Dinner

Prosciutto Mascarpone Pizza

© 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...

Grilled Steak Tacos

© 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...

Veggie Lasagna

© 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...

Baked Mediterranean Cod

© 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...

General Tso’s Tofu Stir-Fry

© 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...

Citrus Grilled Shrimp

© 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....

Spice-Rubbed Salmon

© 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...

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

© 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...

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta with Red Pepper

© 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...

Eggplant Parmesan

© 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...

Peel-and-Eat Shrimp

© 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...

Creamy Mac and Cheese

© 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...

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

© 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...

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

© 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...

Fish Tacos with Lime Crema

© 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...

Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage

© 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...

Veggie Burrito with Lime Crema

© 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...

Barbecue Ribs

© 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...

Marinara Sauce

© 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,...

Veggie Enchiladas

© 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...