Some of you may recognize this recipe from my e-book, Well, balanced. It has been a staple dinner in our home since recipe development for my e-book and I just couldn’t keep it exclusive any longer! What I love about this recipe is the flavor to effort ratio. Making a good soup is sometimes an all day affair, requiring hours of simmering and stirring. This flavor-packed soup can be ready in 45 minutes and if you're even tighter on time, consider my lazy girl recipe hacks at the end of this page (hint: with a few pre-made substitutes, it could be ready in under a half hour!)

This is one of my favorite late summer meals because it’s bright and light yet cozy and comforting. Cooking pasta in broth allows the starches to form a creamy texture without the addition of a heavy cream or a lot of cheese. It’s also a one pot wonder and makes a great easily reheatable meal prep.

As a general rule, for every one cup of orzo, add two cups of liquid. So if you need this to last longer than four meals, or you want just two servings, you can customize this recipe to meet your needs. And as always, I fully encourage adding more garlic if you want! ;)

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.

Palomas are my all time favorite summer drink. Although I prefer them best beside a taco, they are the perfect outdoor patio/sip by the pool/enjoy any time of year cocktail as well. I even had a rosemary paloma as my signature drink at my wedding! I couldn’t wait to share it with my guests, and now I can share it with you, too. They are so easy to make and are a delicious balance of refreshing lime, punchy grapefruit, and sweet aromatic rosemary. Cheers!

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).

This cake is one of the most beautiful things I have made in a while, to toot my own horn! I made olive oil cake a few years ago for a class and really loved its dense, yet spongey texture. Adding blood orange juice felt like the perfect use of the gorgeous seasonal citrus and a fun way to give a subtle tart flavor to an otherwise sweet dessert. This cake is a true winter delight, although equally as satisfying in the warmer months, especially when substituting lemon juice!

Prior to this year, I held the unpopular opinion that chicken wings were completely overrated. I never really enjoyed the ones my friends would get for game days and I didn’t love how messy it was to eat meat dripping with spicy sauces off of a bone. That being said, I realized this year that I am, in fact, just a chicken wing snob. I actually do enjoy wings when they’re really fresh and made with quality ingredients. Who knew?!? I attribute this change of heart completely to Fire on the Mountain, a local Portland favorite that specializes in killer sauces and fresh and crispy wings.

For my Super Bowl prep this year, I decided to try my hand at making wings at home! (PS: I am still a wimp when it comes to heat, so feel free to spice these up if your heart desires.) After polling my IG friends, we decided on using an air-fryer for this recipe. It felt less fussy, although didn’t really save me time because I had to make two batches rather than have all the wings on one baking sheet. I really loved how these came out and I couldn’t wait to share. The best part for me is…

This bright, tangy, and earthy salad is an ideal winter meal combo for when you want to get some fresh veggies in but still want something warm and comforting. Enter: Sweet, caramelized roasted beets over fresh mixed greens paired with citrus, candied pecans, and drizzled with 3 ingredient dill-yogurt dressing.

This recipe was inspired by a delicious side salad that I had at Tusk, a local Mediterranean restaurant here in Portland. It was one of the first times that a side salad dish was the highlight of an all-around amazing meal. They paired fresh herbs with roasted beets and blood oranges. I’d never had this sweet-tart, earthy-citrus combination before and was instantly hooked!

It’s so simple that I usually just post the recipe in my Instagram captions and call it a day! But

I feel like I say this a lot here, but this is by far one of my favorite recipes to date! I really love a variety of Asian cuisines because of their rich flavors and unique use of vegetables — especially Vietnamese and Chinese. This recipe is a Pan-Asian fusion pairing sweet and salty Chinese Hoisin sauce with a Vietnamese inspired slaw of raw carrots, cilantro, and cucumber.

Hoisin sauce originates in Cantonese cooking as a glaze for meats, an addition to stir fries, or as a dipping sauce for a variety of foods. It’s dark and thick and both sweet and salty with just a hint of spice, often referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce. In this recipe, it lends itself as a glaze for the chicken meatballs and is the central flavor of the dish.

This recipe was originally inspired by a delicious Banh mi sandwich that I had from a local restaurant, Lardo. It’s truly sensational and my favorite part is the fresh veggies they add to the sandwich to balance the richness of the meat. My slaw is my attempt at mirroring that magic — a combination of shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, fresh cilantro, rice wine vinegar, and a punch of tartness from sliced green apples.

You’ll notice that I use store-bought Hoisin in this recipe — I chose to do this for a few reasons. One

Somehow I made it 26 years without trying whipped feta but now that I have, I’ll never be the same. I had it as an appetizer from a local Mediterranean restaurant in Portland called Shalom Ya’ll. While the restaurants version includes green garbanzo beans and I imagine many herbs and spices, I wanted to make my own version as simple as possible while still delivering on flavor and texture. This recipe features just 6 ingredients and holds endless possibilities for snacking. If you’re having a little New Year’s get together, it can hold it’s own as the center of the appetizer table. Or enjoy it with veggies and crackers for lunch, like I did this afternoon.

In my recipe, bright basil pairs with…

Okay, I’ll admit that it’s really hard to make Brussels sprouts look and sound appetizing. Whether you’re #TeamBrussels or against them, there’s simply no denying their benefits. Brussels sprouts are good sources in vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber. Members of the cruciferous vegetable family, they have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects thanks to sulfuric compounds that give them their signature smell, similar to cauliflower and broccoli. And finally, when cooked properly they can be pretty tasty…

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I am definitely a sides girl through and through… This year, our Thanksgiving dinner tables will look different. Most of us aren’t traveling and we’re spending the holiday solo or doing a potluck with our quarantine pod instead. If you’re like me and hate the idea of cooking turkey, turkey meatballs could be a more manageable (and more delicious, IMO) option!

In this recipe, rosemary, thyme, and a hint of mustard give these meatballs an herbaceous and savory flavor. And paired with a sweet and tart cranberry dipping sauce, it’s a combination that will please just about any palate! Serves as an appetizer or the main event, it’s a dish that can do anything!

I’m a real sucker for the classics, especially around the holidays. If I see one more recipe for cauliflower mash I might scream! In all seriousness, if your heart beats for cauliflower and you’re so excited that it’s finally having its moment, by all means go for it! But if you’re choosing cauliflower over white potatoes because you think they’re healthier, that’s not necessarily true. Both cauliflower and white potatoes contain…

A take on the tradition sour cream and chive flavor combination, this recipe uses thick and tart Greek or Icelandic yogurt in place of sour cream. It packs extra protein and provides rich creaminess so less butter and milk are needed. I love making food that makes my body feel nourished but also tastes good and satisfies me. And these smashed potatoes are it.

Cranberry sauce has always been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving although admittedly, up until recently, I’ve been Team Canned Cranberry. I still enjoy the thick gelatinous texture but have grown away from the can shape and over-sweetened flavor. These days, I’m more into minimal sweetness and really letting the flavor of what I’m sweetening shine on their own. I also have an affinity for sour things, so I love letting this tart cranberry-citrus combo sing.

If sweeter sauce is your thing, fear not. You can easily add a little extra sugar to this recipe without compromising the texture. This recipe is ready in 40 minutes and requires minimal baby-sitting.

Sometimes the best recipes come from a chaotic round of Chopped when dinner time rolls around and you’re nearly out of groceries. By stocking your pantry with just three ingredients, plus some pasta, next time your stomach is grumbling and you’re overdue for a trip to the store, you can whip up something nourishing and delicious!

I’ve said this many times but we have to stop demonizing processed foods because by definition, we’re demonizing canned and jarred foods as well! Just because something isn’t fresh or in it’s whole form, doesn’t mean it’s less worthy of a place on our plate. Having canned and jarred foods on hand makes…

One of my favorite things about chili is how hearty and satisfying it despite being so inexpensive it is to make. Made with mostly pantry staples and easily accessible, long-lasting produce, chili can be a great back up meal for when the budget gets tight or you’ve run out of things to make. I like to keep a few cans of beans and tomatoes on hand for this reason. Additionally, the humble potato and onion can stay fresh for weeks when kept in a dry, dark place. This recipe makes 6-8 servings so it’s perfect for a fall or winter meal prep!

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…

On and off for the past few years, I’ve been testing different variations of carrot muffin recipes. I haven't found one that really did the trick for me until now. These are moist, light, and fluffy with a little texture from the nuts and carrots. And the warming cinnamon and cardamom combined with creamy, tangy cream cheese has me swooning *chef’s kiss*.