HYMNS IN THE KITCHEN

What a delicious early dinner we had using leftover corn and a can of white beans, and a few simple pantry staples. I had a package of smoked sausage as well, which I thought would be a delicious addition to this hearty chowder, but feel free to leave that out and keep this vegetarian. I served this chowder with my Crispy Baked Potato Wedges (recipe found here). This just proves that we don't need a run to the grocery store or a fancy ingredient list to have a good meal. I ho

Harissa is hot chili paste made with peppers, spices and herbs and is of North African origin. Because of the wide variety of harissa paste that can be found at the market nowadays, this recipe is more of a method than a recipe. I urge you to taste your harissa chickpea "stew" every step of the way, adding lemon juice if you want more acidity, salt if the paste lacks in saltiness, and pasta water if it's too thick for your liking. I added leftover baked salmon to my bowl and

This recipe might have more prep then what you'd wish for a weeknight, so leave it for Sunday afternoon when you have your family or friends with you to help form the meatballs and grate the zucchini. This sauce cooks on low for 1 hour and smells divine. The grated zucchini becomes one with the tomato sauce, so this is a perfect way to sneak zucchini into your diet if you have picky eaters. I hope you give this a try, and enjoy! Chicken Meatballs in Zucchini Tomato Sauce Serv

I promised healthier recipes this month, and I'm delivering! Sort of.. I doused my half with more ranch and buffalo sauce then I'd like to admit, after the pictures have been taken. Let me tell you friends- this was such a treat of a dinner and really much easier then you might think. The squash roasts and fluffs so easily, the filling comes together easily and is hard to get wrong! I hope you'll enjoy this recipe as much as I've enjoyed it, which is a ton! This one is sure

Everyone having a happy holiday season? How about something that's festive and comforting, yet requires very little prep? These buttermilk chicken tenderloins can be made with whatever seasoning mix you like, but I always like to use a no-salt seasoning mix so I can control the amount of salt. I hope you give these a try, and enjoy! Buttermilk Chicken Tenderloins Ingredients: 2.2 - 2.3 lbs chicken tenderloins 1 cup buttermilk 4 tablespoons seasoning mix (unsalted; such as Mrs

I can surely say that the holiday season is when I host and attend the most amount of gatherings and pot lucks. These Firecracker Meatballs are a perfect pot luck addition because the meatballs themselves can be done a day or two ahead, then quickly reheat in a microwave or oven for a few minutes. I recommend using chicken thigh here, so you don't have to worry about these being dry. The firecracker sauce can quickly and easily be made right before serving, and a garnish of f

As the holidays approach, I'm beginning to think of great holiday table additions. I believe these sausage and caramelized onion stuffed manicotti would be perfect for a special occasion and I just might be making these for Thanksgiving this year. I'm very careful to not add salt anywhere but the caramelizing onions, because sausage has almost enough salt for the whole dish. I urge you to hold off on salting until the filling is complete; taste for salt then and depending on

Happy Monday friends! I have a recipe that requires a little patience but not a lot of effort. The chicken breast is "ground" in the food processor and spread thinly onto the pasta sheets, followed by a delicious tangy goat cheese mixture. This is topped with purple onion and lots of Parmesan for good measure. A little fresh parsley is never a bad idea and this is a delicious meal! If you are not a fan of the acquired taste of goat cheese, you can substitute it for the equall

I hope everyone's had a nice Labor Day weekend. We went camping, unplugged and enjoyed a little outdoor time. Coming home to an endless pile of camping laundry is not the time I want to start a big meal, so a simple pasta salad like this one is perfect. Frying up the skirt steak is the only thing that requires any effort, really; everything else is just chop, dice, mix and serve. Perfect for a night when you have other priorities. Enjoy! Steak and Arugula Pasta Salad Serves 8

I walked into my local grocery store the other day with zero idea of what I would make for dinner. Corn can be found at the doorstep of most grocery stores these days, which was what got my mind working and my mouth drooling when I saw the mountains of sweet corn on display. A few more steps and I saw that shrimp was on sale, so I grabbed a bag and the wheels kept turning. Sweet corn, salted shrimp, fresh herbs and... I remembered I have some leftover goat cheese at home. YES