All Recipes

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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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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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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Summer Burrata Pasta

July 21, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

This weekend the farmers market had the most gorgeous deep ripe tomatoes that I couldn’t resist. Tomatoes this time of year are good on anything, toast with a little goat cheese, just sliced with olive oil and crunchy sea salt, or my personal favorite with burrata and pasta.

I’ve been making a version of this pasta for years, but this version is definitely my favorite. Using the best ingredients at the peak of the season make this simple dish exceptional! The burrata starts to melt into the tomatoes and olive oil to create the most delicious sauce. The best part, it’s super simple and quick, perfect for hot summer days when you want to spend as little time in the hot kitchen as possible.

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Baked Foil Packet Salmon

October 4, 2017 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I have a confession. I’m a vegetarian. I know what you’re thinking… But Gretchen, there are shrimp recipes on The Thompson Kitchen! I know, I know. But here’s the thing, Rich isn’t a vegetarian. Because of this, most of what I cook is vegetarian, and Rich will either eat the vegetarian version, or we’ll add some fish or meat to it.

This is why this baked foil packet salmon is so wonderful. It couldn’t be easier. Throw a piece of salmon in a piece of foil. Add olive oil and some seasoning and viola! Rich is happy, I’m happy, what more could we want?

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Onions and Cherry Tomatoes

October 2, 2017 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I’m trying to get better about making quick and easy weeknight meals. As much as I love to cook, the last thing I want to do when I get home from work is spend hours on dinner. Enter this ravioli.

I used butternut squash ravioli because: 1. it’s fall so it seemed like the right decision, and 2. I love the subtle sweetness of the squash with the onions and cherry tomatoes. Honestly, I think the onions and cherry tomatoes are the stars of this dish. The onions start to soften and break down as they cook, and the addition of the cherry tomatoes turn the mixture into a jam-like substance. Perfect with the butternut squash ravioli, or really any ravioli.

While this is the perfect weeknight meal, it looks so impressive you could even serve it for a dinner party. Just make sure to buy multiple packages of ravioli, as your guests are sure to eat a lot. Happy (easy) cooking!

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How to Caramelize Onions

September 29, 2017 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Caramelizing onions is an art form. I remember watching my Nana caramelize onions when I was little and thinking it looked so easy. Boy was I wrong! It took me years of trial and error to figure them out, but I still stay true to my Nana’s instructions. She would cook them low and slow using both canola oil and butter. Canola oil for the heat, butter for the flavor. The result? Perfectly caramelized onions.

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Roasted Red Peppers

September 27, 2017 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

This past weekend my mom and I roasted red peppers with Rich’s aunt Ricki, mom, and Grandma. They roast red peppers every September and then freeze them for the season. So smart, because they can pull out perfectly roasted peppers for months after.

We roasted, peeled, and cut over 120 (!!) peppers this year. It sounds like a lot, but when you have five people and start an assembly line, it goes faster than you think. So call some of your friends, open a bottle of wine, and host a pepper roasting party! You’ll thank me when your pulling perfectly roasted peppers out of your freezer in January.

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