If you’ve taken a peek at my last few recipes, you know I’m in my cozy one-pan meal era. This time of year especially, I really love to lean into warming and comforting seasonal dishes that embody wearing an oversized cardigan, lighting a fall scented candle, and watching a 90’s rom com. This dish is that feeling for me and has quickly become a highly requested favorite in my household. I hope it offers you a nostalgic hug, too, because I think we all could use that right now.

I’m in my one-pan wonder era, and I’m not mad about it. I just love how cozy it feels to cook an entire meal in one pot and I love the quick clean up even more!

This baked orzo bolognese has it all — carbs from the pasta, fiber from the veggies, a little fat and protein from the ground beef, and creamy texture from the cheese on top. Although this dish has carrots and celery, you’d hardly notice because it blends so well into the meat mixture making it a great option for adding veggies in when you’re not the biggest fan.

This salad is one of my favorite to enjoy during the summer months because I feel like it has it all; juicy tomatoes, sweet grilled corn, caramelized peaches, chewy fibrous green beans, herbaceous basil, and a great balance of fresh to cooked ingredients. It’s wholesome and feels like the essence of summer cooking.

I also love that most (if not all) of the fresh ingredients used here can be found at a summer farmer’s market! It’s a true farm-to-table treat that’s satisfies in flavor and fullness. It’s a perfect addition to a summer barbecue to use as a side or the main dish.

My go-to summer dishes usually include a mix of fresh and cooked foods. I find that although fully raw dishes satisfy my desire for cool foods in the heat, they don’t really digest as well for me. I add a few cooked elements to give my gut a break, balance out the crunchy texture of raw veggies, and help keep me satisfied overall. To keep my kitchen and house cool, I tend to use my oven for as little time as possible. Enter: broiled salmon…

So few things say summer more than cooking skewers on the barbecue. The flavor of charred onions is truly unmatched! These chicken and veggie skewers are a favorite in my house because they are so versatile. Pairing them with various sauces and dips transforms them so you’ll never get bored. The three ingredient feta-yogurt dip in this recipe is also a queen of adaptability. She can do a dip, she can do a drizzle, she can do a dressing — all give or take a few teaspoons of water! I highly recommend making extra to pair with salads, wraps, and bowls throughout the week. I also love…

File this bread under: Things You’d Find At the End of a Rainbow. This thick, slightly sweet bread paired with a generous smear of salted butter is a delicious ode to my Irish-American heritage.

Soda bread has been my favorite holiday food tradition ever since I was a kid and I’m sharing my family’s recipe with you, aren’t you lucky? I’ve made a few edits over the years to adjust it to my palate and dietary needs. While the traditional recipe calls for buttermilk and butter, my family has always used sour cream instead. Which I’m grateful for because it simplifies the prep time significantly! I’ve used gluten free flour, subbed currants for raisins, and swapped in plain greek yogurt for sour cream. These edits make this recipe feel my own, and allow me to reduce my food waste (I am not a frequent consumer of raisins or sour cream).

While I do enjoy perusing the chocolate aisle at the grocery store and am known to have a bar or two stocked in my pantry at all times, there is something really special and fun about making confections at home. Homemade chocolates make a thoughtful and impressive gift — with just enough skill to seem fancy, without a ton of time spent in the kitchen.

This recipe is inspired by Hu Kitchen’s raspberry cashew butter chocolate bar (my ride or die) and Rachael Good Eat’s DIY Reese’s eggs. In my opinion the raspberry and cashew combo is like an adult version of the classic PB&J! With creamy cashew butter, sweet and tart raspberry and decadent dark chocolate, you’ll have suitors lining up down the block wanting to be your Valentine! They’re the perfect way to say “I’m nuts about you” ;)

In the fall and winter months, salads tend to take the back-burner. We shift our focus to richer, warmer, and heartier dishes and we leave the fresh greens in the rearview. But what if we could have a medley of warm roasted veggies, seasonal flavors, AND still get our raw greens in?

I present to you: The Hearty Autumn Kale Salad. It’s the perfect balance of cooked to raw, sweet to savory, and crunchy to creamy. It’s got enough going on that it satisfies our energy and comfort needs in the cooler months, while also feeling light enough not to bog us down like many richer dishes on the menu.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking… I do not have the time to sit and make a risotto from scratch! And trust me, I feel you, risotto is definitely a labor of love. But while we’re all sitting at home in “Quarantine 2: Winter Edition” and longing for those warm, comforting meals, when is there a better time to make risotto???

This vegetarian risotto is hearty and savory thanks to the addition of mushrooms that provide a meatiness as well as rich umami (savory) flavor…. When you try this recipe, you’ll be thanking the glutamate gods because it’s truly one for the books. I’ve made this three times in the past month and every time it’s exactly what I need for dinner on a gloomy fall Pacific Northwest evening. The process, although time consuming, is fairly simple and requires just enough skill to impress your friends without making you pull your hair out. So throw on some cozy music, grab yourself a glass of wine (or kombucha), and get cooking! You won’t regret it.

Few things scream cool weather to me than a roasted Brussels sprout and squash combo. By the end of fall, I estimate that I am about 95% pumpkin and squash. My skin loves the vitamin A and my tastebuds love the sweet and savory flavor and creamy texture. That’s a win-win in my book! Another nutritious highlight in cold weather crops, although severely underrated, are Brussels sprouts. They are packed with fiber and vitamin C, and when prepared the right way can be a hit with your tastebuds, too!

In this recipe, roasted shaved Brussels pair with sweet squash and juicy grapes. It’s the sweet-savory combo of the century, trust me.

Growing up, I only are raw or boiled carrots. I’ve always liked them, but I’ve never really felt a craving for them. These carrots, though, I think about constantly. Roasted carrots add the perfect rich sweetness to any savory dish. And I would be lying if I didn’t half the pan as a snack during shooting this recipe. That’s how good they are!

Paired with traditional Middle Eastern spice blend Za’atar, a toasted blend of sesame seeds, sumac, coriander, dried oregano or thyme, and salt. The ingredients vary by region but all za’atar is earthy and herbaceous with the tiniest sharp hint of citrus from sumac. It can be used in marinades for meats, to top dips like hummus or finish really any kind of dish from flatbreads to soup. One of my favorite ways to use it is…

I honestly haven’t been a fan of chicken salad until I made it myself. I always thought it had too much mayonnaise and not enough of the good stuff — the nutty pecans, crunchy celery, juicy grapes, and tart, chewy cranberries.

My loaded chicken salad made with shredded rotisserie chicken has about as much of the “extras” as it does chicken and is much lighter on the mayo. The perfect ratio, if you ask me!

When I was in high school I worked at Children’s Ralph Lauren in an outlet mall where I made $7.50 an hour to help every wealthy tourist from the tri-state area dress their screaming toddlers. As you can imagine, the best part of my day (besides working with some of my best friends) was my break. Almost every shift, I would eat around the corner at Au Bon Pain. My go- to order was a pesto caprese salad, Nantucket Nectar iced-tea, and a massive Almond Cranberry Macaroon.

Since I haven’t been able to bring myself to eat at an Au Bon Pain since leaving that job, I decided to make my own version of that sweet, chewy coconut-y break time delight.

I know what you’re thinking — quinoa for breakfast?? — I get it but trust me, this is a game changer! For me, one of the most difficult parts of breakfast is finding a quick meal that’s going to fill me up and fuel my busy mornings. A lot of traditional breakfasts can be carbohydrate heavy (toasts, granola, cereal, instant oats) and leave us hungry way before lunch when they’re not paired with enough fat and protein.

Quinoa is a great morning grain option because it provides complex carbohydrates, or fiber, and protein. In fact, quinoa is one of the few plant-based protein sources that…

For me, the ideal summer 30 minute meal has fresh greens, seasonal produce, and a grilled protein. This salad checks all those boxes: Delicious sweet and tangy barbecue chicken breast paired with sweet, juicy peaches, creamy burrata cheese, crunchy greens, and drizzled with a light oil and vinegar dressing. It perfectly combines my need for a light yet nutrient dense dinner when it’s too hot to spend more than a half hour in the kitchen.

In this recipe, rich and tangy teriyaki pairs with the tart taste of pineapple, sweet onions, and the bright, juicy crunch of red bell peppers. It’s one of my favorite weeknight meals because it reheats easily for lunch the next day. This sauce can also be used for marinating kebabs or with tempeh or tofu for my vegan friends!

Teriyaki is a Japanese tradition of cooking sliced meats with a sauce made of soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), sugar, and sake (also rice wine). The word itself derives from teri, referring to the sheen the sauce gives, and yaki, which refers to the cooking method of either grilling or broiling. Traditionally…

For a quick protein and fiber packed snack or on-the-go breakfast, look no further! These remind me a lot of Belvita bars. They’re soft, slightly sweet, and have a chewy texture thanks to the oats. In place of using a cooking oil in the recipe, plain greek yogurt provides more protein and reduces the fat content.