Recipes – Page 3 – Fresh Family Food

Vanilla-rose tapioca pudding

February 19, 2015July 9, 2015 Sonya Quick

This recipe isn’t just about making something. It’s about an experience I hope you’ll have.

Afternoon tea.

No, it doesn’t have to include hot tea. The whole purpose is to sit and take a brief respite from the day’s work. It’s about taking some time for yourself (whatever you can spare, most of the time I take a moment while Jack is napping).

Grab a glass of something: hot or cold tea, coffee, wine, beer, water. And maybe grab a small bite of something. Just a little something sweet or savory. You can use this time to sit outside and take in the world, check in on your tasks list, read or write.

I’ll be posting lots of my favorite little tea-time edibles in the coming months. But let me start with something sweet and simple.

Vanilla-rose tapioca pudding.

Watermelon-pineapple pico de gallo

February 18, 2015July 9, 2015 Sonya Quick

While the northeast is doused in snow and ice, this pocket of the southwest has been showered in sunlight. Yes, 80-degree weather in the middle of February. Life ain’t bad.

And that means a respite from hearty soups, tummy-warming pasta and layered casseroles.

I’ve had the Pioneer Woman watermelon pico de gallo recipe saved for months. Just haven’t felt it was the right time to make it. Plus, I knew I wanted to modify it a bit to make it toddler-worthy (no peppers).

While this one is both child-safe without spice and it gives a taste of the islands, with the adding of some orange and pineapple.

Vegetable tortilla soup

February 9, 2015July 9, 2015 Sonya Quick

Isn’t tortilla soup one of the best things ever? Warm soup with what is practically nachos piled on top?

But us veggies get left out a little bit. Everywhere you look there’s chicken tortilla soup. And the recipes just don’t work in the taste or nutrient areas without the chicken. So I made my own.

I’ve been experimenting over the years with trying to make a yummy tortilla soup. They always tasted too bright, without enough savor. Too watery. Too much like tomato-lime broth over nachos.

Until I found the right additions: zucchini and black beans.

Valentine’s cherry-vanilla syrup

February 6, 2015July 9, 2015 Sonya Quick

Juicy, red and slightly tart — cherries are such a tasty addition to a dish. Now, picture those partnered with a dash of vanilla and toasted pistachios — on top of pancakes.

Yum!