Quick Lunch Inspo: Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Risotto Over Arugula

We got our first full on rainy day of the fall, so it was a perfect day for risotto for lunch. I've had both Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Risotto and Risotto Semplice chilling in the freezer, and decided to bust out the butternut today. You just put half the bag in a microwave-safe bowl…

ByMichelleOctober 9, 20250Comments

Main Course Recipes

Grilled Asparagus and Halloumi Sandwiches

Asparagus is in: Grill 'em if you Got 'em For lunch earlier this week, I started where I often start around this time of year. I pulled some asparagus out of the crisper drawer and started to prep them. Conventional wisdom about snapping them where they naturally snap is out, so I cut off the…

ByMichelleMay 10, 20180Comments

Recipes Salads

Asparagus Pasta Salad with Cheese Tortellini

Asparagus is the true harbinger of spring in the Pacific Northwest. While everyone thinks apples when you mention Washington state, it's actually the #1 producer of domestic asparagus with 23 million pounds harvested in 2017. The minute the local asparagus hits we're drizzling it with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilling or roasting it.…

ByMichelleApril 26, 20180Comments

Main Course Recipes

BAM! Balsamic Beet Slaw, Arugula & Mozz Sandwich

I had to wait until the last buttery, crunchy crumbs of National Grilled Cheese Day were licked from plates across America before posting this balsamic beet slaw sandwich. Although there is cheese here, for the most part, this sandwich is clean eating and probably just what you need after yesterday's fromage fest. It's also the…

ByMichelleApril 13, 20160Comments

Cooking Main Course Recipes

Not a Sad Desk Sandwich: Braised Kale, Mozzarella & Red Onion Jam

How often do you eat lunch at your desk? Whether you’re in a corporate environment, or working from home, researchers suggest getting away from your desk for even a short break can dramatically impact creative thinking. It’s not even so much about the food, it’s about a change of scenery. I have to admit, until recently, I’ve…

ByMichelleMarch 23, 20160Comments

Cooking Main Course Recipes

Not A Sad Desk Lunch: Cauliflower with Mint-Walnut Pesto Sandwich

Cauliflower is a little eye-rolly these days. The hype is nearly as bad as it has been for kale. Over the last few years, food blogs have used it for everything from “alfredo” sauce to fried rice. Now, Trader Joe's sells riced cauliflower in both its frozen and produce sections. But let’s not blame the…

ByMichelleMarch 16, 20160Comments

Appetizers Main Course Recipes

Back-to-School Black Bean & Sweet Potato Empanadas

The hand pie may be one of the world’s best food creations. Whether it’s a piroshky, a Pop Tart, a beerock or an empanada, the idea of tucking something sweet or savory into a little pocket of dough is an idea embraced by food cultures the world over. It’s an easy way to have a snack or a meal on the go with relatively minimal mess, which makes these Black Bean and Sweet Potato Empanadas perfect for back-to-school and back-to-work lunch boxes. (I know, I don’t want to think about it, either, and I don’t have kids).

ByMichelleAugust 5, 20131Comment

Main Course Recipes

Friday Lite: Tzatziki Chicken Salad Sandwich

Let’s face it, one of the best things about sandwiches is chips. There are few things more perfectly nostalgic than a PB&J with a mini bag of Lay’s classic potato chips, or a tuna salad sandwich with some Ruffles crunched down on top, or pretty much any sandwich plus Doritos. My latest chip obsession is…

ByMichelleApril 4, 20130Comments

Quick Lunch Inspo: Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Risotto Over Arugula

Grilled Asparagus and Halloumi Sandwiches

Asparagus Pasta Salad with Cheese Tortellini

BAM! Balsamic Beet Slaw, Arugula & Mozz Sandwich

Not a Sad Desk Sandwich: Braised Kale, Mozzarella & Red Onion Jam

Not A Sad Desk Lunch: Cauliflower with Mint-Walnut Pesto Sandwich

Back-to-School Black Bean & Sweet Potato Empanadas

Friday Lite: Tzatziki Chicken Salad Sandwich

Book Review: A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang

26 New Asian and Pacific Islander Books for your 2026 TBR