Lunch

Let Me Tell You About My Caesar Salad Obsession So, here’s the deal: I didn’t even like salads growing up. (Honestly, I thought they were just green punishment.) But the first time I tried Caesar Salad at my friend Rachel’s house—she’d made it for a study group, and half of us didn’t even look up …

How I Stumbled Into Crispy Ravioli Lasagna (And Why I Keep Making It) Okay, confession: I am not what you'd call a traditionalist in the kitchen. One night, halfway through prepping lasagna, I realized I'd forgotten to buy noodles (again). All I had was a bag of frozen ravioli in the freezer—so I thought, "Why …

Let Me Tell You About This Salad (and That One Time...) So here's the deal: Mediterranean Chicken and Avocado Salad is my "I can't handle another boring lunch" savior. I actually stumbled onto this after a disastrous attempt at meal prepping for the week—let's just say, soggy lettuce haunts my dreams. But then, voila—this salad …

So, Why Am I Obsessed With This Salad? Alright, confession time—I once made this watermelon feta mint salad for a backyard barbecue (the one where my cousin decided to grill in the rain, classic). Honestly, it was a bit of a last-ditch effort because I forgot I was on salad duty. But you know what? …

So, Let Me Tell You About This Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad... Alright, picture this: it's a sticky summer evening, and everyone is grumpy, including the cat. The last thing you want is a hot stove making the kitchen feel like a sauna. That's when I pull out my bag of tricks, and Creamy Cucumber Dill …

So, Let Me Tell You About This Soup… Alright, picture this: It’s (sweltering) July, I’ve wilted like a sad lettuce, and my cousin drops by unexpectedly—again. She always expects something fancy, but my fridge, let’s just say, wasn’t exactly brimming with possibilities. Cue the Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup! Honestly, it’s saved my skin more than …

If You’ve Ever Needed a Fast Dinner That Feels Fancy… So picture this: It’s a sweaty Tuesday, I’m home late from work, my stomach’s growling like an angry bear, and all I want is something that isn’t just toast (again). That’s how I first stumbled into Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. Actually, the first time …

Let Me Tell You About My Go-To Summer Pasta Salad Okay, so here's the thing: Caprese Pasta Salad with Balsamic Glaze is one of those dishes I sort of stumbled onto one hot July afternoon when my tomatoes were threatening to take over the kitchen counter and my family was (very vocally) not in the …

Let Me Tell You About This Flatbread (Spoiler: It Involves Peaches) Alright, so here's the thing—grilled peach and burrata flatbread is basically my summer party trick. It started after I totally botched a fancy tart at a barbecue and, out of sheer panic, I threw some peaches and cheese on leftover pizza dough. My neighbor …

When Fried Rice Became My Kitchen MVP (Or: Why I Love This Stuff) So, fried rice. My absolute weeknight hero. Seriously, it's like kitchen magic for all those random leftovers. I remember the first time I made it by myself, I was probably 12, home alone (well, my brother was technically there, but does he …

The Crunch Wrap That Saved My Tuesday (and Other Days Too) Alright, pull up a chair. So, the first time I tried making a Homemade Crunch Wrap Supreme, it was after a really long day, and—no lie—the kitchen looked like a tortilla tornado hit. But you know what? My kids actually cheered. (Okay, they were …

Pull Up a Chair – Let’s Talk Gazpacho Alright, imagine this: It’s sweltering outside, you’ve just finished wrangling the garden hose (with only a little water up your nose), and all you want to do is flop down with something cold and tasty. That’s when I first made classic gazpacho – mostly because I’d bought …

So Here’s Why I’m Obsessed with This Yogurt Cheese & Beet Thing I have to admit, the first time I tried to make yogurt cheese, I totally underestimated how much patience it takes. (I was convinced it’d just magically become cheese in an hour, but no, it’s a bit more of a slow dance.) Anyway, …

So, About Vietnamese Summer Rolls... Okay, so picture this: it's August, sweltering out, and the thought of turning on the oven basically makes me want to melt into the linoleum. That's when these Vietnamese Summer Rolls are my lifesaver. First time I made 'em, I was nervous—like, rice paper looked like a magic trick gone …

Let Me Tell You About This Salad (And the Day I Nearly Set My Oven Mitt on Fire) So, here’s the deal: this heirloom tomato & burrata salad with eggplant croutons is what I make when I want people to think I’ve got my act together in the kitchen, but really I’m just trying to …

Catching Up Over Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry (Chickpeas Included!) So, fun story — the first time I made this garlic broccoli stir fry with chickpeas, it was because I totally forgot I’d promised to bring a main dish to our little Tuesday potluck. Honestly, I had a fridge full of odds and ends, a slightly …

Let Me Tell You About This Dill Pickle Madness You know how some recipes just appear out of nowhere and suddenly everyone’s obsessed? That was me with this crunchy Dill Pickle Salad. The first time I tossed it together, I was just trying to use up a jar of pickles hiding at the back of …

Let Me Tell You About This Herbed Roasted Potato Salad Okay, so this Herbed Roasted Potato Salad Recipe is one of those things I make when I want something that feels a bit fancy but actually—don’t tell anyone—it’s super chill to throw together. The first time I made this, I was running late for a …

So, Here’s the Story With These Sandwiches… I’ve gotta admit, barbecue tofu wasn’t exactly a family tradition growing up. We were more of a sloppy joe kind of household (with way too much sauce), but the first time I made these Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches with Pineapple Relish, it was one of those “wait, why haven’t …

My Not-So-Secret Love Affair with Creamy Cucumber Salad Alright, let me tell you right off the bat: Creamy Cucumber Salad with Bacon and Cheese is the dish I whip up when friends come over last minute—or when it's too hot to think straight and all I want is something crunchy, salty, and a bit indulgent. …

Let Me Tell You About My Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl Alright, friend, you know when you stumble on a recipe and it's like—where have you been all my life? That was exactly what happened with this Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl. It started because I was craving elote (you know, that Mexican street corn …

Alright, so let me just say: air fryer hot dogs have totally changed up my weeknight dinners. No joke, the first time I tried them, I was convinced I was about to ruin perfectly good hot dogs (I thought they'd dry out or explode or something dramatic). But honestly, they came out so good I …

So, About These Cottage Cheese Wraps... Alright, picture this: it's one of those days where my to-do list is giving me the look and the fridge is mostly bare, except for the ever-loyal tub of cottage cheese. (Honestly, some weeks I think it multiplies on its own. Not that I'm complaining!) That's usually when I …

Hey, so you wanna make corn dogs, but not the kind that turn your kitchen into a grease pit? I’ve got you covered. First time I ever tried making these Easy Air Fryer Corn Dogs, my kid declared it a “top five dinner” (which, seriously, is high praise coming from someone who’d eat just buttered …

Let Me Tell You Why I Love This Street Corn Pasta Salad Okay, so you know how sometimes you just sort of stumble onto a recipe that gets stuck in your head (and your weekly dinner rotation)? That’s what happened to me with this amazing street corn pasta salad recipe. First time I made it, …

Let Me Tell You About My Obsession With Bang Bang Chicken Bowls You know those nights when you open the fridge, stare blankly, and hope dinner leaps out fully formed? Yeah, me too. I first tried making a Bang Bang Chicken Bowl after a long day when I was so tired I could've fallen asleep …

Let Me Tell You About the Summer Pasta Salad I Can't Stop Making So, picture this: it's July, sweat is running down my back, and I'm staring at the stove like it's my nemesis. My auntie Ruth once said, "If you can't stand the heat, make a pasta salad and get outta the kitchen." (Or …

Let Me Tell You About This Bulgogi Kimchi Burger You ever get a craving that just won’t quit? That’s how it was for me and this Bulgogi Kimchi Burger. First time I tried making it was after a late-night binge of Korean cooking shows (couldn’t sleep, ended up hungry). I’ll admit, my first attempt was …

Let Me Tell You About These Shrimp Rice Bowls (Also: That One Time I Burnt the Rice) Right, so shrimp rice bowls. You know that meal you whip up on a weeknight when you’re hungry but not in the mood for anything too fussy? That’s this. I started making these after a beach trip years …

Let Me Tell You About This Macaroni Salad... You know that one dish you end up making for every potluck, BBQ, or random Tuesday when you’re craving something a bit tangy and creamy? For me, it’s this Macaroni Salad with Olives and Pickles. The first time I made it, I overcooked the pasta so it …

So, Let Me Tell You About This Grilled Cheese... You know those recipes that sneak up on you? The ones you throw together because you’re hungry, but then—bam!—they become a family favorite? That’s exactly what happened with this Mediterranean Spinach Grilled Cheese. It started as a last-minute lunch (I’d forgotten I’d invited my cousin over, …

So, About This Beet Salad (And That Time I Turned My Kitchen Pink) You ever have one of those days where you open the fridge, spot a bunch of beets staring back at you, and think, "Alright, let's do something fun today"? Last summer, after a rather chaotic family BBQ (someone, who shall remain nameless, …

Heard of Toasty Tuna Melt Muffin Stacks? Let Me Tell You... Alright, so pull up a chair. You know that feeling when you come home, it's raining (or just feels dreary), and you want something that's warm, slightly crunchy, cheesy, and just a bit retro? That's when I whip out my Toasty Tuna Melt Muffin …

Let Me Tell You About Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad So picture this: it’s a muggy Tuesday evening, I’m tired, the kids are hovering like hungry seagulls, and my fridge looks bleak except for some leftover chicken and a sad bunch of basil. Enter Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad, the hero nobody asked for but everyone needs. …

So, Let Me Tell You About This Fiesta Mexican Caesar Salad Alright buddy, gather 'round—I've got a wild salad story for you. There was this one barbecue last summer (you know, the kind where someone always burns the burgers and someone else brings something suspiciously jiggly), and I was scrambling for a side that wouldn't …

Let's Talk About Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad (And That Time I Forgot the Pasta) Alright, picture this: It’s a sticky-hot day in July, my kitchen looks like a tornado’s blown through, and I’m standing there with a bunch of cilantro, a bag of limes, and—shockingly—no pasta on the stove (rookie move, right?). But, you know …

Starting Off—Why This Salad Has Stuck Around So, picture this: last summer, family barbecue, my cousin Dave's got a new grill he's dying to show off (he actually burnt half the sausages, but who's keeping score?). And there's me, showing up with this Easy Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad. I mean, I almost didn't—because between finding …

Let's Talk Watermelon Salad (And Why I Can't Ever Make Enough) Okay, so you know those sticky July afternoons when even your cat looks at you like, "Really, you want to cook now?" That's usually my cue to make this watermelon salad. I still remember the first time I tried to make it for a …

Let Me Tell You Why I Love This Bowl Okay, so beef and pepper rice bowl is one of those things I threw together once when the fridge was looking a bit sad and, honestly, it's been on repeat since. I think the first time I made it I was actually trying to copy something …

Let's Talk About This Creamy Cucumber Salad (And Why My Family Can't Get Enough) You know, every summer I get this almost primal urge to make Creamy Cucumber Salad. It's probably got something to do with childhood barbecues at my aunt's house, where the humidity was thick as soup and the only thing colder than …