Grilling summer vegetables in foil.
It’s just after the Fourth of July, and summer is in full swing here in the Midwest. After a long, cool, record-breakingly rainy spring, I’m ready for the sun and heat. Bring it on. These long, …
Tag: basic recipes
Better than store-bought: Homemade blueberry jam.
As I’ve found myself in complete control of my own schedule this summer for the first time in, like, a zillion years, I’ve been doing things I’ve long wanted to do but never seemed to have …
Better than store-bought: Homemade strawberry jam.
Hard to admit, but I’ve never before made strawberry jam that I’ve processed in jars. As a kid, I’d go strawberry-picking with the family and we’d make freezer jam (super easy!). But I haven’t done the …
Better than store-bought: Basic vinaigrette.
Sometimes, the only thing a bowlful of fresh lettuce needs is a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Sometimes, you want a bit more of a flavor kick. So I’ve compiled a …
Add big flavor without big calories.
All of us are striving to cook in a way that’s healthy and simple. Unfortunately, healthy and simple can sometimes add up to bland: A piece of broiled fish all by itself isn’t particularly exciting. The …
Better than store-bought: Homemade sea-salt crackers.
Homemade crackers? Why, you ask. Because a) they’re beyond delicious and b) they’re fun and easy to make. Get the recipe!
Hearty veggie salad with many variations.
An e-mail newsletter last week from SparkRecipes highlighted a recipe that I knew I had to make for lunch, and soon. I loved the idea of it: a hearty, stick-with-you combination of bulgur and lentils, combined …
This week at the farmers’ market.
We venture north for this week’s market recap, to the debut of Chicago’s Green City Market in Lincoln Park. Farmers from northern Indiana and Illinois, and from Michigan and Wisconsin brought spring produce, and some surprises. …
Fabulous oatmeal add-ins.
I call it the 10 AM Growlies—that rumble you get in your belly midmorning when breakfast has worn off. The best prevention I’ve found for the 10 AM Growlies is a bowl of oatmeal—it keeps me …
