Main Dishes

Thumbnail image for Boneless Turkey Roast Recipe

Boneless Turkey Roast Recipe

November 15, 2014

As the trees put on their golden and ruby coats, we all start bundling up. One of my favorite parts of fall is the return to my oven! Sacramento summers […]

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Thumbnail image for Pesto & Greens Pizza Recipe

Pesto & Greens Pizza Recipe

May 22, 2013

When it comes to filling my locavore fix, the Sacramento region has no shortage of farms for me to choose from. Feeding Crane Farms is one of my favorites! Let […]

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Healthy Breakfast Burrito

January 23, 2013

Oh burrito! How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Easy to prepare Fast to make You don’t really need to know how to cook to make […]

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Thumbnail image for Chicken Mole with Fall Harvest Rice Recipe

Chicken Mole with Fall Harvest Rice Recipe

November 2, 2012

Los Dias de los Muertos is a holiday traditionally celebrated in Latin American countries to honor the dead. Many people cook favorite dishes of those they wish to honor. Moles […]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Black Bean Chili Recipe

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili Recipe

October 26, 2012

A beautiful fall day calls for a beautiful fall meal. Enter: pumpkin black bean chili. Oh lordy, this is good! I haven’t cooked or blogged in quite a while. I’ve […]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Curry with Black Rice

Pumpkin Curry with Black Rice

October 4, 2012

Halloween is just around the corner, so it’s time to bring out pumpkins and decorations in orange and black. Want a dish you can feed your friends and family without […]

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Thumbnail image for Fiesta del Yamor Fish Baked in Corn Husk with Hinode Brown Rice & Cactus Salsa

Fiesta del Yamor Fish Baked in Corn Husk with Hinode Brown Rice & Cactus Salsa

September 6, 2012

I fell in love with Ecuador in 2006. I was leading a group of big-hearted philanthropists on a tour to witness first-hand the results of a nonprofit microfinance and health […]

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Thumbnail image for Food Literacy Sandwich: Garden Pesto Tomato & Egg

Food Literacy Sandwich: Garden Pesto Tomato & Egg

September 2, 2012

September is Food Literacy Month. The nonprofit I founded, California Food Literacy Center, is celebrating—and so am I! Last week, the California Senate declared the month Food Literacy Awareness Month […]

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Thumbnail image for Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

Cheese Plate Fruit Pizza Recipe

August 1, 2012

If you think you know what fruit pizza is, think again. This isn’t the ultra sweet stuff made from cookie dough. This is a pizza—four kinds of cheese, yeasted pizza […]

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Thumbnail image for Huevos Ahogados Recipe and Herbivoracious Book Review

Huevos Ahogados Recipe and Herbivoracious Book Review

July 14, 2012

Take your taste buds around the world with this new cookbook. Herbivoracious, written by food blogger Michael Natkin, offers flavor, fun, and creativity in this full-color, vegetarian recipe collection. Any […]

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Thumbnail image for Squash blossom, Mushroom and Cheddar Cheese Curd Quesadilla

Squash blossom, Mushroom and Cheddar Cheese Curd Quesadilla

July 5, 2012

Quesadillas are a great way to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer vegetables. Topped with the first ripe heirloom tomatoes of the season and stuffed with chewy cheddar cheese curds, […]

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Thumbnail image for Korean BBQ Veggie Kebabs with Brown Rice

Korean BBQ Veggie Kebabs with Brown Rice

June 29, 2012

It’s summer! It’s also BBQ time. Time to break out the grill and pilfer the harvest from your garden! As a vegetarian, I’m always looking for new ways to create […]

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Thumbnail image for Huevos over Brown Rice

Huevos over Brown Rice

June 18, 2012

It’s hot outside! It’s too hot to cook up my usual morning oatmeal or even to boil water. Yet, with three hungry guys helping rebuild my home office, I’ve got […]

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Thumbnail image for Blackened Salmon Sopes with Grilled Peppers and Onions Recipe

Blackened Salmon Sopes with Grilled Peppers and Onions Recipe

May 3, 2012

It’s Cinco de Mayo! Time for margaritas, guacamole, and fish tacos! Here’s a Cinco de Mayo menu plan that will leave you saying “İGracias!” In an effort to continuously reinvent […]

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Thumbnail image for Fish Tacos with Hot Wings Sauce Marinade and Garden Celery

Fish Tacos with Hot Wings Sauce Marinade and Garden Celery

April 19, 2012

Celery—that crunchy veggie once reserved strictly as a holding device for peanut butter—is finally getting its day in the sun. This time, the beautifully peppery crunch accompanies a hot sauce […]

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Thumbnail image for Grilled Salmon Tacos with Sweet Potato, Lime, Cilantro Salsa

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Sweet Potato, Lime, Cilantro Salsa

April 14, 2012

My mom used to say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I firmly believe that my deployment of this old adage led to the successful […]

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Thumbnail image for Spicy Grilled Cheese with Pepper Jelly & Portabella Mushroom Recipe

Spicy Grilled Cheese with Pepper Jelly & Portabella Mushroom Recipe

April 9, 2012

It’s National Grilled Cheese day this Thursday. With this grand weather, why not pull out your grill and whip up this tasty sandwich over the flame! This grilled cheese recipe […]

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Thumbnail image for Battered Baked Alaskan Fish Tacos with Spicy Peruvian Cilantro Sauce Recipe

Battered Baked Alaskan Fish Tacos with Spicy Peruvian Cilantro Sauce Recipe

March 31, 2012

“Fish tacos are hard to make!” the checkout clerk at the grocery store tells me as she rings up my fresh, wild Alaskan halibut fillets. “There are two secrets,” I […]

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Thumbnail image for Grilled Blackened Alaska Salmon Fish Tacos & A Deep Sea Adventure

Grilled Blackened Alaska Salmon Fish Tacos & A Deep Sea Adventure

February 22, 2012

“The sea is too dangerous today,” our hotel proprietor at the bed and breakfast in Chacala, Mexico tells me. I want to go deep sea fishing. A few years ago, […]

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Thumbnail image for Asian Slaw Recipe with Cabbage, Carrot and Cilantro

Asian Slaw Recipe with Cabbage, Carrot and Cilantro

February 21, 2012

I’m a fan of foods that go “crunch.” Such veggies are easy to find in winter, especially cabbage and carrots. In this Asian slaw, I combine the two with cilantro, […]

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Thumbnail image for Huevos Rancheros Recipe

Huevos Rancheros Recipe

February 2, 2012

If you really love someone, you’ll feed them Huevos Rancheros for breakfast. It’s one of those simple dishes that provide so much joy: eggs over easy resting on a bed […]

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Thumbnail image for Chilaquiles Casserole Recipe

Chilaquiles Casserole Recipe

January 30, 2012

Chilaquiles: in my opinion, a food from the gods. This is such a simple dish with great pleasing power. I first discovered chilaquiles from local Mexican food expert, and my […]

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Thumbnail image for Flowering Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

Flowering Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

January 19, 2012

Introducing: the world’s prettiest vegetable! Flowering kale. Traditionally used as an ornamental landscaping plant, this lovely lady is fit for your kitchen table, too. Flowering kale packs the same healthy […]

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Thumbnail image for Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup with Rosemary Pesto Recipe

Potato & Roasted Garlic Soup with Rosemary Pesto Recipe

January 9, 2012

The winter farmers’ markets in Sacramento are bursting with flavor! I’m a firm believer in taking full advantage of the local bounty. I’m a locavore. I have no excuse to […]

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Thumbnail image for Tomato Bread Salad Panzanella Recipe

Tomato Bread Salad Panzanella Recipe

August 7, 2011

  There’s nothing more delicious than a fresh garden tomato in the peak of summer. Why bury the flavors behind spices or sauce? Let the bright, juicy tang spring through […]

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Thumbnail image for Burritos!: Zucchini & Bean Burrito with Garden Salsa & Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese Recipe

Burritos!: Zucchini & Bean Burrito with Garden Salsa & Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese Recipe

July 28, 2011

If I could choose one food to eat every day for the rest of my life I would definitely choose burritos. They are perfect, especially this time of year when […]

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Thumbnail image for Eggplant in Marinara with Roasted Green Tomatoes: Seasonal Recipe

Eggplant in Marinara with Roasted Green Tomatoes: Seasonal Recipe

July 18, 2011

Who’s the executive chef at my house? My garden! I allow her to dictate my meals. Today, she gave me eggplant—lots of gorgeous, deep purple, glowing chubby eggplants. And she […]

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St. Patrick’s Day Recipes & Kerrygold Prize Winner

March 16, 2011

A few weeks ago, I presented a challenge: create a vegetarian-inspired Irish recipe using Kerrygold butter or Dubliner cheese to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The brave rose to the challenge. […]

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Thumbnail image for Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe

Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe

November 23, 2010

Chile Relleno Pizza Recipe Who doesn’t love chile rellenos? Sweet, fragrant peppers with a tangy zip oozing with chewy melted cheese and drowning in rich, thick tomato sauce—chile rellenos comfort […]

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Chili Relleno Pizza: A Two-Part Series (Part I: The Story; Part II: The Recipe)

November 11, 2010

My chili relleno pizza just pulled from the wood oven.   Here’s a great party idea: Prepare lots of individual pizza dough in advance. Invite your friends, and tell them […]

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Thumbnail image for Roasted Heirloom Tomato Freezer Sauce

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Freezer Sauce

October 4, 2010

Heirloom Tomatoes to be Roasted for Freezer Sauce   Here in Sacramento, we’re still pulling in ripe tomatoes from our gardens. In fact, this weekend I picked 30 pounds! With […]

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Baked Mexican Sopes with Fresh Corn Flour Recipe

Thumbnail image for Baked Mexican Sopes with Fresh Corn Flour Recipe September 27, 2010

Baked Mexican Sopes with Fresh Corn Flour Recipe   That bag of masa harina sat in my cupboard for months. Each time I opened the door I would reach right […]

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Crawfish Boil

June 22, 2010

You don’t have to go to New Orleans to have a Crawfish Boil. You can do it with freshly-caught crawfish right here in Sacramento. I love seafood. I love trying […]

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Thumbnail image for Roasted Garlic Egg Salad: Revising a Classic

Roasted Garlic Egg Salad: Revising a Classic

March 31, 2010

When it comes to egg salad, most people don’t want you messing with their momma’s recipe. If Mom made hers with pickle relish, then by golly, all good egg salad […]

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Purple Potato Wedges with Apple, Gorgonzola & an Amber Ale Marinade

February 26, 2010

Baked potato for dinner? Sounds perfect to me! Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t always agree. My latest solution: add blue cheese and beer. Instant success! If you like bold, knock-you-in-the-mouth flavors, […]

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Complete Farmers’ Market Meal: Double Jack Quesadillas with Honey & Seasonal Fruit Salsa

February 16, 2010

Utter delight awaits with this flavor-packed, blissfully fresh meal. Intensely delicious, bursting passionately with wet, bright aromas, this dish will have you licking your fingers and mumbling sweet nothings under […]

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Fast & Fancy Spaghetti

November 7, 2009

Don’t you just love restaurant spaghetti?—the way the thick, rich sauce clings tightly to each noodle, covering it in a moist, flavor-packed sauce. And even though the dish appears to […]

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Farmers’ Market Supper: Veggie-Smothered Cheese Enchiladas

October 14, 2009

Fast suppers don’t have to skimp on freshness. This meal was prepared almost entirely with farmers’ market ingredients. The extra groceries came directly from those I usually keep on stock […]

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Farmers’ Market Brunch

September 24, 2009

Today’s menu: light, fluffy scrambled eggs hidden under a thin layer of gooey cheese and a fire-alarm salsa. Salsa made of tangy, crisp cactus, rich heirloom tomatoes, blazing red and […]

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Mexican Pizza with Summer’s First Veggies

July 1, 2009

It’s official: Summer is here! On the first day of the season, I was greeted by two ripe zucchini and a yellow squash in my garden.  When the garden is […]

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Thumbnail image for The Great Indian Buffet

The Great Indian Buffet

March 15, 2009

Cardamom, cumin, and curry combined this weekend as the hubby and I hosted an Indian buffet for nine dinner guests. Read on to learn how you can host your own […]

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