Pasta Bolognese

In the best spirit of the Guessipe, I’ve found Pasta Bolognese to have some pretty interchangeable components… red or white onion, celery or fennel, red or white wine, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, milk or heavy cream. It’s the long slow simmer that brings it all together. Traditionalists might balk at this, but try it…

Thai Larb

The key to Thai Larb is the ground toasted rice, providing the flavor and texture that makes this refreshing and fulfilling ground meat salad. I used to order Larb when I went out for Thai food, until I learned that it’s so easy to make at home. It’s great for a main dish served as…

Kielbasa Cabbage Carrot Skillet

This was one of my mom’s go-to dishes when I was a kid, and as an adult I found out why… it’s easy and delicious. The seasoning she used was super basic – just garlic salt, salt, and pepper, with a touch of sugar to enhance the savory. But the kielbasa and the caramelization of…

Yam Beef Biscuit Pot Pie

I had purchased some canned biscuits on sale for really cheap, but maybe they were on sale for a reason! They weren’t at all flaky and they were a bit bland. But I hate letting food go to waste, so I thought maybe I could make them work as a pot pie topping. Judging by…

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Now that I’ve experienced what quick work the Instant Pot can make of cooking beans, I’ve been much more willing to experiment with bean dishes. I ate a white bean and sausage soup years ago that I still remember and think about from time to time, and now finally got around to re-creating. It was…

3.14 Pi(e) Day VI

This is actually my 7th annual Pie Day, but last year we did it as a Cookbook Club event. Can you believe it!? Seven times I’ve gotten to stuff myself to the gills with pie… and hopefully many more to come. Savory Pies Nick made a Tomato Cheese Pie. Does that sound familiar? Well that’s…

Peruvian-Inspired Pie

I decided to do a Peruvian theme for a recent dinner party, since I had some aji panca paste I’ve been itching to use. Arroz Tapado (ground beef layered with rice, peas, and carrots) is one of the traditional dishes that uses aji panca, but one of my dinner guests doesn’t eat rice, so I…

Thai-Inspired Salad

We’re in the midst of summer right now, and it’s just too hot to be cooking and eating a hot meal. I was craving a salad that was hearty enough to be my dinner, but cool and refreshing to eat in this heat. While not an exact match for any traditional Thai salad, I used…

Build Your Own Bowl

These “Build Your Own Bowl” restaurants have been popping up all over the place. We have an Asian-themed one near our local movie theater which we would occasionally patronize after seeing a movie… that is, until I decided it would be easy enough to re-create my favorite sauce flavors and build my own bowl at…

Molasses Roasted Red Cabbage and Carrots

My boyfriend invited some friends over for dinner with very little advance notice. I had the ingredients on hand to make my Butternut Squash Pasta, but I wanted a vegetable side to go with it. I looked in the fridge and found red cabbage and carrots. With Mission: Molasses still in mind, I wondered if…

Roasted Spiced Carrots with Molasses Yogurt Dressing

I couldn’t stop thinking about the molasses yogurt dressing in my Harissa Roasted Broccoli with Molasses Yogurt Dressing. I decided it would also be good over carrots roasted with turmeric, cumin, and coriander. I managed to get 2 pieces before my boyfriend gobbled up the rest. Guessipe 1 lb carrots, halved lengthwise 3 TBSP olive…

Hummus Honey Salad Dressing

I was at a friend’s for dinner and she made a salad with a really tasty dressing. When I asked her about the dressing, she said it was mostly hummus with a little honey, apple cider vinegar, and some other seasonings. I kept thinking about that dressing for weeks after the dinner, so decided I…