Palak paneer is my favorite dish to order at Indian restaurants, and I’m excited to offer my homemade version to you! Palak paneer features tender cubes of paneer cheese in a well-seasoned, silky, spinach gravy. Palak literally means spinach, and this vibrant green dish is fully loaded. It’s vegetarian comfort food at its finest.

Palak paneer hails from the Punjab region in Northern India. I hope to visit India someday, but until then, I’m basing my version on the various Indian restaurants I frequent. I wanted to learn how to make my own palak paneer with organic spinach when I was expecting our son, since spinach is unfortunately higher in pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce.

I made this dish over and over (no less than six times, to be exact) to ensure that the recipe offers maximum flavor while being streamlined from start to finish. Now you can make palak paneer for dinner any time you crave it. This recipe is ready in about 45 minutes!

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This Chicken with Lobster Sauce recipe takes that silky, savory sauce from our beloved Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and gives it a new home — nestled around tender chunks of chicken instead of shrimp.  Growing up, I was not a seafood kid, which meant I spent many years watching everyone ELSE eat shrimp with lobster […]

Nasi Goreng is the beloved national dish of Indonesia, an Indonesian fried rice with aromatic shrimp paste, sweet soy sauce, and savory elements like garlic and fried shallots. This Nasi Goreng recipe isn’t your average takeout fried rice, but a complex, smoky, and deeply satisfying dish. What Makes Nasi Goreng Different? Nasi goreng literally means […]

Stir-fried pressed tofu with peppers and black beans is an extremely simple and delicious Chinese dish. It happens to be vegan, but also protein-packed and flavorful!  A Restaurant-Inspired Recipe I had this dish at a vegetarian restaurant in Shenzhen. It was super tasty, but I still made a couple small adjustments to my own version. […]

This sausage broccoli pasta recipe shows up on my dinner table every few weeks. It comes together in under 30 minutes, my toddler happily eats it, and it’s protein, veg, and carb all in one one-pot meal!  A Simple Version of a Pasta Favorite Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe has always been one of […]

This Pork and Onion Stir Fry is the kind of Chinese home cooking my dad Bill grew up with. It’s a marriage of Chinese techniques and American staples like ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. The result is downright tasty and comforting with a bowl of rice!  A Simple Pork Stir-Fry  This stir-fry has minimal chopping and […]

Inspired by a recent trip to China, this recipe for Chinese eggs with soy bean sauce is a quick, easy midweek dinner that’s savory and super tasty!  Eggs for Dinner Eggs are a great, relatively low-cost source of protein that Chinese families often turn to for last-minute meals. Because they cook so quickly, you can […]

Firecracker chicken is an Americanized Chinese takeout dish consisting of crispy chunks of batter-fried chicken and a sweet-spicy sauce.  While my parents once owned a Chinese takeout restaurant, I had never encountered this dish until recently. After trying it at a large fast casual Chinese takeout chain, I decided to create my own version! A […]

Da Lu Mian (打卤面), commonly known as “Northern Chinese Gravy Noodles,” is a classic hearty dish from Northern China in which a rich, thick sauce is ladled over noodles.  The sauce typically combines ingredients such as pork, mushrooms, lily buds, and eggs, and is given its characteristic consistency through the addition of starch. Long a […]

This beef udon noodle soup, or niku udon, is so easy to make, and it will make you feel like you went out to a Japanese restaurant—in your own home!  BUilding on Our Popular Gyudon! Our Gyudon recipe (a beef rice bowl with tender fatty beef, onions, mirin, and soy sauce) is one of the […]

This sheet pan Peruvian chicken thigh recipe is a weeknight-friendly spin on our beloved Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce—all the flavor, way less fuss. Marinate the night before, and dinner practically makes itself the next day! An easier version of an iconic dish Okay, let me take you back. Growing up, my dad used […]

Beef with Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots, or 双冬牛肉 (shuāng dōng niúròu) is a hearty Chinese dish. The literal translation is “double winter beef,” where “double winter” refers to two ingredients: winter shiitake mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots.  While this is a seasonal dish, you can find winter bamboo shoots canned or in the freezer section […]

Chow Har Kew is a luxurious version of a Chinese Shrimp and Vegetable stir-fry, with crispy, golden shrimp! Deep-frying meats or proteins—in this case large shrimp—and then tossing them in a velvety sauce makes a Chinese-banquet-worthy dish.  The name Chow Har Kew is the way this dish usually appears in English on Chinese restaurant menus, […]

Now introducing… the wintery side dish or vegetarian main dish that you didn’t know you needed! You’ll love how it comes together with one pot on the stove and one pan in the oven.

This festive green and red dish features roasted Brussels sprouts cooked to crisp-tender perfection with fresh cranberries, which become so lovely as they bake on the same pan alongside the sprouts. Add chopped pecans to the pan toward the end of baking to toast them.

Once your components are done cooking, combine them in a bowl over cooked wild rice blend. Finish it off with crumbled goat cheese, plus a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. The flavors remind me of my popular Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Pecans, but you can eat this one as a standalone meal. It’s a winner.

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Lentil lovers, these lentil burgers are for you! These hearty meatless burgers are made with familiar and wholesome ingredients, unlike many store-bought options these days. My Favorite Veggie Burgers are still my go-to, but these lentil burgers come in second.

These burgers are flavored with grated carrot, fresh cilantro or parsley, onion and garlic, and spices, including chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Two eggs are optional (omit them for vegan burgers), but they provide extra moisture and a lighter texture.

The recipe comes together beautifully in the food processor. Like my veggie burgers, these lentil burgers turn out best when baked in the oven, which is a more efficient and less fussy method than cooking them in a skillet. They turn out nicely golden and firm enough to hold their shape in between a bun.

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How about pizza tonight? It’s hard to beat classic pesto pizza. This simple vegetarian pizza recipe is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. It offers an irresistible combination of fresh, bright flavors from the basil pesto and tomatoes, plenty of cheesy mozzarella, and a bubbling crust with a satisfying chew.

This easy pesto pizza recipe comes together quickly with the help of your food processor. You can whip together the dough and pesto in about 15 minutes—just wipe down the processor in between the two components. If you’re looking for a super simple weeknight meal that’s better than take-out, use store-bought dough and pesto instead!

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It’s hard to beat a bowl of pesto pasta. Today, I’m sharing a classic basil pesto pasta recipe from start to finish! You’ll learn how to make basil pesto from scratch and toss it with freshly cooked noodles in perfect proportions.

I like my pesto pasta saucy, so I used a generous amount of pesto here, which is more affordable when you’re making your own pesto. It takes ten minutes or less to make pesto in a food processor, but you could certainly use store-bought pesto if you have a favorite brand.

This vibrant pesto pasta is quick and easy to make for dinner on a weeknight. It’s also a lovely side dish to serve at a dinner party or casual summer cookout. Get ready for the best pasta pasta you’ve ever had.

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Are you familiar with migas? If not, let me introduce you! Migas (pronounced mee-guhz) are cheesy scrambled eggs tossed with crumbled tortilla chips, which lend delicious salty-crunchy-corn notes. You’ll typically find sautéed onions and peppers or tomatoes folded in as well, plus your choice of toppings.

Migas are served in Mexican under various names, but this recipe is modeled after the Tex-Mex migas served in Austin, Texas. It’s a wonderfully satisfying and flavorful meal to enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner.

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