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In the summer this issue is compounded since there’s no way I’m turning on my stove or oven just for a quick lunch. This is when I lean heavily on salad kits. You know, the pouches or already-washed lettuces, chopped veggies, toppings, and a weird little packet of dressing. They’re often lined up near the fresh produce, available in a variety of different flavors like Southwestern and Caesar. My preferred bagged salads often come from Trader Joe’s, and the grocery chain switches out flavors fairly regularly....

Elise’s low-and-slow slow cooker Mexican pulled pork is fantastic, but when I forget to plan ahead or want it to be ready a little more quickly, I make this speedy version in my Instant Pot. The Ingredients for Instant Pot Pulled Pork Elise’s spice rub includes chili powder, salt, brown sugar, and a blend of herbs and spices – this mix is so good that I just left it as is....

I try to feed my family a few dishes I know they will like each week, combined with a few new items I hope they will try. I’m a big believer in food love by association. So far, this approach has worked for me. I’ve also never let “no” stop me from serving a certain meal or vegetable for the second, third or thirtieth time. Sometimes kids don’t like the texture of something or the temperature of the dish or some other random thing known only to them....

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies There’s a good reason that peanut butter and jelly is a classic combination—the flavors work perfectly together! These Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies are certainly no exception. This is the perfect treat for the PB & J lover, and a fun take on a basic peanut butter cookie. As the cookies bake, the jelly expands with them and you have a nice little sweet, chewy layer....

I developed this recipe out of necessity rather than noble ingenuity. Every summer Elise’s mother loads me up with so many plums I can’t eat them all in time, and many begin to get a bit over ripe, their skins bursting at the slightest touch sending their juice down my arms and onto my clothes and floor. Taking these plums and churning them into a magenta hued sorbet just seemed like the most logical thing to do in this heat....

Pork chops are our stand-by midweek meal approach because they are so easy to prepare and they cook up so quickly! Pork pairs especially well with many types of fruit — pineapple, apples, citrus, cherries, pears. The sweetness in the fruit brings out the natural sweetness in the pork. An acid added to the fruit, like vinegar, will brighten both the flavors in the fruit and the pork. In this recipe we are first searing the pork chops on the stovetop and then lowering the heat until they finish cooking....

Instead of sweetening this all-butter cake only with sugar, I started adding a good portion of honey to complement the aged rum’s heady flavor. It’s loved in our family because it has one of the most delicate crumbs of any cake I make, it’s fairly easy to make, and I usually have all of its ingredients on hand. Try it and I’m positive it will become a favorite in your home too....

How do you like yours? I like mine with lots of colorful veggies tossed in with the noodles, so it feels more like a “salad” and not just highly seasoned cold noodles. Nothing wrong with plain noodles, mind you! In fact, the beauty of this salad is its flexibility. Add as many or as few extras as you want. I love the colors and crunch of purple cabbage and red bell peppers so they’re in, along with carrots and steamed broccoli....

Unlike Chinese-style deep fried spring rolls, these Vietnamese spring rolls are very light and fresh. You wrap thinly sliced vegetables, cooked shrimp, and fresh herbs in a neat rice paper package. They’re the perfect pre-dinner snack! I often buy cooked shrimp for spring rolls because I can’t be bothered to cook the shrimp and wait for it to cool. Pre-cooked shrimp makes the prep work quick and easy. I also use fresh vegetables in my spring rolls instead of the traditional pickled vegetables....

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The first couple of seasons I tried gardening, the yield was pretty pathetic. Over the years I’ve learned that you need to have plenty of sun, deep watering but not too much watering, soil prepped with compost, and a good covering of mulch. I’ve even taken to crumbling up egg shells and placing them at the base of the plants to help the soil with calcium, which can ward off blossom-end-rot....

The strong flavor of turkey meat holds up beautifully to the acidic lemon and bright turmeric, cumin, and ginger spices. The addition of barley gives the soup body. We used turkey stock from the carcass of a roast turkey, but you could easily use chicken stock. *Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of zest from a lemon. Use a sharp knife to scrape out and discard any of the white pith that still remains on the inside of the zest strips....

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Risotto is one of those dishes that forces us to slow down and smell the roses. It’s easy enough to make, it just requires patience. And a lot of stirring. The risotto rice cooking process can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of risotto rice you are using. You stir gently, almost constantly, throughout the cooking process, slowly adding liquid as the rice absorbs it....

This recipe is inspired by a favorite of my friend Lynn from her The Southern Living Cookbook. Lynn likes to make hers with Shoepeg white corn. We used regular yellow corn and it turned out terrific. Perfect with chili. The recipe calls for the cornbread to be baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet. We serve the cornbread at the table directly from the skillet, the benefit being that because the cast iron holds its heat so well, the corn bread stays warm throughout the entire meal....

This Creole potato salad hails from Louisiana where people are never too far from their Tony Chachere’s or Zatarain’s. The distinguishing feature of creole potato salad is “creole mustard”, which has a unique spicy taste with chiles, molasses, and herbs. I was able to find a jar at our local Raley’s grocery store here in Sacramento, so I’m guessing that it’s not too hard to find in other parts of the country....

This air fryer pork chop recipe is an all-around winner. I mean, what’s not to love? Not only are these pork chops tender and full of flavor, they are also quick to make with easy clean up! Not to mention low carb, gluten free, and keto! Why Make Pork Chops in the Air Fryer For juicy pork chops, you need to make sure the outside is cooked quickly so the juices get trapped inside....

My dad must have sauerkraut juice running through his veins by this time, given how often he eats it. But this recipe, adapted from a 25-year old McCalls recipe, really is worth reporting. It’s sort of a paprikash version (sour cream and paprika) of hot dogs with sauerkraut. It’s easy to make, cooks up in little more than half an hour, and wonderfully flavorful. Use your favorite hot dog, frankfurter, mild German sausage, or even tofu-dog if that’s your preference....

What Kind of Fish Should You Use? Any firm, white fish works for this recipe, like halibut or cod. White fish generally has a pretty mild flavor which makes it a great base for the gremolata. You could use skin-on or skin-off fish, but I prefer skin-off. Unless you’re cooking your fish on a cast iron skillet, I never feel like the skin gets crispy enough. What Are Calabrian Chilis? I’ve been obsessed with Calabrian chilis ever since I started traveling to Italy....

As the crouton sits in the broth, it becomes soft enough to break apart with a spoon, giving you cheesy, bready goodness in every bite. This pressure cooker version comes together in just over an hour (but if you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also make Stovetop French Onion Soup). Even better, it’ll stay hot on your pressure cooker’s warming setting for hours, so you can prepare the soup any time of day that’s convenient, then add the cheesy toasts just before serving....