COOKTORIA

One-Bowl Red Velvet Layer Cake Making a delicious dessert from scratch is easy with this mix-by-hand, one-bowl red velvet layer cake. A moist crumb with the most gorgeous vibrant color, topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting – this is red velvet simplified and done right! This cake obviously would be a perfect treat to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but really, I find red velvet extremely desirable any time of year.

jingle bell cranberry paloma. Welcoming the holiday season with this festive Jingle Bell Cranberry Paloma. Silver tequila mixed with leftover cranberry sauce, lime juice, a squeeze of grapefruit juice, and topped off with ginger beer…for a touch of sweetness, spice, and a little bit of bubbly too! It’s the quickest cocktail to mix up, but one that everyone always loves. Perfect for a cold winter night by the fire, or make this by the pitcher for your holiday party. Bonus this will use up any of that leftover cranberry sauce sitting in the fridge! It’s the last day of November, but the first day of HBH “Christmas Drink Saturday”. It’s crazy that I’ve been sharing these holiday cocktails for four years now. Do you guys remember the first Christmas drink I shared?

homemade vegan twix bars. Sharing a healthier take on the classic Twix bar with my Homemade Vegan Twix Bars. Layered with dark chocolate, toasted coconut “shortbread”, maple syrup-based “caramel”, additional dark chocolate, and finished with flaky sea salt. Every last bite is sweet, nutty, hinted with caramel-like flavors, extra chocolatey, and so DELICIOUS. Absolutely nothing not to love about these homemade candy bars. Bonus? These Twix bars are easy to make, have no processed sugars, and are even gluten-free! If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that even when trying to eat healthy…ish, chocolate should always be included. After all, chocolate is actually one of the most antioxidant-rich foods there is. It’s true, and I know this because my mom has read up on cacao and the benefits of enjoying it…daily. Which is why she has a steaming mug of hot cacao every single morning upon waking…and every single night before bed!.

easiest coconut cauliflower adobo. Sharing my vegan twist on a traditional Filipino dish with this Filipino Coconut Cauliflower Adobo. I’ve swapped the chicken for nutrient-packed cauliflower and slow-braised it in soy sauce, vinegar, and bay leaves. Coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess to this sweet and tangy adobo sauce making it especially delicious. This is best served over steamed rice with fresh avocado and a side of beans. The perfect healthy, 30-minute dinner, any night of the week. It’s officially the deep, deep, deep winter around here. We had a cold, but beautiful, snow-filled weekend. At this point, I’m not yet sick of the snow and still very much embracing the cozy weather. Hoping you all are too, because it’s only mid-January and we still have a ways to go before spring! As I mentioned Sunday, I decided to cancel a quick NYC trip to be able to spend some time with my mom for her birthday on Saturday. It was good I did because all the snow would have caused so

sheet pan korean chicken bowl with sweet potatoes and yum yum sauce. This colorful Sheet Pan Korean Chicken Bowl with Sweet Potatoes and Yum Yum Sauce is the perfect weeknight dinner. Chicken tossed in an addicting sweet and spicy Korean inspired BBQ sauce, roasted with sweet potatoes, and served up bowl style with steamed rice, homemade yum yum sauce, and vegetables. This quick-cooking, easy sheet pan dinner comes together in just about an hour. It’s colorful, healthy, and beyond good. Incorporate this into your monthly dinner rotation or prep ahead of time and enjoy for lunch throughout the week. They’re colorful, flavorful, and so full of everything I love. I’ve been holding onto this recipe for a couple weeks now and could not be more excited to share it. These bowls are GOOD…and simple…and pretty healthy too. Do you see all that color? Perfect for these very white, snowy winter days.

spicy turkey taco salad with baja dressing. Making Thursday night tacos a thing, with this Spicy Turkey Taco Salad with Baja Dressing. Chipotle chili seasoned turkey taco meat, mixed with fresh greens, black beans, avocado, mango, and a little cheddar cheese too. Topped with tortilla chips for crunch, and finished with a creamy Baja style dressing that’s spicy and cooling. SO GOOD. If you’re looking for a non-boring salad, this is it! Raise your hand if you ate tacos at least once or twice a week growing up? My brothers and I were served ground beef tacos all the time as kids. Tacos were an easy, quick dinner that my dad could make in under 30 minutes. They were a dinner that every single one of his kids would eat. So all 7 of us… OK. So back then Asher was non-existent (which is soooo weird to think about life without Asher!), and Red was just a baby. So I guess it was more like 5 of his kids. Still, we all ate them, and we all loved them. Mom and I preferred hard shells wit

crispy chipotle chicken tacos with cilantro lime ranch. Weeknight style Cheesy Baked Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch…and all the toppings. Because loaded tacos are just better. Ground chicken seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix, stuffed into hard shell tacos, topped with cheese, and oven-baked. These tacos are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve each taco with a creamy, cooling cilantro lime ranch sauce, and a mix of your favorite taco toppings. They come together in minutes and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner. Bonus, the chipotle chicken is great as a leftover. Pile it high onto your favorite tortilla chips for some seriously delicious nachos or serve it up atop greens for a Mexican inspired salad. As a kid, tacos were a weeknight staple in our house. I’ve touched on this before, but my dad cooked tacos for dinner at least once or twice a week for multiple years straight. It probably wasn’t until I started

snowflake pull-apart monkey bread. If there’s one thing December needs, it’s this Snowflake Pull-Apart Monkey Bread. Okay, and maybe some real snow too, but since I can’t control the weather, I’m making snowflakes! It’s weird, by this time of year we always have snow on the ground, and not just a thin layer, but lots of it. I can’t remember a year when we haven’t had piles of snow all over the place by now, so the fact that we have so little snow is weird…and kind of sad. Snow in December is my absolute favorite. Snow in March…April…May? No thanks, but snow in December, yes please. Obviously, there’s not much I can do about the lack of white stuff here in the west, but what I can do…is make deliciously gooey and sweet monkey bread that looks like a giant snowflake. Yup, that I can do.

EDIBLE COOKIE DOUGH Edible Cookie Dough recipe with no eggs is better than the cookies themselves! I love how this egg free cookie dough looks as good as it tastes! It’s the perfect addition to your favorite ice-cream. Or, simply a great snack! This edible cookie dough is 100% safe too eat. Because it has no eggs and no uncooked flour! I also stuffed it full of chocolate chips! So be sure to really restrain yourself from finishing it all right away. But if you run out, you can always make a new batch!  Use it in brownies or cupcakes. Add it to ice cream or a cheesecake. As long as there is enough room in your fridge or freezer for chocolate chip cookie dough! If you are like me, you maybe obsessed with cookies. Recently I have been obsessed with making cookie dough first thing in the morning. Basically, what I do now is get out of bed and start making cookies! Isn’t it what everyone else does?

ITALIAN CHICKEN PASTA Italian Chicken Pasta in Creamy White Wine Parmesan Cheese Sauce will remind you of your favorite dinner experience! Easy to make weeknight one pot pasta dish! With only 30 minutes of total work, this  dinner recipe is simple, fast and delicious! It almost sounds too easy to be as good as it is. I love to have myself some flavorful and delicious chicken pasta. With creamy white wine parmesan sauce! I can use it to make a simple meal that is flavor packed in no time. I think there’s nothing better than having a restaurant quality pasta dish on the table within minutes! Especially when I’m treating my family and friends. They love a good creamy pasta dish any night of the week!

SPICY MAPLE GLAZED ROASTED SWEET POTATOES Spicy Maple Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes is an easy to make roasted sweet potato recipe! Full of sweet and spicy flavor! If you make sweet potatoes regularly, you’re probably aware that they go well with any main dish. Especially, if you love a tasty holiday side dish. I just love a good potato side dish! I am happy to say that I was so impressed with the flavors in these roasted sweet potatoes, that we had them devoured in no time!

GLUTEN FREE ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES WITH CRANBERRIES Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup are made out of blanched almond flour and dried cranberries. These healthy almond cookies are naturally gluten free and deliciously soft. They are sweetened with maple syrup and are full of fiber and protein! Try baking with almond flour more often! I love its texture. I even made the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies with almond flour and these are one of the best cookies my family says I made!

BROWN SUGAR DIJON GLAZED PORK LOIN Brown Sugar Dijon Glazed Pork Loin is juicy on the inside and crusty on the outside. We roasted our pork together with carrots and sweet potatoes. It is an excellent choice for a Holiday dinner or Sunday supper. This delicious pork roast is elegant enough for Easter Sunday dinner but easy enough to make for any family gathering. The top of the pork loin is covered in caramelized brown sugar and Dijon mustard while the carrots and potatoes create the perfect side dish. The combination of the pork roast and vegetables creates a meal that your guests will think was hard but actually incredibly easy to create. This truly is a flavorful and delicious dinner that turns out tender and is sure to be a showstopper.

INSTANT POT COUNTRY STYLE RIBS IN BBQ SAUCE Instant Pot Country Style Ribs in BBQ Sauce are rich and fall-apart tender alternative to traditional ribs. So aromatic and flavorful thanks to the homemade Barbecue Sauce. Ready in the pressure cooker in just under 45 minutes, these tender ribs are perfect for busy weeknights! I’ve made them all in the instant pot! Instant Pot Pork Chops, Pork Stroganoff and now please welcome the most amazing Instant Pot Country Style Ribs! You don’t need to fire up the BBQ in order to have melt-in-your-mouth BBQ ribs. And you don’t even need any spice rub. These easy to make ribs are pressure cooked assuring the juiciest and most tender ribs. They are ideal for big celebrations or busy week dinners. Or, basically anytime you want insanely good BBQ ribs! These fall off the bone ribs are also flavorful and tender. They are perfect as is or, you can serve them over Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA WITH SAUSAGE Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with Sausage is easy to make weeknight one pot pasta dish! With only 30 minutes of total work, this shrimp pasta dinner recipe is simple, fast and delicious! Quick and easy dinner is always something I have on my mind. I happen to love shrimp and sausage combination because it’s so flavorful and delicious. Besides, there’s nothing better than having a restaurant quality pasta dish on the table for my family and friends!  This creamy pasta dish disappeared quickly from our dinner table!

blog flog: baklava with alberta honey Baklava is one of my favourite things—I love honey, and crisp phyllo as a carrier, with layers of chopped nuts. It’s something few of us consider making from scratch… it seems like a fancy, finicky thing, but the truth is, it’s not. Phyllo is very forgivable, so you can layer it with butter, honey, nuts and spices and however you shape and cut it, it will be delicious. (If it looks like a disaster, call it baklava mess, and serve it in a dish, with a fork and an extra drizzle of honey, as if you intended to do it that way all along.)

candied citrus peel I know, it seems particularly hardcore to make your own candied peel for things like fancy breads and buns, but when you realize how simple it is, and that every orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit literally comes with an almost-free batch of candied peel, you may be a convert. And beyond the simplicity and economy of it (good candied citron is expensive, man), the homemade version is leaps and bounds better than anything you’ll buy at the store, even the expensive stuff, even more so than just about any other product I can think of – consider homemade vs store bought chocolate chip cookies, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.