Belgian Fries - the perfect side, period! Pillow soft, moist and deliciously crispy with a golden brown color and enhanced flavor from duck fat. Full disclosure these fries are highly addictive. Before figuring out a recipe, I've on more than one occasion brainstormed ways of getting to Brussels, hence the song choice - Kari Faux's "Law of Attraction." Enjoy, and after you've tried them, feel free to give me a shout and let me know your thoughts.
Quick and Easy Recipes
A big green salad just in time for Thanksgiving side dish plans. It's a unique salad featuring an unlikely mix of ingredients that work magic together. Collard greens, baby lima beans, smashed cucumbers, and lemongrass-coconut pickled celery make for soul food meets Asian cuisine mash-up. Requires little cooking to free you up to focus on other things. The recipe is powered by a soulful hip hop track "Greeny Green" from Atlanta's finest Goodie Mob featuring Ceelo Green.
Baked Whole Black Sea Bass Recipe with Beet Greens Salsa - an easy and delicious baked fish recipe with step by step instructions for choosing and cooking whole fish. I eat a lot of beets including smoked beets, roasted beets, and even lightly pickled beets. Because of this and the fact that I hate wasting …
Vegan pozole - Mexican meets soul food in this fusion soup recipe featuring cabbage poblano, and collard greens. It's a delicious and warming soup that comes together fast and can be included as part of your 30-minute meals repertoire. I've heard all the chatter about a cabbage soup diet being this miracle weight loss regimen. …
A vibrant, and refreshing main dish option that can be added to your 30 minute meals arsenal. Quinoa is easy to cook and requires little effort to impart flavor. Given this, it's a staple in our house as a busy weeknight go-to. Plus it offers so many other beneficial qualities that I recommend you get …
This comforting skillet cabbage recipe is a great weeknight meal. It's delicious and perfect for all types of customization. I know how much you guys love quick and easy meals, so today I am sharing my grandma's quick and easy beef cabbage stir. Add this to your collection of 30-minute meals. There are only a …
Raw Beet Salad A delicious and easy salad that takes little time to make and is the perfect side dish for the holidays or quick weeknight dinner. This raw beet salad looks and tastes fancy but is SUPER EASY to make. It comes together in minutes since no cooking is required. It's just beets, radishes, …
Discover an easy side dish with our coconut rice recipe, enhanced by the bold flavors of ginger and garlic. This aromatic, creamy rice pairs perfectly with any main course, bringing a delightful fusion of richness and zest to your table in no time. Related Rice Recipes This easy coconut rice recipe is not just about …
Simple in execution, complex in flavor, this is an easy weeknight skillet corn is a side full of flavor and versatile enough to work with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This is a great summer cookout dish. It's super easy to make and can be eaten cold or at room temperature so it travels …
If you were ever curious about how to cook green lentils, then you're in the right place. This post includes detailed notes as well as a real recipe at the end to demonstrate. Lentils are common in our house all year round. Mushy lentils are looked upon with disdain by all in the family. Luckily …
Grilled Vegetable Salad - select ripe summer vegetables blistered over hot flames and then tossed in simple yet complex tasting citrus herb vinaigrette! This delicious simple vegan salad is ready in minutes. Summertime is the best! You can't beat the wide selection of fruits and vegetables available for your pleasure. I made use of as …
Sheet pan roasted vegetables - a no fuss, no mess way to cook delicious sides while multi-tasking or devoting time to your main dish. The beans and potatoes are well seasoned and roasted directly in a sheet pan. Take out two birds with one stone with this easy dish! MOOD MUSIC What main dish goes …
Heirloom tomato galette made with puff pastry is an easy, savory dessert recipe for non-bakers or just anyone looking for convenience. Charming, effortless and screaming Summer dessert, this galette is a winner! MOOD MUSIC During my last farmer's market visit, the selection of fresh, vibrant heirloom tomatoes got me pretty damn excited. Admittedly, I lose …
Indulge in the exquisite flavors of grapefruit brulee infused with aromatic cardamom spice. Paired with Busta Rhymes' song "You Can't Hold the Torch," this dessert experience is a symphony of sweet and spiced notes that tantalize your taste buds and elevate your dining pleasure. Related Dessert Posts: Grapefruit Brulee - for people like me who …
Basil Pesto Spaghetti Squash - flavorful, low carb way to get your pasta fix. The squash is backed by a tasty homemade basil pesto recipe. Some years ago when I was working for Kraft Foods we were doing a lot of research on low carb diets. This was near the height of the low carb …
Bell Pepper Salad - Refreshingly simple salad of fresh, ripe bell peppers minimally seasoned to highlight the bright flavors. This is that quick, salad to compliment any meat dish whether grilled, fried, or roasted. MOOD MUSIC A Bell Pepper Salad is the quintessential James Brown salad. My grandfather was all about the ingredients and making …
For those who want to enjoy Summer's best fruit beyond a cold slice or fruity drink, this is a great alternative. With the appearance of Ahi Tuna, the texture and mouthfeel of a medium rare ribeye, this finished roasted watermelon steak is a great fancy appetizer and main ingredient for a summer salad. Summertime doesn't …
Are some of your favorite recipes the most minimalist? This whole roasted cauliflower recipe fits the bill and is probably the best simple recipe you'll ever have. The cauliflower is seasoned extremely well both inside and out. In most cauliflower recipes, cauliflower plays a supporting role. For this one, it's actually the star in a …
The perfect summer salad; refreshingly light with grilled calamari, ripe cherry tomatoes, and sweet watermelon that can be pulled off in a few minutes with minimal work. I'm a little late posting this as I had every intention to have this on the blog several days before the 4th of July. But hey, for my …
Delicious 10 minute take on a soul food staple featuring no slime okra and tomatoes prepared with one of the most simple cooking methods to allow the okra's natural flavor to shine augmented with lime and fresh mint. We eat okra in so many different ways in my house. But I understand not everyone is …
I'm not an egg snob, but I do strive for the perfect fried eggs every time I cook them. I emphasize the word "strive" as absolute perfection has been quite elusive for me. Maybe you guys are experts but I'd say I'm more of a work in progress. For me the fun is in the …
Watermelon radish paired with berry cream cheese on toast. This is a flavorful and interesting take on breakfast toasts. It requires little time and cooking so you can get your day started quickly. The combination of fresh peaches, fluffy cream cheese, and peppery crunchy watermelon radishes makes for a wonderful eating experience. MOOD MUSIC I've …
Simple and easy raw shaved fennel salad with basic vinaigrette, radishes, fresh herbs and Parmesan. Do you ever find yourself wanting a simple side or salad to complement your main dish? If so this shaved fennel salad is your dish. You can devote all your time and effort to your main dish while having a …
Baby Kale Pesto Pasta with spicy shrimp - Simple recipe that can be pulled together quickly for busy weeknights. Shrimp obviously requires little time, and this homemade kale pesto is as basic, yet flavorful as it gets. It's another manic Monday, and I'm already so tired like it's humpday. I have an abundance of herbs …
In this flavor-packed post, we explore the vibrant world of zhoug sauce paired with the energizing beats of Rage Against The Machine's song "Bulls on Parade." Zhoug sauce, with its zesty blend of cilantro, jalapenos, and spices, dances on your taste buds, creating a symphony of bold flavors. The song's fiery intensity mirrors the sauce's …
Post updated 11/12/2019 Related Posts The bright, garlicky flavors of Puerto Rico shine through in this quick and easy grilled pork chops recipe. You ever find that one thing you like and then try to figure ways to get that thing into your life more often. A few weeks ago I made a crazy large …
Yo, check it! Our chicken salad sandwich is straight fire, packed with flavor that'll make your taste buds groove. Creamy, smoky, and oh-so-fly, flavor-packed chicken salad sandwich on the go. Don't sleep on this flavor! Related Sandwich Posts: I ain't one to boast but I make the best damn chicken salad sandwich period! It packs …
Homemade mango ice cream featuring fresh mangos and roasted red peppers for a tasty sweet and savory dessert combo. Mangos and roasted red peppers in an ice cream recipe? I know, who woulda thunk it? But it actually works. Don't believe me, try it! Its only 5 ingredients and requires very little time and effort …
How many of you are like me and think grilled asparagus is a finger food vs. a side dish? Back in the day, my intention when making grilled asparagus was to get those nice grill marks and then serve it right along with the chicken breasts or steak that I had grilled. My thinking was …
The perfect side for a day of backyard grilling. Whether as an accompaniment to steak, fish, or a vegan item like portobello mushrooms, these grilled bitter greens topped with nothing except a flavorful pear vinaigrette are simple, no-fuss, and delicious. MOOD MUSIC Muddy Water's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet" seems self-explanatory as a song …
This creamy Israeli couscous salad with mushrooms and kale dish is the perfect comfort food. It's a delicious and filling weeknight gourmet dinner option that requires so little effort but nets big returns. Regular granular couscous is more often used as a side. However its more pasta like cousin Israeli has enough heft to …
Stop playing! Make this baby kale pesto and put it on just about everything you like to grub on. My meal prep is as basic and simple as it gets. I make a few different sauces every Sunday such as this baby kale pesto or my favorite roasted red pepper sauce which you can find …
Badass collards shouldn't be reserved for just Sunday soul food dinners and holidays. These silky-smooth meatless braised collard greens were meant to be enjoyed on weeknights as well. Musical Inspiration for Wine Braised Collard Greens If I could only eat one food, it'd likely be collard greens. My love affair with this dark cruciferous aphrodisiac …
Grilled scallops are quick, delicious and can go well with just about anything, so I keep them in the rotation especially on nice sunny days. They're golden, as long as you don't overcook them. These are grilled to perfection and topped with a lemony salsa verde made with beet greens and a mix of fresh …
This vegan BLT sandwich is the TRUTH! Fresh tomatoes and a killer smokey sauce elevate this BLT to the head of the class. MOOD MUSIC Some years ago when I was working for Kraft Foods I had a research assignment where we visited Velveeta Cheese consumers to discuss and observe their Velveeta consumption habits. I …
This Salmon Poke Bowl recipe is not traditional in the true Hawaiian sense by any means, but it is damn good and more in line with versions you'll see as part of the craze that's going on currently. I used the toppings to put my personal spin on it which skews more towards soul food …
A very simple roasted broccoli recipe dressed flavorfully for an easy weeknight side. Garlic and parmesan are simple adds that deliver big flavor! MOOD MUSIC I find some of the simplest recipes are the best. This roasted broccoli qualifies as such and is one of our favorite staples. It's especially great in a pinch when …
Simple Cucumber Salad that's packed with flavor and super easy to pull together. The salad is a refreshing, pick me up, but I also use it when I need to quickly take the edge off and prevent hangry man from showing up. However, because it presents so well and packs a lot of flavor it …
Purple vegetables make for a silky smooth cauliflower potato soup in this simple dinner soup recipe. Purple cauliflower and purple potatoes are well seasoned, cooked and pureed into creamy goodness then garnished with purple daikon and crushed pistachios to add a bit of crunch. The purple madness in this recipe is the result of all …
There is nothing like a migas breakfast after a long weekend. It's a hearty meal that is uniquely Tex-Mex. I tweaked this classic skillet breakfast by adding another Texas staple, leftover smoked brisket. Migas have long been a staple skillet breakfast option to most Texans, however outside of the Lone Star State they are relatively …