Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings

September 10, 2022 Amanda Plott

It happens almost every year around this time. It’s still pretty hot outside and I’m over here trying to entice the cooler weather by cooking up hearty winter sort of meals. And this Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings is one of those! I love chicken and dumplings and I will literally accept any reason at all what-so-ever to make them for dinner. So when they were brought up in passing conversation a few weeks back? I knew what I had to do. Make chicken and dumplings!

This Instant Pot version of chicken and dumplings is SUPER easy to make and can be done with no fuss and no muss - all in the pressure cooker. To start this out, you cook up the chicken on it’s own in the pressure cooker. Then you add everything else in with the drippings from that. Yes. Everything. Even the dumplings!…

Instant Noodle Jars

September 7, 2022 Amanda Plott

Lunch time meal prep at it’s finest! I’ve been on it with jar salads lately, and no one can stop me except for myself. I did decide this week to do something a little different than salad in my jars though. This time I went with soup! Look, we all like those cup of noodles or instant noodles. But, they’re filled with a LOT of nonsense and even more sodium. So - we’re changing that today with making our own version!

These Instant Noodle Jars are fresh, full of flavor, and couldn’t be more simple to make. They’re better for you than the dried pre-packaged ones, annnd you get to control everything that goes into them; which is probably the best part of it all…

Jalapeno Popper Air Fryer Wontons

September 4, 2022 Amanda Plott

Sometimes you just need a new sort of side dish or snack, or even to take an old favorite and mesh it together with another to come up with something new and different. That’s where these Jalapeno Popper Air Fryer Wontons came in. I decided to keep it simple one night this week with a spiced up homemade tomato soup, and wanted something fun and exciting to pair with it.

My first thought was jalapeño poppers, but I wanted something that I could dip into the soup too if I wanted, sort of how you do with tomato soup and grilled cheese or crackers! So, I settled on these Jalapeno Popper Air Fryer Wontons which are basically jalapeño poppers inside a wonton wrapper to make them perfect for dipping and dunking!…

Simple Mango Salad + Lime Dressing

September 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

It may be cooling off outside finally, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love salads any less. I was in need of a good ‘tropical’ style of salad to pair with something else that I’ve been working on for a couple of weeks now and this Simple Mango Salad + Lime Dressing slid into fill that role perfectly. This small and simple salad is deceiving. It’s delicate and delightful while being big and bold in flavors. And one of the best parts is that it only takes a handful of ingredients to make.

Being as it’s got just the limited ingredients, it doesn’t take long at all to make - including the homemade dressing which, let me just tell you, is SO good. That being said, there isn’t a whole lot here to substitute for lighter alternatives…

Taco Jar Salad

August 29, 2022 Amanda Plott

If you can’t tell, I’ve been in jar salad mode for a while now. For me, it’s super easy to accidentally skip out on lunch, so having prepared jarred salads ready to go in my fridge means that I don’t have any excuse to miss out on a meal! These Taco Jar Salad are another great option too. You get a lot of bang for your buck here since there technically isn’t any salad dressing. We’re using salsa here!

The salsa naturally gives the salad a dressing of it’s own that is low in calories and in guilt. Which means you get to load this salad up with all the more taco goodness. We’re talking beans, corn, cheese, tomatoes. All of it! Even the meat and cheese…

Turkey Thai Curry Meatballs

August 26, 2022 Amanda Plott

When it comes to food, and especially dinner, fusions of all kinds can be a lot of fun to play with. These Turkey Thai Curry Meatballs are one such thing! This dinner comes together really quickly, and you can even mix and put together the meatballs ahead of time to have them ready to start cooking at dinner time. For not taking much time, these meatballs and the curry sauce that they’re cooked in are SO unbelievably full of flavor.

Seriously. These are going to be a new staple dinner in my house. Plus, the leftovers make for a great make-ahead lunch that’s perfect for a grab-and-go reheat bite. You can serve them as part of a meal over some rice or noodles, or even as an appetizer!…

Recent Forkable Bites

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You’ve just found your new kitchen obsession: the Korean Scallion Pop Over Pancake. Think of it as the love child of a light-as-air popover and the garlicky, green-onion-forward goodness of pajeon. It’s quick, a little bit showy, and perfect for breakfast, snack time, or as an appetizer that will convince friends you are doing something wildly gourmet without breaking a sweat…

Tex-mex Tortilla Breakfast Bake

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Passion Fruit Filled Upside-Down Cheesecake (No Bake)

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German Pancake "Dutch Baby"

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Black Bean Street Corn Tacos

Street corn and tacos: two food-world celebrities that, when teamed up, create a headline-making flavor duet. Add black beans—protein-packed, wallet-friendly, and endlessly comforting—and you’ve got a weeknight superstar that’s healthy, colorful, and obnoxiously easy to make. These Black Bean Street Corn Tacos bring together charred corn, smoky spices, creamy jalapeño sauce, and hearty black beans for a taco that hits every note: tasty, creamy, bright, and slightly rebellious…

French Vanilla Upside-Down Cheesecake

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Why French vanilla? French vanilla is all about the custard-forward flavor. In this cheesecake, that custardy depth and a crispy crunchy cookie crust shell is just perfect. The result is familiar and elegant — like dessert wearing a beret.

Veggie Wrap with Peanut Sauce

Bright, crunchy, and ridiculously satisfying — this Veggie Wrap with Peanut Sauce is my go-to when I want lunch that feels indulgent but doesn’t leave me sluggish. Think crisp raw veggies, tender marinated mushrooms (or tofu), fresh herbs, and a creamy, tangy peanut sauce wrapped up in a whole-grain tortilla or rice paper. It’s fresh, protein-packed, and perfect for meal prep. Best part: the peanut sauce doubles as a dip for snack carrots, because nobody should deny themselves that level of deliciousness.

Why you’ll love it

Fresh and crunchy textures with a creamy, savory sauce.
Flexible — easily vegan, gluten-free, or low-carb.
Quick to assemble, great for lunches, picnics, or a light dinner.
Balances fiber, healthy fats, and plant protein for a filling meal without heaviness…

Upside Down Blueberry Filled Cheesecake (No Bake)

If cheesecake could wear a pair of comfy sneakers and a party hat, this would be it. Meet the Upside Down No-Bake Blueberry-Filled Cheesecake: a glossy, jewel-toned blueberry layer that INSIDE of a pillowy, tangy no-bake cheesecake, all cradled by a lightly sweet, cookie-forward crust.

It looks fancy. It tastes like summer. It requires zero oven time and minimal effort. Translation: perfect for heat waves, last-minute company, or when you want dessert that’s both impressive and unapologetically easy…

Skinny Caramel Banana Pudding No Bake Cheesecake

If banana pudding and cheesecake had a love child it would be this: silky, banana-forward, and just sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving without sending you spiraling into sugar regret. This Skinny Caramel Banana Pudding No-Bake Cheesecake keeps all the cozy, nostalgic flavors—banana pudding, creamy cheesecake, and a touch of caramel—while trimming calories and ditching heavy baking. It’s perfect for hot days, last-minute gatherings, or whenever you want dessert that feels indulgent but behaves itself…

Chimichurri

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Hawachae

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Miso Caesar Dressing

The tangy, umami-packed upgrade that your salad has been waiting for!

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Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats

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Strawberry Vinaigrette

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Breakfast Tomato Eggs

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Tomato Salad

There’s something about a great tomato salad that makes summer feel like it lasts forever. Ripe tomatoes are the literal embodiment of sunny days—vibrant color, juicy sweetness, and a little tartness that wakes up the tastebuds. But tomato salad isn’t just a summer fling; with the right ingredients and a few health-conscious swaps, it becomes an everyday side, a light main, or a refreshing starter that fits into a wholesome lifestyle…

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