The Recipe Exchange
Readers sometimes wonder how The Connection chooses which recipes to publish, and though the criteria are far from strict, we generally look at a few factors: First, and most important, do the recipes on these pages guide readers in creating something they will want to eat and serve to friends and family? If the answer is no, you will not see it here.
We also consider the difficulty level of recipes and try to include an even mixture of both simple-to-prepare recipes (some salad and fresh-produce recipes are more about assembly and don’t require cooking or baking at all) and more difficult dishes. It is rare that we include recipes that require preparation spanning several hours or lots of expert know-how, so if we do, our food editor is pretty confident that the time and effort will be worth it.
For the most part, recipes we gravitate toward do not require specialty shopping for tools or ingredients, and nearly everything is fairly budget friendly. Most of the selections you’ll find here are based on either traditional favorites for a particular time of year, or what is growing in the fields and readily available at the supermarket or the farmers market. Much of what we write about are recipes our food editor has made hundreds of times with consistent results. We do experiment with new things too, and if it’s tasty, you’ll probably read about it here.
Finally, we are thrilled to say that this column is interactive, and sometimes readers catch something we’ve missed, give feedback for how a recipe could be improved, or simply contact us to let us know they have particularly enjoyed something they have read here in their own kitchen. Please join in!
We hope you enjoy our collaboration with other cooks, testing their recipes and sharing the enjoyment that results.
Oven-free stuffing worth getting stuffed on Article and photos by Lisa Crockett Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. A day dedicated to food, friends, and family. Most of us have sacred foods for this day, recipes that must never be tampered with or substituted. I am a firm believer in ritual…
Rich and sweet: favorite flavors for fall Article and photos by Lisa Crockett The days are getting shorter, and in no time at all little ghosts and goblins will be haunting the neighborhoods of Castle Pines. Grocery store shelves are brimming with brightly packaged sugary treats for trick-or-treaters. I will be the first to admit…
Just peachy: fresh, late-summer delights Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Harvest is in full swing. With the bounty that is available at the supermarket and the farmers market, it can be hard to decide what’s best to have for dinner. Corn, beets, potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and more zucchini than you can shake a…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett I t’s August. For many of us, this month marks a return to normal life – if not right this minute, then soon. School starts, vacations wind down, and after the dog days, a hint of fall is in the air. But it’s still summer. Still time for long,…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Barbecue is the quintessential Father’s Day meal. It’s sort of stereotypical “man food” – meat is featured heavily and depending on the heat of the sauce, the meal can also double as a test of stamina. Father’s Day is also a great time to make, rather than buy, your…
A fiesta in your mouth for Cinco de Mayo Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army over French forces in the Battle of Puebla in May, 1862. And while the holiday is observed in some parts of Mexico, it’s a much bigger holiday…
Light and lemony for springtime Article and photo by Lisa Crockett Every season has its celebrations and I love them all. In my opinion, a good celebration always includes some kind of special dessert. Pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cookies at Christmas, and chocolate truffles on Valentine’s Day are a few of my favorites. This time…
Heating things up in the cold Aimee and Hannah Goodrich took first place in the chili cookoff. They competed against seven other entries and were excited to take home the blue ribbon! Article and photos by Amy Shanahan The second annual Winterfest and chili cookoff in Castle Pines Village (CPV) was a huge success despite…
Hearty and heart healthy granola for your valentine Article and photo by Lisa Crockett There are lots of ways to show someone that you love them, but my hands-down favorite way to express affection, friendship and love is by whipping up a treat in the kitchen. The smell of cinnamon and sugar wafting through the…
Waking to a waffle wonderland on Christmas morning Article and photo by Lisa Crockett When I was a kid, Saturday was pancake and waffle day. My dad was the resident breakfast chef, and I was always eager to lend a hand stirring or sifting, relishing the chance to pour syrup over a steamy stack. My…
Make quick work of the evening meal with a slow cooker Article and photo by Lisa Crockett The days are shorter and cooler temperatures are here. Leaves are falling off the trees and pumpkins and scarecrows dot the neighborhoods of Castle Pines, an announcement of the coming of fall. Something about this time of year…
A Colorado favorite Article and photo by Lisa Crockett I’ve spent most of my life living in the West, but it wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that I discovered green chile. Of course I had eaten green chiles, usually as part of a Mexican dish, but when I moved to Colorado and saw it…
A cool treat for a hot summer day Article and photo by Lisa Crockett I love to cook and bake. There’s nothing I enjoy more than puttering around the kitchen, trying new recipes and coming up with new creations of my own. My cookbook cupboard is jam-packed and the bookmarks list on my computer is…
Pop up a great Fourth of July Story and photo by Lisa Crockett The dog days of summer are nearing, and if fire restrictions allow, fireworks shows will be prominently featured at neighborhood gatherings and sporting events for the next few weeks. Heat and explosions – reminiscent of the battle to win our independence as…
Give mom a sweet treat this Mother’s Day Story and photo by Lisa Crockett May is the month we honor our mothers. Handmade cards, jewelry, or perhaps a trip to the spa are a great way to tell your mom – or any mom, really, that you love her. One of the greatest and simplest…
Story and photo by Lisa Crockett Anyone who knows me or reads this column regularly knows that I am not afraid of fat and calories. Butter? Bring it on. Sugar? Yes, please. White flour? Sometimes nothing else will do. But what you may not know about me is that I would also like to live…
Story and photo by Lisa Crockett The best meal I have ever eaten was served in my own kitchen. The cooking, however, wasn’t done by me, but by a friend in her kitchen and served to me in an assortment of tin-foil pans and paper plates. After doing an eight-day stint at Children’s Hospital with…
Story and photo by Lisa Crockett Sugar cookies figure heavily in my memories of childhood special occasions: Jack-o-lanterns with orange frosting for Halloween, Christmas trees and stars, hearts in February. I even remember occasionally decorating a Thanksgiving turkey cookie or an egg-shaped cookie for Easter. It was natural, then, that when I had children of…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett When you think of holiday desserts, you probably think of something warm and spicy like pumpkin pie, or something rich and heavy like flourless chocolate cake or even a chocolate truffle from a gift box. In the southern hemisphere, however, Christmas comes during the height of summer and…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett It’s the night before the big holiday and everyone is hungry. Now. You have a house full of company and a refrigerator full of food . . . for the big meal tomorrow. But how do you feed hungry tummies the evening before the big day? Take out can…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett This is the time of year when my children start dreaming about how they’ll dress up at the end of the month. This year it appears we’ll have a robot, a computer, and some sort of witch going from door to door in search of candy. While I think…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett In case it escaped your notice, this summer has been hot. Exceptionally, meltingly hot. And while the heat has wreaked havoc on air conditioning bills and left me breathless and cranky more than a few nights this summer, it has had at least one pleasant side effect. This summer,…
By Lisa Crockett August. The month of the tomato. Warm and just-picked, nothing speaks more to the bounty of the harvest than a fresh, ripe tomato. A sprinkle of salt and pepper dresses it up quite nicely, but I think the Italians have the right idea when it comes to tomatoes. They’re great solo, but…
Chocolate chocolate chip cookies baked using high altitude adjustments to the recipe … perfection! Article and photo by Lisa Crockett It’s that time of year when social opportunities abound. The weather is warm, the days are long, and it just feels right to light up the grill and invite friends over for a long lazy…
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett (actual cake too!) Summer is here, and with it comes the patriotic holidays of summer – Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day. Summer is also a great time to take advantage of the abundance of delicious summer fruit. Combine these two things and you get a nostalgic, sweet…
By Lisa Crockett Menus this time of year are chock full of things that are young, tender and fresh. A tasty reminder of the annual renewal that accompanies spring: young asparagus, tender lamb, juicy strawberries. Many households also have an abundance of another young food: eggs. Specifically the hard-boiled, heavily decorated variety. A symbol of…
By Lisa Crockett This year, Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday. Tuesday is a perfectly good day – just as good as any other day, really. But somehow, Tuesday lacks the romance of a Friday or Saturday night. Work, school, homework, carpools . . . all these things conspire to make Tuesday a mad rush,…
Castle Pines artist and entrepreneur Jennifer Goode, holding a coy of “It’s All About the Cookies,” a desserts-only cookbook being sold to raise money for breast cancer research. Goode designed the cover art for the book. Article and photo by Lisa Crockett It has been said that diners eat first with their eyes and then…
by Sally Uhrich Although ham will probably once again be the mainstay at many dinner tables this Easter, it is lamb that is considered to be the most popular symbol at Easter. Lamb certainly plays an integral part in the Passover celebration, and is a welcome menu change for the Easter holiday. If you wish…
Cut the calories; keep the flavor by Sally Uhrich The holidays are over and you have left-overs in the freezer, decorations to put away and, if you’re like most of us, a bit of an expanding waistline. Your first New Year’s resolution is to make exercise and healthy eating a priority. Now you begin thinking…
by Sally Uhrich So you’re making the final preparations for your holiday meal, carving the turkey and making gravy. Your guests have gathered in the kitchen, anxiously awaiting dinner. Why not take the edge off their hunger, by serving a tasty tidbit, known as the appetizer? Although there are many recipes for stuffed mushrooms, my…
by Sally Uhrich The turkey is stuffed and the pies are baking in the oven, but what about the sides? No holiday meal is complete without those extra tasty vittles known as the side dish. If you’re wanting to include cranberries in your menu, but don’t want the hassle of cooking them, consider Cranberry-Orange Relish.…
by Sally Uhrich With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to begin planning your Thanksgiving dinner. Healthy holiday meals don’t have to expand your waistline or break the bank. Consider the addition of soup to your Thanksgiving feast. Roast buttenut squash soup with apples will enhance your meal, with it’s warm, rich, fall color…
by Sally Uhrich With the autumn season upon us, who can resist making a dessert with the natural goodness of apples? Autumn Apple Cake is featured in “Cooking Light Annual Recipes,” 2009 edition. The recipe is contained in the fall section of the book, which features several recipes derived from the unique American religious group,…
by Sally Uhrich With the summer season in full swing, who can resist the tantalizing flavor of a sizzling steak right off the grill? While there are many tricks to create a great tasting steak, these five tips featured in the August 2006 issue of Cooking Light Magazine will make a great steak even more…
by Sally Uhrich If you’re still looking for a dessert to serve on July 4th, consider Peach Berry Cobbler with ice cream, from the July 2008 edition of Cooking Light Magazine. The reddish hue, acquired by the peaches during baking, makes for a patriotic presentation of red, white and blue colors. The turbinado sugar is…
by Sally Uhrich Outdoor grilling is a welcome relief for many cooks, as there is little mess and easy cleanup. Yet, many people think of grilling only, with regard to sauces, rubs and marinades for meat. There are, however, many fine recipes for vegetables which cook on the grill. The “Taste of Home,” Easy Grilling…
by Sally Uhrich Winter’s demise leads us into two of the most anticipated seasons of all; spring and summer. Warmer weather lends itself to outdoor entertaining for such events as graduation parties and bridal showers. If you are hosting a social gathering and are in need of a light, but tasty appetizer, consider, “Rosemary and…
by Sally Uhrich So it’s New Year’s day and it’s your turn to host the holiday dinner. What to do? You’re tired of turkey and not yet ready for ham. Consider a delectable, beef rib roast. The meat is coasted with an herb, garlic and horseradish butter paste to form an irresistible, caramelized edge. This…
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