I Could Never Get Tired Of This Scrumptious Salad!

For the past couple of days I’ve felt like I’ve eaten enough for a whole month. I know; it’s the holidays but I have been stuffing my face with more food and candy than anyone could ever imagine. So, for the next few weeks I am only going to have salads and soups, to get back to normal again. I already started with this garlicky orange kale salad.

I have to tell you, I am so glad I tried this recipe! My sister-in-law had made this and she said it was out of this world. I gotta tell ya, she wasn’t exaggerating.

And that incredible dressing? Oh em gee. I am going to have it with all of my salads, from now on! The orange brings in a whole new flavor I hadn’t even thought of using in salads before. I cannot wait to make this again!

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Quick Tip: Not a fan of almonds? Try this salad with other nuts instead.

Make This Amazing Dessert (Works Really Well As Breakfast, Too…)

Over the years I’ve tried quite a bunch of dessert recipes – as well as breakfast ones, especially when it comes to the holidays. We’ve had so many cranberry cakes, pies and pastries that my husband threatened to move into the garage if we were having cranberry-anything this year… So I gave in and decided to try something totally different.

There are no cranberries, or any berries, involved in this recipe. I think it’s refreshing, even though some of you may feel gingerbread is kind of a “safe” flavor for the holidays, too. However, I thought this cheesecake looked adorable with those little gingerbread men on top, so I decided to give it a test run.

I have to say, I don’t miss the cranberries at all! This cake turned out super flavorful and yummy, and I am SO having this for breakfast on Christmas morning! I might even make this my regular breakfast dish… but don’t tell the kids I said that. And who says you can only make this for Christmas? Not, I!

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Quick Tip: If you’d like to make this look “less Christmassy”, leave out the gingerbread men.

This Dessert Turns Any Dinner Into a Festive Occasion

I think this amazing crumble should be mandatory at every family gathering, holiday meal and special occasion. Ever since my sister gave me this recipe I have been trying to find excuses to make this twice a week. Not that I would really need an excuse to make a mind-blowing dessert, but I kinda feel guilty for always eating half the batch myself.

Over the years I’ve tried various crumbles; some have turned out amazing, some – not so much. The first time I was making this I knew by the aromas alone that this was going to be a winner. My whole family loved it so much, they almost had a fight over the last portion!

There is one ingredient that I think makes all the difference in the flavor, and that’s the candied ginger. I hadn’t used that in crumbles before so I had my doubts about it. It turned out delicious! I am definitely going to be making a double batch of this stuff over the holidays!

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Quick Tip: This recipe makes 6-8 servings.

The tastiest carrot cake you’ll EVER make.

You’ll never guess how old I was when I had a taste of carrot cake for the first time. I was in my twenties! I know – it’s crazy that I had managed to live my life completely unaware of this amazing cake.

I can tell you, once I had tried it, there was no going back. It was pure love at first sight (and bite), and over the years I’ve tried so many carrot cake recipes that I’ve lost count. They’ve all been yummy, and I don’t think it’s possible to find a carrot cake I didn’t like. However, I still keep trying new recipes because sometimes that leads to amazing results.

That’s exactly what happened when I made this carrot cake. This is a very traditional, classic recipe and I have no idea what it is that made this turn out so mind-blowing! The ingredients are all familiar, so I think it must be that the ratio of these ingredients is just absolutely perfect in this one.

Whatever the case, I would highly recommend giving this recipe a try! It might be the only one you’ll ever need!

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Quick Tip: Make this cake up to a few days ahead! The flavors will only get better.

Ahh pork. The one meat I grew up on exclusively. Sure, there were occasions for chicken and even rarer occasions for beef, but the majority of the time we had pork. I mean, I grew up in a Cuban household. That means you have pork rinds, pork chunks, pork belly, pork loins and pork chops on rotation, constantly! It was definitely delicious, but sometimes, we had it too often.

To add to it all, family parties, Christmas and Thanksgiving (including holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) included a whole roast pig. I mean, we roast it in what we call a “caja china” which translates to Chinese box. I do not know why it is called that, but it is a long wooden box where it cooks over the course of the day. Well, when it is ready, we all pick off the crispy pork skin until it is gone and then sit down to eat rice beans and pork or pulled pork sandwiches. Served with a side of sweet fried plantains or Cuban bread, we had meals for the whole week! We definitely over did it and I was certain I would never cook pork again… until I came across this recipe!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Flavorite.

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Quick Tip: Add chopped potatoes and veggies to make your side with this in the crock pot.

There are many recipes out there that are known for their comforting character and gut-warming essence. Green pepper steak is one of them. Tender, juicy steak smothered in green peppers and onions laying atop a bed of white rice? Yes, please!

This type of food takes me back to my childhood on my grandmother’s farm. She would always cook things like cabbage rolls, green peppers and steak, and pierogies. It must be the German is our family, because these meals were staples at the dinner table. This is a great dish to whip up on a midweek day for a little tummy tender loving care.

Recipe courtesy of Cooks.com.

Quick Tip: Using leftover steak from a previous meal will work great when cooking up this dish.

Classic cheesecakes can be delicious, but they have a reputation for being fairly heavy.  If you want something similar that is a bit lighter and more warm weather-appropriate, you should give this Roasted Strawberry & Ginger Ricotta Cheesecake a try.  It has a delicious and decadent flavor without weighing you down.

I am a devout cheesecake lover, but even I have to admit that cheesecakes can be extremely heavy, especially if they have the rich toppings and crust that I like the most.  I thought that I would give a ricotta cheesecake a try.  I have to say, I was very pleased.  It was rather light and fluffy, allowing me to enjoy all of those delightful sweet and piquant flavors without getting too bogged down after a few bites.  (And who wants to get bogged down on a hot late-summer day?)

Recipe and photos courtesy of  Raspberri Cupcakes.

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Quick tip: You can substitute graham crackers for the crust.