My One-Pan Weeknight Obsession For Juicy Chicken There’s a certain kind of dinner I made constantly back in my restaurant days—golden pan-seared protein, blistered summer vegetables, and a bright sauce to pull it all together. These marinated chicken thighs with sautéed zucchini and yellow squash is my at-home version, and it comes together in a single skillet with a glossy herb sauce spooned right over the top. Pile it onto fluffy rice and you’ve got a dinner that tastes like it took all afternoon (it didn’t). Here’s the part I’m…
Continue ReadingCharred Veggie & Halloumi Kebabs with Spiced Oil
These Vegetable Skewers Are Not An Afterthought These vegetable and halloumi kebabs are what I want on the grill the second the weather turns warm. Zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion char and caramelize right alongside squeaky, salty halloumi, all of it coated in a warm marinade build on cumin, coriander, and a little heat from Aleppo pepper—essentially a cumin-coriander oil that seasons every single bite. Sweet cherry tomatoes grill separately so nothing overcooks. The result: smoky, charred, deeply flavorful vegetarian kebabs that taste like something off a restaurant menu,…
Continue ReadingZhoug-Marinated Chicken Thighs with Charred Scallions
The Spicy Yememi Herb Sauce That Goes With Everything I’m calling it now: these zhoug-marinated grilled chicken thighs are the dish of summer! If you’ve never cooked with zhoug (pronounced “zoog” or “skhug” depending on who you ask), consider this your sign. This Yemeni herb sauce is a cousin to chimichurri and salsa verde, but louder—cilantro and parsley blitzed with green chiles, garlic, and warm spices, then loosened with olive oil into something between a marinade and a condiment. It’s punchy, herbaceous, and just spicy enough to keep you reaching…
Continue ReadingPeak Summer Cooking: What I’m Making This July
The Summer Recipes I Constantly Crave July is when summer cooking really hits its stride. The produce is better, the meals are simpler, and everything tastes best with fresh herbs, ripe tomatoes, sweet corn, and something cold to drink nearby. This month’s lineup leans into exactly that: no-cook appetizers, easy seafood dinners, grilled vegetables, herby sauces, casual sandwiches, and peak-season pastas. It’s vibrant, flavorful, and completely realistic for the hottest stretch of the year. Here’s exactly what I plan to cook in July. ↓ The no-cook summer appetizer I crave…
Continue ReadingCold Cucumber Soup with Greek Yogurt (10-Minute Blender Recipe)
The Most Refreshing Chilled Soup You’ll Make All Summer There’s a point every summer when turning on the stove starts to feel like a personal insult. This is the recipe for that exact moment. 😉 Cold cucumber soup is creamy and almost shockingly fresh. No cooking, one blender, and about 10 minutes of hands-on work. You’ll need a cucumber, tangy Greek yogurt, a little garlic, and a whole garden’s worth of herbs. I add toasted nuts for texture, but even those are optional. This is the kind of thing I’d…
Continue ReadingButterscotch Budino with Espresso Caramel (Italian Pudding!)
Your New Go-To Dinner Party Dessert: Italian Budino Butterscotch budino is the Italian restaurant dessert I’ve been quietly obsessed with for years, and I’m thrilled to finally share this version. Budino simply means “pudding” in Italian, but don’t let that fool you—this pudding is all grown up. A silky, deeply caramelized butterscotch custard gets chilled until just set, then topped with a glossy espresso caramel sauce, a cloud of whipped crème fraîche, and flaky sea salt. Every spoonful is sweet, salty, butter, and tangy all at once. Budino is richer…
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