Lauren

Hi, I'm Lauren! I'm a certified plant-based cook and enthusiastic omnivore who loves looking for creative ways to make weeknight meals more nutritious. I'm the author of Heathy Eating One Pot Cookbook and Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook. I also blog at The Busy Foodie.
Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon & Za'atar 1

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon & Za’atar

During the week that I had off earlier this month, I read the book Beaten, Seared and Sauced. Have you heard of it? It’s about a guy a decade or so older than I am who decides to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. The book wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be (I couldn’t relate to the narrator at all; he was kind of lame and he complained too much… which, funnily enough, sounds just like me) but it was still an enjoyable read and had some interesting insights into the life of a culinary student.

Mostly though, it left me craving roast chicken.

Oven Toasted Ravioli 2

Oven Toasted Ravioli

Have you ever had toasted/fried ravioli before? I don’t see it on menus very often, but it’s sometimes offered as an appetizer at Italian restaurants or pizzerias. And it’s amazing. (Then again, it’s deep fried pasta filled with cheese. Of course it’s awesome!) When I came home to find a shipment of Monterey Gourmet Foods™ ravioli and pesto to play with, it took me about 2 seconds to decide what I wanted to do with it. This oven-toasted ravioli does away with the guilt that goes along with fried food, and it swaps out the lighter flavors of roast chicken and pesto for the more traditional garlic and marinara.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Stewed Tomato 3

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Stewed Tomato

Last month, The Laughing Cow asked me if I would be interested in trying a lower-calorie version of a comfort food, featuring their cheese. I’ve kept Laughing Cow in my refrigerator ever since being introduced to it by my high school French teacher (back when it was called “la vache qui rit”) but I’ve never tried cooking with it so, intrigued, I agreed. They sent me the recipe and ingredients to make their creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for macaroni and cheese, especially when it has a gourmet twist.

Oatmeal Cookies with Whiskey-Soaked Cherries 4

Oatmeal Cookies with Whiskey-Soaked Cherries

Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies studded with chocolate chips and dried cherries re-plumped with whiskey… what more is there to say?!

These are, hands down, my new favorite cookies. I generally hate whiskey (it tastes like pencils), but butter and brown sugar mellow out the flavor, leaving these cookies with a complex, butterscotch-like flavor that’s perfectly balanced by sour cherries and sweet chocolate. A touch of coconut* helps keep them soft, and I think they have an even better flavor the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld.

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas (Taquitos) 5

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas (Taquitos)


Am I the only one who was craving flautas/taquitos after seeing this post on The Kitchn last week? They looked amazing!

We went through a phase a few years ago where we loved the frozen ones, but now they kind of weird me out so it’s been forever since I’ve had them. I’ve actually been meaning to experiment with a baked version for a while, but I never got around to it. When I saw their post though, I immediately changed my dinner plans. (Luckily I was already planning to make enchiladas, so it wasn’t that big of a switch and I had everything I needed). Of course, I had to put my own healthy spin on them….

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Pockets 6

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Pockets

Can I ask a favor? Can you vote for these ooey gooey ham and cheese stuffed pretzel pockets in the Saucy Mama recipe contest? Please? The grand prize is a spa day and, believe me, after the month I’ve had I can really use it.

The recipe is totally delicious. The pretzels have that ballpark vendor “crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside” thing going for them and, well, can you really ever go wrong with melted cheese? I didn’t think so. There’s mustard tucked inside there too. Yum!

Earl Grey Banana Bread 7

Earl Grey Banana Bread

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Caribbean Pork and Clementine Kebabs 8

Caribbean Pork and Clementine Kebabs

Inspired by the success of my Clementine-Soy Chicken Thighs, I’ve been looking for more ways to incorporate clementines into savory dishes. In this recipe, the sweet-tart fruit combines beautifully with rum, brown sugar, and warm spices to make a glaze for grilled pork kebabs. Served with cilantro-lime rice, these are a quick and easy dinner that bring a little bit of summertime flair to the dead of winter.

(I can’t believe I’m posting a grilled recipe in February, but we’re having such a mild winter this year that it doesn’t make sense not to use it – usually the grill is buried under about 4 feet of snow this time of the year). If the weather where you are isn’t as gorgeous, the broiler in your oven will work just as well.)

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