My boyfriend loves his poultry, so I indulge him with dishes like this Mediterranean Chicken. The briny olives here add a nice kick to the mellow sweetness of the roasted fennel. Cherry tomatoes seem like such an indulgence this time of year, but they get roasted in this dish, which brings out their flavor, so I succumbed.

I’m busy, I’m packing, blah, blah, blah. You get it by now. In spite of everything going on in my life, I must take time to feed myself nourishing meals. Maybe I’m high maintenance or a bit snobby. I’m OK with that, because I get to eat lovely dishes like this hearty concoction of winter veggies.

I keep reminding myself that packing then moving across the country in a U-Haul through the midwest in the dead of winter would cause anyone anxiety. This is mainly the reason that I haven’t had much time to cook lately, and I miss it. So, in the midst of all of this chaos, I chose to make my own pizza dough and create this lovely flatbread. Procrastination is a skill, folks, you have to work hard to get it right.

In my attempt to eat more seasonally, I am encountering produce that I don’t normally prepare. Leeks fall into that category. This recipe combines leeks with another veggie that often confounds me, the radish. I know what you’re thinking: since when is butter healthy? Fear not the sat fat, the recipe only calls for a tablespoon for 4 servings.

I saw this recipe for a butternut squash pizza on Real Simple and knew I could make it real simpler. Instead of using the refrigerated dough the recipe calls for, I turn to my quickie standby for mini pizzas: the pita.

The temperature has dipped below 85 degrees, and that can only mean one thing in Houston: Fall has arrived. I know what you northerners are thinking, and you are probably right. Sixty-five degrees is hardly bundle-up weather, but in Houston it can still elicit the desire for wool socks and bowls of thick and steaming autumn stews.

In spite of my initial failures, I’ve had one vegan baking success this weekend. This aromatic quick bread caught my eye while flipping through The Joy of Vegan Baking because it looked foolproof. What can I say, my ego took a beating and I needed a sure thing.

When I’ve had a particularly exhausting day and would rather jump out a third story window than cook, I turn to the pita pizza. Not only are they quick, but pita pizzas are a great way to use up the odds and ends leftover in your fridge. Any cheapskate knows that wasting food is a big money sink.

Plain yogurt makes a quick and healthy pasta sauce a la alfredo…stop laughing. OK, it’s not exactly alfredo, but it IS tasty. Is there anything yogurt can’t do?

The standout here is the homemade pizza crust. If you have never done this before, don’t be scared. It’s really easy. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise for ~2 hours.