I’ve always been fascinated with Greece—the whitewashed buildings, the deep blue water, the history, and the bright, briny Mediterranean flavors.My college degree had a travel and tourism emphasis, and for one of my class projects, I planned a weeklong, painfully...

I’m a fairly recent convert to mushrooms, and I have to say, this is my favorite mushroom-heavy dish of all the ones I’ve tried. Using two kinds of mushrooms really brings more flavor to the chicken—and that creamy sauce made from paleo mayo and the pot juices?...

This recipe is based on a shrimp recipe I found in Bon Appétit magazine several years ago. I had recently fallen in love with peperoncini peppers, so I did some ingredient swaps and adapted it for my slow cooker. The peperoncini add a little kick, so I use sweet...

I always keep some precooked, uncured Italian sausages around because they make such fast, easy meals. Our family loved these saucy sausages and peppers over “Baked” Sweet Potatoes, but Cauliflower Rice (shown here and here) or Squash Noodles would also be good...

This chili gave me grief for a while. At first it was missing something, and I couldn’t figure out what it was. A friend of mine and her husband tried it out for me and tinkered with it. After some tweaks, they entered it into a chili cook-off and won second place—in...

The barbecue sauce in this recipe may make you wonder “Am I eating chili or brisket?” If you’re particular about the ingredients in your barbecue sauce, try making your own! You’ll find a few recipes in the Pantry Basics chapter (shown here). For this chili I’d...

My Grandma LaRue proclaimed many times over the years that she was a horrible cook. Although I got the impression that she would have rather been sitting at her sewing machine than in the kitchen, I liked her cooking. Her sloppy joes (and chocolate cake) have been a...

This chili has a lot going on—tender threads of chicken, spicy chorizo, and lots of paprika, both hot and smoked. Some dishes get better a day or two after you make them, and this is one. It’s almost a shame to eat it the same day you make it. Prep time 35 minutes...

A few years ago I found a recipe for cream of macadamia nut soup in a magazine, but somehow lost it. I attempted to create my own tropical version with coconut milk, lemongrass, and warm spices. Macadamia nuts and coconut both have large amounts of healthy saturated...

This soup was an experiment with a happy, delightful ending. “What if I put a bunch of avocados in there and made a pureed soup?” Guacamole in soup form, that’s what. Jalapeño-garlic shrimp made this a heartier, tastier meal. Prep time 15 minutes Serves 6 For the...