Garlic Butter Sauce

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Loaded with robust garlic, zesty lemon, and a kick of red pepper flakes, this Garlic Butter Sauce (a.k.a. Cowboy Butter Sauce) transforms any vegetable into something crave-worthy.

a close up shot of asparagus spears in a white baking dish.

Cowboy Butter Dipping Sauce

This recipe was inspired by a scoop of leftover cowboy butter. And let me tell you, every vegetable dipped in this sauce was very happily devoured. I’ve since decided to keep cowboy butter on hand for all eternity.

My success with the cowboy butter recipe had me wondering whether I could make a cowboy butter dipping sauce. Turns out, you can! The golden elixir it produces is not simply a sauce; it’s a whole experience.

Lemon Butter Sauce for Asparagus

I’ve made this a couple of different ways and I like it best as made below. Yes, you can melt the butter on the stove and simply add the other ingredients to it at that point.

However, I found that the fresh taste of the lemon, garlic, and parsley are best preserved when made as directed, then warmed in smaller portions as needed. If you have a better strategy, I’d love to hear about it.

If you know that you’ll be using a full batch of this garlic butter sauce recipe, make it with whichever method you find easiest. Just remember that once melted, it will not keep as nicely as the compound butter made in this recipe.

You can absolutely use other vegetables with this sauce. But, if you’re looking for a place to start, you can’t go wrong with a side of roasted lemon butter asparagus using this recipe.

A clear glass bowl with melted compound butter in it and a spear of asparagus is being dipped in the butter.Read more

Zucchini Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

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The sweet crunch of summer corn and crisp slices of zucchini are brightened with a zesty dressing in this Zucchini Corn Salad.

Horizontal shot of zucchini corn salad, served in a small blue ceramic bowl with a striped white and gray towel

Raw Corn Salad

Many years ago, it was this salad that was one of my first experiences with raw corn. I saw a recipe for raw corn salad in a magazine, did a double take, and had to try it. If you’ve never experienced this vegetable raw, I recommend it!

I love the different flavors of the raw zucchini and corn. With a very light lime vinaigrette, it becomes such a fresh-tasting salad for the summer months. I make it at least once a year when corn is in season.

Zucchini Corn Salad

You might be skeptical of having raw zucchini in your salad. But, trust me on this pairing. The flavors, textures, and colors are all so well balanced. It just works!

Who can deny that the taste of fresh-picked, ripe vegetables is better than vegetables that have been on store shelves for a while? I don’t limit myself to shopping seasonal produce, but this zucchini corn salad does make the most of summer’s vegetables. So, you’ll get to enjoy them while both are at their best.

Zucchini corn salad, served in a small blue ceramic bowl with a striped gray and white towel

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

  • fresh corn on the cob
  • zucchini
  • lime juice
  • olive oil
  • fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper
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California Spaghetti Salad

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Filled with fresh vegetables, tangy Italian dressing, and delightful twirls of pasta, you’ll want to savor each bite of this California Spaghetti Salad.

a horizontally aligned photo of a blue bowl full of California spaghetti salad with a blue and white checkered tea towel in the background

Italian Spaghetti Salad

Like so many pasta salads that I love, this one is loaded to the max with fresh vegetables. I like to add about ¾ of a cup of vegetables to the salad for every ounce of pasta (i.e. 6 cups of vegetables for 8 ounces of pasta).

That might sound like a lot, but I promise this ratio won’t result in too many vegetables. This is the best balance I’ve found for maximizing the textures and flavors in this Italian spaghetti salad.

You can make this recipe with any vegetable you enjoy snacking on or eating raw. Just cut the vegetables into somewhat uniform, bite-size pieces. This ensures the maximum variety of textures and flavors in every bite.

If at all possible, try making this salad with homemade Italian dressing. It takes less than five minutes to shake this dressing together, and it makes a world of difference.

A close up of a forkful of this spaghetti salad, raised above a full blue bowl of the salad on a wooden table

California Spaghetti Salad

Something magical happens in each forkful of this pasta salad. Crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes balance the slight bite of red onions and bell peppers.

The dressing is a tangy highlight, with bright notes of lemon and the smooth richness of olive oil. It adds vibrant and irresistible flavor to this California spaghetti salad recipe.

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Sweet and Spicy Roasted Broccoli

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Honey, Sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame oil are all you need to make this irresistible sweet and spicy broccoli.

roasted broccoli in black bowl with striped napkin

Spicy Roasted Broccoli

This Sriracha and honey roasted broccoli was a recipe that I stumbled across many years ago and saved to try sometime in the distant future. The website where I found the recipe isn’t active anymore, but I’m grateful the recipe was once shared there.

We’ve been making this spicy roasted broccoli on a regular basis for years now because it is absolute perfection. The broccoli is tossed with a quick glaze of Sriracha, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil before being roasted.

It just might be the best broccoli of your life – with a hint of sweet heat, it’s irresistible!

The flavors here are simply wonderful together and the heat from the Sriracha adds the perfect kick to the sweet honey on the roasted broccoli.

Spicy Broccoli

From the very first bite, this honey sriracha broccoli went running, skipping, and jumping to the top of my favorite ways to cook broccoli list. Yep. I liked it that much. I made it three times that first week after I initially made it.

Twice, I ate it all by myself for lunch. Ask me how much I care that my children don’t love broccoli. Nope, not a bit. It’s going to be on the table even more now.

Lucky for them, they don’t have to eat much of it, because I have no intention of wasting any more of this than necessary on their unappreciative little palates.

broccoli with sriracha and honey roasted on baking sheet

Sriracha Honey

Despite my kids’ dislike of broccoli in general, they do eat this spicy broccoli without complaints. Considering they normally turn their nose up at the sight of this vegetable, I’m calling that a success.

The honey and sriracha in the recipe make this smell delicious as it’s c

Lemon Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

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Lemon Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

a photo of a sheet pan full of whole roasted carrots and parsnips topped with chopped parsley

Lemon roasted carrots and parsnips are salty and sweet and get all caramelized and delicious as they roast.

We top them with a honey lemon dressing to make a side dish easy enough for a weeknight meal but  also fancy enough to be a side for your Easter (or Thanksgiving or Christmas) feast!

Filled in More Ways than Just with Food

I’ve been really craving the simple classic recipes of the past lately. It’s almost like a feeling of homesickness and nostalgia for childhood has started to grow inside of me. I don’t quite know what has triggered it or even what to do with it, but I’ve found myself looking back on life with a tenderness and fondness I haven’t ever had.

I was a living-with-one-foot-in-tomorrow-girl for most of my junior high and high school years. I think it was in part because I had two older sisters that were far enough apart from me in age that they were already off to college and I felt left behind. I know now that living that way isn’t the best idea, but I have to be mindful now of not looking back with the same feelings. 

Being present, breathing in happiness right now instead of waiting for it or missing it from yesterday has become really important to me. Part of merging all of my worlds into one has been a bringing together of recipes we used to love but have gotten distracted with new, modern ideas. Roasted carrots and parsnips might seem old-school, but I bet you’ll be filled in more ways than just with food by making them. 

Ingredients for Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

The ingredients are simple and few. Here is what you will need:

  • Carrots: You can peel them if you want but it is not necessary.
  • Parsnips: If the parsnips are really thick, cut them in half so they closely match the size of the carrots.
  • Garlic: Keep the cloves whole and in the peel so they can roast with the veggies.
  • Olive Oil: Helps the veggies caramelize to golden perfection.
  • Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavors of the vegetables.

Dressing

  • White Wine Vinegar: If you don’t have it, red wine vinegar makes the best substitute or rice wine vinegar (not seasoned) will also work great.
  • Lemon Zest: Adds a bright and fresh punch of flavor that pairs so well with root vegetables.
  • Honey: Adds natural sweetness and thickens the dressing.
  • Parsley: Fresh is preferred but if you have to use dried, use 1 teaspoon.
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
 

Do Parsnips Need to Be Parboiled Before Roasting?

Normally I would say no, but we like to parboil both the carrots and parsnips for this recipe. Then dry them thoroughly and let the oven do all the work roasting and caramelizing them. Parboiling cuts down on the roasting time and lets the caramelization happen perfectly.

Should I Peel Parsnips Before Roasting Them?

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