Robust Recipes

Healthy, Flavorful Food

Easy Homemade Salsa (Restaurant Style)

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Can I be honest with you? I don't like jarred salsa anymore!!! My fermented salsa ruined salsa for me. It uses fresh tomatoes, and it gets that funky, umami, fermented flavor that I LOVE!!! I needed a salsa didn't rely on fresh tomatoes - when they're not in season - and, that didn't take 2 to 5 days to ferment. So, I started making my easy homemade salsa recipe again!!! THIS homemade salsa recipe is restaurant style. Yes!!! That delicious fresh tasting salsa you get in a Mexican … [Read more...]

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple

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Sweet and sour chicken - tangy, sweet, sticky sauce that is one-of-a-kind, and oddly reddish orange. It perfectly coats anything that is tossed into it.  What's not to love?  Especially when that sticky sweet and sour sauce is tossed with juicy chicken and served alongside sautéed onions, bell peppers, and sweet pineapple - and over fluffy white rice.  What if I told you that you can make sweet and sour chicken at home? In only 40 minutes?!?! YES!!!  And the … [Read more...]

Irish Scones (Gluten Free Option)

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Irish scones are hearty, buttery, crumbly, slightly sweet little pieces of heaven. They are best served with generous amounts of salted butter, and Jam. They are a real treat! These Irish scones are the perfect way to honor, and celebrate St. Patrick's Day coming up. Or, to enjoy anytime of the year, really! You will love these Irish scones. They are the prefect vehicle for loads of salted butter (Irish butter is recommended), and jam. They are usually served as part of a breakfast … [Read more...]

Lasagna Soup (One Pot)

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Lasagna soup is the best invention since sliced bread!!! It's literally lasagna, in soup form!!!  You cook very similar ingredients as a lasagna, and turn it into a soup. Then, you top with with ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese.  Pure genius!!! The best part, it is easier to make than real lasagna, IMO, because all you have to do is sauté things in a pot, dump more things into the pot, and then cook the lasagna noodles - all in the same pot!!! It's a one pot … [Read more...]

Perfect Pot Roast with Gravy (Slow Cooker Option)

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Usually all I want to eat during the winter is soups, and chilis. They're comforting, they warm me up, and they make great leftovers. Let's switch it up! How about some pot roast instead? This perfect pot roast checks all of my boxes. It's incredibly warming, and comforting, and it makes great leftovers.  The chuck roast is fall-apart tender, the carrots are sweet and succulent, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked. I added mushrooms, which aren't always traditional in a pot roast … [Read more...]

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

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Strawberry chocolate chip cookies!!! Have you ever read such a beautiful sentence?!?! As you know, I shared the recipe for classic chocolate covered strawberries last week - and they are as amazing as they sound. If a chocolate covered strawberry, and a chocolate chip cookie had a baby - these strawberry chocolate chip cookies would be their child! I saw this cookie flavor idea floating around on Instagram several months ago. Of course, I just had to make my own version.  I … [Read more...]

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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Chocolate covered strawberries. Is there anything that screams Valentine's Day more?! I have always had a soft spot for chocolate covered strawberries, even when I didn't have a Valentine to share them with.  There is something about a sweet, and tart juicy strawberry covered in crunchy, bitter, dark chocolate that is so delicious. It's simple. It's classic. It's perfection. The best part about chocolate covered strawberries is that they are very easy to make. You do need … [Read more...]

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili (Healthy)

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Are ready for another chili recipe? It's a healthy white chicken chili, all made in the instant pot. It's thick and creamy, bursting with veggies, and chicken. It's satisfying, yet light. It's perfection in a bowl. White chicken chili is quite different than the beef chili I  made last week, yet, it is very delicious in it's own right.  This recipe was originally published in 2018. It was an update from a slow cooker white chicken chili I made in 2016. Since 2018 I have made … [Read more...]

The Best Beef Chili (with Beans)

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This beef chili recipe is very special to me. It's based off of my Grandma's chili. Since I have such a great food memory (yes, it's a thing), I never forgot what a steaming bowl of grandma's chili tasted like. It was such a huge part of my childhood. Although, my grandma didn't write the recipe down, my mom told me the gist of how she made it. Making this beef chili has become a tradition of mine. Every year, once the days start to become shorter, and the temperature starts to dive, I … [Read more...]

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (6 Ingredients)

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Is there anything better than a mug of creamy, chocolate-y, hot cocoa to wrap your hands around during the winter?! Yes there is! It's homemade hot cocoa mix!!!  That's right! This is a recipe for making your very own hot cocoa mix. Once the bulk hot cocoa mix is made, you can effortlessly turn it into a bunch of cups of  delicious, warming, hot cocoa!!! Are you READY for this?!?! You're gonna love this homemade hot cocoa mix!!! It's super easy to make, only requiring … [Read more...]