Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Black Bean Veggie Burgers with Cilantro and Jalapeño

August 25, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I like to think I’m a bit of a veggie burger connoisseur. I’ve ordered countless ones at restaurants over the years and tried even more recipes. It’s amazing how many bad veggie burgers there are out there! Many of the ones I’ve made have been the wrong texture or bland, until these.

These are hands down the best veggie burgers I’ve ever made. They’re flavorful, hearty, and the perfect texture. Dare I say these will even satisfy the carnivores in your life? Perfect for your next cookout or an easy weeknight dinner!

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Cilantro “Chimichurri” Sauce

August 20, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I’ve had chimichirri multiple times at restaurants, but for some reason I didn’t make it at home very often. I don’t know why since it’s simple to make and keeps in the fridge for days. Well I’m officially converted!

It’s easy, flavorful, takes only 6 ingredients, and elevates anything you put it on. I also love how versatile it is. Put it on top of soup, roasted or grilled veggies, eggs, meat, the uses are endless! I think it would be perfect for a cookout this summer, serve it with whatever you grill and your guests will be thoroughly impressed!

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Peanut Butter Cookies with M&Ms and Chocolate Chips

August 18, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Is there a better combination than peanut butter and chocolate? I don’t think so.

I’ve been working on perfecting this recipe for years. I started with the classic Jif peanut butter cookie recipe and made multiple changes. Changes to the ingredients, ingredient proportions, and the baking temperature to achieve the perfect peanut butter cookie. I went through batch after batch of cookies, hard work I know but someone has to do it.

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Eggplant Rollatini

August 13, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I love eggplant and whenever I see it as the farmer’s market, I always reach for it. This summer I made it point to try different eggplant recipes. My default is roasted eggplant with sauteed cherry tomatoes and goat cheese, which is delicious but it was time for some new recipes. That’s when I came up with my roasted eggplant caprese and finally decided to attempt to make eggplant rollatini. I hadn’t made it before because it seemed intimating, but lucky for me (and you!) it’s deceptively easy to make!

This is one of those perfect summer meals that is sure to please vegetarians and carnivores. It’s hardy without being heavy and would make an impressive main course for your next dinner party!

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Garlic Chili Edamame

August 11, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I love edamame, but the traditional steamed edamame with salt starts to get boring after a while. That’s how this recipe was born. About 10 years ago I was trying to come up with a new flavorful way to eat edamame and boy does this recipe deliver! Garlicky, spicy, salty, three of my favorite food qualities. 10 years later and I’m still making it, so it must be good!

It’s quick, easy, and only requires 5 ingredients, all of which I always have on hand. If you’re looking for a new weeknight recipe (let’s be serious, who isn’t?!), look no further!

You can serve the edamame with whatever you want, but I usually end up serving it with brown rice or potstickers. Both of which I keep in the freezer meaning I’m less than 30 minutes away from a delicious dinner.

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Roasted Tomatoes and Burrata

August 7, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

As an appetizer, lighter summer dinner, or snack, roasted tomatoes and burrata are the epitome of summer. It’s quick, easy, and highlights ripe tomatoes at their peak.

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Perfect Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

August 4, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

This recipe is an ode to my Nana. When I was growing up we would go over to Nana and Papa’s house for dinner once a week. It was hands down the best dinner of the week, mainly because Nana would make things my mom wouldn’t. Want honey cinnamon rolls and homemade mac and cheese for dinner? You got it! And don’t forget to save room for dessert! I know my mom was cringing the whole time, but I have some of the best memories from those meals.

One of my favorite things Nana made was blueberry muffins with streusel topping, which she passed off as fancy dinner rolls. This lead to my rabbit hole of trying to find the perfect muffin. I’ve made blueberry muffin after blueberry muffin… it’s amazing how many of them come out dry and dense! But not these. There’s a reason I’m calling these “perfect” blueberry muffins… They’re extremely similar to Nana’s muffins, but dare I say even better?

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S’mores Ice Cream Pie

July 30, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

This recipe is summer in a bowl. Rich and I were outside one night making s’mores and it occurred to me, why are we sitting over a fire on a hot summer evening? Couldn’t I recreate the delicious combination that is a s’more in ice cream form? And just like that the idea for this dessert was born.

It’s also the best kind of summer dessert because it uses a lot of store bought ingredients and can be made a few days ahead of time. Perfect for those summer cookouts where you don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen!

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Roasted Eggplant Caprese

July 28, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

This roasted eggplant caprese is a play on one of my favorite dishes from Giuseppe’s Ritrovo, one of the best Italian restaurants in Columbus. Giuseppe’s has since taken it off the menu, but they used to have an eggplant caprese stack that I always ordered instead of a salad.

Since they took it off the menu I’ve been on a mission to recreate it. The method I landed on is a little different that the original, but in the best way. I spoon garlic oil on the eggplant when it’s almost done roasting. The eggplant soaks up the flavorful oil resulting in my new favorite way to cook eggplant!

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Summer “chop chop”

July 23, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

My mom and I started making “chop chop” years ago. The name came from the fact that there’s a fair amount of chopping. We started making it to eat as a dip with tortilla chips, but always ended up eating it with a fork like a salad. Either way you eat it, it’s delicious!

Chop chop is easy to make all year (just sub thawed frozen corn for fresh), but is even better using fresh summer corn and cherry tomatoes. I started grilling the corn a few years ago and adds a wonderful depth to the salad. You technically don’t have to grill it, but I definitely encourage you to!

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