Southwestern Zucchini and Corn Bites with Avocado Ranch. No need to break out the fryer for this recipe-- these bite-sized, veggie-loaded treats are baked until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Have you ever been typing away at your computer, noticed a deep and urgent rumble in your stomach, and instantly knew, "I...
Sticky Chipotle-Peach Chicken
I'll get to this Sticky Chipotle-Peach Chicken in a second, but first I have to ask, is it just me? Am I the only one whose mind, during the duller moments of the day, drifts to all of the cringe-worthy choices and mortifying mistakes made in the past? Usually it's the parked car I hit shortly...
Baked Boneless Wings 4 Ways
With the Super Bowl just around the corner, I've been craving one thing for weeks: wings. Or more accurately, boneless wings, which aren't really chicken wings at all-- they're chunks of chicken breast which are prepared in the traditional wing fashion. That is to say that they're crispy and coated with flavorful sauce, but with...
Thai Curry Turkey Burgers with Spicy Mayo and Coconut-Lime Slaw
For all of the things I get nervous about-- and trust me, despite my totally cool demeanor, there are a lot of them: flying, accidentally stepping on bugs when I'm barefoot, and parallel parking, for example-- I'm not one to hesitate when it comes to experimenting with seasoning and spice. What comes of these fearless forays into flavor-town? Sometimes it's...
Mexican Brick Chicken with Grilled Corn and Avocados
Say hello to the debunker of the Beer Can Chicken craze. You may think you know the tastiest way to grill a whole chicken, but I'm about to cast some doubt and introduce you to this delicious, crispy, juicy, spicy, delicious (again for emphasis) Mexican Brick Chicken with Grilled Corn and Avocados.
Rainbow Sherbet Smoothies
Every time I sat at the bench at the entrance of Sunnyside Farms, that fat, old black dog would waddle over and plop down in front of me, resting his back against my leg, looking up at my ice cream cone impatiently. Sunnyside Farms was my absolute favorite place as a kid, although to us it was...
Harissa-Lime Chicken and Couscous Skillet
Do you remember the movie Pleasantville? You know, the one where young Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon get sucked into a swell little 1950s TV town, and their influence transforms it into a place that's colorful and sexy and lively and dangerous and all of those adjectives that are sooooooo much better than "pleasant"?
Caramelized Pineapple and Jalapeño Margaritas
My birthday is 2 weeks before Cinco de Mayo, yet it took me nearly 26 years to realize that throwing a combination party stocked with salsas and overflowing with margaritas would be right up my alley. Apparently, it is also right up the alley of far more friends than I ever thought would RSVP, and now the...
Jalapeno Pinto Bean "Hummus"
If you asked me to describe hummus, I'd tell you that it was a creamy dip made mainly of chickpeas and tahini. Yet here I am, calling this pinto bean and jalapeno-packed dip by that name, even though it has neither chickpeas nor tahini in it. What gives? Well, flavor and texture-wise, Jalapeno Pinto Bean...
Blueberry Pineapple Margaritas
Is it just me, or are you also gasping at the fact that it's May already?! Wasn't it just Christmas? I'm still getting used to writing "2015" on things. Still, I'm not complaining. May means beach-worthy weather is on the way. May means longer days of sunlight. May means Cinco de Mayo, and oh my Mexican-food-loving stars, do...
Chipotle Ranch Chicken & Avocado Potstickers with Cilantro Lime Dip
Crispy bottoms and chewy tops make potstickers one of my favorite ways to eat appetizers. I don't just mean Asian-inspired appetizers, either; People typically think of potstickers as being filled with gingery pork, scallions, and cabbage, but you really can put anything in them! This time, I decided to go with a Tex Mex flavored...
Mexican Turkey Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Pesto
Typical Turkey Burgers have never really been my thing, despite my mom's best efforts to get me to enjoy them.  Save for the rare exception, they usually seem dry and unbelievably boring.  I'll just have a hamburger, thanks. But I've been trying to eat a bit less red meat lately (I'd been downing blue cheese burgers with a...
Cilantro-Garlic-Lime Seafood Packets
It's been a few years since I first made these Cilantro-Garlic-Lime Seafood Packets (or "The BOMB" Packets, as we like to call 'em around here), and they are still one of my favorites. Hence the fact that we call them "the bomb". But more on that in a second. The Cilantro-Garlic-Lime Seafood Packets are loaded...
Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic
I'm gonna be honest with you-- I had a very tame weekend filled with tbs movie marathons, trying to get work done on my laptop, and fried foods. And even though I'm not leaving any crazy spree of excitement behind as I enter the work week, I've got to say, I have a serious case of the Mondays...
Tequila Lime Chicken Sandwiches with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo
When I go out to eat at a casual restaurant, there's about a 75% chance I'm going to get a chicken sandwich if there is one on the menu. It's only 75% because sometimes I like to "broaden my horizons", or whatever you'd like to call it. But the truth is I could get chicken...
Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork with Honey Jalapeno Lime Slaw
It's under 10 degrees Fahrenheit in my area of the world right now, yet I've been inexplicably craving one of my favorite summer-time foods: pulled pork sandwiches. Maybe it's because I've been dreaming of days when it's warm enough to even consider going outside to barbecue, or maybe it's because I like my sandwiches with...
