless to say, this was a popular feature of this recipe for a certain 11 year old…
Slightly Spicy Spread
In the last couple years, I have developed a liking for a variety of fish. I used to crinkle my nose at the thought of dinner at a seafood restaurant. However, as I have sampled different kinds of seafood, I have found many to be appealing.
Cooking for a family, I like to expose our children to new dishes to broaden their dining horizons also. However, I know that if I jump into new foods too quickly, it can result in displeasure. Therefore, I have different strategies that I use when presenting a new dish. Sometimes it is the reward of…
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