Posts

Ingredient Guides How To Make Pumpkin Puree By Samira Kazan updated November 01, 2023 How to make homemade pumpkin puree at home with a super simple process. This recipe is perfect for making in advance and storing in the fridge or freezer for all your pumpkin recipe needs. Plus, personally, I think homemade pumpkin puree tastes so much better than canned versions, too! Whether you live somewhere where canned pumpkin puree isn’t available, want to avoid preservatives and other ‘nasties’ in canned versions, or – like me – love to make things from scratch, this homemade pumpkin puree is a simple and delicious DIY for you to make now....

Recipes › Drinks How to Make Strawberry Juice (With and Without Juicer) By Samira Kazan updated June 07, 2024 This strawberry juice recipe requires just ONE ingredient for a super fresh, fruity, and nutritious, pure strawberry juice. Best of all, strawberry juicing is super simple and can be done with a juicer or blender. Plus, I’ve included tons of potential add-ins and recipe variations for tons of ways to enjoy a strawberry drink!...

Recipes › Sides Instant Pot Brown Rice By Samira Kazan updated December 10, 2025 How to cook perfect Instant Pot brown rice with a quick, easy, and foolproof method. The rice is tender and fluffy every time, perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep! Follow this Instant Pot brown rice recipe for perfectly cooked rice in less than 30 minutes. All you need is the right cooking time, method, and water-to-rice ratio....

Recipes › Mains Instant Pot Chicken Breast By Samira Kazan updated November 01, 2023 Instant Pot chicken breast makes the ultimate hands-off, tender, juicy chicken breast from fresh or frozen – perfect for slicing and shredding into dozens of dishes! If you want super crispy chicken, perhaps you’d prefer oven-baked chicken breast or even fried chicken breast . On the other hand, if super juicy, tender chicken breast ready to slice or shred into other meals is your end goal, then pressure-cooking chicken breast is the way to go!...

Recipes Mexican Salsa Roja Recipe (Roja Sauce) By Samira Kazan updated July 29, 2024 How to make salsa Roja (aka Roja sauce) at home with 10 ingredients, roasted and blended to perfection. This salsa Roja recipe is gluten-free and vegan, has tons of flavor depth, and is super versatile! Having just shared a method for homemade corn tortillas , I have tons of Mexican-inspired recipes swirling around my head. What do they all need?...

Recipes › Sides Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Korean Baechu-Kimchi) By Samira Kazan updated August 02, 2024 How to make classic napa cabbage kimchi (aka baechu-kimchi/pogi-kimchi) – a tangy, savory, spicy Korean fermented cabbage and ultimate side dish! This Korean kimchi recipe is simple to follow and naturally gluten-free, and the spice levels can be adapted! In the last year or so, I’ve become interested in preserving methods like pickling and fermenting. But, alongside fermented garlic honey , homemade kombucha , and various pickled ingredients like pickled garlic , pickled red onions , pickled jalapenos , and pickled cucumbers , somehow homemade kimchi had utterly passed me by....

Recipes › Sides Persian Fluffy Basmati Dill Rice By Samira Kazan updated March 18, 2025 This Persian-inspired fluffy basmati dill rice dish is a wonderfully flavorful side dish for any meal – a great way to jazz up rice any day. Recently I’ve been looking at a lot of ways to jazz up the cupboard staples that the majority of us have around. Then when I was making this baked salmon for dinner last week, I was reminded of the simple but delicious dill rice that I’ve had multiple times in my childhood (also called Persian dill rice)....

Recipes › Drinks Refreshing Cucumber Lemonade (with Lemon or Lime) By Samira Kazan updated August 01, 2024 This cucumber lemonade is a super refreshing addition to your summer lemonade repertoire. It’s packed with goodness from the cucumber juice, the flavor of fresh mint, and it’s easy to prepare! Having just shared 3 methods on how to juice cucumber, I wanted to share a slightly – perhaps- untraditional way to use this refreshing juice....

Recipes › Appetizers Super Simple Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe By Samira Kazan updated April 08, 2025 Stuffed mushrooms with cream cheese are an easy make-ahead appetizer or finger food for your next party – not to mention they’re deliciously juicy and crispy. When it comes to vegetarian appetizers, mushrooms frequently play the starring role. The texture isn’t completely divorced from meat and with their distinctive flavor and juicy texture when cooked, they make a great choice for those who don’t eat meat....

Recipes › Snacks The Best Seed Crackers Recipe By Samira Kazan updated July 26, 2024 Make these delicious super crispy seed crackers with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseed. They are so easy to make, packed with nutrients, and great for snacking and platters. When it comes to snacking, I love all kinds of dips and accompanying them with super-crispy crackers. So, I developed this multi-seed crackers recipe—it truly is one of the easiest you can make....

Recipes › Mains Wendy’s Chili Copycat Recipe By Samira Kazan updated November 14, 2023 Great for meal prep, as a freezer-friendly weeknight dinner, or for no-fuss comfort food, this Wendy’s chili copycat recipe is even better than the original. Inspired by the famous chili that the restaurant has been serving as a staple menu item since it opened in 1969, this copycat Wendy’s chili brings the same homestyle comfort and flavor of the original to your kitchen....

Seafood Best Ever Grilled Shrimp Skewers (Juicy & Ready in Minutes) By Samira Kazan published July 04, 2025 The best grilled shrimp skewers: juicy, zesty, and full of bright citrus and herb flavor. Easy to prep, totally addictive, and ready in under 20 minutes. Grilled shrimp skewers are one of the easiest ways to elevate your summer meals. With a quick marinade and a hot grill, the shrimp cook in minutes and come out perfectly tender with lightly charred edges....

Recipes ‚Ä∫ Breakfast Brazilian Cheese Bread ‚Äòpuffs‚Äô (P√£o de Queijo) By Samira Kazan updated August 13, 2024 How to make Brazilian cheese bread ‘puffs/rolls’ (aka p√£o de queijo) with just 5 ingredients and in under an hour from start to finish. These Brazilian cheese puffs are naturally gluten-free and packed with cheese for tons of flavor. Enjoy them with breakfast or as a snack any time of the day! So far this year (and last year too, come to think of it), I jumped head-first into the world of baking....

Recipes › Vegan Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese By Samira Kazan updated October 14, 2025 This homemade vegan mac and cheese recipe uses butternut squash and cashews for a flavourful, creamy, and comforting pasta dish! Even with the summer sun shining, you can never go wrong with a big bowl of comfort food, and this vegan mac and cheese recipe certainly hits the spot. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been let down time and time again when it comes to getting mac and cheese at restaurants – they are never cheesy enough and just don’t quite make the cut....

Recipes › Mains Crockpot Shredded Chicken (Super Easy!) By Samira Kazan updated August 13, 2024 Crockpot shredded chicken is majorly tender and juicy – perfect for hands-off weekly meal prep, super versatile, and even freezer-friendly! Paleo, Keto, Whole30. Oven-baked chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs make for a great last-minute addition to any weeknight meal. But this easy crockpot shredded chicken is the perfect meal-prep protein ready to add to hundreds (if not thousands) of meals – like tacos, chicken and rice soup , wraps, salad, and chicken casserole – or freeze for later....

Recipes › DIYs Dried Strawberries By Samira Kazan updated January 17, 2024 Need a quick and easy snack that’s still satisfyingly crunchy? These dried strawberries are about to be your new snack-time savior. During the summer months, I’ve always got a glut of strawberries. And, even with all the TikToks showing me how to preserve them, my strawberries seem to go bad faster than I can eat them! I hate waste, so in this situation, I turn to these delicious strawberry chips....

Soups Easy Gazpacho Recipe (Cold Tomato Soup) By Samira Kazan updated November 02, 2023 Make this easy gazpacho recipe in minutes. This cold Spanish soup is packed with the fresh flavors of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, and onion – perfect for serving chilled during the warmer months as an appetizer or light lunch (or enjoying year-round)! It’s official, this year I’ve made it a mission of mine to appreciate tomatoes in every single way that I can....

Recipes › Sides Easy Oven Roasted Parsnips By Samira Kazan updated March 17, 2025 A truly underrated member of the root vegetable family, these easy oven roasted parsnips are sweet, packed full of flavor, and make the perfect side dish for a holiday table. Roasting parsnips is the easiest way to prepare this delicious carrot-shaped veggie – with some fresh seasonings and olive oil, you get wonderfully crispy outsides and fluffy, tender insides....

Salads Easy Strawberry Spinach Salad By Samira Kazan published July 11, 2025 This easy strawberry spinach salad is one of my favorite summer dishes. It’s bright, fresh, and always disappears quickly at BBQs or gatherings. It’s a simple mix of juicy strawberries, tender spinach, crumbly feta, and a sweet tangy poppy seed dressing. I’ve made it more times than I can count, sometimes with walnuts, sometimes with goat cheese. It’s flexible and feels like sunshine on a plate....

Recipes ‚Ä∫ Mains Fresh Summer Rolls (+ Dipping Sauces) By Samira Kazan updated November 15, 2024 Fresh and healthy summer rolls filled with vegetables, berries, and optional tofu. These rice rolls make for a delicious appetizer, main, or side and are gluten-free, nutritious, vegetarian, and vegan ! I love rice rolls – so much so that I actually created a fairly in-depth Pick n’ Mix Rice Paper Rolls blog post. However, sometimes, having too much choice can be overwhelming – so I thought I’d share the recipe for my current favorite summer rolls with berries and veggies (plus multiple dipping sauces)....