Dave and I have a tradition for Valentine’s Day. Instead of going out for dinner we cook for ourselves, but we take the opportunity to splurge on ingredients and make it extra special. We also rotate who makes the entree and who makes the dessert and appetizer. It is always a lot of fun, and
Author: Erin Kowal
These “nachos” are so satisfying. They hit most of the flavors I love in real nachos, but with the added nutrition and satiating fiber of sweet potatoes. I mentioned in my Lasagna Spaghetti Squash post how I’m happy to incorporate extra vegetables into my meals when I can. While I’ll never turn down a good
My husband is a big bacon fan. A few years ago I threw him a birthday dinner with a lot of bacon on the menu, and I made my first trial of these bacon deviled eggs. They are very simple, and subtly smokey from the bacon. He ate about ten of the last batch I
This recipe is inspired by a hearty soup I had at the Naplavka Farmer’s Market in Prague. We visited in 2019, and got up early one spring morning to beat the crowds at the Charles Bridge. Although the day would turn out to be quite pleasant, the morning was very chilly. After some site seeing
Spaghetti squash has been a normal part of our fall and winter dinner rotation for years. While I do also eat pasta and carbs, I love vegetables too, and I’m always happy to get extra veggies into our meals. We have roasted spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and mozzarella many times over the years, but
Hello! January is here. It’s the time of year that I should be posting soups and braises, but instead I’m sharing a salad recipe. I promise it is not a wimpy salad. This is a hearty, protein-packed dish, loaded with plenty of flavor. There is contrasting texture from the lentils and the crunchy celery. The
This recipe was sort of a gift for this year from my grandmother, even though she passed away in 2017. I hand-copied several of her cookie recipes when I was in high school, selecting mostly the recipes I was familiar with. I didn’t recognize this one from her annual Christmas cookie lineup, but she told
It’s officially grilling season, friends! We may not be able to have all of the get-togethers and potlucks yet, but we can still eat well. This pasta salad is the first of a three summery side dishes I have in the works for the near future. I love pasta salads. I appreciate that there are
There are so many variations of picadillo. This is the way that was made for me by my Mexican co-workers, particularly Rico, Edgar, and Gabe, back when I was a cook. It is ground beef with chunks of diced potato, a little tomato, and chilies, simmered until tender. I generally say carnitas is my favorite
Dried beans are a part of my family’s normal stocked pantry. I keep some canned beans on hand for short-cuts, but I prefer the process of cooking beans from the dried state myself when I have time. Beans in a can are usually just water and salt. Homemade beans can have whatever your heart desires.