Ingredient Spotlight

I can’t believe there’s been only one lentil recipe on Cook Smarts so far. Now that’s what I call a travesty. I’ll fix this oversight today by sharing this super simple and healthy mustard roasted fish and lentils recipe. This meal is something you’d find at a fancy schmancy French restaurant for well over $15 / plate, but I’m going [...]

After more than 10 years in Northern California, I no longer handle the cold very well. While I understand a Bay Area winter is nothing compared to the noreasters I endured as a kid, it still gets plenty cold. Cold enough for me to spend most days in my home office bundled up in a fleece and a hat, dreaming [...]

Two related cooking challenges we constantly get asked to solve are: 1) I need more chicken recipes! and 2) How can I make chicken taste less bland? This recipe for Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Carrots and Raisins happens to kill both these birds with one stone. It’s simple and budget-friendly enough for any weeknight dinner, but the Moroccan-inspired spice blend transforms [...]

When people plan their Thanksgiving menu, salad often doesn’t make the cut. It’s understandable. I mean when you have 3 types of sweet potato dishes, a deep-fried turkey, and 6 variety of pies, where can you even find room for salad on the table? Salad just seems so everyday and unsubstantial compared to Thanksgiving’s heavy hitters. Why waste a coveted [...]

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I’ve never needed an excuse to stuff myself silly, but if we’re going to declare a national holiday to give me full permission to do so, I’ll happily respond, “Sign me up coach!” I’ll be missing Thanksgiving in the States for the first time ever this year. When you all are feasting on turkey, [...]

If there is one fish recipe you should know, it’s this one – baked fish en papillote. It’s delicious, fool-proof, healthy, easy, budget-friendly, and fun. Does that check all the necessary boxes? Oh, did I mention it’s easy? There is minimal prep and then it all goes into the oven, out of your sight for 10 minutes. You can use [...]