Are you feeling like something new for dinner tonight? Our recipes are sure to tempt you.
The Gardening Cook is here to help you plan delicious meals with less stress. If you love cooking with garden fresh vegetables, that is our specialty!
We offer fresh, flavorful and mainly healthy recipes as well as cooking tips to make your time in the kitchen easier.
These food ideas are made for your daily life, as well as for entertaining with friends.
From cocktails and drinks to appetizers and desserts, make sure that your next gathering will be a hit.
If you are in the mood for something new tonight, these posts are sure to delight.
Looking for an easy recipe for hash browns to cook for a Sunday Brunch? These delicious hash brown potatoes are so simple to make and the fresh herbs make them taste just great. Sunday morning is a special time for us at our house. We normally go out to eat for breakfast as a treat…
Bakery style muffins are certainly not designed for those on a diet. Those babies are enormous. This recipe for jumbo chocolate muffins gives you the indulgence of those big muffins without the price tag that goes along with them. They make a great breakfast on the go. The jumbo chocolate chip muffins are easy to…
This strawberry shortcake is one that my mother made each summer when the fresh strawberries started appearing in the supermarkets. It is our family’s most favorite summer time dessert and is lovingly called “Grammy’s Shortcake” by all her grandchildren. Fresh strawberries make such a great addition to desserts. They are fresh and naturally low in…
It is that time of the year again – barbecue grilling season! Spring has (finally) sprung and if you go for a walk in the evening, most likely, you well be surrounded by the smell of barbecues making their evening meals. We love to barbecue at our house. We do it all year long. (every…
Remember the old Mounds saying: Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t? Well, sometimes I feel like home made cooking and sometimes I don’t. On those days I will make recipes by the semi home made cooking method. (as in taking short cuts ’cause I am pressed for time.) This recipe for…
I love recipes that make use of overripe produce that might otherwise be destined for the garbage bin. This sour cream Banana bread is a great recipe for the frugal cooks out there. It makes a great snack and easy breakfast on the go. Sour Cream Banana Bread This banana bread starts as a thick,…
This savory slow cooker pot roast has a flavor that cannot be beat. The meat cooks beautifully, and ends up being fork tender and full of flavor. There is nothing quite like crock pot recipes for easy cooking and superb flavor. Plus the house smells great while the meal is cooking. Crock pot cooking…
I’m in the mood for Mexican tonight. Well, I am in the mood for Mexican every night, but tonight I am doing something about the yen. Mexican food is so rich and delicious. I love cooking it because I can adjust the spice exactly the way I want it, instead of letting a cook in…
Normally, when I make spaghetti recipes, I just make a meat based marinara sauce with freshly roasted tomatoes. It is fairly easy to make and I don’t need to spend a lot of time on it but it tastes great. But there are times when I feel like going to the effort of making large…
I love easy chicken meals. It seems that we eat chicken several times a week and I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to prepare it that are fast and easy. This recipe for chicken with a tomato avocado layer on top and melted cheese is super easy and tastes delicious. The…
Here is another of my short cut recipes. (as in full of flavor but short on time) This time I am using a great time saver from A Taste of Thai – their peanut sauce mix. This mix makes great tasting stir fries, is super on baked chicken and can be used in a host…
The Bantam weight chicken salad is a copycat recipe from one of my daughter’s and my favorite cafes. It is very tasty with grilled chicken and veggies on fresh greens with most of the veggies from my garden. Add some home made croutons and you have a very satisfying meal. Keep reading to find out…
This recipe for Baked salmon with soy sauce and maple syrup is easy to make and so delicious. Just four ingredients are all that you need to make this dish easy enough for a busy week night by also fine for any special dinner party. The salmon marinates for an hour in the fridge and…
Feeling as though the tropics are beckoning you to get out of the cold weather? This amazing chicken recipe uses the flavor of chicken infused with soy sauce and coconut milk to give you a wonderfully delicious dinner. Treat yourself to Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Just marinate the chicken in the morning and let the flavors…
It’s featured recipe time. This one comes from my friend who used to blog at an international recipe site called Molly Mel. Regina is a fabulous cook and many of her recipes are Brazilian in nature. Most are easy to do and look just delicious. Regina submitted this gluten free treat called Pão de Queijo. …
Ah…crock pot recipes! Pop the ingredients into a big pot, smell them cooking all day long and have a meal all prepared at dinner time. What is not to like? This Crock pot beef stew is one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table in a very easy way. Crock pot cooking…
I love easy recipes. My time is limited and, although I love to cook, sometimes I just don’t have much time to devote to it. (especially this time of the year when I love being out in the garden.) This recipe for brown sugar and garlic pork chops is a very easy recipe. It is…
Beef Stroganoff has proven itself again and again to be a classic, well loved and tasty dish. This recipe uses ground beef instead of sirloin strips for a less expensive version. But don’t let that fool you. The taste is all there! This recipe is as easy to make as one of your packaged hamburger…
These delicious fudge recipes bring to mind everyone’s three favorite fudge words: smooth, creamy, and decadent. How can you resist them, particularly during the holidays when making fudge is a favorite thing to do? Whether it be chocolate, peanut butter (my favorite) or some other style, these recipes will tempt even the sweetest kind of…
“Man does not live by bread alone” so the saying goes. But with this list of my favorite bread recipes, one might have to reconsider this. I have to admit it – I love bread. I would find it difficult to eat a grain free diet. To me, there is nothing quite like the smell…
This recipe for 3 cheese chicken penne with Alfredo sauce delicious version of a restaurant favorite. It is rich and creamy and very easy to prepare. We go out to dinner every Sunday night to give me a day off cooking. When I find a dish I like the flavor of, I try to replicate it…
Steel head trout is a favorite of mine. Many people think it is a form of salmon because of the color, which is so similar, but it is a form of rainbow trout. It is rich and delicious and gives you more than your daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids. This recipe for Steel…
Years ago, I went out for lunch with some teaching friends of mine. One of the items on the menu was a taco salad. Believe it or not, I had never heard of this delightful concoction. Ever since then, when I eat Mexican, I often choose this as my order. I love the taste of…
These taco recipes are perfect for an easy weekday meal and the obvious choice for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Tacos are a popular Mexican recipe. Who can resist the traditional hard taco shell filled with ground beef and your favorite toppings? It is one of my favorites and my family’s too. Here are a…
These dip recipes are the perfect way to start any party or gathering. It will soon be time to start thinking about summer parties and barbecues. (I know, I know…will this winter ever end?) But it is never too early to start planning for the next big event. Start your celebrations off right with one…
These 30 minute meals are perfect for those days when time it at a minimum. There never seems to be enough time in the day for me. Especially during the week. Weeknights are so busy for me. I am always on the look out for recipes that just won’t take much time after a busy…