Guys, I whole heartedly intended to make churros from scratch. And then, I was like, nope. Hard no. Let’s make cheaters. So. Here we are today, with churro bites that literally require 4 ingredients. Okay, plus maybe some raspberry “sauce” (2 ingredients) and caramel (store-bought) for dunking.
Maybe you’ve seen this short cut before, but it’s one of the. best. to have in your back pocket for a super quick donut-y dessert.
This year, we’re not doing the whole taco bar thing. In fact, there are. no. tacos. on this year’s cinco de mayo menu! But, there are steak quesadillas! I’ll be honest with you – when I was thinking about the menu and I put steak quesadillas on, I thought, “Hailey, nobody needs a recipe for steak quesadillas! It’s steak and cheese and tortillas!” But, I actually really loved how the steak came out and 100% need to share this recipe!
Now, the good news is: steak quesadillas are so super easy to make. The even better news: They’re delicious. It’s really a win-win, isn’t it?
Guys! I forgot to share this recipe a few weeks ago when blood oranges were in season (read: were my obsession). With or without them, this citrus roasted salmon with jalapenos is hands down my new go-to recipe for roasted salmon. There’s so much flavor you can totally make it for dinner guests, but also really makes a weeknight dinner feel special. We can’t eat plain chicken and broccoli every night, right?
I mean, doesn’t that just look amazing?! I think I’ll have to make it again tonight since it’s Good Friday – no meat! But really. This is basically the equivalent of plain chicken and broccoli just actually good with a lot of flavor. But there’s practically nothing to this!
Oh yes, you read that right! 3. Ingredient. Crackers. When we’re entertaining, I try not to make everything from scratch and focus on just a few touches where I can invest my time and get the most proverbial bang for my buck. I love adding these quick crackers to the mix, plus, they can be made ahead!
These are so light, too, they’re great for a grazing board to balance meat and cheese and pair so perfectly with a hummus.
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’ve never really liked tabbouleh. To be honest, it’s a texture thing and it always made me feel like I was just gnawing on a literal bunch of parsley. Furthermore, I was never a big fan of the flavor, because, again, parsley. I like parsley, but like a little bit. And there’s nothing in a tabbouleh that says “a little bit of parsley.” Except this one. Well, kind of. Okay, I use the mint to balance the amount of parsley. Stick with me.
In a more traditional tabbouleh, you’ll find bulgar, parsley, mint, lemon, onion, olive oil, tomatoes and cucumber. I’m also not a fan of bulgar, and the owner of quite a large bag of Israeli couscous. So, this Israeli couscos tabbouleh is born!
Let’s start with the greens.
You know how much we love grazing boards around here (even these mini ones we had for the Oscars), and they’ve 100% been my go-to when entertaining as of late. My previous go-to, though, was a crudites platter with hummus. I mean, few things in life are as easy as chopping up some veg and whipping up a quickie hummus.
When we hosted a few friends the other day, I wanted to have something everyone could nosh on while I made shakshuka. Plus, Saturday truly felt like a spring day and made me ready to really dig in on some fresh, crunchy veggies!
I was thinking about mixing up some Green Goddess dressing with a bit of ranch or sour cream or yogurt, but was really in the mood for hummus – then I thought, why not just try out some green goddess hummus! So, so happy I did! It had so much flavor, brightness from the lemon juice, and some nice heat from fresh jalapenos. Tonight, I’m making my hummus chicken with this stuff – it’s SO good!
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!