Ukrainian-style Braised Beef and Potatoes

This braised beef and potato dish - жаркое (zharkoye) - is a beautifully hearty, delicious taste of Eastern Europe. My recipe is a blend of Tatyana's lovely recipe and Catalina's version. I hope it warms your stomach and heart the way it does mine!

Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

An easy, delicious meal for any hour of the day (or night!). There's a wonderful sesame paste noodle recipe as well, but for the time being here's my favorite peanut butter version. These noodles make veganism look easy (I never even realized they were till a few times into making them!), and work great any time of the year. In the winter I put the sauce straight on the steaming, drained noodles, and in summer I give the noodles a cold water rinse before mixing. Hot or cold, they're delicious!

Easy Sausage Shakshuka

Shakshuka has long been a personal favorite, but what follows is my updated, simplified recipe for a relatively quick breakfast during the week. Modify as needed, and enjoy!

Kielbasa Pasta

It's Bright Week, so of course cheesy sausage is what's on the menu! What follows is an adaptation of this recipe, mostly tweaks to fit my tastes and preferences. Smoked paprika is my seasoning of the season I think, so it of course makes an appearance! Enjoy!

Baked Salmon Sushi Cups

I'm not one to get sucked into trends until they're well and truly no longer trendy, so I'm guessing that means these salmon sushi cups are officially over now...that being said, holy cow are they good! I mostly followed this recipe, but - as always! - made some modifications to suit my family's tastes. However you make it, definitely give some version of this a try, 'cause it is both ridiculously easy and ridiculously good!

Pan-Fried Tilapia with Smoked Paprika

What follows is a light adaptation of this recipe, mostly tweaks to amounts and types of seasonings. The results are delicious, and the prep time is minimal. Enjoy!

Korean Vegetable Pancakes / Yachaejeon

I have long loved Korea's beautiful array of savory pancakes, but this veggie version has become my go to for a quick 'n easy fix suitable for any time of the day or week. What follows is primarily Maangchi's beautiful recipe, but I also got the idea for a crispier result from the use of cornstarch in Jeeca's recipe. Feel free to use what's below or to make your own adjustments, and enjoy!

Golden Fried Rice with Chili Crisp

What follows is my adaptation of this lovely recipe, which I came across a bit ago while wasting time on Instagram. I adapted the original to better fit my family's tastes. So far our favorite version has involved Chinese sausage, but it's a flexible recipe that can be made to fit both carnivorous and vegetarian tastes alike. I hope you like it as much as we have!

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, 'n Corn Stew

Necessity is the mother of invention, and in this case necessity was clearing out more of our pantry and freezer. And I sure am happy it was, because I stumbled across this great recipe and then realized it was similar to one of my favorite salad recipes. The resulting fusion is a gorgeous cold weather version of my salad recipe, and makes a hearty, excellent vegan, vegetarian, or meaty meal depending on how you make it!

Satay Soup with Buckwheat Noodles

This recipe is a bit 'northeastern China meets Southeast Asia,' but I'm so glad the two did meet, 'cause the results are delicious! I used Jeeca's lovely recipe as a base, but obviously made a few changes to bring forward some Thai and Chinese elements. Recipes are only ever guides, not laws, so feel free to play with mine as well if you like!