© Sunshine UrbaniakThese banana muffins are SO good! They're moist and fluffy, which can be hard sometimes with banana muffins or bread. We've all had our fair share of dry, dense banana bread. And sometimes you barely taste the banana. My secret: I add a teaspoon of...
© Sunshine UrbaniakQuiches are a great baked dish good for any time of the day—breakfast, brunch, even dinner. Pair it with a yummy side and it's quite a filling meal. I love serving quiche alongside a spring mix salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. The contrast in...
© Sunshine UrbaniakHuevos Rancheros is in my top five ways to eat eggs for sure, and it's so quick and easy to make. You can prepare the bean mixture and the pico de gallo a day ahead to shorten prep time even more. Just remember you'll need to warm up the beans...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThai sweet potato soup has such a unique flavor, full of classic Thai ingredients like coconut milk, yellow curry powder, ginger, and lemongrass. The vegetarian soup gets a little kick from jalapeño pepper and fresh ginger, but don't worry, the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThe idea for this salad came about one day when I had vine ripe tomatoes and basil from my garden, leftover sourdough bread and a huge craving for a yummy salad. I love Caprese salads so I thought, why not make a Caprese salad Panzanella style but...
© Sunshine UrbaniakBoth my kids love these blueberry muffins. Whether for breakfast or an afterschool snack. Sometimes they even choose these blueberry muffins over ice cream for dessert! I personally like pairing one with a cup of tea. My recipe isn't overly sweet, I...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI once had the pleasure of eating the Sonja pizza at Diavola Pizzeria in Geyserville, California. It was heavenly and left me craving more. A week later I tried recreating it at home. Aside from the fact I didn't have a wood-burning pizza oven, it...
© Sunshine UrbaniakAre you on the kale kick? I admit I take breaks. But this salad is always met with open arms. It's the perfect blend of hearty kale and sweet ingredients so you don't feel like you're munching on your lawn. A trick to softening the kale is to make...
© Sunshine UrbaniakMy grilled steak tacos have such amazing flavor, and it's due to the yummy marinade. In only three hours, the marinade transforms flank steak into a delicious, tender piece of meat, ready to be thinly sliced and enjoyed, paired with a cilantro-lime...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis veggie lasagna recipe is inspired by lasagne I had from Whole Foods back in 1997. I frequently lunched there while working at a design firm in Palo Alto, CA. At least once a week I'd get the veggie lasagna. It was the complete opposite of what...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI just love this orange and fennel salad, especially in the winter. Its fresh flavor is a nice palette pick-me-up when it's cold outside. I add in five romaine leaves for some added crunch, feel free to leave them out or add in more—just remember to...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis orecchiette pasta salad with mushrooms, bell pepper and goat cheese is so creamy and delicious it might become your go-to for potlucks. Quick and simple to make yet yields such rich flavor from the mushrooms cooked in marsala wine. Marsala...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis isn't so much a recipe as a delicious suggestion to start your day with something savory versus sweet. Many people choose to top their bagel with jelly or jam—and there's nothing wrong with that. But for those days when you wake up and prefer a...
© Sunshine UrbaniakGreek salads are so easy and quick to make, plus it's full of healthy ingredients. The red wine vinegar in the dressing really compliments the salty feta cheese and kalamata olives. The trick to a really tasty greek salad is patience. After making...
© Sunshine UrbaniakEbelskivers are Danish pancakes that are spherical in shape with apple filling, like bits of apples or applesauce. Traditionally they're eaten at Christmas time and often served with mulled wine. They're dusted with powdered sugar and served with...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI first had this soup from Safeway in California, in one of those take-home containers you find in the prepared food section. I fell in love with the rich flavors—red curry, coconut milk, ginger, and lemongrass. The broth alone was like gold. After...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis recipe won a local salsa contest and I have to say, it's that good! But be warned—to get it right you almost ALWAYS have to make adjustments due to the ripeness of the tomatillos or the heat of the jalapeño. Sometimes you need to add more salt,...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI am in love with this dish! Nothing beats a one-skillet, healthy fish dinner on a weeknight—and my whole family eats it (literally can not ask for anything more). I serve this with jasmine rice and a green vegetable like green beans. But let's talk...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis open-faced egg sandwich isn't complicated or anything new, but it truly satisfies your tastebuds with its building flavors of garlicky mayo aioli, spicy arugula, creamy avocado, warm egg yolk, and tangy-sweet pickled onions. To me, it's the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis Tuscan style white bean soup is chock-full of silky cannellini beans, leeks, celery, carrots, spinach, garlic, rosemary, and sage. It only takes about an hour to make but it tastes like it took all afternoon with its rich, deep flavors. My...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis is a great salad to incorporate more tofu into your diet. The red miso marinade helps flavor the tofu and a quick bake in the oven keeps it healthy and crispy. I recommend marinating the tofu overnight to get the best flavor, then pop it out of...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI can't tell you how many compliments I get on my guacamole. It's really not a secret or a secret ingredient. It's really all about the adjustments made after you let it rest. Depending on the ripeness of your avocado or the tartness of your limes,...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis cabbage and apple salad is my go-to salad because it's easy to make and can last for a few days in the fridge. I can make it on Monday and eat it throughout the week. It perfectly pairs with sandwiches, chicken dishes, or on its own. I use both...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThere are so many ways to have avocado toast, and I highly recommend trying as many versions as you can to find your favorite. This is one of mine. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the ingredients. First, you toast your favorite bread, mine is...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI love banana bread but don't enjoy all the sugar that's usually in recipes. So I tried using honey instead and not only does it still taste sweet (but not overly sweet—like cake), the honey helps keep the bread soft and moist. To help keep this...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis recipe was inspired by my daughter's love for General Tso's Chicken before she became a pescatarian. I was worried she might turn her nose up to it but it turned out she LOVED IT! And I have to say, I love it too. The crispy tofu has good...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThere's nothing quite like freshly made hummus. It's very easy and quick to make, plus there are endless ingredients you can add to make it to your liking. I'm always looking for ways to eat more beets, so throwing one into the classic hummus recipe...
© Sunshine UrbaniakCitrus grilled shrimp is the perfect summer grillin' recipe. Eat 'em by themselves or add them on a salad or antipasti dish. The marinade takes only 30 minutes and about five minutes to cook up. It's a quick option when entertaining guests....
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis cream of mushroom soup isn't your typical heavy, cream-based soup. The broth, despite having a cup of half-and-half and a cup of milk, is light and silky with a rich mushroom base complimented with leeks, shallot, garlic, and fresh thyme. Feel...
© Sunshine UrbaniakHand pies have a flaky crust and a sweet, juicy filling, usually fruit. They're super easy to make, come in handy when you need to do something with all those berries you bought, and kids love them. I enjoy one alongside my morning tea. My blueberry...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis is my family's go-to recipe for steel-cut oatmeal. It tastes like apple pie in a bowl, but a bit less sweet, and it's a hearty way to start your day. The richness of the toasted oats paired with apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar just melts in...
© Sunshine UrbaniakIf you're looking for a quick yet flavorful meal, this spice rub for salmon fillets will do the trick. In under 15 minutes, you'll have dinner on the table. The rub isn't overly spicy and my kids love it. The brown sugar helps to balance all the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThese shrimp tacos with cilantro lime slaw are so quick to cook up you might find yourself making them often as a last-minute dinner fix. Shrimp take no time to marinate and cook so they're the perfect main ingredient for a fast meal. When making...
© Sunshine UrbaniakPico de gallo has so many uses even though most people just think of it as a chunky dip with chips or best with bruschetta bread. It's delicious on fish, chicken, and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. One tip when dicing and mincing your...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis tuna salad recipe is so flavorful due to all the ingredients like red onion, green onion, carrot, parsley, and lots of lemon juice. There's the usual ingredients as well like celery, mayonnaise, and relish. My kids eat this off the spoon—no...
© Sunshine UrbaniakWhenever I have leftover chicken breast I tend to make it into chicken salad. It's my go-to, easy and delicious option. In this recipe, the herbs really shine along with the lemony dressing. I like the freshness that the lemon brings because I don't...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI love putting a spin on classic deviled egg recipes. For this recipe, I simply added horseradish but boy does it make a big impact. It adds just enough heat for a "Whoa, I wasn't expecting that!" reaction from guests. Adjust the amount of heat by...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI once worked in a restaurant in Oakland, California that served this creamy pasta with chicken, andouille sausage, mushrooms, and red bell pepper that I loved ordering. As usual, eventually, I ended up trying to recreate it at home. This recipe...
© Sunshine UrbaniakEggplant parmesan is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant. I also like it in a tomato and mozzarella salad. Eggplant can be tricky because if you don't take the time to salt it, many times it can be soggy and limp. I really recommend taking the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakMy vegetarian Thai curried carrot soup recipe is so simple and quick, yet it yields an amazingly flavorful soup that is perfect for both a fancy dinner party or a rainy day. The silky smooth texture is full of curried spice, fresh ginger, garlic,...
© Sunshine UrbaniakGrowing up I loved peel-and-eat shrimp, and I could never get enough it. Whenever I'd order a shrimp cocktail at a restaurant it felt like a tease. Five shrimp, that's it! I could've ordered three more, easily. Fast forward to today and I'm still...
© Sunshine UrbaniakFor the longest time I used two pots for making mac and cheese; one for boiling the pasta and one for making the cheese sauce. Well not anymore! After making it one pot I can't find a reason to ever go back to using two. Boiling the pasta in the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakMost people have leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whenever they cook a turkey. It usually doesn't get consumed in one sit down. One way to use up those leftovers is by making them into pot pies. It's really the perfect option...
© Sunshine UrbaniakWho doesn't love chicken noodle soup! It's a classic—healing almost. Chicken noodle soup is everyone's go-to soup when feeling under the weather. That classic broth flavor is burned into everyone's mind. So why mess with it? Well, we didn't really...
© Sunshine UrbaniakPut a spin on plain pancakes next time you're cooking up breakfast. Bananas are a popular pancake topping, so why not infuse them into the pancake batter. When I first made these pancakes my daughter said they tasted a little like banana bread, and...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis shrimp pesto pasta could not be simpler to make yet it packs a powerful punch of flavor. There are many variations of pesto sauce out there and I've tried many of them. This recipe is the result of many tests done over the years. It has the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis classic beets with mustard sauce recipe gets a semi-homemade makeover with pre-cooked, packaged beets. Not only does it speed up the marinating time, it drastically reduces cook time to no-cook time! I use the packaged beets from the...
© Sunshine UrbaniakWe eat a lot of tacos and burritos in our house and fish tacos is a nice break from the norm of rice, corn, and beans. The cool lime crema and cabbage slaw really brightens up the dish. I use a light, white fish like flounder for my fish tacos, and...
© Sunshine UrbaniakMy Chinese chicken salad has the perfect balance of crunch, sweetness, and tanginess. Crunch comes from the romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, sliced almonds, and chow mein noodles. Sweetness comes from the mandarin oranges, and the tanginess...
© Sunshine Urbaniak[ss_social_share]Stuffed shells is a classic Italian dish and comfort food. We wanted to take it up a notch by adding Italian sausage. Adding the meat makes it more filling and adds texture to the cheese filling. The fresh parsley and basil brighten...
© Sunshine UrbaniakYou won't miss the meat in this veggie burrito! By adding layer upon layer of richly flavored ingredients, this burrito is truly delicious and very filling. It begins with the two toppings: pico de gallo and lime crema. By making these ahead and...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI first fell in love with chicken tortilla soup when I moved to California back in 2000. In our town of Alameda, there was a local Mexican restaurant we used to order chicken tortilla soup from often. After many years, in my usual style, I wanted to...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI make a lot of burritos at my house. My kids love them and they're the perfect quick meal during soccer season—ok, well any season! My breakfast burrito may not be super quick but it's well worth the 30 minutes or so it takes to make them. They are...
© Sunshine UrbaniakWe kicked up egg salad a notch by adding creamy avocado. We still kept the mayonnaise because, well, it's delicious. We also added minced shallot, sweet relish, cilantro, dijon mustard, and spices paprika and cumin. It's the perfect salad for...
© Sunshine UrbaniakIf you want succulent, tender, fall off-the-bone barbecue ribs, then you came to the right recipe. It starts with a dry rub, tin foil, and two hours in the oven. Make it ahead, let it fully cool, then pop it in the fridge. You can even make this a...
© Sunshine UrbaniakThis is my go-to quiche recipe. My husband and son love it and if I omit the chicken apple sausage, my vegetarian daughter eats it up too. It's so quick and simple yet tastes so rich and creamy—thanks to the yummy goat cheese. It's a nice savory...
© Sunshine UrbaniakSay goodbye to the macaroni salad you had when you were a child and say hello to this updated recipe. Dare I say it's elevated? This macaroni salad has red cabbage, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, green onions, red onion, and parsley, plus the dressing...
© Sunshine UrbaniakWhile this marinara sauce couldn’t be simpler, it tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. The trick is to use an immersion blender, which helps incorporate all of the flavors from the onion, shallot, garlic, and spices into the diced tomatoes,...
© Sunshine UrbaniakMy potato soup recipe is fit for a rainy fall or snowy winter day. In about an hour, you'll have the most delicious, creamiest, potato soup ever. It has similar heartiness as chowder but not as heavy—it won't weigh you down. Be sure to serve with a...
© Sunshine UrbaniakI'm always trying to make more vegetarian meals for my family, so I decided to try a veggie enchilada that could be deeply flavorful but also not too spicy so my kids would eat it. It took a couple of tries to finally nail down a recipe. Overall...
