This is our Texas-style bold, beefy and spicy chili. Nothing more than meat, tomato sauce and a metric buttload of spices. We love a big bowl of hot, spicy chili, especially on a cold day. This recipe has won some backyard contests. The flavors are complex. It's ...
Butternut Squash Pie
Get the whipped cream ready! We use butternut squash instead of pumpkin in our favorite winter holiday dessert. We like to make our butternut squash pie from scratch, not from a can. That said, if you really like a certain canned pumpkin puree, keep on using it! You do ...
Green Beans with Lemon
Oh snap! Green beans with lemon is one of our all-time favorite vegetable side dishes. Green beans don't have to be boring, and how to you cook them without losing that vibrant green color? Our green beans with lemon recipe shows you how. To keep those beans green, ...
Thanksgiving Turkey
You too, can cook a Thanksgiving turkey that's not dry, tastes delicious AND looks like it can make the cover of a cooking magazine. And you can do it faster than you think. We first eat with our eyes, right? There is a special delight in seeing a Thanksgiving turkey ...
Thanksgiving Dressing
Or is it Thanksgiving stuffing? If you've ever been to our house for Thanksgiving, you have been served this Thanksgiving dressing. It's called Thanksgiving dressing because we bake it in a baking dish in the oven. Stuffing is cooked inside the cavity of the turkey ...
Sumac Onions
These Sumac marinated onions are a Turkish delight! To make sumac onions, you only need a few ingredients. Originating in Turkey, this condiment starts with thinly slivered red onion, sumac, an acid, like red wine vinegar or lemon juice, and salt. From there, feel free ...
Harissa
This crimson, not-too-spicy, fermented chile condiment is worth the wait. Yeah, we say not-too-spicy, but this Harissa recipe will also satisfy those who like it hot. It has a bold chile flavor yet does not burn your face off. Harissa is a blend of dried, raw and ...
Blackened Chicken With Sweet Potato Puree
Winner winner blackened chicken dinner! This blackened chicken with sweet potato puree is one of those dishes you can make to impress your dinner guests. The combination of blackening seasoning and sweet potatoes is amazing. We gar-on-tee! Blackening is a Cajun ...
Midnight Soup
Midnight Soup is a hearty late night soup enjoyed on New Year's Eve in Germany, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. It's also great for countering radiation sickness. It can get pretty cold in Europe on New Year's Eve, and the parties and balls can go all night. The ...
Roasted Tomato Soup
This roasted tomato soup recipe is a go-to when we have way too many tomatoes laying around our garden. Perfect for hot and sunny, or cold and rainy days. This roasted tomato soup is synonymous with comfort food here at Chez Grenier. The first recipe was ...
Watermelon Salad
This watermelon salad is a light and fresh way to eat everyone's favorite Summertime fruit. Watermelon salad is pretty versatile. It makes a great side dish for lunch or dinner, goes great with beef, chicken, even fish, and you can choose whether to dress it or not. ...
Thumbits
Thumbits are small open-faced finger sandwiches of thin slices of steak in a BBQ sauce. The antithesis of delicate and dainty. There is not much information 'out there' on Thumbits, except anyone living on the east coast probably has a grandmother who invented the ...
Pesto alla Genovese
Pesto is actually a generic term for anything that has been pounded and crushed. Pesto alla Genovese is the most popular pesto on the planet. Pesto alla genovese was invented in the ancient port city of Genova, in the Liguria region, known as the Italian Riviera. ...
Baked Goat Cheese
Ready in twenty minutes, baked goat cheese is our favorite thing on top of salads and smeared on toasted baguettes. Here's an idea. Think baked goat cheese when looking to try something new the next time you have friends over. Serve it with slices of toasted ...
Chopped Salad
Sick and tired of flicking vinaigrette onto your tuxedo or ball gown? Us too. Enter the Chopped Salad, no longer exclusively designed for the rich and famous. One night in the late 1950's, at La Scala, an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills, the tuxedo and ball gown ...
Pinquito Beans
Pinquito beans are an heirloom variety indigenous to the California central coast. This is the heart and soul of Santa Maria cooking. Pinquito beans are an essential part of California cuisine, central to traditional Santa Maria tri-tip barbecue. Exclusive to the ...
Santa Maria Tri-Tip
Santa Maria Tri-Tip is California's own barbeque style, originating on the central coast. A rare medium, well done. California doesn't really have a defining barbeque style, like Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas, but we do have this Santa Maria Tri-tip. Our method is ...
Blue Cheese Coleslaw
This blue cheese coleslaw recipe is the simplest side salad we know. Three ingredients. Bring this to your next backyard BBQ, family gathering or picnic. Blue cheese coleslaw is almost always at our backyard barbecues and a frequent request for family gatherings. It ...
Thai Chickpea Curry
Quick and highly modifiable, this Thai chickpea curry is a great healthy option for weeknight dinners or meal prep. This is vegetarian comfort food at its best. This Thai chickpea curry recipe is good for what ails ya. Thai curries from the south tend to contain ...
Chicken with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
This chicken with sun-dried tomato cream sauce recipe is actually pretty healthy, as it is low in calories, carbs, and sodium. It's also gluten and soy-free. Quick, easy, and delicious. This chicken with sun-dried tomato cream sauce is a great way to bust out of a ...
Mexican Rice (Arroz Rojo)
It's not Spanish rice. It's Mexican rice. An underrated and delicious staple of Mexican cuisine. All killer, no filler. Mexican rice, or arroz rojo, is a classic component of Mexican cuisine. This red rice is found in most burritos and on almost every plate in ...
Mediterranean Breakfast Toast
"They" say a healthy breakfast is the best way to start your day. This Mediterranean breakfast toast has all you need. We largely follow the Mediterranean Diet, known for weight loss and general good health. This Mediterranean Breakfast Toast is worthy of your ...
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
Thanks to the Dutch, everyone and their kids now like these Brussels sprouts with bacon and onions. This recipe is dedicated to our beloved niece, who absolutely loves these things. As a child, "vegetables are gross!" was our mantra, especially when it came to ...
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto
Mushroom and goat cheese risotto is our family's 'original' recipe. It's all about the technique. This mushroom and goat cheese risotto recipe came from a 'what's for dinner?' collaboration with my wife 20 years ago. Risotto is considered a challenging dish, but if ...
Mexican Salsa Verde
This is our standard-issue Mexican salsa verde recipe and one of our favorite sauces eaten raw or cooked. This is the green sauce you may see in the salsa bar at your local taqueria. Mexican Salsa Verde is a spicy green sauce dating back to the Aztec Empire. It ...
Achiote Chicken with Wilted Chard
Achiote chicken with wilted chard is a restaurant-quality dish made for home cooks. DO try this at home. Achiote chicken is something you don't always see on the menu. We found this recipe at a cooking class in nearby Napa, years ago. I had never heard of achiote ...
Thai Green Curry Lettuce Cups
These Thai green curry lettuce cups are quick, easy and healthy. A crowd-pleasing appetizer or weeknight dinner idea. Small effort, big flavor. These Thai green curry lettuce cups are the antithesis of the lettuce sandwich, which has become a cultural metaphor ...
New York Style Cheesecake
New York style cheesecake is incredibly rich, creamy and dense. No water bath required! New York Style Cheesecake is not a cake, like Boston Cream Pie is not a pie. Boston Cream Pie is technically a cake, and Cheesecake is technically a torte (because eggs). Or ...
Limoncello
When life hands you a lemon tree, make limoncello, the Italian after-dinner digestivo of Summer. It's like sipping liquid sunshine. Limoncello is an Italian liqueur produced in homes all over Italy. It is most popular in the southwest, near the Gulf of Naples and ...
Chicken Noodle Soup
This most famous folk remedy and cold weather comfort food was brought to the United States from Europe. Sometimes made with rice or barley, the most popular variation here in America is chicken noodle. Hearing the words "chicken noodle soup" already makes me feel ...
Steak au Poivre
Steak au poivre is a classic French dish that will make any carnivore feel special. There's nothing like celebrating with a nice steak dinner. One of our favorites is steak au poivre, or 'pepper steak' in French. This classic originated in the bistros in Normandy in ...
Huli Huli Chicken
Huli Huli Chicken is an “only-in-Hawaii” food. This wood-grilled delight brings back memories. If you've ever vacationed in Hawaii, you've likely had Huli Huli Chicken, and probably on the side of a road. It's easy to find - just look for the smoke. Huli Huli ...
Black Bean Tacos
Hangry? Need to eat RIGHT THIS MINUTE? Settle down, take a deep breath, and reach for the pantry. These black bean tacos are ready to eat in 10 minutes or less. Black bean tacos are a savior in our kitchen. We too often find ourselves without a plan for lunch or ...
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio is a traditional Italian dish that has earned a top spot in our comfort food hall of fame. This simple recipe is as satisfying as it gets. Spaghetti aglio e olio (pronounced "ay-yo e ol-yo") hails from the Italian city of Naples, and translates ...
Salsa Verde with Avocado
We take our standard-issue Mexican salsa verde recipe and simply swap in an avocado for the onion. This is the other green sauce you may find in the salsa bar at your local taqueria. This is a smoother, lighter version of fresh salsa verde. It is a family favorite - ...
Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled chicken breast is ubiquitous on lunch and dinner menus around here. It is frequently served on salads and skewers, and in sandwiches and tortillas. Grilling enhances flavor, so we grill outside on most days, or if needed, inside on a grill pan. Grilled ...
Pearl Couscous with Goat Cheese and Almond Gremolata
Pearl couscous is rather bland so we like to cook it in a vegetable or chicken stock, then punch it up even more by tossing it together with lots of vegetables and a garlicky vinaigrette. This is not your typical pasta salad. Pearl couscous, also called Israeli, ...
“Lazy” Salsa
Every family has their own variation of this versatile sauce that literally goes on everything. Never buy jarred salsa again. This salsa recipe is for a basic 'salsa roja' (red). If you want a 'salsa verde' (green), just substitute tomatillos for the tomatoes. Many ...