The Thompson Kitchen

Classic Brownies with flaky sea salt

September 10, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Is there anything better than a warm brownie fresh out of the oven? I really don’t think so. My mom used to bake brownies from scratch when I was growing up when everyone else’s mom made them from a boxed mix. Are those boxed ones good? Sure, but they’re nothing like homemade. I always wanted to say to those boxed mix moms, you know making brownies from scratch isn’t that hard. Good thing I was a shy kid, something tells me those editorial comments wouldn’t have gone over well…

Always in search of the best brownie, I’ve made dozens of different recipes over the years and I think I’ve finally found it!

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Long weekend favorites

September 4, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Happy Friday of a long weekend! Even though labor day weekend is the unofficial end of summer, I love this time of year. Summer and fall produce start mingling together at the farmers market and it’s socially acceptable to start making pumpkin recipes and all the soup!

I thought I would try something different today and do a roundup of some of my favorite things as of lately. I hope you all have a great weekend!

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Zucchini Ricotta Roll-ups

September 3, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

Zucchini is hands down one of my favorite, if not my favorite vegetable. I love how versatile it is and how it takes on the flavor of however you prepare it. It’s one of those vegetables that I always have in the fridge because I can throw it in tacos, soups, pasta, or just roast it in rings and eat it straight off the pan (guilty…).

This recipe truly highlights just how versatile it is. It’s one of Rich’s and my favorite dishes and while it’s good all year long (hello cozy comfort food), it’s particularly amazing now when zucchini is at it’s peak. Just make sure you make plenty – it’s one of those dishes that everyone wants seconds and it makes amazing leftovers for lunch the next day.

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Roasted Artichoke Arugula Salad

September 1, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

I have a confession… I’m really picky about salads. I like salads, but delicious flavorful ones. I want something hearty and flavorful that doesn’t feel like an after thought. Too many times you see one on a menu at a restaurant and they end up tasting like, well nothing. Salad doesn’t have to mean sad and boring!

Enter this salad. With hearty roasted artichoke hearts, almonds, manchego cheese, and lemon juice it’s anything but boring! It also continues my salad pattern and decades long love affair with arugula. I love it’s peppery taste so much that I essentially don’t buy any other salad greens…

Who knew one person could have so many strong feelings about salads?

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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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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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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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…I’m back!

July 20, 2020 by Gretchen Blazer Thompson

After 2 1/2 years, I’m back! I stopped posting because, well life got in the way. As simple as that. A new job and a new house later, I’m back and even more excited to share delicious recipes.

I decided to start posting again because like everyone lately, I’ve been cooking up a storm. But when I share what I’m making with family and friends I always get questions. “How much olive oil did you use?” “What size pan did you use?” “Define golden…” So it got me thinking about what my Nana used to say, “cooking’s not hard, it just takes time.” So with that in mind, let’s all continue to cook together with recipes that make cooking fun and attainable.

While the idea of the blog will be primarily the same, delicious attainable recipes, I’m planning on adding some other new content. Think: wine reviews, cocktail recipes, recipe guides for holidays and parties, sharing some other food related content that’s inspiring me, the sky’s the limit!

If you’re reading this, thank you for sticking along for the journey, check back tomorrow for a fresh new recipe Rich and I are loving.

Check back tomorrow for a delicious new recipe!

*The picture above is of s’mores ice cream pie, one of many recipes coming soon!

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