By Kristin Helwig
We love salmon in this house, we probably eat it once or twice a week. This is my simple go to for salmon, it’s quick and easy but yet comforting. The maple adds a nice crust on the salmon and the mustard adds a nice …
 It’s officially the holiday season!! This is my twist at making America’s favorite cookie. Who doesn’t love Oreos? The peppermint just makes it that much more special for any holiday party! It was snowing outside here, I had candles lit and listening to christmas …
 This is such a comforting dish when it’s cold outside. The beef is slow roasted with a bunch of herbs and vegetables and then gently pulled apart and tossed with a little au jus and pappardelle. It makes the whole house just smell so …
 Romesco is typically a Spanish tomato no cook, pureed sauce made with garlic, nuts and vinegar. It’s so versatile and can be put on fish, pasta, or spread on crostinis. I made it with farfalle last night for dinner with roasted red peppers instead. …
 Today is my husbands birthday! So to celebrate I made this heavenly chocolate layered cake with a cool mint swiss meringue buttercream. He loves anything mint chocolate, so what better way to say happy birthday?! To give the chocolate cake a little extra I …
Now that it’s full on apple season this is a perfect recipe for all those extra apples that you have to use up! Just set it on the stove and let it go. The whole house will smell like apple cinnamon. Perfect for those chilly …
 So it’s officially fall!!! Bring on the sweater weather, comfort food, beautiful colored leaves, jewel toned everything, apples and all the pumpkins. Once that first leaf falls I can’t wait for all the fall fun. It’s a little crisp outside here and there is …
 After having Louie a little over a month ago, it’s definitely hard to get back into the kitchen and think about anything other than baby. I can’t wait until he can help me in the kitchen. He is just the light of our lives. …
One of my favorite things during the summer is going to the local market and picking out all the local produce from the farmers. It’s so much fun to see the seasons change through food! I made this salad the other day and it was …
 With summer BBQ’s right around the corner, this is a perfect side dish! Chives and chive blossoms are in full bloom right now so it’s really fun to garnish the potato salad with the little purple flowers; it adds a beautiful color and mild …
 These are fantastic just by themselves for a quick appetizer when friends come over, or over some risotto or pasta as a meal. I was just craving some good comfort food the other day so I came up with this. I like adding the …
 Happy Easter weekend everyone! If you’re looking for a healthy quick bread to make to go alongside you’re brunch this is perfect. I added bananas in here for a healthy natural sweetness along with maple syrup and sour cream to add some richness. It’s …
 I got some great lobster tails at a meat and seafood market the other day so I had to make something special with it. I always see lobster with heavy cream sauces, but I wanted to try something a little lighter and brighter. This saffron …
 I love making this for breakfast or a snack. I’ve been really craving citrus lately and since it’s in season I thought the color of blood orange would be so pretty with the chia seeds. They are a total superfood that have a ton …
 I made this for work the other day. It’s a great vegetarian option, and you can really do any of your favorite combinations; sometimes I also stuff them with ground beef or lamb as well. Just make sure when you grill the naan the …
 With the holidays coming up and magic in the air, it’s time to make some christmas cookies for the cookie exchange or party. These melt in your mouth and the dough is like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Just a hint of mint and …
 Pot pies to me are pure comfort food. With the temperatures dropping and the holidays around the corner I love making something that just warms the soul. There’s a ton of root vegetables at the farmers market right now so I thought this would …
 Well it’s my favorite time of the year, fall!! I love everything about it, from the crisp air, to the stunning changing trees, pumpkin everything and all the delicious comfort food. Agnolotti, it’s very similar to ravioli, little filled pillows. This dish is all …
 While apple season is fully upon us, (my absolute favorite) I went to the apple orchard Sunday and had so much fun! We went to a pick your own apples and spent hours wandering around the apple trees and drinking wine in the grass. …
 One of our favorite go to meals is a good stir fry. Especially when I have a bunch of fresh vegetables from the market. Plus it’s a great way to clean out the fridge. I got beautiful purple cauliflower heads from the market and …
 After a long week of eating way too much with the holiday and grilling out, I wanted to make something that was super light, and healthy. I had gone to the fish market and found some great sushi grade tuna and then the farmers …
 I recently cooked a special birthday dinner for a good friend and his wife. It was a surprise rooftop dinner over looking the city of St. Paul, there was sparkly lights, flowers and so much love as a record player played in the background. …
 This dish really comes together with the egg. I just crack the egg right over the hot orecchiette and it cooks throughout the dish making it creamy and rich, while the white wine lemon sauce brightens it right up making it a little lighter. …
 Happy Spring! Saturday was the first day of the outside farmers market, I was so excited to see all the spring produce. I only got a couple of things but felt inspired to make a spring tortellini dish. The basil brings a certain herby …
 With St. Patrick’s Day coming up what better way to celebrate than with a little Irish Guinness beef stew. Pure comfort! The longer it cooks the richer it gets and the beef just gets more tender and melts in your mouth. It will keep …
I love making Irish soda bread around St. Patrick’s Day. I only make it a couple of times a year, but I forget how much I enjoy it each time. I have family coming into town tonight, so I was going to make an Irish …
 I love making these when I need a little after dinner bite of chocolate! They are super easy and I use whatever kind of fruit or nut I have around. Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge and they will last for …
I haven’t been feeling good lately, this cold that has been going around got the best of me. So all I wanted this weekend was to go back to myself and feeling good again. This soup was so comforting and everything I needed to feel …
 I love a good caprese salad, who doesn’t?! I made this yesterday and with all the beautiful citrus in season right now I wanted to try something different and combine all the fresh colors and flavors or caprese with the citrus pop of blood …
These pretzels were crispy on the outside and fluffy chewy on the inside and then you dunk into the melty beer cheese dip, it’s perfect for any get together, game day or snack. They are great to reheat in the oven for 5 minutes as …
 Tacos!! Who doesn’t love tacos?! We do tacos over here quite often. (Maybe once a week) I love all the endless combinations that can be created. I also started making my own flour and corn tortillas about a year ago and I can’t go …
This soup is the perfect post holidays meal, it feels like you’re indulging when actually it’s really healthy and packed full of vegetables. You won’t even miss the meat. It’s also a really good way to use up any leftover veggies that you have. I …
We got stuck in a snow storm last night. So, with candles burning and christmas music playing, I thought it would be fun to stay in and warm up with some homemade lasagna. There is something so comforting about all the layers of melting cheese, …
 Gnocchi is such a comforting food, it makes you feel all warm and cozy. I love making it when it gets a little colder outside. I got a bunch of sweet potatoes from a pizza farm my husband and I went to the other day …
 My all time favorite holiday of the year! I made a little dinner the other night for my brother and his girlfriend that won’t be able to make it Thursday. There’s no better time to bring all your friends and family around the kitchen …
 Happy Halloween everyone!! With fall in full swing there’s nothing I love more than brewing a pot of coffee, lighting some candles and making fall comfort food all day long! I made this for Sunday dinner. It takes about 5-6 hours for the beef …
 Happy Oktoberfest everyone! What better way to celebrate the German heritage by going to Germany in your own kitchen. I marinated the beef overnight in red wine and red wine vinegar with herbs and spices to give it that sour, tangy taste. It’s rich …
 As my sister is traveling over in Europe right now, I am remembering  when I traveled to Barcelona, Spain; and what an incredible experience it was.  I ate some amazing food out there. They have tapas that are like small plate appetizers that are …
 In a beautiful world between ice cream and mousse is the semifreddo. It’s a semi frozen dessert that loves all fruit. It’s sweet and creamy and melts in your mouth just like ice cream but light and fluffy like a mousse. I found some …
I made these scones the other day and every last one was taken! They are so light and fluffy with sweet and chewy sun-dried tomato chunks of rich blue cheese, tastefully accented with chives. Serve with a side salad and it’s perfect for brunch or …
This is such a rustic rich Indian dish! It’s one of my absolute favorites on a colder night or if you just need some good comfort food. The chicken thighs are marinated in a spiced yogurt and then braised down with a rich spiced creamy coconut …
 I finally found some zucchini blossoms at the market the other day and what better way to enjoy them than stuffing them with crab and cheese, adding tempura batter, then frying them up! They are so addicting!  I added a little heat into the …
 Need a little something to cool off on these hot summer days? This is the perfect thing. It’s dairy and sugar-free so it’s very healthy. You can also substitute almost any frozen fruit if you wish.  Ingredients 2 cups cantaloupe, medium diced and …
 These little desserts are heaven on earth, the texture, flavor and cloud-like color are perfect for a special get together or a late night dessert. They just melt in your mouth between the floral notes of rose water and the sweetness of the chocolate …
 I made this dish a while ago for a chef’s table at work. It was so much fun and everyone loved it. The smooth silkiness of the vanilla sauce really brings out the sweetness of the red snapper along with the fluffy crispiness of …
 I love to make this when it’s slightly cold outside. There are so many spices in it that make it such a bright and vibrant Moroccan stew. The key is to toast all the spices together just to enrich the flavors of each one. …
 This is for when you need some good old comfort in your life. Perfect for those colder spring days. A nice twist on the chicken noodle soup. The orzo is a little lighter and the lemon just brightens it right up. It’s a very …
In honor of baseball opening week, who doesn’t love corn dogs?! Besides pretzels they are the second thing I look for at the ball park. I was making all different kinds of dogs at work today, homemade corn dogs, brats, hot dogs, even tofu dogs, …
 Happy Easter my friends!! Hope the Easter bunny was good to you. I made these pancakes yesterday for a lazy Saturday. All these flavors together might sounds crazy but I’m telling you the combination of the creamy fluffiness of the ricotta, herby sweetness of …
 So much fresh bright flavor infused into this vodka. The balance of the lemon to the basil is so subtle, they balance out perfect, just giving that slight sweet herb balance. Drink this as an aperitif or after dinner drink. Perfect palate cleanser!  Ingredients …
Who doesn’t love a good easy granola bar?! These are super fast and packed full of healthy delicious flavor. They are perfect to make for a snack on the go and kids will love them too! I had a couple of bananas that I had …
 I made this dish at work the other day and it is absolute pure comfort food at it’s finest. The lamb is so rich tender and falling apart. The lavender gives it such a nice floral note while the wine and lemons just brighten …
 I made these at work the other day and they flew off the platter!! Basil is one of my all time favorite herbs, it just brightens every dish up and in this case I tried it in a dessert. It has a sort of …
 Such a beautiful little Saturday morning treat! The lavender gives them such a slight floral flavor and the almond balances out with it’s sweet nutiness. Perfect with your morning espresso or cup of coffee. The scones came out so soft, flaky and buttery and …
 Well I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!! I found this recipe of halloumi crusted lamb and thought it would be fun with chicken to make it a little lighter. If you have never had halloumi before, let me introduce you. It’s a …
 The holiday season it the best time for baking and this is a perfect dessert, it’s festive and rich in chocolate! I made it for my husband’s law partners birthday. The espresso gives it such a nice coffee kick and the raspberry garnish just …
 Happy holidays friends!! How fun and festive is this cake?! I made it the other day just because I was feeling in the holiday spirit. It is light as a cloud with that hint of peppermint and chocolate. It would be perfect for the …
 I made this dish at work the other day for the CEO of United Health Care Group. With help I created a menu for him to choose from and this dish was chosen. I had made a shrimp pumpkin curry dish at home and …
 Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Who’s ready?! We celebrated a friendsgiving yesterday so I decided to take the standard apple pie and spice it up with some crystalized ginger. You can always buy a pie crust as well, but there is something special …
One of my all time favorite things is pasta, especially homemade pasta. There really isn’t anything better. I never had the patience to dry it before but I did last night and it was life changing! If you have a little extra time, try this. …
 I love gnocchi and pumpkin so any time I can come up with a new gnocchi recipe I’m all over it! Combing two of my favorite things, what more can I ask for?! These say fall in every single bite. They are like little …
 When I was at the market the other day I found some awesome huckleberries that were locally grown. I had to incorporate it into dinner! I then found sea bass from the fish market and thought they would be perfect together. The sauce is sweet and …
 Chimichurri beef fajitas or tacos are such an easy go to around here. I just recently figured out an awesome recipe to make homemade flour tortillas. I add a couple of spices in them to make them so flavorful. They are so much better than the …
 One of my favorite breads to make during the summer is zucchini bread with all the bountiful zucchini at the farmers market during the summer. The blueberries I had gotten from berry picking up in the Keweenaw Peninsula. There are tons of wild berries …
 Grain bowls are one of my new favorite things ever! They are super healthy and can be loaded with anything you want. I found some awesome forbidden rice and farro so I combined the two and it’s the perfect texture! I kept it vegetarian …
 I’m so excited to share this recipe! Think of a lobster roll with a twist. We can’t eat enough salmon and pesto around here and pairing it with all the fresh vegetables from the market, it’s amazing! I got all the produce from the …
When you’re trying to eat healthy, but still want that protein, fish is always a great option. We love the mild flavor and flakiness of Halibut, so we eat a lot of it. So, I’m always trying to come up with recipes to make each …
 It’s berry season!! The berries this year at the market are incredible. I found some amazing blueberries at the farmers market yesterday and got some of the sweetest raspberries from my friend’s back yard. I froze half of the raspberries and the other half …
 Think of a Venezuelan sandwich filled with meat and cheese! What could be better?! They are little corn flour flatbreads. I loaded mine up with spicy pulled chicken, queso fresco, creamy avocados and scallions for a little onion flavor. Be creative!!  Arepas  Ingredients …
 Happy fourth of July weekend!! What a beautiful day it’s going to be. Hope you’re all celebrating outside in the sunshine. This is going to be your perfect dessert for that backyard BBQ. Always a stunning classic!  Ingredients 1 pint fresh blueberries 1 …
This is one of my absolute favorite meals. Where everyone can just gather around the table and everyone passes it around family style with a lots of juicy tomatoes, crisp English cucumbers, Kalmata olives, good Greek feta cheese, chicken or lamb kofta, babaganoush, tzatziki, garlic …
 Pizza Night! Always a favorite night in this household. Artichoke Pesto with diced turkey, roasted red peppers, greens, toasted pine nuts and parmesan! I love this artichoke pesto, it’s so light and creamy. The artichokes give it the rich creaminess without all the cheese and I …
 So what is one to do with all those strawberries of the season?! Make jam! There’s nothing better than homemade jam. I used strawberries and rhubarb and instead of adding the pectin I used an apple, and spiced it up with a cinnamon stick …
I have a serious love for good soft pretzels. They remind me of sunny baseball games with my husband and shopping at the mall with my mom and sister. I can’t even tell you how amazing these are, whether it be the amazing golden crust …
 I had a salad similar to this when I was up in Grand Marais, MN, it was one of my favorite salads of all time! Up in Grand Marais they are known for their whitefish and happen to have some of the best right out …
 I was just recently out in Philadelphia for a wedding and I came across this drink at a market. At first I was curious about the rosewater in it but let me tell you, as soon as I took a sip it was so …
 Lately I’ve been loving making homemade naan, which is an Indian flatbread. In doing some research I found a bunch of stuffed naans. So I had to try my twist on it. I stuffed it with ground lamb, feta and spinach, and topped it off …
 I just made this patriotic salad the other day for Memorial Day and it was the perfect side to all the grilled food. The mozzarella is so creamy and salty and then it kind of melts when it hits the blistered tomatoes. All the …
Rhubarb is finally at the market! So what better way to enjoy this beautifully tart vegetable? It pairs perfectly with strawberries or apples but I had a ton of berries in the fridge and thought they would be perfect. Topped with the crispy light meringue….Yum! …
 I have been wanting to make these for quite some time now. They are the perfect little dumpling if you’re looking to make your own dim sum. You can really add any kind of filling you would like inside. Be creative! Traditionally these are …
 Happy Cinco de Mayo!! In honor, I’m doing a clean refreshing little palate cleanser. This sorbet is spicy and sweet and just perfect at the end of a rich Mexican dinner, or just on a hot summer day on the patio; go for it!  …
 We had a couple of friends over last night for dinner, so I wanted a dinner that didn’t need a lot of dishes. Fast clean up! This BBQ is so rich, smoky, spicy all the flavors just melt together and the longer it sits …
 This is my 100th post!! I wanted to do something simple and special with my twist on it so what better way than with an awesome chicken dish. The chicken thighs are juicy with a perfect crispy skin (that’s key), sweet and creamy parsnips with …
Happy Spring! Last night’s dinner, homemade lemon herb fettuccine with a ton of bright spring veggies and a lemon olive oil drizzled over the top. This dish is so light and vibrant, you could eat it hot or save it for leftovers and eat it …
 When I was at the store the other day there was an awesome deal on wild swordfish. I couldn’t resist! Swordfish is a very mild fish so you can really put any flavors you want with it. But these flavors together really compliment the …
 I have been so obsessed with these Japanese noodles lately. I can’t seem to get enough of them, I find myself craving them all the time. They are very easy to make just takes a little bit of time, and just three ingredients; flour, …
 It was my dad’s 60th birthday this last week so we all celebrated by throwing him a surprise party and going to CCR! We were having tacos for dinner and I know how much he loves his pistachios. There’s always a bowl down in …
 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! I’m celebrating by making these little French treats with an Irish cream. I absolutely love macarons, and the fact that you can make them any flavor you wish is even more fun. These are also a gluten-free treat only made …
I made this the other day for my family when they came up for an appetizer, it lasted about 5 minutes and it was gone. I never realized how much fun it was to make homemade cheese! It so light, airy and creamy. Serve it over a …
 This is my twist on a southwest salad. I loaded it up with tons of colorful vegetables, blackened shrimp and a spicy cilantro lime dressing that’s sweet, spicy, and I want to bottle it up and eat it every day! It’s so good.  …
 I am in love with lavender! I love baking with it, lotions, essential oils, the flowers, candles, and how can you beat that smell?! Clearly, my whole wedding revolved around herbs and especially lavender. It just makes me happy, everything about it. I always have it …
I have a ton of dill growing in my kitchen right now and thought what better way to use up all these beautiful herbs. The lemon compliments the dill amazingly. This little dish is like taking a trip to Athens without leaving your kitchen! I …
Just getting done with my run, there’s nothing I love more than a little fresh juice. When water just doesn’t quench that thirst this tropical juice is everything you need! Ingredients 2 cups pineapple, large dice 2 blood oranges, peeled 1 orange, peeled 1 mango, …
In honor of Mardi Gras I thought what better way to celebrate than by making these light and fluffy little pillows of love! I wanted to bring the excitement of New Orleans Beignets into my Minnesota kitchen. They are perfectly crispy and sweet and I …
My all time favorite go to snack is popcorn! I feel like I could eat it everyday. It’s so much better homemade than out of the bag, first you can control how much butter and salt goes on it, then you can spice it up …
 On cold winter nights there is nothing better to me than a spicy warm broth with noodles, especially homemade broth! The longer it sits and simmers on the stove the better. It just gets richer and more delicious. Also the beautiful thing about these …
 Happy almost Valentine’s Day loves! I never need an excuse to eat chocolate, I love it in every way. But these are such a fun way to spread the love this V-Day. The balsamic gives the chocolate a little extra intense complex sweetness that just …
 On days when I feel I need to eat healthier this is now my new go to. The herb caper sauce is packed with so much flavor, lemony, briny, spicy it’s a perfect balance on the baked halibut and brown rice. I’m sure it …
 I feel like during the winter I could eat spicy noodles every day! There is just something so warm and comforting about it. These are super quick and easy noodles. You can always make them with no vegetables as well but I love the …
Happy citrus season! What better way to appreciate all these beautiful fruits. The balance between the anise flavored fennel, sweet tangy citrus, and salty buttery salmon with the creamy avocado with the peppery arugula mixed in to balance it out….I’m telling you it’s the best …