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I love pasta salads of every kind, but here are ten of my favorites, perfect to take to a summer potluck. I'm old enough to be able to remember when pasta salad burst onto the U.S. culinary scene, and sadly I've come across some pretty flavorless pasta salads since then. Maybe it's all those lackluster pasta salads I've seen that make me determined to create pasta salad
Quick and Easy Penne Pasta with Red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Capers, Olives, Tomatoes, and Tuna. (Top it with Gremolata if you wish!) About six years ago I discovered an affordable brand of Tuna packed in olive oil that really made me swoon, and since then I've made many tasty recipes featuring this tuna. It's turned me into a bit of a tuna snob, because now I never buy any othe
Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro is perfect for those times when you *must* have tomatoes, even if it's not quite summer yet. (Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions for Meatless Monday, May 2013.) This Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro salad was originally inspired by one I loved at a party I attended
One of my favorite options for a quick healthy lunch is this Spicy Avocado in Pita. (Updated May 2013 with better photos and step-by-step instructions. I've been making this Spicy Avocado in Pita regularly since I first posted it in 2006!) If you're going to stick with any kind of healthy eating plan you need some easy and healthy options for times when you just don't want
These Grilled Portobello Mushrooms are stuffed with sausage, spinach, and cheese, but you could easily make this a vegetarian recipe as well. (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and since it's finally grilling weather again, how about making these Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach, and Chee
This Leafy Greens Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Feta is perfect for Mediterranean Dressing with Sumac, but if you don't want to make the dressing any lemony vinaigrette will work. Now that you've seen my new favorite salad dressing, I thought I'd show you a salad that's just perfect for the Shake-in-a-Jar Mediterranean Dressing with Red Wine Vinegar, Lemon Juice, and
A delicious and easy Mediterranean Dressing that you can use on a variety of greens, beans, or veggies. If you've been reading my blog any time at all, you know I love all types of Mediterranean flavors. One of the ingredients I discovered through blogging is the Mediterranean spice called Sumac. If you've eaten at a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurant that had a little shak
Whole Wheat Orcchiette Pasta Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms is a perfect salad for Meatless Monday. Today the temperature in Utah is supposed to get above 90F so we've definitely entered the season for warm-weather eating, and lately I've had pasta salad on my mind. It seems like there are a lot of ho-hum combinations that give pasta salad a bad na
If you're cooking on Mother's Day, here are 20 favorites you might want to put on the menu. Ever since my Mother died in 1998, Mother's Day has been a bittersweet holiday for me. Since I had The World's Greatest Mother, the day to remember moms just made me miss her all the more, and I wasn't lucky enough to become a mother myself, so I don't have that to celebr
I tried out this Orzo Salmon Casserole on some family members who stopped by, and it was a hit! Salmon. Asparagus. Feta. Maybe that's all I need to say about this recipe, because if you know me at all, you know a recipe with those favorite ingredients is going to be something I'll like. Add a small amount of 100% Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta, some drained low-fat cottage cheese for
These Spicy Black Bean Patties would make a perfect dinner for Meatless Monday! My love for black beans is well documented, and I've had black bean patties jotted down in my little notebook of blog ideas for quite a while now. Then recently I was absent-mindedly flipping through the pages of a cookbook I got at a yard saleand saw a recipe that looked interesting. I loved the addit
This delicious pasta salad has broken Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Turkey Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Olives, and a Basil Vinaigrette. It's a big party day at my house, and this delicious Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette is on the menu. When I tested the recipe with Jake, this salad was so good that after I sent most of the leftove
This easy and delicious chicken recipe is a good reason to grown French Tarragon in your garden! (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and I was reminded of this lovely chicken dish when a follower on Twitter told me yesterday about how much she had enjoyed it. If you're not growing French Tarragon, this recipe is a
My favorite Phase One Recipes from April 2013 were Lentil Taco Salad, Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata, Roasted Garbanzo and Vegetable Salad, and Spicy Broccoli Jicama Salad. It's May 1, and the gardener inside me is fighting to get out. Unfortunately my new house has serious gardening challenges (like higher elevation and critters) that will take me at least a year to work out bef
For green olive lovers, these deviled eggs are about as good as it gets! These Deviled Eggs with Green Olives, Capers, and Dijon were one of the first things I made in my new kitchen. I wasn't used to the abundance of light so the photos are not that great, and this is not the kind of thing I usually post for my Meatless Monday picks, although eggs are definitely allowed under th
This relish with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, and parsley perfectly enhances the flavor of grilled salmon. (Updated April 2013 with better photos and step-by-step photos.) I first posted this Grilled Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato, Olive, Caper, and Parsley Relish back in 2007, when my beloved Fine Cooking magazine had a feature about sauces to finish off grilled fish, and I thought
(Eight-Candle Cake Image from Bruce's Birthday Images and Links) When I sat down at the computer and wrote this post eight years ago, I couldn't imagine what an adventure I was starting with this little food blog. Since then I've retired after 30 years of teaching, met a lot of fellow food bloggers and become real-life friends with some of them, been inspired by the amazing
Gremolata can bring the fresh-herb flavors of summer to your food all year round! Anyone who's been following my blog for a while already knows that I'm a fresh herb enthusiast! If you're a cook who's discovered the wonderful way that cooking with fresh herbs can enhance the flavor of foods without adding fat or calories, then it won't be hard to understand why I th
If you like asparagus, lemon, garlic, and parsley, this Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata is one of those simple recipes you'll make over and over. I just shared the reasons I think you should add Gremolata to your cooking repertoire, and if you like asparagus this recipe for Easy and Amazing Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata is one of the first ways I'd suggest using that Gremola
If you're not a garbanzo fan, make this with another type of beans, but you must try this salad where the beans are roasted with the vegetables! When he was staying at my house, my brother Rand came home one day with a garbanzo salad from the market. The salad was okay but not anything that was especially memorable, but doctoring up that salad to give it a bit more wow was what ins
Collard greens, garlic, and red pepper flakes are tossed with browned turkey Italian sausage and pasta in this easy and delicious recipe. If you haven't warmed up to collards, use any type of greens you'd like! (Updated with greatly improved photos and better instructions, April 2013.) This easy and delicious recipe for Pasta with Italian Sausage and Collard Greens was adapted
Swedish Meatballs made from lean beef and reduced-fat pork sausage are perfectly seasoned. (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and these Baked Swedish Meatballs that I first made in 2007 are delicious and easy to make. This recipe could certainly use a photo update, so I think I need to make them again soon.) Way b
Grab some radishes and make this Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado, and Radish Salad with Lime and Cilantro. (If you're a cilantro hater I'd just leave it out and double the green onion.) I made this Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado, and Radish Salad with Lime and Cilantro several times to get the flavors just right, and when I was making the final version (with the addition of radishes
I made Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli Soup in my new Ninja Cooker, but you can use any slow cooker. Pasta e Fagioli means simply "pasta and beans" and there are many variations of this traditional Italian soup. If you have an Italian grandmother, this is the soup she probably made for you, or perhaps you've had a version of it at an Italian restaurant. Either way, this sou
A delicious salad with marinated garbanzo beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, and a generous amount of parsley! (Updated with new photos and slight tweaks to the recipe; April 2013.) I first made this salad in the summer of 2006, and I'd had it on my list of recipes to update for a couple of years now. Then recently my store had a great buy on gorgeous yellow bell peppers, which seemed
Gorgeous spring asparagus is tossed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then slowly roasted until it's nicely browned and tender. Perfect! (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this method of roasting asparagus at a lower temperature is one I've been using for years. It's especially good f
I found lovely Hake loins at Costco, but if you don't have Hake you can use any type of mild white fish to bake with Tomato, Kalamata Olive, and Caper Salsa. When you're living in a completely land-locked state like Utah, frozen fish is the name of the game, so I'm always checking at Costco to see if they have any new seafood offerings. Recently I bought a package of Kirkla
This Vegetarian Lentil Taco Salad with Tomatoes, Olive, and Avocado can easily be vegan if you skip the optional Ranch Dressing and cheese. I guess I'm officially settled into the new house, because I had my first cooking session with my nephew/cooking assistant Jake, and we loved having the the new bigger kitchen so both of us have plenty of room to work. The new house also has bi
Italian Sausage and White Beans with Sage gets extra flavorful when the cooked beans, sausage, and sage are simmered in the slow cooker with tomatoes and ground fennel. (Updated with new photos and better instructions, April 2013.) Back in 2005 when I first started blogging, one of the first bloggers I "met" online was Ilva from Tuscany, who writes the beautiful blog called L
Roasted Spaghetti Squash served with a simple homemade tomato sauce and chicken sausage meatballs is a quick and healthy dinner. I'm not sure why I was a little slow to warm up to the idea of spaghetti squash as a replacement for pasta, because I certainly enjoyed it when I made Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin and Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan. Whatever the r
My favorite Phase One Recipes from March 2013 were Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Larb Salad, Roasted Bell Peppers and Red Onions with Turkey Italian Sausage, Mediterranean Spinach Salad, and Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas with Ground Beef. It's April, and I've been living in my new house for a week and one day, and I'm completely in love with the house. It's a good thing, becaus
African-Inspired Vegetarian Crockpot Soup with Peanut Butter, Chiles, Brown Rice, and Lentils for Meatless Monday. (Updated with step-by-step photos and better pictures, March 2013.) In Utah the spring weather can change in a minute, and I always like to have soup in the freezer for those days when the weather suddenly gets cold. Before I moved I made this soup with Jake to reshoot th
Ten fun ideas for using leftover boiled eggs, ham, or asparagus from Easter. I've been in such a frenzy of unpacking boxes around here that I can hardly believe Easter is in two more days! I still have at least 30 more boxes to unpack, so there won't be much Easter cooking going on at my house. Instead I'll be enjoying dinner at my sister Pam's house, which is now only abo
A Thai-inspired salad with ground turkey, Sriracha, Mint, Cilantro, and Peanuts. Last Saturday about 20 Denny family relatives gathered at my house in Salt Lake and moved all my belongings to my new house in Bountiful, which is the suburb of Salt Lake where I grew up. I've done plenty of complaining about how hard it was to move 25 years of accumulated stuff, and I'm grateful b
An easy and delicious dinner that started with a new turkey sausage product I found at Costco. It feels ungrateful to complain about how hard it is to move (especially when you're lucky enough to be moving to a wonderful house that you love), but will confess that days and days of sorting, packing, giving things away, and schlepping stuff to the new house is really giving me a wake-up c
Slow Cooker Greek Rice with Red Bell Pepper, Feta, and Kalamata Olives may not be that photogenic, but this dish is completely delicious and perfect for Meatless Monday. I haven't moved for 25 years, and there's no question that I had completely blocked all the memories of just how awful moving really is, so it's a good thing I'm excited about the hew house! It's no
If you're not against using canned soup, this Baked Sour Cream Chicken is easy, kid-friendly, and delicious. (Updated March 2013 with better photos and step-by-step instructions.) Right now I'm completely overwhelmed by the mess of moving to the new house, and feeling thankful that I have The World's Greatest Family, who are generously helping me pull off this enormous move.
When you need some homemade comfort food, this Better-than-Mom's Stovetop Goulash with Macaroni, Tomatoes, and Ground Beef will do the trick! A couple of weeks ago I confessed on Twitter that I was making a recipe by Paula Deen, and even though this Stovetop Goulash with Macaroni, Tomatoes, and Ground Beef seems like a pretty light recipe for her, this delicious goulash was pure com
Mediterranean Spinach Salad with the same Sumac-Lemon vinaigrette that makes me swoon over Fattoush! I'm still intrigued with Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem, and if you've seen that book you can understand how it inspired the Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad I posted a few weeks ago, and now this Mediterranean Spinach Salad with Garbanzos, Tomatoes, Radishes, and Sumac-Lemon Vi
Broccoli Rabe is a quick veggie side dish, quickly sauteed and drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar. (Updated with better photos, step-by-step photos, better instructions, and recipe links in March 2013.) Back in 2006 when I was a new food blogger with stars in my eyes, I became obsessed with a type of greens my blogging friends were writing about called broccoli rabe (also called r
A delicious and quick dinner from Mark Bittman with ground beef, chickpeas, and cilantro. (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this simple recipe of sauteed chickpeas with a little bit of ground beef and lots of cilantro is something I'd love for dinner any time of year.) I guess all food bloggers have their
These Fifteen Minute Salsa Verde Eggs were a breakfast experiment that's a definite keeper. The idea of eggs cooked in some kind of spicy sauce is what has inspired famous dishes like Shakshuka and Huevos Rancheros. I could have been thinking something like that when this simple breakfast idea popped into my mind, but truthfully I think the recipe was most inspired by a jar of sals
Delicious and can-be-vegan Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Peanut Thai-Inspired Soup with Red Bell Pepper and Cilantro is also gluten-free. There's a good reason why there are so many butternut squash soup recipes, and personally I think it's about the way the slightly nutty flavor of butternut squash gets along well with so many other flavors. In this soup, the cubed squash
My favorite Phase One Recipes from February 2013 include CrockPot (or stovetop) Black Bean Chili with Lime and Cilantro, Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Parmesan, Vegetarian Greek Lentil Casserole with Bell Peppers and Feta, and Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad with Buttermilk-Tahini Dressing, Chickpeas, Sumac, and Pine Nuts. Before I send you off to look at South Beach Diet Phase One reci
This slightly-spicy cabbage salad got three thumbs way up when I tested the recipe! (For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Spicy Cabbage Salad with Tomatoes, Radishes, and Celery is one of those amazing salad combinations where the sum is so much greater than the parts. And since we're welcoming March with
Mark Bittman's Ginger Chicken is a dish that's easy, delicious, and healthy! (Updated with step-by-step photos and better instructions, February 2013.) I'm pretty sure I don't have the mental discipline to be one of those bloggers who cook their way through an entire recipe book, but back in 2005 I did cook a number of dishes from The Best Recipes in the World, where fa
An easy and delicious vegetarian casserole of baked lentils with tomatoes, peppers, and Feta. A few weeks ago my friend Bonnie sent me the link for this recipe and told me how much she and her husband had enjoyed it. The recipe had two of my favorite ingredients (lentils and cheese!) so of course I was game to try it. Then Jake and I experimented with it a couple of times, and the recipe
A favorite slow cooker black bean chili, thickened with refried beans and flavored with lime and cilantro. (Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions, February 2013.) One thing that can be frustrating about food blogging is that the greatest recipe in the world won't get much attention if the photo is bad, so I was happy to finally take new photos for this favorite s
If you enjoy barley in soup, you'll love this soup with ground turkey, barley, mushrooms, and spinach! I'm on a quest to prove that ground turkey doesn't have to be boring, and this comforting and flavorful soup was the latest recipe where I experimented with lean ground turkey as an ingredient. The soup also has lots of brown Crimini mushrooms and chopped spinach, two ingr
My favorite olive oil for just about everything. There's no question that this Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco is long overdue for being chosen as one of my picks for ingredients I buy over and over and happily recommend to the readers of Kalyn's Kitchen. Olive oil snobs may turn up their nose at the idea of buying olive oil from a big-box store like Costco,
