DOCTORED UP PESTO PASTA

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CONFESSION TIME: I am so not above store-bought pesto…for myself or for personal chef clients. There are many worthy fresh prepared brands in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

I do like to doctor up store-bought pesto pastas up with roasted veggies like the red onion and zucchini here, then big flavor boosters like olives and shaved parm. Add some rinsed, canned cannellini or butter beans, or chickpeas, a few handfuls of arugula if you want and you have yourself a perfectly rounded meal. Dinner with less that 20 min of effort.

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Farro with Late Summer Corn, Fried Halloumi and Pickled Red Onion

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DO NOT come at me with fall BS. Yes, we have months of squash, potatoes and long cook times to come but we still have weeks left of all the best summer produce. Here is a crunchy, filling salad using all the best of the late summer produce to fuel you through your first few days back to work or school. It will make the transition just the slightest bit more enjoyable.

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Dilly Late Summer Beans with Jammy Eggs

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This salad is as fun to eat as it is beautiful to look at – a jumble of flavors, textures and colors. I’m always looking for ways to make the humble green bean a little more exciting. This is it.

I love keeping a big jar of picked red onions or shallots in my fridge and toasted nuts in my freezer. With those things at the ready, salads like this come together in minutes.

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Satisfying Carrot Cake Cupcakes…or Muffins?

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At the Culinary Nutrition Collaborations 2022 Annual Conference, Mary Ellen Phillips from Milk and Honey Nutrition (@milknhoneynutrition) taught us how to make delicious desserts that don’t spike our blood sugar – something that’s no big deal every once in awhile for many but really important for those with diabetes. Her recipes are not about deprivation – they simply employ tweaks that mostly increase fat, protein + fiber, three nutrients that help slow the release of sugar into our blood stream. Bonus: they are SO satisfying (+ also gluten free for those who need it).

I took her perfectly ratio-ed Key Lime Cupcake recipe and put my spin on it to make Carrot Cake Cupcakes. They come together super fast in a food processor. I enjoyed them along with yogurt, banana and nut butter for breakfast throughout the week. My kids actually preferred them without the frosting because they are unpredictable like that. One way or another, you’ll love them too!

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Sweet and Little Spicy Tomato and Nectarine Caprese

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Let this be your reminder to keep cooking very, very simple at the end of the summer. Practically everything is in season—it needs so little to taste so good.

This caprese is sweet, savory and a little bit spicy with the addition of thinly sliced chili. I used jalapeños because that’s what I had but a serrano, red chili or even just a pinch of red pepper flakes would work in its place.

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