By Kristin Helwig
This Mediterranean chicken orzo salad is my favorite go-to for quick and easy pasta salads. Wheather it’s a quick dinner or at the beach, this is so good. Theres so many bright summer flavors and you can throw the chicken in there too if you …
I love this dish when I want something hearty but also light! The chicken meatballs are full of garlic, fresh herbs, tomato paste and spices. I sear them in a cast iron skillet giving them a nice golden crust. But you can always bake them …
Ohhhh cacio e pepe I love you! If you’ve never had it before cacio e Pepe in Italian just means cheese and pepper. So this is like a stripped down Mac and cheese. Cacio e Pepe is a beautiful classic as it is, but I …
This plate of seared chicken and halloumi is so bright and flavorful! I was playing around with flavors last night for dinner and came up with this. It’s a creamy herby lemon yogurt underneath broccoli and mushroom orzo, salty seared halloumi and seared chicken! All …
This is a really easy one pan meal, and it comes together super quick in about 20 minutes! I pan sear the salmon and then make the orzo in the same pan, with lots of lemon, a little cream, thyme, spinach and feta. It’s sooo …
So I’ve been on a real pasta kick lately!! I just got a new pasta cookbook and got totally inspired for this dish! This beef ragu is simmered for about 45 minutes, traditionally the longer the better! But all the flavors just merry together and …
This is one of those super cozy meals, on a cold night. It’s like a big warm hug. Best for those nights that you’re craving Italian but also want some of those wonderful fall flavors. The butternut squash is roasted with garlic, shallots and a …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
My favorite combination! The crispy outside of the buttery salmon, freshness from the dill and sweet citrus from the lemon just brightens this dish right up. We eat a lot of fish and I love changing up the combinations of flavors, to see what brings …
I love love love making homemade pasta! There is nothing quite like it. There’s something very soothing and rustic about kneading dough. I have been thinking about adding pumpkin to homemade pasta for a while and this is what I came up with. The …
This is an absolute favorite of mine to make for a fall dinner! It’s hearty, sweet, savory, and creamy with a touch of cinnamon! All of the best flavors together in one dish!! Ingredients 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive …
I have been playing around with the idea of purple potato gnocchi for a while. I finally found some amazing purple sweet potatoes at the farmers market and I couldn’t resist. So happy fall!!! This is my twist on the traditional sweet potato gnocchi …
This is such a fun twist on couscous! It makes the couscous nutty and crunchy, packed with all the delicious Mediterranean flavors. Ingredients  2 tbsp. scallions, sliced 1 tbsp. capers, minced 1 cup kalamata olives, chopped ½ cup red bell peppers, cored, seeded and …
I love this pesto because the artichokes make the pesto creamy and lighter than adding a ton of cheese. The tomatoes and corn add a great pop of color and sweetness. It’s a perfect summer pasta dish! Ingredients Kosher Salt 1 lb. fusillata casareccia …
So my husband and I just celebrated our one year anniversary up in Grand Marais, MN and it was such an amazing experience. There were so many local little stores up there with wild rice, maple syrup and jams so I had to take some …
These are great vegetarian burgers pack full of flavors. Sweet and tart from the chutney to creamy and spicy with the arugula pesto! The sauces make it! Roasted Vegetable Wild Rice Burgers  Ingredients  2 ½ cups wild rice, cooked ½ cup red bell …
Sweet and spicy, these are the perfect little cakes. If you looking for an appetizer serve one but as an entrée serve 2! Ingredients 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 cup Arborio rice 1 (13 oz.) can coconut milk 1 cup water ¼ cup toasted raw …
If you are looking for a healthy dish jam-packed with flavors, textures and colors this is it!! We are obsessed with it. It has sweet, spicy, salty, crisp, nutty the list goes on… Try it out!!  Ingredients 1 cup red pepper, cored, seeded, julienned 1 …
If you like spicy then this is the dish for you! I just love all the flavors, colors and textures. It’s perfect with a little crisp white Pinot Grigio or some sake. Enjoy!! Spicy Asian Sauce: Ingredients  2 tbsp. garlic, minced 1 tbsp. Chili …
This pasta is a party on a plate! It is so colorful and delicious!!! Ingredients For the Broccoli Pesto: 2 cups broccoli, just the florets; try and cut as much of the stem off as possible 1 ½ tbsp. lemon zest ¼ cup lemon juice …
This is my signature dish, basil pesto with linguine! I make a big batch of it and keep it for leftovers all week. I have a secret obsession with basil and garlic so this is perfect! For the Pesto: Ingredients 3 cups fresh basil 2 …
These are great for a vegetarian dinner, and making these are so easy, healthy and versatile. You can put really any kind of filling inside that you would like! The lemon really adds a nice freshness, and brightens them right up!! Plus, you can’t beat that …
This is a little Italian with an Asian twist. It has all the flavors: sweet, spicy, salty, creamy, nutty! I love it! Ingredients 1 tbsp. coconut oil 1 tbsp. butter 1 ½ cups Arborio rice 12 oz. sweetened coconut milk 3 cups of unsweetened almond …