Shrimp “cook” in lime juice to make this flavorful Shrimp Ceviche, with fresh cilantro, cucumbers and jalapeño. The perfect summer appetizer! Shrimp Ceviche This ceviche recipe is an incredibly easy dish that is sure to impress. Plus, no oven or stove is needed, making it perfect for summer. Just combine the shrimp with the onion, […]
Shrimp “cook” in lime juice to make this flavorful Shrimp Ceviche, with fresh cilantro, cucumbers and jalapeño. The perfect summer appetizer!
Shrimp Ceviche
This ceviche recipe is an incredibly easy dish that is sure to impress. Plus, no oven or stove is needed, making it perfect for summer. Just combine the shrimp with the onion, lime juice, and salt for 20 minutes, and then add in the other veggies. That’s it! Serve with tortilla chips for a delicious appetizer for your beach house, boat or backyard. Some more of my ceviche inspired recipes are this Ceviche Shrimp Cocktail, Canned Tuna Ceviche, Vegan Mushroom Ceviche, and Ceviche Cucumber Cups.
Are you familiar with esquites? Also known as elote en vaso, esquites are an experience you’ll remember. Esquites are Mexican street corn (elote) cut off the cob,…
Are you familiar with esquites? Also known as elote en vaso, esquites are an experience you’ll remember. Esquites are Mexican street corn (elote) cut off the cob, served in salad form.
Esquites are creamy, tangy, spicy, sweet and savory all at once. In other words, they’re completely irresistible. This elote recipe was the best recipe to come off our grill last summer, and I’m excited to share this stovetop variation with you.
Esquites share the same ingredients with elote: fresh corn, mayonnaise, cilantro, chili powder, lime and crumbled Cotija cheese. The combination is sublime, and this variation is much easier to eat. I’ve enjoyed both options in Mexico City and love making them at home. I’m going to cook this simple salad all summer and through the rest of the year.
Esquites have one strong cooking advantage over elote—you can start with frozen corn kernels, which really cuts down on preparation time! We’ll just cook the frozen corn in a hot skillet until it’s seared and delicious. If you’re using frozen corn, you can prepare this dish in about twenty minutes, from start to finish.
This simple Spicy Guacamole recipe is made with avocados, tomatoes, jalapeño, lime, garlic, cilantro, and an extra kick from Sriracha. Make this guacamole as mild or as spicy as you like! I’m all for trying different foods – at least once. Sometimes one bite is all it takes to make me a convert. Other times, …
This simple Spicy Guacamole recipe is made with avocados, tomatoes, jalapeño, lime, garlic, cilantro, and an extra kick from Sriracha. Make this guacamole as mild or as spicy as you like!
I’m all for trying different foods – at least once. Sometimes one bite is all it takes to make me a convert. Other times, that first bite will be the only bite of that food that will ever cross my lips.
For instance, I’ve eaten a raw oyster and a frog leg once – I’ll never consume either of these foods again. Recounting those moments gives me the shivers. But guacamole – that’s a totally different story.
Up until about 10 years ago, avocados and I weren’t on good terms. And if I’m being honest, I hated them before even giving them a chance.
I think I had a negative textural perception of them. I’m big on textures and if something falls into the categories of slimy, gritty, jiggly or velvety (unless it’s ice cream), I immediately deem it as suspect.
Then, during a fateful trip to Whole Foods, I was wandering around and lost my friend for a minute. When I found him, he was standing in the middle of the produce section oohing and aahing over a tub of $9.00 guacamole.
I went over to inspect the situation and was welcomed with a guacamole-covered chip shoved near my face. Of course, I got all dramatic, recoiled and claimed I hated the stuff.
However, I decided to take a tiny nibble – just to prove to him that I did indeed loathe the velvety green dip. But I was wrong. I actually loved the stuff and immediately tossed the pricey container into our cart.
From that day forward, I was a guacamole lover.
This Spicy Guacamole recipe is one of the best I’ve found, and certainly my favorite. Try it at your next barbecue, or heck – on a random Tuesday night. Then come back here and tell me what you think.
Easy Shrimp Egg Rolls inspired by my favorite Chinese take-out only healthier, loaded with shrimp in every bite. Air fryer or baked! Shrimp Egg Rolls I love cooking egg rolls in the air fryer because skipping the frying means they are healthier and lighter (see all my air fryer recipes here). If you don’t have […]
Easy Shrimp Egg Rolls inspired by my favorite Chinese take-out only healthier, loaded with shrimp in every bite. Air fryer or baked!
Shrimp Egg Rolls
I love cooking egg rolls in the air fryer because skipping the frying means they are healthier and lighter (see all my air fryer recipes here). If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also bake them. They’re so easy to make and taste so good! Serve them with a dipping sauce, like sweet chili sauce, duck sauce, or spicy mustard if you wish. If you want to do a homemade takeout “fakeout” night, these egg rolls would be delicious with fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, or orange chicken.
This simple artichoke dip hits all the crowd-pleasing notes of the classic version, but cuts way back on the mayo-bomb aspect. And guess what? No-one can tell the difference. I still use a bit of mayo, but incorporate some silken tofu and greek yogurt.
The foundation of classic artichoke dip is basically the following: a can of artichokes (drained & chopped), a cup of mayonnaise, and about a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The ratio might be slightly different depending on the cook, but many recipes for artichoke dip build on this adding garlic and other seasonings from there. My take-away? That’s a lot of mayo. Some recipes use an even higher ratio. The version I make hits all the crowd-pleasing notes of the classic version, but it cuts way back on the mayo-bomb aspect. Guess what? No-one can tell the difference.
I still use a bit of mayo, but incorporate some silken tofu and greek yogurt. I also up the ratio of artichokes to creamy ingredients. You still get indulgent goodness of the original, but this version puts the artichokes back up front, delivers some protein with the tofu and yogurt, and still retains the spirit of the party dip few of us can resist. So let’s get into the specifics.
Smooth versus Chunky Artichoke Dip?
There is some debate regarding which is better – chunky or smooth artichoke dip? I prefer smooth. A quick pulse in a blender, food processor, or with a hand blender brings things together into a base that bakes up extra creamy. I’ve also found that kids tend to like the smooth version best. Probably because there is nothing identifiable as offensive in there. Laugh / cry. But if you like a bit more texture simply use chopped artichokes and skip the blending stage, or just go super easy on it.
Canned versus Frozen Artichokes?
Frozen artichokes are getting increasingly easy to find and, generally speaking, I like their flavor more than the water-packed canned artichokes. It’s kind of like the difference between canned corn and frozen corn. There’s no contest, frozen corn is going to be the winner every time, right? That said both canned and frozen artichokes work great for this recipe. I used jars of artichokes for the photos here and it was delicious as ever. The main thing is to aim for roughly one pound of artichokes – each jar or can usually yields about 1/2 pound of artichokes once they’ve been drained.
Artichoke Dip Goes Great With…
The key here is crunch. Artichoke dip is creamy magic best scooped onto your favorite crunchy snack staples. For example:
i alway regret not making more artichoke dip while I’m at it. At the very least a double batch. There are just so many fantastic ways to put it to use. If you make extra you’ve got a great component to slather on everything. Stop thinking of it as a dip and reframe it as a spread or stuffing. Especially this version. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Slathered across good pizza dough before baking. I especially love this for a spring-summer pizza with ingredients like fava beans, asparagus, and artichoke hearts. Dollop with a bit of great pesto or citrus paste just before serving.
Use leftovers as a dumpling or ravioli filling.
Dolloped on hot baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. Finish with something extra crunchy like fried shallots, sesame seeds or toasted almonds.
Seems obvious, but worth saying, it makes an incredible panini or sandwich spread. Even better on your veggie burger.
Taco Night! A slather on a homemade tortilla just before adding your other fillings is a thing of beauty.
It’s great as a replacement for ricotta in stuffed shells. Or you could go half and half. Throw some citrus zest in there while you’re at it.
Up your deviled egg game! Stir any leftover dip into your deviled egg filling, it’s an unexpected twist on classic deviled eggs.
Use it as a slather on bruschetta. Top with lots of chives and pine nuts.
Artichoke Dip Variations
There are so many ways to tweak this recipe. Here are just a few ideas.
Spinach Artichoke Dip – add a cup of well-chopped spinach (or frozen spinach) to your artichoke dip. You can add it to the blender ingredients, or you can stir it in later with the Parmesan cheese. The later leaves the spinach flecks visible for a classic spinach artichoke dip result.
Spicy Artichoke Dip – I already call for 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder in this recipe and that delivers a bit of bite. That said, you can swap in other spicy flavor profiles if you like. Start by swappingin a tablespoon or so of any of the following, and adjust from there with more to your liking: green curry paste, green harissa, or zhoug.
Artichoke Dip Finished with Indian Tempering Spices – This is absolutely delicious. If you toasta handful of curry leaves in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and then add mustard seeds, a bit of cumin, chopped garlic, and some extra crumbled dried chile you’ll have an incredible finishing oil. Pour, hot from the skillet, over the golden-baked artichoke dip just before serving.
Artichoke Dip with Garlicky Breadcrumb Topping – I usually finish this dip with a simple dusting of grated cheese. But if I’m feeling a bit more ambitious, I’ll pile a generous amount of day-old bread crumbs that I’ve tossed with lots of olive oil, minced garlic, and the grated cheese. It results in the perfect crunch top to counter the dippy smooth and creamy.
One last thing – this is actually a great do-ahead recipe. You can bake it off in any sized dish you like and the smell of the baking artichokes and toasting cheese provides a deliciously fragrant backdrop to any get together. Pop the artichoke dip into the oven roughly half an hour before friends come over, just in time to welcome everyone!
I never thought I’d be so excited to share these cookout food ideas with all of you. But after spending last summer picnicking on our own, the prospect of inviting family and friends over and gathering around the grill sounds amazing. Warm weathe…
I never thought I’d be so excited to share these cookout food ideas with all of you. But after spending last summer picnicking on our own, the prospect of inviting family and friends over and gathering around the grill sounds amazing. Warm weather, good food, and great company? Life doesn’t get much better than that. You’ll find my best cookout food ideas below. They include 44+ recipes for veggie burgers and sandwiches, grilling side dishes, salads, snacks, desserts, and more. Some of them are out-of-the-box and inventive, like Chickpea Harissa Veggie Burgers or Grilled Watermelon with a crispy corn topping. […]
CHICKEN SATAYChicken Satay is one of my favorite skewered meats to eat! The flavors are outrageously good and pair so well with the creamy and tangy peanut sauce! We use chicken thighs in our recipe to ensure every bite is tender and juicy and chicken …
Let’s make delicious and crispy spring rolls with rice paper! I am talking about these cute rice paper rolls that have a colorful, pre-cooked veggie filling (with carrots, purple cabbage, spring onion, bean sprouts in this recipe) and baked in th…
Let’s make delicious and crispy spring rolls with rice paper! I am talking about these cute rice paper rolls that have a colorful, pre-cooked veggie filling (with carrots, purple cabbage, spring onion, bean sprouts in this recipe) and baked in the oven until crispy. If you add the shredded hoisin tofu as well, you have...
On rainy spring afternoons, I hole up in the kitchen and make this asparagus soup recipe. It’s my spring substitute for the butternut squash soup I love making in the fall. When it’s too wet to be outside, I find it soothing and meditative …
On rainy spring afternoons, I hole up in the kitchen and make this asparagus soup recipe. It’s my spring substitute for the butternut squash soup I love making in the fall. When it’s too wet to be outside, I find it soothing and meditative to simmer a pot of asparagus soup on the stove and listen to the rain pattering on the roof. To me, it’s the perfect spring soup. Fresh basil makes it aromatic and refreshing, peas lend it a subtle sweetness, and blended potato makes it lightly creamy without any heavy cream. Serve it as a starter with […]
Here it is! The best cheese board cheese varieties – my all-time favorite cheeses to plate on a cheese plate! The exact kinds of cheese I use and love – ones that are hits every single time. It’s summer cheese board season! Oh yes it is. I’ve shared a ridiculous amount of cheese board blog […]
Here it is! The best cheese board cheese varieties – my all-time favorite cheeses to plate on a cheese plate! The exact kinds of cheese I use and love – ones that are hits every single time.
It’s summer cheese board season! Oh yes it is.
I’ve shared a ridiculous amount of cheese board blog posts, methods and favorites over the last decade. But I’ve found that my favorite cheeses change depending on what’s available, the season and what people around me love. You guys are always asking me in comments and DMs exactly what cheeses to buy, so I wanted to put it here in one space!
These below cheeses are ALWAYS my go-to choice. Of course, I don’t always need ALL of these cheeses on a cheese board, so I may grab one or two of these, or mix and match, etc. Some are very specific, some can be found throughout a few different brands. I know that way back when – when I would search for the exact kind of cheese I should buy for a cheese plate, I wanted clear instructions too! Like, tell me EXACTLY what cheese to buy to build a good cheese plate. And some of my favorite places (like ALDI) also have amazing limited edition cheeses (like I just bought a strawberry champagne one) that I will throw on depending on the season.
These below though? They are my classics, my ALWAYS go-tos. Never fails. The ones I crave! Okay I think you get it.
