Blog - Artful Dishes

Chili Garlic Guacamole

I can’t even express how much I love guacamole. It is my favorite dip of all time, which is saying a lot because I am a chip and dip fanatic. Keep your cookies and pies, just hand me a bowl of chips and some guac and I’m a happy girl. (Just to be clear, I really do like cookies and pies too). Everyone has their own idea of what makes the best guacamole, but that is the beauty of it too. As long as you have avocado, citrus, spice and salt, all the other additions can be varied. This recipe can… Read More

Brown Rice Tortilla Chips

Last year my husband and I followed one of those cleanse diets where you can’t eat wheat, sugar, dairy, corn, etc for 21 days (we followed the JJ Virgin Diet). Sounds crazy I know, but we felt very healthy, and it actually wasn’t that bad once you got used to it! Because of all the limitations, it also led to me trying all kinds of new foods. Being a chip and dip kind of girl, it also led to lots of cravings for crunchy snacks. Enter brown rice tortillas. I had never heard of them before, but you can find them at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts,… Read More

Sausage and Potato Frittata

A frittata, or egg bake, is a perfect dish for feeding a crowd for breakfast or brunch. Or dinner or a pot luck for that matter! It’s a very flexible dish, so you can use any meats or veggies you have on hand. It’s also just as good at room temperature as it is hot out of the oven, so it travels well. In this recipe the Italian sausage, potatoes and fresh rosemary in the eggs all pair together really well. Traditionally a frittata is cooked partially on the stove top, then finished in the oven. So technically… Read More

Jalapeno Lime Margaritas

Jalapeno Lime Margaritas are sweet, spicy and tart – just what you’re looking for in a drink! Tequila, homemade jalapeno simple syrup and fresh lime juice are the stars in this cocktail. The Idea: I completly heart margaritas, ask anyone! Is it sad that everyone knows that? I choose to think no. And these are my favorite margaritas so far. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against a margarita mix in a pinch, or a Budweiser Lime-A-Rita for that matter, but making your own mix is a game changer. The addition of the jalapeno simple syrup and fresh lime juice… Read More

Jalapeno Simple Syrup

Jalapeno simple syrup is the key to amazing margaritas! Jalapenos, sugar and water turn into magical simple syrup that’s sweet with a little heat. Jalapeno Simple Syrup: Making your own simple syrup is one of the secrets to making your drinks at home taste as good as the ones from your favorite cocktail bar. If you’ve never made simple syrup before, you’re going to be shocked (shocked I tell you!) when you find out how easy it is. Equal parts granulated sugar and water are simmered until the sugar dissolves into the water. That’s it! Once you have that… Read More

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: These are seriously the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made! And I’ve made a lot of them since I usually make mashed potatoes for holidays. The only problem is that they may tend to outshine your main course, which is not really a problem, it’s just something I’ve experienced first hand. Roasting the garlic really mellows it out, you can add an entire head of garlic to the mashed potatoes and it doesn’t overwhelm the dish. Roasting also makes the garlic cloves melt into the potatoes and gives you about a tablespoon of the most delicious garlic olive oil… Read More

How to Roast Garlic

Roasting garlic is a piece of cake. Something magical happens in the oven that turns the pungent garlic cloves into a smooth and buttery consistency. And, if you add it to mashed potatoes, it takes them over the top. It’s also great as an appetizer, you can spread it on bread just like butter! Start by cutting the top quarter off of a head of garlic. Next take a square of tin foil, shape into a little bowl with your hands, then add olive oil and put the cut side of the head of garlic down into the olive oil. Scrunch… Read More

Gluten Free Italian Sausage Lasagna

Gluten free Italian sausage lasagna is a delicious twist on a classic. Add “no boil” brown rice noodles, Italian turkey sausage & smoky fontina cheese- yum. Gluten Free Italian Sausage Lasagna Are you really hungry? Do you have a lot of people to feed? Do you like to experiment with new ingredients? Or maybe you just feel like making a nice, yummy, warm comforting meal? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this recipe is for you. Gluten free Italian sausage lasagna is a nice twist on the classic lasagna, adding “no boil” brown rice noodles, Italian turkey sausage and… Read More