I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – for me to like a salad means it is going to have to be hearty and filling. That doesn’t mean it needs to be loaded down in meats, cheeses, and croutons (though an occasional antipasto salad is yummy!). Enter this blackberry salad. This recipe was borne of items that happened to be in my refrigerator & garden, but it immediately became a favorite of mine. It works because it has a sweet and sour component from the berries and vinegar, a creamy component from the goat cheese, a crunch from the pecans, and the slight warmth I get from warming the oil, sauteing the shallots, and warming the blackberries. The result is a satisfying, luxurious-tasting meal that also ensures I get my greens and antioxidants for the day. (more…)

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Gluten free, In the Garden, Salad, Vegetarian by Courtney

Summer is in full swing and that also means that squash and zucchini are abundant right now. While I enjoy stir fries and steamed veggie sides, sometimes you need to dress up these summer vegetables to not get bored of their flavor. So I decided to try my traditional taco spices on these summer vegetables to see what happened. Magic. Magic happened. Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite magic, but just a good blend of flavors that transformed my zucchini and squash from “oh no not more squash” to “yum!” (more…)

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Dinner, Gluten free, Mexican, Vegetarian by Courtney

Lately I’ve been on a bit of a tropical kick, so I’ve had more than my fair share of pineapple hanging out in my fridge. As I grew tired of enjoying the sweet flavors, I happened to have a bit of leftover rice hanging out in there too, and I decided to try my hand at pineapple fried rice. A hint of sweet, a lot of savory, and just the right amount of salty with the ham and soy sauce makes this recipe tick all the right boxes for me. (more…)

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Asian, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Side Dish, Thai by Courtney

One of the grand things about summer is grazing on the fresh fruits and veggies that pop up in our gardens, farmers markets, and local groceries. Tomatoes, squash, beans, berries – they’re all at their peak in flavor, and that means you don’t have to do too much to them to make them scrum-diddly-uptious!

Last week I showed you a slightly more involved way to enjoy your summer squash. This week I’ll show you all the other super-simple antipasto I made to fill up my antipasti platter. Caprese, melon e prosciutto, and roasted shishito peppers made it to my platter this time, and their preparation couldn’t be simpler. (more…)

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Appetizers, Gluten free, In the Garden, Italian, Quick and Easy by Courtney