A Life in Food by real-life Chef Cheryl Bennett
Baked turkey meatballs are a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Pair these tender, juicy turkey meatballs with pasta or veggies and your favorite sauce or serve them as a tasty appetizer for your next game day party.
There isn’t anything particularly spectacular about a turkey meatball, except they are ridiculously good. I love a good meatball, like these Mediterranean lamb meatballs, because they are so versatile and I can make a big batch and freeze some for later when I’m too tired to cook.
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Imagine the cheesiest mashed potatoes you’ve ever had. Potatoes that are so cheesy, they stretch! They are called “aligot” in French and they are amazing. You only need a handful of ingredients for this aligot recipe. These French mashed potatoes belong on your holiday table, just like classic bread stuffing.
After you make this aligot recipe, you may never want to go back to regular mashed potatoes again!
This recipe for aligot is sponsored by my friends at Idaho® Potato. I am so pleased to work with them. As always, all opinions, recipe and photos are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Pook’s Pantry.
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Risotto is one of those foods that demands a long, leisurely approach. It is a labor of love and shouldn’t be rushed. Butternut squash risotto is version of this dish that I come back to again and again. This fall vegetable, featured in my butternut squash arugula salad is one of our favorites.
Roasting the squash brings out it’s natural sweetness, making it even more delicious.
The whole key to risotto is the slow process allowing the creaminess of the rice to come out and that can only be achieved by taking your time. The frequent stirring and actively watching the pot can be a welcome change of pace from the frenzied dinner preparation most of us normally experience.
This is comfort food on every conceivable level. On days when you need a bit of a mental break, I wholeheartedly recommend making risotto. A bit of stirring while you lovingly watch the pot of rice in front of you transform into something creamy and ethereal may be just what you need.
Some people may feel intimidated by making risotto. Don’t be – it really isn’t more than pouring in a bit of stock and stirring for the better part of the cooking.
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It’s finally summer and you know what that means – picnics, barbecues and long days at the beach. This Mediterranean orzo salad is perfect for taking on the go. It is light, yet substantial and dressed in a light vinaigrette. It is one of our favorite Mediterranean lunch recipes for the work week.
I love this particular pasta salad because of all of the fresh vegetables it has. If you really wanted to load it up – broccoli, julienned zucchini, summer squash, cauliflower, red bell pepper or even summer beans would all be great in this salad.
Making salads of all kinds is my go-to during the warmer months. Check out my favorite summer salads post, you might find a new favorite!
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This easy bruschetta recipe is made with fresh melon, ricotta cheese and drizzled with honey for a sweet snack. Melon bruschetta is a great appetizer for summer parties. It is light, fresh and absolutely delicious. Celebrate melon mania with some of the specialty melons available at Sprouts Farmers Market. For another sweet bruschetta recipe, check out this Apple Chutney Bruschetta.
Easy Bruschetta Recipe with Melon is sponsored by Sprout’s Farmers Market. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Pook’s Pantry. As always, all opinions, recipes and photos are my own.
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Elevate your everyday macaroni and cheese with this delicious langostino mac and cheese. Langostino are the perfect compliment to this macaroni and cheese dish. The saltiness of the bacon and creaminess of the pasta sauce play perfectly against the delicate, buttery seafood. Langostino recipes are big around here, I hope you love this one as much as we do.
Langostino can be substituted anywhere you’d use lobster, like in this langostino chowder recipe. All that amazing seafood flavor without any of the hassle of cracking shells and cleaning lobsters.
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Spinach salad is my favorite way to eat this leafy green. Topped with fresh and dried fruit, a zingy dressing and a few crunchy, toasted almonds. We’ve all seen or eaten the salad with strawberries, but this spinach salad uses perfectly ripe stone fruit and tangy blue cheese. It is by far one of my all-time favorite salads and you know how much I love a good bowl of greens.
Summer time is when I really enjoy salads. The anemic tomatoes of winter are happily forgotten and replaced with gleaming, juicy, bright red beauties. The delicious, but boring cucumbers can go on hiatus along with their carrot friends.
The same ol’ stuff that routinely finds its way into your salad can go by the wayside to make room for things like stone fruit. Sometimes we are on auto-pilot and occasionally get stuck in a bit of a rut. Considering all of the amazing things available to us in the summer, this is the time to branch out and mix it up.
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30 minute meals. When I ask my people on Facebook what they’d like to see more of, that is the Number One Request. I get it, we are all busy and tired. The thought of standing in the kitchen for an hour after a long work day doesn’t appeal to many people. This week, the Dinner Divas have put together a week’s worth of 30 minute meals.
How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.
First up this week is Pastry Chef Online’s Pasta with easy Creamy Marinara (or Vodka) Sauce. This is the perfect way to ease into the week. Check out the secret ingredient in her sauce!
Next is this amazing Korean BBQ Rice Bowl from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen. This is exactly what I crave after a long day. A few minutes the night before to prepare a marinade and the rest comes together in a snap. Bring on those spicy flavors and pickles!
The following day brings us to midweek with One Pan Greek Beef Pasta from The Chef Next Door. I love the flavors in this filling one pan meal!
Next is my Queso Fundido Chicken. Although it might be about 35 minutes from start to finish, I hope you’ll forgive the 5 minutes over the time limit because it’s worth it! Pull out some leftover rice or veggies that are hiding in the fridge and your meal is complete.
Last, but certainly not least is 15 minute Weeknight Pasta from Comfortably Domestic. This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for those nights when you have very little time or energy.
Finally, we’ve come to the end of the week and that means dessert. This week, we have two incredible sweets to fulfill that craving.
This Salted Caramel Turtle Fudge Swirl Ice Cream is my sweet tooth’s dream. Pastry Chef Online is an ice cream genius.
The last dessert this week are Mini Walnut Cinnamon Buns. These would be a perfect weekend treat, thanks to the Chef Next Door!
Thank you for joining us this week! We hope these 30 minute meals help make the week a little easier… one meal at a time.
Sandwiches are the focus this week. They are a lunchbox staple and the ultimate “to-go” food, but they don’t need to be boring. The Dinner Divas have 5 incredible sandwiches from an open-faced tartine of wine-poached pears and gorgonzola to gorgeous layers of vegetables on hearty bread.
How it works: Every Friday morning, a new meal plan will show up in your email. It will consist of 5 dinner options, plus 2 extras. Those two extras could be side dishes, dessert, drinks, etc. The Dinner Divas weekly menu plans will feature (mostly) healthy, seasonal foods that don’t take all day to prepare. Getting the weekly menu delivered to your inbox on Friday morning gives you the chance to make your shopping list and get organized for the week ahead. We’ve got so much good stuff this week! I’d love to hear from you & see your creations! Post a pic using #DinnerDivas and tag @pookspantry! I hope this weekly menu plan provides inspiration and makes life a little easier… one meal at a time.
We begin the week with these adorable Mini Crab Rolls from The Chef Next Door. A little light prep on Sunday makes these even easier to get on the table at the start of the week.
Next up this week are my tartines. A tartine is a fancy open-faced sandwich. I have two recipes in one post, so you really get a bonus here! Wine-Poached Pear with Gorgonzola Dolce and Prosciutto, Fig Jam and Parmesan Tartines
Our third sandwich this week is Chicken Salad with Lemon Dill Yogurt Dressing from Comfortably Domestic. Swap the mayo for this zingy yogurt dressing and make a batch of this chicken salad tonight.
Pastry Chef Online has made a Gourmet BLT with Avocado and it is one of my all time favorite combos. If you have never put avocado on a BLT, friends, you are missing out on something delicious.
The last sandwich this week is Girl in the Little Red Kitchen’s Summer Vegetable Sandwich Bar. There is nothing boring about this and the Bulgarian feta?! Yes, please.
Now, it’s time for the extras! We have 2 different desserts this week for you that use the best of summer fruits.
First are these Cherry Hand Pies from Pook’s Pantry (me!). They are small and portable, so they are perfect for little hands and portion controlled for bigger hands, because I need that. Fresh cherry filling and a homemade crust make these the perfect summer treat.
Last up this week is this beautiful Blueberry Galette from The Chef Next Door. Rustic and filled with fresh blueberries, it’s a perfect weekend dessert.
That’s all for this week friends. Thank you for spending a part of your day with us, join us next week as we do breakfast for dinner!
Queso Fundido is one of my favorite splurge foods when we go out. It is gooey, melted cheese with caramelized onions and strips of roasted poblano peppers. Queso Fundido is literally “melted cheese” and has many variations, but my favorite is the traditional onions and poblano peppers. We eat chicken a few times a week and I’m always thinking of ways to change up the rotation. This dish combines a dinner staple with a restaurant favorite.
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