Classic Margherita Pizza Recipe

My go-to pizza at all pizza restaurants is a margherita. It’s my favorite…hands down. Logically I had to create my own classic margherita pizza recipe that rivals the pies I had in Italy.

I honestly feel like you can judge how legit a pizza place is on how good their margherita is. If they can’t make a good marg…pizza in it’s most simple, pure form…then I have little hope for any of their other ‘zas. Might be harsh, but it has worked for me so far!

The crust in this recipe is a Neopolitan crust which means that it is thin. We love it thin and chewy. This pizza crust recipe is flawless and the perfect compliment to the simple and delicate but bold flavor of a margherita pizza.

Ingredients for a Margherita Pizza Recipe

Recipes that are amazing have to be complicated and have a grocery list a mile long, right? Wrong! The crust has just 5 ingredients, the sauce has 2, and for the toppings, there are 3. It really couldn’t be more simple! Here is what you will need:

Dough:

• Baker’s flour (or 00 flour): essential to getting that chewy crust you want in a pizza, see section below for more details
• Water: it needs to be warm (105-115 degrees F) to activate the yeast properly
• Sea Salt: go for fine grain, adds flavor to the crust
• Sugar: feeds the yeast
• Instant Yeast: don’t use active dry yeast

Sauce:

• San Marzano Tomatoes: you can use crushed, whole, diced…whatever you can find…it all ends up in the blender
• Sea Salt: adds flavor to the sauce

Toppings:

• Fresh Mozzarella: you can use as much or as little of the cheese as you want
• Fresh Basil: I like to leave the leaves whole and scatter them over th

How to Make the BEST BLT

I know you’re probably thinking that you don’t need a recipe for a BLT…the ingredients are in the name of the sandwich, right? I have a few tricks to take your average BLT and make it the BEST BLT ever!

Ok, so growing up my parents were garden people, and on top of the horror of having to weed the garden all the time as a kid, they also would eat raw tomatoes with a little salt like it was an apple. The horror!

And now here we are, once again the enemy called “time” has taught me that “yeah behold I know that I am nothing” (Alma 26:12) because sure enough, there’s nothing more incredible than a garden tomato. The grocery store might as well rename their tomatoes because they are not the same thing. My mom would practically salivate at the mention of a BLT and now I’m totally wiping my keyboard clean as I do the same.

Tips for the BEST BLT

We know there aren’t a ton of ingredients in a BLT sandwich so the ingredients need to be done right! Here are our tips for BLT success:

Bread

We prefer a good high quality sourdough bread sliced fairly thin — about 1/2 inch thick. If you aren’t a sour dough fan, then do a good sturdy white bread or french bread.

PRO TIP: Give up the toaster and grill each slice of bread in butter (not bacon fat!) on a cast iron skillet only on one side. This way, the inside remains tender. Don’t over toast the bread! You are looking for a nice light golden brown.

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Citrus Oven Baked Salmon over Arugula Cucumber Salad

This citrus oven baked salmon salad is bright and fresh with crunchy roasted chickpeas and a delightful zesty dressing that is going to have you coming back for more!

This is the recipe that changed our lives!! Our very first week of being totally unpacked in our new place, it was time to get back in the kitchen and cooking again. I’ve felt so out of it with the stress of moving and when our oldest daughter mentioned she really wants to learn to like fish so she can incorporate some healthier foods into her diet, I timidly said yes.

I’ve hated salmon since the day I was born but I do secretly wish seafood wasn’t such a nemesis of mine so I jumped in. In the past I’ve liked it ok, but this citrus baked salmon salad absolutely sold me! It’s all about the flavors so do not substitute other seasonings unless you’re crazy.

I adapted this recipe from Tiffany Angela.

Ingredients for Salmon Salad

I’m going to recommend not substituting any of these ingredients because each one has an important role in bringing all the flavor to your plate! I’ve divided the ingredients into categories – dressing, salmon, chickpeas and the salad. Don’t get overwhelmed! None of the ingredients are weird or har

Bourbon Chicken

This Bourbon Chicken is tender, moist, and full of flavor and so simple to prepare! I’ve been testing this recipe for 20 years exactly now, and it was time for a refresher on this recipe! It is my new fav thing!

One of the things that we absolutely love is that it’s so easy to spice it up or take it down a few notches depending on who you will be sharing your meal with. 

There was a great bourbon chicken, hold your breath, at the Washington Square Mall when I was in high school. I know, mall food. Can you even believe that I said that?! It’s completely ridiculous, and if I went back I’d probably be a bit disappointed now that my palate has evolved. Or, at least I hope that it has! And this sauce isn’t exactly like the one from the mall, it’s even better!

And I won’t even tell you about Hot Dog on a Stick. Or should I say…the cheese on a stick. I know, I know, it’s ridiculous. That one I’m still tempted to make a homemade version though…

Ingredients Needed for Bourbon Chicken

This chicken is sweet and sticky and made with tender and flavorful chicken thighs. You start by browning the chicken on the stove top with a simple dry rub and then it finishes cooking in the oven in the sauce. Here is what you will need:

Chicken

• Chicken Thighs – boneless and skinless thighs, you can also use chicken breasts if you prefer
• Salt – adds flavor
• Garlic Powder – adds flavor
• Onion Powder – adds flavor
• Pepper – chicken should just always be seasoned with salt and pepper
• Olive Oil – gives the chicken a good sear and keeps it from sticking to the pan

Sauce

• Garlic Powder – paired with the ginger, it is that essential Chinese food flavor combo
• Ground Ginger – it’s very fine and blends into the sauce beautifully
• Apple Cider – adds richness, tang and a fruitiness
• Water – thins out the sauce some
• Brown Sugar – adds the perfect sweetness to the sauce
• Rice Vinegar – gives the sauce a nice tang
• Soy Sauc

Easy Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie

Imagine that creamy, crave-worthy chicken pot pie filling that you can’t resist and top it with golden, flaky buttermilk biscuits, and you have the most delicious family-friendly dinner ever!

It feels like a lot of our days are busy lately but there’s just nothing that can take the place of family dinner. Our chicken pot pie recipe remains one of our most popular recipes on the site, but I know how intimidating a pie crust could be so I’ve come up with a biscuit version. And not only that, but the semi homemade version comes together in no time!

I’m going to give you both a homemade and semi homemade version because when I first started cooking this, I used the canned soups I learned on. It taught me what veggies work and the perfect biscuit-to-filling ratio. We all have to start somewhere, and I’m a huge fan of teaching simple methods and then moving into completely homemade.

You will find two recipe cards at the end of the post, one for each version. So you can pick the one that fits your schedule and desires.

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