Latest Posts

baked goods, bread, European

Finnish Pulla Bread

This recipe comes from the illustrious and Finnish-American Natalie Johnson of Twin City Barbell. While protein is important for building muscle, carbs are essential for powering your workout–so what better than some tasty, home-made bread? This is essentially challah, a rich egg bread, with the added deliciousness of cardamom. Don’t fret about the braiding–it will […]

Asian, pork, salad, sauces

Tonkatsu – IMPROVED!

My original tonkatsu recipe has been tested many times, and I’ve learned a few things. Mainly I have improved the salad dressing. Also I include a more detailed description of how to make the cutlet. Not pictured: mochi ice cream. Ganbatte! Improved Salad Dressing The key to the improved salad dressing is the miso. Hint: […]

Middle Eastern, sides, squash

Afghani Pumpkin Chunks

To be honest, I was inspired to make this based on a menu item I didn’t actually order at an Afghani restaurant – something called a Kaddo Bouarani, sweetened pumpkin with Afghani meat sauce. Since Lillian already has a wonderful recipe for the latter, I decided to try making the pumpkin half, especially since pie […]

braising, cabbage, chicken, entree

Chicken with Red Cabbage

I adapted this recipe from Hazans’ “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.” I got the cookbook a couple months ago, expecting to find more warm-weather food, but she tends towards comfort foods so I’ve been waiting for it to get cool enough to make this recipe. It turned out extremely well – the flavor is much […]

Latin, meat, spicy

Slow-cooker Green Sauce Taco Meat

This really is essentially a variation of Lillian’s recipe for green enchilada sauce, though not developed as such. Tomatillos and green peppers are simply delicious. This takes a little bit of time to prepare in the morning (or you could do it the night before and leave everything in the crockpot in the fridge) 1.5 […]

American, baked entrees, chicken, rice, soup

Chicken and Rice

I must have been too embarrassed of its humble provenance from the Campbell’s Soup Label (and website) to post this recipe yet, but I make it all the time. I’ve classed it up a bit, as I tend to do. Try to find Cream of Onion instead of Cream of Mushroom or Celery…it’s not as […]

dairy, dessert, fruit

Frozen Blueberry Dream

I really like ice cream. When I am trying to remain virtuous, I tend to get pretty creative. Tonight I had an inspiration: I always keep frozen blueberries on hand because they are really delicious. I also usually have one or two sliced bananas in the freezer, because they are great in protein drinks or […]

beans, herbs, salad, sides

White Bean Salad (That Doesn’t Suck)

Typical potluck bean salad is an affront to the senses: bland yet pungent, mushy, tin-can-flavored filler. This recipe is none of those things. It’s a simple and quick preparation that highlights fresh herbs and ever-delicious olive oil. I recommend using white wine vinegar (NOT all-purpose distilled white or cider vinegar), but you could also use […]

baked entrees

Barley Bake

I’m adding this by request, although it’s very simple and I don’t have a photo of it yet. It’s great for using up whatever you have in the kitchen, and offers a wholesome, hearty, and warming meal. I like to serve a green vegetable on the side as well. Ingredients onion mushrooms pearl barley (I […]

baked goods, dessert, fruit, raspberries

Raspberry Muffins

These could be made with any berry, or even rhubarb. They yield a tender, moist muffin with medium sweetness and a tender crumb. I used raspberries and blackberries for the ones in the picture. Instead of lemon and vanilla you could go with a cinnamon spice approach instead, and add a streusel topping. 1/4 c. […]