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Real Life Cooking
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Did you ever say, “I’m so exhausted and just don’t feel like chopping and making a big supper tonight.” That happens to everyone, and it’s okay. Our life changes from moment to moment. Sometimes, we are full of energy, and other times, we just want a 10-minute meal. Real Life Cooking means that you can welcome shortcuts like frozen potato chunks or peel, chop, or quarter those raw potatoes. This month we looked at what meets your needs and helps you to enjoy quick snacking suppers, one-pan wonders, and even gourmet guest gatherings. To help us out, we discovered a kitchen buddy, Yasmin Fahr, who collected and shared lots of flexible recipes that allow you to “Cook Simply” and “Live Fully.”
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Farm Fresh Vegetable Chopped Salad
Serve it as a salad, snack, or appetizer.
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About the Recipe: Combine chopped farm fresh vegetables with a cumin seasoned lemon dressing for a refreshing summer snack or salad. This combo is so delicious that it will become one of your favorites.
See More – Farm Fresh Vegetable Chopped Salad
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Smashed Turkey Burgers with Pickled Kale and Cucumbers
Sumac adds a tangy flavor to the turkey.
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About the Recipe: Sumac is used to flavor the turkey burgers and to season the pickled kale and cucumbers. The blend of Far Eastern spices combines with fresh sliced tomatoes, minced chives, and creamy Greek yogurt to create a delightful healthy, summer dinner.
See More – Smashed Turkey Burgers with Pickled Kale and Cucumbers
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Yasmin Fahr – Cookbook Author
Yasmin Fahr is the author of three cookbooks and a frequent contributor to The New York Times Cooking section. Her recipes are always simple, full of flavor and meant to make your life a little easier and a lot more fun.
Photo Courtesy of Yasmin Fahr
Photo Courtesy of Yasmin Fahr
Yasmin’s approach is all about simplicity and flavor while keeping things nutritious and vegetable-forward. Cook Simply, Live Fully is organized into three progressive sections based on energy level and mood. Lap Dinners includes low effort/high reward hits such as Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes, Eggs, + Feta. Readers can take things up a notch in Coffee Table Dinners with satisfying dishes that require a little more prep work, like Roasted Chicken Thighs with Grapes, Feta + Mint. At the Dinner Table is for those days when time and energy are not at a premium, or when entertaining is on the menu, including Roasted Mustard Salmon with Hint-of-Mint Escarole Salad with a side of Blistered Olive + Asparagus Salad with Feta + Turmeric-Stained Onions (with suggested wine pairings!)
Yasmin’s recipes are designed to teach readers how to become better, more intuitive cooks, and are open to creative substitutions (and some trial and error). Throughout, she shows readers how to transform the familiar by creating new pairings and flavor combinations that will inspire endless iterations—all while keeping prep and cleanup time to a minimum. An inviting, beautifully styled cookbook featuring 75 full-color photographs, Cook Simply, Live Fully is the answer to the most difficult question home cooks face every day, and is sure to become a trusted resource for years to come.
Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other fine bookstores across the country.
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Sheet Pan Citrus-Ginger Chicken with Stone Fruits
A coffee table dinner – from Cook Simply, Live Fully.
Photo Courtesy of Yasmin Fahr
About the Recipe: For a long time, I was very anti-fruit in savory foods, but I was wrong. There’s something they add maybe it’s a sense of lightness, summery joy, or freshness with their inherent sweetness that lifts up savory dishes like this one. Zippy ginger adds a bit of a kick, while honey encourages caramelization and browning on the chicken. It’s a beautiful meal for company when you’re sitting outside on a deck or balcony on warm summer nights (before the mosquitoes come and ruin it all) but also for a weeknight dinner, too. For this recipe, look for slightly firm stone fruit, as ones that are too ripe will become mushy. It works well for fruit that isn’t quite as sweet as you want it to be the ones that you don’t want to eat solo. Serve with a light green salad or orzo tossed with lemon and olive oil for something heartier.
See More – Sheet Pan Citrus-Ginger Chicken with Stone Fruits
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Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes, Eggs + Feta
A lap-dinner – Cook Simply, Live Fully.
Photo Courtesy of Yasmin Fahr
About the Recipe: This is a quick skillet meal that has the sopping–up-runny-yolks-with-bread action, so it’s filling and interactive in the best way. If asparagus isn’t in season, then cut up the Broccolini or another quick cooking vegetable with kitchen shears and use that instead. If you’re a garlic lover, adding some grated garlic along with the spices would also be nice, as would topping it with some harissa or your favorite hot sauce.
See More – Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes, Eggs + Feta
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Lime + Pepper Tuna (0r Salmon!) on Toast
A lap-dinner – Cook Simply, Live Fully.
Photo Courtesy of Yasmin Fahr
About the Recipe: I’ve been eating tuna this way since my early twenties, as it’s so easy and the addition of lime and pepper gives it a little kick, so I feel like I’m eating something fresher than canned fish. The proliferation of high-quality tinned tuna, salmon, or whatever you like available in the States has greatly expanded over the years, so this will taste even better when you start with good quality fish. While any kind of bread works for the toast, I love really dry crackers, whether it’s a Wasa cracker or those crunchy dried mini toasts you can buy from European supermarkets. They are kind of bland but with a little hidden sweetness that I find strangely addicting.
Topping it with some fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro and a healthy drizzle of high-quality olive oil is great, too. If you are using fish packed in oil, I would still shake off excess oil and taste before adding more, as a little bit of “fresh” oil can add some bright flavor notes to the dish. When making this solo, I use just one can.
See More – Lime + Pepper Tuna (0r Salmon!) on Toast
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“It’s a Southern Dinner Wrap” for Two
Sweet potatoes, veggies, meatless or meat links bake in a foil wrap
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About the Recipe: The recipe serves two and appeals to vegetarians as well as meat lovers. It’s a great dinner meal that’s so easy to prepare. Just wrap everything in a piece of aluminum foil; seal it securely and bake for about 1 hour. Unwrap the baked entrée and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley leaves. It’s guaranteed to become one of your favorite dishes to make.
See More – “It’s a Southern Dinner Wrap” for Two
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Caprese Burger Sliders
Summer Surprise Juicy Burger.
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About the Recipe: Just imagine the classic Caprese salad with its creamy mozzarella cheese, juicy tomatoes, and garden-fresh basil, combined with a tender burger patty and crusty golden slider bun. Don’t forget a touch of sweet pepper relish and a drizzle of vinaigrette. What a special treat to serve your family and friends!
See More -Caprese Burger Sliders
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Healthy Mashed Potato Salad
Add a bonus – an extra serving of cauliflower.
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About the Recipe: This recipe is a tasty way to sneak an extra serving of veggies into the evening dinner. Everyone loves mashed potatoes and combining them with cauliflower adds a vibrant flavor note as well as a healthy touch. While we added chopped bell peppers, pickles, and minced chives, you can add any add-ins that you love.
See More – Healthy Mashed Potato Salad
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Simple Sauteed Mushroom ‘n Onions
Add these to your favorite sandwich, pizza, or entrée.
About the Recipe: The combination of mushrooms and onions pair together deliciously. They take only about 15 minutes to prepare and can be used with any main dish, sandwich, or snack. The bonus is that they are tasty and rich in antioxidants.
See More – Simple Sauteed Mushroom ‘n Onions
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Sauteed Festive Sweet Bell Peppers
Add some red, yellow, orange, and green peppers to your dishes.
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About the Recipe: These colorful peppers add festive colors to any sandwich, snack, or main dish. The are quick and so easy to make. The sauteed peppers are a fantastic flavor ingredient to add to any dish.
See More – Sauteed Festive Sweet Bell Peppers
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One-Pot Hash Brown Salmon with Shirazi Salad
Crispy golden salmon ‘n taters with a mixed lemon-dressed salad.
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About the Recipe: Saffron, a bright red spice derived from crocus flowers, adds a floral flavor to the salmon, which can’t be created using any other spice. Team the crispy potatoes and salmon with a popular Mid-Eastern salad favorite, a lemon- or lime-flavored cucumber, tomato, onion, and parsley salad.
See More – One-Pot Hash Brown Salmon with Shirazi Salad
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Milk Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Popular oatmeal cookies with small cherry pieces and mini chocolate chips.
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About the Recipe: I love chocolate milk and decided that this oatmeal cookie would be so delicious with a touch of chocolate. The cookies, baked with crisp edges and soft centers, are filled with tiny bits of soft cherries and mini chocolate chips. Serve them unfrosted or drizzle a design over them.
See More – Milk Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
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Easy Double Chocolate Ice Cream
Rich and full of chocolate flavor ice cream made with only a few ingredients.
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About the Recipe: Just imagine a rich, smooth ice cream filled with creamy, double chocolate flavor waiting to crown your favorite dessert or piled high in a sugar cone. This recipe is so simple to make, using only a few ingredients. Stir it up and let the ice cream maker do its job. Then team that refreshing luscious ice cream with your favorite fruit at dinner tonight.
See More – Easy Double Chocolate Ice Cream
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Strawberry Ice Cream Layered Cake
Use ice cream sandwiches to create a quick no-bake cake in the freezer.
About the Recipe: This no-bake ice cream cake recipe is the easiest way to make an eye-catching, delicious dessert. Simply layer store-bought ice cream sandwiches with softened strawberry ice cream wrapped around the layers, and finish with a chocolate cookie crumb at the bottom. Top the cake with crisp chocolate fudge and a layer of cookies ‘n cream, tiny ice cream dots. Serve with some fresh strawberries. A real “Wow” dessert!
See More – Strawberry Ice Cream Layered Cake
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