Not sure what to do with that leftover cranberry sauce? I highly recommend making these sweet and savory crostini. Even if you don’t have leftover cranberry sauce, you can make these as an appetizer then serve any of the leftover cranberry sauce as a side dish. Done and done! These crostini would be the perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving or any upcoming holiday gathering. They’re somewhat a labor of love because of the homemade candied orange zest, but trust me – it’s worth it. As an alternative, you could also buy store-bought candied orange zest and call it a day.

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For those non-cheat days when you just need some veggies but don’t want boring old broccoli, whip up this delicious and beautiful beet dish. The beets on their own taste fantastic, but even better when topped with the creamy goat cheese crumbles, crunchy pistachios and tangy orange vinaigrette. Super easy to make and easy on the eyes, too!

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Over the past few months, I’ve fallen in love with buffalo sauce. Don’t ask what took me so long. I had a ton of quinoa in my pantry and wanted to find a way to combine the grain with my newfound love (buffalo sauce). To my surprise, I found a recipe online that did just that. This quinoa bake was divine–I’m getting giddy just thinking about having it for dinner tonight. :)

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Even though we had a long weekend, this week is going by miserably slow. At least work is busy, so that helps!

I remember Giada making these stuffed peppers in an episode of Giada at Home a while back, and I’ve had the recipe bookmarked ever since. I altered the recipe a bit, using goat cheese instead of ricotta, excluding the peas, etc., and boy were they delicious–especially straight out of the oven. My roommate doesn’t eat pork, so I excluded the pancetta from her peppers. Judging from her reaction, the peppers were equally as delicious without the meat. :)

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Since I’m late to post, happy belated St. Patrick’s Day! From the posts I’ve seen, it looks like you all ate and drank pretty well on the holiday. I ate terribly over the weekend, so I’ve tried to get back on track this week.

Though I can’t say burgers are the healthiest option, this recipe uses ground turkey, which is leaner, and I used thin style hamburger buns. That helps a little…right?

Regardless, these burgers were juicy and full of flavor–from the slight tartness of the lemon and zest to the tangy goat cheese inside the patty to the slightly spicy roasted red pepper relish.

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My roommate and I visited one of our best friends, Ellen, in San Diego this past weekend. We had a lovely time catching up and enjoying the beach (and getting sunburned). Typical of most weekend getaways, we ate every meal out. Shout out to Sean, if you’re reading this. :)

When we got back to LA, I was itching to cook. I had a few bell peppers in my fridge, so I decided to make this bite-size appetizer of grilled Naan topped with goat cheese and roasted red and orange bell peppers.

Simple, delicious and a guaranteed hit at any dinner party.

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While my mom was in South Carolina, she decided to cook a Caribbean-themed dinner for some guests. She found a goat cheese and red pepper appetizer that is absolutely delicious. Once I dove into the dip, it was almost impossible to stop. From what my parents said, their guests couldn’t get enough of it either.

* Note: I doubled the recipe for the goat cheese filling.

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