Courses
Roasted Artichokes With Lemon Herb Aioli

Roasted artichokes with garlic, shallots, and delicious herbs to make a flavorful treat. Enjoy with lemon herb aioli or garlic butter.

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are made with fresh blueberries and have a tender crumb topping. The muffin itself is moist, light and delicately sweet making it the perfect breakfast or snack. Not only does it taste so amazing but it is made with staples you might already have in your kitchen, and if the recipe is followed correctly, its quick and easy! One thing I love about making blueberry muffins is that: 1. It's made with fresh blueberries 2. I can control how much sugar I can put into the recipe 3. I can make these muffins from the comfort of my own home. No need to head to the grocery store or bakery to buy these delicious babies anymore! Happy baking!-> For the full recipe post with tips and tricks, check out my blog here.-Sarah (Check out my Instagram here!)

20 Minute Peanut Rice Noodles

Peanut Rice Noodles With Veggies that taste like the takeout noodles you crave, only takes 20 minutes to cook, and it is also super simple to make!Ordering takeout is a dangerous slippery slope. It seems like a cheap and insignificant expense at first but it quickly adds up to quite a chunk of money at the end of the month. So, to avoid ordering takeout every time I’m feeling too lazy to cook, too hangover, or have an empty fridge, I came up with this super quick yet comforting recipe that mostly uses pantry items and can be tweaked to use whatever veggies are left in the fridge.These noodles recipe is the solution, super quick yet comforting recipe that mostly uses pantry items and can be tweaked to use whatever veggies are left in the fridge.

Apple Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Sausage Apple Breakfast Casserole is a savory breakfast bake topped with sharp, nutty Dubliner cheese to perfectly balance the sweetness of crisp Fall apples.Sort of like a strata, this breakfast casserole starts with cubed sourdough bread and eggs whipped up with half and half to make them light and creamy.

Easy Nutella Brownies With Fruit and Nut Chocolate

These easy Nutella brownies use 3 ingredients as a base, but with a fruit and nut chocolate twist. They’re around 109 calories each and made in 30 minutes. I’ll also show you how you can make Slimming World Brownies, too.For more baking tips, see the original Easy Nutella Brownies recipe here.

Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad

Artichokes are a bit of a strange looking ingredient but they have a unique taste that is particularly great when roasted. But they are packed full of goodness and make for a simple but delicious lunch recipe. Mixed with red tomatoes, green spinach and white mozzarella, this makes for a colourful plate!Check out this simple recipe for roasted artichoke and mozzarella salad plus grab some tips on choosing the perfect type of mozzarella for the meal. Try something different for a salad, light lunch or even as a lighter evening meal on those warm summer evenings. All in one casserole dish!

Ingredients
Zucchini Fritters

These little bundles of joy are reminiscent of the fried zucchini my grandmother made when I was growing up. As I have mentioned before, I love zucchini and I haven’t met a fried item that I don’t adore too! This simple batter is easy to prepare and this is an impressive appetizer or a delicious side dish. The texture from the semolina flour is wonderfully crunchy without the heaviness from a breadcrumb coating. Highly recommend. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

This is the best homemade butternut squash recipe ever. It is truly easy, delicious, and healthy.If you are looking for a warm cozy meal this is it.Serve fresh APPLE CAKE for dessert for the perfect fall meal.

Bacon Cheddar Puffs

We have always been big on appetizers in our family. Not only do we enjoy them when we have guests over, but we also like to make a fun 'appetizers for dinner' night every once in awhile. When we do this we enjoy trying new and delicous app recipes. Some are a bit more involved than others, like these Bacon Cheddar Puffs, but they truly are so worth it! These puffs are exactly that. Light and fluffy, and are filled with bits of bacon and the creaminess of cheddar cheese! They are also very versatile because you can substitute whatever cheese you have on hand, and if you're not a fan of bacon, you can add in sausage, turkey or whatever meat option you prefer!

Melting Potatoes AKA Fondant Potatoes

Melting potatoes (also known as fondant potatoes) are the perfect side dish for just about any meal! They are crisp on top and super fluffy on the inside. They just melt in your mouth, hence the name melting potatoes! Chicken broth, butter, garlic and thyme are added to the skillet before baking. The potatoes soak up all that deliciousness as they cook resulting in a super flavorful dish! These go well with just about anything. I like to serve them with my chicken confit! Don’t forget to drizzle those pan juices over the potatoes before serving! The juices are delicious on the chicken as well!

Healthier Magic Lemon Custard Cake

Have you heard of the Magic Custard Cake? It is a cake consisting of 3 layers, a pie crust like fudgey bottom, custard middle and moist sponge cake top layer. However this is made all with the one batter which separated into the respected layers while it bakes. It’s magic! or science :)I have been so curious about this cake since I saw it making the rounds in social media over the past month or so. But i’m not a big fan of vanilla cakes, so i decided to make a lemon version.The most popular recipe is by Jo cooks, this is her version. My recipe is adapted from this version.As usual, I also wanted to make it lighter and less sweet, so I substituted half the sugar with monk fruit sweetener (my fav sugar replacer but you can use stevia or just sugar, just don’t replace it with any liquid sweetener), use skim milk and replace almost half of the flour with wholemeal spelt flour to get a bit of wholegrain goodness in (I find wholemeal spelt flour more pleasant tasting than wholemeal flour)When I was mixing the batter, I was actually very skeptical about this cake working, the batter is very thin, it calls for 500 ml of milk! it also bakes for a much longer time than my usual cakes.But lo and behold, it came out really great. There are definitely 3 distinct layers. The bottom layer is almost like a pie crust, it’s dense and fudgy. The middle layer is a soft custard. The top layer reminds me of the sponge in a tiramisu, like a super moist, soaked in milk sponge. My cake seems to have a really tall cake layer and thinner custard layer, not sure if it’s because I’m using less sugar and includes some wholegrain flour, but I’m not complaining. The top layer is my favourite :)I hope you will try this easy recipe, it really is a very fascinating dessert. Please tag me at @dessertsforlunch on IG :)

Sunshine Lemon Bars

I’ve got sunshine on this hot Chicago day! 🌞Actually, most these days have been pretty hot, but I’m not complaining! There are only a few desserts I want to grab on a hot day. One being some bright luscious lemon bars, fresh out of the fridge, and dusted with some sugar 🍋🍋🍋 I mean, COMEON!Try these “Sunshine Lemon Bars” for the best summer bite! They are easy to make, so refreshing, and just downright delicious. They don’t take long to make, so you can spend the majority of your day soaking up so rays instead of cooped up in your kitchen.

Cuisine
Quick Pork Lo Mein

COVID has really upped our take-out game. One thing we have definitely kept up is our monthly Pork Lo Mein take out order. We decided to learn and refine our own Quick Pork Lo Mein recipe, because what else are we going to do in quarantine? We have now been making this on repeat to eat hot, cold, room temperature, you name it. Because isn’t Chinese food the best at any temperature! So make a big batch and enjoy eating this Quick Pork Lo Mein all week long! This will be your new go-to Chinese take out meal.

Mexican Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

After my trip to Thailand, I was OBSESSED with the food. There is nothing better than a dish that can come together with a mix of savory, spicy and sweet flavors. I decided to incorporate my favorite Mexican chiles anchos and chiles de arbol so this chicken noodle soup has a combination of Thai and Mexican flavors! I had a bit of a cold when I made this and the spice really cleared up my sinuses. It is a great dish to make to boost your immune system and give you that comfort you need. Being Mexican, we always have chiles anchos in our pantry. Hopefully you will too soon!

Nikujaga Japanese Beef Stew

Nikujaga is a Japanese dish loved by people of all ages! The name comes from combining two Japanese words - “niku,” which means meat, and “jaga,” which is a nickname for potatoes. Just like a plate of meat and potatoes is a hearty comfort food in Western culture, Nikujaga is comfort food in Japan! It is the Japanese version of a beef stew, simmered in the classic Japanese seasonings of soya sauce, sugar, sake and mirin. The stew ends up with a really nice blend of sweet and salty which works surprising well, especially when served with a side of steamed white rice. Easy to make in just 30 minutes and delightfully filling, it is perfect as a main home-cooked meal.

Dry Chilli Paneer

Chilli Paneer is one of the most popular recipe from the Indian Chinese cuisine. Being a vegetarian, it's one of my favourite dish and to be honest I thoroughly enjoy it with a bowl of fried rice.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

A healthy vegan mediterranean salad with chickpeas and olives. The very first time I made a version of this salad was years ago when I just wanted a light salad for lunch and just acted upon my instinct to add some chickpeas in there to keep me full and satisfied longer. I was pleasantly surprised by how quick, fresh and delicious this salad came out! Needless to say, it just became one of our favorite recipes! Imagine my surprise when I learned that this is actually a mediterranean type of salad. Over the years, the recipe evolved into the current one we enjoy now. This mediterranean chickpea salad takes no time at all to make and is very fresh, vibrant and incredibly delicious! I must say the red wine vinegar dressing goes very well with all the vegetables. Enjoy this salad for lunch or dinner as a wholesome meal and pack the leftovers for lunch the next day, it will taste even better.

Mexican Rice Casserole

Looking for an easy, flavourful and delicious dinner idea? This is it!I love this Mexican rice casserole for an quick weeknight meal. It's packed full of tender ground beef, black beans, corn and rice along with peppers and onions. I love topping off my dish with a TON of toppings; think sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, cilantro and cheese! This recipe makes a big batch so it's perfect to whip up to have dinner ready all week long. Prepping your meal ahead of time does not need to be boring and this dish packs some serious delicious flavour. Make it for dinner tonight!

Specialties
Healthyish Chocolate Brownies

We are often skeptical about ‘healthy’ versions of recipes because most often we just want the real thing in all its calorific glory (calories aren’t always the devil). However, sometimes we are pleasantly surprised when something healthier still tastes great. These were a little experiment to see if we could create some brownies that were a little less packed with sugar but still tasted really, really good. And they did!So these are our slightly healthier than normal brownies… that still become unhealthy if you eat 10.Visit Food_for_Daise to see more of our recipes and food inspiration!

Vegan Tofu Buddha Bowl

I know it may seem like everyone is on a health kick, but I think anytime is the perfect time to start! Whipping up quick and healthy meals that can be prepped ahead of time for the week has been a life-saver.

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Bark Recipe

For an easy and light snack, try this blueberry Greek yogurt bark recipe. My kids love making it and eating it. They like to get creative with different flavors.

5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Craving something sweet but don't feel like making something so complex? This is the perfect recipe for YOU! These cookies are the perfect balance of sweet and salty because of the peanut butter, they are so soft but at the same time "crispy". Everything you would want in a cookie!With only 5 ingredients, these cookies are healthy and perfect for meal prepping in advance. Trust me, you will want to save this recipe for weekend baking! You will definitely have all the ingredients in your pantry so there's no excuse hehe. Side note: You can sub the coconut sugar for any other sugar you like!These are gluten free!

5-Ingredient Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse

September 2nd was National Coconut Day...and you can bet I celebrated!Do you like coconut? It’s one of my favorite foods, and I enjoy it in so many forms.I had a can of coconut cream in my refrigerator that I’d been waiting to use, and now I had my chance. So I cracked it open and made this ridiculously easy 5-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse. You literally dump all of the ingredients in a bowl, blend for a couple of minutes, and put in the refrigerator. I did it in between bouts of caring for my 5-month-old. And five minutes is about all I had. My husband, who isn't typically a mousse fan ate his fair share (and then some), and heartily approved. and on top of everything, you would never guess that this wasn't the real thing.And on top of it all it's arguably a little better for you than the normal cream option...especially if you use the raw cacao (a superfood!).Be sure to tag me on IG (@bellesdirtydishes) when you make this--I can't wait to hear what you think!

Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

These Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties with Jalapeño Lime Ranch are delicious AND nutritious! Plus, I’ve added some optional substitutions to make the patties dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.These patties are easy to put together, and have a slight crunch on the outside. I’m always a fan of some crunch! Of course you could top it with a different sauce, especially if you’re going vegan or dairy free, but I love this slightly spicy, creamy, tangy sauce to go with it. They’re versatile too- you could combine all the ingredients and store them in your fridge, then cook them when you need them. Like in your salads, for breakfast, or all on it’s own- they should be good in the fridge for about the next five days.My favorite way to fix these up is with a fried egg, bacon, avocado, and sauce drizzled on top. I made this for my family a couple weeks ago, and in my husband’s words- ‘the only problem I had with them was that there wasn’t more!’. I’ll call that a win!

Cooking Method
Creamy Taco Ranch Slow Cooker Chicken

Today, we're making Creamy Taco Ranch Slow Cooker Chicken!

Skillet Bourbon, Peach and Blueberry Crumble

Bourbon, Peach and Blueberry Crumble is a celebration of summer fruit in a skillet!

Cajun Beer Battered Fried Pickles

Fried pickles, do you love them or hate them? Well, I’m guessing since you’re looking at this recipe, you’re a fan. I love salt and vinegar chips and pickles so that must mean I would like fried pickles, right? After making a batch at home, I can safely say I am on board with this snack. To give it just a kick, I made the pickles extra special by making Cajun beer battered fried pickles served with a honey mustard bbq sauce. Easy to make, these Cajun beer battered fried pickles are the perfect snack or appetizer for pretty much any occasion!

Juicy Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs

Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs: Bites of chicken marinated in warm spices, threaded on skewers with colorful peppers and onions and grilled to perfection!A flavorful recipe that’s great for an outdoor summer grill or indoor winter dinner.No intentions of making these kebabs existed even a 2 days ago (I usually plan recipes or have something on my list that I just really want to make).I found some metal skewers I had at the back of a kitchen cabinet when I was looking for my hand mixer attachments yesterday, and that’s all the inspiration I needed.Then came the hard part. I really wanted to go for a yogurt marinated chicken skewer recipe, but I’ve been doing quite a few of those recently, so I went for something new with Middle-Eastern flavored kabobs instead. A very good decision.

Light & Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Mug Cake

A perfectly moist and fluffy Chocolate Mug Cake made with whole wheat flour for a quick dessert that’s healthy too! This easy, low calorie, sugar-free cake is ‘baked’ in the microwave and comes together in under 2 minutes.This is without a doubt the most tried and tested recipe I have ever made. It took me 9 attempts to get right. 9 guys!I have never had to redo a recipe so many times to get it right. Why? Because a healthy, low fat, sugar-free, whole wheat chocolate mug cake is HARD!Honestly it would have been less bad if I didn’t do 3 photo shoots as well!One at round 1 back when I first tried it 8 months ago - thinking it would be spot on on the first try like almost all my other recipes. That ended up being so inedible, I trashed it!Thought I’d gotten the recipe right back then on attempt 4 after switching to a new recipe, but just forgot to post it. And now those photos didn’t meet my new standards.New reshoot with same recipe on round 5 - pictures were a lot better, but the texture was not worthy!Round 6 was still bad, so I switched to a new recipe on 7 and it was wayyy better.Did a re-reshoot on round 8 because it looked a lot different (and better) now too!Round 9? ABSOLUTE DIVINE PERFECTION!

Mini Meatball & Tortellini Soup (Instant Pot)

It's soup season, folks, and I usually make at least one a week! Great for a quick, hearty dinner on busy nights when everyone needs to eat at different times, plus leftovers make for a perfect Thermos lunch. This is one of my favorites because it's cute LOL. Mini meatballs from my favorite local Italian market, and mini tortellini or ravioli if you can find them! In today's soup, torteLLINI: they looked small in the package next to the regular sized torteLLONI, but boy did they grow in the broth. I know I've purchased smaller ones before... Anyway, use the smallest you can find! Cheese-filled pasta and meatballs, floating in a tasty, tomato-y broth seasoned with garlic and herbs... Serve with a spoonful of parmesan cheese on top and a hunk of crusty bread. Perfect fall food!Inspired by @dianemorrisey

Seasonal
Mummy Hot Dogs With Spider Web Sauce

These adorable Mummy Hot Dogs With Spider Web Sauce are a great way to celebrate Halloween and feed the kids before trick or treating or starting the Halloween party at home!What kid (or adult, for that matter) doesn’t love hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls? They’re a childhood staple and always a hit. Why not take a bit of time and make them festive by wrapping the dough around a hot dog like a mummy!AT HOME HALLOWEEN PARTY HOW-TOs:Let’s be honest, Halloween in the time of COVID is scary in itself. But our kiddos shouldn’t be deprived of a Halloween celebration.Make it a party at home with a scary movie, spooky decorations, little plastic pumpkins full of candy, and an afternoon making these scary hot dogs, some slice and bake cookies, or a fun dip. And don't forget to treat yourself also with your favorite cocktail or dessert. Now that’s a party!TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPEIf you can’t find or don’t have the sheet of crescent dough in the can, use the crescent roll dough and pinch the perforations together. It will work just as well!I like using all-beef hot dogs, but whatever you have will work. I have found that the all-beef are slightly less greasy.Pinch the dough together to hold in the cheese on the backs of the mummy dogs. You want to see a little of the hot dog from the front of the mummy.If you don’t want to use candy eyes for the face, use the bag of mustard to draw little eyes on the face.Be sure to allow the hot dogs to cool a bit before serving them. We don’t want to burn little mouths.

Gingerbread Spiced Mulled Wine

This Gingerbread Spiced Mulled Wine could not be easier to make! Ready in about thirty minutes, this mulled wine is packed full of classic flavors you love. Cloves, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, star anise, oranges, and (of course) a bottle of red wine!To be honest, every season is gingerbread season! Winter, spring, summer, fall... Doesn't matter! Any time of the year is perfect for gingerbread.But, I have to admit, we are definitely trying to stay warm during these cold winter months! The temps have been dropping into the teens and snowing almost every other day.Not that I'm complaining! It's absolutely beautiful but trying to stay warm is tough...that's why this mulled wine is absolutely perfect!

Watermelon Salsa

Watermelon salsa! I know when you hear salsa you think tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, all these beautiful flavors married together. But what screams summer better than watermelon fruit. It is present all summer long in our parties and backyard gatherings. We enjoy watermelon slices, Popsicles, lemonade, and Slushies. Why not include watermelon on savory recipes such as salsa?Great with chips, tacos, or grilled meat. I am thinking like with grilled chicken kebab, will be fantastic! I took a spin with Mediterranean flavors, by using mint and feta cheese. You will end up with a very refreshing salsa, that you want to make and enjoy all summer. Plus, if you are going to use this as a dip or appetizer, the chili lime pita chips from @toufayan are perfect with this juicy, fresh and beautiful looking salsa!

Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Scare up some sweet treats for Halloween. Peanut Butter Spider Cookies . . . as fun to make as they are to eat!

Pumpkin Custard Buns

Thanksgiving is upon us here in Canada! While this year's feasting season will be a little different, I am still cooking up a storm in the kitchen, testing and inventing recipes that will present fall ingredients in a new and delicious way. These pumpkin custard buns are my latest inventions.

Watermelon Popsicles

We are totally obsessed with these Watermelon Popsicles in our house right now. Leah has at least 3 per day. I keep having to buy watermelon to keep up with her appetite for these. These are healthy and incredibly easy. Only THREE ingredients!We grab the Black Diamond Watermelons from our favorite farm that’s not too far from us. Then some lime juice, local honey and….that’s it! Blend it all up and then pour into your popsicle molds. If you need some popsicle molds for home, check these out on Amazon. I love these little guys.These are such a fun, yummy and healthy treat that I feel good about letting Leah have 3 per day. So incredibly easy too! These are on repeat for us this summer, so good. You gotta try these!Follow me over @lolosdesserts on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest recipes!

Diet & Allergies
Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna Rolls

This picturesque Zucchini Lasagna Rolls recipe gives you a healthier alternative to enjoy your lasagna without sacrificing the flavors.Now you can have Italian-inspired lasagna with all its glory without the unnecessary carbs that come with it.

Keto Friendly Breaded Wings

I know what you’re thinking, Keto friendly breaded wings? Thats impossible! We’ll this is a story all about how you can make keto friendly breaded wings right now (sing to the tune of the fresh prince theme song). So knowing that ketogenic means no carbs, I had to decide how I was going to bread these things. I landed on good old fashioned pork rinds!

Vegan Dahl

If you love dahl as much as I do, then this recipe is definitely for you!This vegan dahl is so delicious, so nutritious and so easy to make. It's main ingredient, red lentils, are a super legume, they’re packed with vitamins, magnesium, zinc and potassium. They're also low in fat and high in protein which makes them a wonderful addition to any meal, without making you feel heavy or bloated. In addition, lentils have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which will improve your overall health. Also, this meal is loaded with hearty vegetables and fragrant and savory spices. It’s definitely recommended on cooler days as it is warm, hearty and filling.

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip cookies are a classic. No one can ever get bored of these treats no matter the amount of times they eat them. That gooey inside and that crunchy exterior, like trust me NO ONE can get bored of that. Its everything a chocolate chip cookie should be: crispy and chewy. Let me let you in on a little secret about this recipe: 1. it has NO eggs; CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! 2. andd for the people that don’t have brown sugar, this was made using homemade brown sugar. No funny ingredients, just a whole lot of good cookies. It doesn't get any better than this! Happy baking :)-> For the full recipe post with tips and tricks, check out my blog here.-Sarah (Follow my Instagram for more like this here)

Gluten Free Mini Pizza

If you’ve ever been in the predicament of inviting over a guest who has to stick to a gluten free diet, this gluten free mini pizza recipe is one to reach for. It will satisfy gluten and non-gluten eaters alike! Turn it into a fun interactive family night by setting up a ‘pizza station’ with toppings so everyone can customize their own mini pizzas!This is the best gluten free pizza I’ve made. No one would ever guess it’s gluten free; it’s that good!

Flourless Black Bean Protein Brownies (Low-fat)

Decadent Flourless Black Bean Protein Brownies made with Cacao Powder, Chocolate Protein Powder and Greek Yogurt. Moistened with applesauce and no oil or butter, these low fat black bean brownies make the perfect dessert and post-workout snack!Okay this recipe you HAVE to try! Yes it’s easy, healthy, delicious and all of that, but I also put in SO much effort to get the recipe – and photos right.A lot of research and a failed attempt to create something that needed no fat but was still the right texture and taste.And then did 4 photo shoots for this. The first one just had terrible lighting coz it was too late in the day. A bad setup on the second. And then I forgot to use fresh chocolate drizzle on the third. So I had to do that 4th one.4+ hours just for these shots!So you can imagine how much it would mean to me if you gave it a try.