Give your favorite comfort food a nutritious makeover with this quick and easy one-pot healthy potato soup recipe! This creamy potato soup is perfect for cold days when you need an easy way to warm up from the inside out. Photo Credits: Mariam Hamdy A better-for-you version of a classic recipe, this healthy potato soup is comfort in a bowl! Made with fresh veggies and warm Mediterranean spices , it’s quick, easy, creamy, and full of flavor....
Learn how to cut a watermelon like a pro! This step-by-step tutorial walks you through the easiest and best ways to cut a watermelon, plus, I give you a few more handy tips for how to pick a good watermelon, one that is ripe and perfectly sweet! Few fruits are as refreshing as a perfectly ripe, crisp watermelon filled with sweet juice. And there are many ways to enjoy it: tossed in a salad with creamy feta and mint, grilled for the perfect side, or sliced into wedges and finished with a dash of Aleppo pepper and lime zest (like I do in the video below)....
Ready to make the BEST cheese board for your next party? This here is the complete guide for how to make a cheese board. Answering ALL your questions from what cheeses and meats you need; to what else goes on a cheese board; how much you need; and how to arrange everything for a stunning cheese board every single time! Be sure to read through for all the tips and tricks....
Mantı, often spelled “Manti,” are tender Turkish Dumplings filled with ground beef or lamb and topped with garlicky yogurt. Everything is finished with olive oil warmed and infused with red pepper paste, mint, sumac, and Aleppo pepper. Learn how to make this traditional Turkish Manti recipe today. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond Manti is one of my all-time favorite dishes from my homeland, Turkey. The marriage of the melt-in-the-mouth dumplings, filled with onion-scented ground beef, and served with creamy garlicky yogurt and spicy olive oil is simply irresistible....
Delicious sautéed yellow squash recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style with sweet onions, bell peppers, garlic and a warm Eastern Mediterranean spice combination. A seriously bright and healthy vegetarian side dish that comes together in minutes! (Gluten Free. Vegan if you omit the feta) You can serve this versatile side dish next to your favorite protein such as Mediterranean lemon chicken, baked fish, fish gyros, baked turkey meatballs , or kofta kabobs !...
Seasoned with a comforting blend of orange, garlic, rosemary, paprika, and cinnamon, this roasted pork loin recipe is perfect for the holidays or a cozy weekend when the weather takes on a chill. Learn how to roast pork loin in the oven so it’s perfectly juicy and your guests will come back for seconds! Photo Credits: Mark Beahm Roasting pork loin in the oven is a vastly underused holiday main....
Make a show-stopping savory galette with this easy summer recipe! A colorful mixture of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and red onion bake in a rustic olive oil and whole-wheat crust, finished with aromatic za’atar and tangy feta cheese. Photo Credits: Mark Beahm The Mediterranean is home to many sweet and savory pastries, from French-style Pear and Tomato Tart to the famous savory Greek pie Spanakopita . Galettes are yet another sweet or savory pastry you can make at home, with an easy quick dough, no specialty equipment, and whatever you have on hand....
Shrimp and polenta is a luxurious Venetian dish where creamy polenta is topped with shrimp cooked in a white wine and garlic sauce. Serve this restaurant-worthy yet undemanding dish as a main course at your next dinner party or date night. Photo Credits: Andrea Gralow Shrimp and polenta is a classic dish from Venice, where soft creamy polenta is topped with tiny fresh shrimp from Venice’s lagoon. My home version replaced the small shrimp with large shrimp, which makes it feel a bit indulgent!...
Poached salmon, simmered until tender in white wine and garlic, takes less time than ordering takeout. It’s healthy, delicately flavored with bright citrus and fresh herbs, and you only have to wash one pan. If you’re looking for an easy salmon recipe this one is it! Photo Credits: Andrea Gralow When it comes to busy weeknights poached salmon is on the regular rotation in my house. I don’t have to turn on my oven, which is a big deal when temperatures rise in Atlanta!...
Perfectly seasoned shrimp and Chorizo come together in this easy skillet shrimp recipe that takes on a South-of-Spain twist! Cooks in 20 minutes! Perfect as a hefty tapas (appetizer), or turn in into dinner (see ideas below!) Here is the thing about shrimp : they’re so dang easy to make. You can make sauteed shrimp in a skillet with some quality EVOO …Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the limp, grey shrimps turn beautifully pink and the tails turn a bright red....
Consider this your essential guide to all things Italian pasta! Everything you need to know about fresh and dried pasta shapes, the different types of pasta, and how to pair each pasta type with its perfect sauce. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond The world of pasta shapes is wide and wonderful, filled with whimsical shapes, from acini di pepe (tiny pastina “peppercorns” ) to ziti (longish tubes), and countless sauces with which to dress them—ike Pomodoro and Pesto , just to name a few....
Got a can of chickpeas? Turn it into a healthy, hearty meal with this collection of easy chickpea recipes! Nutritious, flavor-packed, and satisfying, you’ll want to make these Mediterranean favorites on repeat! Photo ofMediterranean Chickpea Saladby Ali Redmond Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are a must-have ingredient where I grew up in Egypt. You’ll find hundreds of chickpea recipes all around the Mediterranean sea, from the crunchy Middle Eastern version of nachos to the fiery Tunisian stew Lablabi ....
This asparagus quiche recipe highlights spring’s favorite vegetable with Dijon mustard and fresh herbs. To keep it on the healthier side, I swapped heavy cream with milk and used nutty whole wheat flour in the crust. Photo Credits: Mark Beahm Asparagus quiche is an exceptional dish in that it transcends time. It works just as well for brunch on a special morning as it does for a light dinner or weekday lunch....
This blood orange cocktail recipe is a winter twist on a vodka tonic, with hints of rosemary and honey and an impressively vivid orange flavor and aroma. Photo Credits: Elana Lepkowski This blood orange cocktail recipe puts yet another beautiful winter fruit center stage: the blood orange. Like mulled wine (Italian vin brulé) , holiday punch or winter sangria , it’s an easy cocktail recipe to get you through those gloomy, winter months....
This delicious braised chicken breast with white wine, sweet caramelized shallots and aromatic sage is perfect for busy nights when you have little time (and maybe less energy) to prepare a fussy or elaborate meal, but want a wholesome dinner that feels special. Photo Credits: Ali Redmond I like to think of chicken as a blank canvas: A lean protein that, when paired with the right ingredients, transforms into something extraordinary....
This butternut squash soup recipe with apple and fennel is everything you love about a classic fall soup — but with a vibrant, unexpected twist. Photo Credits: Omayah Atassi This cozy sheet pan soup layers the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash and apples with the subtle licorice flavor of fennel, all punctuated with a splash of apple cider vinegar and the gentle warmth of Aleppo pepper. It’s velvety, nourishing, and so simple to make—perfect for when you want a comforting bowl of wholesome soup....
Creamy, comforting, and full of earthy flavor, this Chicken Risotto with Mushrooms and Spinach is comfort in a bowl. A little white wine and Parmigiano Reggiano add restaurant-worthy flavor with weeknight ease. When I met my husband, he had 2 books in his bachelor’s kitchen—a cocktail handbook and a cookbook on risotto. I was both bemused and impressed. Risotto is intimidating for many novice cooks, and here was a guy with a nearly empty spice rack bothering to cook his own risotto!...
That I get an easy chore-less weekend happens VERY rarely. But for some reason this past weekend, the stars aligned correctly and I received the gift of a more laid back weekend! Laundry, DONE! Floors, DONE! Shopping, DONE! Virtual high fives! Since I’m not used to having as much free time, I was faced with the happy problem of having to find something to do– in my SPARE TIME! Some of you are reading this with envy....
Fesenjan is a traditional Persian stew, with fall-off-the-bone tender chicken cooked in a nutty, rich, sweet and sour pomegranate molasses and walnut sauce. Finish this luscious stew recipe with a sprinkle of fresh pomegranate seeds and serve over rice. Photo Credits: Mariam Hamdy Fesenjan or fesenjoon is a traditional Persian stew made with chicken simmered in a pomegranate molasses and walnut sauce. The combination of earthy walnuts, slightly sour pomegranate molasses and tender, juicy chicken create an unparalleled balance of flavors in this special occasion dish....
Skillet Garlic Dijon Chicken with onions is juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor from a tangy marinade of Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, and fresh parsley. With only a few simple ingredients, it makes for a quick, one-pan dinner you can prep in minutes. Busy cooks, say hello to another no-fuss, comforting, skillet chicken recipe! When I need a weeknight dinner that’s big on flavor but low-effort, Garlic Dijon Chicken is one of my go-to dishes....
