The idea of cooking dinner every night can be overwhelming. This quote I saw on instagram sums it up, even for me and I truly enjoy cooking. “Who knew the hardest part of being an adult is figuring out what to cook for dinner every…

Roasted cauliflower has long been one of my favorite winter vegetables. Tossed with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, roasting brings out the flavor of this somewhat bland vegetable with the caramelization that occurs when it turns a…

Right now it’s all about tomatoes. Ripe, plump, juicy and bursting with the flavor that is really only possible to get this time of year. Yes, we’re lucky they are available all year long, but honestly when tomatoes truly aren’t in season I will take…

  Without a doubt, now is the best time to be cooking with fresh basil. Whether from your own garden or a farmer’s market, it is infinitely more flavorful than the packages available year round in the grocery store. This is one of my favorite…

Smoked salmon is a bit of a secret weapon in the kitchen. The cooking has already been done, a small amount goes a long way and it’s a nutritional powerhouse. This is exactly why this recipe has been on repeat in my kitchen all winter.…

I know, I know. I can hear you whispering the “f” word when I say that Carbonara should be on your regular dinner rotation. Yes, it’s true. Bacon, cream, butter, egg and Parmesan – they all add up to one big fat party. And that’s…

Tomato season is here and for me there is no greater sense of urgency then now to enjoy their sweet full flavor and plump juicy texture. It’s truly how nature intended them to be. Technology and farming techniques have made it possible to grow and…

The first time I grew tomatoes I knew very little about gardening. But we had a small south facing garden spot between our walkway and house begging to be planted. So we put three Early Girls in the ground. The steady sunshine and heat thrown…

My Mother’s Day wishes have changed with every stage of parenting. First it was all about sleep. When our kids were babies the best gift was an uninterrupted night and waking up at whatever time I wanted. The toddler to preschool and first few years of…

Big flavors, healthy ingredients and dinner on the table in 30 minutes with bucatini pasta, spicy Italian chicken sausage and fresh oregano. Bucatini is my favorite pasta shape. Slightly thicker than a spaghetti noodle with a hole running down the center, buco means hole in…

My good friend Carol has a special place where she hunts for chanterelle mushrooms. She’s graciously invited me to follow along with her a few times but much to my loss our schedules haven’t lined up for me to be the fortunate beneficiary. So like…

There’s no substitute for a juicy, full flavored tomato. My Grandma’s garden at her farm in North Dakota was always overflowing with them. They were deep red colored and soft. My aunt would pluck one off the vine and eat it like an apple while…

For some, cooking is simply about getting food on the table and the faster the better. For many it’s a consuming passion without regard to a time element. And there’s the huge swath of people who fall somewhere in between. That’s where I put myself.…

My quest for the all in one dinner continues… this time with pasta and roasted brussels sprouts. What I love is not using a separate pan to cook the pasta and instead do it all together with the other ingredients. One less pan to clean…

My daughter’s boyfriend is a huge fan of turkey meatballs. Particularly the ones pre-made at Trader Joe’s because as a college student athlete who does a lot of his own cooking – easy, healthy and good tasting food is a priority. So when he was…

For a young Mom yearning for a night out of the house it was an easy thing to leave for the baby sitter. Anyone can follow those directions and make it.  And I redeemed myself by leaving instructions for steaming fresh broccoli and where to…

I think this is the simplest recipe I’ve posted. Dungeness crab inspires this. So good on its own, it needs very little to enhance its sweet flavor and delicate texture. Just a little garlic carefully cooked over low heat to release its flavor then marinated…

With the Northwest wild spot prawn season almost upon us, you’ll want to make this. It goes together in 30 minutes with the help of using jarred roasted red peppers and is remarkable enough for guests, yet easy for a weeknight meal. If you’re not…

Yaki Soba is a Japanese fried noodle dish typically made by stir-frying noodles with chicken, shrimp or beef and vegetables with a flavorful sauce. You could say it’s the Japanese equivalent of Chinese chow mein. The beauty of it is you get protein, starch and vegetables…

Is it spring already, someone. This relentless winter carries on. So bring on the beef stroganoff. Years ago, I used to make this recipe all the time. I’m not sure at what point I stopped because my family always loved it. I used to make…

One of my favorite winter pasta dishes is this recipe for Spaghetti Puttanesca. All of the ingredients are available this time of year and many of them in my pantry or on the condiment shelf in my refrigerator. Those that aren’t can be easily found…

Butternut squash may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when you think of pasta, but it works really well in this vegetarian pasta recipe. Especially when it’s roasted first and all you have to do is toss it with the pasta. If…

Summer might be arriving in Seattle. We all know it is long overdue. It is possible that the long cycle of gray, wet and cold weather is over and we can finally bring out summer clothes and recipes. Fragrant fresh basil and nutty pistachios laced…

As much as I love to cook, I look for easy ways to make dinner quickly during the week with a recipe that does everything in one dish – protein, vegetable and starch. Highlighting the season’s fresh asparagus, this pasta recipe does it all in…

If there ever was a dependable weekday recipe then here it is. Consistent and reliable, easy to prepare and happily devoured by anyone who encounters it, this rock star recipe is prepared all in one pan and on the table in less than an hour.…

Here is a possibility for your Valentine’s Day dinner. Not only is this recipe quick and easy, it’s a less expensive way to say I love you than a pricey cut of beef or filet of seafood. I guarantee you will find as many recipe…

You can literally make and serve this recipe within an hour from start to finish. The preparation is made easy with “oven-ready” lasagna noodles that do not require boiling. This is definitely one of my family’s favorite recipes for the taste and mine for the…