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Cooking With Conks Logo - Stacked

Just good food, made doable at home

Poached fish in coconut milk with lemongrass and herbs in green bowl on top of white rice.
Weeknight Wins
Ring of triangular shaped lemon vanilla scones with glaze on top, resting on top of parchment paper and wooden board.
Low Effort
Close up of oval dish full of cobb salad ingredients lined up in sections on top of a bed of green lettuce. Hard boiled eggs, croutons, bacon, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, green onions, and avocado.
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Latest Recipes

  • A white bowl filled with persimmon and ginger oatmeal and topped with pecans and fresh blackberries.

    Persimmon and Ginger Oatmeal

  • Turkey meatballs on a bed of mashed potatoes covered in gravy, topped with thyme. Bowls of meatballs, potatoes, and gravy in the background.

    Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs

  • Green bowl full of fettuccine pasta with zucchini sauce, sprinkled grated parmesan cheese and parsley on top.

    Creamy Pasta with Zucchini Sauce

  • Pecan rosemary shortbread cookies on top of parchment paper surrounded by scattered pecans and rosemary leaves.

    Rosemary Pecan Shortbread Cookies

see more new recipes
Rachel and Emily from Cooking with Conks

Get to know cooking with conks

hello!

We’re Rachel and Emily Conklin (“Conks” for short), sisters, home cooks, and the duo behind Cooking with Conks.

We create simple, flavor-packed recipes for real life: meals that feel a little exciting, but are still totally doable, even on a busy weeknight. Around here, it’s less about perfection and more about helping you feel confident in the kitchen, one recipe at a time.

So come on in, grab your apron, and let’s get cooking together! We’re glad you’re here.

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Fall Favorites

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  • Gray bowl full of turkey pumpkin chili, topped with cheese, sour cream, pepitas, and green onions. Small decorative pumpkins at top.

    Pumpkin Chili with Turkey, White Beans & Sweet Potato

  • Bowl in the foreground filled with yogurt, a little honey, and Homemade Cranberry Orange Almond Granola. Part of another bowl can be seen in the background.

    Homemade Cranberry Orange Almond Granola

  • Gold spoon in focus above a bowl of curried red lentil soup on top of a blue and green geometric tablecloth.

    Coconut Curried Red Lentil Soup (Plant-Based)

  • Top down view of bowl full of breakfast hash with sausage, sweet potato, onions, and chard, with fried egg on top, black fork on the right side.

    Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash with Sausage and Sage

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  • Turkey burger on a wooden board, assembled on a bun with curly leaf lettuce, heirloom tomato, onion, and basil mayo.

    Juicy 5 Ingredient Turkey Burgers

  • Poached white fish in coconut milk with lemongrass and herbs in green bowl on top of white rice.

    Poached Fish in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass

  • Barbecue grill with several kabobs of alternating vegetables (zucchini, onions, and peppers) and with Italian dressing marinated chicken and steak.

    Chicken and Steak Kabobs with Italian Dressing Marinade

  • Glass with blue rim filled with ice and orange margarita, orange slice on side and sweet and smokey seasoning on edge of glass.

    The Best Fresh Orange Margarita

how we

cook around here

For us, it’s all about:

Fresh, vibrant ingredients.

Bold flavors, no overcomplicating.

Easy, unfussy recipes for real life, no training required.

read more here

eat your greens

Vegetarian Recipes

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  • White bowl full of creamy chipotle corn dip topped with corn kernels, queso fresco, and cilantro. Tortilla chips surrounding.

    Creamy Chipotle Corn Dip

  • Avocado egg salad with lime in a white bowl topped with microgreens. Toast, crackers, avocado, bacon, and tomatoes for serving in background.

    Simple Avocado Egg Salad with Lime

  • Three avocado tacos in a flat metal serving dish. Each taco is filled with purple cabbage, crispy avocado, pico de gallo, and chipotle crema.

    Crispy Avocado Tacos with Chipotle Crema

  • Close up of a corner of a metal square baking dish full of easy homemade peach crumble with some removed and a black spoon resting in it.

    Easy Homemade Peach Crumble

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Dessert Recipes

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  • Close up of a corner of a metal square baking dish full of easy homemade peach crumble with some removed and a black spoon resting in it.

    Easy Homemade Peach Crumble

  • Golden brown cookies with potato chips, chocolate chips, and flaky salt on top. Glass of milk in the background.

    The Best Kitchen Sink Cookies

  • Two slices of zucchini bread on a white plate with the rest of the loaf in the background.

    Mom’s Cinnamon Zucchini Bread With A Twist

  • Ring of triangular shaped lemon vanilla scones with glaze on top, resting on top of parchment paper and wooden board.

    Lemon Vanilla Scones with Simple Lemon Glaze

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Before you start cooking, make sure to read through the whole recipe. If you want to hit that “Jump to Recipe” button first, that’s fine, but the rest of the blog post contains helpful tips and tricks designed to guide you along the way as well.

02.

Fight kitchen overwhelm

Stay on track by setting timers, prepping everything first (all of your chopping and measuring), and clean up as you go. That’ll keep your kitchen stress free so you can focus on the delicious dish you’re cooking.

03.

Keep it casual

Don’t worry about perfection and have fun! Cooking is an art (with some science of course), and you can create your own adventure. Taste your food periodically and season to your liking and don’t be afraid to try new things.

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Recipes for home cooks by sisters who love food.

What to make with persimmons, part 3: Persimmon an What to make with persimmons, part 3: Persimmon and Burrata Salad
 
Make this super easy persimmon salad for your holiday parties this year and you’ll probably have the most popular side dish there. It’s like a caprese, but with persimmons and burrata instead of tomatoes and mozzarella. We like to add mint for freshness and a little drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze, plus some flaky salt to balance out the sweetness. 
 
Ingredients:
- 2- 3 Fuyu persimmons, sliced into thin rounds (you can peel them or not)
- 8 oz burrata 
- Balsamic glaze
- Handful of fresh mint leaves
- Flaky salt (Maldon)
- Sliced, toasted baguette (optional)
 
Steps: 
1. Place the persimmons in a layer on a platter. 
2. Lay the burrata down on the plate and slice it open. 
3. Drizzle the burrata and persimmons with olive oil and balsamic glaze and sprinkle with flaky salt (we use Maldon sea salt). 
4. Add a handful of fresh mint leaves and serve the salad as it is or with slices of toasted baguette.  
 
Follow @cookingwithconks for more persimmon recipes!
What to make with persimmons, part 2: Persimmon Sy What to make with persimmons, part 2: Persimmon Syrup (No-Cook). 

Make a super easy persimmon syrup with just 2 ingredients! Add it to simple drinks with sparkling water or sparkling wine, mix it with whipped cream, brush it onto cakes or drizzle it onto waffles, or whatever you want. 

Ingredients:
- 2 persimmons, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 cup white sugar

Steps: 
1. Add peeled, cut persimmons to a large jar. 
2. Add the sugar to the jar with the persimmons. 
3. Place the jar in the fridge for 24 hours, stirring once or twice to make sure the sugar on the bottom of the jar gets mixed in. While it sits, the juices from the persimmons will mix with the sugar, turning it into a syrup. 
4. Use the syrup in drinks or to top baked goods and snack on the sweetened persimmons (or add them to smoothies). 
5. If you want a stronger persimmon flavor, you could always blend up the persimmons with the syrup in a high powered blender, then pour it through a mesh strainer to remove any pulp.

For more persimmon recipes, follow us @cookingwithconks!
What to make with persimmons, part 1: Persimmon an What to make with persimmons, part 1: Persimmon and Blackberry Ginger Oatmeal.

Here’s an easy, 20 minute breakfast recipe that will keep you full for hours. This recipe makes 1 serving of oatmeal.

Oats
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp freshly grated ginger

Persimmon 
- 1 persimmon, peeled and cut into wedges
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Squeeze of lemon juice

Other
- Handful of blackberries, sliced in half
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans
- Splash of milk (dairy or non-dairy)

Steps:
1. Mix the persimmons, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. Add water and salt to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. 
3. Add the oats, ginger, and brown sugar and stir everything together. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the water has soaked up, then remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 2 minutes so the oats plump up more. 
4. Top the oatmeal with the prepared persimmons, blackberries, and pecans. Add a splash of milk, if you want.

Full recipe will be up on our website. Save this post for your next breakfast!
We love persimmons, but if you haven’t eaten them We love persimmons, but if you haven’t eaten them before, here are some things you need to know: 

WHAT: persimmons are a sweet fruit and kind of look like orange tomatoes.

2 COMMON TYPES: fuyu and hachiya. Fuyu can be eaten when they’re hard, like an apple, or once they’ve softened a little. Hachiya can only be eaten when they’re super soft and squishy. 

TASTE: when fuyus are ripe, they’re sweet and a little honey or date-like. They turn deep orange when ripe and get a little slippery. Hachiya are terrible when they’re unripe, but super syrupy sweet when ripe.

SEEDS: some have large dark seeds which you should remove when eating. 

SKIN: you can eat the skin on fuyus, kind of like apple skin, but it can be a little tough so we usually remove it. To eat a hachiya, you’ll want to cut them in half and scoop out the ripe fruit.

HOW TO USE: can be eaten raw or cooked, as a puree, or in salads, smoothies, desserts, baked goods, sandwiches, etc. 

HEALTH: hachiya persimmons are high in tannins, but fuyus are not. Both types are high in fiber, so you shouldn’t eat TOO many in a day. They’re also high in vitamins A and C and antioxidants.

HARVEST: mid-to-late fall, when the weather starts to cool down a little. They can be found in many grocery stores around this time of year and range in price from around a dollar to a few dollars apiece. 

WHERE THEY GROW: in the US, they’re mostly grown in California, where we live! They’re also grown in Florida and Texas and parts of Asia.

Stay turned this week for some fun recipes using persimmons!
What are you making for your holiday dinner this y What are you making for your holiday dinner this year? 

We're making Thanksgiving turkey meatballs! They combine our favorite flavors of the holiday, but they're easier, quicker, and cheaper than the traditional whole roasted turkey. We like to eat them with mashed potatoes and gravy or serve them as appetizer bites at Friendsgiving or holiday parties. 

You'll need:

- Ground turkey
- Onions + celery
- Fresh herbs
- Breadcrumbs + milk
- Parmesan cheese
- Egg
- Olive oil

Full recipe on our website!
Pecan Rosemary Shortbread Cookies These cookies a Pecan Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are incredibly easy and are made with just a few simple ingredients. All you need is flour, sugar (granulated and brown sugar), butter, fresh rosemary, and pecans. We used air-crisped organic sprouted pecans from @larkellenfarm a local company not far from us. 

We love making shortbread cookies because they’re super easy and just indulgent enough for an after dinner treat or a sweet bite with coffee or tea. We also love adding these to holiday dessert tables or gift baskets for friends and family too. 

Check out the full recipe at @foodsocial.io (link in bio) or on our website.
These spooky fruity rice krispies are a fun treat These spooky fruity rice krispies are a fun treat to make for Halloween! We mix freeze dried fruit right into the marshmallows so you get an extra fruit punch. Add puffed rice cereal, fruity pebbles, and stick little googly eyes on them for your Halloween party, or leave them out for a classy fruity treat. 

You'll need: 
- butter 
- mini marshmallows 
- vanilla extract 
- salt
- freeze dried fruit 
- Rice Krispies cereal 
- Fruity Pebbles cereal 

Full recipe up on our blog!
There's nothing better than a weeknight dinner rec There's nothing better than a weeknight dinner recipe that's hands off, easy, and still super tasty. 

Here's what you'll need for this pasta with zucchini sauce recipe: 

- zucchini 
- shallot
- olive oil 
- cottage cheese 
- parmesan cheese 
- pasta (we use fettuccine)
- pasta water
- salt and pepper 

Blend up the roasted veggies and sauce ingredients then pour it over the noodles. Check out our website for the full recipe! Link in bio.
We're dusting off this old recipe just in time for We're dusting off this old recipe just in time for Halloween!

For these Halloween Pizza Monster Mummies, all you need is ciabatta, your favorite pizza toppings, and you can wrap these up so quickly, it’s scary!

#1: PEPPERONI VAMPIRE MUMMY
- Mini ciabatta loaf, cut in half lengthwise
- Pizza sauce
- Pepperoni
- Mozzarella cheese slices, cut into strips (for the mummy wraps)
- Face: black olive slices (eyes), red bell pepper (pupils and mouth), zucchini peel (angry eyebrows), onion (fangs), mushroom (nose)

#2: PESTO ZUCCHINI FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER MUMMY
- Mini ciabatta loaf, cut in half lengthwise
- Pesto
- Zucchini ribbons & mozzarella cheese strips (for the mummy wraps)
- Face: zucchini, sliced in rings and strips (eyes, mouth, eyebrows), black olive slices (eyes, hair), red bell pepper (scar), mushroom (neck bolts)

#3: BBQ CHICKEN WEREWOLF MUMMY
- Mini ciabatta loaf, cut in half lengthwise
- Shredded chicken mixed with BBQ sauce and diced red onion
- Mozzarella cheese slices, cut into strips (for the mummy wraps)
- Face: black olive slices (eyes), mushroom (nose, ears), red bell pepper (mouth, pupils), onion (teeth)

STEPS
1. Spread each ciabatta half with desired amount of sauce.
2. Alternate sliced mozzarella strips back and forth for the mummy wraps and assemble your mummy faces with extra veggies.
3. Bake at 400°F for 10-15 min.
Pumpkin isn’t just for desserts. This reliably coz Pumpkin isn’t just for desserts. This reliably cozy, comforting pumpkin chili with turkey and white beans proves it belongs in your dinner bowl too. It’s like that old, slightly torn sweatshirt you have in your closet that you can’t wait to wear whenever the temperature dips a little. Only, you know…edible.

You’ll need: 

•    Pumpkin puree
•    Turkey + white beans
•    Onions, peppers, sweet potato
•    Fire roasted tomatoes + veg broth
•    Warm spices + touch of maple syrup

Full recipe details with tips and variations, storage suggestions, and FAQs on our blog (link in profile)!

#pumpkinrecipes #fallrecipes #pumpkinchili

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