I've cooked a lot of dishes over the years, but there are a few recipes that I come back to time and time again. Below is a list of some of my absolute favorite never-let-you-down recipes. Please let me know if you have any questions or a link isn't working.

Appetizers | Breads & Pastries | Breakfast & Brunch | Desserts | Drinks | Entrees | Pasta | Salads | Sides | Soups & Stews

 

 

   Appetizers

• Candied Rosemary Cashews
  
• Feta, Spinach, and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms (Leftover filling is excellent in an omelet)
  
• Herb-Marinated Olives
  
• Homemade Ricotta
• Parmesan and Prosciutto Gougères
• Pomodori al Forno (Serving suggestion: use in place of fresh tomatoes in caprese salad, or chop with caprese ingredients and use as a bruschetta topping or in puff pastry shells)
  
• Potato Basil Frittata Squares
• Radish Herb Butter
• Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce (Sauté garlic instead of using microwave and add chopped shallots as well.  Add zest of juiced lemons, plus horseradish to taste)
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
• Smooth Hummus
• Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta Recipe (Use good quality feta and olive oil, the flavor of both will be very strong)

 

   Breads & Pastries

• Banana Sour Cream Bread (Especially love the technique of lining the pan with cinnamon sugar, can be used for almost all quick bread recipes)
• Blueberry Muffins (Eat fresh out of the oven!)
  
• Cinnamon Rolls
  
• Cream Scones
• Smoked Cheddar Twists

 

   Breakfast & Brunch

• Chicken, Apple & Fresh Sage Sausage Patties (Can add thyme and rosemary as well)
• Champagne Oranges
• Essential Raised Waffles
• Olive Oil and Maple Granola
• Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Honey

 

   Desserts

• Applesauce Snack Cake
• Baked Brownie, Spiced Up
• Black Coffee Ice Cream
• Blueberry Cream Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Our wedding cake! I like to add chopped peanut butter cups between the layers as well)
• Homemade Oreos
• Jeni's Salty Caramel Ice Cream (The caramel will taste almost burned before the base is mixed, but in the finished product it will be perfect)
• Peppermint Cream Squares
• Ricotta-Mascarpone Mousse w/ Balsamic Strawberries (Particularly delicious with chocolate-flavored balsamic vinegar)
• Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
• Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie
• Spoon-dent Cookies with Lemon Curd (Also good with 1-2 tbsp crushed lavender added into the dough)
• Sugar-Crusted Popovers (Used browned butter to brush them at the end)
• Toasted Coconut Shortbread
• Three-Layer Berry and Brown Sugar Pavlova
• Twice-Baked Sour Cherry Pie

 

   Drinks

• Hot Chocolate
  
• Mulled Wine (Not quite sweet enough for me, use a sweet red or add extra honey)

 

   Entrees

• Braised Short Ribs
• Chicken Enchiladas
  
• Chicken Normandy: Chicken with Apples, Brandy, Onions and Cream
  
• Chicken Salad and Cranberry Brie Toast
  
• Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos
  
• Italian Pressed Sandwiches (Add prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes)
  
• Lasagna (Use pork Italian sausage instead)
• Low Country Boil
  
• Slow-Roasted Filet of Beef and Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise
  
• Stuffed Pumpkin with Cheese, Bacon and Chipotle Chiles

 

Pasta

• Fancy Macaroni (Top with buttered, toasted panko)
  
• Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce
  
• Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto
  
• Penne à la Vodka (Fold in tiny fresh mozzarella balls just before serving)
  
• Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

 

   Salads

• Beet, avocado & grapefruit salad
  
• Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Tahini Salad (I’ll sometimes roast or caramelize the onions instead of leaving them raw. Excellent served over salad greens dressed in a lemon vinaigrette)
  
• Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint
  
• Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
  
• Fennel Salad, Fennel Slaw with Mint Vinaigrette
  
• French Potato Salad (Great using whole tiny marble-sized potatoes)
  
• Massaged Kale Salad with Anchovy Dressing
  
• Ribboned Asparagus Salad with Lemon
  
• Shredded Rainbow Salad

 

   Sides

• Broccoli Rabe with Balsamic Brown Butter (Can also make w/ roasted broccoli or kale)
  
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes with Fried Sage 
  
• Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts Recipe (No need to blanch or use chicken broth)
  
• Fingerling Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme, Crispy or Not

• Roasted New Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Truffle Oil
  
• Rosemary Polenta (Also great if you skip the cooling/cutting/frying step and leave it creamy)

 

   Soups & Stews

• Beef Chili + Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits (Add: 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, an extra can kidney beans,  several tablespoons of tomato paste [up to one whole can], and up to 1 tbsp ground chipotle for heat.  Simmer for at least an extra 2-3 hours)
  
• Beef Stew
• Cauliflower Soup
  
• Summer Vegetable, Sweet Corn & Chicken Chowder