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Savory Zucchini Corn Muffins

July 16, 2015 By Jessica Braider Leave a Comment

Savory Zucchini Corn Muffins

Zucchini and all summer squash are at their peak right now. They are everywhere. The farmer’s markets and farm share baskets are full of them and they are on super sale in the grocery stores. Given their abundance I have been on the search for new and different ways to cook with them. I’ve sautéed, roasted, and grilled them. I’ve added them to sauces, casseroles, and sweet breakfast muffins. But this week I decided to try something different: a savory muffin. And boy am I glad I did!

These muffins are simple, flexible, and delicious. They are wonderful as a side dish with a cold summer soup, like gazpacho (here is a great, super simple recipe), or with a big salad. They’d be wonderful with a light chili made in the crock pot, so your house doesn’t get too hot. And they’d make a great addition to a barbeque or picnic….

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Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Freezer Cooking, Lunch Box Food, Sides Tagged With: cheddar, corn, Easy, feta, garlic, healthy, jalapeño, monterey jack, onion, parmesan, summer squash, Vegetables, zucchini

Spanish-Style Kale

June 18, 2015 By Jessica Braider Leave a Comment

Spanish-Style Kale

When I was a junior in college I studied abroad in Barcelona. It was an amazing 6 months with many adventures, wonderful friends, and lots and lots of delicious food. I was incredibly lucky because the mother in my host family was a fantastic cook and she introduced me to many traditional Spanish and Catalan dishes.

One of my favorites was Espinacas a la Catalana (Catalan-style Spinach). It was a revelation. It is a garlicky sautéed spinach with raisins and pine nuts mixed in. While spinach had always been one of my favorite vegetables, the way that she balanced salty, sweet, and garlic in the dish with a light crunch from the pine nuts was wonderfully addictive. When it came time to have my good-bye dinner and she asked me what I wanted on the menu, Espinacas a la Catalana was my number one request.

Since then, it has been a dish that I make from time to time, especially if I have some really nice, fresh spinach. Last week I was craving it but didn’t have any of the ingredients (panic stations!), so I decided to try my hand at a variation… and it was delicious! So today I am sharing it with you….

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Filed Under: Sides Tagged With: dried cranberries, Easy, garlic, healthy, kale, pine nuts, spanish

Skillet Tomato Sauce

April 7, 2014 By Jessica Braider Leave a Comment

Skillet Tomato Sauce

Last week I had a great meal plan all planned out. The only problem was, I lost my momentum and excitement about some of the meals I had planned, which then left me looking at my pantry trying to come up with other ideas that would be more inspiring to me. Whenever this happens to me, I almost always end up turning to my go-to meal: a quick fresh tomato sauce. This meal is wonderful for a number of reasons:…

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Filed Under: Cooking Basics, Dinner, Family Dinner, Quick Dinners Tagged With: 30 Minute Meals, garlic, greens, onion, tomato, Vegetables, vegetarian

Jessica Braider

Hi! I'm Jessica. I love delicious food that is simple and easy. As a busy mom, I am always on the lookout for ways to make life easier and tastier! Read More…

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