Dinner

When the summer vegetables like new potatoes, squash, and peppers start to show up I get really excited. It means it’s time for one of our favorite vegetable preparations. These easy sheet-pan roasted vegetables will remind you why simply prepared summer vegetables are so special. You don’t need much to make fresh summer vegetables shine. …

Now even our dairy-free and low-carb friends can enjoy a super creamy soup! This soup is the perfect combination of rich healthy fats, spicy flavors, and creamy smooth texture. Nobody will guess that this decadent flavorful soup is made with only seven easy ingredients in as little as 30 minutes. Try Some of My Other …

If you love soft chewy pizza crust then you will go gaga for my super chewy, cheesy, sourdough pizza bread. In the words of my husband (who has eaten a lot of pizza over the years) “Pizza Bread Is Life!” If that’s not a good endorsement then I don’t know what is. Seriously though, this …

When life gives you lard, make sourdough tortillas! I have always used a really nice sourdough tortilla recipe that a friend passed on to me. It calls for flour, starter, butter, lard, salt, water, and baking soda. While I like this recipe, it does not call for proper fermentation of the flour. So I set …

When I’m brainstorming ways of cooking duck meat I always associate fruit. Duck has a strong, rich, earthy flavor that is smoothed and refined by adding a natural sweetener like apples, dried fruit, or dark complex berries. Duck liver is essentially the same and needs a careful balance of sweetness to bring out that complexity …

A real-food dinner shouldn’t be stressful or time consuming. There are plenty of days when I need an easy recipe that pleases a crowd, nourishes the soul, and keeps all the bellies full. That is why I adore these easy grain-free meatballs! They are so much quicker than meatloaf and a lot more versatile! This …

Variety is the spice of life. Do I love pasta? Yes! Can I eat pasta every day? No. Unfortunately pasta is one of those carbs that really sticks to my hips. Even my properly prepared Sprouted Sourdough Pasta will weigh me down if I eat it all the time. I developed this easy garlic butter …

I’ve been baking whole wheat bread since the beginning of my sourdough journey. In fact in culinary school I developed a recipe for honey whole wheat sourdough bread. I called it Market St. Sourdough because I was living near Market St. in Santa Cruz at the time. I got an A on that project but …

Over the last few years I’ve made it my mission to learn how to make the softest, fluffiest, chewiest, naturally leavened bread with my sourdough starter. This easy sourdough boule is the result of much practice and formula testing. I wanted to keep the recipe very simple and straightforward so that even an amateur sourdough …

Every nourishing diet should include plenty of organ meats from healthy pastured animals. But it’s not always easy with the modern palate. If you didn’t grow up eating things like liver, kidneys, and other organ meats, the preparation and taste can be a little, well, off-putting. It takes time to get over the squeamish feeling …

It had been over a year since I had pasta of any sort. That just wouldn’t do. Pasta is such a comfort food, it actually feels unsettling to not have pasta for that long a stretch. So I decided to create a pasta recipe that uses all properly prepared grains. I’m passionate about the proper …

You know by now that I’m all about the soaked grains. This sourdough and masa harina cornmeal pizza crust is no exception. This easy crust comes together in a matter of minutes so it’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have time to prepare a fermented sourdough crust in advance. And the crust …

Every so often I get a real hankering for fried chicken strips! Chicken strips are one of those comfort foods that are so crave-able. I used to make them once in a while with panko and vegetable oil (before I knew better). But now that I have completely quit eating vegetable oils and all commercial …

Dutch oven whole stewed chicken is one of our family favorites. My husband is especially fond of this authentic preparation with its rich flavorful broth and tender meat. When I say I’m going to be making this dish, he gets “that” look in his eye. My mom always said, “kissin’ don’t last, cookin’ do!” I …

The weather is improving and it’s time to fire up the grill. These grilled baby vegetables with garlic chive oil dressing will be your summer go-to side dish. There are many things that I really love about grilling — the most important thing is that it’s a lot fewer dishes! You know that’s a good …

Homemade sourdough corn tortillas don’t get better than this. If you have ever had a homemade tortilla made with both wheat flour and corn flour then you know that the thick, soft, chewy tortillas that result from this combination are to die for. Don’t be afraid to really load these sourdough corn tortillas up with …