I had a working dad tell me he did not know how to cook and also said that he wanted to add more veggies to their diet. So this one is for you. I chose cauliflower as the main vegetable because it has little to no flavor profile, which kids sometimes balk at. It also isn’t green; another known hard pass for kids. I hope this finds its way into your home and finds a place in your home as well.

This recipe is fast, requires little to no prep time, and can be frozen once cooked and reheated on another day. You can add other veggies if your children do appreciate them, and the choices of add-ins are unlimited. I’ll give you some options if you don’t want Mexican, though I think most people would eat Mexican every day if they could. This low-carb recipe makes that possible.

Let’s get to it.

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken (meat removed from the bone, most of the skin removed, and shredded)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Cooking spray

1 bag of frozen cauliflower rice

1 onion, sliced (you can use pre-diced onion from the produce department to save time and fingers, if needed)

1 red pepper, diced (you can use pre-diced peppers —green or red— from the produce department to save time and fingers, if needed)*

*If you like spice, add a jalapeño, diced finely

1-1/2 tsp chili powder (spice-wise, it is your choice)

1/2 - 3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (jarred minced garlic is fine to use as well)

8 oz of shredded cheese (your choice)

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

3/4 cup pico de gallo (store-made fresh pico de gallo is fine if it’s in the produce section-spice level is to your preference)

Let’s Cook!

Heat your oven to 350°

Shred the chicken and set aside

Heat a skillet on the stovetop and then add the peppers, onions, and garlic

Brown the veggies until they are golden

Add the frozen or thawed cauliflower and brown

Add the spices

-In a bowl, mix the heavy cream, pico, and 1/2 of the cheese

Add the shredded chicken and mix well

-When the vegetables are done (they should look golden brown), add them to the chicken mixture and mix well

Taste for salt and flavor and feel free to adjust as needed

Pour the mixture into a sprayed baking dish (9x13)

Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese

Bake for 40- 45 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top

Enjoy your meal

I make this meal whenever we’re fed up with the usual suspects for dinner. You can dress it up or down as suits your fancy. Have 2 different colored peppers, add peas, add broccoli or any veggies you or your family likes. If you add anything, simply increase the cream, shredded cheese, and pico accordingly.

This recipe is very forgiving. You don’t have to be exact with everything. Learning to be flexible when following a recipe makes your life easier. There are no wrong answers. And as long as you don’t burn the meal, you are all good.

All in all, remember this.

It is easier to add flavor, like salt or pepper, than to remove it and save the meal. Add a little at a time, and right before you put this in the oven, taste and add what you need.

If you meal prep, you can shred the chicken and dice or thaw your veggies before cooking day. Don’t mix the cream and pico before you are ready to assemble and cook. Pico has lime juice, which is not on good terms with milk. Milk takes offense to sitting with lime juice in it and will scowl and act sour. (For real, don’t premix them)

Also, you can make this, cook it, and then portion it into meals that you can microwave or freeze for a later time.

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So you bought a rotisserie chicken because you just could not walk away from it. The smell of it enchanted you like a snake charmer, its asp. Now what? It sits abandoned in the fridge, waiting to become a desired piece of culinary yumminess. I know you are tired from the week, the kids are screaming for something to eat, and you are not up for a fight with them to get them to eat their veggies.

Here is a simple solution that you can whip up in about 10 minutes. The flavoring is pretty much done for you, and if you are one of those fortunates to have a Dillons or Kroger rotisserie, you know how delicious those chickens are. I swear they put some kind of addictive spice in them.

Let’s Prepare: (There will be no cooking today! Woohoo)

Ingredients:

1- rotisserie chicken- traditional flavor (lemon pepper is not my choice here-well anywhere actually)

(You’ll use a portion for this recipe and the rest in a different chicken salad recipe I will give you next week.) It’s like waiting for the next Jack Reacher episode to drop, ladies, except you actually get to taste this morsel when it does.

3/4 mayonaise

3–4 ribs of celery-diced

1 medium onion-diced

Salt and pepper (Crazy Janes Mixed Up Salt is a great option here)

If you would like to add some other herbs or spices, I recommend:

• Poppy Seeds -looks nice but gives no flavor really

• Caraway Seeds-my favorite, and it does add a different flair to it

• Fresh parsley-for a touch of color but also does little in terms of flavor

• Cardamom- under-appreciated, if you ask me — it is amazing in everything from tea to food

Tools:

• Spoon

• Measuring cup

• Nitrile Gloves-if you don’t like touching food bare-handed

• Bowl- for mixing the ingredients

Let’s “Cook” (wink-wink)

Remove the skin from the entire chicken- no one wants that in a chicken salad

Shred the meat off of the chicken by hand. (making sure you don’t miss any little bones sneaking into the salad — they like to do that; they’re those evil little scoundrels)

Collect all the shredded meat into two bowls and have two storage containers available for the finished salads (recipe two for this chicken is next week)

Hone your math skills, because here is the technical part.

Separate the shredded chicken into thirds. Use 1/3 of the meat for this recipe. You can use up to half if your fractions are not up to speed. (cheat: use a scale to make the portions up*)

• The writer of this recipe neither promotes nor condones cheating. Just saying.

• The writer assumes no responsibility if your fractions are off- you should have studied in school. Just saying. STEM baby! STEM!

Add in the mayonnaise, celery, and onions.

Mix well to coat every morsel.

Variations and additions:

• Add things like white rice or pasta to change this up.

• Another tasty addition is a bit of Italian salad dressing.

• Diced red peppers are amazing in this too.

• Black olives are also fine here.

• Halved grapes

• Walnuts or pecans

Serve the salad in a bowl, on bread, naan, or pita, and top with your favorite sandwich accouterments.

Enjoy! Now go take a break. You look winded.

Tall Tale:

Rotisserie chickens are the greatest shortcut known to man. There is no shame in picking one up for your meal. They will be too busy savoring the meal to shame you for taking an easy pass on cooking a full meal. Rotisserie chicken is seasoned and completely moist too. I prefer it in chicken salad because the breast isn’t like dessert sand or sandpaper.

That being said, you can still call it your meal. (I will say nothing) Next week, I will give you the recipe for the 2/3 of the chicken you have left, or for an entire new chicken. I will also be adding some casserole recipes that use the chicken hack. You don’t want to miss those.

Yes, there will be Mexican recipes. Sheesh!

Catch me on Telegram, Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, Medium, Vocal, Wattpad, or WordPress. Dealer’s choice! Check me out on Social Media too via Linktree or my website, Ink and Echo. If you’d like to support my coffee habit, you can do that on Ko-fi too.

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Sausage and Potatoes

It’s Monday afternoon, and I’ve spent the entire day writing. I usually stop, go downstairs, grab something to eat, then bring it back up to my office to eat and keep going. When I finally looked up for lunch, it was 5:00 p.m…

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2 months ago · 4 likes · Alexandra Grant

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Eat your vegetables! How many times does a kid have to hear that in a lifetime: 10, 1000? I have no idea what it is about green vegetables that turns a kid off. I never had a problem with it, but my sister did. I have spoken to many people who have the same issue with their children. That’s a problem, since dark leafy veggies are nutritional powerhouses. Spinach croquettes may help ease your children’s aversion to greens.

Kids love fried foods. I have yet to meet a child who doesn’t love McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A. The foods they love are all fried, and with the exception of perhaps Chick-fil-A’s chicken, there is little in fast-food meals that’s worth eating or putting into your kids. This recipe may get some of your picky eaters to try them.

While they are still green, the fried component is the enticing aspect. A little creativity in how you present the morsel might also help. If your children are drawn to the ghoulish or gross, call them swamp fritters. Make it fun. Tell the kids you mowed the yard and decided to make something with the clippings. You know what your children are into; find an angle and use it.

If you can get them to take a bite, they just may surprise you. These croquettes are good hot or cold. They never lasted in my house. Every time someone in my family went into the kitchen, they went to the fridge and grabbed one. That’s a crazy kind of cool.

As far as nutrition is concerned, the snack-sized fritter keeps most of its nutrients. Some are lost in the cooking process, but for the most part, the vitamins, fiber, and minerals remain. Some nutrients are actually absorbed better after the greens are cooked, which improves mineral absorption. Either way, you can at least get them to try them, and they may even love them.

While not a low-calorie food, the croquettes make up for it in nutrients. The eggs and milk also add extra protein, which adds to the snack too.

Let’s get to it.

This recipe makes a lot of croquettes, so feel free to halve it if you want fewer. You can also make them smaller for two-bite treats or larger for a side dish. I used a tablespoon to drop the mixture into the oil. Use whatever you like to adjust the size: a teaspoon, a cookie dough scoop, and so on.

Ingredients:

9 eggs- whisked

1–1/2 to 2 cups of milk (start with 1–1/2 and add if the batter is too thick)

2 cups flour

3 12-oz bags of frozen chopped spinach (don’t use whole leaves- it tends to be stringy, and that will not appeal to a child)

1/2 cup of grated cheese — optional (I usually use parmesan, but today I was out — I used grated cotija cheese instead, which did not change the taste in any way)

1–1/2 tsp of kosher salt

1/2 tsp black or white pepper

Oil for frying

Tools

Cast iron pan (preferred) or any deep skillet

Whisk or hand mixer

Slotted spoon, fork, or basket hand strainer

Large mixing bowl

Let’s cook:

Thaw the frozen spinach (no need to drain)

Crack your eggs into a large mixing bowl

Add the milk and whisk or mix

Add the flour half a cup at a time, the grated cheese, and mix well (no lumps)

• The batter should be thick like pancake batter (water in the frozen spinach will thin it out a bit)

• Frozen bagged spinach has a much lower water content than the frozen blocks, which you would need to squeeze out.

Add the thawed spinach and blend well-no clumps of spinach that are not fully incorporated into the batter

Chill for 15 minutes or more. You can chill it for several hours, but I don’t recommend overnight.

Heat the oil in the cast iron pan or skillet on medium heat

When the oil is hot, drop a tablespoonful of the spinach batter into the oil.

The batter should begin to actively fry- if it sinks to the bottom and doesn’t begin to fry, wait until the oil heats some more. When it is hot enough, the one you just added will begin to fry as it should (see image). — the first one is the sacrificial lamb. I usually don’t eat that one if that’s what happens.

Depending on your pan size, you can cook 5, 6, or more at a time.

Fry for 3 minutes on one side, then gently flip them to the other side. — When you flip them, you are looking for a golden color, as pictured.

If they are too light, add a couple more minutes on the current side, then flip and cook for a couple more minutes on the other side.

When each batch is finished, remove the oil, let each one drain for a second, and lay them on paper towels to soak up extra oil or on a cookie rack to drain more.

Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt. — Don’t overdo it. No one wants a salt lick. Flavor: yes. Ocean water salting: no!

Note: Add salt right when you take them out of the oil so it sticks to the croquette. If you wait until they cool, it will literally bounce off them.

Side Story

My dad made these in our home. I always loved them. My sister, the finicky one, oddly enough, loved spinach this way too. When our dad would tell us he was making them, it was a reason to be excited. Weird, I know.

I told my sister that I was writing the recipe, and she asked me to send it to her. So that’s proof that even picky eaters can like spinach if it’s done right.

Let me know if you or your children enjoyed it.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, 2026)

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Sausage and Potatoes

It’s Monday afternoon, and I’ve spent the entire day writing. I usually stop, go downstairs, grab something to eat, then bring it back up to my office to eat and keep going. When I finally looked up for lunch, it was 5:00 p.m…

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2 months ago · 4 likes · Alexandra Grant

©2026 Kitchen Passport. All rights reserved.

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Search no more! You have found your dream breakfast burrito, bona fide. Don’t just take my word for it. Make them and see for yourself. Your family will want you to make them all the time, and so will any friend who gets a taste. I’ll also share a cheat that makes them carb-friendly and lower in calories if you really want to watch those. The process is a bit lengthy, but you’ll have a stash in your freezer, and you won’t regret it. Let’s get to it.

Ingredients:

18 burrito-size flour tortilla shells

Hack:

Get Carb Balance Mission brand or any low-carb or no-carb shells you like. I use their wheat ones, which I think taste best, but they also have spinach and chipotle flavors. To be honest, they don’t all taste that different.

18 eggs (rule of thumb: one egg per burrito)

1 cup milk or half-and-half (evaporated milk is fine too)

1 lb chorizo (this is a pork product-if you don’t eat pork, they have beef chorizo available in some markets) [Vegetarians, I suppose you can use tofu — but Mexicans don’t eat that stuff]

1 lb unflavored pork sausage or breakfast sausage

2 red peppers-diced

2–3 onions-diced

1 bag of frozen hash brown potatoes

salt, pepper, and any seasoning you enjoy

Shredded cheese — any kind except mozzarella (don’t mix your nationalities, lol)

Foil sheets or aluminum foil cut into squares or rectangles. The sheets are 9x10.75, so eyeball it.

Note:

You don’t really need the regular tortillas. They are much higher in calories and carbohydrates, and you want the filling to be the star if you think the two kinds taste different. There isn’t. Neither shell’s flavor profile adds much, so why not make them less guilt-inducing?

Tools needed:

A deep skillet (Teflon is a good option here since we will be cooking everything in the same pan — less concern for sticking and burnt bits)

A large sheet pan or aluminum foil for you single guys with no kitchenware

A whisk (you can use a fork if you prefer self-punishment)

A large bowl

Bowls or containers to hold the ingredients once cooked (see the assembly line image)

Nitrile gloves, unless you were one of those kids who loved making mud pies — then have at it bare handed

A spatula

Let’s Cook!

Before we begin: Get friendly with dish soap and the sponge because if you don’t want a pileup in the sink. Wash as you go.

Most of this will be done in the one-pan method. You will not wash the pan between steps. I forbid it — that is where the flavors live and will be incorporated into each ingredient that hits that pan.

Preheat your oven to 400° (204.44°C)

If you are not using foil to line it, spray with non-stick cooking spray

Add the frozen potatoes to the pan and bake in the preheated oven

When the potatoes begin to brown, take out of the oven and let cool

While those cook off, begin cooking the protein

Place the meat in the skillet over medium-low heat (you will not need any oil since pork has its own fat that will render out) [with tofu, you will definitely need it)

Brown the meat

While the meat browns, dice the produce and have it ready.

When the protein is fully cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the veggies right into that same pan with all the nice flavor bits in it

Brown the veggies in the rendered pork fat

While the peppers and onions cook, crack your eggs and add the milk and seasonings

Whisk

Once the vegetables have a nice golden color with browned edges, add the pork back into the pan and mix well

Remove the mixture to a bowl and let cool (you can mix the meat mixture and the shredded potatoes when they are cooked and let them cool)

Return the pan to the stove

Keeping the heat on medium-low, add the whisked eggs

Watch them closely, and use the spatula to move the eggs around the entire time. (You will notice the egg on the pan surface will start to solidify, and that is why you keep scraping them up to let the next layer cook — if you neglect this, you will be enjoying the sister burritos Burnt Egg Burritos — not a fan favorite, trust me)

Note:

When the egg mixture begins to scramble, it will move fasterpace —from liquid to solid starts slow, but once you have that first layer of cooked egg, it goes very fast after that.

Remove the scrambled eggs and place in a bowl to cool

The Hands-On Fun Begins:

Don’t be a hero. Let everything cool before assembling the burritos (no one wants burnt anything, especially the cook’s hands)

Set up the workstation/ assembly line as pictured.

Put on the gloves

Let’s Roll

Grab a sheet of foil and place a shell on it

Add one light handful of cheese (about 3 tablespoons)

Then add a handful of the egg (keep in mind — 1 egg per burrito, so it’s a light handful)

Add a handful of the meat/potato filling

Keep all of the filling on the lower third of the tortillas

Fold the two sides as pictured so both ends touch

From the bottom, carefully begin to roll upward — keep firm pressure without tearing the shell

** As you roll, the stuffing will want to escape. Keep tucking it in toward you until you reach the end—see the finished roll.

**Don’t get frustrated. There is a learning curve here, but in the end it is all edible,

Hack

You can use a piece of Saran wrap or something similar to roll them after you have folded the ends together. Just place it on the foil under the tortilla. There are videos online showing how to roll sushi and probably burritos as well if you are not ready to jump right in. Consult the oracle.

Wrapping It Up

Once you’ve rolled the burrito to your satisfaction, place it on the foil sheet, almost centered. The sheet should be positioned as a diamond, meaning the point of a corner towards your body

Fold the tip closest to you up and over and begin rolling the burrito in the foil

Fold over each end of the left and right corners to cover the ends, then continue rolling to the farthest corner. And that is it!

The recipe makes 18 fatties. Your hand’s grasped quantities will make the difference.

Note:

If you run out of filling, you can always make more. I am sure the tortillas will not go to waste either way. I know you eat Mexican food every other day. Admit it.

If you run out of shells, just have the filling like a skillet breakfast. You won’t be able to take it to go, but maybe a sit-down meal isn’t such a bad idea.

Want to know the best part?

You can freeze these babies and thaw whenever you want. Just take them out the day before, and warm them in the nuclear reactor for 1–1:30 minutes. (Please don’t let me think you lost the brain cell lottery by emailing me that the foil caught on fire. REMOVE THE FOIL FIRST. Then wrap the burrito in a dampened paper towel to heat. Sheesh.)

How This Became a Thing

If any of you follow me or have read any of my stories about my son, you may remember that I used to cook for the swim meets, the coaches, and the officials on the weekends. My dear friend, who ran the concessions stand for the swimmers and parents, used to make sausage, egg, and cheese burritos for the morning portion of the meets. I added my two cents, shook things up a bit, and created a more sophisticated version for the coaches and officials taking time away from home for our kids’ benefit.

Coaches get pain miserably, and I didn’t want them to have to go eat somewhere on their dime unless they hated my food. They didn’t. I spoiled them, and I hoped they always left full and happy. Every meal I made was different, except for the breakfast burritos. They always wanted those, so I kept them as a breakfast option every morning.

Drop me a message and tell me if you tried them and liked them.

(Published by Kitchen Passport, on Medium, 2026)

Catch me on Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, Medium, Vocal, Wattpad, or WordPress. Dealer’s choice! Check me out on Social Media too via Linktree or my website, Ink and Echo. And if you’d like to support my coffee habit, you can do that on Ko-fi too.

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Hello, food enthusiasts. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long for this installment. I write more than just family recipes, and that takes a big chunk of my day, plus posting and submitting to publishers. I will try to post a recipe once a week for sure, until I build a steady list of others who want to share their family secret recipes. This recipe is a twist on mashed potatoes, shaped by how I grew up with it at home. Don’t judge a book by its cover. This is strangely satisfying, and adding the egg at the end makes it amazingly filling. Kids will love it, and it is certainly a cheap meal or side for the current economy.

Mashed potatoes are a favorite of everyone, I believe, but they can get kind of boring. This will blow the lid off the dull, white, pasty staple. Twisted mashed potatoes change it up. This recipe works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a side dish. I’ll even share some hacks to make it even more versatile. Let’s dish it up!

Ingredients:

1 can of corned beef (not corned beef hash)

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (they are the creamiest-tasting and smoothest potatoes for the job)

Note: these were very large and made a large bowl of mashed potatoes, but the rule of thumb is one medium potato per person. The corned beef stays the same.

4 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of half-and-half (this makes the dish taste best, or you can use milk or even evaporated milk)

salt and pepper (I use Crazy Jane’s Mixed Up Salt — it has an amazing blend of herbs and the best flavor)

Optional: 1 egg (per person-if you want to go with today’s finished presentation)

Tools: a ricer, if you have one — makes life simpler; a hand potato masher if you are wanting to count this as a workout; a mixer if you don’t mind some lumps; or a food processor if you just can’t be bothered with any of these.

Let’s Cook!

Dice the potatoes (as pictured- you want them about the same size)

Place in a pot with water and bring to a boil.

Once the water boils, cook for 7 to 8 minutes.

Test the potatoes’ tenderness with a knife. (inserting the knife should be smooth and not hit any tough spot)

While the potatoes are cooking:

Place the corned beef in a bowl and loosen it up a bit.

Add the pats of butter

When the potatoes are fully cooked:

Drain the potatoes and then mash well

The Image shows what the ricer does (smooth and no lumps)

Add the potatoes to the other ingredients

Add the half-and-half and mix with a hand mixer if you have one (manually if you are a workout fiend)

*It should look thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

My dad used to add an egg on top. You might think that doesn’t sound good, but give it a try and I think I’ll win you over. It’s my personal favorite way to enjoy this dish.

Serve:

Dinner: as a side dish

Lunch: as a side or as the main event

Breakfast: as the main event with an egg on top

Hacks:

If you cut back on the liquid, add a raw egg or two and blend it in, then fry it up like a pancake. It crisps up and is amazing with another egg on top.

You can add the mixture to puff pastry to make pasties, or use it as a filling for pasta like ravioli or pirogues.

History

My dad made this all the time when we were growing up. It was a cheap meal that filled our tummies, provided protein, and, with a side salad, was pretty well-rounded. We weren’t wealthy, and Dad often was in and out of work. We had to pinch pennies. The fact that it tasted really good was a win-win for my dad. My sister was a very picky eater.

I once asked him who taught him to make this dish, and he said my birth mom used to make it. He told me it was common in Germany. Over the years, we had it in every variation except the ravioli or pasty version, which I created later as an adult. Now I make it every now and then for comfort and nostalgia.

This morning, I mentioned to my sister that I was writing the recipe, and she got that look in her eyes as she remembered it, too. She asked me to give her the recipe, too. So writing this will serve her as well when she makes it for her granddaughters, passing the baton of memories up the family tree.

I hope you enjoy it. Drop me a note to let me know if you tried it and what you thought.

(Published on Vocal)

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It’s Monday afternoon, and I’ve spent the entire day writing. I usually stop, go downstairs, grab something to eat, then bring it back up to my office to eat and keep going. When I finally looked up for lunch, it was 5:00 p.m.

My husband had been out on call all night and was sleeping. I knew he would appreciate a fresh meal when he woke up, so I went down to the kitchen and did the “open the refrigerator” thing, where you stare inside for something to yell out, “Cook me, make me!” But all I heard back was silence. I did this with both refrigerators.

I wanted something yummy, fast, and preferably with little work. In one, I was in full-on lazy mode. I found bratwurst and Italian sausage, which signaled my husband wanted them this week, and in the other I had a bag of onions and potatoes.

I knew there was a beautiful red pepper in the fridge as well, so the idea was: a simple dish I make every now and then, with not too many ingredients and a ton of flavor. This is comfort food at its understated best. Dinner or lunch, in 40 minutes.

Try it. I hope you enjoy it. Here we go.

Ingredients

5 sausage links — (this serves 4) (any kind of sausage works too)

3-4 potatoes, diced— (the rule of thumb is 1 potato per person)

1 red pepper — sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 Medium onion — diced

Garlic — quantity is your choice (We are anti-vampire in our home, so we enjoy copious amounts of it in everything except dessert: I am still looking for that recipe)

** I used 5 large cloves (did I ever mention that if there were a Garlic parfum, I would wear it? For real.)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of water

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes (because there is no reason not to add spice to your life)

Note:

This meal is very flexible. It is inexpensive to make, a rarity these days, and doubling it simply means adding more potatoes. I add three more potatoes to this recipe.

I also added 5 more sausages so there would be leftovers for those times when my husband gets called out in the middle of the night: he has a good meal before he goes in.

Nothing else needs to change when doubling, unless you want to add more veggies.

Shortcut:

Use frozen peppers and onions — it will save you from having to chop the veggies and cut about 5 minutes from the cooking time

Let’s cook!

Heat your pan or skillet over medium-low heat with the sausage. (I love cast iron because it holds its heat so well.)

** You don’t need oil here. Sausages have plenty of fat, which will render as they cook. This is your flavor base. Trust me.

Brown the sausages on all sides—which usually means 2 sides, unless you have perfectly straight sausage (see image)

Remove the sausage to a cutting board

Add the olive oil

Add the onions and peppers

Add the spices

Mix to distribute the ingredients evenly, then cook for 3 minutes, or until just before they turn translucent.

Add the potatoes and season

Slice the sausage while the veggies are doing their thing, filling your home with fragrance that will make you and everyone within a block ravenous.

Note:

The sausage is still raw at this point (see the image), but that is correct. They will continue to cook in a bit.

Add the sausage back into the pan and mix to distribute evenly.

Then add the water and cover.

Cook, covered, on medium-low to medium for 10 minutes (Don’t open the lid!). The ingredients are being naughty and need time to get to know one another in private: it’s steamy in there.

Remove the lid when the time is done.

Test the potatoes with a pointy knife by poking a couple. They should be firm yet tender.

(The sausage will be fully cooked—that’s why we slice it: a quickie)

Turn off the heat because I know it’s done, and get ready to savor every simple morsel.

Voila!

Plate, serve, and take a bite.

Tell me what you think afterward.

Add-ins

You can embellish this meal however you like. Add peas, diced or sliced carrots, or any other vegetable you like, fresh or frozen. Don’t have potatoes? Use sweet potatoes (yams), parsnips, or another root vegetable. The options are limitless.

**If you use veggies with higher water content, such as zucchini (courgette), yellow squash (crook-necked or otherwise), pattypan, or any summer squash, omit the water.

*** If you use chicken or turkey sausage, add a little oil after you heat the pan to brown the sausage.

(Those have much lower fat content, so you will need the oil at the beginning and before you add the veggies.)

**** Add curry, harissa, or ras el hanout: use any seasoning you love if you want to change it up.

Personal Note

This meal has a little backstory, as so many meals do. My dad made this a lot when my sister and I were kids. It was cheap as dirt, and more often than not, he was broke. It filled your belly and had a strange way of making you feel homey and good, like most carbs do.

When we became adults and were on our own, we started making this. After we had our families, my sister and I still cook it. We no longer make it as a fallback during lean times; we make it because it is comforting and nostalgic, as well as delicious.

Our families love it too, and hopefully theirs will as well, though not for the reasons our dad made it.

In the end, good food isn’t for the wealthy who can buy gourmet ingredients; it’s for anyone who can take simple ingredients and turn them into something otherworldly, simply by being creative.

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I’m about to give you my son’s favorite dish recipe. Shhh. Don’t tell him or say it too loudly; he doesn’t know. And considering I haven’t given it to him yet, he might get a bit miffed at me. Brilliant thought: if I share the link with him, maybe he will finally subscribe to something I wrote.

This dish is so versatile, you will want to keep it on hand whenever you are out of ideas for a meal or side dish. It is packed with flavor. You can add or omit any protein you enjoy, except seafood. This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 or more; if your family is smaller, cut it in half. It can be multiplied just as easily, too.

Let’s begin

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice — (I prefer Jasmine rice over any other. The grain has a beautiful fragrance when uncooked and holds up better than any other rice. DO NOT use instant rice or brown rice.)

1–2 pounds meat — diced (Any kind of meat. If omitting, nothing else in the recipe changes.)

2–3 tablespoons Olive oil or ghee (Butter can be added to add richness to the flavors. I use olive oil and butter together, unless I have ghee in the house)

1 medium onion, diced

2–3 cloves of garlic, minced (this is where you use your taste preference-use more or less as you like. We love garlic, so I use more sometimes. You can also use jarred garlic, though you should add a bit more since it loses its potency in the canning process)

* Note: if garlic was a fragrance, I would wear it-I love everything about it, but its fragrance is intoxicating to me.

** Added bonus: vampires tend to avoid you. Mosquitoes too, since they are essentially vampires in bug form

1 bunch green onions (scallions)- sliced into 1-inch sections

4 cups broth or stock (Select whichever matches your protein, or vegetable stock if you are not using meats)

1 tomato bouillon per 2 cups of broth/stock- (crush it to a powder for easy dissolving: no one wants to chomp down on a partially dissolved bouillon)

* If you don’t have tomato bouillon, use chicken, beef, or vegetable)

1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce (this is per 2 cups of rice-add or reduce as per your quantities)

salt and pepper — to taste

2 tablespoons of chili powder (Chili powders are not all created equally in terms of spiciness/heat signature. You know how spicy you and your family like things: go for it!)

Let’s Cook:

Dice your protein. Season it.

In a deep skillet, heat the oil or ghee. Add butter if you are using it.

(Always heat the pan first, then add your oil, ghee, or butter: that’s how you prevent sticking)

Add your protein and brown well: that’s how it gets flavor.

Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until translucent and starting to turn golden. (That’s love right there-flavor) Always add onions before garlic, or the garlic tends to burn-yuk! And how dare you destroy my favorite enhancer? They can be added together too

Add the rice and bouillon, mix, and toast the rice.

When the rice begins to look golden, add the tomato sauce, green onions, and broth, then stir to combine.

Add the chili powder and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then lower your heat to medium-low.

Cover. (If the lid starts spewing, your heat is too high. You should not have to vent the lid at all. It should remain on the entire cooking time.)

Cooking time is about 17–22 minutes. When all the liquid has evaporated. The dish will have a thick, sauce-like consistency and look like a thick stew. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools.

P.S. If you want more liquid absorbed while it is still cooking, go for it. There is nothing yummier than rice that has stuck to the bottom of the pan and is deliciously crusted. That is my favorite part, and it has even more flavor. Just don’t let it burn.

Bon appetit (You are thinking about it, aren’t you? Julia Child’s voice.)

True Story:

When we lived in Denver, we had a favorite Mexican restaurant. They made the best Mexican rice I have ever tasted. Their pork green chili was the best, too. I wrote about that one in one of my vacation stories. Anyway, we moved from Colorado, and I missed the rice. So I set out to recreate the dish as closely as I could. This right here is that recipe. It is the only way I make it. While it is not the same in many respects, it tastes better, aside from the meat addition.

Thank you for sticking around — clap, like, or bite if you’re still breathing. The food. Bite the food.

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Mexican Dirty Rice ©2026 Spilled Ink for Kitchen Passport. All rights reserved.

Want something more dangerous, spicier? Here’s a really spicy one:

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Everyone loves Fettuccine Alfredo. It’s a classic dish. A little goes a long way because it’s so filling. Yes, it’s a high-calorie meal, but what the heck? You can’t eat lettuce every day, so splurge once in a while.

At home, we don’t eat a lot of pasta. We try to stick to proteins, whole grains, and produce. However, my son loved Alfredo, and since he would ask for it quite a bit, I needed to improvise a little to keep things from getting stale. Who wants the same old, same old all the time?

If you have finicky eaters who love pasta, you can get really creative with this recipe. You can sneak in veggies like the peas here or inside the filled pasta. And it’s cheap.

You can make this sauce and ladle it over chicken however you like. It’s versatile, and if you are creative, you won’t eat it the same way for a long time.

Oh, did I mention you can have this meal cooked and on the table in an astounding 7 minutes from the moment the water boils? That means you can drag your butt home from a hard day, put a pot of water on while you get out of your stuffy work clothes, and have your brood stuffing their tummies before they can say, “Hi, Mom, what are we having for dinner? We are starving!” That took 7 minutes to say, right? Ha!

Let’s get to it then.

Ingredients:

Ravioli (8oz) (Here is the subjective part — today’s recipe made enough for 3–4 hungry people — I used 1/3 of a 24 oz bag of frozen cheese ravioli)

4-Slices of Canadian Bacon- sliced, diced, minced -however you like it (Don’t have Canadian bacon? Use any ham you like, such as prosciutto or Serrano. With prosciutto or Serrano ham, cut it into small pieces and fry it like bacon for a more gourmet version of this dish. It will add a little time to preparation.)

1/2 canned, frozen, or fresh peas -at room temperature

1-cup heavy cream-/double cream/whipping cream < — these are all the same (If you don’t have heavy cream of any kind, use half-and-half and increase the simmer time and the amount of grated cheese)

1/2- cup grated cheese (Parmesan, Parmesano Reggiano, Asiago, or similar)

2–3 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions: Pay attention! This will be quick.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil

2. Go change out of your clothes.

3. As soon as the water boils, add the salt and ravioli. *See note below:

**Always add salt to boiling water, not to cold water. Adding salt to cold water can pit your pots over time. Protect your good stainless-steel pots — they were an investment, not a fleeting guest.

4. Once you add the ravioli to the water, stir them so they don’t stick-you don’t really need oil in the water.

   

   

Note the time: 11:37. Pasta in, pan heating for the sauce. Image taken by the author.

5. Melt butter or ghee in a pan over medium-low heat.

6. Add your ham.

7. Add Peas and let these three ingredients get warm.

8. Add the cream, cheese, and pepper, then stir.

9. As soon as the ravioli float to the top, they are done. Guaranteed.

10. Drain pasta and add it to the pan where the magic is happening.

11. Mix and coat everything with love, and let it begin to bubble.

12. The sauce will thicken quickly. — Coat the back of a spoon as pictured. That is what ready looks like.

13. Call the clan to dinner and watch their eyes. *Yep, they are going to rave.

Tidbit

I have a long line of Italians in my family tree. It may be an olive tree, actually, since we are discussing Italy.

Anyway, as a rule, Italians don’t eat Italian food out. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you since you asked so nicely.

We don’t eat Italian food out because they always overcook the pasta. For us, overcooked pasta is a cardinal sin. It’s like eating Chef Boyardee canned pasta. It’s just not done.

Side note on this tidbit: If you ever see an Italian eating canned pasta, report it immediately to the Italian authorities. That person’s Italian card will be revoked.

This being said, always cook pasta al dente — to the tooth. I’m not sure why they call it to the tooth, when slightly undercooked is more accurate. So there’s that.

Remember: Spot, Report, Revoke — all pseudo Italians. It’s serious business.

I hope you enjoy your meal. Dinner is served!

**This recipe took longer to write out than it will to make it, eat it, and have your kids wash the dishes.

(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

If you’d like to share a recipe and some anecdotes, bring it to us. We are open for business and taking on new cooks.

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Photo By Alexandra Grant

Summertime is filled with the great outdoors. From forests to lakes, beaches to parks, we want to be outside, not locked in the house. We congregate with friends and family over food. It’s a normal function of socialization. People need people. In a world filled with ones and zeros, summer reminds us that there is frivolity and joy in being with other humans.

When we do get together, we love to eat. Food is the great equalizer. It is something we all share, and that has embedded memories in us. So let’s make a new memory today. Let’s think outside the box and try something new and refreshing.

The added bonus in this recipe is that it doesn’t have to be refrigerated when you take it to your next BBQ or picnic. The flavor profile is another added bonus. You have savory, sweet, refreshing, and even spicy, if you play your cards right. I’ll tell you how. Let’s cook.

Mango Salad (not a dessert)

Ingredients:

3 ripe mangoes - diced

(Mangoes ripen after they are picked, so if you get one that is very firm, you can let it sit on the counter, in the fridge, or place it in a paper bag for a day or so and get it where you want it to be)

1 or 2 jalapeños - seeded and diced

(Here is where the spiciness comes in. You can leave some or as much of the membrane as you like to increase the bite in the salad; just think about who will be eating it and use your judgment.)

2 cups fresh tomatoes - seeded and chopped

(Romas are the best for this)

1 medium-sized onion - diced or thinly sliced

(any color or variety; I like to slice them so there is some diversity-all chopped ingredients are kind of boring)

1 English cucumber - diced or thinly sliced as the onion above

(don’t peel the cucumber - it’s not needed)

1/4 cup or more chopped peanuts (*optional) (use lightly salted)

1-3 garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic so I use the max: use at least one)

1/2 a bunch of cilantro - (*optional)

The Dressing

2-3 tablespoons lime juice - fresh or reconstituted lime juice.

1 tablespoon oil (your preference)

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (yes, you need this: it seems unusual but trust me it is amazing)

The Process

Mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice the mangoes off the pit. Keep the pit.

To slice the pit out, hold the mango upright or on its side and take your knife and slice each side off. The pit is in the center, and it’s large, flat, and disc-shaped.

*see image below

Dice the mangoes.

** Tip: take each half with the skin still on, and use a paring knife to slice a pattern into it as close as you can get to the skin without piercing through it. Then turn it inside out and slice off the chunks.

***Note: If this scares you or you are not confident of not bleeding yourself, you can dice the halves, then carefully peel or slice off the skin. (— for the pit meat, peel the skin and then slice off pieces until you have removed all the good mango meat)

Place them in the dish you are making it in.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients and add them to the mango cubes

*Tip: if you are not planning on making the salad too spicy, please work on the jalapeños last, or it will leave spicy residue on the cutting surface that will transfer to your other ingredients

Add the dressing and mix well

Top with additional nuts if using and enjoy

A little something extra:

At swim club, when my son was still a competitive swimmer, I cooked for all of our at-home swim meets. I did this for years. I always created a diverse menu to keep our usual visitors interested in our hospitality.

One year, and it was more like a year and a half, I decided to expand everyone’s palates, opening their eyes to new cuisine. I created the Tour of the World Menu. Each at-home swim meet’s menu for the three or four days of its duration was an adventure in a new continent.

Everyone was introduced to nations all over the world and the foods they enjoy in their own nations. Three meals a day were focused on only one region of the world. It was a great way to learn about our neighbors, and even I learned things.

This salad was from Africa. The African climate varies by region. Some are desert-like, some are filled with tropical rainforests, and some are lowland savannas. One thing is certain: many nations experience hot temperatures for a large portion of the year.

You may be surprised to learn that in hot climates, the region’s foods can be very spicy. Capsaicin triggers the body’s response to produce sweat. That sweat cools you down as it evaporates. Interesting, right?

This salad refreshes in a couple of ways. The fruit is naturally a light element that cools you off, but it’s the jalapeños, the spice, that makes you sweat and cool down as well. Think of a mist of water on you when it’s super hot out. Disney World has this all around the parks in Florida due to the high heat and humidity index, which most travelers are not accustomed to, and it works.

Feedback:

We’d love to hear your feedback and what you thought of the salad once you make it and share it. Come back and let us know. Subscribe for emails when new recipes are posted.

Thank you for stopping by.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

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If you enjoy cooking as I do and love trying new recipes from all over the world, you likely have a collection of spices and herbs in your cupboard or pantry. I have a huge collection. Everything from dried chile powders to curry powders, harissa powder, berber, and blends for everyday grilled meats. Some are more exotic than others and come at higher costs or are difficult to find. So what do you do with all of it? How do you store them if you don’t use them all the time and don’t want to waste money? Let’s talk spices.

Spice Life

Spices in solid form have a decent lifespan. If you grind your own spices, you can comfortably store them at room temperature longer than powdered spices. The flavor profile of freshly ground spices is much better. The oils in the ground spice are what you are essentially needing for a recipe.

The shelf life of ground spices is about 6 months, give or take. That means that every 6 months you have to replace them entirely, or you may as well sprinkle pixie dust on your foods. You won’t taste them. So grinding is better in that scenario.

And replacing a cabinet or pantry full of herbs and spices can be cost-prohibitive.

Make It Spicy

If you don’t know how to grind your own, you have two options. An electric coffee bean grinder or a hand-cranked one. Either way, a grinder for coffee will give you the best powder consistency. Please don’t use the same one you use for your coffee. Unless you like the flavor of cumin in your coffee. Cardamom is one thing, but cumin or harissa is not my cup of tea. Wait, I meant coffee.

Now, you can use the caveman way too, if you like, but you might need a couple of days to cook a meal then. The mortar and pestle is not a bad tool, but in the post-industrialization era, we did better.

Spice Dying Out-Toss It

Once ground, your spices encounter the same issues as store-bought ones. They have a limited shelf life. Also note that if you are purchasing ground spices, you have no idea how long those have been in transit and then in a warehouse or on the grocery store shelf. So subtract a month or two from that 6-month lifespan. I usually date the bottom of the tin when I purchase them, not when you open them. Remember, they may have been on that shelf for months already or in the back room somewhere.

The cupboards are full of spices. You are looking at them like, what do I do then with that anise powder or cardamom powder you bought last year for that one meal? Short answer. Toss it. Buy new, and when you do, even if you don’t open it, put it in the freezer. It makes the shelf life much longer. How much? Well, when I hit a spice that has lost its potency, aroma, and flavor, I’ll let you guys know.

Cold Spice-Not To Be Confused With Posh

I have almost the entire sliding drawer of my freezer filled with spice. I have my other freezers loaded as well. And still, my cupboard and pantry have more.

Some of you caught the extra freezers part. Well, aren’t you perceptive?

Spice Story

I used to cook for a lot of people every week. I had my son’s youth group of 150 or more kids and parents. I was the hospitality coordinator for my son’s swim team, where I made the menu and all the meals for our team’s local swim meets. This meant I cooked 3 meals a day for 3-4 days once a month, for 50-80 people. Do the math. That’s a whole lot of cooking.

I was a stickler for giving them the full dining experience, so I would set the banquet tables with linens, fresh flowers, and candy dishes with assorted tidbits. I rarely served the same menu twice and literally introduced every one of the coaches, officials, swimmers, and meet volunteers to the world. I cooked meals from every corner of the globe. So, I have a lot of freezers.

I stored the meats and the finished pans of cooked meals in them, right next to spices in larger quantities, when I would run out of space in the household refrigerators in the swim club’s kitchen.

I still have most of them in my garage and two refrigerators in my kitchen. What can I say? I am a ‘what if’ kind of person. So while I have parted with one of the freezers, I keep one for beef, one for pork, one for fowl, and the other for seafood and spices. And yes, I know it’s nuts. But if you ever need a spice or a pound of ground pork, I’m your gal.

My son calls every now and then and tells me he needs to come home to go meat shopping. He means loading up his coolers with meats and taking them home. It makes sense, really. Have you seen the price of meats these days? The gas from Colorado to Kansas and back is cheaper, and he gets some home cooking before heading back.

He gets kisses and hugs for dessert, too.

Thank you for sticking around — clap if you’re still breathing.
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All images were taken by the author, a home cook extraordinaire. All images were also eaten.

My mom made this amazingly refreshing cucumber salad. It was wonderful in the summertime when we came in from swimming or playing outside. It was so good, it was a staple all year long.

I make it often now. I never forgot her recipe. It’s so simple you can memorize it faster than your own name, and it has only 4 ingredients. So, if you forgot to make some side dish and your goose is cooked (okay, not your goose), this is fast and light.

However you make it, for one, two, or many, the recipe is the same and easy to remember.

Here we go. Let’s Cook!

Yes, I know we aren’t cooking. Senility hasn’t hit me yet.

Ingredients

(Recipe serves 2–3 easily)

1 Cucumber — Sliced very thin (any kind, though English ones are nicer and have fewer seeds)

Use a mandolin if you have one

1/2 tsp Dried Dill (if you used fresh, double it or even triple it)

1 TBSP of Mayonnaise (if you don’t have mayonnaise, use sour cream or plain yogurt)

1 Pinch to 1/2 tsp of salt

Putting it together

Slice the cucumber thinly and put in a glass bowl or container.

Sprinkle the salt on the cucumbers (this will begin to sweat the cucumbers- think of it as the vinegar without the tartness)

Sprinkle the dill on the cucumbers and toss

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, and mix it all together.

Give the ingredients a couple minutes to get to know one another so they don’t feel awkward marrying with an introduction first.

Done

** As it sits, the liquid turns into a light dill dressing. It will not be thick but very thin and loose, and it tastes incredible.

Whew!

Take a breather. That was hard work.

Sidenote:

My mom (not my biological mom) has been gone for a decade now. I make a lot of her recipes throughout the year. The smells, flavors, and taste of those recipes make me remember her and so many days and nights at home with her. That is comforting.

Every time I prepare her dishes, I feel like I am home again in the kitchen with her watching her cook. I see myself, a six-year-old memorizing her foods, so I never forget what home felt like.

I did this for my son too, as he grew up. He knows the smell of my cooking and remembers home. I see him a couple of times a year now, if I am fortunate enough to visit or have him come home for a visit.

He always has a menu-length list of what he wants me to make for him to eat. So I do, and I always make extra in containers and freeze them so he can pull out one of Mom’s meals whenever he misses my cooking.

I first bought him a small freezer just for those meals I make for him. He now has three to store as many home-cooked meals as I have the energy to make for him.

I fill them all to the top every time.

(Published in Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

Craving something heartier? Try Farro Salad next.

Catch me on Patreon, Substack, Beehiiv, Medium, Vocal, Wattpad, or WordPress. Dealer's choice! Check me out on Social Media too via Linktree or my website, Ink and Echo. And if you'd like to support my coffee habit, you can do that on Ko-fi too.

Photo taken by Alexandra Grant

A little history

I have been making this salad for at least six years. It began with my introduction to tabbouleh. I loved the taste and ingredients. It was wholesome, and I wanted my family to eat less processed food.

My entire family loved it. It’s hardy, has protein, good carbs, and a nice quantity of vegetables. The dressing can be as simple as you like or homemade. The ingredients can be doubled or halved just as easily.

Trust me when I say, everyone who tries it will want the recipe.

The ingredients I will list make a 9x13 deep-pan salad. It is best at room temperature and lasts longer than lettuce- or mayo-based salads, making it ideal for potlucks, barbecues, or church luncheons. From here on out, when you get a request to bring something to eat, you will announce that you will bring the salad: that is, if they don’t just outright ask you to bring this specific

Ingredients:

3 cups water

4 oz Feta crumbles (Brand doesn’t matter, but make sure it’s plain.)

1–1/2 cups farro (Farro is an ancient grain that has been around for thousands of years. Farro was eaten by the Pharaohs: not really, but they did make breads from the grain varieties we call Farro. The emmer, spelt, and einkorn are all wheat strains considered farro.)

1 English cucumber— unpeeled and diced (Yes, it matters. They are bigger, and yes, that matters, but most importantly, they have very small or nonexistent seeds, keeping the water content in them to a minimum. )

1 bunch of green onions-sliced

1 red pepper (Green peppers are too bitter. Red peppers have the best flavor profile for this salad.)

1 can of black olives- sliced any way you want(Whatever your preference is does not make or break the salad. Kalamata will give it more zest, but regular canned is fine too. Sliced or whole, it’s up to you.)

The Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (The closer you get it from the Mediterranean, the better.) I use Spanish olive oil because it’s more aromatic and flavorful. The fact that my family lives in Spain might have something to do with it, but I will neither confirm nor deny such allegations.)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (It can be white wine vinegar, but not white or apple cider vinegar. Brand does not matter much, but quality should be fairly decent.)

For the dressing spices, I don’t have a set selection. The quantities are up to your taste, though salt should be kept to a minimum due to the feta cheese’s saltiness. Here are some choices:

1 tsp or less of salt ( I use less or none at all.)

1/2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated onion

1/2 tsp of granulated garlic powder

1/2 tsp of Greek seasoning blend (available in most grocery stores; Italian seasoning works well, too. Don’t have that, then use oregano and a little less than 1 tsp of basil).

1 tsp ground cumin (This is needed, but if you don’t like it, omit it.)

(** If you want to make it even easier, you can use Good Seasonings. It has a similar taste, and neither you nor your guests will know the difference. Just follow package instructions, add 1 tsp cumin, and pour.)

Here we go

Make the salad dressing and set aside to get cozy with all its ingredients.

Making the farro: (read through)

2x the volume of the farro you use in water (i.e., a 2-to-1 ratio, meaning 1–1/2 cups farro to 3 cups water. (***Don’t change the ratio even in a rice cooker. Farro doesn’t cook the same or require the same amount of water as white rice. Farro is the whole grain of wheat before the chaff is removed and processed.)

Tip: Use a rice cooker and set it to ‘whole grain’, not rice. It will do its thing and finish cooking in an hour. The added time is a small sacrifice for the mess it saves you.

If you prefer the stovetop method, stay nearby because it will get messy as it loves to foam up and over the pot. On the stove, you will cook it on low until the water evaporates. This will take approximately 40–45 minutes.

When the farro is cooked, set aside to cool completely.

Putting it together: * while the farro cooks

In a large dish, mix the vegetables and the dressing.

When the farro has cooled, add it to the marinated vegetables and toss until well blended and everything is glossy and coated in the dressing.

Eat and enjoy now, or later, room temperature or chilled. Then wait for the ooh’s and ahh’s.

**Note:

Olive oil solidifies when cold, so if that is a no-go for you, take it out and let it reach room temperature, as I do. I’m not a fan of chunky olive oil.

Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your experience with it.

Here is a little side story

When my son was a competitive swimmer here in Wichita, I became a swim mom. As a parent of young Olympic hopefuls- because, yes, all of our children were going to the Olympics one day- we had to volunteer at our own hosted swim meets.

I ran the hospitality suite for the coaches and officials, who we fed three times a day and for 3–4 days. The first time I made this salad, I had grown men and women asking for doggie bags to take to their hotels.

Farro salad really is that good.

(Published by Kitchen Passport on Medium, July 2026)

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Hungry yet? Come take another nibble

Try Dilly Cucumber Salad next..

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