Ingredient notes for peach burrata salad

Peach burrata salad is all about celebrating ripe, beautiful peaches: the perfect summer salad recipe idea. Here are a few notes about the ingredients in this “recipe” (which is really more of an idea):

• Ripe peaches: Use only ripe, juicy in-season peaches. You may want to taste a slice before making (we’ve had some mealy peaches that feel ripe but don’t taste sweet).
• Burrata cheese: Burrata is an Italian fresh mozzarella cheese filled with cream and cheese shreds. When you cut into the ball, the creamy cheese comes spilling out: perfect for topping salads, pasta, and pizza.
• Fresh basil: Using fresh basil makes this similar to a peach caprese salad, but with burrata cheese. You can also top with other herbs like fresh thyme, chives, or tarragon.
• Olive oil: A drizzle of olive oil adds richness and flavor.
• Balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction: A little drizzle of balsamic vinegar works, but can taste strong so don’t add too much. We like purchased balsamic reduction since it’s thicker and sweeter, or you can make your own balsamic reduction.
• Flaky salt: We like topping with flaky salt because it makes pops of salty flavor. Our favorite is smoked flaky salt, which infuses another flavor component.
• Pepitas: These are optional, but add a nice crunchy element. Roasted salted pepitas are easy to find at the store. You can also make candied pepitas: see below! You could also try any type of chopped nut.

More recipes with burrata

There are so many great ways to use burrata cheese. We love it best in burrata pasta with tomato sauce, or on a gooey burrata pizza. Of course, it’s classic in a burrata salad with peppery arugula. Here are all of our favorite burrata recipes to browse!

01

Classic Burrata Pizza

02

Perfect Burrata Salad

03

Burrata Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce

04

10 Creamy, Dreamy Burrata Recipes

Ingredient notes for linguine pasta

Linguine is quick and simple, and this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. Like any Italian recipe, it’s all about quality of the ingredients! Here are some tips on ingredients and substitutions:

• Linguine: Linguine is a long pasta shape similar to fettuccine, but thinner and elliptical shaped instead of flat. It works well with vegetables and creamy sauces, just like fettuccine. (We like it even better than fettuccine because it’s lighter!)
• Fresh garlic: Don’t make this pasta sauce without the fresh garlic: it’s a must for that aromatic flavor.
• Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are another must here. We used basil and chives, but it’s also great with oregano, tarragon, thyme, and fresh dill.
• Lemon zest: Lemon zest also infuses a big amount of citrus flavor.
• Milk, cream, Parmesan, Pecorino, and Italian seasoning: This simple mixture makes the base of the sauce. Pecorino cheese is an aged cheese similar to Parmesan, but the bold, salty flavor enhances the sauce even more. We think it’s essential if you can find it!

Ways to make it a main dish

This linguine pasta is simple as is, and works as a side dish to grilled chicken, grilled fish, grilled shrimp, and more. Or, you can do the following to make a main dish pasta:

• Sliced raw cherry tomatoes make more of a finished vegetarian main dish (just serve with protein-packed sides like white beans).
• Shrimp like sauteed shrimp, or try our Shrimp Linguine recipe!
• Chicken like chopped pan seared chicken or Parmesan crusted chicken.
• Salmon like pan seared salmon or baked salmon.
• Tofu like baked tofu.

More pasta recipes

Love pasta recipes? Here are some favorites:

• Everyone loves these stuffed shells, lasagna roll ups, or vegetarian lasagna
• Try this creamy spinach pasta or gemelli pasta
• Go for Italian favorites like Pasta alla Norma, arrabiata sauce, or pasta pomodoro

Ingredients in chicken pasta salad

We love this chicken pasta salad recipe as a lunch idea (it saves well for days) or a simple dinner on the patio. It’s also great as a summer side dish for a potluck or barbecue. While the ingredient list in the recipe below may seem long, never fear! Many are pantry staples.

• Chicken: You’ll need chicken cutlets here, or you can butterfly the chicken yourself (simply slice it in half horizontally).
• Penne pasta: We like penne pasta in a pasta salad, but you can use other short pasta like fusilli (spirals) or shells.
• Cherry tomatoes and sundried tomatoes: Two types of tomatoes add big flavor.
• Canned artichoke hearts: Artichokes bring a signature tang: these are required!
• Red onion, arugula, garlic, and parsley (optional): These fresh ingredients round out the fresh flavors.
• Fresh lemon: Both the zest and juice add big flavor to this recipe.
• Shaved Parmesan cheese: This savory, chewy element makes the salad extremely satisfying. Omit it for dairy-free.
• Seasonings and pantry ingredients: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and salt round out the seasonings list. Olive oil is used for cooking the chicken and the dressing, and red wine vinegar makes a pop in the dressing.

How to make chicken pasta salad (basic steps)

This chicken pasta salad recipe requires about 30 minutes of prep time to cook the chicken, boil the pasta, and make the dressing. There are a few things you can do in advance (see below). Here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Mix chicken cutlets with the salt and spices. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until browned. Rest 5 minutes before slicing into cubes. Measure out 2 ½ cups.

Step 2: Boil the pasta in salted water until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside.

Step 3: Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt. Chop the tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, onion, and herbs.

More pasta salad recipes

We’ve made so many pasta salad recipes, and each one has a place in our hearts! Here are some of our favorites:

• Try our Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Make Classic Pasta Salad
• Try Caprese Pasta Salad, Bow Tie Pasta Salad or Pesto Pasta Salad
• Opt for Greek Pasta Salad or Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ready for the best, easiest summer side dish? Let’s make veggie kabobs! Alex and I love making grilled dinners nightly in the summer. And these skewers combine all our favorite vegetables, perfect for serving over rice or quinoa for a delicious meal.

Why we love this recipe: This is our tried and true method for making veggie kabobs with the best vegetables and a simple seasoning blend. They come out tender and charred, the ideal grilled side dish for summer meal! We like serving them over cilantro lime rice alongside grilled tofu, grilled salmon, or grilled chicken.

The best vegetables for veggie kabobs

You can mostly use any veggies you want for veggie kabobs, but some are not ideal here. The trick is to use veggies that all cook in a relatively similar timeframe. That means no extra hard veggies like carrots or potatoes (or parboil them first). Here are the best vegetables for veggie kabobs, in our opinion:

• Bell peppers, multi-colored for a beautiful look
• Red onion or white onion
• Zucchini or yellow squash, or a combination of both
• Mushrooms, either baby bella (cremini) or white button
• Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

Tips for chopping for vegetable skewers

Once you’ve selected your veggies, here’s what to note for the skewering process:

• Chop the vegetables into relatively similar sizes. You’ll want them to be bite-sized for easy eating once they’re grilled to perfection. Keep in mind, they’ll shrink quite a bit once they’re cooked.
• If using wooden skewers, soak them while you’re chopping. You only need 15 to 20 minutes for soaking, which is about the time it will take to preheat the grill and chop.
• Or, use metal skewers! We purchased some metal skewers to save us from the soak. (Worth it.)

Make it a meal

These vegetable kabobs (aka skewers) are a fantastic side to round out a grilled meal. Here are a few ways to pair it!

Not everyone loves vegetables. But almost everyone can get behind a good salad bar! We love the concept of salad bar for an easy dinner idea—something about calling it “salad bar” makes it more glamorous!

There are certain salad toppings that scream salad bar and make it even more special, like peas, hard-boiled eggs, or cottage cheese (or bacon bits!). Below, we’re sharing our favorite salad bar ideas so that you can recreate this simple weeknight dinner yourself.

Top salad bar ideas

The key to making a salad bar into a filling meal is to offer good protein options. If you’re making a vegetarian or vegan salad bar, use ingredients with plant based protein like beans, legumes, and nuts. Here are our top salad bar ideas for building your own at home (or jump to the recipe):

1. Greens: Romaine lettuce, spinach, and mixed baby greens.
2. Hard boiled eggs: With 6 grams of protein each, eggs are also one of the most nutrient-filled vegetarian protein sources around.
3. Chicken: Make a recipe of pan seared chicken and slice it into strips of cubes.
4. Cheese: Cheese is a great vegetarian protein: try shredded cheese, cheese cubes, or cottage cheese.
5. Legumes: Try green peas, cooked lentils (like brown lentils or French lentils), black-eyed peas, and beans, like garbanzo beans / chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, white beans, or kidney beans.
6. Whole grains: Try cooked quinoa, barley, farro, bulgur wheat, brown rice, or wild rice.
7. Nuts and seeds: Try almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
8. Raw veggies: Chop raw vegetables for toppings like carrots, broccoli, green onions, cauliflower, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers.
9. Bacon bits: Bacon bits are classic, as is cubed ham. (We eat mostly vegetarian so we use this coconut bacon).
10. Salad dressing: Try our list of top homemade salad dressing recipes.
11. Croutons: Top it all off with crunchy homemade croutons and your salad bar will be a hit.

Salad dressings for a salad bar

Another key to salad bar dinner is a good salad dressing! We have a whole collection of delicious homemade salad dressings that are perfect for salad bar ideas. Honestly, we like leaning into classic salad bar nostalgia with ideas like Thousand Island and Blue Cheese! Here are some of our favorite salad dressing recipes to use on salad bar night:

• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Homemade Ranch Dressing (or Vegan Ranch)
• Caesar Dressing
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Italian Dressing
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing

Balsamic VinaigretteRanch DressingCaesar DressingThousand Island DressingItalian DressingBlue Cheese Dressing

Looking for a fun side dish idea, or a whole grain to make a killer salad? Farro is a whole grain that can be used as an alternative to rice, barley or other grains. We love it for its chewy texture and nutty taste. 

There’s nothing better than tossing this grain with butter, garlic and fresh herbs as a simple side dish! You can use this grain to whip up all sorts of recipes, and it’s become easy to find at the grocery. Here’s how to cook farro so it’s perfectly tender, and some of our favorite farro recipes for using it.

What is farro?

Farro is a whole grain that’s plump and chewy, with a texture similar to barley. It’s an ancient grain that was eaten in the Roman empire and even found in Egyptian tombs. Farro has been a staple in Italian cuisine for centuries, and spread to global popularity with the recent interest in whole grains. Farro can be boiled on the stovetop, cooked in a rice cooker or in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot). There are a few types you can find in American grocery stores:

• Pearled farro has all of the bran removed from the grain, making it quicker to cook but removing some fiber. The cook time is 15 to 20 minutes.
• Semi-pearled farro has part of the bran removed, retaining some additional fiber. The cook time is 25 to 30 minutes.
• Whole farro is the whole grain and takes the longest to cook. It’s the hardest to find in grocery stores. The cook time is 30 to 40 minutes.

How to cook farro

Farro is easy to cook on the stovetop. For every 1 cup of farro, you’ll need 3 cups of water or broth for it to fully cook through. Then drain any excess liquid once it is tender, which is different from grains like rice or quinoa. Here are the basic steps for how to cook farro (or jump to the recipe below):

1. Rinse: Rinse the grains under cold water in a fine mesh strainer.
2. Add water: In a large saucepan, place 1 cup farro, 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and bring it to a boil.
3. Simmer: Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the grains are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes for pearled and 25 to 30 minutes for semi-pearled.
4. Drain: Drain any excess water. Stir in an additional ¼ teaspoon salt.

Looking for a tasty way to whip up plant-based refried beans? Hot tip for you: run, don’t walk, to make these homemade vegan refried beans! They’ve got a creamy texture and buttery flavor that tastes loads better than canned beans.

Why we love this recipe: Garlic, olive oil, and a few spices make these vegan beans taste incredible. You can use canned beans or beans that were cooked from dry. Alex and I love to make homemade refried beans because they are so tasty and seriously quick. They’re perfect as a side to serve with enchiladas or a side for tacos, or even as a refried bean dip!

Tips for vegan refried beans

Homemade refried beans are often made with bacon fat, lard, or butter. But this vegan refried beans recipe has big flavor using only olive oil! It tastes so much better than canned, you’ll be hooked on making your own beans at home. Here are a few tips for the best vegan refried beans:

• Use canned or dry pinto beans. It’s quickest to use canned pinto beans, but you can use cooked pinto beans if you have them on hand. Use this pinto beans recipe to cook them from scratch, or this Instant Pot refried beans recipe.
• Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin. You’ll sauté the garlic in olive oil, then add the beans and spices and cook until they’re infused.
• Use the can liquid to add creaminess. Using the pinto bean can liquid for cooking the beans adds creaminess and body! If you’re using dry beans, water works too.
• Mash them up! The best way to get that refried bean texture is using potato masher! A fork works if you don’t have one.

Variations and mix-ins

This vegan refried beans recipe is very customizable. Here are a few ways to change it up:

• Use black beans. Swap in black beans for a slightly different flavor (or follow this Refried Black Beans Recipe).
• Use vegan butter. Use vegan butter in place of olive oil for an even richer flavor. Look for a vegan butter that is organic and minimally processed (Miyoko’s is a brand we like).
• Add heat. To make spicy refried beans, mix in chopped pickled jalapeno peppers, canned green chilis, sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or a pinch of chipotle powder.

Ways to serve vegan refried beans

How to serve vegan refried beans? They’re a great component to add plant based protein to vegan meals. Here are a few of our top ways to serve them:

1. Tacos: Try them as a side to go with tacos, like these Vegan Carnitas Tacos. Or use them in Refried Bean Tacos or Cauliflower Tacos.
2. Bean dip: This refried bean dip is a great vegan appetizer.
3. Nachos: Try them in vegan nachos with vegan nacho cheese.
4. Taquitos: Make baked flautas (aka taquitos) as a snack: omit the cheese to keep it plant based.
5. Sopes: Mix up these vegan homemade sopes to fill with beans.

Ingredients for the best fajita veggies

What do you need for fajita veggies? The list is simple and filled with good-for-you ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 bell peppers: We like using red, yellow and green for maximum color contrast. Orange bell peppers also have great flavor.
• 1 red onion: When it comes to onion, we opt for red onion for fajitas: it has a mellow flavor when cooked, and adds a lovely purple color.
• 2 portobello mushroom caps: They’re optional, but portobello mushrooms add big meaty flavor (especially if you’re making vegetarian fajitas).

How to make them into fajitas

Once you’ve got your fajita veggies…how to make them into actual fajitas? Perhaps you already have a favorite recipe. But if you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve got some ideas:

• Make chicken, steak, or shrimp fajitas by cooking 1 pound of meat with this Fajita Sauce. Alternatively, try our Shrimp Fajitas or use the grilled chicken recipe in our Fajita Salad.
• Make Vegetarian Fajitas with pinto beans (and the same sauce).
• Add the fajita veggies and tortillas.
• Load up on toppings: Sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce, and cilantro are must-haves in our house.

Bell peppers nutrition

One great thing about these fajita veggies: they’ve got lots of bell peppers, which are loaded with a massive amount of Vitamin C! In fact, bell peppers have much more Vitamin C than oranges, though citrus usually gets the most credit for this nutrient. Here are some nutrition facts about bell peppers that make us fajitas even more:

• Peppers are loaded with Vitamin C. A medium red bell pepper provides a whopping 169% of your daily vitamin C! (Source) So one serving of these fajita veggies provides 126% of your daily needs, since the recipe uses 3 bell peppers.
• Peppers may improve eye health and prevent against anemia. Some studies indicate peppers could cut the risk of macular degeneration and low iron (Source).

Ingredients for this potato salad recipe

Gather up your bottles of mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish: here’s how to make potato salad, the American way! This festival of condiments really does make for the best pop of flavor. This is our spin on the classic our Grandma’s used to make, with a few tweaks like adding fresh dill for an herbaceous pop. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

• Yukon gold potatoes: The variety of potato is important! Yukon gold potatoes have a lightly sweet flavor and keep their shape when boiled. Don’t substitute red skinned or russet potatoes here!
• White wine vinegar, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard: Yellow mustard is key to this classic recipe, but we love it with a little Dijon mustard to add complexity. If you don’t have it, using 100% yellow mustard works too.
• Celery, green onions, and red onion: These veggies add the crunch. You can omit the red onion if desired, but we like it because it adds a pop of color.
• Sweet pickle relish (or dill pickles): Sweet pickle relish adds just the right sweetness to the overall mixture. But chopped dill pickles work too, and they intensify the savory notes.
• Mayonnaise and sour cream: A combination of the two makes a silky, creamy dressing. Swapping in Greek yogurt for sour cream lightens the flavor, adding a slight tang.
• Fresh dill and celery seed: These two seasoning add a big dose of flavor.

Potato salad recipe variations

We love this classic potato salad the best, but we have so many other variations! The vegan potato salad version is our favorite, but here are a few other ideas:

• This Vegan Potato Salad tastes just like classic potato salad, but uses cashews to make a creamy sauce.
• This French Potato Salad is sophisticated and flavor-packed, featuring a zingy vinaigrette, red potatoes, capers, and parsley.
• This Dill Potato Salad is classic and bursting with fresh herbs and flavored with olive oil and vinegar.
• Our Red Potato Salad features red potatoes instead of Yukon golds.

Here’s our favorite spin on that classic bean salad—you know, the kind at picnics and potlucks long into the cicada-buzzing summer? It seems like everyone has their own way to make this American classic.

Here’s our spin on the bean salad Alex and I grew up with, with a little more complexity and freshness. But don’t worry: it’s still an easy three bean salad that’s as easy as dump and stir. Is it actually better than Grandma’s? We think so. (Sorry, Grandma: don’t be offended!)

Serve right away or marinate

You can eat your bean salad recipe right away and it tastes great. Or, pop it in the refrigerator to let it marinate for at least 1 hour, and it’s even better. The refrigeration time really lets the flavors soak in.

The end result? This recipe has half the sugar as the standard, but it’s just as delicious! It’s got all the classic elements so you feel like you’re eating Grandma’s. We’ll be eating this for years to come.

More bean salad recipes

We’re huge fans of this easy salad and it works for picnics, potlucks, summer grilled meals, and as a side any time of the year. It’s a protein-packed vegan side dish, so it helps to make any vegetarian or plant-based meal more filling. Here are a few other bean and legume-based salads you might enjoy:

• Try Easy White Bean Salad
• Opt for Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Go for Edamame Salad or Black Eyed Pea Salad
• Grab Simple Chickpea Salad

How to make the best sauteed mushrooms

Each bite of these tender sauteed mushrooms the very definition of umami, that fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour and bitter with savory. They’re truly transcendent, and can even get mushroom haters on board. Take it from me, because I used to be one! But I’ve since found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what to do to make this easy sauteed mushrooms recipe (or jump to the recipe):

• Clean and slice the mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms, then slice them.
• Sauté in olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add herbs and continue cooking. Add roughly chopped fresh thyme and oregano and continue to cook, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Salt well. Mushrooms should be salted until the flavor pops (we recommend about ½ teaspoon kosher salt for 1 pound mushrooms).
• Remove heat and add lemon juice. When the liquid is cooked out, turn off the heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients in dill pickle pasta salad

Pickles can be a polarizing food, and from all my raving, you might be surprised that I was actually not a pickle fan until I hit adulthood. If you’re a fellow pickle afficionado, you’ll love this fun way to incorporate them into a side dish. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Pasta: You can use short pasta of any kind. We like spirals for the way they absorb a creamy dressing. Bow ties or penne also work well.
• Dill pickles, plus pickle juice: Dill pickles are the star! Use any classic dill pickle of your choosing or homemade dill pickles. A hint of pickle juice flavors the dressing.
• English cucumber: We like using English cucumber because you don’t have to peel or seed it. It tastes sweeter than a standard cucumber (which you can substitute, but peel it first).
• Fresh dill: This fresh herb adds herbaceous notes to the flavor; it’s worth seeking here!
• Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt (or sour cream): This combination makes a creamy dressing that doesn’t feel too heavy.
• Feta cheese: A classic dill pickle pasta salad often has cheddar cheese, but we like how feta brings a sophisticated savory pop.
• Red onion, garlic powder, dried dill, salt and pepper: These seasonings round out the ingredients.

How to make dill pickle pasta salad (step by step)

This dill pickle pasta salad comes together like any good pasta salad recipe: make the pasta, prep the veggies, and make the dressing. Here is a basic outline of the steps (or jump to the full recipe):

Step 1: Boil the pasta in salted water until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, pickle juice, garlic powder, dried dill, and kosher salt.

Step 3: Add the drained pasta, chopped vegetables and dill, and feta cheese. Season with black pepper if desired. 

Flavor variations and tips

Want to change up the flavors? This cauliflower salad is an easy template for mixing and matching flavors. Here are a few ideas to get your wheels started:

• Nuts: You can omit the toasted pine nuts if desired, but we recommend using them for the amount of nutty flavor they add. Substitute sunflower seeds or toasted almonds.
• Vegetables: We like how the sun-dried tomatoes add a bacon-like flavor and a pop of red color. You can omit if desired, or use chopped roasted red peppers or thinly sliced red bell pepper. If you use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, you can substitute all or part of the olive oil in the salad dressing with oil from the jar to infuse even more flavor!
• Greens: Substitute chopped Italian parsley or other fresh herbs for the baby arugula, or you could add chopped baby spinach or baby kale.
• Onion: Feel free to omit the red onion, or use a shallot for a milder flavor.
• Cheese: Omit the feta cheese if desired or for a dairy-free salad (you may want to add a bit more salt).

More salad recipes

We are salad fanatics around here! If you are too, here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Mix up one of our top salad recipes or summer salad recipes
• Go for classics like strawberry salad, Caesar salad, bow tie pasta salad, or kale Caesar salad.
• Mix up cucumber salad or cucumber salad with vinegar.
• Make a garbanzo bean salad or a black bean and corn salad.

How to make oven roasted beets: a tutorial

It takes about 1 hour to make whole oven roasted beets, but it’s well worth it for the flavor. We recommend roasting up a big batch, and then keeping them in the refrigerator for the week. Roasted whole beets will keep about 3 to 5 days in a sealed container.

Want to cut the time in half? Make Instant Pot Beets in just 30 minutes.

Step 1: Wash the beets. Then trim off all but about 1 inch of the beet greens. Leaving on the stem while roasting helps keep the beets from “bleeding” out red juice in the oven.

Step 2: Rub the beets lightly with olive oil. Then place the beets in an oven-proof dish. If you don’t have this type of dish, you also can wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place them on the oven grates.

Step 3: Roast the beets for 45 to 90 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. The time depends on the size of the beets. Check every 10 minutes until they are tender. Medium beets generally take about 1 hour.

Peel the beets after roasting them

Once the beets are roasted, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Then place them under cool water and rub off the skins with your fingers.

Watch out: this process is a little messy! Your fingers will get a little stained with beet juice, and so might your kitchen if you’re not careful! It will wash off your hands eventually, but you’ll want to wipe up beet juice counter or sink stains immediately.

Ways to eat roasted beets

Making oven roasted beets is a great weekend project: throw them in the oven and roast while you catch up on laundry and Netflix. Or if you have a pressure cooker, you can make Instant Pot beets in 30 minutes. Once you’ve got baked beets, what’s your favorite way to eat them? Here are all our favorite beet recipes:

• Turn them into an appetizer with Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese
• Make a Beet Salad or Arugula Beet Salad.
• Mix up Beet Hummus, an electric pink dip that tastes just as lovely as it looks.
• Don’t have time for roasting? Try a Beet Smoothie or fire up the grill for Grilled Beets.

01

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

02

Creamy Beet Hummus

03

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

04

Arugula Beet Salad

After being relegated to veggie trays for years, cauliflower is having its moment (buffalo cauliflower or cauliflower tacos, anyone?). With endless cauliflower recipes, why not try it grilled?

Grilling is one of Alex and my favorite cooking methods, and we absolutely love this grilled cauliflower recipe. It infuses a smoky and charred flavor into the vegetable, and you can add BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce to take it over the top!

How to grill cauliflower

One important thing to note: cauliflower has such a tough texture raw, you’ll need to parboil or steam the florets prior to grilling. Otherwise, you end up with very tough florets that are charred and blackened and not at all tender!

Before grilling cauliflower, parboil it in a pan to make sure it’s tender prior to grilling. We use the same technique of cooking veggies before grilling them for hard veggies like grilled potatoes and grilled carrots. Here’s how to grill cauliflower:

Ways to serve grilled cauliflower

There are so many ways to eat grilled cauliflower once you’ve grilled it up! We love it most as BBQ grilled cauliflower or as a buffalo cauliflower sandwich. Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

• BBQ sauce: It would be a perfect side to grilled shrimp or veggie burgers. Try this BBQ grilled cauliflower!
• Teriyaki sauce: Use the same instructions as for BBQ sauce but use our homemade teriyaki sauce; it’s great with grilled tuna or in mango bowls.
• Sandwich: Make our grilled buffalo cauliflower sandwich.
• In a taco: Replace the filling in these cauliflower tacos with grilled cauliflower.
• On a pita: Use grilled cauliflower in this cauliflower shawarma recipe and top with tahini yogurt sauce.