Friends, thank you so much for visiting the original blog of Guest Chef. I appreciate your readership and your support, which is why I am so excited to announce my new food blog - The Craveable Kitchen.  While recipe sharing was fun here on my Guest Chef website, I felt hungry (pardon the pun!) for more. More space, more features, MORE FOOD! So I decided to create a spin-off site where I can blog at a full boil. From newsletters, to printable recipe forms, to an abundance of deliciously yummy looking photographs, I think this expansion will offer you, my readers, even more inspiration!&nb ..read more

For a minute there here in lower Michigan we had a drop in temps so immediate that I thought for sure I was late for winter. Burrr! (I hate being cold, mind you.) However, the temps bounced back and we are enjoying 80-degree days and warm September nights. It's a lovely thing, to squeeze out a few more weeks of summer. This week's "What's for Dinner?" post feeds my summer eats daydreams of enjoying fresh seafood by the seaside somewhere, but also brings me back to reality as an easy weeknight meal solution, especially for all the busy families getting into the rhythm of a new school year. Frie ..read more

I absolutely love poblanos. And, I am super excited to announce that this summer I have my first crop of poblanos growing in my garden. Which is what inspired this post, in fact! [Although so far I only have 2 and they are small so I wasn't able to actually use them to make this post. But alas, they are there and growing. #Winning!] Anyway, I kinda go ga-ga for poblanos and my most fave thing to do is stuff them with big, bold ingredients. This also happens to be a great way to keep dinner interesting, which is the whole point of this blog! So, this week I pair up end-of-summer zucchini with ..read more

It's been awhile since I created a new veggie burger recipe. I was inspired by two recent events. First, ordering one at a restaurant while on vacation that was good in description, but I felt could have been a little better on actual flavor delivery, and second, having a client request veggie burgers for a recent event.  I decided to take the inspiration from the restaurant version and create a veggie-burger my client (and I) would be excited about. Voila! Here you have it! The important things for me with a veggie burger are as follows - good flavor, good texture, not too dry and defini ..read more

I am OBSESSED with summer fruits and vegetables right now. Just obsessed. I feel like I can't consume enough leafy greens, sweet summer corn, juicy peaches and tangy blueberries. While I have always leaned a little vegetarian, I have never craved summer produce quite like I am right now and I have to be honest, it's really quite fun. The best part is that you can't really over-indulge on things like kale and tomatoes or carrots and squash. You can literally eat as much as you want! How great is that?! It's only natural that this addiction of mine would manifest it's way onto my blog here, whic ..read more

Another simple, fresh meal for you this week. I can't help myself!  I just want to eat simply-prepared, fresh ingredients and spend as little time in the kitchen cooking or washing dishes as possible. I know you agree with me!  This week, I return to an old favorite - salmon. I just don't prepare salmon enough for myself, although I cook it almost weekly for my meal-prep clients. In fact, I truly love it when the meals I cook for my clients inspire me to cook better for myself, too. Hopefully, the inspiration train will continue on to you as well!  While salmon provides the anch ..read more

This week's post feels a little like cheating. There is very little cooking that goes into this flatbread meal, but what I lack in recipe detail I hopefully make up for with inspiration. Flatbreads are a great way to combine everyone's love for pizza with your favorite summertime ingredients, which is what I did here in two very contrasting combinations.  The first is a popular favorite - tomatoes, basil and ricotta.  Hard to go wrong with those flavors, am I right? The second is a little more out-of-the-ordinary - bbq sauce, goat cheese, cherries and arugula - but the pairing of swe ..read more

We are dead in the middle of summer this week, and I am loving every minute of it. Not only the long days of sun and warmth, but the bounty of the season is just so inspiring. Fresh summer foods practically beg to be eaten in there most natural form, without any fuss or todo. Which is great for weeknight cooking.  It's also why I have been craving so many salads lately. Fresh salads with seasonal ingredients that make a complete meal and leave me feeling healthfully satiated. This week's meal was inspired by a dish I served at a recent event where I served brisket with blu ..read more

I love classic combinations prepared in simple ways, so you can easily enjoy your favorite flavors without a ton of fuss. I mean, when it comes to weeknight meals, isn't that the key, really? Here I combine fresh, summer ingredients with quick-cooking chicken cutlets to give you a meal that's efficiently wholesome. Frankly, it's a meal you can feel good about; even with the indulgence of prosciutto! And isn't that the key to life, really? Wholesome goodness balanced with a little indulgence, all on one plate. Enjoy! PROSCIUTTO-BASIL CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH SUMMER FARRO SALAD PREP ~ 0 minutes; CO ..read more

This week, I pair together an oldie-but-goodie recipe with a brand new one, both of which have been instant favorites in my life. It's no secret that every so often during the summer I need some grilled steak and my favorite way to prepare it is with an easy herb, garlic and olive oil rub. Corn on the cob is another summer must-have but this adjustment to the trendy favorite street corn eliminates the need to chomp down on the cob. It feels un-American to admit that as much as I love corn on the cob, I prefer to shave the kernels off the cob to eat it. Don't judge me! I know some of you agree ..read more