A quick, healthy, vegan, fruit and nut-filled snack. Not too sweet but still good when you’re craving something less granola and more like dessert.
Trista Smith, Recipe Tester
A list of all the recipes Trista Smith has tested.
Easy Guacamole
Easy as heck, this guacamole takes a minimalistic approach that keeps ingredients to the essentials yet doesn’t disappoint. Sorta tricky to come by that these days. And yet here we are.
Kentucky Bourbon Cake
This Southern classic is like a pound cake given its decadent amount of butter and its tender crumb. But oh, baby, wait’ll you taste the bourbon glaze.
Grilled Steak with Coffee Spice Rub
Who knew so few ingredients could conjure such big taste? Witness this robust grilled steak with its pantry-friendly spice rub.
Paleo Banana Bread
This is gluten-free and paleo-friendly, for those keeping track of such things. But it’s also awesome enough for anyone to fall for it.
Green Soup
A quick and easy way to inject some broccoli, peas, spinach, and other greens into your weekday routine. And it doesn’t taste as hippy as it looks.
Mint Tea
Learn firsthand the virtues of tea made from fresh mint versus a teabag—and yes, said virtues include ease and simplicity.
Cinnamon Tea
Sorta amazing what loveliness can be wrought from just a stick of cinnamon and some hot water. So simple. So soothing.
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Unequivocally better than those preservative-laden cake imposters you grew up on. Swear. And you can customize whatever you want to write on top, whether the name of your team or a sweet little something.
Hungarian Cauliflower Soup ~ Karfiolleves
“Gorgeous!” “Satisfying and deceptively easy.” “A keeper.” That’s what folks are saying about this traditional Hungarian cauliflower soup.
Grilled Panzanella Salad
This brashly untraditional panzanella grills the bread so you can dispense with waiting for stale bread. Still frugal. Still stunning. Still more than the sum of its parts.
Birthday Cake Fudge
No-bake cake doesn’t get any easier than this funfetti fudge that’s complete with a semisweet chocolate “cake” layer, a white chocolate “frosting” layer, and sprinkles galore.
Pan-Seared Pork Chops
Perfection. That’s what we think of this simple yet exquisite melding of pork, butter, salt, and pepper from chef Gabrielle Hamilton.
Farmer Cheese
This homemade farmer cheese is rich, creamy, lovely, and crazy easy to make. Sorta like a poor man’s (or shall we say, lazy man’s) homemade ricotta. Here’s how to make it.
Cold Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill
Your favorite Greek tzatziki sauce transformed into an insanely cooling, soothing summer soup. No stove required.
Roasted Plums
Scented with star anise, not overly sweet, and just 25 minutes from start to finish. Talk about our sorta summer dessert.
Mustard-Glazed Ham
Going rogue this Thanksgiving? Consider this simple glazed ham has got a sweet and spicy thing going on that’s simultaneously subtle and super impressive. And let’s face it, leftovers are reason enough to make it.
Cauliflower Purée
Mashed potatoes this is not, although it does have a uniquely and really quite charming caulifloweriness all its own that we quite like.
Roasted Garlic
Is there anything better than roasted garlic? We think not. Three ingredients. Almost no effort. And yet what results is both complex and versatile and knee-wobblingly lovely.
Refrigerator Pickles
These kaleidoscopic little lovelies don’t require the typical processing and patience that classic pickles demand. Woohoo!