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Crave-Worthy Recipes

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How to make bone broth

What’s all the fuss about bone broth?  In just a few years, bone broth has gone from specialty shop item to supermarket staple. Stocks and broths have always been available, but only recently has bone broth been sold along side them in the soup aisle, let alone at coffee counters and trendy cafés. Bone broth is a deeper beef stock made by simmering roasted collagen-rich bones in water with a bit of onion, ginger, or other vegetables (optional) for more flavor. After hours of cooking, you’ll get a nutritious, savory broth that can be sipped slowly from your favorite mug or added to other recipes for a nutritious punch. Is bone broth as healthy as people claim?  It is healthy, yes, but beware of anything that claims to be a magical potion. While supporters claim it can help you sleep, reduce joint pain, aid in digestion, and even extend your…

Easy Tomato Basil and Gnocchi soup

Need to thaw out from the winter weather? This recipe combines two of the most delicious cold weather comfort foods on the planet — pasta and soup. A big bowl of this filling soup and you’ll be toasty for hours. What’s even better? It’s ready in less than a half hour. Seriously. A food this delicious that’s also ready in about 25 minutes — you’re going to fall in love with this recipe. If you’re not familiar with gnocchi, you can usually find them in the pasta section at any well-stocked grocery store. They’re often vacuumed-packaged and sold next to the boxed pastas. They might also be in the frozen foods aisle near the ravioli and stuffed shells. So what are they? Confession, this description might be a bit biased because I LOVE gnocchi. They’re these pillowy puffs of pasta with a slightly chewy texture, never tough, always just the…

The Best Broccoli salad for dinners, potlucks

This creative broccoli salad combines veggies, fruits, nuts and dairy with a crumbling of turkey bacon for a delightful side dish that everyone will enjoy. It’s the perfect make-ahead meal that can store in the fridge for up to three days — and I swear, it gets even tastier with a little bit of time. What really makes this broccoli salad great is the tart and sweet Greek yogurt dressing brightened up with a splash of apple cider vinegar. And, of course, crunchy turkey bacon takes any dish to the next delicious level. If you wanted to make a more decadent version, feel free to use mayonnaise and real bacon instead, or save some time by using pre-cooked bacon bits — the kind usually found in the salad aisle. *Note: If you’re going to make ahead, hold off on adding the bacon, apple chips, and almonds or you’ll lose the…

Lemon lovers puff pastry tart

I confess. I have a serious thing for lemons: on my clothes, in my decor, and definitely in my desserts. The more tart lemon flavor in foods, the better. At this point in my addiction, I’m just a step away from biting directly into the bitter fruit to get my fix. Yesterday I had a hankering for something lemony and sweet but rather than fuss with meringues or cakes, I decided to get right to the good stuff. I had a puff pastry in the refrigerator and handful of lemon (because, of course!), so I got to work. This easy tart takes nearly no time. Very thinly slice two lemons and remove their seeds. Coat both sides of the slices in sugar, and arrange on top of the pastry puff. I also scored about a 1/4″ edge around the pastry to help give it a crust to grab on to.…

Loaded Tater Tot Kabobs load Game Day with fun, flavor

Unless you’re a fan of two lucky teams this year, chances are you’re not that excited about the Big Game next Sunday. All the more reason to step up your food game! Everyone knows that Super Bowl parties are really just about the eats anyway. This year, take these loaded tater tots out of the oven right at game time. They’re crispy, hot, and full of flavor. Plus, kids practically go nuts for food on sticks. (Actually, I think we all secretly love snacks on sticks.) Serve them with any number of dipping sauces. I’m from Pittsburgh, so ketchup is a must, but you could also serve ranch dip, sour cream and chives, salsa, mayo, or even mayo ketchup — if you’re into that sort of thing. Of course, any type of skewer or kabob will do. But I fell in love with these adorable little wooden football picks and had to…

How to make a buttermilk substitute at home

Buttermilk is one of those annoying ingredients you either have too much of, or you don’t have at all. It’s usually sold in cartons larger than you need, so leftovers sit in the fridge for weeks. By the time you need it again, the milk will have gone bad. If you’re tired of this endless bad buttermilk cycle, do not fret. There is a solution! Make your own. A bit about buttermilk Buttermilk is an acid, so recipes that call for it won’t turn out right if you just use plain milk. You need a substitute with the same acidity as buttermilk. This acid is usually required to create a reaction with baking soda or other leavening agent in the recipe. Regular milk just isn’t acidic enough. Substituting with plain milk will also produce drier, less flavorful baked goods and can reduce the rise on your muffin tops, biscuits or other…

The best chicken salad ever

The best chicken salad I ever had was from a little bistro up the street from where I used to work. Sadly, it went out of business in just a few short years, but I still believe they could have kept their doors open with their chicken salad alone had more people discovered their incredible combination. I’m not sure of their exact recipe, but like all delicious, good-for-you food, all of the main ingredients were right there, whole and easily identifiable. The red grapes were a welcome addition to the crunchy cashews, and flavorful fresh dill. The mayo mix was light, and just present enough to stick all of the ingredients together. I swapped the classic chicken salad croissant for a slice of toasted brioche out of preference, but you serve on any bread you would like, or just spread it on a few hearty crackers. Also try, Healthy avocado…

Cocoa Krispie Treat footballs, a fan favorite

Are you ready for some football? Of course you are! But do you know what you’re bringing to your friend’s party? This year, let someone else bring the boring chips and dip, while you show up with these adorably delicious Cocoa Krispie Treat footballs. With just four ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make. I melt the butter, add the marshmallows, pour in the cereal, then transfer to wax paper and let it cool. It’s impossible to shape warm, gooey marshmallow, so it will need to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before you start. But don’t wait too long or the mixture will set and become too hard to mold. For the football shapes, I never like recipes that require specific cookie cutters, like — Hello! How many kitchen gadgets do you think I have?! (Actually, don’t answer that.) Anyway, no cookie cutter or special tool required. Footballs…

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I know, I know! Cauliflower isn’t exactly the most exciting vegetable to make, but it is having a moment — and for a good reason! If you haven’t tried this cruciferous vegetable in a while, now is a good time to revisit. Just like Brussels sprouts came back a few years ago with much fanfare, so too has cauliflower, thanks to tons of delicious new recipes and ways of preparation. Here is one easy recipe to get you back on team cauliflower and eating more veggies in the New Year. The roasted cauliflower adds a ton of flavor, and the finely diced carrots and celery give the soup even more texture. A big, hot bowl of this hearty cauliflower soup, served with crusty bread — that’s what winter days are all about. Roasted Cauliflower Soup Ingredients 4 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 small onion, diced 1 carrot, finely diced 1…

Cranberry, orange, almond smoothie

You may think of cranberries as a fruit option only between Thanksgiving and Christmas when popular dishes like cranberry sauce and cranberry baked goods prevail. But there are plenty of reasons to eat the fresh, ruby red fruit all year long. Cranberries have long been known to help reduce the likelihood of urinary tract infections. They also contain important vitamins such as C, E, K, manganese, fiber, and loads of antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to limit the damage caused by free radicals in your body, and help reduce signs of aging as well as helping to fight cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Cranberries may also reduce bad cholesterol, help fight gum disease, and boost your immune system. Get the picture yet? Eat more cranberries! You can add fresh or dried cranberries to any number of salads, salsas, smoothies, or dishes, but eating them fresh delivers the most health benefits. This…