Recipes
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Almond Triangles
Happy New Year! I realize I am late to the party with delicious cookie recipes before the holidays, but made these and felt compelled to share – they are always a favorite! More bar than cookie, these lovelies won the 2009 Star Tribune cookie contest for good reason. I honestly haven’t tweaked this recipe at all because it doesn’t need to be changed! The best news? This recipe makes up to 6 dozen bars depending on how you slice them, so there are lots to share with family, friends and neighbors. You’ll be everyone’s favorite – promise!
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Rolled Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Last year my family and I taste-tested a few different rolled sugar cookie recipes and this was our favorite! This recipe hails from my mom’s best friend, Jan Walters. Jan sadly passed away from cancer when I was in middle school, so I didn’t get the chance to talk about food and cooking with her. She was a great cook with some awesome recipes!
Making and frosting rolled sugar cookies has proven to be a great creative outlet during the pandemic. I am also including an easy buttercream frosting recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, that sets up well and has a great flavor. I think the cookies get even better the longer they sit with frosting on them and they freeze beautifully too. Our family has some silly cookie cutters…who doesn’t love a Christmas elephant or hedgehog?
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Pan Fried Onion Dip
This is hands-down one of my most requested appetizers/dips from friends and family. I cannot take any credit – this one hails from Queen Ina herself. Absolutely all of her recipes are perfect, whether you are making them for the first time or the hundredth time. I have said for years that if you follow her recipes, you cannot fail – they always turn out.
That being said, I feel like it takes my onions to carmelize A LOT longer than it indicates in the recipe. Not convinced I am doing anything wrong, but I keep meaning to scale back on the oil/butter and see if I can get the onion to caramelize faster. The recipe written as-is also has a lot of extra oil once the onions are cooked, which I don’t think is necessary, so I tend to drain my onions a bit before transferring them to the bowl with the creamy ingredients. The time it takes to make this dip is worth it though – it’s outstanding! I usually double it since most of the time it’s for a crowd. The store bought versions pale in comparison, unless you can find the Trader Joe’s take, which is pretty darn close in a pinch!
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Balsamic Cherry & Goat Cheese Crostini
I know summer is waning, and I have been meaning to share this recipe the past few months while cherries were in season, because this is the perfect summer appetizer! There is nothing better than great bread with some yummy cheese and a savory/sweet topping. Spread your baguette slices with goat cheese, top with the cherry mixture, and you have a perfect two-bite appetizer that takes very little time to make and assemble. A cherry pitter will make quick work of removing the pits, but a sharp knife will work too. Plan to have very red, cherry-dyed fingers, unless you wear gloves…
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Marinated Grilled Shrimp
My sister shared this recipe with me last summer, and it’s gone into high rotation in our household. You can use fresh or previously frozen (thawed) shrimp. A quick 20 minute marinade with pantry staples, and you have delicious shrimp that can be served hot, room temperature or cold! They make a great entree, or serve them as an appetizer. I prefer them with grilled veggies, but serve with whatever sides you wish.
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InstaPot Dry Rub BBQ Ribs
I have always loved BBQ ribs, and grew up eating country style ribs that were boiled and finished with BBQ sauce in the oven. Sounds delicious, no? LOL. At the time, it seemed very fancy, and required some planning since the ribs had to cook for a couple of hours. This was my requested birthday meal with twice baked potatoes and french silk pie every year until I was in my 20s, and still a very nostalgic meal for me.
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The Best Vegetable Dip
Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of my cabi Stylist career is getting to try all the different and fun foods my hostesses put out for their parties. This dip is from my hostess Lynn, and is hands-down my favorite vegetable dip of all-time. I have always loved a great dill dip, and this one is unique and flavorful…and super easy to whip up in minutes. The flavors will develop a bit as you let it sit, so best to make this ahead by a couple of hours and let it chill in the refrigerator.
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Texas Caviar
Hey friends…it’s been a minute! Got a little behind posting recipes – life got in the way! Hope you are all having a fantastic summer and holiday weekend! Wanted to share a favorite chip dip that is always a hit, and makes enough to feed a big crew. There seem to be several iterations of this recipe, but this is the one our family loves best. There is some chopping involved…
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Creamed Corn
When you hear creamed corn, do you immediately think of the nasty stuff out of the can from the grocery store? I didn’t grow up eating creamed corn, but I know that is where my mind always went, until I had the pleasure of eating some creamed corn at Oceanaire year’s ago. Shortly after my amazing dining experience, Mpls St. Paul magazine printed Rick Kimmes recipe, and of course the recipe made enough to feed a small army! So I decided to take matter into my own hands and pare it down to a reasonable amount.
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Lemon Yogurt Cake
I knew I wanted to make a spring dessert this past weekend, and was craving lemon. I thought about making a lemon pound cake or lemon bars, and then remembered I made this yogurt cake years ago and absolutely loved it. Rumor has it this is a Barefoot Contessa fan favorite…for good reason! The cake comes together quickly, bakes in under an hour, and has a double lemon glaze that takes it next level. Bright, sweet, and tart – such a great springtime dessert.
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Big Mac Salad Bowl
While a Big Mac isn’t my burger of choice from McD’s, I have always loved the flavors! Since I have been trying to cut the carbs, this salad hits all the same notes in a salad that helps get more veggies in. Another recipe that comes together very quickly for those busy weeknights. I do not make my own Thousand Island dressing since it’s not high carb, but you certainly can if you prefer. I thin out the dressing with white vinegar and add some garlic powder. This recipe makes two generous salads.
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Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs
I know not everyone is a fan of thigh meat, but this recipe may convert you! Chicken thighs are less expensive, incredibly juicy, and easy to find. The dry rub is delicious, the honey mixture caramelizes and creates crispy edges, and this dish is fast – ready to serve in 15 minutes. The original recipe hails from Cooking Light and can easily scale to feed a few or a crowd.
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Peanut Butter Tarts
Why do we have some recipes that only get made around the holidays? My sister found the original recipe through the Star Tribune’s cookie contest several years ago, and these have been made every Christmas since! They stack perfectly on a cookie tray, and who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate? I’ve decided I am going to break the tradition and start making these more often. My family loves them, they don’t take much time to make (besides chilling time for the dough), and you can bake the entire batch in one 8-minute stint in the oven.
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Mississippi Pot Roast
We are in the thick of spring sports with both kids going different directions every night, which means this mama needs some quick, easy, and delicious recipes that can be thrown together earlier in the day and everyone can eat when they need to. I made this amazing roast again this past week, and ironically Sam Sifton from NYT posted about his riff on it today too! My recipe is close to the original with packaged mixes, and his is…fancier. I will definitely have to try it at some point, but for now, a recipe that takes less than 5 minutes to assemble is saving the day! The OG recipe calls for 5 whole pepperoncinis, but we like a little kick. I prefer to add the rings vs. whole peppers so you get more pepper in each bite.
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Homemade Ricotta
While perusing the web for some new appetizer inspiration last summer, I came across a recipe that called for whipped ricotta with sautéed mushrooms, shallots and herbs on a toasted baguette. It sounded amazing, so I bought all the ingredients and made it one night. I purchased whole milk ricotta at the store, but since I am always searching for ways to improve upon a recipe that was already good, I found a recipe for homemade ricotta that was 4 ingredients (mainly pantry staples in my house) and took less than 30 minutes to make. OMG – so, so good! I will never buy store-bought ricotta again if I can help it!
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Sweet & Spicy Rosemary Cashews
Ina Garten gets all the credit for this awesome recipe! These nuts are based on the bar mix at Union Square Cafe in NYC, which uses mixed nuts in their recipe. I started making these a few years ago, and a whole batch has been known to disappear in one night! I highly recommend doubling the batch – these will keep well in an air-tight container for several days.
Ina’s original recipe calls for raw cashews, but they can be difficult to find and you need to roast them longer in your oven. I will be a large container of roasted and salted cashews – Costco and Aldi sell great ones at a fantastic price – and just warm them in the oven for a shorter time and omit the salt. Recipe below takes this into consideration, but if you start with raw cashews, make sure you add some salt!
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3 Cheese Salad
This recipe was shared with my sister years ago, and while it’s a family favorite, one of those recipes I tend to forget about. Not sure why? It’s delicious, amazingly crunchy, and comes together quickly. The dressing is 5 ingredients and would be amazing on so many other salad concoctions. Feeding a crowd? This recipe is easily scalable. Serves 4 entree portions in our household. I left the cherry tomatoes off in the photo since they aren’t in season, but they do add a wonderful pop of color to the plate.
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Crock Pot Italian Chicken Pasta
Anyone have a picky eater in their house? I refer to my daughter as a carbatarian…she lives on white carbs and fruit. I can get her to eat chicken nuggets, but that is about all she likes when it comes to meat. But this pasta dish is one she will gobble down without complaint, which means it has gone into high rotation in our house! Doesn’t look super appetizing in the photos, but it tastes delicious and is creamy like Alfredo, but feels healthier. BONUS – takes 5 minutes to throw in the crockpot midday and you have an awesome dinner after you boil water and cook the pasta of your choice.
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Chicken Hurry Curry
Another recipe that will have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes, including prep! My sister’s former co-worker and friend, Jane, has an arsenal of amazing recipes. This is one of hers! I usually double this recipe so there are plenty of leftovers. Our family likes a little kick, so I use smoked paprika along with the curry powder, but you can use sweet paprika as well. Delicious served over white rice, cous cous or riced cauliflower (low-carb!).
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7 Layer Bars
You know you are from the midwest if you love the bars!
This is a family recipe, but once again I have tweaked it to my liking. Graham cracker crust, chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut and pecans are so amazing together! I have yet to meet a dessert recipe that wasn’t better with some sweetened condensed milk. I prefer the mini chocolate chips, as it feels like you have a higher chocolate ratio in each bar. I have used both sweetened and unsweetened coconut – both work. Don’t like pecans? Use another nut!
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Insta Pot Carnitas
I had been searching for a great carnitas recipe for a couple of years. I tried the slow cook method, the oven method, I used lard, fresh orange, lime juice, etc. Total pain and mess, and none of the recipes I tried were great. Is there anything more disappointing than taking the time to plan, shop, and cook a recipe and then have it fall flat? Such a bummer.
Believe it or not, the inspiration for this recipe came from my Whole30 a couple of years ago. I bought the book and low and behold, a delicious sounding pork carnitas recipe was in it. After making them several times in the oven according to the original recipe, I converted the timing to my Insta Pot and have never looked back. Thank you for the inspiration, Melissa Hartwig! Now I can have carnitas on the table in just over an hour with minimal planning and clean up!
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Chicken Picatta
When I lived in Minneapolis, the neighborhood SuperValu 3 blocks away turned into a Kowalski’s grocery store, and boy, was I spoiled! Gourmet everything – amazing bread, the parmesan dip I still crave, a fabulous chocolate selection, great gifts…it was awesome to shop and explore. Also not unusual to spend $75 on two small bags of groceries – probably not best for my monthly grocery budget, but it sure was fun!
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Asparagus Pasta
Who else has days that you walk into the kitchen at 6pm and still don’t have a dinner plan for your hungry people? Made mostly from pantry staples I always have on hand, this recipe is a family favorite, comes together in 15 minutes and hits all the right notes – a little heat, a little salt, and a little crunch. My tip would be to have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking – this comes together quickly!
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Linda’s Crustless Quiche
My friend Linda makes this delicious egg bake whenever she hosts a Saturday morning cabi party. I finally got my hands on the recipe, and tweaked it a bit to suit my family. It’s amazing leftover, and feels like you are getting your veggies in, as it is chock full of spinach, broccoli and onion.
We prefer it with ham, but you could brown up some sausage to include, or sub bacon or Canadian bacon. It’s gluten-free, low-carb/Keto friendly and doesn’t have any white potatoes – all wins for my family. Hope you take this recipe and make it your own!
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Almond Poppy Seed Bread
This bread has been one of my favorites since college, and has quickly become my daughter’s favorite too. My college roommate’s mom would send her back to Iowa State with a little loaf of this bread, and I recall being so excited she was sharing her treat with me!
While I got the original recipe from Ann, I have found iterations of it in several cookbooks. I have changed a few things to simplify the recipe. The orange juice glaze just takes this bread over the top.
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Oven Risotto
This is a long-standing favorite recipe of my husband’s, and if you’ve been over for dinner in the winter, I most likely have made this dish. I’ve been making this recipe for YEARS – what are the chances that one of my favorite food bloggers, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, posts her own oven baked risotto recipe this week?!
My Uncle Mark made this risotto for me when I visited him in San Francisco during my spring break my junior year of college at Iowa State. Such a fun trip – as a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management major, his goal was to take me to as many restaurants and bars in San Francisco that we could squeeze in that week. I fell in love with the city, and immediately fell in love with his recipe. We ate it with steamed crab from Fisherman’s Wharf and some sourdough bread, which was heavenly! Might have been the only meal we ate at home that week, and it definitely left an impression! I still have the index card I wrote his recipe on, and have morphed it into my own over the years.
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Beef Bourguignon
Anyone watch Julia & Julia? Such a great movie that follows a young woman unhappy in her career who decides to cook through Julia Childs famous “The Art of French Cooking” in 365 days. No small undertaking! Remember the beef bourguignon disaster in the movie? Needless to say, I was hesitant to take it on knowing the traditional recipes needs to cook for HOURS…and I might not love the end result. This is also not a dish you find on a restaurant menu outside of France! Since I won’t be in France anytime soon, I decided to tackle it anyway.
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Roasted Cauliflower with Pancetta, Olives and Capers
This recipe was inspired by Melissa Clark of NYT cooking fame. I am a recipe follower, so I always try to follow exact instructions the first time I make a new recipe. As much as I loved the original, it was missing just a little something for me, so I added some capers. YUM! Perfect salty bite. Struggle to get your veggies in every day? This recipe is a fantastic way to make that happen.
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Brussel Sprout Salad
When January rolls around, I am always a little tired of heavy foods and all the sugar from the holidays. I know I crave comfort food during the frigid Minnesota winter, but sometimes you need something fresh and light. This recipe tastes like sunshine!
I use my Cuisinart shredding blade to shred my brussel spouts in about 2 minutes – total game-changer and completes the bulk of the prep work in 2 minutes! You can also use a mandolin or knife to cut by hand. Or for a super short cut, buy the pre-shredded sprouts in the bag at your local grocery store, but the don’t taste nearly as fresh in my opinion.