Inspired Cooks — Cook more. Eat better. And have more fun!

September 11, 2020 Frankie F.

Mary Berry's Bakewell Tart
This recipe is perfect because one, I always have a few bags of fresh frozen blueberries on hand. Freezing fresh fruit in-season is a win-win all winter long! My stash of fresh frozen blueberries is the perfect antidote when fall has arrived, and I've already started counting the days till the next summer solstice. Their sweetness also works perfectly with the almond filling.

Reason number two? Watching Mary Berry on old episodes of The Great British Baking Show never gets old.

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September 8, 2020 Frankie F.

The Creamiest Butternut Squash Soup
The creamiest butternut squash soup — so healthy yet if feels so indulgent. Definitely the way to start Fall off right.

This soup is a breeze to make with only five main ingredients: butternut squash, potatoes, onions, carrots and chicken stock. The potatoes and squash are roasted together until tender, while the onions and carrots get sautéed until softened. The squash, potatoes and stock are then added to the pot with the onions and carrots and everything gets simmered before being pureed with an immersion blender or in a blender.
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August 31, 2020 Frankie F.

Breville Smart Ovens, Including Two Models with Air Frying
Breville ovens are smarter. I bought the original 9 function Smart Oven in 2010 and loved it the first time I used it. Soon my full-sized oven was starting to get resentful, and for good reason. The Breville preheated faster, kept a more even temperature, and offered more functions than its full-sized cousin.

Another thing I really love about these ovens is the timer. It counts down and turns the oven off when the time is reached. Set it for and hour and after an hour the oven turns off. This feature alone has saved many meals at our house.

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August 21, 2020 Frankie F.

No Churn Unicorn Rainbow Ice Cream
A groovy, technicolor ice cream for kids and adults alike.

This techno-colored, swirled dream of a dessert is definitely the easiest ice cream I've ever made. It is surprisingly well-textured given the direct-to-freezer method instead of churning in an ice cream maker. It's the perfect experiment for kids and comes together in 15 minutes (not including chill time of course).
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August 19, 2020 Frankie F.

Cherries and Mascarpone Cream Cake
Brought to you by one of the best cooks I've ever met, my friend's grandma, Judy. This crowd-pleasing cake is shockingly simple. With fluffy layers of vanilla cake, a whipped cream and mascarpone frosting, and cherry filling this cake is stunning, simple, and delicious!
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August 18, 2020 Frankie F.

Cheesy Zucchini Tots (for better afternoon snacks!)

Cheesy zucchini tots are baked rather than fried and are a lower-carb option to tator tots. And, they're made fresh, NOT from the freezer!

Whether this year school means in-person teaching or online classes, routines help keep things normal, such as an afternoon snack. Boost their learning with a tasty and healthy afternoon treat!

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August 6, 2020 Frankie F.

Panzanella Salad with Arugula & Mom's Farmhouse French Dressing
A traditional Italian summer salad of toasted bread, fresh tomatoes and onions with a French twist.

The popular Tuscan Panzanella is a salad made of toasted bread, fresh tomatoes and onions that characterizes a summer in Central Italy. We love the high proportion of toasty bread (obviously) and of course, that it's a delicious way to use up that lingering loaf sitting on your counter. Shake up your summer dinner routine and give this simple salad a try this weekend. It would pair wonderfully with the Roasted Beet Ravioli from our previous post!
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August 4, 2020 Frankie F.

Roasted Beet Ravioli with Ricotta Filling
It's hard to "beet" the bright fuchsia hue roasted beets give this vibrant homemade pasta.

If you're up for a fun weekend project, this roasted beet ravioli is it. It's easier than it looks and can make the perfect fun (and creative!) Saturday afternoon. Beets are roasted in the oven and then quickly pureed in the food processor. This is then added to flour with eggs and salt and kneaded to make the bright purplish-pink dough you see in the pics below. Then gradually roll the dough out using an Atlas Pasta Maker and fill with our favorite ricotta filling. Cook and voila! Dinner is served!
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July 2, 2020 Frankie F.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes
Who doesn't love a cookie cake? These nifty individual treats are great for any special occasion, holiday or anytime your sweet tooth starts a whining. For this recipe we’ve chosen a 4th of July theme with red, white, and blue...
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June 17, 2020 Frankie F.

All About Steak
As promised, though it seems like a lifetime ago, here’s my post about some tasty cuts of steak and an online butcher worth a try.

I started working on this post in back in early March with the intention of posting it early to give folks plenty of time to order their steaks for Father's Day. Well, a pernicious little virus upended everything in a hurry.

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June 15, 2020 Frankie F.

Loaded Potato Salad with Bacon of course!
Potato Salad is a nostalgic and quintessential part of any summer picnic or BBQ. It's creamy, chilled, mayonnaise-based sauce is the thing summer dreams are made of. This recipe comes with all the fixings - bacon, red onion, tangy dill...
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June 10, 2020 Frankie F.

Summer Picnic Coleslaw with a Twist
We love coleslaw and enjoyed this fun take on the picnic classic. Fresh pineapple adds a nice punch of tart, sweet flavor. We also added broccoli for a little more crunch and thinly sliced scallions for their herby, mildly sweet onion flavor.
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