These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are made rich with butter, chewy with oats, decadent with chocolate chips, soft and flavorful with pumpkin and spices, and of course nicely sweet with two types of sugar.

They are a fun new take on a nostalgic childhood favorite. We know and love the traditional pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, but here we add some oat-y goodness for extra flavor and texture.

It's a tempting fall cookie that's easy to make, a fun treat for parties, and they're always sure to satisfy those seasonal pumpkin dessert cravings.

Make a batch this weekend then save the recipe for the holidays to impress your guests!

Filling Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are everything you'd want them be and then some! They have well rounded flavor, you'll find them easy to make, and they have the perfect crunch factor thanks to the tender crisp veggies, lettuce, and peanuts.

The chicken (or turkey) keeps them nice and filling but if you want an even heartier meal you can serve these with a side of rice.

You can adjust the sauces here to suite your taste. If you like the flavor of fish sauce you can add more. If you love heat load them up with the Sambal Oelek or Sriracha. And for more peanut flavor be sure to try them finished with a creamy peanut sauce (it so delicious and worth the extra bit of effort).

I know it's a fairly lengthy list of ingredients here but I don't recommend leaving any out. Everything comes together beautifully to create a truly tasty, veggie and chicken-filled lettuce wrap that you'll want to make on repeat.

Shortcut Korean Beef

Traditional Korean beef bulgogi is incredible of course, but this Korean ground beef bowl recipe is even easier (no marinating or slicing beef), faster, and it's cheaper.

After just one bite I think you'll completely appreciate this dish. Those sweet, salty, and umami flavors over the richness of the well browned beef are simplicity at it's best.

Then when you pair it with fresh veggies and cozy rice and you've got a tempting, piled high bowl of hearty and delicious comfort food the whole family can agree on!

This refreshing Chinese Chicken Salad has such a welcome, satisfying blend of textures paired with well rounded flavor. The dressing has a crave-able rich peanut flavor, the veggies offer the salad so much freshness and a great crunch, and the chicken makes it hearty and filling.

It's fairly easy to make since it includes a shortcut of store-bought, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. This also makes it a no cooking required dinner salad recipe.

There's just bit of measuring, chopping and tossing. And if you happen to have someone to help one of you can prep the salad while the other person makes the dressing.

It's a nutritious, all in one salad that's great for serving as a main dish entree for lunch or dinner. You'll love all the deliciousness in every bite!

Healthy Carrot Soup

Though this gingery carrot soup recipe may seem ideal for spring it's actually an excellent soup to serve any time of year because you can almost always get good quality carrots at the store year round. And they are a staple food most of us keep stocked in the fridge.

This soup has such a delicious inviting flavor between it's sweet carrot goodness, the bright ginger and garlic, a light background spice boost, and the richness of the coconut milk.

It's a vegan soup but can also be adapted to use what you have on hand if you don't intend to make it vegan. Ingredients such as chicken broth, and half and half or heavy cream can be used.

Guests will love it as an appetizer for dinner, or serve it as a main course at lunch with whole grain bread or no knead homemade bread (great for dipping of course), or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Nutritious Green Juice

This green juice recipe is super versatile and is a mindful way to use up produce that is about to spoil so it's not wasted.

You can even make a double batch so you have a juice for the next day without having to clean the juicer again (that's always the only drawback).

When making green juice I usually always like to include the celery but everything else can be switched up.

Pick a leafy green such as kale, spinach or romaine lettuce, then toss in a cucumber or broccoli stalks, add a tart flavor from lime or lemon (to help mask the intensity of the leafy green), give it a flavor boost with ginger or mint, and sweeten it with a sweet juicy apple or green grapes.

It's fun to try all the different varieties and helpful having the option of using up what you have on hand already.

Possible Variations

You can even add your own additions - things like green chard, collard greens, wheatgrass, parsley, grapefruit, or nutrition boosters such as green tea, spurlina, barely grass powder, or chlorella powder.

And try sweetening with other fruits such as pineapple, pear or a navel orange.

This is just a base recipe to get you started but the possibilities are endless!

Homemade Pumpkin Donuts

These pumpkin donuts are one of the tastiest baked donuts, you'll be craving them as soon as fall rolls around.

They don't require any extra rise time (since they aren't a yeasted donut) and no deep frying messiness here. Plus no mixer required here, just a quick blend by hand for this donut batter.

They are baked in the oven in donut pans (or try mini muffin pans if you don't have donut pans), then after that while they are warm they are rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar.

I like to serve them with hot cocoa, warm apple cider, coffee, or you can't go wrong with a tall glass of milk.

They are perfectly fitting for an after dinner dessert or they make an excellent weekend breakfast treat. And there are lots of different additions you can add like finishing with a chocolate glaze or adding chopped nuts (more ideas below).

Pumpkin desserts are a seasonal staple and donuts are one of the most popular sweets, so bring them together and you have a truly memorable, completely crave-able donut treat!

Homemade Spiced Zucchini Cake

Vegetables are delicious...when they are blended into a cake right? Plain sautéed zucchini is good but zucchini is taken to a whole knew level when it's blended into an old fashioned, perfectly spiced, sweetly delicious cake and covered in a decadent cream cheese frosting!

This homestyle zucchini cake tastes very similar to carrot cake, which is why I love it so much (carrot cake is one of my favorites)! Plus it's got to be one of the moistest cakes you'll ever make. Not a dry crumb in site.

It's easy breezy to make (you don't even use a mixer for the cake portion), and it's sure to satisfy those cake cravings.

I highly recommend finishing it with pecans or walnuts for some textural contrast. I haven't ever been a big fan of nuts swirled into cake but I love them as a finishing touch on a spiced cake like this. They complement it beautifully.

Store the cake in the fridge and from there you can even enjoy it cold.

What is Beef Shawarma?

If you’ve never had beef shawarma, you’re in for a treat.! A famous Middle Eastern street food, shawarma is made with chicken or beef that is heavily marinated in oil, lemon juice, and warm spices. Then, it is placed on a vertical rotisserie or spit and slow-roasted for days until it is unbelievably tender. 

Most commonly, it is shaved off and served stuffed into bread with fresh toppings and a drizzle of tahini or tzatziki. However, you can also find it presented as part of a platter along with sides like tabbouleh and hummus. No matter how it’s plated, it’s always incredible and is guaranteed to leave you coming back for more. 

Don’t worry, though. You don’t need a fancy spit to make your own beef shawarma at home. I’ll show you how to create the same bold flavor and tender texture by searing on the stovetop instead! 

What Is Shish Tawook?

In the Turkish language, “shish” means skewer, and “tawook,” also sometimes spelled tauk, means chicken. Put together, the two translate to mean chicken skewer or chicken kebab. 

Believed to have first been served during the Ottoman Empire, shish tawook quickly became popular throughout the entire Middle East, spreading into Egypt and Levant during the Ottoman’s rule. 

It features pieces of chicken that are soaked in a yogurt marinade infused with garlic, lemon juice, and lots of warm spices. It is then grilled or baked until the chicken is fully cooked and tender. 

Thanks to the marinade, chicken shish tawook always turns out juicy and is virtually fail proof. It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes and is always what I order when we dine at Middle Eastern restaurants. Luckily, it’s simple to make at home, too! 

What’s the difference between chicken shish tawook and chicken shawarma? 

Both dishes are made with boneless skinless chicken and Middle Eastern spices, but they are not the same. There are key differences in how the two recipes are created and prepared. 

• Shish tawook is created with a creamy, yogurt-based marinade that features garlic, warm seasonings, and tomato paste. As a result, it has a rich, bold flavor and a distinct hue. 
• Alternatively, shawarma does not use yogurt or tomato paste. Instead, an olive oil-based marinade creates a stronger citrus flavor with warmer seasonings and a slightly spicier flavor. 
• Traditionally, shish tawook is grilled on skewers, and shawarma roasts long and slow on a spit. Although, you can also make oven baked chicken shawarma at home.