Cookie and Kate

My Top 10 Recipes of 2020

January 9, 2021 9 Comments

Earlier this week, I shared your favorite recipes from last year. Here are my favorites. This is always a tough list for me to make since I legitimately love every single recipe that makes it the blog.

You might be aiming to eat healthier after the holidays (me, too) so I tried to select meals that are pretty darn healthy and enticing at the same time. Granted, if you’re craving comfort food, try this spinach artichoke dip or a soothing mug of creamy golden milk.

We’re setting into our new home and I finally have an organized pantry and desk space. I’ll be back next week with brand new recipes. Stay well!

1) Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Gluten free and easily vegan

This bowl is basically what I want every meal to be! Super fresh, flavorful and satisfying. Make the components on the weekend and enjoy them throughout the week.

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Your Top 10 Recipes of 2020

January 5, 2021 33 Comments

Drumroll please… Presenting your top ten recipes from 2020! I don’t have any rosy comments to offer about the difficulties presented last year. Perhaps you cooked more than ever last year, perhaps you still are. I hope my recipes and resources proved helpful. That’s always my number one goal.

Here’s a little look back at your favorite recipes from the past year. I spy some luscious yet redeeming soups that are perfect for cold weather. Plus some comforting Italian dishes, my go-to homemade granola bars formula, and few more delicious options. Cheers to good health and happiness in 2021! I appreciate you so much for being here.

1) Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans)

Easily gluten free and vegan
“This is absolutely delicious!! It will surely become a new staple recipe in our home. I love that it contains veggies, carbs and protein for a complete meal :) Thank you Cookie and Kate for another awesome recipe.” – Marie

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What to Cook This January

January 2, 2021 74 Comments

See ya, 2020! We made it. We moved to a new home just before Christmas and we’re almost done unpacking the boxes. I can’t wait to show you our new kitchen. It’s a dream.

If you’re looking for wholesome, satisfying, veggie-packed recipes, you’re in the right place. You’ll find a bunch of them in my guide to seasonal produce below. For in-depth resources and tips on how to eat real food, be sure to check out my cookbook, Love Real Food.

Cheers to a healthy and happy 2021. Thank you so much for being here.

Beets

Simple Beet, Arugula and Feta Salad

Gluten free and easily vegan

“This is, quite literally, my new favorite salad! I have made it for several friends – who all have adored it – and have added it to my weekly food staples. I’ve never actually made it with pumpkin seed – I substitute pistachios instead, or omit the nuts altogether if I am not eating it right away, and the homemade balsamic is fantastic…YUMMMM!” – Franki

More beet recipes »

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How to Make a Cheese Board

December 31, 2020 11 Comments

Confession: I brought a sad cheese plate to last year’s Friendsgiving, and it went ignored in the corner. It was an embarrassing moment for a cookbook author, and I’ve been determined to improve my cheese board game ever since.

I walked into the party to find a gorgeous and elaborate cheese board nearly spanning the full length of the dinner table. My friend Jordan has a degree in sculpture, and she can sure put together a beautiful cheese board.

I took the opportunity to study her design. I can’t say that my efforts are quite to her level yet, but I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to share with you today.

Building a beautiful cheese board feels like a fun art project. We’ll mix different flavors, colors, shapes and textures to build an enticing appetizer board. Give yourself some time to put it together, and you’ll enjoy the process all the more. The trick is to fill every little space on the board with nuts and fruit so it looks completely abundant.

A cheese board is the perfect excuse to break out your special serving items. If you don’t have a dedicated cheese board in your cabinets, though, don’t fret. For your base, you can use a nice wooden cutting board, a large serving platter, or even a tray or baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If you don’t have a set of cheese knives, offer butter knives, cocktail forks, cocktail picks or toothpicks.

Basically, anything goes, and no occasion is too minor for a cheese board. You just might have everything you need at home already. How about a cheese board with your French 75 this evening?

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Easy Tapenade

December 29, 2020 31 Comments

Olive lovers, tapenade is for you! Tapenade is an olive spread or dip hailing from the Provence region in France. It’s bold, zippy, briny and salty, though we’ll be sure to keep the salt level in check.

Served with crostini or crackers, tapenade is a wonderful appetizer with drinks. It offers some welcome contrast when served with creamy dips, like hummus or spinach artichoke dip. You can also spread it onto sandwiches, dollop it onto salads, and more. Tapenade will keep for a week or two in the fridge, so you’ll find many uses for it.

Tapenade is named after the Provençal word for capers, tapenas. Over the years, olives have become the predominant ingredient, and I used capers as a subtle accent. Similar olive spreads have been served in the Mediterranean for ages, which is why tapenade is a natural pairing with your favorite Mediterranean flavors.

Traditional tapenade also includes anchovies, but being vegetarian, I omitted them. This dip is loaded with complex flavor regardless, and it’s suitable for vegans and those with shellfish allergies as well.

To make this easy tapenade, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients and a food processor. It comes together in about 10 minutes with mostly pantry ingredients! You’ll need Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, capers, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Let’s make some already.

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Vanilla-Pear Holiday Punch

December 21, 2020 28 Comments

This holiday punch is unlike any I’ve ever had, and I think you’re going to love it. It’s not too sweet. It tastes like pear, vanilla, spice and everything nice. It’s a smooth, easy sipper, even with tequila inside. Yep, tequila!

This pitcher of cocktails was inspired by an oldie but goodie, my Pear Nectar Cocktails with Reposado Tequila. That cocktail is proof that simple ingredients can yield a delightfully complex cocktail. If you’re just making one or two drinks, follow that recipe instead.

You won’t need any fancy liqueurs for this holiday punch recipe, just some pear juice, reposado tequila, plus a few basic ingredients—lemon juice, club soda, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

I know we’re skipping the holiday parties this year, but I just couldn’t keep this recipe to myself until next December. If you’d like to batch some cocktails for your family, this punch is just the ticket.

Or you could drop off a jar of cocktails with friends or neighbors to share some holiday cheer. I wrote the recipe to yield eight drinks and you can divide or multiply as you’d like.

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My Top 10 Recipes of 2020

1) Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Your Top 10 Recipes of 2020

1) Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans)

What to Cook This January

Beets

Simple Beet, Arugula and Feta Salad

How to Make a Cheese Board

Easy Tapenade

Vanilla-Pear Holiday Punch

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

The New Old Fashioned Cocktail

Crispy Baked Tostones

Classic Mulled Wine

Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

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1) Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

1) Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans)

Beets

Winter Recipes

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