We’re talking potstickers with that crackly bottom, mushrooms with all the garlic Parmesan crunch, jalapeño poppers loaded with taco beef and Doritos crunch, and chicken tenders that actually crunch without a single drop of oil in sight. All ready in about 30 minutes. All in the air fryer. None of that “let me preheat the dutch oven for 20 minutes” nonsense.

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In one day—with a little help from Codex—I migrated Cooking With Dade from WordPress to a brand new setup. Hugo handles the site now, and it’s live on Cloudflare Pages. No more plugin roulette, no more slow load times, and honestly? I wish I’d done this years ago.

Why I Left WordPress

WordPress served me well. It’s how I got started, and a ton of food bloggers still use it. But somewhere along the way, I got tired of paying for features that should’ve been free—SEO tools, performance plugins, security add-ons. And every plugin update felt like Russian roulette. Would something break this time?

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I got obsessed with this after getting tired of ordering it takeout. Once I figured out the simmer time, there was no going back. It takes about an hour but most of that is hands-off. You can even prep your rice while it simmers.

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There is something borderline magical about the way a Ninja Possible Cooker Pro handles a pasta dish. You get that deep, seared-in flavor from the sauté mode, followed by a slow-braised finish that makes the sauce cling to every single ridge of the rigatoni. Today, we’re leaning into the heat with a Ninja Possible Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta that feels like an upscale bistro meal but requires about half the effort (and a fraction of the dishes).

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The sear on the chicken is what makes this work. You brown those cutlets good and proper, then deglaze with broth to capture all those tasty browned bits. Add some lime, a touch of brown sugar, soy sauce, and let it reduce down before the coconut milk goes in. The result is a sauce that is rich but not heavy, with just enough tang from the lime to keep things interesting.

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I have been making Richard’s Beef Stroganoff on repeat ever since.

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There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you let chicken thighs rendered in their own golden fat meet the velvet embrace of coconut milk. It is the sort of meal that fills the kitchen with a warmth that lingers long after the plates are cleared. When the weather turns sharp or the day feels particularly long, this is the ritual I return to. It isn’t just about the food; it is about the way the steam carries the scent of toasted ginger and earthy turmeric through the house, signaling that the work day is finally over.

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There is nothing quite like a bowl of easy chicken tortilla soup that comes together fast but tastes like you simmered it all afternoon. This started as a leftover chicken recipe, because I had two cups of shredded rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge after making enchiladas, and instead of forcing the same dinner two nights in a row, I turned it into the easiest pot of quick tortilla soup using my Instant Pot on sauté mode. No pressure cooking needed at all — just a stovetop-style method right in the pot.

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These salted caramel cornflake cups are that kind of dessert you can’t stop at just one. They’ve got the perfect balance of gooey caramel and crispy cornflakes, all tucked into little bite-sized cups. Easy no bake dessert magic right here.

I love whipping these up when I need something quick but crave-worthy. They don’t take much time, and they make the whole kitchen smell like toasted sugar happiness. Sweet and salty treat? That’s basically my love language.

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