Toast-for-dinner is one of my go-tos for nights when I have no time, or get home late, or feel incredibly uninspired. And then, every time we do actually have toast, it always feels like such a little treat!
It’s such a simple idea that once you make a few different variations, you’ll have them in your back pocket when you need a quick meal or are having one of those no-idea-what-to-make-for-dinner kind of nights.
If life is all about balance, what better dish than fried chicken and waffles? A little sweet, a little savory. Chicken is protein, so that’s healthy, right?! Balance, guys, balance. For this go, I opted for cheddar and chive waffles and WOW. They. were. great!
Cheddar and chive waffles are one of my favorites, and they really taste amazing with the fried chicken. Sometimes, you don’t really want a super sweet waffle to go with that crispy chicken, amirite?!
Don’t you find it so absolutely easy to fall into a salad rut? Especially if it’s something you have basically every day for lunch. How many times can you have chicken + lettuce + some kind of veg? Too many! So, I’m working in these cobb salads to help shake things up a bit. Plus, homemade ranch dressing doesn’t hurt either.
It’s all about the toppings with a good salad, isn’t it? For these, I just went with tomatoes, bacon, gorgonzola, hard boiled eggs, marinated grilled chicken and Trader Joe’s chili corn salsa (because I’m 100% obsessed with the stuff, but also because I forgot to buy an ear of corn). I’d also recommend throwing avocado slices on this guy, too!
I just love a simple recipe. And I just love brunch. So when the two come together, it’s really a win-win in my book. These prosciutto cups have quickly become a favorite of ours for weekend breakfasts when I find myself having a little extra time. And to be honest, most days I’m out of the house around 6:30 AM and just can’t bring myself to eat so early. If I could, I would definitely be making these two ingredient prosciutto cups 7 days a week.
What I love about the simplicity of this breakfast idea is that you can easily riff on it for yet another, you guessed it, you-do-you recipe. You could throw in veg. You could sit the egg on a bed of sauteed spinach in the prosciutto cup. You can dollop with pesto or zhoug or top it with chives, cilantro, scallions – whatever you fancy!
Anytime I share a salad “recipe” I really question whether or not this can even be called a “recipe.” I mean, yes, there’s a list of ingredients and a “method,” and therefore it is, but really this is just some straight up #saladporn right now. I love burrata, and in fact I’ve tried on several occasions to make it and failed miserably. But guys. Let’s just put this shit on everything. On salads, sandwiches, on it’s own, on pasta, on pizza. It’s just so freaking good.
I think I love the creaminess of the burrata – doesn’t it just feel so decadent? Not to mention, it’s an excellent vehicle for salt, pepper and balsamic glaze. And for the people in your life that might not be huge fans of salad (looking at you, hubby), it seems that popping a nice ball of burrata on top will convert them – at least for that meal.
It’s Friday, we made it! Now, let’s jump right in to this quick bread and make this, too. I have to tell you, I’m actually very ready for spring. I’m 100% a fall and winter girl, and not a huge fan of summertime heat and humidity. But there’s something about this past winter that has felt just too long. I’m ready for warmer days that have the windows open and take us outside in actually enjoyable temperatures.
I’ve really been trying to force spring over here, between wearing my espadrilles even when it’s still a tad bit chilly outside and pushing the boundaries of what’s actually in season to force some more springtime recipes in our kitchen. I’m ready for all the things to be lemon-ified! Look at us, making up words over here!
This quick bread is:
I think it’s important to have a few reliable go-to recipes you can make for any meal of the day, from breakfast to brunch to dinner or a snack. You all already know how much I love a you-do-you-boo recipe, and this is definitely one of those. A Shahshuka is easy, simple, quick and totally customizable to your preferences. Don’t like feta or olives? Leave them out. Not feeling cumin? Skip it. Don’t like it spicy? Totally fine!
A Shakshuka is traditionally an African dish with eggs baked into a seasoned tomato sauce. You’ll see so many different varieties of shakshuka, even green shakshukas. You’ll see it with different spices, with or without red peppers, with or without feta and olives. This is just my favorite way to make it. Once you master the basics, you’ll be able to whip this up in no time with a few ingredients you likely always have on hand.
You don’t need anything fancy to make shakshuka, either! Just a nice big skillet. And hey, you could even make this smaller! Use a few ramekins or a smaller baking dish and a smaller can of tomatoes – shakshuka for one? Yes, please!
What’s brunch without carbs, eh? For my latest Ladies Who Brunch, I made the Australian Folded Eggs and Smoked Salmon Nicoise, but I wanted one more dish to tie it all together. Serving actual bagels felt like it would be too heavy, but I wanted something carb-y. Enter bagel chips & dip: because seriously, who doesn’t love bagels and who doesn’t love dip?
I do have to admit, I’ve never been a fan of store bough bagel chips, so when I was testing these out I wasn’t 100% sure I would like them. I’ve always found store bough to be too crunchy. I wanted these to be like a bagel you accidentally toasted a bit too much, but you could still enjoy.
I tried making these a few different ways, and they all came out pretty much the same, so in the recipe I’ve given you all three options: brush with olive oil, melted butter or spray with cooking spray; then you sprinkle salt on them and bake them up until they’re nice and toasted!
Apparently I’m very much into salads the past few weeks! The idea for this one came out of thinking about a fun menu for a girls’ brunch and something that you could put on a huge platter for everyone to take for themselves. I do love a niçoise salad and thought that with a few tweaks, we could make it a solid brunch salad recipe.
A niçoise salad, originally from Nice, France, often includes tomatoes, eggs, olives, string beans, potatoes and tuna. Since the tomatoes aren’t great this time of year, I used fresh persian cucumbers that have a to-die-for crunch. They feel so fresh! Then, I made breakfast potatoes instead of just boiled potatoes, to really bring that brunch vibe to the plate.
I didn’t like the idea of tuna at a brunch, so smoked salmon is the obvious choice here! I topped the salmon with a bit of the Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning – it totally works for this. Very brunchy vibe.
Did you know you needed a post to teach you how to make – basically – scrambled eggs? Me either. But then, we went to New Zealand on our honeymoon and had the greatest eggs and I’ve been trying to recreate them for nearly 4 years. And then I saw a few posts about Australian folded eggs and here we are – a recipe you never knew you needed for eggs.
I’m sure you’re thinking something like, Haileyyyyy why do I even need to make these? Well. Have you ever had eggs so creamy, so custardy, so perfect you could literally cry? That’s why you need to make these.
Until we had gone to New Zealand, I don’t think I ever realized how something like a scrambled egg could be so decadent. But they truly are! There are a few key secrets to making these utterly perfect eggs.