Work recipes

It's the season of Swiss chard and kale. We got lots of these fresh leafy greens from our CSA farm, and I was trying to come out an idea to use them up, surfing the internet, found a recipe in New York Times, it's a chard and feta phyllo tart. Definitely got the inspiration, I used both chard and kale, instead of feta, I used cheddar; and I sauteed some fresh mushrooms and added some toasted pine nuts, which worked very well. Also, I used a pie plate instead of a tart pan, and it was a great success, absolutely flavorful and delicious. The phyllo crust came out flaky and crispy. Have definitely become one of my signature recipes :)

It's actually very easy to make your own pretzels. Basically it's as same as making bread, you just need to shape them to pretzel shape at the end. Boiling the puffed pretzels in the hot boiling water is very similar to make bagels, which gives the pretzel chewy texture. Serve these homemade goodness with some mustard, absolutely delicious.

Yellow colored coconut flakes make these Easter chicks cupcakes look fluffy and cute, this is a great recipe to make with your kids, they will love these cutest chick cupcakes!

Excellent bread. Nice, light texture and good crust. I will add more caraway next time, though, as we really like that flavor. I doubled the recipe to make a large loaf, and it worked fine. I usually just use my machine for the kneading process and than finish the loaf by hand, but let the machine do the whole thing this time, since I was busy all day. Made the house smell great, and was perfect with a steaming bowl of split pea soup! Thanks for this keeper.

A quick, easy and delicious sichuan beef stir-fry with varieties of fresh veggies. Frozen vegetables also work perfectly well.

Both cherries and ricotta cheese give the muffins super moist texture, fruity and creamy flavor. Fresh or frozen cherries, either of them will work well.

It's hard to believe a handful of spinach with a few simple ingredients can turn into something very special. You might want to make a double batch.

This turned out great. The pesto is absolutely perfect and it sticks to the pasta much better than traditional pesto. The bow ties are a great match but I'm sure any pasta would work too. Spirals I think would really hold the pesto. It was fairly quick and easy to make, and only used one pot plus the food processor.

Oven-roasted cherry tomato and garlic make this delicious dip absolutely addictive. Sweet, tangy and garlicky. You can dip some crunchy vegetables into it, spread it over the toast or toss it with some pasta. Heirloom or vine-ripe tomatoes work well too.

These sweet and scrumptious muffins are perfect for a quick breakfast when you're late for work in the morning.

Peanut butter makes a creamy, nutty yet tasty dressing that works deliciously well with this coleslaw.

Chickpea, pinto beans, sweet potato and spinach are slowly cooked in crock pot with cumin, coriander, lemon juice and honey. It's an ideal weekday dinner, just throw everything into your crock pot, and push the start button. By the time you are home after work, your hearty and delicious dinner is served.

A creamy tangy herbed dipping sauces that makes a great dipping sauce for crab cakes. Works equally as well as a salmon cake dipping sauce or even as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

Smooth and creamy, fresh and clean. Canned tomatoes work equally as well as fresh.

Tender-crisp broccoli wrapped in ham slices and covered with a velvety smooth cheese sauce. Baked in the oven until bubbly. Kids love it.

I love this baked omelet, the mixture of asparagus and mushroom created the crunchy and meaty texture, Swiss cheese gave the cheesy taste. The best thing is that you can prepare everything the night before, then you can bake it the next morning when you get up. Before going to work, have this delicious and nutritious dish for breakfast to start a beautiful day, isn't that beautiful :)