I can not stop myself from eating these Manchego, Olive, Soppressata and Melon Bites! They’re a super easy, no-cook appetizer idea that is perfect for summer entertaining. Start with mini skewers or toothpicks and add small blocks of manchego cheese (or another sharp cheese of your choice), marinated olives (get these from the grocery store olive bar), slices of soppressata (fold them into ribbons on the toothpick for easy bites) and cubes of sweet cantaloupe. I made them a few hours ahead and kept them chilled in the fridge under plastic wrap until ready to serve. They’re a refreshing, flavorful bite to pass around the table at summer parties!
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We kicked off the official start of bbq season this weekend, so I was in the kitchen experimenting with some tasty new side dish ideas. Every summer barbeque needs a pasta salad, and I have a few classic versions I always lean on but decided to mix it up with something fresh. Fresh English peas and sweet snap peas are some of my favorite seasonal veggies, and they were the inspiration for this pasta salad recipe. They got tossed with some fun corkscrew shaped pasta, crispy, salty bits of cooked prosciutto, and a lemony dressing with fresh lemon thyme. The result was a bright, tangy side salad that was perfect for al fresco entertaining – get the full recipe below!
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Make room on your Easter brunch menu for this buttery, dense, and fragrant orange poppyseed bundt cake! I love making a bundt cake for a brunch because the presentation is just WOW when you display it in all its glory, a sweet orange glaze dripped over the ridges and glistening with flecks of orange zest and poppyseeds. Don’t be intimidated by using a bundt pan, give it a good coat of butter, dust it lightly with flour, and if you have any parts that stick you can always cover them up with the glaze! I love this recipe because it’s a little bit dessert, a little bit breakfast pastry, and an all around crowd pleaser – get the full recipe below!
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As we gear up for Easter weekend celebrations, I wanted to share an ultra-easy dish that combines just 3-ingredients and works great for brunch menus or as an impressive appetizer. The classic combination of prosciutto and melon isn’t a new idea, but for spring and summer celebrations, I amp up my display by cutting the melon slices with floral cookie cutters. The variety of sweet, juicy melon pieces in floral shapes, layered with ribbons of salty prosciutto, and a few fresh mint leaves for garnish and color, is an eye-catching combination that will impress guests! 
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I have been absolutely *craving* this salad since I made it, and added it to our weekly plan twice since. The first time I snapped a pic and shared it on Instagram, and got dozens of messages coming in asking for the recipe. It’s easy, quick, and probably going to be one of my favorite summer dinners this year. I marinated some white beans with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and parsley. Then I whisked up a simple creamy lemon dijon vinaigrette, and used it to dress a big crispy green bowl of spinach and shaved Brussels sprouts topped with the beans, prosciutto, leftover grilled chicken and shaved parmesan cheese – chef’s kiss! Save this one for an easy weeknight dinner, or. make it in a bigger batch for some top notch spring entertaining!
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I like to give my spring vegetable bounty an accompaniment that lives up to their fresh, crisp flavor; a homemade dip is the perfect balance for crudité. This garlic herb vegetable dip is simple to assemble and tastes best after the flavors combine for a bit in the refrigerator. While you could serve it with any veggies or potato chips, I opted for an all-green-display that would be perfect for serving on St. Patrick’s Day! 
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I love popovers; these puffy baked treats are an absolute favorite of mine! The eggs in the batter help them billow up over the edges of the tin to create tall, crispy exteriors and a custardy inside. I love to make them for holiday brunches, and this version with sharp cheddar and fragrant chopped chives, makes a delightful pairing for a big hearty bowl of stew. They can be finicky to master though, so I’ve laid out a few tips for success below, along with my favorite recipe version from my cookbook. 
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I have a handful of go-to baking recipes I rely on because I’m a bit of a hurried baker, and this simple shortbread cookie recipe is a fool proof favorite – I can always throw these together with little effort! I shared the recipe with a lemon zest twist in my cookbook, and this version gets tinted green for a sweet shamrock treat to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day! This recipe makes a fun, buttery, sticky dough and is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen—have them help shape the dough into a ball and roll it out before you stamp out the cookies with cookie cutters.
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I have lived in New England for 20 (!) years but did you know I’m originally a New Yorker? This fact usually comes up when the topic of pizza is on the table, as it’s one of my most passionate facets of my New Yorker birthright. There’s a few pizza places near where I grew up that make these tasty little bite sized pizza rolls. They’re made from pizza dough, usually stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, and perfect for dipping in warm marinara sauce. One bite of these and I’m back home. I’ve been craving them lately and decided to make my own at home ahead of Super Bowl snack celebrations, and tested them in my air fryer for an extra speedy cooking time of just about 10 minutes. Get the recipe below, and give it a save for the big game! 
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It’s no secret that I love a good Trader Joe’s shortcut (see my frozen gnocchi recipes!). On a recent spin around my Trader Joe’s store, I was hunting for some Super Bowl snack inspiration and got an idea to dress up their frozen mini party meatballs. They’re delicious, crowd-pleasing, bite-sized meatballs (any mini frozen meatball will work!) and I spiced them up with a sauce that combines their Jalapeño sauce with some zesty ranch. They’re a fun alternative to the traditional buffalo chicken flavors we usually have during a Super Bowl viewing party, the jalapeño packs a spicy punch and the ranch gives it a cool balance. Just three simple ingredients that combine for a flavor-packed game day bite! Get the easy recipe below: 
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