Chicken Braised in Soy Sauce and Lemon

I've been making this affordable dish since college. Serve the chicken with a little of the sauce over brown rice or rice pilaf.

Every spring when the asparagus is cheap, this recipe seems to be a natural pairing. I make a little asparagus drizzle sauce by shaking together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt, and lots of pepper.

Chicken with Lemon and Lemon-Rice Pilaf

This recipe is impressive yet quite easy with the oven doing most of the work. The savory, buttery sauce is a delicious complement to the pilaf. The pilaf recipe was adapted from a recipe from Central Market.

Holiday Side Special: Cranberry Sauce

It's a really fun experience to make your own cranberry sauce instead of just taking it out of a can. With a basic recipe, the variations are endless. In this recipe, you can bump up the orange taste by adding the zest of an orange, if you like. Another variation you could do is by adding fresh grated ginger (from a two-inch knob) and ½ teaspoon cinnamon for a spicier sauce. For a sugar-free sauce, replace the sugar with an equal amount of Splenda®.

Thai Three-Flavored Salmon

I love going out for Thai food, but that gets a little pricey. My favorite dish at the local place is Three-Flavored Salmon. My version doesn't taste exactly like it, but I'm getting closer! Also, if you haven't noticed, salmon fillets are reeeally expensive, so I've found a decent poor-man's alternative at my local Costco—salmon burgers. They're a surprisingly delicious way to stretch your dollar.

Chicken Piccata with Quinoa and Baked Asparagus

The evenings have been so pleasant and warm, a romantic dinner on the balcony seemed obligatory this past weekend. So, I bring you chicken piccata made with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc. Delicious. Oh, and if by some chance, you have missed this winery's lovely selection of local wines, I highly recommend buying a bottle. If my plans to visit Chateau Ste. Michelle this year pan out, I shall be posting pictures.

Cod with Garlic Butter and Farro Tabbouleh

This is yet another fantastic inspiration from Central Market. Farro is an ancient wheat (also known as emmer or spelt) that is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and offers more than twice the amount of protein and fiber than modern wheat. This wonderful food contains 3.5g of fiber per ½ cup serving. When cooked, farro's texture is chewy and hearty.

Baked Salmon with Stewed Rhubarb

This is an adaptation from a Central Market recipe I had the pleasure of tasting a few days ago. With the remainder of my mixed greens, I decided to add sauteed greens to the plate. Serving the greens between the rice and salmon makes for a beautiful and dramatic presentation.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

This is a vegetarian dish that can be made full-vegan, however, cheese-like nutritional yeast flakes act like MSG to which I am sensitive. Instead, I've made it with Parmigiano Reggiano. This sauce is so incredibly easy because most of it is made in a food processor.

The Best Salsa Ever

This salsa is an absolute winner. It's great for parties served with low-fat tortilla chips (Trader Joe's) or as a topping for tacos.

Hidden Veggie Spaghetti

My version of spaghetti sauce is absolutely packed to the brim with nutrients. All of the vegetables are pureed so that it's impossible for even the most picky eaters to identify individual veggie flavors. Note that this could easily be a vegetarian dish by substituting the ground turkey for diced mushrooms. To puree the vegetables, check out my Guide to Purees.

Broccoli-Chicken Stir Fry with Orange Sauce

This is for those nights when you want Chinese take-out, but the place is closed. My chicken and broccoli stir fry comes with the lovely bonus of a tangy, sweet orange sauce.

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Barbeque Sauce

This past weekend my husband and I were shopping at Central Market and saw the most gorgeous package of beef short ribs. These brought back memories of the chunky, tomato-y barbeque short ribs my mom used to make in her dutch oven. By the way, a dutch oven is an oven-safe (no plastic or wood handles) pot with a lid. My favorites are made of cast iron with an enamel coating. Make sure to wash cast iron right away and dry it in the oven at a low temperature so as to not allow any rusting to occur.

Cod with a Lemony Chardonnay Sauce and Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Monday night was "cooking by the seat of my pants." I didn't have much of anything except for a cod fillet, some asparagus, and a bottle of chardonnay in the fridge. It actually turned out pretty good. I do wish I had caramelized the onions prior to putting in the cod and that the flavors had been a bit brighter. The asparagus came out perfectly, on the other hand. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

Simple Swedish Chicken with Lingonberries

This dish is an IKEA restaurant staple, but the Swedes have been pairing lingonberry preserves with meat (and everything else) since forever. Lingonberries are a low-bush cranberry with a taste that isn't as intense as a cranberry. The flavor is fantastic and completely unique.

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.