Back in the Northeast, you’ll hear this classic soup name pronounced all kinds of ways. “Pasta fazhool” was the version I heard most. No matter how you say it, though, it’s still one of my favorites. Remember, the ingredient list here will give proportions, but you can’t really mess up soup. So add more or…
The best Shepherd’s Pie Ever
It’s all about Worcestershire & wine. Ingredients: olive oil 3-4 carrots, diced 1 large onion, diced 1 pound ground beef or lamb 1 cup frozen peas (or any peas) 1 tablespoon butter (Earth Balance if you’re dairy-free) 2 tablespoons flour black pepper (to taste) 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely diced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1…
Cuban-inspired Beans & Rice
This is a fast, easy recipe for those nights when you want something healthy and light, but satisfying. I’ve also added meat to mine, on the nights when I really do need to eat more protein (and accepting it’s a little less healthy this way.) You can easily make it with or without the polish…
Easiest Chicken Piccata
This is such a simple recipe to make, and I love having dinners that can be whipped up relatively fast. Ingredients Chicken cutlets, sliced or pounded thin Flour or breadcrumbs Eggs (maybe, if you use breadcrumbs) a lemon 1 tablespoon of butter, or Earth Balance if you can’t eat dairy 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4…
Pumpkin Muffins/Bread
[*Note, this recipe is for canned pumpkin. Don’t switch this to a fresh pumpkin – it won’t work. I’ll post that recipe another time.] We made pumpkin bread loaves to bring to school every fall when I was a kid. It was very popular – teachers, the school nurse, *everyone wanted the recipe. The mistake…
Use Your Oven: Veg & Herbs
There are lots of ways to cook veggies, but I love how roasting them releases their true taste and sweetness. Plus, it’s too easy to *not do. With regular veggies – the kind you can get cut up in a bag, for instance – or carrot sticks, etc., you can just put them in a…
What is a Pumpernickel Bagel, Anyway?
Such an odd word, “pumpernickel.” As a kid, I wouldn’t eat it because the word was a bit intimidating and I wasn’t sure what I’d be eating. Turns out, it’s just a weird “fart word” for dark rye bread. And for non-U.S. audiences, bagels are a type of bread roll of unconfirmed origin and strongly…
Grandma Tess’ Pecan Crescents
These are the cookies we make for holidays, mostly because they’re kind of a pain in the butt to roll and shape. But ooooohhh – they’re *so worth the work. Also affectionately known as “Tiny rainbows of happiness,” these cookies demand taking time to savor and busting out the good coffee. Even though you…
Thumbprint Cookies
The ultimate coffee cookie (along with Grandma Tess’ Pecan Crescents – I’ll post those next.) I remember my mother made these a lot when I was a kid, I think mostly because they aren’t very sweet and we didn’t like them back then. I’m so glad I have the recipe now, though. I’d post a…
Farfalle & Tomatoes
My favorite, simple dinner is fast and easy to make. The key is having a good oil (I prefer Colavita) and fresh ingredients – even better if you have fresh pasta, too, but that’s not necessary. Ingredients: 1-pound box Farfalle (or penne if you prefer – any pasta will work, honestly) 4-5 fresh Roma or…
Diana Learns to Eat 
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