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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These tiny homemade bread crumbs can make a big impact on your meal! They’re the perfect crisp finishing touch on casseroles, salads and more. Follow this recipe to make regular golden bread crumbs, or add the optional seasonings and your kitchen will smell like the best Italian restaurant.

This simple recipe is far more flavorful than store-bought options, and keeps well for months. Use your bread of choice, whether it’s your favorite crusty sourdough or whole wheat sandwich bread. If you have leftover bread that’s turning stale, turn it into bread crumbs to save it for later (or croutons or French toast)!

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I don’t always love blue cheese, but I love this blue cheese dressing. It’s a great introduction to blue cheese if you’ve been hesitant to try it, and a guaranteed winner if you love it. You can use mild cheese, as I prefer, or a more intense blue cheese for a bolder dressing.

This blue cheese dressing recipe is creamy but not too heavy, nicely tangy, and tastes like the best restaurant versions, thanks to the fresh chives and garlic. It’s similar to my Easy Blue Cheese Dip, but ready to drizzle over greens.

Salads are my specialty, and my collection of dressings was incomplete without this classic. It’s so much better than store-bought!

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If you’ve enjoyed the egg bites at Starbucks, here’s how to make them at home! These egg bites have become a staple recipe in my kitchen. Sure, they’re not the prettiest egg recipe, but they’re wonderfully flavorful and silky tender. They’re a protein-rich snack or ready-made breakfast to keep in your refrigerator (they freeze and defrost well, too).

These egg bites are a fun cooking project with a few twists along the way. I was surprised to find cottage cheese in Starbucks’ ingredient list. It’s the secret ingredient that offers a lovely tang and extra protein. Once blended, the lumpy texture disappears, which explains why I’d never guess it was there.

Instead of Starbucks’ sous vide cooking method, we’ll bake the muffin tray on a rimmed baking sheet filled with a small amount of hot water. The steam from the water bath gives these bites a luscious, smooth texture. Without it, the eggs would brown at the bottom and taste more like frittata muffins. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference!

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These sizzling fajita vegetables will liven up your dinner table. The recipe features colorful bell peppers and red onion, seasoned and cooked to golden perfection. It was inspired by Tex-Mex fajitas and the veggies I always request on my Chipotle burrito bowls.

It took me quite a few tries to nail the texture that I had in mind—I wanted my peppers and onions caramelized on the edges, cooked until mostly tender, yet far from mushy. I finally figured it out, and I’m so glad to share this simple and foolproof method with you today.

Finished with a squeeze of lime juice, this vibrant side dish is ready in 20 minutes or less. You’ll find serving suggestions below to build your meal around it.

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Who knew that cabbage soup could be this good?! This bright and light recipe is a lovely spin on classic vegetable soup. If you’re trying to get back to healthy eating after the holidays, this warming cabbage soup is an inexpensive wintertime alternative to leafy green salads.

Cabbage soup may have originated in Eastern Europe, but this recipe offers simple Italian flavors. It starts with carrots, onion and celery cooked in a generous drizzle of olive oil. Once those are tender, we’ll add fresh garlic and dried oregano, followed by chopped green cabbage.

You can use an entire small head of cabbage in this soup; it shrinks as it sweats excess moisture and becomes silky soft as it simmers. Crushed tomatoes and lemon juice add welcome acidity, bringing this simple soup to life!

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This recipe was inspired by Chipotle’s tofu option called “sofritas.” Have you tried it? I often order it on my burrito bowl for some additional plant-based protein. It’s hearty, saucy and spicy, and makes the extra three-dollar charge for guacamole worthwhile.

I based this recipe directly on Chipotle’s ingredient list. Then, I played around with the amounts and the method until it tasted just right. Honestly, I like this version even better! It tastes fresh, flavorful and nicely spiced. Sometimes Chipotle’s sofritas are so spicy that they overwhelm the other flavors in my bowl.

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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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Ketchup fans will love this recipe. It offers a thick, dippable texture, with classic yet grown-up ketchup flavor. It tastes nicely balanced, but leans a little more savory than sweet. The recipe calls for a whole container of tomato paste—choose the best you can find for deep, rich tomato flavor.

Beyond the tomato paste, you’ll need balsamic vinegar for some sweetness and tang, dried spices for complex flavor (garlic powder, mustard powder, cinnamon and black pepper), salt to enhance the rest, and water to thin it out. That’s it! No corn syrup or added sugar here.

I always assumed that making ketchup would be too tricky, but I was wrong. This recipe is so easy to make. You can whisk it together by hand in just a few minutes. It tastes best after an hour’s rest.

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Let’s celebrate the cooler weather with a stack of warm apple pancakes! These apple-flavored pancakes are the perfect autumnal breakfast treat. They’re a simple weekend breakfast project that keeps well for quick weekday mornings (they freeze and thaw well, too).

This apple pancake recipe is made from scratch with freshly grated apple, which is enhanced by a touch of ground cinnamon. Tart apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith offer the most impactful flavor. You’ll see that I used Honeycrisp apples in this batch—they’re our family’s favorite, and they yield terrific pancakes.

You might already have everything you need to make these pancakes in your pantry. Let’s make some.

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These chocolate chip muffins are divine—they’re fluffy, tender and studded throughout with chocolate chips. They’re our three-year-old daughter’s current favorite muffin in my muffin repertoire, and I understand why! She loves dark chocolate as much as I do, so I can vouch that these muffins delight kids and adults alike.

These muffins follow the same formula as my other popular “healthy” muffin recipes, but you won’t guess it upon your first (or last) bite. They’re made with whole wheat flour if you wish, and they’re sweetened with honey instead of plain sugar, which makes them extra delicious. Greek yogurt offers a subtle sour cream-like tang that makes these taste like bakery-style muffins, while providing some extra protein.

If you’re a fan of my popular banana muffins or blueberry muffins, you must try this recipe!

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I’ve cooked scrambled eggs about a million times in my life, and I’m pretty particular about them. I like fluffy scrambled eggs topped with cheese. They must not be mushy, undercooked, or overcooked (the worst—and that smell!). I’m sharing my perfected technique with you today.

This recipe is designed for a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook scrambled eggs without a nonstick skillet, this post is for you. It can be done!

With this technique and some practice, you’ll make beautiful scrambled eggs with little mess. Even if you think you have your scrambled egg technique down pat, I think you might find some new tips here.

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Have you tried making your own pita chips? The key is to separate your pita bread into layers so the chips turn out delightfully crisp and golden. They’re truly irresistible and last in the pantry for up to two weeks, so they’re ready to grab for a quick snack.

Freshly-baked pita chips taste so much better than store-bought chips, even when you’re using store-bought pita bread like I did. These homemade pita chips are also healthier than store-bought options because they’re brushed with extra-virgin olive oil, not fried in canola oil.

I streamlined the preparation method to make these pita chips a quick and easy project. They’re ready after a ten-minute bake in the oven. Take your favorite Mediterranean dip up a notch by serving it with these homemade pita chips!

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Let’s hear it for poppy seed dressing! This lightly creamy, lemony dressing is irresistible with tender lettuces and fresh fruit. The poppy seeds add a light crunch and nutty flavor that make your salads memorable.

This recipe is easy to mix together with quality ingredients, and beats store-bought dressing by a mile. It features poppy seeds, of course, as well as fresh lemon juice and zest. It’s sweetened with honey, which offers more flavor than plain sugar. Dijon mustard and a clove of garlic keep it interesting, and mayonnaise or Greek yogurt make it lightly creamy (your choice—mayonnaise offers a more luxurious texture, while yogurt lends a lovely tang).

Some poppy seed dressing recipes are excessively sweet or creamy, but this one is not. It’s just right. Below, you’ll find the recipe and complementary flavors to help you build a great salad.

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Who’s to say when a popsicle is a popsicle? Let me be clear: these watermelon popsicles are frozen slices of watermelon on sticks. (Or not on sticks—you can freeze slices or wedges and use the rind for a good grip.) I tried making watermelon popsicles in molds, and I genuinely prefer the texture and flavor of these straightforward pops.

These watermelon popsicles are refreshing, simple, fruity summertime treats. Here are a few more reasons to make these watermelon delights:

• They’re the easiest popsicles I’ve ever made, requiring only one ingredient and careful slicing.
• They’re a great way to preserve extra watermelon. Watermelons can be massive.
• They’re as healthy as popsicles can be.
• They’re less messy for little kids to eat than fresh watermelon (watermelon juice stains are surprisingly difficult to remove from clothing). Adults will enjoy them, too, perhaps even more with a squeeze of lime juice or a sprinkle of chili-lime seasoning.

Not to mention, how cute are the cookie-cutter shapes? The star shape would be so fun for Independence Day festivities or summer birthdays. I’m already planning to make these for Grace’s birthday party. You’ll find a photo tutorial and recipe below.

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Tabbouleh fans, have you tried making it with quinoa? This recipe is a fun variation on classic tabbouleh made with quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. It turns our favorite Lebanese salad into a gluten-free dish. The quinoa is fluffy and has a somewhat nutty taste, but overall, the flavor profile is quite similar.

Since I already changed one primary ingredient, I took the liberty of adding some chickpeas and feta cheese, more ingredients that you would not expect to find in tabbouleh. They’re entirely optional and absolutely delicious. They make the salad more hearty; if you use both, it could qualify as a light meal on its own.

This herbaceous salad is so refreshing on a warm day. It features fresh parsley and mint, tomato and cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and quinoa. The proportions remain true to the traditional recipe, so it contains more parsley than quinoa, and the lemon packs a punch. I think you’ll love it.

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Avocado pesto is a deliciously creamy and fun variation on classic basil pesto. This avocado pesto recipe replaces the olive oil with avocado, in addition to the usual basil, Parmesan and pine nuts (in these photos, I used pepitas instead, which are lovely as well). A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens and complements the flavors, and helps keep the avocado green.

You can use avocado pesto on pasta, of course. It makes a stellar veggie dip and sandwich spread, too. You’ll find more uses and tips for it below. The one caveat is that avocados brown with time, so it’s best used immediately or stored in a jar until you’re ready to serve.

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Pancake lovers, this recipe is for you, whether you’re gluten-free or not! This easy recipe calls for one wholesome flour—oat flour—and basic ingredients like Greek yogurt, maple syrup, butter and eggs. (If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you can easily make your own by blending old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats in a food processor or blender.)

These golden pancakes are fluffy and delicious, with a subtle oatmeal flavor. The yogurt offers a light tang similar to buttermilk, along with some extra protein, and the maple syrup is more flavorful than plain sugar.

You could certainly say that these pancakes are healthier than your average stack of pancakes, especially when you choose wholesome toppings to go along with them. Above all, though, they’re a fun treat to serve on the weekends, and they reheat beautifully for quick weekday breakfasts.

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The gimlet is a classic cocktail that deserves more attention! Made with gin, lime juice and sweetened with simple syrup, it comes from the sour family of cocktails (my specialty). Save the elaborate cocktails with unrecognizable ingredients for ordering at fancy bars—a simple, citrusy, not-too-sweet cocktail at home is one of life’s simple pleasures.

The gimlet is light and bright, like a more casual version of a martini that you can sip slowly on a porch. I love a gimlet in the spring or summer—they’re fresh and just right. If you enjoy ordering a good gin cocktail or a margarita made with real lime juice, you will love a homemade gimlet.

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