Ingredients

This tomato and basil salad is the perfect summer salad. It's just a few ingredients, but packed with a clean and fresh taste thanks to the ripe cherry tomatoes and just picked basil. It's simple enough to pack up for a nice picnic, but versatile enough to be a side at the family barbecue. This …

Instant Pot New Orleans red beans and rice delivers all the smoky, creamy comfort of the classic Louisiana dish in a fraction of the time. Tender red beans, savory sausage, and the holy trinity pressure cook into a rich, velvety pot full of deep Cajun flavor while still keeping that slow-simmered soul food feel. Using …

My campaign to put okra on the map. I love okra. Okra is good for you. Okra tastes good. Eat more okra. If you don't know how, then read this post for recipes and cooking tips. Plus I'm sure you'll learn a bunch of cool facts about okra that I bet you never knew.

Tender, smoky, and perfectly seasoned—your new favorite Southern soul food side This Instant Pot Cajun cabbage is what happens when Southern comfort meets Louisiana swagger. Green cabbage gets pressure-cooked low and slow (fast) with smoky bacon, spicy andouille, and Cajun seasoning until it’s silky, savory, and soaking up every drop of that seasoned pot liquor. …

New Orleans is my favorite city in the U.S. and I love cooking and eating its foods. I'm a sucker for red beans and rice with sausage made in that creamy New Orleans style. Enjoy this recipe and a little history that traces its history back to Haiti in another post that combines delicious food and history as we continue to celebrate Black History Month.

Creamy Creole mashed potatoes take classic Southern comfort food and give it a Louisiana-style upgrade with buttery whipped potatoes smothered in a bold, smoky sausage gravy loaded with Creole seasoning and deep savory flavor. The potatoes stay light and velvety while the gravy brings rich texture, peppery heat, and that slow-cooked soul food feel that …

This black rice recipe makes for a colorful side dish that is as delicious as it looks! The sweetness of the potatoes is balanced with the savory nutty flavor of the rice and the tartness from the pomegranate seeds and all work together for an incredible mouth experience. Often when I cook I take on …

Tender vegan braised collard greens cooked with aromatic spices, offering a flavorful twist on a classic Southern dish. Related Collard Greens Posts: Braised vegan collard greens recipe, a quick and tasty way to get a soul food staple on the weeknight menu! It's only 5 ingredients and made with ingredients you're likely to have on …

Collard greens are a weekly staple in our home. We have our traditional Sunday Dinner recipe that ain't changing. However, I do keep quite a few of what I call weeknight greens recipes. These are meant for us to explore the greatness of the humble but nutritious collard greens but within the context of our busy lives. So these are actually quick hitters. This curried collard greens recipe falls into this category. As its the norm, we explore cultures through food in an effort to become culturally aware as well deepen our empathy for others. Collard greens more than any other vegetable/food is most often the vessel for these explorations. Enjoy

These roasted sweet potatoes are a lab recipe gone well. I was literally toying around with Thanksgiving sweet potatoes recipes and stumbled into this one. It's easy, quick, no fuss and damn good. Don't feel like you have to wait til the holidays though. Its perfect on plain old weeknights and weekends too.

Sometimes when things feel like they're spinning outta control or you're just off your game, it's best to jump off the treadmill and just get re-centered or grounded. That's what this comforting bowl of black eyed pea soup represents for me. It's slow cooking and sustained eating for a few days. Just what I needed.

Put these smoked lamb chops on the menu for your next dinner party of date with that special someone. Slow-smoking an entire rack of lamb nets better flavor than simply grilling. This one is easy - marinate, rub, and smoke. That's it!

One of the best things about summer is the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. And living in hot Texas you're always looking for ways to stay cool, get refreshed, etc. Cooking wise I'm trying to avoid turning on my stove as much as possible. This chilled soup "Gazpacho" addresses all these things. It's the soup equivalent of a nice cool summer breeze. The fact that it's a chilled peach soup that's spiced up and topped with charred kernels of corn just makes this next-level gazpacho. Don't worry, all you need is a blender and a few ingredients.

Fried chickpeas are fairly comomn these days. But fried black-eyed peas are much better. The recipe is simple and takes less than 20 minutes to make. Try these out.

Grilled wedges are one of my favorite and easiest ways to enjoy sweet potatoes. The best thing about this recipe though is the perfect sweet heat chili lime sauce pairing. Just a few a few ingredients that net a lot of flavor. They go fast so make enough!

As you know I've designated July okra month. This is my favorite way to enjoy okra outside of a good pot of gumbo. It's quick, flavorful, and only requires a few ingredients. You'll want to keep the harissa sauce on hand and use it for other dishes as well.

Fun vibes with this Okra Fried Rice. It's a fusion of cultures that results in high flavor. The best part is it comes together easily for a quick weeknight dish. But it's also fancy enough to serve to guests at a weekend celebration.

This tuna salad has gone from my weekday comfort salad to a quick light dinner meal. It's tangy, aromatic, and delicious featuring ingredients you likely have on hand making for easy meal prep. This recipe is a twist on a tuna salad sandwich my uncle used to make. He would drink Schlitz Malt Liquor Beer and …

Instant Pot black-eyed peas with bacon is a soul food classic reworked for weeknight ease, where creamy peas simmer in a smoky, deeply savory broth layered with aromatics, spices, and rich pancetta bacon. Unlike traditional versions that rely on ham hocks or standard bacon, pancetta brings a cleaner pork flavor and silky richness that melts …

A smoked cherry tomatoes salad may sound a bit unorthodox, but take a leap of faith and trust me on this one. The tomatoes work well as a stand-alone salad, vegetable poppers, or as an ingredient in another recipe.

It's almost okra season, but I couldn't wait. This is my version of "fried okra aka "Southern Popcorn." I switch it up to longer okra halves so they're more like fries. And for a super crispy texture, I subbed rice flour for wheat flour. It's not only crunchier but has a light, clean finish about it. Don't worry there is absolutely no slime!

A quick no-cook side dish salad with fennel as the star of the story and collard greens and ripe pears in the background. I eat a big plate of these for lunch or just add a simple protein for a full meal. Enjoy

I'm having way too much fun with my new InstaPot. I'm still learning, but have been to churn out some good recipes, mostly traditional classics that I've converted for pressure cooking. This Southern classic black-eyed peas recipe is made vegan, so I had to do a little extra to replicate the smoke from what would have been smoked meat. I think I figured it out. I went deep into the classic rock vault for some inspiration. Enjoy.

A few years ago my family got invited to the premiere of the movie "The Hundred-Foot Journey," which is a movie produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey about an Indian family seeking asylum in France. The son becomes a famous chef introducing the French to Indian spices and cooking techniques. I remember thinking at the time how similar Indian cooking was to "soul food" in terms of the use of spices and seasonings to take humble ingredients to extraordinary. I was reminded again during our Thanksgiving trip to Dubai when we ate a Masala based fried cabbage dish which was very similar to the southern fried cabbage I grew up. I bought a lot of spices from the local Souk including the garam masala I used in this dish. This dish tastes as great as it smells so be prepared.

Celery Root is definitely not the prettiest vegetable at the market, but what it lacks in good looks it more than compensates with inner beauty, dynamite taste and ease of prep/cooking. If you're not familiar with celery root or celeriac as it's known, it's beyond worthy of your consideration. This celery root steak recipe is a great introduction. We enjoy it in our house as one of our many meatless nights. It also presents well enough to be on your holiday menu. Don't worry it's tastes nothing like celery, is easier to handle than it looks, and is low calorie and low carb.

Light, vibrant, and full of groove — these sautéed zoodles are your go-to weeknight or brunch side when you want flavor that dances but won’t weigh you down. We're coming at ya with a green groove for the soul — sautéed zoodles that hit light but land heavy in the flavor department. These spiralized zucchini …

Sundays mean meal prep for me, which pretty much always means making 2-3 sauces for the week. As I tend to keep things on the simple end during my always busy week, having reliable, delicious and versatile sauce on hand allow me to elevate any basic dish whether its pasta, grilled chicken, or roasted potatoes. This collard green salsa verde qualifies as one of those do it all type sauces. It definitely skews on the healthier side, but in no way skimps on flavor. Besides the taste and versatility I find it's an easy way to get the nutritional benefits provided by collard greens on a daily basis without the labor of cooking up a big ole pot of collards. JUST keep things simple with the recipe and you'll love it as a condiment/meal enhancer.

For a nice change-up to sweet potato Thanksgiving recipes try this simple, low prep hasselback sweet potatoes dish. This doesn't have to be a special occasion dish, as it easily works for a weeknight side. I've been experimenting more with ghee (claried butter) lately in some of my dishes. Ghee is a great cooking oil that I jokingly refer to as super butter since its both lactose and casein free, has a high smoke point (aka you can cook it at high heat levels without it browning/burning), and is rich and complex in flavor. Celebrate the life of the great Roy Hargrove with me by cooking to my favorite track "Strasbourg/St. Denis" which is my favorite song by his quintet.

A big green salad just in time for Thanksgiving side dish plans. It's a unique salad featuring an unlikely mix of ingredients that work magic together. Collard greens, baby lima beans, smashed cucumbers, and lemongrass-coconut pickled celery make for soul food meets Asian cuisine mash-up. Requires little cooking to free you up to focus on other things. The recipe is powered by a soulful hip hop track "Greeny Green" from Atlanta's finest Goodie Mob featuring Ceelo Green.

A bold and tangy chow chow relish made with collard greens, green cabbage, and chopped vegetables the ultimate Southern condiment. Listen up flavor peeps—this here chow chow relish recipe is straight fire for your taste buds. We talkin’ collard greens bringin’ that earthy backbone, chopped vegetables keepin’ it crisp, and apple cider vinegar cuttin’ through …

This vegan posole verde is a soulful twist on the Mexican classic, built around tender hominy, silky cabbage, and poblano peppers simmered in a vibrant green broth. Sauteing the poblanos deepens their earthy sweetness while cabbage adds a satisfying, almost silky texture that soaks up every herbaceous spoonful. Bright, smoky, and deeply comforting, it's a …

This comforting skillet cabbage recipe is a great weeknight meal. It's delicious and perfect for all types of customization.  I know how much you guys love quick and easy meals, so today I am sharing my grandma's quick and easy beef cabbage stir. Add this to your collection of 30-minute meals. There are only a …

Like revenge, gazpacho is a dish, best served chilled. This easy gazpacho recipe featuring fresh, delicious heirloom tomatoes provides the perfect refreshing break into a hot summer. Farmer's market fresh cucumbers, peppers, and herbs add further vibrancy to this colorful dish. I get excited about making this easy gazpacho. With heirloom tomatoes you have a stunning …

Heirloom tomato galette made with puff pastry is an easy, savory dessert recipe for non-bakers or just anyone looking for convenience. Charming, effortless and screaming Summer dessert, this galette is a winner! MOOD MUSIC During my last farmer's market visit, the selection of fresh, vibrant heirloom tomatoes got me pretty damn excited. Admittedly, I lose …

The perfect summer salad; refreshingly light with grilled calamari, ripe cherry tomatoes, and sweet watermelon that can be pulled off in a few minutes with minimal work. I'm a little late posting this as I had every intention to have this on the blog several days before the 4th of July. But hey, for my …

Delicious 10 minute take on a soul food staple featuring no slime okra and tomatoes prepared with one of the most simple cooking methods to allow the okra's natural flavor to shine augmented with lime and fresh mint.  We eat okra in so many different ways in my house. But I understand not everyone is …

Crispy smashed sweet potato recipe featuring crispy, rich exterior with a sweet soft, and moist tender center for a perfect way to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables. MOOD MUSIC Duck fat and sweet potatoes are a perfect pairing. I buy duck fat from my local farmers' market from time to time, and then promptly …

Badass collards shouldn't be reserved for just Sunday soul food dinners and holidays. These silky-smooth meatless braised collard greens were meant to be enjoyed on weeknights as well. Musical Inspiration for Wine Braised Collard Greens If I could only eat one food, it'd likely be collard greens. My love affair with this dark cruciferous aphrodisiac …

Smoky, soulful, and straight from the bayou - this smoked duck gumbo with oven baked roux turns any weekend meal into a Louisiana feast, loaded with deep Cajun flavor and silky, stew-like comfort. My flavor peeps, grab a spoon and tune your taste buds to the duck alert frequency — this smoked duck gumbo is …

This Salmon Poke Bowl recipe is not traditional in the true Hawaiian sense by any means, but it is damn good and more in line with versions you'll see as part of the craze that's going on currently. I used the toppings to put my personal spin on it which skews more towards soul food …