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Bruschetta (pronounced brew-SKET-tah) is an Italian appetizer of toasted or grilled bread rubbed with fresh garlic. In this recipe, we use this garlicky bread as a base for fresh tomatoes with basil. When I see fresh tomatoes, my mind immediately turns to bruschetta. I love it and honestly could eat it every night of the week, especially during the summer! For more Italian-inspired recipes, see our Caprese salad, Panzanella salad, or this incredible tomato gazpacho (a chilled tomato soup)....

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I’m a huge fan of pickled onions. They’re tangy, they’re sweet, they’re salty – really, they’re just darn good. For the longest time, they’ve been my favorite way to add a bright pop of color and flavor to salads, tacos, sandwiches, and more. But lately, pickled onions have been playing second fiddle to a new quick-pickle favorite: pickled jalapeños!...

As a kid, I was obsessed with everything rainbow – my Rainbow Brite doll, a fresh new Crayola 64 pack (with built in sharpener!), and best of all – the rainbow-neon terminal at O’Hare airport. Pure magic. Nowadays, I have a new grownup rainbow obsession: rainbow chard. Cooking with Rainbow Chard If you’ve never cooked with rainbow chard before, it has a slightly bitter, earthy taste that I love to pair with sweet, tangy, and nutty accents....

Onam was always special growing up. Kerala comes alive during this time more than at any other and everyone joins in the celebrations. It’s also the first 10-day break we get from school and college after they reopen post summer. So Onam meant a break after the first round of serious exams and tests, new clothes, pookkalam, songs, dance, and food. Of course the food, the Onam sadya. Click here for a list of Onam menu items and recipes....

So I am starting a mini-series in here featuring rice cooker recipes. If you have a favourite, please leave a comment, I’d love to try it. Sambar Rice (Sambar Sadam) in a Rice Cooker Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup of rice 3/4 cup of toor dal, soaked for 30 mins in warm water 1 carrot, sliced 10 green beans, sliced 12 shallots (or 1 large onion) 2 tbsp of sambar powder 2 tbsp of oil 1/2 tsp of cumin / jeera 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds 1/4 tsp of hing powder (asafoetida) 1 stalk of curry leaves Salt to taste 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind 1 + 2....

Shortbread cookies are perfect for the holidays, but they’re so delicious that I make them all throughout the year. They have crisp edges, a buttery flavor, and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. When I want a little treat to enjoy with a coffee or tea, shortbread cookies always hit the spot. I’ve previously shared a lemon shortbread cookie recipe and an orange shortbread cookie recipe, but this classic shortbread recipe is the one I make the most....

After sharing Guinness Chocolate Cake and Guinness and Beef Stew, we decided to throw another Guinness recipe your way. You don’t mind, do you? We didn’t think so. How to Make Stout Pot Pie with Sausages This recipe is delicious made into a pie, but you can just as easily skip the pastry and serve the sausages over mashed potatoes instead. To make the pie, brown sausages on all sides....

If you like to make cocktails at home, knowing how to make simple syrup is essential. By definition, simple syrup is a mixture of equal parts sugar and water. It allows you to sweeten cold drinks consistently – unlike granulated sugar on its own, it won’t settle into a gritty mound at the bottom of your glass. And good news! As the name suggests, this simple syrup recipe is, well, simple....

This slow cooker chicken thighs recipe is a family favorite. We especially love the lemon gravy inspired by our skillet lemon chicken thighs. When cooked in a slow cooker, chicken thighs become tender and practically mouth-watering. It’s one of our favorite ways to use a slow cooker. Key Ingredients Chicken: For this slow cooker recipe, I prefer using skin-on chicken thighs. The skin helps protect the chicken from drying out, but you can definitely use skinless thighs if that’s your preference....

Pin Pinterest is one of my vices and I spend an inordinate amount of time looking at gorgeous things there. Oh how rude, here’s my Pinterest profile link, in case you want to take a peek at all the things that catch my fancy. So anyway, of all the beautiful pictures of food in there, this one particular pin stating they are the best soft chocolate chip cookies, with a half broken cookie image was one of my favourites....

Looking for other soya chunks recipes? Try Chilly Soya Chunks | Soya Chunks Cutlets | Soya Chunks Kurma | Soya Chunks Biryani Step by Step Soya Chunks Masala with Potatoes Recipe Chop the potatoes into small cubes. Peel and cube it if you prefer. Also, potatoes here cook up very fast so I don’t par boil them. If you feel it will take too long, pressure cook the potatoes or boil them in some water for 10 mins before using....

When we cannot find fresh basil, we turn to spinach instead. Our spinach pesto recipe is made almost the same way as our recipe for basil pesto. We use a food processor to blend the spinach with nuts and garlic then slowly steam in olive oil until a sauce forms. We stir in parmesan and season with salt and it is done. We had some fun with the turkey meatballs — they have chopped spinach, plumped up dried fruit and garlic mixed in....

Spring has officially sprung… Jack and I spent last Sunday at Farmhouse Delivery’s East Austin Urban Farm Tour. It was fun to see the four farms where our weekly vegetables come from. It was even more fun to eat and drink our way through the event. Unfortunately we got no snaps of the food highlights because we didn’t have enough hands to balance plates, forks, whiskey drinks, and cameras. But going along with the spring theme, here is a roundup of some yummy spring roll recipes from other lovely blogs… Spring-y spring rolls with carrot ginger miso sauce from Happy Yolks Soy-glazed roasted carrot spring rolls from Naturally Ella Fresh tofu spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce (and pretty video!...

Simple and quick. This is our kind of meal. Cook it for one, two or more. Roasted asparagus is so easy to make and is the perfect side to sop up runny egg yolk. If asparagus isn’t your thing, try homemade biscuits or don’t even worry about it and just have the steak and eggs! How to Make Steak, Eggs and Roasted Asparagus Everything comes together within 20 minutes, the asparagus will take the most time to cook, but wow is it easy....

How pretty is this fresh fruit platter?! It’s a colorful combination of fruits, cheeses, spreads, and snacks that I’ve been absolutely loving lately. I’m sharing it today because it would be a fantastic last-minute appetizer for a Labor Day party or cookout, but honestly, it’s a great easy dinner idea, too. On warm nights when I’m not in the mood to cook, I slice up some fresh fruit, grab a handful of herbs from the porch, and pile them onto a fruit and cheese platter like this one....

You can’t beat this tomato salad recipe in the summertime. It’s super simple—it calls for 8 ingredients and comes together in under 10 minutes—but it’ll still impress anyone you serve it to. Thick wedges of heirloom tomatoes mingle with crisp red onion, fruity olive oil, tangy red wine vinegar, and fresh herbs. It’s light, refreshing, and incredibly flavorful, largely because summer tomatoes are just so good. Enjoy this tomato salad with crisp white wine and crusty bread for sopping up any tomatoey juices left on your plate....

When I make pesto, I almost always make this vegan pesto recipe. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional basil pesto, but this vegan version is just as good. Classic pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. But my recipe calls for one extra ingredient: lemon juice. The lemon’s bright flavor perfectly balances the richness of the olive oil and elevates the fresh, garlicky, and nutty flavors of the other ingredients....

My family eats a lot of beans, so we always look for new and exciting ways to serve them. I love a great bean salad, and this prosciutto white bean salad has quickly moved to the top of my favorites list! White beans are mild and creamy. I love them in this salad and use them a lot in my kitchen. More ways to use them are in my easy white bean soup, this tahini kale salad, and our white chicken chili....

Like I say year after year – I think cookbooks make the best gifts! Here’s my official 2016 list. Some titles you may recognize because I’ve featured them here throughout the year, and some you’ll likely hear more about very soon. You might also want to check out my 2014 and 2015 lists because there are some favorites on those lists as well. As always, be sure to list your recommendations in the comments – I always love hearing about new books!...

In all the hype around cauliflower rice and quinoa, it’s easy to forget the magic in good old rice. It may not be as trendy as other whole grains (or “grains,” as the case may be), but I’ve always really loved rice recipes. Soft, fluffy, and hot off the stove, this humble pantry staple could become almost anything. Maybe it’ll be rolled into sushi or added to a comforting soup....