This is a fun recipe to know because everyone knows there are croutons and then there are Homemade Croutons. The homemade are just better in every single way. I don't know how else to say it, they make all the difference when you're making a salad. The best way to start homemade croutons is with leftover bread. You can even use leftover sandwich bread if it's what you have on hand. The slight staleness of it makes it easier to toast! However, if you don't have any you can eas

Green beans are a great vegetable that can matched with almost any meal. However, when it comes to festive occasions, I like to dress them up a little bit. I think they are a little too bland served on their own when there is lamb or beef as the main course. This is when I make these delicious Garlic String Beans. I always start by blanching the green beans because I like it when they're cooked and have a little crispy crunch. This also helps them hold up against the sauce an

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I want to share this recipe for Traditional Bread Stuffing in case you’re in need of one. I’ve published a few less traditional stuffing recipes in the past, but sometimes you really just need a classic one. This is the one my children love the most and I think any beginning cook can make. In fact, if this is one of your first Thanksgivings and you’re just getting use to cooking for it you’ll love this recipe.  The whole thing start

I like to mix classic recipes with more modern dishes at my holiday tables. Creamy Scalloped Potatoes are one example of this. It’s a classic recipe I’ve been eating since I was a child and remains popular at holidays to this day. The premise is so simple. A creamy cheese sauce is layered with thinly sliced potatoes and popped in the oven. It’s decadent and delicious in every way.   One of the tips I like to give people when making this is to make sure the potato slices and b

Sweet potatoes are so delicious, but I find I become limited in what I make with them sometimes. Most of the time I have them in my kitchen I make bake sweet potato fries or mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole. They are all excellent, but it can get a little repetitive. This is why I started making Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Honey & Feta. They are delicious baked sweet potato sounds with a drizzle of sweet honey and topped with savory feta.  I bake these in

I love this Greek Potato with Celery and Tomato Paste because it takes me back to my childhood. This bears all the marks of a traditional Mediterranean vegetable dish. The ingredients are readily available in many backyard gardens, and it’s made on the stovetop with water or broth. My mother-in-law remembers eating this dish for dinner with fresh feta on top when she was growing up! I like to serve it as a hearty side dish with protein and a green salad alongside.   I don’t h

As we get closer to the holidays, I like to try out new dishes I might want to serve on the side this year. I’ve always enjoyed the combination of Brussel sprouts and bacon, but this year I’m adding apples to make Sautéed Apples with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon. Oh my, this is truly one of the most delicious side dishes you’ve ever tasted. The sweet apple adds a whole new dimension to the savory sprouts and salty, crunchy bacon.  The key to making this dish sing is cooking the

I love a simple dinner that uses up leftovers in the fridge and in our house that’s Vegetable Fried Rice. Like most families, we started making this with the leftover rice we’d had from dinner or take-out the night before. We warmed it back up and added it to a skillet with egg, vegetables, and flavorings. It was so easy and it has remained popular in our family ever since.  The cool thing about this dish is that it can really hold almost any leftover vegetable you have in yo

I always make sure I have a few good side dish recipes on hand that are delicious and versatile. This is the beauty of Cilantro Lime Rice. It’s super easy to make and can be paired with a lot of different, delicious meals. It even works well to be packed for lunches at work or school. I like to serve this rice dish on a weeknight with grilled pork or chicken. It also works well in burrito bowls, tacos, or with a baked fish on top.  The nice thing about rice is that it’s a bla

There’s nothing I love more than a simple, elegant recipe that comes together with ease and makes everyone at the table do a little happy dance. That’s exactly what this Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Dip  is. It’s bright, creamy, full of garden-fresh flavor, and it looks beautiful with very little effort — which, let’s be honest, is the dream when you’re entertaining in spring or summer. I make this dip all the time for brunches, casual gatherings, and those spontaneous backya

You know when two favorites collide and the result is just chef’s kiss ? That’s exactly what happened the day I mashed up spanakopita with baked potatoes and created what I now lovingly call Spanakopatata . 😍 This little invention came about on a cozy afternoon when I was craving all the creamy, herby vibes of spanakopita—but I didn’t feel like working with phyllo (shocking, I know). Enter: the humble baked potato. It’s like the perfect blank canvas, and once I loaded it up

In recent years I’ve gotten more into high protein snacks. I like to serve them at my restaurants, patrons are always looking for a light meal or heavy appetizer that’s protein heavy, and I also make them at home. These Stuffed Avocados totally fit the bill and have become really popular lately. I find a perfectly ripe avocado and stuffed it with a protein heavy quinoa, chickpea, and yogurt mixture and it’s ready. No oven needed!  The only tricky part of this recipe is findin

One of the things I love about Mediterranean cuisine is the prolific use of vegetables and all the ways they are used in cooking. While a good Greek salad always hits the spot, we use vegetables as side dishes, main courses, and snacks and there’s often no lettuce involved. This is because vegetables are typically grown in someone’s backyard so they are easy to access and very inexpensive. This recipe for Carrots & Chickpeas is one of these very cool recipes.  Carrots, I thin

I love cranberries and find them so festive in holiday meals and snacks. We have plenty of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and I always have a batch in my fridge for all of December. I use it for making sandwiches and yummy things like this Cranberry Whipped Feta. Then, I have to make a whole new batch for Christmas!  This quick dip is so good for holiday entertaining.  It’s great for serving with crackers, toasted pita, or vegetables. Or, it could also be used as a delicious

There are a lot of delicious feta dips in Greek cuisine because feta lends itself so well to being whipped into a light, fluffy concoction. It also is a great tangy, blank slate to which you can add all kinds of delicious flavors. In this episode, I make Pumpkin Whipped Feta, a whipped feta dip with a healthy dose of pureed pumpkin and some warm spices stirred in. It’s savory and sweet and perfect for the season!  I like making this in the fall because it is a nice way to ser

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Carrots with Burrata is such a great recipe that hits all the right notes for the fall and holiday season. I love roasted sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, and burrata on their own. However, when you combine them all into one dish with a dash of spices and balsamic vinegar, you’re in for a real treat! Even though these ingredients are available year-round, I really think they shine this time of year when root vegetables are more commonly served.  This

Quickbreads are always a great solution when it comes to using up fruit and getting something yummy on the table. This Apple Cinnamon Banana Bread is especially neat because it combines two favorite fruits and bakes up into one delicious bread that my whole family loves. As it notes in the recipe, the nuts are optional. Since my kids are allergic I don’t bake them, but I know a lot of people appreciate the crunch and flavor.  There are two things that prompt me to make these

These Baked Vegetable Sticks are so fun because they’re kind of like kid food that adults also enjoy. I happen to love them because they remind me of fries without them actually being fried! The flour and semolina batter gives them a nice, crispy coating, which are a real pleasure to eat.  This recipe gives a specific list of vegetables per my video, but I find this method works with almost any vegetable. Just use what you have on hand and you’ll be happy with the result. The

A Simple Yet Irresistible Delight If you’re looking for a quick and delicious appetizer that will impress your guests with minimal effort, look no further than Grilled Mastelo Cheese with Honey and Sesame Seeds. This dish is all about combining simple, high-quality ingredients to create something truly special. The rich, slightly tangy flavor of Mastelo cheese pairs beautifully with the sweetness of honey and the nutty crunch of sesame seeds. It’s an appetizer that’s perfect

If you’re a fan of seafood, this recipe for Classic Fried Smelts (Atherina) with Caramelized Onions is bound to become a favorite in your kitchen. These tiny fish, with their delicate flavor and crispy texture, are a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, and when paired with sweet, caramelized onions, they create a dish that’s nothing short of divine. Whether you’re planning a casual gathering or just craving a taste of the sea, this recipe is sure to impress. Before You Begin: Pr