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.
I make crock pot recipes all during the year, but winter is when it really gets a lot of use. There is nothing like a rich casserole or stew, or soup to warm up cold winter evenings. This crock pot pork cacciatore is a full flavored Italian recipe that is really easy to make. Crock Pot…
These peanut butter oatmeal bars have a thick and crunchy peanut buttery base that is topped with delicious chocolate frosting. Two of my favorite flavors in one tasty dessert. We love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate in our house. I made a batch of a peanut butter chocolate layer bars the other day…
This Guacamole recipe was the hit of several Christmas parties this year. I love anything that has avocados as an ingredient. They are so rich and creamy and good for you too, in moderation. Guacamole is such a popular party food, there is even a day devoted to it – National Guacamole Day on September…
This recipe for Chicken and Broccoli pasta has a wonderful taste and is loaded with heart healthy broccoli which also makes it very filling. Printable Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Pasta I have recently discovered the delights of using Knorr side dishes to make delicious, and fast dinner entree recipes. They taste great and I can…
These roasted root vegetable bring out the sweetness of any vegetable choice. Use them as a side dish or as part of a salad. Printable Recipe – Slimmed Down Roasted Root Vegetables When my daughter is visiting, we often go to a local restaurant in Raleigh called Lily’s Pizza. The restaurant is located in Five…
This roasted vegetable and chicken salad is hearty and full of flavor. It’s my version of one of my favorite meals from a local café. Ah…Lilly’s Pizza. It’s my daughter’s and my favorite restaurants in Raleigh. Lilly’s is located in Historic Five Points in Raleigh and has a menu consisting of fantastic pizzas and salads…
Your family will feel like dinner guests when they sit down to this flavorful chicken scaloppine with garlic and white wine recipe. This recipe is what I call semi-homemade. I use a retail product to give me a base of a meal and add my ingredients to make it more special. Chicken Scaloppine with Garlic…
This recipe for Moroccan grilled shrimp is very quick, and very tasty. I like making it on week nights when I am busier than I am on the weekend. It makes a great addition to my collection of international recipes. Middle Eastern spices take this dish to a whole new level. Are you fond of…
This recipe for chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, feta cheese and pine nuts has a fabulous blend of Mediterranean flavors. Stuffing chicken is something I often do. Often I will use left over rice, but today, I used pine nuts to add an extra bit of texture to the stuffing. Serve this dish with rice…
This vegan peanut butter fudge is made by using a few easy substitutes. It is easy to make and tastes very much like my normal peanut butter fudge recipe. We just had a meatless Monday at our house and a Thai peanut stir fry was the star attraction. All of us are in the mood…
Forget Hamburger Helper. Make your own homemade rotini pasta with beef and mushrooms for a quick and easy week night meal. Printable recipe: Rotini Pasta & Beef Sauce with Mushrooms I am fond of any type of pasta with meat sauce. I try different varieties all the time and they all taste just a bit…
These kebab recipes are a great way to combine vegetables with meat in one easy to cook meal. Kebab are the perfect party food. We often think of them as barbeque fare, but if you put these combos on short bamboo skewers, they make the perfect appetizers. Why not try one of these flavor combinations…
This turkey and potato hash is the perfect way to use the leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal. Turkey & Potato Hash One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the seemingly nonending turkey leftovers. I always feel like the father in A Christmas Story drooling over the cooked turkey before the neighborhood dogs got to…
I was born in Maine and had never heard of this version of a sweet potato casserole until I moved to North Carolina. I went to a pot luck dinner at my daughter’s school and took one taste and said “what is this? It is delicious.” Everyone was amazed that I did not know what…
This recipe for colorful sauteed Swiss chard is brimming with the flavor of garlic, onions and Chardonnay wine for an easy and refreshing side dish. Swiss chard has a taste that is quite similar to spinach or beet greens, with stems that are slightly sweet and taste almost like bok choy. It is a wonderful addition…
This recipe for garlic chicken with pasta and vegetables is simple to do and just delicious. It is perfect for a busy week night evening when time is scarce. Printable Recipe – Garlic Chicken with Vegetables To make the recipe, just brown your chicken, and then add the vegetables and cook until tender. Stir in…
These tender pork spare ribs are so easy to make, and are great served either hot or at room temperature. Great for a casual dinner party since you can make them ahead of time. Printable Recipe – Tender Pork Spare Ribs The ribs are really tender and the meat is so flavorful that you don’t…
This Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge is simple and easy to make and takes no time at all to prepare. The fudge recipe combines frosting, peanut butter and nuts and makes a sinfully delicious treat. If you love making fudge, be sure to check out my tips for making perfect fudge here. They will give…
These mini fruit tarts are fast and easy and so delicious. The combine just a few ingredients and are so flavorful and lovely to look at. I’ve used reduced fat cream cheese to save a few calories and fresh fruit makes them somewhat healthy too! Mini fruit tarts The mini fruit tarts would be a…
Great Guacamole Salads It is hard to beat an avocado to get your daily dose of heart healthy fats. These are some of my favorite recipes for Guacamole Salads. They will please everyone from true die hard vegetarians and vegans to the most meat loving friend or family member. Click the links below the pictures…
It’s grill time. The flavor of this grilled marinated steak takes it up a notch but the recipe is super easy. I love Saturday nights at our house. My husband cooks the protein for our dinner on the grill and I get to relax a bit more before dinner than I normally do. I am…
Who doesn’t love a banana pecan cake? It is moist and just delicious. This great recipe is easy to make and tastes wonderful. I’ve used reduced fat cream cheese on the frosting and unsweetened applesauce in the cake mix to cut down the calories a bit. This banana pecan cake is a great use of…
I love mushroom side dishes and am always looking for new and interesting ways to cook them. This recipe for mushrooms and garlic with brandy and thyme is my latest addition to my arsenal and it is delicious. Printable recipe: mushrooms and garlic with brandy and thyme The recipe is fast and easy to do….
These Asian glazed chicken skewers are great for a busy weeknight, and end up with a light and sweet glaze that is just lovely. It’s flavored with honey, soy sauce, garlic, and Chinese five spice. The recipe rivals any at your favorite Chinese restaurant and is ready in minutes. Asian Glazed Chicken Skewers The recipe…
Today’s featured recipe comes from Angela at Untrained Housewife. Angela says she is happy to provide seconds because these cookie dough bars are very healthy and inexpensive too at only 40c a bar! What a great breakfast on the go! Healthy cookie dough bars recipe The recipe has just five ingredients dark chocolate, dates, peanuts,…
This double stuffed chicken recipe uses chicken breasts which are stuffed with mushrooms and both cheddar and cream cheeses, then drenched with a garlic-lemon-butter sauce. It will add class to any dinner party and is still easy enough for a busy week night.. It is one of my husband’s favorite chicken recipes. This easy recipe…