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I don’t know how that label came about (does this mean we’ve been dirty eating all this time? hmm, maybe I shouldn’t go there). But I do know that when I stay away from dairy and bread, and when I eat vegetables, legumes, and simple protein like shrimp, my body feels not so weighed down. Do you ever find that to be true for you? This is a summer salad perfect for those midweek cravings for something light yet still filling....

Even though it looks like there’s a lot going on—shrimp, artichokes, peas, pesto, pasta—the whole dish can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta! The recipe uses items that I typically keep on hand in the freezer—frozen shrimp, peas, and artichoke hearts—as well as pesto. I make my own basil pesto in the summer and freeze it to use all year long, or if I’m out, I’ll buy some ready made....

Though not at a campground, our family cooks and eats outside as much as possible in summer. Food cooked over a fire seems especially satisfying. As much as I like hamburgers and hot dogs, it seems a shame to not take advantage of the opportunity to explore other recipes. I love this week’s meals because they can be cooked in the great outdoors or in the comfort of your own kitchen....

Singapore Noodles recipe Singapore Noodles are so popular here in Australia that it appears on the menu of most suburban Chinese restaurants, whether they serve other Singaporian dishes or not. Though if you seek out Singapore Noodles in Singapore, it will elude you as much as the mythical notion that there are koalas in every Aussie backyard. And that’s ok. Singapore Noodles are delicious, and we will always love it!...

Although chermoula is most often paired with fish, it’s excellent with chicken! Chicken thighs hold their own with this flavorful rub made with parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, coriander, lemon, and olive oil. This recipe is an easy one-skillet dish, perfect for a midweek meal. First we brown the thighs on the stovetop, then we slather the thighs with chermoula sauce and pop them in the oven to finish. A cast iron pan works well for this because it easily goes from stovetop to oven....

I have good news! Bread pudding, usually baked in the oven, is a cinch to make at home using a slow cooker. This version uses the decadent dessert, Bananas Foster, as inspiration. Banana puree, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar flavor the bread pudding, and then I finish it with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. Making caramel sauce from scratch is so simple. You’ll want to generously drizzle it on top of the pudding (and everything else)....

In this recipe for slow cooker short ribs, the braising liquid is simple, but flavorful. The basis is a combination of sautéed onion and garlic. Beef broth and worcestershire sauce is added. The real kicker in this recipe is one fresh sprig of rosemary. It may seem simple, but the long cooking time will infuse the rosemary flavor throughout the liquid and the meat. Just be warned, the smell in your house will make you drool!...

Make this in your slow cooker – OR pressure cooker, stove or oven. Directions provided for all! Shredded Beef Chili As far as I’m aware, the title for the world’s best Chili still sits with the original Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington DC. It’s an institution, with a run down charm. The kind of place where you have to fight for a table and yell to put in your order....

An elegant smoked salmon egg breakfast I think breakfast is the hardest meal when it comes to being creative. I am always scouring bistro breakfast menus, trying to get inspiration for new ideas. Do-able ones that don’t require gourmet ingredients or special equipment. I like to try to make something different from the usual bacon and egg fry up when I have friends over for brunch. Which I seem to be doing more often nowadays as opposed to hitting up the nightclubs in town....

Oh how I love these Soft and Light Brioche Burger Buns! With a good burger! More and more often fashionable burger restaurants in the UK are taking the lead from the US and using brioche rolls to serve their burgers on. I’ve seen it in Byron burger (the classic Byron burger is delicious), Gourmet burger (I could eat a million of their skinny fries with garlic mayo) and Five Guys (hooray!...

Sourdough starter adds a unique and nuanced flavor to these pancakes. They’re a surefire way to impress anyone who takes a bite. If you’ve been nurturing a sourdough starter for a while, you’ve probably either amassed or thrown away a lot of it. Making pancakes is one of the most common ways to get rid of excess starter (also known as discard). What Is Discard, and Why Add it to Pancakes?...

Grain-like, but not really a grain, quinoa has a wonderfully nutty flavor. It’s also happily very good for you, being high in protein, fiber, magnesium, calcium, and iron. While quinoa is indigenous to the Andes, not Mexico, it works beautifully with Mexican and Southwestern flavors, and especially well with cheese, in particular farmers cheese, a soft, mild cheese like queso fresco or fresh mozzarella. Southwestern Quinoa Salad This quinoa salad is a quick toss together with canned black beans, fresh garden tomatoes, corn, farmers cheese, jalapeños, red onions, cilantro, and lime....

You could not expect to find phyllo, the paper-thin dough that is the key ingredient, in just any supermarket. In fact, we usually picked up our supply of frozen dough on weekly runs to New York City, the nearest mecca for “foreign” ingredients at the time. Luckily, spanakopita—with its cheesy filling of spinach, feta, scallions, and herbs, all enclosed in layer upon layer of crisp, buttery phyllo—is now a mainstream dish, and the ingredients are easy to find....

The secret to spicy Thai pasta salad is the infused oil and red pepper mixture. It sounds fancy, but infusing oils is actually really easy. The flavors continue to develop over time, so you really want to let this sit for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. We know it’s difficult, but trust us, it will be worth the wait! Pasta Options: Don’t love bowtie pasta? You can use almost any small, shaped pasta instead: penne, rotini, etc....

Case in point: this Spicy Three-Chile Guacamole went from “Oh, that’s nice,” to “Where has this been all my life?!?!”—all it took was a combination of peppers and one humble spice. While a three-chile guacamole may seem a bit fiery to your taste buds, rest assured, the creaminess of the avocado base and the smokiness that the charring imparts tones down the heat. Flecks of crisp red onion and the brightness of the cilantro round out the flavors in this dip to ensure your guacamole has a kiss of heat that’s not too overwhelming....

Beef Cannelloni I think most people think of spinach & ricotta when they think of cannelloni. And while that’s still a firm favourite, this version with a juicy spinach and beef filling makes more of an appearance in my world nowadays. I actually make it more for friends than myself – because it’s a sensational freezer friendly standby and a safe bet (ie one of those meals that both kids and grown ups will love!...

So I set my sights on a cobbler, which is much easier to make than a pie. My father and I have now gone through three iterations of versions of strawberry rhubarb cobbler in as many weeks. The first one was too sweet and mushy, though mom loved it. The second one’s crust was dry and tasteless. This version, however, is just perfect. A favorite from the recipe archives. First published 2006....

Ingredients 1.5 lbs red snapper or tilapia1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves1 TB olive oil1 TB fish sauce2 tsp soy sauce2 limes, juiced2 tsp crushed garlic1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Sauce3 TB lime juice2 TB fish sauce2 TB sugar1 tsp crushed garlic1 tsp minced jalapeno1 TB chopped fresh cilantro leaves Instructions Remove any bones from the fish. In a resealable plastic bag, combing cilantro leaves, olive oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes....

Luckily, these days there are a number of reliable and wonderful pizza ovens that get very hot and are specifically engineered to give you that brick oven pizza finished product, but without the brick oven. The majority are outdoor only ovens that work off of gas, wood, or charcoal to get hot enough. You definitely want to have an oven that can reach 700 degrees or higher for the perfect Neopolitan pizza....