Ever have a craving for Tex Mex but still want to feel good about what you’re eating? I do . . . basically every day ;) I want that spicy, smoky, salty, creamy, crunchy goodness of Tex Mex, without feeling like I need a nap after lunch. Which is why I am loving this easy Chipotle […]
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Chipotle Caesar Salad with La Vaquita Queso Fresco

Weekly Meal Plan + Sunday Meal Prep
I used to think meal planning would make cooking so boring (if everything is planned ahead, where’s the spontaneity?), but in reality, meal planning has had the opposite effect. Now that I plan meals in advance, I’ve actually been feeling more creative in the kitchen . . . coming up with new combinations (like the pulled pork tacos we’re […]

Weekly Meal Plan: Week 2
Weekly meal plan #1 was a success, so moving right a long to week #2! Here’s the menu: Sunday: Rolled grape leaves (or you could sub in lamb chops or grilled chicken or shrimp), hummus with raw veggies, tabbouli (link to recipe, but you can buy it already prepared to save time), Greek salad, fruit, bread Monday: Pistachio-crusted […]

Weekly Meal Plan: Steak Dinner
Slight change of plans. I posted our weekly meal plan on Monday. According to the plan, we were going to have leftovers or chicken nuggets last night, but as I realized around noon yesterday, we had no leftovers and only four chicken nuggets. Fortunately, we did have all the ingredients for a steak dinner (which was supposed to be our […]

Weekly Meal Plan: Salmon Dinner
I posted my weekly meal plan yesterday and got a great response — yay! Looks like many of you are in the same situation as I am … wanting to feed yourself and your family good food without much time to do it. Today, I’ll break down the first meal, which we had last night: Oven-baked […]

Weekly Meal Plan!
It’s time to get serious, people. We are totally tapped out here in the Saba household, so I’ve started meal planning and instacarting (more on that below). Last week it worked like a charm! Here’s my plan for this week: Weekly Menu Sunday: Grilled chicken, caesar salad, broccoli, shells and cheese, fruit Monday: Oven-baked salmon, […]

Seasoned Ground Beef for Tacos
Well hello! So happy you’re here! But I should warn you: this recipe is not for the Tex-Mex tacos you might be thinking of (the ones with a greasy yellow shell and heavily cumin-and-chili-powder seasoned ground beef). While those tacos are delicious, these are not those. Although I hesitate to generalize, you could say these have more of an interior Mexican flavor. […]

Fall Menu Inspiration: Easy Crock-Pot Recipes and More!
Happy September! I love fall and football and slow-cooked meals. It’s all so cozy I just want to curl up on the couch with Cookie and Muffin. Not “a” cookie and muffin, although those would be nice, too; I’m talking about Cookie and Muffin. This is Muffin: This is Cookie: They are both very soft and […]

Everything You Need to Know to Make Fluffy, Flavorful White Rice
Basic white rice is surprisingly difficult to make. It’s either burned on the bottom, crunchy on the inside and mushy on the outside, or mushy all the way through. Or, it tastes like cardboard. Mmmmm, cardboard. I had all of those problems until a few years ago when my dad taught me this recipe. I posted a video […]

Pistachio-Crusted Salmon
“Pistachio-crusted salmon.” Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? It’s not. But it is dee-licious. Very easy to make, too. All you need is fresh fish, melted butter and chopped nuts. You can use pistachios as I have below, or whatever you have on hand (mixed nuts, pecans, almonds). Whichever you choose, get the shelled, salted and roasted variety for […]

EVEN EASIER Easy Meat Sauce for Spaghetti or Lasagna
I love to find a difficult recipe and make it easier. Like mole. I took a challenging recipe that nobody in their right mind would ever make, and made it shorter, faster and easier. And now, with this paired-down recipe, you can make authentic homemade mole in just five simple steps! (Okay maybe you’ll never make it but […]

Why I Always Buy Frozen Shrimp, PLUS a Recipe for Super-Fast Sautéed Garlic Shrimp
I made this Easy Summer Gazpacho the other day, and after the first bite I was totally craving seafood! There’s something about that cold tomato soup with cilantro, avocado and lime that makes me want a big pile of shrimp. (And crab cakes. And a cold glass of wine. And a sunset and an ocean breeze. And, okay […]

4 Simple Sauces for Summer Grilling
Happy Memorial Day weekend! We are so ready for school to be over and summer to start. (But ask me in two weeks and I’ll probably be counting down to September, ha!) Are you planning to break out the grill over the long weekend? If so, here are for four simple sauces to serve with your meal. 1. Easy […]

Easy Gluten-Free Egg Casserole
I love easy recipes. And I’m talkin’ “don’t even need to get out a knife” easy. That is this recipe. For a basic gluten-free egg casserole, all you need are: eggs, milk, shredded potatoes, cheese and a little S&P. Buy the cheese and potatoes already shredded. Do you know about pre-shredded potatoes? Like these by Cascadian Farms: Or these […]

All the Mexican Recipes You Need!
I’m posting these for Cinco de Mayo, but these recipes yummy Mexican recipes are also great for easy weeknight meals, or Mexican-themed dinner parties. Of course, for a truly perfect occasion, add margaritas! Easiest Crockpot Pork Verde (gluten free) Easiest Crockpot Chicken Tinga Tacos (gluten free) Crockpot Barbacoa (gluten free) Authentic Caldo de Res (gluten free) Ceviche (gluten free) Ceviche tostadas (gluten […]

Lebanese Baked Eggplant (Sheik ‘al Mishee)
Have you ever tried Lebanese baked eggplant? Also known as “Sheik ‘al Mishee” (or “Sheik ‘al Mehshe”), which translates to “Dish Fit for a King.” And it really is that good. You start with eggplant, which is broiled until brown and then baked until soft. The eggplant is layered with ground beef and a rich tomato […]

Baked Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce
Baked salmon with easy lemon-dill sauce is one of our favorite weeknight meals, so I’m excited to share it with you! For the salmon, I always try to find a wild-caught selection that is either fresh or frozen. Right now, I am loving the organic wild-caught salmon from HEB (in the fish case). I also […]

Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos
I posted these chicken tinga tacos on my instagram feed yesterday and a few friends asked for the recipe. Shannon, Krista and Allison: Here it is! Hope you get a chance to try it! So there are a lot of great recipes out there for chicken tinga (basically, shredded chicken in a tomato-chipotle sauce), but unfortunately, most of them involve […]

Easy Citrus Marinade for Chicken
With summer here, doesn’t anything citrusy sound superb? Like homemade cherry limeade, Lemon-tarragon sauce, Cilantro-lime sauce, And this citrus-marinated chicken. The citrus marinade keeps the chicken light and juicy, and adds a hint of sweetness. It’s so easy, too. Just whisk the ingredients together, and then marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for a few hours (I use a […]

Stacked Pear Spinach Salad
Have you ever seen a salad so beautiful? Oh I just love everything about it. The pear goes so well with the maple-syrup vinaigrette, blue cheese and candied pecans. And the presentation, oh the presentation! You can serve this salad vertically or horizontally. And while serving it vertically makes for a truly stunning presentation, be careful […]