I love this salad. The base is made from peppery arugula — although any baby green will work. Then we add sliced strawberries, pine nuts and little rounds of goat cheese that have been dipped in breadcrumbs and lightly fried until crisp. The cheese inside is creamy and warm, while the outer breading is light and crispy. For the dressing, we love throwing our favorite strawberry balsamic dressing together. We make a simple balsamic vinaigrette — made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and mustard — then we whisk in some strawberry jam....

Ok, so aside from watching the Cubs win this year, I’m not what you would call a sports fan. I know the Super Bowl is this Sunday but I have no clue who’s playing and if I had to guess (without googling it), I’d embarrass myself by naming teams from the wrong sport. But sportsball aside, here are a bunch of taco-nacho-ey-pizza-ish recipes that you might consider serving this weekend....

Is it just me or has every day this week felt like Friday? Since holiday party season is in full swing I thought I’d round up a few fun & festive recipes that are healthy-ish, and (mostly), finger food friendly. Click on the images to go to each recipe (or see links below)… Minty Pomegranate Spritzers / Butternut Squash & Sage Crostini / Avocado Pomegranate Crostini / Quinoa Stuffed Peppers / Parmesan & Fig Grilled Cheese / Vegan Soft Pretzels / Butternut Squash Croquettes / Vegan Stuffed Shells / Cookies!...

Not only does this chicken stock taste better than the box, but it is also easy to make and lasts in the freezer for up to 3 months. I especially love making chicken stock after making our roasted chicken. I use this chicken stock to make many of the soup recipes on Inspired Taste, including our highly-rated chicken noodle soup! For a more delicately flavored broth, see my easy chicken broth, or for bone broth, see my recipe for Instant Pot bone broth....

In this herb potato salad, I toss warm potatoes with our zesty lemon Dijon vinaigrette. This salad is reminiscent of a French potato salad. Since the potatoes are warm, they absorb all the delicious flavors of the dressing. Our mayonnaise-free herb potato salad dressing is quick to make, a bit healthier, and tastes fantastic! If you prefer a more traditional creamy dressing, see our creamy potato salad. Key Ingredients Potatoes: I love using small waxy potatoes for this herbed potato salad....

Back by popular demand – spaghetti squash! If you’ve been following for long you’ll know that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of it. But here’s what I’ve learned: it’s best to get the “spaghetti” thought out of your mind. As pasta, it’s kind of mushy. As a roasted vegetable that happens to form into little strands, it’s so delicious. Especially with a squeeze of lemon and a few dollops of pesto....

After 3 years in Singapore, we are converts. We almost love queues as much as any Singaporean out there. Especially if you are served shots of apple juice while you wait. The salad and savory crepe counters. There’s fresh ingredients everywhere and the ambience is amazing. Spicy chicken skewers. I couldn’t finish the entire thing to decided to pack home the rest. We have taken countless people for dinner here and never once been disappointed....

Pin I have to admit Diwali this year is going to be even more low-key than usual with minimal sweets and snacks being made. Since Sameera, life has taken a 360 degree turn and I have no time for anything! Understandable, I know but it’s made worse by the fact that I work full time and so any time at home, I spend with her entirely. I rarely cook anymore, baked bread once in the last 12 months, and pretty much whatever my helper decides to make (she IS a very good cook though so that’s a silver lining)....

These drumsticks are simple to make and if you aren’t the Old Bay type, throw in your favorite seasoning blend — herbs de Provence, thyme and rosemary, ancho chili powder, or other favorite seasonings. For more baked chicken recipes, take a look at our Rosemary Baked Chicken Drumsticks or these Easy Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs. How to Bake Drumsticks So That They Are Crispy When baking chicken, we use two tricks to make sure that the skin crisps in the oven: First, it is important to pat the chicken dry — when you do this, the skin crisps up nicely in the oven....

When someone asks me for an easy, healthy breakfast idea, this overnight oats recipe is the first thing I suggest. It’s perfect for busy mornings, as you can make individual servings ahead of time and take them on the go. It’s also satisfying enough to keep you full till lunch, made with simple ingredients like oats, chia seeds, and (optional) yogurt. But best of all, it’s fun. What could be fun about oatmeal, you ask?...

This peach crisp recipe is one of the easiest summer desserts. Toss the filling together in one bowl, and mix up the topping in another. Then, layer them both into a pan and bake! When you take your first bite, you’ll be stunned that something so delicious could be so simple to make. There’s just nothing better than peak-season summer fruit. Peach Crisp Recipe Ingredients Because this recipe is so easy to make, it’s a great choice for summer entertaining....

When I have fresh herbs in the house, I jump at the chance to make this super creamy green goddess dressing. It’s incredible for salads, dips, and even sauces for grilled veggies and seafood. If you know our recipes, you know we love using fresh herbs. Some more recipes featuring fresh herbs are this lemon herb potato salad, my chopped cucumber tomato salad, and this carrot recipe with parsley butter....

When I see golden beets at the farmers market, I can never resist bringing them home. I love roasting them until they’re tender and juicy, with a translucent, sunshine-yellow color that makes them so exciting and appealing. Thanks to their sweet, earthy flavor, the roasted golden beets are delicious on their own, but I like them even more when they’re tossed into a simple golden beet salad. I balance out their sweetness with salty feta cheese, add toasted pistachios for crunch, and drizzle them with a spiced lemon dressing for pop....

We’re not planners… never have been, never will be. A lot of times we pay a hefty price for this behavior (figuratively and also quite literally), but that all becomes worth it when exciting surprises and unexpected happenings occur simply because we’re open to following a whim. Not that this is an example of a life changing “happening”, but isn’t it the small moments that really count? Last Saturday night after a long day of working, we were trying to decide which of our “weekend rotation” restaurants we would go to....

If you need a last-minute side dish for the holiday, this sautéed green beans recipe would be perfect. It calls for under 10 ingredients and cooks in under 10 minutes (bonus: no oven required!), so you can whip it up right before you eat. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. This sautéed green beans recipe might be easy to make, but it’s still bursting with flavor. I sauté fresh green beans until they’re crisp-tender and vibrant green....

I’m obsessed with these shawarma wraps! I loved them so much that after we took these photos, I thought about them all day, I dreamt about them that night, and when I woke up, I ate the last leftover wrap for breakfast. I would not consider these “breakfast” wraps – I just didn’t have the willpower to wait for lunch. I mean, the shawarma spiced chickpeas, the creamy hummus, the spicy zhoug chile paste, and the juicy/crispy veggies… this is what dreams are made of… at least if you’re me....

It doesn’t get much easier than this one. I’ll admit, I often get very veggie-happy. While I don’t mind chopping up a rainbow of vegetables – sometimes it’s more than ok to keep it simple and let just one ingredient be the star. Last night, I chopped up this beautiful red chard and tossed it with a few simple pantry ingredients. Dinner was done in less than 20 minutes, and Jack and I were able to get right back to our House of Cards marathon....

Happy weekend! I just wanted to pop in for a minute and share this easy recipe for the spicy margaritas we served at our margarita party a few weeks ago. They were such a big hit – tart, smooth, not too sweet, and most importantly – spicy. The perfect refreshing cocktail for one last summer party! photos #1 and #3 by Chris Perez of Citygram Magazine adapted from grandmarnier.com

Oh but wait! Before I go on yada yada about strawberry lassi, I must explain my long absence from here. I have been travelling a lot on work and also been in training workshops on and off which required my full attention and lots and lots of energy. I also snuck in a quick weekend trip to India and after all that travel and intense weeks, I just put any major cooking plans and blogging on the back burner....