If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you might know that I used to be a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat in middle school and didn’t venture back into omnivore land until just before I got married. After so many years without meat, I definitely still have no problems with a veggie heavy diet but I do have a confession to make: I totally regret missing out on years of bacon and chicken wings. Yes, that’s right. I missed out on nearly 15 years of chicken wings and I’m now on a quest to make up for it.
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Simple Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is one of my all-time favorite summer recipes. Now, I use the word recipe pretty loosely because it’s definitely a simple combination of foods, tossed together, and endlessly customizable. That being said, traditional pico de gallo is a fresh salsa (and is also sometimes called salsa fresca) typically made with tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime, and salt. It is always coarsely chopped, never blended, and it’s uses are endless. 
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Healthy Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Looking for something for Meatless Monday? Looking to decrease the amount of meat you eat? Just looking for a really good (and easy) recipe? These Vegan Lettuce Wraps will check all of the boxes. With all of the flavors of the original PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, these have healthy written all over them. And who doesn’t want that?
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Creamy Vanilla Fruit Dip
Spring has finally sprung here in the midwest and, after surviving nearly two feet of new snow last week, the sun is out and I just went for a run in shorts and a tee shirt. My gratitude for the warm weather knows no bounds after this doozy of a winter! In addition to warmer temps, one of my favorite things about this time of year is that spring means berry season. My kids, who would probably live on berries if I let them, are especially excited about the rapidly increasing abundance of fresh fruit. While we typically just eat berries plain (by the handful or pint!), sometimes I love to serve them with this Creamy Vanilla Fruit Dip. It’s a simple recipe, perfect for parties and really makes your average berry feel like a special dessert.
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Good Food Reads: A Taste of the Southwest
My recent vacation to Arizona was filled with great food, and I’ll readily admit that I’m hooked on the flavors of the Southwest. What better time to do a recipe round up featuring the amazing Taste of the Southwest? These talented bloggers have allowed me to share their amazing Southwestern recipes with you! From dips to tacos to casseroles to enchiladas, this edition of Good Food Reads: A Taste of the Southwest has it all!
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Good Food Reads: Super Bowl Party Favorites!
The countdown is ON. With only two days until Super Bowl LII, it is definitely go-time on the game day menu. I absolutely love Super Bowl parties because they give me an excuse to make lots of appetizers and bite sized treats. Chips, dips, wings, cheese trays? I’m in. I don’t play favorites when it comes to grazing. I’ve got some great plans for my own game day menu and thought I’d share some of my Super Bowl Party Favorites right here in case you’re looking for some fun new treats to make, too.
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Good Food Reads: New Year’s Eve Appetizers
It’s time, it’s time! The New Year is coming and it definitely needs to be celebrated. Gather your friends, open a bottle of bubbly, serve a few of these amazing appetizers, and you have yourself a party. Whether you’re having fancy cocktail party, or a low key jeans only type get together, we’ve got you covered for fabulous eats. Below is Good Food Reads: New Year’s Eve Appetizers, a round up of our tried and true, as well as those appetizers we’ve been dying to try.
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Whipped Goat Cheese Cups with Honey and Pistachios
If there’s one theme to my cooking this time of year it’s this: easy appetizers. The holidays bring so many wonderful gatherings of family and friends and I love having a few go-to recipes to make entertaining in this busy season just a little easier. I’ve gathered some tricks over the years: A good cheese board is always a winner and the former vegetarian in me will forever love a beautiful platter of crudité with a special dip. I also love to have simple but elegant options like these Whipped Goat Cheese Cups with Honey and Pistachios. They are simple to prepare, bursting with flavor, and require no extra silverware for serving! Win, win….
Good Food Reads: Thanksgiving 2017 Part 1
Oh my friends, it’s November! And although November certainly means cold, windy, dark days here in Minneapolis, November is completely redeemed by the fact that it brings THANKSGIVING (my very favorite holiday ever). Thanksgiving means thousands of sides, desserts, and leftovers for days. I make homemade rolls that serve as dinner rolls on Thanksgiving Thursday and serve as the backbone of the perfect turkey sandwich on Black Friday. Leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes serve as a Black Friday breakfast that dreams are made of. I know y’all are planning your own Thanksgiving feasts, so here are a few suggestions!
(Never fear, this is only part 1!)
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Puttanesca Bruschetta
I’ve had these gorgeous multicolored cherry tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter just staring at me all week. I finally knew what I wanted to do with them-Bruschetta! But I didn’t want to make the plain old restaurant style Bruschetta. I’ve wanted to make something to show off the gorgeous colors of the tomatoes. Puttanesca Bruschetta does just that!
Puttanesca Bruschetta, now if that isn’t a mouthful, I don’t know what is.
But it is a mouthful of deliciousness. Truly.
Read further for the recipe for this amazing appetizer and an ode to one of my oldest friends!
Thank goodness we were friends before iPhone cameras and Facebook…right?
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