Quick Summary: Sheet pan dinner with chicken thighs, rhubarb (drizzled with honey), fennel, asparagus, onion, and garlic. Roast chicken first for 10 minutes, add rhubarb and fennel for 10 more minutes, then add asparagus for a final 10 minutes. The rhubarb breaks down into a sweet-tart pan sauce. One pan, minimal cleanup. Prep: 15 min […]
Sheet Pan Chicken with Rhubarb, Fennel, and Asparagus Read Post »
Quick Summary: Turn fresh chile peppers into deeply flavored smoked peppers for homemade chipotle, spice blends, and salsas. Covers three smoking methods for home gardeners: stovetop smoker, charcoal grill, and electric smoker. Includes tips on pepper selection, smoke times, and grinding into powder. From a farmer who sold smoked pepper spice blends and smoked tomato
How to Smoke Chile Peppers at Home (For Homemade Chipotle and Spice Blends) Read Post »
Quick Summary: How to make a traditional Full English Breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and toast. The key is timing multiple pans at once. Naturally high protein and slow carb friendly, if you forego the bread. Serve with a black breakfast tea. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Serves:
How to Build a Full English Breakfast Read Post »
Quick Summary: A Ploughman’s Lunch is a traditional British cold meal of cheese, crusty bread, pickles, and accompaniments served in pubs across Britain. It pairs naturally with Builder’s Brew, a strong black tea brewed dark with milk. This guide covers traditional ingredients, the meal’s marketing-driven history, and brewing tips for the perfect accompanying tea. JUMP
The Ploughman’s Lunch: British Pub Food at Home Read Post »
Quick Summary: Salmon fillets coated in sesame seeds and baked until crispy, served with bok choy in a savory Asian sauce. The whole meal comes together in about 25 minutes. Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE |Slow Carb Breading | Ingredients | Baking vs Pan-Frying |
Sesame-Crusted Baked Salmon with Sautéed Bok Choy Read Post »
Low carb scallops are a welcome addition to any keto or low carb lifestyle. This recipe for Seared Scallops with a Grapefruit Butter Sauce is truly unique.
Pan Seared Scallops in Grapefruit Butter Sauce Read Post »
This recipe is for a tamale pie, but also includes a low carb version which is more like a ragu.
Tamale Pie Casserole with Harissa and Cornbread Topping Read Post »
Quick Summary: Sweet potatoes halved and roasted, brushed with harissa under the broiler, then topped with a blackberry-rosemary compote. Four flavors combine into a complex holiday side dish. Includes tips for roasting sweet potatoes and growing blackberries in cold climates. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 40 min | Serves: 8 Jump to: RECIPE | Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe with Blackberry-Rosemary Sauce Read Post »
This easy pasta dish is rich creamy comfort food in a bowl, perfect for a fall weeknight dinner. It takes less than 30 minutes to from start to finish and hits all the high points: creamy texture, smoky protein, and the autumn flavor of fresh sage. Triple tested for ease of success. Jump to: RECIPE
Quick & Easy Pumpkin, Sausage, Sage Pasta Read Post »
Quick Summary: Chicken thighs baked in a sweet-smoky raspberry chipotle sauce. The fruity heat of chipotle peppers complements the dusky sweetness of raspberries. Works for weeknight dinners or holiday entertaining. The sauce also makes a great appetizer spooned over cream cheese. Prep: 20 min | Cook: 30-45 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE |
Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Recipe: with Baked Chicken Thighs Read Post »
Quick Summary: A fast-cooking skirt steak glazed with a sweet and spicy blackberry sauce made with honey, red wine vinegar, and serrano chiles. Once the sauce is made, the steak cooks in under 10 minutes. Prep: 2 hrs marinating | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 6 Jump to: RECIPE | Flank Steak vs Skirt Steak
Spicy Blackberry Sauce for Steak Read Post »
Quick Summary: Pros and cons of using a green tomato variety or just unripe red tomatoes for fried green tomatoes. Includes recipe for crispy fried green tomatoes topped with a creamy crab remoulade made with lump crab, mayo, Dijon, and Cajun spices. Prep: 20 min | Cook: 5 min | Serves: 12 Jump to: RECIPE
Best Tomato Varieties for Fried Green Tomatoes (+ Crab Remoulade Recipe) Read Post »
I’ve been on a real fruit-with-dough bender lately, working my way through all the old fashioned dishes in an attempt to distinguish cobblers from crisps from crumbles from buckles, from pandowdys. This recipe is for the buckle, which is generally made with berries folded in cake batter before baking with some crumb topping. All of
Peach Buckle the Easy Way: With or Without Streusel Topping Read Post »
Quick Summary: Purple and golden beets roasted with carrots and harissa spice, served on a bed of harissa-spiced Greek yogurt. Simple preparation with bold, complex flavor. Works as a side dish or vegetarian main. Includes homemade harissa spice blend recipe. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | Ingredients
Roasted Beets and Carrots on Harissa-Spiced Yogurt Read Post »
A low carb shrub syrup can bring berry desserts to a new level without a lot of added sugar. Perfect for low carb lifestyles
Watermelon Fruit Salad with Jicama, Strawberries & Lime Read Post »
Quick Summary: These pan-fried zucchini fritters stay crispy on the outside and hold together in the skillet. The secret is removing moisture from the zucchini and using mostly egg yolks. Serve with yogurt caper sauce or your favorite dip. Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 6 minutes | Makes: 15 fritters Jump to: RECIPE
Crispy Zucchini Fritters That Won’t Fall Apart Read Post »
Quick Summary: A fresh summer dinner salad with rotisserie chicken (or homemade cooked chicken), blueberries, and a tangy white wine vinaigrette. No cooking required. Perfect for busy weeknights or when it’s too hot to turn on the stove. Prep: 20 min | Serves: 5 Jump To: RECIPE | Blueberries and Savory Recipes | Ingredients |
Blueberry-Chicken Chopped Salad Recipe Read Post »
Quick Summary: High tea is a hearty working-class evening meal served around 5-6 pm with substantial savory food, while afternoon tea is a lighter, more elegant gathering served between 3-5 pm featuring finger foods and a focus on the tea itself. The terms reflect British class history, with afternoon tea originating in upper-class social gatherings
What’s the Difference Between Afternoon Tea and High Tea? Read Post »
Piperade is the simple, elegant, and quintessential dish of the small Basque region that sits partially in France and partially in Spain. The signature ingredients are those found readily in this region and consist of onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes (and usually a spicy paprika). Jump to: RECIPE | What is Piperade? | Grow Your
Seared Chicken Piperade: Slow-Carb Version Read Post »
Quick Summary: Thin beef slices stuffed with prosciutto, pine nuts, Pecorino Romano, garlic, and parsley, then simmered for hours in robust tomato sauce. A Sicilian/Neapolitan celebration dish featured in “The Bear.” The braciole flavors the sauce; the sauce tenderizes the braciole. Serve with rigatoni. Developed with Italian friend Gloria Baldino. Prep: 30 min | Cook:
Southern Italian Beef Braciole (Involtini) with Tomato Sauce Read Post »
Quick Summary: Pozole rojo is a classic Mexican stew of pork and hominy in a red chile broth, slow-cooked until the flavors meld. This recipe comes from a friend in the BajÃo region of Mexico. Made in large batches for celebrations and crowds. The garnishes (radishes, cabbage, lime, avocado, hot sauce) make the dish. Prep:
Pork Pozole Rojo: Traditional Mexican Pork and Hominy Stew Read Post »
Quick Summary: Mexican chile oil is a crispy, smoky condiment made with fried dried peppers, garlic, peanuts, and sesame seeds — Mexico’s answer to chili crisp. Smoky, crunchy, and endlessly versatile. Use it on tacos, eggs, pizza, or straight from the jar. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min | Makes: 2 cups Jump to:
Mexican Chile Oil (Salsa Macha): How to Make It at Home Read Post »
This simple potato side dish is a mainstay on the Swedish smorgasbord at Christmastime, where it is referred to as Jansson’s Temptation or Janssons frestelse. It is a rich and creamy comfort food made with potatoes, onions, cream and the secret ingredient of anchovies. Perfect for the holiday table, no matter which country you celebrate
Easy Swedish Potato Bake for the Holidays (aka Jansson’s Temptation) Read Post »
Quick Summary: Pork chops braised in puttanesca sauce with tomatoes, olives, capers, and anchovies. Brown the chops, add the sauce, simmer 10 minutes. A bold, low carb Italian dinner in 30 minutes. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4 Jump to: RECIPE | What is Puttanesca | Ingredients | Step by Step
Pork Chops in Puttanesca Sauce: 30-Minute Italian Dinner Read Post »
Quick Summary: A tangy, herbal Mexican sauce made from pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, poblano and serrano peppers, and fresh cilantro, served over chicken. Sometimes called mole verde, though pipián always features pumpkin seeds as the star. Easier than complex moles but deeply flavorful. Tested in Oaxaca and brought home to my Minnesota kitchen. Prep: 30 min
Chicken Pipián Verde: Pumpkin Seed Green Mole Read Post »
Quick Summary: Fluffy tomato-based rice that accompanies most Mexican meals. Made by toasting rice in oil, then simmering in pureed tomato broth with peas and seasonings. This recipe comes from a friend in the BajÃo region of Mexico. The key is rinsing the rice thoroughly, toasting it before adding liquid, and letting it rest covered
Traditional Mexican Rice (Arroz Rojo) Read Post »
Quick Summary: A classic British dessert made with fresh summer berries pressed into a bread mold overnight. Looks elegant but is surprisingly easy. Uses blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and red currants (or any combination of seasonal berries). No baking required. Prep: 30 min | Chill: 8 hours | Serves: 8 Jump to: RECIPE | What is
British Summer Pudding with Blueberries and Red Currants Read Post »
Quick Summary: A high-protein, low-carb breakfast smoothie with blueberries, spinach, coconut milk, and whey protein. Blueberries have enough fiber to offset their carbs, making them one of the few fruits that work on slow carb diets. Keeps energy levels steady until your next meal. Includes substitution ideas and tips on what to avoid in low-carb
High-Protein, Low-Carb Blueberry Smoothie: Great Breakfast for Weight Loss Read Post »
Quick Summary: Peperonata is an Italian sauce of stewed peppers cooked low and slow in olive oil with onion and garlic. Use a mix of sweet bell pepper colors. Serve as a side dish, bruschetta topping, or protein topping for pork chops, burgers, chicken, or fish. This recipe is for peperonata with butternut squash and
Quick Summary: Rumtopf is a German technique of preserving fruit in rum and sugar, layered throughout summer and steeped until winter. Use most fruit, including strawberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, plums, pears, and blueberries. Avoid apples (brown), bananas (mushy), and melons (watery). Use overproof rum or mix dark rum with 151. Store 6-9 weeks minimum in
German Fruit Preserves in Rum (Rumtopf) Read Post »
