Category: tomato free

Ranch Water Cocktail

Have you tried a ranch water cocktail? If not, let me introduce you! Essentially a tall tequila soda with extra lime, the ranch water is more than…

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ranch water recipe

Have you tried a ranch water cocktail? If not, let me introduce you! Essentially a tall tequila soda with extra lime, the ranch water is more than the sum of its parts. If you use a great tequila and Topo Chico, it tastes quite special.

The ranch water is like a bubbly, light and totally unsweetened margarita. If even “skinny” margaritas are sometimes too sweet for you, try a ranch water instead. It’s super refreshing and perfect on a hot day. When I’m at a bar without an exciting wine list, the ranch water is my go-to drink order regardless of the season.

ranch water ingredients

Ranch waters hail from Texas, with Ranch 616 in Austin claiming to be “home to the original ranch water.” I honestly can’t recall when I first tried a ranch water—maybe it was during my month in Austin in 2015, or sometime in between. My brother lives in West Texas and I was delighted to discover that they were serving ranch waters at his wedding a few years ago.

Pre-made ranch water cocktails in cans are becoming more popular, but you can’t beat a homemade ranch water made with good tequila, bubbly Topo Chico and fresh lime. They are so easy to make. Find my recipe below!

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Seasonal Spinach Salad

Make this spinach salad recipe to serve with your favorite main dishes! This fresh spinach salad features seasonal fruit, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, just enough red…

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best spinach salad recipe

Make this spinach salad recipe to serve with your favorite main dishes! This fresh spinach salad features seasonal fruit, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, just enough red onion, and the perfect amount of vinaigrette. It’s finished with a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.

This spinach salad is beautiful, absolutely delicious, and holiday worthy. It’s also easily adjusted to the changing seasons, and simple enough to make on a weeknight. Hooray!

spinach salad ingredients

You’ll see raspberries in these photos, which are wonderful. You’re not limited to raspberries, though—this spinach salad would be equally great with apples, pears, strawberries and more. You’ll find a full list of options below.

I’ve created quite a few green salad recipes over the years, but not a lot of spinach salad recipes. Arugula, kale, romaine and spring greens are usually my fresh greens of choice. The other day, I tried a spinach salad at a local French restaurant that inspired me to give fresh spinach in salads another chance. Let me tell you, this spinach salad is worth making! I love it and hope you do, too.

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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

This creamy pumpkin mac and cheese recipe comes together in one pot. It’s really quite easy to make. You don’t even drain the pasta cooking water. Thanks…

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pumpkin mac and cheese

This creamy pumpkin mac and cheese recipe comes together in one pot. It’s really quite easy to make. You don’t even drain the pasta cooking water.

Thanks to the pumpkin, this dish is extra creamy, golden and flavorful. Naturally, it’s lighter than your typical homemade mac and cheese. On cool fall evenings, this mac and cheese will warm you up without putting you to sleep.

This easy autumnal pasta recipe will delight the whole family. Leftovers reheat well for the next few days, and even freeze well enough for our toddler’s future meals.

pumpkin mac and cheese ingredients

This recipe is a derivative of my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe, which has been a big hit. While that recipe relies on roasted butternut squash for depth of flavor, this recipe calls for canned pumpkin purée.

To make up for the roasted flavor, this recipe benefits from deeply toasting spices in butter—pumpkin spice blend, garlic powder and onion powder. Then, we cook a can of pumpkin purée in the flavored butter for a minute before adding pasta and water. Later on, we’ll stir in some cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan. The end result is magical.

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Chimichurri Chickpeas

These chimichurri chickpeas are bold and zippy. This simple dish features hearty chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and homemade chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri verde hails from Argentina and is…

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chimichurri chickpeas recipe

These chimichurri chickpeas are bold and zippy. This simple dish features hearty chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, and homemade chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri verde hails from Argentina and is typically served on steak, though I love it in many other preparations. It’s a bright herbed sauce made with fresh parsley, garlic, red onion, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

While traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, my preparation method uses the food processor as much as possible, so it comes together very quickly.

chimichurri chickpeas ingredients

You could call this recipe is a collision of leftovers or, better yet, a happy coincidence. This summer, we invited friends over to grill and I made my chimichurri sauce to go with our meal. I was thrilled when one of our friends took his first bite and demanded the recipe.

We had a bit of sauce leftover, so I stashed it in the refrigerator near some extra chickpeas. The combination proved fantastic once I added some creamy, tangy feta cheese.

While the sauce is Argentinean, this dish’s flavor profile is more recognizably Mediterranean. I love this lively side dish, and I hope you do, too.

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