Posts

Condiments DIY Simple Homemade Ketchup Recipe By Samira Kazan updated January 20, 2022 This simple homemade ketchup recipe is not only healthier than its store-bought competition, but it is also so much more addictively delicious as you can control the exact amount of sugar, salt and spices added to the sweet tomato blend. I could write an ode to tomato ketchup – it’s the condiment that we all need in our lives, even if it doesn’t appear in most food photos (it’s just not super glamorous is it?...

Recipes Easy Beef and Broccoli By Samira Kazan updated November 15, 2023 Make restaurant quality (& better than takeout!) beef and broccoli stir-fry at home but healthier and even more delicious, in just 20 minutes. A quick, delicious lunch or dinner with rice or noodles! My quick, simple, healthier, and cheaper homemade take on popular Chinese American beef and broccoli can be on your dinner table in 20 minutes and is packed with flavor....

Holidays Easy Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe By Samira Kazan published September 18, 2025 Turkey recipe coming right up. This one is flexible (brined or not), super flavorful, and turns out juicy all the way from the breast to the thighs with golden, crisp skin for the table. Here’s the move I rely on: tuck lemon‑garlic herb butter under the skin, set the bird on a veggie “raft” with a splash of water for gentle steam, roast covered so it stays moist, then finish uncovered for deep, even browning....

Recipes › DIYs Easy No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread (Crusty Bread) By Samira Kazan updated August 13, 2024 This easy no-knead Dutch oven bread is the ultimate beginner loaf. It requires just 4 ingredients, no kneading, under 10 minutes of hands-on prep(!!), and a Dutch oven! In no time at all, you’ll be impressing family and friends with a perfect Dutch oven crusty bread! Okay, I may be doing this whole baking thing a little backward....

Recipes › Breakfast Easy Sheet Pan Pancakes By Samira Kazan published January 26, 2026 Weekend pancakes without standing at the stove are my kind of morning. These sheet pan pancakes bake up fluffy inside with lightly crisp edges, studded with blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, and pockets of chocolate. I mix the dry and wet in separate bowls, fold together just until smooth, and add a little lemon zest for brightness....

Seafood Easy Shrimp Tempura By Samira Kazan published October 17, 2025 This easy shrimp tempura gives you a light, lacy crunch with simple pantry ingredients and step-by-step photos so you nail it on the first try. My little trick? An ice-cold sparkling-water batter and a quick potato-starch dusting so the shrimp grab onto the coating and stay perfectly crunchy. What is shrimp tempura? Shrimp tempura ingredients How to make shrimp tempura Tips for the crispiest tempura shrimp Storage and reheating FAQs More shrimp recipes Shrimp Tempura Recipe What is shrimp tempura?...

Recipes › Mains Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs By Samira Kazan updated July 08, 2024 These grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs will become a delicious, versatile summer staple – they’re charred outside, tender and juicy in the middle, packed with flavor, and quick and simple to prepare on a gas or charcoal grill! When the weather heats up, and it becomes too warm in the kitchen, it’s the perfect excuse to fire up the grill (BBQ) and get cooking quick, inexpensive, and truly delicious options like grilled corn on the cob (in foil), burgers, and marinated grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs....

Pantry Homemade Pistachio Butter By Samira Kazan published March 07, 2025 Rich, creamy, and bursting with nutty flavor, homemade pistachio butter is simply amazing! With its vibrant green hue and silky texture, it’s a delicious, nutritious, and versatile spread you’ll want to use on everything. Pistachio nut butter is the kind of thing you try once and wonder where it’s been all your life! It’s rich, creamy, and naturally sweet with that irresistible pistachio flavor—way better than store-bought....

Ingredient Guides How Long to Boil Eggs (Boiling Time Guide) By Samira Kazan updated November 14, 2024 How long to boil eggs on the stove for perfectly soft, jammy, medium, or hard-boiled eggs every time. It’s super easy and practically foolproof! To say I have a slight obsession with perfectly boiled eggs may be an understatement. I love them so much that I’ve tested every method I can and have shared recipes for boiled eggs in the air fryer and boiled eggs in the Instant Pot , as well as easy-peel hard-boiled eggs on the stove ....

Pantry How to Make Ginger Powder (Two Methods) By Samira Kazan updated August 12, 2024 Two simple methods for making homemade ginger powder at home using fresh ginger or ginger pulp – perfect for adding to recipes, steeping into ginger tea, and more! Ginger is all the rage in my apartment at the moment, from making homemade ginger chips to homemade ginger juice, and now this homemade ginger powder. This post takes you through two methods of drying and making ginger powder from fresh ginger and the leftover ginger pulp from juicing....

Recipes › Sides How to Make Trinidad Coconut Bake By Samira Kazan updated July 09, 2021 This coconut bake is a classic Caribbean thick bread made with a few simple ingredients. In Trinidad, this pot bake is traditionally served with fish, but it’s also perfect on its own or with some butter or cheese! If you’re a coconut fan, you’ll absolutely love this coconut bake! First of all, it’s super simple to make – you don’t need any special equipment....

Recipes › Drinks How to Make White Hot Chocolate By Samira Kazan updated December 10, 2025 How to make white hot chocolate on the stove or in a crockpot with just 3 base ingredients (dairy-free/vegan optional) and tons of optional add-ins and toppings. This sweet and creamy white chocolate hot cocoa makes for a super easy warming drink, perfect for Christmas and the chilly winter months! Last year, I enthusiastically shared my top ideas for making homemade hot chocolate and putting together a hot chocolate bar for events (toppings, add-ins, and other accessories included!...

Lebanese Lebanese Green Beans (Loubieh Bi Zeit) By Samira Kazan published December 09, 2024 Lebanese green beans , aka Loubieh Bi Zeit, is a simple and flavorful dish made with green beans braised in a delicious tomato sauce. Perfect for enjoying on a summer day! This Lebanese green bean stew, along with bazella pea stew , is one I grew up enjoying. It’s made by braising green beans with tomatoes, onion, and garlic until they’re tender and packed with flavor....

Recipes › Drinks Lemon Chia Seed Water By Samira Kazan updated April 10, 2025 Keep hydrated with my failsafe lemon chia seed water that’s packed full of goodness and perfect for keeping cool in the hot weather. When I call this lemon and chia seed water an “internal shower drink”, I don’t mean drinking it while you’re in the shower! This refreshing drink has a bright flavor and a fun texture from the chia seeds....

Recipes › Mains One Pot Chicken and Rice By Samira Kazan updated August 14, 2024 One pot chicken and rice combines perfectly fluffy rice with tender, juicy chicken thighs, loaded with flavor, comforting, nourishing, and a super simple, low-fuss meal to make on busy/lazy evenings! There are plenty of chicken and rice recipes, but what makes this one so special is that it makes the rice super fluffy and tasty. With affordable ingredients, this dish is incredibly easy to prepare, as cooking the rice with the chicken allows it to absorb all the delicious flavors....

Chicken Perfect Grilled Chicken Drumsticks By Samira Kazan updated July 08, 2024 Make perfectly grilled chicken drumsticks with minimal effort – they’re charred and crispy outside, tender and juicy in the middle, with meat that practically falls off the bone! Not only are drumsticks inexpensive and easy to source, but you only need a handful of pantry ingredients and 5 minutes of prep to make perfectly grilled drumsticks every time. It is as easy as it gets!...

Recipes Perfectly Grilled Bone-In Chicken Thighs By Samira Kazan updated July 08, 2024 Perfectly grilled bone-in chicken thighs – tender and juicy in the middle, packed with flavor, and perfectly charred outside with the BEST homemade marinade! A quick and easy summer-time protein the entire family will love! With summer finally here, I am sure you are ready to oil up those grills and plan your next cookout. Alongside burgers and hotdogs, well-grilled bone-in chicken thighs are one of my favorite proteins to grill (on a gas or coal BBQ)....

Recipes › Appetizers Quick & Easy Homemade Salsa By Samira Kazan updated March 07, 2025 No more buying salsa from the store! Instead, you can whip up my easy homemade salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes that are packed full of flavor. You know that old saying “never order at a restaurant what you can make at home”? I think we should apply that same thinking to dips – “never buy dips at a store that you can make at home”....

Condiments Quick Hollandaise Sauce (No-Fail) By Samira Kazan published June 21, 2024 Make creamy Hollandaise sauce in minutes using a blender, a few ingredients, and my easy, no-fail method. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, eggs Benedict, and more! I love a silky, velvety, and wonderfully rich sauce to enjoy with my weekly eggs Benedict, over asparagus, or with seafood. So this quick Hollandaise sauce is my go-to recipe—it requires just five ingredients (plus salt and pepper), a blender, and just a few minutes to make....

Recipes › Snacks Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip (+ Variations) By Samira Kazan updated February 17, 2022 You can make this roasted garlic and white bean dip with just 5 ingredients (toppings not included) and 5 minutes of hands-on prep! This vegan white bean dip is a delicious appetizer or snack served alongside crudites and crackers or spread over wraps and sandwiches! Perhaps it’s my Middle-Eastern heritage (or just great taste ;P), but I’m absolutely dippy for dips!...