Are you ready to receive those guests? Whether for the holiday season or a friendly get together, a simple Charcuterie Board with all the delicious bites is sure to get your guests eating and enjoying themselves. The word Charcuterie is French, and it means cold cooked meats. While I love the cold cooked meats idea, I do need to pair them with cheeses, breads/crackers, fruit, veggies and nuts. I mean, why not?! So, this is my kind of Charcuterie Board. Add a glass of fine wine and i’m content! The more colorful, the better. And all these different textures on one platter make me so happy. So, for a holiday…
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Potato and Sausage Stew
This is such a great one pot weeknight meal! Just a few ingredients in one pot, about 30 minutes of your time and voila! You got yourself a delicious Potato and Sausage Stew. Every good meal starts with a little sautee of onions and other veggies. Next, add the potatoes, the spices, chicken stock and sausage slices or cubes and you’re done! Easy as that. I used Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe’s for this batch because that’s what I had on hand. Feel free to use any type of sausage you might like for this. It is great with Italian Sausage and ham bits as well. Give it a…
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Salmon Salad
Looking for an easy lunch option to add to your weekly menu? I’m always looking for new meals that are easy to make and great for a filling lunch at home or to go. This Salmon Salad is a winner in my book. I get the Wild Alaskan Salmon from Costco. It’s a great pantry item to have on hand. It’s very versatile. No salmon for you? Canned Tuna would be a great substitution here. Also, if you prefer freshly baked or sautéed salmon instead, feel free to use that. It all works here. The recipe is super easy and not time consuming at all. It comes together in under…
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Butternut Squash Soup
This soup came together easily and very quickly, on a Tuesday afternoon after a long day at work. I had purchased a Butternut Squash at Trader Joe’s with zero plans for it. It’s the season, it was pretty and I just had to have it. Similar story to a lot of the items I pick up at grocery stores lately. It was sitting on my counter for about a week. I got home and needed a quick meal, so I decided it would be a soup kinda day. It took less than 30 minutes, and it turned into the best Butternut Squash Soup I have ever tasted. Do you…
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Healthy Chicken Tacos
We love tacos around these parts. And we’re making them at least once a week. When you are busy like we are with work and kids, getting home and cooking a healthy weeknight meal could be challenging. Tacos are a great addition to our rotating dinner list because they are easy to make. They don’t require much effort or time, which is nice. Usually we go with beef tacos and I can’t remember the last time we had chicken tacos. Well, I needed to switch things with these quick healthy chicken tacos on iceberg lettuce. Chicken tenders are ideal for this recipe, which I boiled for about five minutes, shredded them…
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Hungarian Stew with Noodles-Pörkölt
This meal right here speaks to me on so many levels… Because it reminds me of my childhood. In case you didn’t know from following me on Social Media and this blog, I am Hungarian born in Romania. I am very lucky to have grown up enjoying the wonderful cuisines of both of these neighboring countries. Many of the dishes are the same and some are completely different and special in their own ways. This Hungarian Stew recipe is inspired by all the variations of stew that I grew up with. What’s so special about this stew? It’s that Hungarian paprika and the memories it brings. Paprika is a staple…
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Cranberry Apple Muffins
Fall is upon us, my friends! It is my favorite season of them all. Why? Because I love the cooler temperatures, open windows, long sessions of stove top cooking, baking, and all the spices and aromas that come with the season. Give me all the cinnamon, apples, pumpkins and these seasonal Cranberry Apple Muffins. I’m a sucker for it all. This easy muffin recipe is perfect to awaken your fall senses. The apples, cinnamon and cranberries make a great satisfying mix and are great for on the go eating. These are ideal for a quick breakfast especially when warmed up a tad with a touch of butter. Yum! Because butter…
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Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Meatballs
If you haven’t tried Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi yet, it is time that you do. Trust me on this. They are $2.69 per package and just enough for my husband and I for a meal. Did I mention that they are delicious?? A piece of advice: I would pick up a couple of packages of Cauliflower Gnocchi when you are there because the stores tend to run out of them often. Thanks Trader Joe’s for yet another awesome meal. Cook them as per the stove-top directions on the packaging. But you have to be patient with these guys. If you rush it and remove them too quickly, they will be mushy and not…
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Pickled Onions and Avocados
It’s Taco Tuesday, you guys and it’s not a feast without Pickled Onions… This doesn’t mean too much to me, because I could eat tacos, nachos, enchiladas, tamales, burritos, etc., on any day of the week. And how lucky am I to live in the Detroit area where Mexican or Latin American inspired cuisine is so delicious and most importantly, it is so authentic.Are you looking for recommendations in Detroit? Message me and i’ll send you a list of places to check out. In the meantime, let’s focus on these delicious Pickled Onions and Avocados.. For today, my plan is to make tacos or nachos for dinner; maybe even enchiladas.…
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Zucchini Bread with Chia Seeds and Almonds
Happy Friday, friends!! What a perfect and rainy day to do some summer baking. I have been working on perfecting this Zucchini Bread recipe this spring. I made several versions of it, with different ingredients, and this Chia Almond version won. It is so delicious, seasonal and on the healthier side. I made it with only 1/2 cup of sugar and added coconut oil instead of generic oil. The addition of the Chia Seeds and raw almond slices, give it a nice texture. I sprinkled the top with Domino Honey Granules and more almonds to give it a nice sweet, crunchy crust. The zucchini keeps the inside nice and moist…
