Notes about Recipes in this book

• Sileo celery salad with charcuterie

  • averythingcooks on January 10, 2025

    With the intention of serving this as a side for grilled steak & roasted potatoes (ie not part of a charcuterie spread), I scaled this back to 3 celery stalks so some eyeballing was involved. I used home canned pepperoncinis (+ a little brine) & roasted red peppers from the freezer and it sat in the fridge all day (even overnight is suggested). After removing the garlic cloves, we were happy with the result but as I'm always looking for ways to add extra veg, I added grated carrot & sliced yellow sweet peppers. We really liked what this bright, crunchy, acidic salad brought to our dinner plates. Oh yes....I also didn't bother to peel the celery.

  • krista_fcgy12 on January 14, 2026

    Incredible! I’ve served this tech already this year and the company begs for the recipe. I love serving it the way Alex suggests with provolone cheese sliced thin and a bit of salumi on top. Delicious!

• Crispy smashed potatoes with dynamite sauce

  • averythingcooks on August 25, 2022

    Crispy smashed potatoes are nothing new (but oh so good) so the new idea for us is the "dynamite sauce" for dipping. I made 1/2 for the 2 of us (with leftovers) and used a 50:50 mix of fish sauce + Lea & Perrins; this change worked as we sometimes find fish sauce a bit too.....fish saucy? We had this as a side dish with grilled chicken but I can also see this combo as a snack/appetizer platter when entertaining. A definite repeat.

• Balsamic steak salad with creamy Gorgonzola dressing

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    This was yummy. I cut the recipe in half for 2 of us and was still leftover with a good amount of dressing so next time I'll make sure to make enough for leftovers!

• Buffalo Caesar bowls with za'atar chicken

  • averythingcooks on September 30, 2022

    This was a tasty and substantial dinner salad. The za'atar seasoning on the chicken came through and the dressing was thick & tangy. I chose to leave the carrot out of the quick pickles as there were already a lot of acidic components (the dressing, blue cheese, quick pickled celery & red onion) and just grated it for a hit of sweet. We added sliced hard boiled eggs & some broken up pita chips for crunch. I will make this one again for sure.

• Chopped chipotle chicken salad

  • averythingcooks on October 12, 2022

    I scaled everything back to roughly 1/3 for the 2 of us. The seasoned chicken was really good (this time an 8 oz boneless skinless breast) but the dressing is really the star here. No cilantro for these soap tasters but fresh parsley & chives added nice freshness in its place. The salad itself was based on what we had here (fridge clean out!) and I did finish off the last of the frozen corn (which worked fine). With a handful of broken up pita chips for crunch, this was filling and delicious.

  • Xyz123 on April 27, 2023

    I make this several times per month. Love it. The sauce is great on roasted potatoes too!

  • Bessp on February 17, 2026

    This was a delicious salad. I prepped the chicken and made the dressing in the morning, so putting it all together for dinner was quick. I added two chipotles in adobo and their sauce instead of the hot sauce and chipotle chili powder, and I also reduced the mayo to about 1/2 cup. I also left off the pumpkin seeds because I don't care for them. The dressing turned out quite powerful, which we really liked. The chicken was tender and flavorful, and the sweet sauteed corn was a nice complement.

• Harvest salad with miso dressing

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    This is on repeat for us. I turn it into more of a bowl with extra rice than salad to keep us full. I serve it with air fried chicken usually and whatever veggies we have on hand. So good!

• Mediterranean seared tuna salad

  • mpo on April 16, 2022

    This was fine but not sure it needs to be in the cookbook as it's basically putting three spices together for a rub and then making a salad.

• Vietnamese-inspired "shaking beef" salad

  • southerncooker on March 11, 2022

    I used Arugula and baby spinach for the greens. I only had a few grape tomatoes, so used a mix of those and a vine tomato chopped. For the meat rib- eye. Delicious.

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    Used ribeye & spring mix as the base. This was delicious! I accidentally over salted the beef so I didn't salt the tomatoes /salad so I'll be more mindful of that next time.

• Sheet pan saffron chicken bowls

  • julesamomof2 on June 06, 2023

    These bowls were nice for an easy weeknight gluten-free, dairy free dinner. I subbed chicken breasts and kept them whole in the oven, then sliced as it's easier that way. After 25 minutes my vegetables were not done so I had to take the chicken out and keep the veg in the oven another 15 minutes. Next time I might sub a green vegetable like broccoli as I had a lot of tomatoes on my plate. Overall a decent dinner if a little similar to every other bowl I've made lately.

• Creamy Cajun chicken and wild rice soup

  • ginger2212 on February 09, 2022

    I liked this but both my husband and I thought it was really missing something but couldn't put our finger on it. Hot sauce helped. Maybe it needed mushrooms or more garlic? I probably won't make again but the idea was great and the method was simple!

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    We think this is a fun variation of this soup. I make it spicy, add whatever fresh herbs I have on add (this week was dill and green onion), and a good squeeze of lime and it's great. Leftovers are good for lunch.

  • averythingcooks on March 26, 2025

    We ultimately liked this soup but for us, the 1st taste seemed a little 1 note so I added a little honey, some hot pickled peppers (+ a splash of brine) & more paprika. I also added a big spoonful of a fresh herb blend from my freezer (a mix of parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme) rather than just garnishing with parsley. It is a hearty dinner soup and it is worth making again, continuing to play with the flavours.

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    This is one of my husband’s favorite meals. You can use a quick-cooking wild rice blend to reduce cooking time. I used regular milk instead of coconut milk and reduced the broth from 8 cups to 6. Homemade chicken broth here makes a difference. And don’t skip the bay leaves - they give it depth. The red pepper flakes give it the perfect kick, and you can control the spice.

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    This is one of my husband’s favorite meals. You can use a quick-cooking wild rice blend to reduce cooking time. I used regular milk instead of coconut milk and reduced the broth from 8 cups to 6. Homemade chicken broth here makes a difference. And don’t skip the bay leaves - they give it depth. The red pepper flakes give it the perfect kick, and you can control the spice.

• Creamy cauliflower green curry soup

  • halfchefc on October 10, 2025

    Wow this surprised us. It's a little spicy, creamy but light. Used dill instead of basil since it's what I had in the fridge and it was a good change (big dill fans here). Served with grilled cheese and it was a great weeknight meal.

• Easy Italian white bean soup

  • averythingcooks on September 22, 2022

    This is a very flavourful and substantial soup that was perfect for a cool fall night dinner. I did add a small amount of spicy sausage meat with the bacon as I had to thaw more than I needed for tonight's dinner...the extra went into the soup. We both really enjoyed it and I can see keeping my freezer stocked with this all winter.

• French onion beef stew

  • averythingcooks on October 07, 2022

    This made a pretty good stew. I added celery to the aromatics, chunks of carrots with the potatoes and finished with some frozen peas because it did seem a bit odd to me to make a stew with basically just onions, meat & potatoes with no real veg at all and in the pic it seemed maybe "soupier" than we prefer. The fresh parsley at the end is a must - I used lots. I have lots of other "favourite" stews to return to but we did enjoy this one.

• GoGo's healing creamy mushroom soup

  • SirenChef on January 23, 2022

    This is simple to make, but so flavorless.

  • ljl1989 on January 26, 2026

    This is good for what it is - a very healthy, nourishing soup. I made this while recovering from a surgery and enjoyed it. Not necessarily something I'd put in weekly rotation, but would make again if I was looking for a very clean soup or a had an abundance of mushrooms.

• Easy Greek-inspired lemon chicken soup

  • southerncooker on February 25, 2022

    I used dried herbs and Israeli couscous. I didn't use the optional cayenne. I had cooked a whole chicken with some an onion, celery stalk and carrot earlier in week to use in several recipes. I used some of the chicken and broth in this recipe. This was delicious.

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    This is a go-to soup for me, especially with leftover or rotisserie chicken. You can modify with whatever vegetables you have. Homemade stock and the bay leaf really make a difference here.

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    This is a go-to soup for me, especially with leftover or rotisserie chicken. You can modify with whatever vegetables you have. Homemade stock and the bay leaf really make a difference here.

  • halfchefc on April 23, 2026

    Used couscous & it was yummy! Comforting for the soul

  • nikki_ml27zt on April 30, 2026

    One of my favorite “soups” though there wasn’t much broth compared to couscous. It’s bright, comforting, and in our regular rotation for fall/winter.

• Broccoli and cheddar soup

  • southerncooker on February 26, 2022

    This was good. I used chicken broth and whole milk.

  • averythingcooks on December 31, 2024

    This is a great option for using up veg as the creamy base for the soup uses sweet potato & cauliflower along with the aromatics & seasonings. A quick taste after the blending step confirmed that even this tasted pretty good. I added the cheese (aged cheddar in place of mild) after the blender with the broccoli florets and while this does not beat our 2 house favourites, we both think it's pretty good. I also just realized that I did not add the additional dairy & we don't seem to miss it.

• Spicy miso ramen with pork

  • southerncooker on February 24, 2022

    I used ground chicken instead of pork. My stores didn't have shittaki mushrooms, so I used baby Bella. I added some fresh mung bean sprouts to this. Son and hubby like their eggs more cooked than I so I boiled theirs longer. I didn't use quiet the full amount of cayenne and pepper flakes, but this was still very spicy, but very good.

  • ginger2212 on March 04, 2022

    This was lovely! It tasted delicious and it was cozy. I just used a whole can of coconut milk because 1 cup is an annoying amount. Would definitely make again!

  • JimCampbell on November 30, 2024

    The ramen is good. We enjoyed the depth of flavor. It certainly beats a lot of the mediocre ramen places we've eaten at. The only change would be to cut back on the coconut intensity a bit. Not certain if it's the amount of coconut milk, the coconut amino, or both together, but the broth has a pronounced coconut flavor. Having said that, the better half loved it. We skipped the cayenne and red pepper flake, but used the recommended amount of Sichuan pepper corn. We would make this again. It's comforting and warm on a cold night.

• Zuppa Toscana

  • southerncooker on March 13, 2022

    I used pre-cooked chicken bacon for topping, so I used about a tablespoon avocado oil to sautee onions,garlic, and sausage. I used mild Italian chicken sausage instead of hot Italian pork sausage. Youngest grandson ate some of the sausages. I substituted cornstarch for the arrowroot flour. I used curley kale, since I couldn't find lacinato kale, aka dinosaur kale. I did use the dairy free creamer and the nutritional yeast. I didn't use the optional parsley. It was delicious.

• One-pot beef Stroganoff

  • sydlikestocook on December 11, 2024

    good flavor, fairly easy. would do again!

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    I loved this recipe but my kids weren’t fans. You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for added protein without a major shift in taste. It’s like grown-up hamburger helper.

  • courtney_nb7i83 on March 01, 2026

    I loved this recipe but my kids weren’t fans. You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for added protein without a major shift in taste. It’s like grown-up hamburger helper.

• Orecchiette alla vodka

  • Christy_CYS on August 22, 2022

    She has wonderful tips in the book about dairy free options too.

  • holly_6rdxil on May 12, 2026

    This was delicious! I normally make vodka sauce with tomato paste and a lot of cream. Using crushed tomatoes meant less cream was needed and it was overall lighter. I did add italian sausage because that felt more complete for us but I’m sure it would have been great without it.

• The best Bolognese

  • jennifer_169bbp on February 22, 2026

    We love this recipe! We always put some in the freezer for busy weeknights

  • anna_om8bb7 on March 09, 2026

    This really is the best and it’s makes a lot! Run your veggies through the food processor to get small minced bits. I added 1 lb of mushrooms as well when I added the veggies

• One-pot cacio e pepe Israeli couscous

  • southerncooker on March 04, 2022

    This was good.

  • averythingcooks on April 01, 2025

    I really wanted to like this more than I did. Wanting a main + a salad, I pan fried some chopped ham to add at the end & I replaced the optional arugula with a handful of chiffonaded basil. Both of these additions tasted great in the finished dish but the problem was that coucous mix was very thick/sticky (starchy I guess?) and I expected something a little silkier/saucier. Ultimately I stirred in some 5% cream to loosen it and as I ate it beside my salad, I found my self mixing the forkfuls...and the assertive vinaigrette from the salad saved this for me.

  • halfchefc on May 16, 2025

    Didn't have a ton of flavor so it's a good side dish for mains that have a lot going on. Served this with Moroccan chicken and a raw zucchini salad.

• One-pot Cajun chicken pasta

  • holly_6rdxil on May 21, 2026

    We liked this but I did add extra cajun seasoning (slap ya mama) because there wasn’t enough flavor/salt for us. It really tasted like a lighter version of the the chilis dish!

• Eggplant lasagna

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    This was a hit for a dinner party. Quite a bit of work but the pay out was good. We're not vegetarian so next time I might try this out with some sausage since we were missing some texture to the dish.

• Red lentil chili

  • halfchefc on May 13, 2025

    We loved this! I needed to add more water but the cook time was perfect.

• Spaghetti squash Singapore noodles

  • Alexcooper on March 24, 2026

    Made with rice noodles instead with shrimp

  • danielle_iz7yjg on April 17, 2026

    I usually add one pound of ground beef, and use a bag of coleslaw in place of the cabbage and carrots. Have also used with rice noodles. Lots of flavor!

• Epic baked meatballs

  • averythingcooks on April 25, 2023

    I made these meatballs to serve with a mix of 2 sauces from my freezer. What sets them apart are ingredients like cashews, lemon zest & arrowroot flour and although we did like them, I doubt they will replace our favourite versions made with ricotta. As I use a well seasoned stoneware pan to bake meatballs, I skipped the oil brushing and I had no trouble with sticking. This time I simmered the baked meatballs in the sauce to finish but I will try her method of pouring the sauce over the browned meatballs and returning the pan to the oven another time.

• Spiced lamb lettuce cups with tzatziki

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    Substituted for ground beef and dill instead of mint. The radicchio I bought was so bitter I ended up just eating the meat & tzatziki with a spoon. Next time I'll make this over rice or with butter lettuce.

• Texas tamale pie

  • southerncooker on March 05, 2022

    This was good. Hubby loved it. Son added cheese to his.

• Mexican pizza

  • sydlikestocook on December 08, 2023

    Double the recipe if you want leftovers! I did not have arrowroot flour so I substituted cornstarch.

• Sheet pan kielbasa with mustard vinaigrette

  • southerncooker on February 26, 2022

    This was delicious. I used beef Kielbasa, an IPA for the beer, and dried dill. I'd make this again.

  • averythingcooks on September 25, 2022

    We also really enjoyed this. I used Italian sausage and so it went into the pan with the potatoes. I chopped green cabbage (rather than using wedges of red) and it went in 15 minutes later with the onion and a handful of sliced red & yellow peppers. The vinaigrette (with fresh dill) was a delicious topper. Like many sheet pan (or in my case, typically a 1/2 recipe in a big cast iron pan) there is room to add add more / different veg to the mix and I will make this again for sure.

  • Christinehomecook on January 22, 2024

    This is great. I love the tangy flavor of the mustard and the fresh flavor of dill. It is a fairly easy crowd-pleaser

• Green chile pork medallions

  • averythingcooks on October 05, 2022

    This is the 1st recipe (of 5 attempted) from this book that didn't really wow us. Hard to pin down why but basically the consensus was "good, not great, probably not worth a repeat". Too bad because we really do like the food we've had so far from this book.

• Italian braciole

  • lhkelsey on January 13, 2022

    This was a good deal of work but it was delicious. I would definitely truss the meat and not use toothpicks. It would be hard to sear with toothpicks. The whole family loved it.

• Crispy chicken Milanese with arugula salad

  • southerncooker on March 11, 2022

    This was very good. I used an Arugula and baby spinach mix, since I couldn't find arugula by itself.

• Dilly chicken burgers with spicy slaw

  • julesamomof2 on May 15, 2026

    These burgers were a gloppy mess when first mixed and formed. My first batch stuck badly to the pan and set my dinner time back quite a bit, so I popped the second batch in the fridge to have as leftovers. A couple hours in the fridge worked wonders, they were perfectly formed and I was able to fry them easily for leftovers the next day. I think the key is to keep them small and allow them to firm up for a time. That all said, they were just ok, I did not think the pickle/dill flavor was super present. Also, the slaw was dry as written, I had add more mayo and some lemon juice to get the consistency right.

• Creamy chicken Toscana

  • averythingcooks on April 26, 2023

    For the 2 of us I made 1/2 the sauce and used 2 breasts that I cut into 1/3'ds (cut each in 1/2, then sliced the thick end in 1/2 horizontally for 3 "medallions" that needed only a little pounding). I used spinach in place of kale & added a good handful of chopped mild peppadews. There are lots of options for the creamy (dairy or non) and this time I finished off a carton of 5% cream. T suggested broccoli as an additional add for next time and we both really enjoyed it.

• Chicken quesadillas with creamy jalapeño sauce

  • southerncooker on March 06, 2022

    I didn't make the homemade mayonnaise, but used Dukes instead. I made sons on a regular burrito size tortilla, and mine on a 50 calorie flax seed tortilla. These were a bit on the spicy side, but delicious. Pictured is mine.

  • averythingcooks on November 13, 2022

    The chicken here was good and I also added a mix of sauteed corn, black beans & mild red peppadews to each quesadilla but the real star here is the creamy jalapeno sauce. It does pack a fair bit of heat (easy to control if you need to by reducing the hot sauce etc) but we loved it as written (also using Duke's mayonnaise), both inside each tortilla as instructed and then smeared over top of the cooked quesadillas. This delicious sauce will be made again for sure.

  • holly_6rdxil on May 25, 2026

    The chicken was good but the sauce was amazing!! I will be making these again and probably making the sauce in its own to add to other things. They were amazing as is and with pepper jack too. Not very spicy but you can add more hot sauce to your liking.

• Thai-inspired chicken fried rice

  • halfchefc on August 15, 2025

    Good recipe! Super easy & perfect to clean out the fridge.

• Herby green curry poached halibut

  • krista_fcgy12 on January 14, 2026

    This recipe is out of this world. Served over donut rice, I did substitute the halibut for grouper. The Thai basil, mint and coconut milk all blend beautifully, creating a profile that is truly to die for!

• Balsamic-thyme roasted mushrooms

  • julesamomof2 on October 09, 2024

    These mushrooms are SO GOOD, yet are gluten and dairy free. Proves you don't need butter to add flavor to dishes. I used two 10 ounce packages of baby bella mushrooms.

  • casey_mu301h on March 10, 2026

    Great side but the thyme overpowered everything, I would do it again with less thyme.

• Parmesan-roasted zucchini

  • JimCampbell on November 30, 2024

    The zucchini was good. The is a nice change from the normal ways we prepare zucchini. It is super easy and the crunch on top is nice. We had some of the Parmesan get on the baking sheet while grating it over the top of the zucchini and it got all crispy brown. Small treat. May do more of that on purpose next time.

• Miso-broiled halibut

  • halfchefc on March 02, 2025

    Made this with cod and it was a miss for me. The glaze didn't brown up in the oven, even after the allotted time in the book. I'd like to try this again with a thicker fish.

  • ljl1989 on June 11, 2025

    Loved this! Made as written with halibut, but used a cast iron pan instead of baking dish. My halibut pieces were quite thick, so I had to double the cooking time to get them cooked through. The glaze was delicious. Would definitely make again.

• Little gem salad with lemon dressing

  • averythingcooks on April 08, 2025

    I added the parmesan to the dressing (rather than just sprinkling it on salad at the end) as it helps to season (no extra salt needed) & thicken dressings to a texture I like. I appreciate the use of anchovy paste & we enjoyed this assertive garlicky lemon dressing over a simple romaine salad beside a rich cheesy main.

• Zesty potato wedges

  • halfchefc on May 05, 2025

    Basic but solid recipe. I didn't really get "zesty" but they were good nonetheless.

  • julesamomof2 on May 15, 2026

    These did not get or stay very crisp. Probably not a repeat.

• Sesame asparagus sauté

  • ljl1989 on June 11, 2025

    This was fine, but flavors were a little underwhelming. Not sure it's worth the increased effort vs. simply sautéed or roasted asparagus.

• Golden hour

  • krista_fcgy12 on January 14, 2026

    Absolutely fabulous - light & refreshing. A drink that pleases a wide variety of palettes.

• Paleo battered fish tacos

  • ljl1989 on January 26, 2026

    So delicious, no notes! Well some notes...mostly just 1.5x or double the slaw, it was delicious and we wanted more. Used Alaskan pollock and it worked very well.

• Herby rice pilaf

  • ljl1989 on January 27, 2026

    This was fine but nothing exciting. I might actually like it less with fewer herbs.

• Whiskey sour

  • maureen_fdiam5 on March 23, 2026

    I am sad to admit... I didn't love the elderflower in this.

• Shrimp brochette skillet with poblano rice

  • julesamomof2 on May 27, 2026

    Enthusiastic thumbs up from the family for this one. The rice had so much flavor and was worth the extra work. A nice change from plain steamed rice. I added chopped zucchini to the skillet to add a vegetable.

• Brothy borracho beans

  • halfchefc on May 29, 2026

    This was so good. I did cheat and use canned beans but it still turned out great, just used a little less liquid!