Categories
Main Dish

Nothing about wine-braised ribs falls short

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.

I am generally pretty useless when it comes to remembering the different cuts of meat.

If I’m ordering a steak, I know that a t-bone will have, well, a t-shaped bone in it, but I forget which cut has the best marbling or is the leanest, etc., etc.

But after this week’s experiment, I now understand a new one: the beef short rib. And I also know that I really enjoy eating them.

If you’re like me and have no idea what a short rib is, the easy answer is that it’s literally a short piece of rib.

According to a post from the Lake Geneva Country Meats website, short ribs come from the area between the chuck section of a cow (where we get chuck roasts and a variety of steak cuts) and the rib section. The pieces aren’t big enough for steaks, so they get to be their own cut.

They’re extremely flavorful and are a favorite of a lot of chefs. And now me, too.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Good Food Baddie” by Capri Lilly. You can find her original post at https://goodfoodbaddie.com/red-wine-braised-short-ribs/. I added extra seasoning in my version below and changed some of the directions around.

Print

Braised Short Ribs

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword beef broth, beef stock, black pepper, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, celery, dry red wine, fresh garlic, jalapenos, minced garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, short ribs, slow cooking, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds bone-in short ribs
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 4 large stalks celery diced
  • 4 carrots diced
  • 2 to 4 jalapenos diced
  • 24 to 30 cloves garlic about two large heads, minced
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons salt plus extra for seasoning the meat
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 750 ml dry red wine I used cabernet sauvignon
  • 3 to 4 cups beef stock or broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid. Meanwhile, sprinkle the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste, and once the oil is hot, sear each rib on all sides. You will have to do this in batches.
  • Remove seared ribs to a plate on the side.
  • Add the onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno to the pot, and stir regularly, sauteing until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add in the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes, just until it starts to be fragrant, and stir in the tomato paste, parsley, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, rosemary and thyme. Continue stirring for about two minutes, letting the tomato paste brown slightly and incorporate with all the vegetables.
  • Pour in the wine, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the browned bits incorporated.
  • Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower it back to medium and simmer, stirring regularly, until the wine mixture reduces by about half. (This will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.)
  • Pour in three cups of beef stock, and stir to combine. Return the ribs to the pot. You’ll want to make sure the meat is covered in liquid, so if it isn’t quite covered, add the other cup of the beef stock and supplement with some water until they are.
  • Let the liquid come back up to a simmer, put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven for about three hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
  • For serving, the recipe author suggests straining out and discarding the vegetables, but we served ours as a part of the meal. Be sure to remove the bones, and then serve the meat, along with the sauce from the pot. We served ours over mashed potatoes.

This was heavenly. I love a good pot roast, and this was one step above that. The deep flavors of the wine paired perfectly with the tomato and beef to create a rich, fabulous dinner.

We ended up halving the recipe when we made it, so I was pretty bummed it was a single serving meal. I would have loved to have some leftovers.

But now that I am firmly aware of what a short rib is, I’ll be on the lookout for it in our local grocery store and butcher shop. This is definitely worthy of a permanent place in the recipe box.

And hopefully, by the next time I end up at a steakhouse, I can educate myself on the difference between a filet and a strip, too. If not, I may just have to order the chicken instead.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 18, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Sometimes it pays to give memories a fair ‘cake’

Mom’s chocolate cake is extremely moist and always receives rave reviews at gatherings. On top of that, it’s easy to make.
Mom’s chocolate cake is extremely moist and always receives rave reviews at gatherings. On top of that, it’s easy to make.

It’s amazing how memory works.

There are so many experiences from my childhood that seemed so big, so awesome, so magical, and once I experienced them again as an adult, I realized that those were better left as cherished memories than something to revisit.

I remember, for example, taking Joey to see Coronado Heights near Lindsborg for a day trip. I told him all about the castle on the hill and was excited to go back.

And yes, while the view is spectacular from the top, I will say that the towering walls of my memory weren’t quite the same ones I saw years later.

Food can be that way, too. The colored sugar water in plastic barrels I remember enjoying as a child just aren’t all that satisfying to my grown up palate.

But then there are foods that really do live up to the hype. For me, that’s my mom’s chocolate cake. I made it recently—actually I made four of them—to share with guests at our 10-year anniversary party for Harvey County Now, and based on the compliments we received, I’m not the only one who thinks it’s an amazing dessert.

Plus, the other great thing about this cake is that it’s egg- and dairy-free, for those who struggle with those foods.

So, no website for this week’s offering, just me referencing a well-worn recipe card my mom wrote for me long ago. And I didn’t make any changes to that recipe. You can’t mess with perfection, right?

Print

Mom’s Chocolate Cake

Mom’s chocolate cake is extremely moist and always receives rave reviews at gatherings. On top of that, it’s easy to make.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate cake, cocoa powder, dairy-free, dump cake, easy baking, easy cake, egg-free, moist cake, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour a nine-by-13-inch pan, and set it aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat all the ingredients together until the batter is smooth.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool before slicing or icing it.

This cake is so incredibly moist, that my sister and I used to riot when my mom would frost it to take to a potluck. We loved it just by itself.

And it’s the same cake Joey requested for his groom’s cake for our wedding (German chocolate icing added).

I’m sure my mom will roll her eyes when she sees how much I pontificated about her cake recipe this week. I can just hear her now, “It’s just a dump cake, guys.”

But regardless of whether or not there are some nostalgia tastebuds working their magic, this is still a darn good cake, and it’s easy to make, too.

Plus, it stands up way better than my memories of eating melty Airheads candy, peeled from my towel, at the city pool in the summer.

Some things are best left in the past.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 11, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Breakfast Snack

Hashing out language isn’t always an easy task

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.

Editing for the newspaper leads me into strange rabbit holes sometimes.

This week, it was a fair amount of research on hash browns.

I have always spelled it as one word “hashbrowns,” but it turns out that I’m wrong. Also, apparently it’s not “hash brown,” although you can have “hash brown potatoes.” If it’s on its own, hash browns is always a plural noun, like pants or sheep.

So, technically, you wouldn’t have one “hash brown.” Instead, you have one hash browns. Which still doesn’t sound right, if I’m being honest.

Despite the research, and no matter how you spell it, though, they’re delicious, and they were a great addition to this week’s recipe.

This recipe comes from the blog “Charm Recipes.” You can find the original at https://charmrecipes.com/how-to-make-crispy-hashbrown-and-sausage-bites. I added extra seasonings in my version.

Print

Hash Browns Sausage Bites

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Snacks
Keyword appetizer, bell pepper, eggs, football snack, frozen hashbrowns, garlic powder, green bell pepper, hash browns, onion, paprika, party snack, red pepper flakes, sharp cheddar cheese, thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns thawed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a mini-muffin tin by spraying the wells with cooking spray. (I ended up needing to do two batches, so if you have two, prepare them both.)
  • Add the sausage, onions and peppers to a large skillet and saute over medium heat, breaking apart the sausage as you do, until the sausage is cooked through and the veggies are soft.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess fat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the hash browns, cheese, eggs, flour and seasonings, and stir well. Stir in the slightly cooled sausage mixture, as well.
  • Fill each well of the mini-muffin tin with the mixture, pressing it down firmly so that all the wells are filled compactly to the brim.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crispy.
  • Carefully run a knife around the edges of each bite to help release them from the tin, and transfer them to a plate.
  • Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  • Serve warm, although these were also tasty at room temperature. If you wanted a dipping sauce, these would pair well with a little cream gravy or some salsa on the side, too, but they don’t really need anything extra.

These were addictive. I made them for the snack table for a fantasy football draft this weekend, and I didn’t bring a single one home. They are crispy and easy to just pop in your mouth. They’d be great for a brunch, too.

And they gave me the opportunity to understand the complexity of spelling out hash browns, but truth be told, after all the digging into etymology, I might just stick to saying “shredded potatoes” from now on, just to be on the safe side.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 4, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Can’t tell the varieties apart? You just have to ‘apple’y yourself.

Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.
Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.

“Those apples were kind of pricey, weren’t they?” Joey asked me as we exited the grocery store recently.

“They’re honeycrisps,” I told him.

“So, they’re high-end apples?”

“I mean, kind of.”

It’s amazing that after 15 years of marriage, I can still discover new things about my husband. Case in point: he has no knowledge of apple varieties. At all.

I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I don’t think he could tell a Granny Smith from a red delicious.

OK, so it’s probably not that bad, but you get my point.

Regardless of his lack of apple knowledge, after I had my honeycrisps sliced up and baked with plenty of warm spices, Joey agreed that they were absolutely delicious, despite being a more expensive variety.

The recipe I tried comes from the Instagram account @tisrarewegetout. I switched up the seasoning a bit for my version.

Print

Apple Strudels

Apple strudels are easy to make with a sheet of puff pastry, some honeycrisp apples and warm spices and brown sugar to go with them. They pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee.
Course Dessert
Keyword apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, easy dessert, fall dessert, ginger, honeycrisp apples, nutmeg, puff pastry, tea time

Ingredients

  • 13.2 ounce sheet puff pastry thawed
  • 2 large honeycrisp apples
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Prepare a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
  • Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into about four-inch squares. Place the squares about one inch apart on the prepared sheet(s).
  • Slice the apples into about 1/4-inch slices, and cut a hole out of the middle to remove the core. (There’s no need to peel them.)
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and dip the apples in the mixture, coating them on all sides.
  • Place one coated apple slice in the middle of each puff pastry square, and fold the corners of the pastry up to the middle of the apple slice (you can cut some slits in the pastry to make it fancier, if you so desire).
  • Beat the egg in a small bowl, and brush each pastry with a liberal coating of egg. If you still have any liquid in the bowl from the sugar mixture, pour it evenly over the top of the prepared pastries.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are softened.
  • Serve warm with some ice cream or a good cup of tea or coffee.

These were amazing right out of the oven. They were still awesome a day later, but the puff pastry wasn’t nearly as crisp after it sat in a container over night.

The warmth of the spices with the sweetness of the apples and crunch of the pastry was a fabulous combination.

This was easy to make, too, and would be nice for a breakfast or brunch or if you’re hosting an afternoon tea or coffee.

And I would argue this was worth the “high-end” apples—even if Joey is still not sure I actually know the difference.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 28, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Cajun pasta shapes up to be an excellent, quick dinner

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.

I recently watched a video that explained why there are so many different shapes of pasta out there.

I always assumed it probably had a practical purpose and it wasn’t just because of ancient pasta makers’ boredom and creativity. And it does. If you’re wondering, it all comes down to the sauce.

Have a thinner sauce? Use a thin pasta.

Have something thick and meaty? Use a wider pasta.

It’s all about making sure that whatever pasta you choose is a good vehicle for whatever you’re pouring over top of it.

I thought about that video when I grabbed ingredients for this week’s recipe. Its only direction was to use “pasta,” but knowing that it would have plenty of sausage and veggies, along with a thick, cheesy sauce, I wanted to choose something that could stand up to all of that.

After looking over the choices at our local grocery store, I landed on bowties. Why not? They’re wide and they’re fun—perfect for a spicy pasta dish.

This recipe is from the blog “Skinny Spatula.” You can find the original post at https://skinnyspatula.com/cajun-sausage-pasta/. I increased the amounts of several ingredients in my version below.

Print

Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta

Creamy Cajun sausage pasta is made with a cream cheese sauce and plenty of fresh onion and bell pepper to create a satisfying meal that is also reheats really well for leftovers.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, bowtie pasta, cajun seasoning, cream cheese, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, ground sausage, minced garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, quick dinner, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, spicy sausage, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces pasta
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 ounces low-fat/fat-free cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup parmesan freshly grated
  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve two cups of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add in the sausage, onion and bell pepper, and saute, breaking apart the sausage as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
  • If there are pools of grease in the pan, spoon as much of it out as you can before the next step.
  • Add in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, oregano and parsley, and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, along with one cup of the reserved pasta water.
  • Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted. Do the same with the grated parmesan.
  • Dump in the pasta, and stir everything to coat it well. Add more pasta water if the sauce isn’t as loose as you’d like, and add red pepper flakes (if desired) and salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

I used hot ground sausage for this, and I ended up adding quite a few red pepper flakes, too, which gave this a fabulous kick. It was creamy and flavorful. And the leftovers were awesome. They reheated really well.

And the bowtie pasta was great for this. A rigatoni or ziti would have been good, too, but there’s something about the fun pasta shapes that I really like.

There’s no reason your dinner can’t be practical and pretty all at the same time.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 21, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Make your own coffee ice cream from the ground(s) up

Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.
Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.

Back in college, when I decided I was going to change my major and get my teaching degree, one of my first undertakings was to learn what I deemed to be a very important teacher skill: how to drink coffee.

Growing up, the coffee maker only came out at our house if we were having company—neither of my parents really like it—so the smell of freshly brewed coffee was not part of my morning routine.

I started out with flavored coffees and lots of creamer. I would also make hot chocolate by substituting the water for hot coffee (this is delicious, if you’ve never done it).

Eventually, I tapered those additions off, and now, I enjoy black coffee all the time. It didn’t hurt that I also married into a family of coffee aficionados.

It hit me this week, though, that I missed what could have been the easiest way for me to love coffee right away: trying it in ice cream form.

This week’s recipe is a no-churn ice cream that is based on a whipped coffee that started as a street food in Busan, South Korea, called dalgona.

This comes from the blog “My Diaspora Kitchen” by Chichi Uguru. You can find the original recipe at https://www.mydiasporakitchen.com/coffee-ice-cream-dalgona-coffee-ice-cream/. My only alterations were to specify espresso powder and to use hot water to froth the coffee (you can use cold, but mine took quite awhile).

Print

Dalgona Coffee Ice Cream

Dalgona coffee ice cream is based on the South Korean whipped coffee drink. It’s no churn, which makes it easy for anyone to make and enjoy.
Course Dessert
Keyword coffee, dalgona, easy dessert, espresso, espresso powder, heavy cream, homemade ice cream, ice cream, instant coffee, no-churn ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee I used espresso
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

  • Combine the instant coffee, sugar and hot water in a mug, and using an electric beater or milk frother, beat until stiff peaks form in the coffee mixture.
  • In another bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt, and stir until everything is mixed well. Fold in the coffee mixture.
  • In a freezer-safe mixing bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form, and fold in the coffee mixture.
  • Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, and freeze until the ice cream is solid.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings. (I used chocolate-covered espresso beans and a light sprinkling of the instant espresso powder.)

Despite dalgona coffee becoming an online trend that lots of people tried during the boredom of the COVID-19 lockdown, I never made it before. I need to make a cup on its own to try it, but I can tell you that the ice cream was absolutely heavenly.

It would be perfect with some chocolate sauce or some hazelnuts on top, too. It was creamy and tasted like a great iced coffee.

If you’re not much of a coffee person, I can’t promise that this ice cream will change your mind, but if you’re one of the many teachers in the community gearing up for back-to-school season, it might not hurt to have an emergency batch in the freezer, just in case.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 14, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

There’s barely a shred of evidence of veggies in this dish

Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.
Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.

One of the downsides of spending as much time on food blogs and looking through recipe books as I do is I often discover that the photos are not a good representation of every recipe.

That was definitely true with this week’s recipe.

This was one Joey shared with me after finding it on social media.

It was really pretty, featuring large, halved Brussels sprouts nestled in a bed of seasoned ground beef.

But I chose to follow the recipe, which means (as you can see if you look at my photo) that the gorgeous Brussels basically disappeared into my beef mixture after I shredded them.

It was really good, though, and I think shredding them contributed nicely to the texture of the meal, but it certainly wasn’t as pretty.

This comes from the influencer “Tory Recipes.” You can find the original post by searching for her on Facebook. I added extra garlic powder and mushrooms in my version.

Print

Spicy Beef and Brussels

Spicy beef and Brussels features ground beef and chili sauce to match your favorite spice level, along with fresh Brussels sprouts, onions and mushrooms. It’s a great combination to serve over rice for dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, Brussels sprouts, chili sauce, easy meal, fresh mushrooms, garlic powder, green onion, ground beef, hot sauce, sesame seeds, soy sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef I used 80/20
  • 1/3 cup green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts shredded
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce your favorite flavor and spiciness
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • sesame seeds and prepared rice for serving

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, along with the onions, soy sauce, garlic powder and hot sauce, until the beef is cooked through.
  • Transfer the beef mixture to a plate.
  • Remove all but one tablespoon of grease from the skillet (if there isn’t that much or things start sticking, add a bit of neutral oil).
  • Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and mushrooms and saute for several minutes until they are soft and starting to brown.
  • Turn the heat to low, add back in the ground beef, and stir in the chili sauce, lime juice and salt and pepper, and heat until everything is warmed through.
  • Serve over rice, topped with sesame seeds.

We really spiced our version of this up by using both a potent hot sauce and a pretty spicy chili sauce. If you’re not really into spice, get a sweet chili sauce instead and skip the hot sauce altogether, and I think you’ll still be happy with the result.

And if you need to hide Brussels sprouts in a family meal to get a few extra vitamins into someone at the table, I can tell you from experience that it’s pretty tough to identify them in the mixture.

That doesn’t make for a pretty photo, but it does make for a pretty good meal.

This piece first appeared in print Aug. 7, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Oh my squash! A fresh, simple dish will wow your dinner guests

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.

For two days last week, a huge, beautiful summer squash graced my kitchen counter.

It took me a bit of time to mull over what I wanted to do with it.

I hunted the Internet for ideas, finding lots of savory applications, as well as a few sweet ones I could use it in, but I finally landed on a recipe that I decided I must try.

First, it looked insanely quick to make, and since we’ve been meeting ourselves coming and going lately, that was very appealing.

Second, I only had to fire up my stovetop, and with the temperatures being in the triple digits lately, I was extremely happy to leave my oven alone.

The recipe I landed on comes from the blog “Food Meld” by Jackson Walker. You can find the original post at https://foodmeld.com/garlic-parmesan-summer-squash-pasta/. I added extra garlic in my version.

Print

Garlic Parmesan Summer Squash Pasta

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword easy meal, fettuccine, fresh basil, fresh garlic, light lunch, linguine, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, spaghetti, summer squash, vegetarian, yellow squash

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces long pasta I used fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow summer squash sliced thinly
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil torn into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the box directions, and be sure to reserve at least one cup of the pasta water.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  • When the oil is hot, add the squash, and saute for several minutes until it is soft and just starting to brown. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until the garlic starts to become fragrant.
  • Add the drained pasta, parmesan, basil and about one-quarter cup of the reserved pasta water, and stir to combine and melt the cheese. If you want your sauce looser and creamier, add a little more pasta water, stirring between each addition, until you have the consistency you like.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

This was a very simple, lightly seasoned dish that I really liked. I wasn’t sure about the lemon juice, but it just acted as a flavor enhancer. You couldn’t detect it on its own.

The combination of the parmesan and garlic, along with the squash made for a really nice, light meal, despite being a pasta dish.

If you wanted to make it a heartier meal, adding some grilled chicken breast would be good, too.

And now that I have my big list of squash recipes, I’m probably going to need to grab another one…or two…before the summer is over. The good news is that with summer gardens in full bloom, I’m guessing it won’t be too hard to find.

This piece first appeared in print July 31, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Salad Side Dish

Here’s a fresh summer salad that is right on ‘cue-cumber’

Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.
Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.

There are a lot of ways people define the beginning of summer.

For some, it’s the day school lets out.

For, others, it falls on the summer solstice.

For me, it was last week, when I saw the first crop of excess cucumbers nestled in a box in the local post office.

I mean, is there anything more telling of summer in Kansas than a gardener giving up on trying to ply their friends and family with fresh produce and depositing it somewhere for the enjoyment of the public at large?

I know from watching some of my friends who garden that the act is sometimes more like desperation than generosity, but there is something special about people sharing the literal fruits (and vegetables) of their labor with the rest of the community.

But, of course, there is still the question of what to do with all that fresh produce, so in comes this week’s recipe for a super simple salad that uses both fresh cucumbers and basil and is perfect for a hot summer day.

This comes from the blog “This Wife Cooks” by Holly Gray. You can find the original post at https://thiswifecooks.com/cucumber-basil-salad/. I added some garlic powder in my version.

Print

Cucumber and Basil Salad

Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.
Course Appetizer, Salad
Keyword cucumber, English cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, garden fresh, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, summer lunch, summer side dish

Ingredients

  • 1 large English or regular cucumber
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil cut into thin ribbons
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the cucumber into about one-inch slices, and then cut the slices into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a mixing bowl.
  • Add the basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and stir well to make sure the cucumber is well coated. (I used a mixing bowl with a lid and just shook it gently to coat it all more quickly.)
  • Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for about two hours or until it’s completely chilled. Give it another good stir, and serve.

This was extremely simple, was really quick to make and it only made a couple servings, so it was the perfect amount for our small household.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t like the lemon juice, but it wasn’t overpowering at all, and the mixture really let the cucumber and basil shine.

Plus, it used up a whole cucumber, which—if my calculations are correct—means I and everyone else reading this only needs to make this five times apiece to use up all of this year’s crop.

Let’s get to it, everybody.

This piece first appeared in print July 24, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Cookies Dessert

‘Wash’ out for these easy-to-make sugar-coated cookies

Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.
Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.

I have been spending some time reading through the Harvey County Fair’s entry guidelines book, looking at all the food categories.

The one that intrigues me, which I need to pay more attention to when I go look at the exhibits this year, is for cookie jars.

For the entry, the cookies have to be placed in a wide-mouth jar, and it has to consist of six to nine different cookies, each individually wrapped, with at least 18 cookies in the jar.

I am absolutely baffled about how someone can get 18 cookies into a wide-mouth jar. I have to see this for myself.

Of course, I’m guessing the answer is I have a tendency to make my cookies too large. These exhibitors must have a lot more patience and restraint than I generally do. Normally, my cookies get larger and larger with every batch, since I’m normally ready to be done after about three.

Despite that, I did manage to keep my cookies for this week’s recipe at a consistent, smaller size, and they turned out really well—in flavor and presentation.

This comes from the blog Cooktop Cove from a post by Georgia Lynn. You can find the original post at https://cooktopcove.com/2025/02/10/cant-stop-baking-these-cookies—third-night-in-a-row/. I added extra vanilla, along with cinnamon, to my version below. I also inadvertently left out the milk it called for, and since it had absolutely no effect on the end result, I just left it out in my version, too.

Print

Washboard Cookies

Washboard cookies are like a lightly spiced sugar cookie. They get their name from the use of a fork to create light hashmarks on their surface before baking them.
Course Dessert
Keyword cinnamon, cookie exchange, easy cookies, sugar cookies, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar plus more for rolling cookies
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a couple baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, and set them aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until the mixture is light yellow and airy.
  • Beat in the vanilla.
  • Next, beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until everything is well combined.
  • Using your hands, roll the dough into one-inch balls. Put some sugar in a small bowl, and roll the balls in the sugar. Place them about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Use a fork and make a crosshatch pattern on each ball, pressing down gently.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let them cool for about five minutes, and then transfer the cookies into an airtight container.

These were like lightly spiced sugar cookies. They were crispy out of the oven, but then they softened up in the container. So if you’re into crunchy cookies, let them cool completely before you put them in the container.

And if you follow the directions and roll these into one-inch balls, you could easily fit quite a few of them into a wide-mouth jar. After all, I was able to fit a good number into my wide mouth, too.

This piece first appeared in print July 17, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Exit mobile version