Fall is my least favorite season. But when we start talking about things like football and apples, then I get excited about those things. Instead of thinking about how rainy and dark it is outside, I’m focusing on making the most of the best parts of fall - like this cocktail! There is no other season when a Spiced Apple Cocktail makes any sense. You cannot serve this in the height of spring. This is reserved for fall - drinking it by the fireplace with a flannel blanket with cozy wool socks on your feet.

Spiced Cider Cocktail

4 ounces fresh apple cider

2 ounces bourbon

1/2 ounce allspice dram

Fill two cocktail glasses with ice. In a pitcher, stir together all ingredients. Pour the cocktail over the ice dividing it equally between both glasses. Cin cin! 

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These pancakes are a fall staple in our house.  My husband and I eat dairy free but my kids are, well, kids.  These pancakes are perfect for all of us.  The actual pancakes are dairy free and low sugar, they’re actually relatively healthy.  But then you top them with decadent whipped cream and an amazing homemade caramel sauce spiked with cider and they are very kid-friendly!  

Spiced Apple Pancakes

with apple cider caramel

1 ½ cups flour

½ tbs sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 ¼ cups coconut or almond milk

3 tbs canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup shredded apple

¼ cup butter

¼ cup apple cider

1 cup brown sugar

STEP 1

Blend together dry ingredients in on bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg and vanilla.

STEP 2

Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and add the apple before everything is completely combined.  Stir as little as possible, but still get everything mixed.  Let rest 5 minutes.

STEP 3

While the batter rests, combine butter, cider and brown sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a low boil and immediately reduce the heat.  Whisk well until the sauce is thick.  

STEP 4

Heat a skillet to medium heat and either spray with oil or grease with butter.  Scoop ½ cup of batter onto the hot skillet.  Cook on one side until bubbles form.  Flip and cook another minute or two.  

STEP 5

Serve pancakes hot with fresh whipped cream drizzled with cider caramel.  

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In the spring I planted ONE cucumber plant. I am now drowning in cucumbers. There are so many on the plant I don’t even know what to do with all of them! I have already made pickles out of some but I always feel guilty when I immediately can the fresh produce.

This is a super simple summer dinner involves a little ground pork (or chicken) and topped with a fresh summer cucumber salsa using everything growing in your garden right now!

Ginger Pork with Cucumber Salsa

Serves 4

2 lb ground pork

2 tbs soy sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs brown sugar

½ tsp red pepper flakes

2 green onions, sliced

2 large cucumbers

½ cup basil, chopped

¼ cup chopped mint

2 tbs Rice wine vinegar

Salt

4 green onions, sliced

1 ½ cups rice

3 cups water

STEP 1

Mix the pork with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and 2 of the onions.  Set aside.

STEP 2

In a stock pot, pour in rice and top with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook, covered for 20 minutes.  

STEP 3

Chop together cucumbers, remaining onions, and herbs.  Top with rice vinegar and season with salt.  Set aside and let rest.  

STEP 3

Cook the pork over high heat in a skillet.  

STEP 4

Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the pork on top of the rice with a scoop of cucumber salsa.

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It’s national S’more Day! If you’re like me and SUPER disappointed that we can’t have camp fires, then boy do I have the recipe for you. It’s no-bake and topped with homemade marshmellows. You’re welcome. The only trouble with these bars is that they are ADDICTIVE.

S'mores Bars

12 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped

1 package graham crackers
1 recipe marshmallow
butter

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with the butter. Cut a piece of parchment to line the bottom of the pan and to hang over two of the sides. Press parchment into the buttered bottom and set aside.

In a small pan, bring two inches of water to a low boil. Place a glass bowl over the top of the pan and fill with the chocolate. Melt the chocolate, stirring often, over the hot water. If the water begins to boil too hard, turn down the heat and continue.

Pour melted chocolate into the bottom of the prepared pan. Press the graham crackers into the chocolate so they completely cover the bottom of the pan. Cut crackers with a serrated knife if needed to make them fit. Set aside.

Make marshmallows and pour into the pan. Using a buttered offset spatula, spread marshmallow to completely cover the graham crackers.

Let sit at room temperature - undisturbed - for 24 hours. Cut into 2x2 squares and roll sides in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Marshmallow Recipe

4 packets unflavored gelatin 3 cups sugar
1 1⁄2 cups water
1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar

In a stand mixer, combine gelatin and 3⁄4 cup water. Let stand.

In a medium sauce pan with a heavy bottom combine sugar, remaining water, corn syrup, and salt. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook until mixture reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (about 240 degrees).

Turn on stand mixer and pour in sugar mixture in a slow steady stream. Leave mixer running on high speed for 15 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.

Blend vanilla into marshmallow mixture and pour marshmallow onto prepared pan and smooth out to the corners.

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More decadent desserts!

My kids discovered ribs and they are now addicted. I’ve been making them once a week since it started getting sunny and started experimenting with baking them in the oven. In the past, I’ve baked them for a while then finished them off on the barbecue. It’s a great method assuming you didn’t bake too long (otherwise they flake and fall apart on the barbecue) and it totally trashes your grill because the sauce sticks and gets messy.

It also rains in Seattle (shocker) so grilling isn’t reliable all the time. Being able to make winning ribs in the oven is a game changer. It took a few tries and a few alternate ways of baking/broiling to come up with a method that seems foolproof. I also tried the expensive ribs from the fancy grocery store vs. cheap ribs from the very un-fancy grocery store vs. butcherbox. The difference was noticeable, but not game changing. If you can swing the better meat (fancy store or butcherbox) it’s a better finished product. The less expensive meat needs longer in the oven baking - not the end of the world.

I started working on these ribs in the spring because I knew they would be a summer hit with my kids. I had no idea that this summer would be the driest summer on record. That there would be no rain and that the temperatures would be so hot that turning on the oven would be torture.

I’ve still made these multiple times this summer. They are transferable to the grill as well. Just sear them quickly first, then on a low grill off the heat source until they are tender. Share your photos with me! I can’t wait to see what you make.

OVEN BAKED RIBS

1 rack baby back pork ribs (2 – 2 ½ lbs)

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon flaky salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

½ teaspoon hickory smoke powder

1 teaspoon powdered onion

1 teaspoon powdered garlic

Barbecue sauce

STEP 1

Preheat the oven broiler to 500 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top.  

Peel the silver skin (sinew) off of the ribs on both sides and place them on top of the cooling rack.

STEP 2

Spread the Dijon mustard on the meaty top side of the ribs and sprinkle with seasonings.  

STEP 3

Pop the ribs in the broiler and cook for five minutes until the top of the ribs begin to brown.  

STEP 4

Turn the heat down in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 2 ½ - 3 hours.  Brush the top of the ribs with ¼ cup of barbecue sauce and bake another 15 minutes.   Let rest 15-20 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra sauce on the side. 

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When ever it’s a long weekend, we end up with the family at the beach which means planning loads of dinners for the gang. Burgers are always the right choice, and when you make them classic “All American” burgers with “secret sauce” and pickles, you’ve got a winner. There are fancier burgers you can make, but I promise, none are as universal as these!

All American Burger

With secret sauce

Serves 4

1 ½ lb ground beef

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground pepper

4 brioche buns

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

1 tbs roasted green chilies

1/2 tbs chipotle powder

2 dill pickles, sliced

1 head iceberg lettuce

4 slices cheddar cheese

STEP 1

Combine meat with salt and pepper.  Form the meat into four equal sized patties.  Pop on grill and cook until done all the way through.  3-5 minutes each side

STEP 2

Whisk together mayo, ketchup, chilies and chipotle powder

STEP 3

Layer toasted buns with burger patty, lettuce, pickles, cheese, and secret sauce

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Who else is craving a vacation? Or just to travel somewhere outside of our neighborhood? We’ve booked a trip to Hawaii for as soon as school gets out, which can’t come fast enough but also seems like it’s coming at record speed. Maybe because the kids weren’t in school for so many months?

Regardless we’re ready to travel. We’re starting with a few recipes that let us dream about travel. Let’s all go to Hawaii this week.

Hawaiian Flank Steak  

with Spicy Pineapple Salsa

serves 4

STEP 1

Pour rice, coconut milk, and water into a pot on the stove.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

STEP 2

Rinse and pat dry flank steak.  In a small bowl, combine together half of the ginger, half of the garlic, coffee, and salt and pepper.  Rub mixture all over steak getting into the crevices on both sides. 

STEP 3

Preheat grill to high heat. Place steak on the grill and cook 6-8 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees for medium doneness.  Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes.  Slice thinly against the grain.  

STEP 4

In a bowl, mix together pineapple, avocado, mango, and onion.  Toss with remaining ingredients and let rest 10 minutes.

STEP 5

Combine together soy sauce, pineapple juice, and remaining ginger and garlic in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and continue cooking until reduced by half.  Pour glaze over sliced steak.  

Serve with pineapple salsa.

2 pounds flank steak

4 tbs grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely ground coffee

1 can pineapple, reserve the juice & chop the pineapple

¼ cup soy sauce

1 avocadoes, sliced into cubes

1 mango, sliced into cubes

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 jalapeno, seeds removed and thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 can coconut milk

1 ½ cups rice

 How to pull it off

1.     Rub the steak and set it aside.

2.     Make the pineapple salsa.  Let it rest

3.     Grill the steak.

4.     Let the steak rest while you make cocktails

5.     Slice the steak

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I can’t think of another drink that makes you think about a celebration like a margarita. We spend an unusual amount of time drinking or thinking about margaritas especially when we are in Palm Springs - which was quite often before COVID shut down our travel plans.

I used to think they were fairly complicated to make, but I think that’s because store bought margarita mix is so sweet and gross and when you get them at a restaurant, they are delish! I assumed I was doing something wrong until I figured out it was the store bought margarita mix that was all wrong. When we discovered Tommy’s Margarita Mix, our life changed. It made me realize we were over complicating things and I started a deep dive on the margarita.

As with all historied and popular beverages, the origins of the margarita are not definite. I’m so entertained by these stories. Every famous cocktails seems to have one and I can’t help but wonder if there was just a trend starting and the “original margarita” started in multiple places around the same time? If you’re curious what the stories are, they are pretty good.

One stays that the margarita was created in Galveston, Texas in 1948 for the singer Peggy Lee (Peggy being a nickname for Margaret and thus the “margarita”). The bartender created a riff on a current classic - The Daisy - using tequila instead of the gin or brandy it called for and named his “new cocktail” for her. I like this story but there’s no way it’s right. Mostly because there are rumors of the drink as early as 1937.

Here’s what I think. In the 1920’s and early 30’s prohibition was real and really reduced the amount of American booze on the market. Mexico did not have prohibition and continued making tequila through the era, which means it was readily available to bootleggers - especially those in California and Texas.

The Daisy was a popular cocktail - a shaken drink made with brandy or gin mixed with lemon juice and orange cordial. They would shake it over ice and serve it in a martini glass with sugar on the rim. If you were going to replace the gin or brandy with tequila you’d have to make a few adjustments. Tequila was commonly consumed with salt and lime, so switching the lemon for lime and the sugar for salt is a natural swap and suddenly you have a margarita.

The first published record of the margarita was in 1953 in Esquire Magazine. In that, they mix 1 ounce of tequila, a dash of triple sec, and the juice of 1/2 a lime. Then the drink is strained into a coupe glass where the edge has been rubbed with lime and dipped in salt.

In the name of research, I have spent the last few months thinking about margaritas, making margaritas and drinking margaritas. It was all so I could report to you on the best, most authentic way to consume this classic beverage. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it.

The most authentic margarita is ridiculously simple. Here’s how I make it:

Margarita

makes one drink

1 ounce blanco tequila

1 dash triple sec

juice of 1/2 a lime

lime wedges

coarse sea salt

STEP 1

Rub the ridge of one glass with the lime and dip half of the rim in salt. If you dip the whole thing, you can end up with a mouth full of salt and no one needs bloated fingers tomorrow. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.

STEP 2

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour tequila, triple sec and lime. Shake aggressively for a few seconds. Strain the cocktail into the salted glass. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and serve.

ALTERNATIVLY

I often will not fill the glass with ice in the beginning, but pour the ice the cocktail was shaken with into my glass. There’s a little melt that happens when you shake and I like to capture all of the flavors. But it’s not traditional, so you do you.

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This almost feels like cheating because I can’t think of a faster dinner than fish tacos. Mostly because you literally can’t cook fish very long. It’s like two minutes on each side. The longest part of this dinner is cracking into the avocado.

Fast Fish Tacos

Serves 4

STEP 1

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, cayenne, paprika, and garlic.  Rub spice mixture over fish on the side without skin or both sides if the fish is skinless. 

STEP 2

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, radishes, lime zest and juice until well combined.  Set aside.  

STEP 3

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Pour a thin layer of oil in the bottom of the pan to cover the entire bottom.  Lay fish carefully into the pan, skin side up and cook 2 minutes.  Flip fish over and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.  

STEP 4

Lay fish pieces in a warmed tortilla and top with cabbage slaw.  Serve with chopped cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.  

Note: Tilapia is a common fish for fish tacos, but it’s not always the best choice.  If you purchase tilapia, make sure it was raised in the US or Canada.  Other white fish options are easily found – wild caught is best.

1.5 lbs white fish; rock fish, red snapper or halibut

2 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 clove garlic, grated

1 head cabbage, finely shredded

6 radishes, finely sliced

2 limes, juiced and zested

2 avocado

1 bunch cilantro

½ cup sour cream

2 tbs canola oil

corn tortillas for serving

hot sauce

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Have you ever fried paneer? OMG it’s life changing. Cheese that fries without fully melting but becomes rich and gooey?? It’s the dream. And when you top the hot cheese on this cold salad, it’s an experience.

There are a lot of bits in this salad, but it is WORTH IT. It’s limited chopping, lots of tossing, and can be made WAY ahead and kept in the fridge until dinner time. Then just pop the cheese in a skillet and dig in. I promise if you take this to your kids baseball game in containers, everyone else will be green with envy. And you’ll look so extra.

Marrakesh Salad

Serves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Whisk together cumin, coriander, paprika, lime zest & juice, and honey. Toss chick peas in half of the dressing. Reserve the rest for later.

Roast 15 minutes until crispy

STEP 2

Toss the vegetables and the herbs, then add the remaining dressing and toss again.

STEP 3

Pour roasted chick peas into the salad.

STEP 4

Heat olive oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet.  Add slices of paneer and cook over high heat for 2 minutes (or so) a side until brown and crispy.  Pop on top of the salad.  

1 can chick peas, drained

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 lime, juiced & zested

1 tbs honey

2 carrots, shredded

4 scallions, sliced

1 cup cooked quinoa

½ cup raisins

1 cup dried apricots, diced

¼ cup chopped pistachios

1 cucumber, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 tbs fresh mint, chopped

1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

4 oz paneer

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

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