Better Than Chipotle Chicken Marinade

I love the grilled chicken at Chipotle and have attempted to make it at home, but the few copycat marinades I tried were just ok. I played around until I came up with this one which I actually think is way better than Chipotle. In fact, instead of putting it in burritos, I eat the...

Cajun Pasta Bolognese

This is based on a recipe from NY Times Cooking called "Homemade Hamburger Helper". Never having eaten Hamburger Helper, I can't tell if it's accurate, but it is absolutely delicious. I changed the name though, because who wants to serve their guests called something like that, and I changed the recipe enough that I'm hoping...

Shrimp Mozambique

I've never had this dish anywhere else so I don't know if this is how it "should" taste but I know it is delicious. It's like a spicy shrimp scampi. The fact that it's easy to make is a bonus. This recipe from Cook's Illustrated was fantastic but it didn't have enough sauce for me....

Beer Bread

My mom made this when I was little and I made it myself through college. It's super simple and tastes great fresh or toasted, and can be served as a side with dinner or topped with butter and jam for breakfast. Makes 1 loaf. Takes 2 hours with cooling. 3 C. flour 1 Tbsp. baking...

Fried Rice

Logan sent me a TikTok with a teriyaki chicken fried rice video. I never really thought of making fried rice myself but now we make it all the time. It's easy to throw in whatever you have on hand and it always turns out delicious and really satisfying. Below is a general guideline but feel...

Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper, and Lime

This is another Cook's Illustrated recipe, slightly adapted (they call for grinding your own spices but I use pre-ground) . Their recipes are almost always delicious but not often simple. However, this one is super-quick and way more flavorful than it sounds by reading the ingredients list. The hardest part is making sure you have...

Pour in the Pan Pizza

I found this recipe on Christopher Kimball's Milk Street website. He said it's a focaccia dough that he redesigned to be more like a crispy pizza. He points out that the hardest part about making pizza is panning out the dough, and with this recipe you don't have to. The dough is so thin you literally...

Chicken with Peas, Onions and Potatoes

This is the first dish Nino ever made for me. I was so impressed he could cook! And 25 years later I still love this dish. "We" now start it on the cooktop and finish it in the oven which helps make sure the chicken and potatoes cook evenly. Note: the picture shows chopped bacon...

Indian Butter Chicken

This recipe from Cook's Illustrated taught me 2 things: 1) Marinating chicken in yogurt is the only way to go 2) I love Murgh Makhani. I had heard of Indian Butter Chicken but it didn't sound super appealing. Apparently it's very similar to Chicken Tikka Masala, which I like just fine but never aspired to...

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

This marinade for chicken from Cook's Illustrated adds a ton of flavor and keeps it juicy. Apparently, yogurt tenderizes meat more gently and effectively than regular marinades. Acidic vinegar or citrus-based marinades can toughen chicken breast and make it rubbery, but yogurt tenderizes them slowly. The garlic and spices add a lot of flavor but...