Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

Good Indian food in a slow-cooker? Yep, that's exactly what this is. Also, inexpensive and completely from the pantry? Again, yes, unbelievably. When I want something tasty, inexpensive and done by dinner, this is my new go-to recipe. It's completely hands-free when I make brown rice in my rice cooker. At that point, it's basically take-out because you can eat at any time you'd like. This meal is awesome especially because I've got a new baby in the house!

Roasted Beet and Beef Borscht

I have fallen head-over-heels in love with Mark Bittman's cookbooks: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and How to Cook Everything. This recipe comes from his vegetarian cookbook and I modified it to have lovely tender chunks of beef and potatoes. This is health food at its most elegant and tasty. Unfortunately, no photos are available this time due to technical difficulties, but trust me, this soup is a beautiful magenta colour.

"Carrot Cake" Muffins

This recipe was adapted from one in Jessica Seinfeld's new cookbook, Double Delicious. I tried it and realized these were basically less-sugary carrot cakes in muffin form. They are so incredibly good with a layer of plain cream cheese on top. They are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Recently, I had a wisdom tooth pulled. The perfect solution to not being able to chew was a creamy, filling soup. So, I developed this delicious and unique cream of broccoli.

Breakfast Burritos with Mexican-flavored Bean Burger

Looking for an inexpensive protein source and great way to use some of my produce, I delved into Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. There, I found a great bean burger recipe and added my own flavor combination to. But, I didn't stop at that page. Bittman also had the fantastic idea of breakfast burritos that you make, then wrap in foil, store in the freezer, and pop in the oven for breakfast on a busy morning. It's fantastic, healthy fast food you made yourself. Brilliant! These are freakishly tasty with some extra salsa or Tabasco. The bean burger makes more than enough for burritos. The breakfast burrito recipe makes 10.

Holiday Special: Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake is ethereal and light due to being made in a blender and using nonfat ingredients. It's extremely guilt-free for the holidays and any other time you want some cheesecake. Remember to have all of your ingredients at room temperature. This will (hopefully) keep the cheesecake from cracking and also make blending the ingredients together easier. This recipe was made for a 10-inch springform pan so if you only have a 9-inch pan, like I do, you have some excess. Fill it as full as you can.

Chicken Curry (Murgh Kari)

There's nothing better than a pot of hearty, spicy chicken curry to warm the spirit on a gloomy winter day. This amazing recipe is adapted from the Cook's Illustrated book, The Best International Recipe. With this recipe, it is very important to have your ingredients "pot ready"—all prepped and ready to go.

Tzatziki with Garlic Pita Flatbreads

The best tzatziki I've ever had was at Mykonos Restaurant in Bellingham, WA...that is, until I figured out how to make it myself. There are a ton of tzatziki recipes out there on the internet and in cookbooks, but they never have enough garlic. So, this one goes out to all the garlic lovers out there. Serve it with pita bread (or any kind of flat bread) or make up your own gyro or souvlaki sandwich.

Herb Crusted Cod with a Mustard-Dill Yogurt Sauce

Yet another food I have recently grown accustomed to is fish. I've found that I really like the milder fishes such as cod and halibut and actually find myself looking for recipes featuring fish. This one is adapted from another one of my favorite books, The Swedish Table, by Helene Henderson. This book really strikes chord with my Swedish heritage and  appetite.