This Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad features fresh and tangy ingredients inspired by Mediterranean flavors. Feta cheese, briny kalamata olives, cucumbers, chickpeas, and more are tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette that packs in some major deliciousness. Eat your orzo salad as-is for a satisfying side dish, or add grilled chicken for a complete meal in…
Basil Pesto (Pesto Alla Genovese)
Classic, homemade pesto can’t be beat, so ditch the store-bought stuff and whip up a batch right in your kitchen. All you need is a few simple ingredients and you’ll be making this flavorful, basil-packed summer staple in no time. (And by “no time”, I mean 5 minutes or less!) If there was ever a…
Perfect Garlic and Herb Roast Turkey
This Perfect Garlic and Herb Roast Turkey recipe is engineered for perfection. Three simple tricks guarantee juicy meat, tons of flavor, and ridiculously crispy skin for a Thanksgiving turkey that’s easy as pie. I’ve made my share of turkeys in the past. Brined, butterflied, tied, trussed, you name it. Two versions — Cider and Sage…
Homemade Falafel (Pan-Fried or Baked)
Learn to make Homemade Pan-Fried or Baked Falafel so authentic that your friends will swear you had it flown in from Lebanon. Whichever method you choose, its vibrant fresh herbs, punchy seasoning blend, and crispy-yet-tender texture will be the star of any sandwich or mezze board. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
Garlic & Herb Marinated Chicken Spiedies
These Garlic & Herb Marinated Chicken Spiedies aren’t just your run-of-the-mill chicken skewers– they’re a Central NY specialty that deserves some worldwide recognition. Chunks of chicken breast are marinated for at least 12 hours in a tangy, herb-spiked marinade and then grilled before being served on soft Italian bread with a generous drizzle of garlic…
Pan-Fried Garlic Butter Steak with Crispy Potatoes and Asparagus
Pan-Fried Garlic Butter Steak with Crispy Potatoes and Asparagus. Meet the equally simple and sexy date night meal that will change the way you tackle romantic dinners forever. The key? A high heat sear on the steak followed by lots of basting with garlicky herb butter to finish off the cooking process. At the risk…
Tarragon Mustard Chicken Skewers
Tarragon Mustard Chicken Skewers. Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tarragon and honey are all you need to make an incredibly flavorful chicken marinade. This recipe for Tarragon Mustard Chicken Skewers has also been featured on Serious Eats. Given that Mike The Housemate (as I’ve now decided he should be named) winces in disgust at…
Boozy Watermelon Mint Lemonade
Boozy Watermelon Mint Lemonade. This super satisfying, refreshing cocktail is perfect for parties and cookouts. The combination of fresh watermelon, cucumber, lemon juice, and mint (with a little rum, of course) makes for a drink that screams summertime! I’m going to let you in on a little secret: even if you’re the manliest of manly,…
Bacon Beer Cheese Bread Bowl
For those of us who are blindly flailing our way through life (yes, I’m including myself here), it’s nice to have a couple of life pro tips in our back pockets. This is especially true when it comes to party planning. After all, one of the worst times to crash and burn is when you have a…
Make-Ahead Rosemary Sweet Potato Rolls
One of the most universally loved dining-out experiences has to be when your waiter unexpectedly brings out a basket of freshly baked rolls, right? Who isn’t overcome with happiness for just a few seconds when you see that bundle of bread? They make my heart happy; warm rolls just get me in a way no one else…
Crispy Cranberry-Herb Butter Butterflied Turkey with Roasted Vegetables
See all of those glorious blackened bits? I bet you can’t make this turkey and not pick off some of those morsels to eat them before serving. Go on and try– call it an impossible exercise in self-restraint. Just like with any “blackened” recipe, the charred bits on this Crispy Cranberry-Herb Butter Butterflied Turkey with Roasted Vegetables are the…
Sun-Dried Tomato Crusted Chicken with Goat Cheese and Herb Sauce
My little brother Mark– or maybe I should say my younger brother, as he’s not very little anymore– doesn’t fit the stereotype of the annoying bratty sibling. In fact, he’s pretty much the coolest kid– or I guess man, now– that I know. That’s mainly due to the fact that he spent most of his early years trying to be like me….
Dubliner-Dill Skillet Irish Soda Bread
I’m about to reveal something pretty controversial, so hold on to your seat belts. …I think raisins RUIN perfectly good soda bread. It’s true. I like my crumbly, dense, delicious soda bread to be savory and buttery and definitely not filled with little sugar-bombs of wrinkly, dried grapes. Alas, every option I’ve seen at the grocery store…
Boozy Blackberry Sage Lemonade
Can you believe it’s already September? Time to start closing up the pool for the year, pulling out our long-sleeved shirts from storage, and waving goodbye to our long, late hours of sunshine. Butternut squash and cinnamon season is just around the corner, but I’m not ready to go full-on Fall-flavored crazy just yet. I…
Goat Cheese and Chive Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are, admittedly, one of my least favorite ways to get my share of spuds. Â It might just be me, but I’m extremely picky with my mashed potatoes, and most of them just don’t make the cut. Â It’s so easy for them too be too smooth, too lumpy, too gummy, too bland… and for…
Rosemary Olive Oil Crock Pot Bread, Take 2! Plus a recipe for Olive Oil Herb Dip
As I write this post, there is a photo over on the right-hand side of the blog, staring me in the face, right down into the depths of my soul. Â It’s a photo that I am totally not proud of in any way, shape or form. Â It’s a photo that I have GOT to get…
