Food TV icon Rachael Ray has a winning formula: 30-Minute Meals. But when home cooks gripe about Rachael Ray, it’s because those very same quick meals load the body with calories and the sink with pots and pans. What’s the point of eating at home if you might as well hit the drive-through? What’s the point of cooking supper in 30 minutes if it takes another 30 to clean up? This quick supper (might I add, this tasty supper?) is low in calories. It requires only a skillet and a spatula, a cutting board and a knife, plus a bowl for dredging. Now that, home cooks, is truly a winning formula! CAJUN SPICE MIX With a well-stocked spice pantry, it’s easy and inexpensive to blend homemade spice mixes. I fill empty spice jars with my own blends, then just add them to the collection. For Cajun flavors, combine a tablespoon each of paprika, cumin and kosher salt with a teaspoon each of garlic powder, black pepper, thyme and oregano. ALANNA's TIPS The smaller the potato dice,

Imagine this grocery list: 1200 pounds parchmeal, 3400 pounds flour, half ton hulled corn, nearly two tons pork, 750 pounds salt, 100 pounds lard, 112 pounds sugar, 50 pounds coffee. Whew! In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark gathered provisions for a grand expedition to secure control of the Louisiana Purchase. Their party of forty-five men and a dog pushed up the Missouri River through Nebraska and the Dakotas into what’s now Montana where they reached the Missouri headwaters, crossed the Rockies, and finally, followed the Columbia to the Pacific. In 1806, the exhausting journey drew to an 8000-mile close, returning to grand celebrations in St. Louis on September 23rd. During the trek, the explorers ate much and ate well. In her book The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark, culinary historian Mary Gunderson brings alive the explorers’ planning, hunting, fishing, gathering, trading, cooking and eating. It is historybook and cookbook all in one, both readable and cook

Pound for pound, sweet peppers are one of the most expensive vegetables in the grocery store’s produce section. They’re worth it for one or two but it’s hard to justify gorging on peppers at $1.50 a pop. But beginning in early September, the farmers market has big baskets of sweet peppers priced for a binge, some times four for a dollar. Side-by-side with the perfect commercial beauties, garden-grown peppers are small and odd-shaped. But they’re full of freshness and flavor. Yes, September is the month to feast on sweet bell peppers! WARM PEPPER SALAD Arrange grilled peppers in a single layer in a baking dish. Top with an ounce of finely chopped anchovies, a handful of capers and Italian seasoning. Repeat with a second layer, then drizzle the anchovy oil over top. Let flavors meld in a 350F oven for 20 – 30 minutes. Good served warm or at room temperature. ALANNA's TIPS I love the food processor attachment to my immersion blender . It’s the perfect size for dressi

My latest concept recipe – thank goodness readers like flexibility and adaptability as much as I do – that starts with a creamy base of goat cheese and cottage cheese mixed and baked until warm with bits of vegetables and fresh herbs. Which vegetables? Which herbs? Well, that's up to you, whatever you think tastes and looks good, usually just by checking the fridge and pantry. Herbed Goat Cheese is a real crowd pleaser at parties and a convivial way to smart a small gathering. So easy, so good! Fresh & Adaptable. Quick & Easy for Impromptu Gatherings. Low Carb. Great for Meal Prep.

What a dilemma, naming this peach and blueberry cake! There's a kinda-sorta cake that lines the pan and cups the rainbow-colored fruit. But is it actually a peach and blueberry tart? Maybe but not in the traditional sense, there is much more filling. Is it a peach and blueberry pie then? Definitely not, even if the proportion of filling to cake is more like a deep-dish pie than a tart. There's just one solution! Make it and decide for yourself what this genre-bending summer dessert should be called. Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Beautiful Color. Budget Friendly. Potluck & Party Friendly. Rave Reviews. What're you waiting for?!

Some times it's fun to take a classic recipe and turn it on its side. That's what's happening here, with a pasta salad version of summer's favorite sandwich, the BLT, that unbeatable combination of bacon, lettuce and tomato between two slices of bread. That's right, it's a BLT Salad instead of a BLT sandwich! Fresh & Summery. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Carb.

Two recipes today, both really show off summer's best fruits! First up is an unusual savory-sweet soup I call "Fruity Gazpacho" that's good as an appetizer, an entrée, or truly, even a dessert. Fruity Gazpacho mixes healthy summer fruits and vegetables and is positively fresh and delicious. Make sure to make room in your fridge for a batch this summer! Next up is a light and summery fruit salad, sweetened with no more than a little sugar and fresh mint. An Unusual Chilled Summer Soup, Both Sweet & Savory. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegan. Whole30. Naturally Gluten Free.

Who else loves refrigerator pickles? I have two simple refrigerator pickle recipes for you here. The first refrigerator pickle combines cucumber, bell pepper and sweet onion in a vinegar brine. The second coats small Brussels sprouts in a mustard-y marinade. There's no "canning" here – just keep either of the two refrigerator pickles in the fridge and they'll last for a week or more! Sweet, eh?! ~ Skip Straight to the Recipes ~ ~ Cucumber & Pepper Refrigerator Pickles ~ ~ Marinated Brussels Sprouts ~ BEST RECIPES! Pinterest Loves It! Summer Meal Prep When it’s too hot to cook during summer’s dog days, experience a refreshing waft of cool air just by opening the fridge to reach for a jar or two of pickled vegetables. Both of these slightly pickled salads make for easy, tooth-crunching sides for grilled meat or supper salads. What Are "Refrigerator Pickles"? "Refrigerator pickle" may not be a universal term but