Meals

Creamy Mustard Sauce Recipe | In a bowl with a blue gingham tray and herbs

Old-Fashioned Creamy Mustard Sauce

The recipe for this creamy, zesty mustard has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  It was served as an appetizer at every summer barbecue of my childhood to accompany cocktail hot dogs and crusty bread with summer sausage and aged cheddar. It was also frequently used as a welcome addition…

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Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon and Fresh Mint

Grandma’s Sicilian Stuffed Mini Artichokes

My beautiful Sicilian grandmother cooked the most delicious, simple and rustic foods. Her kitchen always smelled of sautéing garlic and olive oil and she had a gift for elevating every leftover in her refrigerator into something new and delicious. Some of her specialties were lentil soup, “polpette,” or seasoned, flattened meatballs, homemade manicotti and if…

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chicken strips and rice on a white plate with a side of green salad with carrots, berries, and purple cabbage. A blue and white checked napkin and fork are in the corner of the picture.

Easy Garlic Lemon Chicken Strips with Rice

We all have those rinse and repeat meals that we can make with our eyes closed and just know that they will always turn out delicious. For my mom, that meal was garlic lemon chicken strips and rice. As I kid, I remember it being incredibly comforting and flavorful. However, as an adult, I understand…

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“Snowman Stew” | Easy and Decadent Recipe for Smoky Beef Stew with Toasted Mashed Potatoes

Snowman Stew is a savory and scrumptious Beef Bourguignon that is slow-cooked with bacon, red wine, smoked paprika and fresh thyme. It is complemented by charming and decadent bites of mashed potatoes, that are toasted on the outside, but are extra creamy on the inside – thanks to the addition of unsweetened, whipped heavy cream.…

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Maria's Authentic Hungarian Cheese Spread

Maria’s Authentic Hungarian Cheese Spread

Ever since I said “I do,” this simple yet complex savory spread has been on the menu around the holidays. My husband’s grandmother, Maria, from Budapest, gave the recipe to her daughter-in-law (my mother-in-law) and she kindly shared it with me. For a relatively short list of ingredients and simple preparation, it packs an explosion…

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Mini Meatball “Lizagnas”: A Delicious and Hearty Make-Ahead Meal

A scrumptious and flavorful lasagna layered with mini meatballs and caramelized tomatoes. My Aunt Liz was a very special lady and a very accomplished chef. Memories of her holiday meals and special treats are swoon worthy to this day among those of us who knew and loved her. She left many classic recipes behind but…

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Chicken Pot Pie

Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie

Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie is a recipe that I have made and modified so many times over the years and is an almost weekly staple in our house – especially in the cooler months. It is a snap to pull together and so comforting and nourishing. It is also my go-to “porch drop” meal for…

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Grandma’s Sicilian Lentil Soup: Healthy, Hearty and Delicious

I don’t know if I can think of another recipe that reminds me more of my Sicilian Grandmother than her lentil soup. She made it on repeat throughout her life and ours. Like her, it was warm, comforting, unfussy and always delicious! It was also incredibly practical, as she often used the base soup as…

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Magical Mini Meatballs

These meatballs represent the soul of my Aunt Liz’s legendary lasagna…or as I like to call it “Liz-agna.” Her nieces and nephew remember with such fondness the mini, soft, pillowy orbs filled with flavor that nestled into the noodle and cheese layers of this comfort dish.   Why This Recipe Is So Delicious These meatballs…

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Mother Sauce

“Mother Sauce” is the purest base sauce that lets simple flavors of fresh produce shine bright. It gets it sweetness not from adding sugar or a carrot, as many sauce recipes do, but rather by using a variety of tomatoes and removing the seeds, which add bitterness. It is an extremely gentle and delicate flavor…

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