Need a dish for a New Year’s Party? Let’s think about what makes a dish perfect for a party . . . How about one that’s easy to make and transport? Simple to serve and eat? Warm and satisfying? Mild enough to satisfy a crowd, but still interesting and flavorful? Yes, please! These Mediterranean-Spiced Meatballs […]
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Painted Sugar-Cookie Wreaths
Looking for something fun to do with your kids in the kitchen? Here’s an idea: Painted Sugar-Cookie Wreaths. Painted? Yep! All you need is a little food coloring and a clean paint brush . . . But let’s start with the cookies. You probably have the ingredients in your kitchen already: flour, sugar, baking […]
Best Zucchini & Carrot Bread: Gluten & Dairy Free!
Let me just say that I have nothing against gluten or dairy. I eat both daily and don’t have any issues. That said, I love gluten-free quick breads! Without the gluten (those stretchy strands that develop in wheat flour), the finished bread tends to be more moist, tender and flavorful than the same bread made with […]
Homemade Pie Crust: Everything You Need to Know
I’ve been making pies for a long time. My mom taught me to make a homemade crust when I was young, and I’ve been making them every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July and occasional birthday since then. Here’s one I did for Thanksgiving last year (we ate it while watching football :). My mom originally […]
Printable Food Pun Valentines + Gift Ideas!
I’m so good at wasting time. So good. Basically an expert. Just this morning I spent over an hour thinking up little gifts to pair with my printable food-pun valentines from last year. Remember these? Can you guess them all? (Btw, figuring out food puns is not wasting time — it’s good for your brain. Shopping is also really […]
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: Taco Dinner
I posted my weekly meal plan on Monday, and then specifics for the Salmon Dinner yesterday. Today I’m posting specifics for the Taco Dinner. We usually have tacos on Tuesday (for no other reason than we just got hooked on the social media moniker “Taco Tuesday” and now we’re used to it). Plus, it’s a nice change from […]
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 […]
12 Easy Recipes to Make in Your Food Processor
I teach cooking classes several times a month in Austin at Patricia’s Table. (My next class is coming up on June 28, if you’re interested! Sign up with a friend and BYOB; great food and lots of fun guaranteed!) We use a food processor in nearly every class. And invariably, as I’m introducing my sous chef […]
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 […]
Easy Banana Bread (With Half the Sugar!)
I love to make banana bread. It reminds me of my Grandma, Jeannie. She was known for her banana cakes with cream cheese frosting. Her cakes, like her buttermilk biscuits, were always delicious. For the cake, Jeannie used a recipe from the Original Joy of Cooking, along with “White Icing II” from the same book. Both are […]
My Favorite Summer Soup!
When Jack was a toddler and he would try to say the word “using,” it always sounded like “losing.” So, for example, when someone would ask where the phone was, instead of saying “Mama’s using it,” Jack would shout: “MAMA’S LOSING IT. MAMA’S LOSING IT.” And because the truth is so funny, I would always burst into laughter. […]
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