Diet

Spiced Citrus Loquat Tea

Spiced Citrus Loquat Tea

Try this unique recipe of spiced citrus loquat tea and see how the mulling properties of anise and cinnamon sticks pairs well with the earthy flavors of loquat leaves. And the combination of citrus juice and honey creates a balance of sweetness to sourness, which (more).

Authentic Canned Black Beans

Authentic Canned Black Beans

Click here and read how a can of store-bought black beans reminds me of the beans I was served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the highlands of Western Honduras. Just open, heat, and serve these beans with your favorite Central American recipe!

Tina’s Indian Fruit Salad

Tina’s Indian Fruit Salad

Tina’s Indian fruit salad showcases an array of unique flavors as an assortment of berries, mango, and apple is seasoned with Himalayan pink salt, toasted cumin, mandarin juice, basil, and black pepper. Try it and see how this recipe brings out the best of fruit! (more).

Thai Chicken with Basil

Thai Chicken with Basil

My Thai Chicken with Basil has a distinctive, unami like flavor, as it sautés onion, garlic, basil, jalapeños, and chicken in a savory fish, soy, and coconut sauce. Naturally low in carbs and packed with protein, this recipe is chock-full of flavor and will satisfy (more).

Oat Cream Coffee with a Vanilla Twist

Oat Cream Coffee with a Vanilla Twist

There is nothing like a cup of coffee to jumpstart your day.  Needless to say, I’ve had plenty of time to hone this recipe, and as luck had it, I stumbled across two secrets: turbinado sugar and a 3:1 ratio of oat milk to creamer. (more).

Hearty Black Bean Stew

Hearty Black Bean Stew

This hearty black bean stew is one of a kind, with beans slow-cooked with a smoked pork hock, and veggies sautéed with hickory bacon drippings. Plus, its seasonings range from saffron to adobo spices, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cilantro. Try it and see (more).

My Mexican-Inspired Veggie Dish

My Mexican-Inspired Veggie Dish

My Mexican-inspired veggie dish was adapted from a traditional veggie and meat stew called puchero. My unique take on this authentic recipe calls for carrots. plantains, butternut squash, crookneck squash, Yukon potatoes, and cauliflower florets, which are all seasoned with oregano and a pre-made saffron (more).

Bacon-Wrapped Cheese and Honey Dates

Bacon-Wrapped Cheese and Honey Dates

These savory dates, also known as Devils on Horseback, are far from frightening. In fact, they’re the opposite, ushering in a taste of heaven. Stuffed with honey goat cheese, dried apricots, glazed pecans, and drizzled with honey butter, they’ll be the hit of any party! (more).

Citrus, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Citrus, Bacon & Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

With my Citrus, Bacon & Pecan Salad, each bite is a burst of flavors, varying between the crisp crunch of honey-glazed pecans and hickory-smoked bacon, with the creamy accent of goat cheese, all topped off with tangy orange segments and a sweet maple vinaigrette, which (more).

Honey-Glazed, Toasted Pecans

Honey-Glazed, Toasted Pecans

These Honey-Glazed, Toasted Pecans are a prize topping for a salad or a treat in of themselves. With only three ingredients and 8 minutes to make, it will become a staple in your household as they are mine! Try them on my Citrus, Bacon & (more).

Creamy and Dreamy Refried Beans

Creamy and Dreamy Refried Beans

These Creamy and Dreamy Refried Beans are enhanced by the flavorful drippings of hickory-smoked bacon and key spices like red pepper flakes and earthy cumin. Serve with my Naturally Sweet Banana Smoothies and my Honduran Baleadas or Soft Bean Tacos for an authentic Honduran dish! (more).

The Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs Ever

The Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs Ever

After years of making mediocre scrambled eggs, by a stroke of luck, I stumbled across this recipe for the Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs Ever. One fortuitous day, by sheer accident, I discovered the golden method revealed in my post and whipped up the airiest scrambled eggs! (more).

The Freshest Ever Greek Salad

The Freshest Ever Greek Salad

With my Freshest Ever Greek Salad, every bite is a burst of flavors—with either a crisp crunch of cucumbers, mixed with a nutty note of black olives and an earthy hint of oregano, or a salty touch of feta cheese, coupled by juicy, sweet tomatoes. (more).

Heavenly Caprese with Pesto Panini

Heavenly Caprese with Pesto Panini

This Heavenly Caprese with Pesto Panini is so blissful that it transports you out of this world. Truly, nothing can beat the perfect flavor equation of Genovese pesto, heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and sourdough bread. With only 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make, (more).

Genovese Pesto with Bowtie Pasta

Genovese Pesto with Bowtie Pasta

My Genovese Pesto with Bowtie Pasta is the perfect marriage of homemade pesto, made with a mortar and pestle, served with bowtie (farfalle) pasta, pine nuts, olive oil, and topped off with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese. It’s truly a match made in heaven! (more).

Roasted Corn and Pepper Salad

Roasted Corn and Pepper Salad

My Roasted Corn and Pepper Salad features twice-cooked corn, once boiled, and once roasted, which gives this dish its rich, buttery flavor. This mouthwatering corn is then given a little kick with the complement of ground black pepper, my secret ingredient. And to round it (more).

Gourmet Caesar Salad Dressing

Gourmet Caesar Salad Dressing

This Gourmet Caesar Salad Dressing stands apart from all others, with its unique base of sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, and mayonnaise, a creamy foundation that’s enriched by hints of nutty Parmesan cheese, tangy Worcestershire sauce, and savory anchovy paste. Give it a try and (more).

Sun-Dried Tomato, Hickory Linguine

Sun-Dried Tomato, Hickory Linguine

This unconventional Bolognese ranks in my top ten favorite recipes with its infusion of hickory-smoked bacon that permeates the garlic, onion, tomatoes, and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Another key to this recipe rests in the sun-dried tomatoes, which are rehydrated, but not preserved in oil. (more).

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

This stellar cornbread is a combination of all things comfort—from ricotta to white and orange cheddar cheeses to cornmeal, jalapeños, and buttermilk. Serve with my Beef Chili Like None Other or as a treat unto itself. Any way you serve it, you can’t go wrong! (more).

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Instead of settling for bland supermarket tortillas, now you can enjoy the best homemade corn tortillas. Here I recount my tips of decades of experience, which I learned from my own trial and error and from Honduran women I met in the Peace Corps.

Apricot Crumble Bar with an Almond Crust

Apricot Crumble Bar with an Almond Crust

These apricot crumble bars are out-of-this-world, with a phenomenal pairing of sweet n’ sour apricots, a nutty almond crust, and a pecan topping that will have you pleading for more. This dessert is one of the reasons that I look forward to summer every year! (more).