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...

This soup is fun. Using my favorite spice blend is fun. Spiralizing anything is fun—seriously, have you tried it? It never gets old. Dipping your spoon into a creamy, opaque exotic-looking soup—not knowing what it will hold when it comes out—is fun. It might be a...

My grandma makes amazing clam chowder. When I saw her recipe, I understood why—the ingredient list included a quart (946 ml) of half and half and more than a stick of butter. Planning a paleo version of this decadent soup had me reaching for some bacon as a flavor...

The mild turkey in this chili takes a supporting role for the exotic spices, and the almond butter not only thickens it, but also gives it a rich, nutty flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s excellent over Cauliflower Rice (shown here and here) or...