Mango Coconut Shrimp Pops have a tropical flair that your guests will love. Although shrimp cocktail is one of the most popular appetizers for parties, I love the idea of surprising my guests with a little something extra special. I made these Mango Coconut Shrimp Pops for a fundraiser we hosted recently. The presentation of…
Dairy-free Allergy-Friendly Recipes
Dairy-free Recipes so good you won't feel like you're missing out.
Bacon Dust Recipe
Bacon Dust is a great way to finish a dish whenever you need a little bacon flavor, but don’t want to load up on the calories. Bacon dust is a brilliant idea that I came across in Don’t Give Me Eggs That Bounce by Peter Morgan-Jones, a cookbook for people with Alzheimer’s. It never occurred…
Low Carb Bok Choy Egg Ramen Noodle Soup
Low Carb Bok Choy Egg Ramen Noodle Soup is a fast, healthy and delicious one bowl meal. I love ramen noodles. I’m pretty sure almost every college student has lived off of ramen noodle soup at some point. I know I ate my share in college. Although I love fresh ramen noodles and could eat…
Farmer’s Market Corn Salad Recipe
Farmer’s Market Corn Salad features fresh corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and basil at their peak. I made this simple corn salad for our Dominican Republic mission trip reunion this past weekend. It was the first time our group has gotten together since our trip in early August. We bonded during the nine days we…
Mandarin Pancakes (Bao Bing 春饼) Recipe
Mandarin Pancakes are served with Moo Shu Shrimp or other fillings, similar to a burrito. When I was growing up, my mom made almost everything from scratch, including these Mandarin pancakes. These days, you can buy pre-made Mandarin pancakes at the Asian grocery store, so I feel the art of making these pancakes by hand…
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce is an easy, healthy and delicious vegetable dish for everyday meals. I had this dish in Cantonese restaurants many times before I realized how easy it was to prepare at home. This week, I prepared a meal for one of our church families, including this side dish. Little did I…
Instant Pot Vegetarian Lentil Tacos Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetarian Lentil Tacos are delicious and so flavorful, even non-vegetarians will enjoy them. Two of my boys are dating vegetarians, so during “girlfriend week,” I made vegetarian dinners along with regular meals to satisfy everyone’s dietary choices. The twins actually have high cholesterol (they inherited the bad cholesterol genes from my husband’s side…
Vegetarian Fried Rice Recipe
Vegetable Fried Rice is a simple, delicious meal that reheats well and serves a crowd. I’ve been making fried rice for more than 30 years, so I know how to make really good fried rice, if I say so myself. Fried rice is a crowd pleaser and reheats easily, so when my kids are home…
Dominican Republic Green Salad Recipe
Dominican Republic Green Salad is a simple, everyday salad that is the perfect accompaniment to any meal of the day. Today, I am going to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip with 50 other people from my church, including the twins and my youngest son. I’ve never been on a mission trip, nor have…
Corn Tomato Avocado Salsa Salad Recipe
This Corn Tomato Avocado Salsa Salad is perfect for warm weather entertaining. Serve it as a dip for an appetizer, salsa on top of grilled chicken or fish, or as a salad. Casual summer dinners, barbecues and get togethers call for easy recipes that can be thrown together quickly with fresh in-season ingredients. I love…
Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon Recipe
Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon is perfect for summertime. The rub is delicious and very kid-friendly. My kids normally don’t like salmon, but this is one salmon recipe that they all love. I’m not sure there’s anything Brazilian about this recipe, but that’s the name based on a recipe my friend gave me many years ago….
Grilled Brined Chicken with Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Grilled Brined Chicken with Homemade Barbecue Sauce takes barbecue chicken to a whole new level. Smoky and sweet, this sauce is finger licking good, and the brined chicken is juicy and tender. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting my husband’s cousin and niece from Taiwan for a week. I’ve never met them before, and…
Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho Recipe
Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho is a refreshing, healthy cold summer soup that features summer produce at their peak. My mom used to make gazpacho in the summertime. It was perfect for the sweltering heat as no cooking was involved and the soup was served cold – that’s a win win in my book. Most people either…
Georgian Beet Green Pkhali Recipe
Georgian Beet Green Pkhali are a traditional dish made with finely chopped beet greens, walnuts, garlic and herbs. Spinach Pkhali was one of the first Georgian dishes I tried when our Georgian friend invited us out for Georgian New Year a number of years ago. That evening remains fixed in my memory as everything we…
Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe
Kale Basil Pistachio Garlic Scape Pesto is a great way to enjoy in-season farmer’s market produce. I remember the first time I tasted pesto many years ago. Just a spoonful of pesto packs a flavorful aromatic punch to any dish. Traditional pesto is made with basil and pine nuts, but I love adding leafy green…
Shawarma Chicken Wraps Recipe
Shawarma Chicken Wraps are flavorful and fun to eat. This recipe makes it possible to recreate a popular street food in your home kitchen. I’ve been making these Shawarma Chicken Wraps for the past eight years, and my kids love them. They’re packed with flavor (the garlic mayonnaise compliments the spiced chicken perfectly), and look…
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice Recipe
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice is a versatile whole grain side dish. Enjoy it with beans, with chili ladled on top, chicken carnitas, in burritos, or stirred into black bean soup. My boys love Chipotle Mexican Grill. It’s a restaurant chain that serves semi-fast Mexican food made largely with sustainable ingredients. They try to source antibiotic…
Caribbean Black Beans Recipe
Caribbean Black Beans is a quick and easy dish. Serve with grilled fish or chicken carnitas and steamed rice. I first made these black beans about twenty years ago, and still have the original recipe cut out from a magazine. Before the internet days, I used to clip out recipes and put my favorites in…
Grilled Chili Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta
Grilled Chili Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta is quick and delicious, and it comes together in just 30 minutes. I love efficient meals. The key to an preparing an “efficient” meal is preparing and cooking ingredients in the most logical sequence. The trick to getting this Grilled Chili Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta on the…
Kale Basil Hazelnut Pesto Recipe
Kale Basil Hazelnut Pesto is a healthy and delicious condiment that doubles as a way to get extra leafy green vegetables into everyday meals. Growing up in a Chinese American family, I did not get my first taste of pesto until I was an adult. But, once I tasted it, I was hooked. Although traditional…
Chipotle Black Bean Tomato Corn Avocado Salad
This Chipotle Black Bean Tomato Corn Avocado Salad can be enjoyed as a dip or salad. It’s perfect for entertaining during warmer months. We’re hosting a celebration in a few weeks, and this salad is going to be on the menu. It’s great for a crowd, and fits right in during grilling season. This post is…