Everyday Dinners by Jessica Merchant
Hello friends. It has been a long time since I posted – but I’m so glad to be back online sharing my favorite cookbook recipes with you.
Let me introduce you to Jessica Merchant who has recently released her third cookbook called “Everyday Dinners” with the tag line of “Real Life Recipes To Set Your Family Up For a Week of Success.” Who can’t sign on for that?
The first thing I do when I pick up a new cookbook is mark the recipes I would like to make and eat. I checked this book out of the library and immediately marked 43 recipes which I think is a record (I should start keeping track). I want to share a few of my favorites but keep in mind I am just getting started and there are many more to try.
One of favorite recipes is The House Salad That Goes With Everything. I am obsessed with this salad and keeping making and sharing it with my friends and family. So far everyone that has eaten it has fallen head over heels- it’s a winner for sure. Its healthy and simple and sooo incredibly good. The combination of vegetables, the bell peppers, grape tomatoes, and banana peppers with a crunch of toasted sourdough croutons and sunflower seeds sets this salad apart. The dressing is also delicious.
The Butternut Minestrone is a stroke of genius! For all of you butternut squash fans, this is the soup you have been waiting for. This is my favorite minestrone recipe so far (which you all know I have tried many). Jessica’s recipe is vegetarian which doesn’t always fly well with the men in my house, so I added Italian sausage to part of the soup healthier making everyone happy. I loved the ditalini pasta because it was a smaller pasta – making the soup healthier and letting the vegetables shine.
The Grilled Peach BBQ Pork Chops were so good. This meal cooks quickly on the grill. The Peach BBQ Sauce is a little more labor intensive but can definitely be made ahead as it stays good for about a week in the fridge. I did not make the Napa Slaw that she recommends serving it with because I had forgotten the napa cabbage at the grocery store – happens to the best of us. I would definitely try that next time, but I really like this dish.
Keeping with the pork theme – Jessica features a Sticky Saucy Grilled Pork Tenderloin (love this name) featured in her book which she serves with a Chipotle Corn Salad. This salad is a great recipe to serve as a side dish when you have people over for dinner. The corn salad can be fully prepared a few hours ahead or the night before serving.
My mission as always is to give ideas to help put dinner on the table of every family. This cookbook’s mission is so aligned with my own so you can’t go wrong in buying this book. I have a saying on my kitchen wall which states “The best moments are made when gathered around the table.” The older our kids get the more ready they need to be for conversations with friends, teachers, coworkers or in their next interview. Dinner conversations help our kids to have life conversations. I am here to share my favorite recipes to help you plan some family dinners this week. Your family will thank you.
