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My Forking Life | Easy and Delicious Recipes

Hi, I'm Tanya, creator and owner of My Forking Life LLC. I provide all kinds of delicious recipes that focus on Southern and Caribbean cuisines. I also love kitchen gadgets and have many popular recipes made in air fryers, slow cookers, and pressure cookers.

chart of cream of mushroom soup steps
Featured Post

My Forever Mushroom Soup

Hi Reader, Is it soup season yet? Because I'm already there. This cream of mushroom soup has been my go-to for years. It's rich, cozy, and the kind of thing that makes everything feel better. 👉🏾 Here's the soup recipe: Cream of Mushroom Soup A few tips that really make this soup: 🍄 Baby bella mushrooms work better than regular white ones as they have more flavor. Cook them down for the full 10-15 minutes until they've really softened. 🥄 Heavy-bottomed pot - saves you from burning the bottom....

pinto beans in pot

Hi Reader, There's nothing like a pot of beans made with smoked meat that screams comfort. I made my Southern Style Pinto Beans last week, and they filled the whole house with that good smell. Well, to me it smells good, my 7-year-old felt differently lol. 👉🏾 Here's the recipe: Southern Style Pinto Beans This is comfort food at its best, classic Southern cooking that's budget-friendly and feeds the whole family. Plus, these beans taste even better the next day. New Long-Form Video I'm excited...

zuppa toscana in dutch oven with spoon picking it up

Hi Reader, I've been a fan of this potato and sausage soup, aka Zuppa Toscana, for ages. With it getting cooler, I'm all about the comfort food, and this one is perfect for those quick weeknight dinners when you want something that'll actually fill you up. Seriously, I get FULL off this soup, not something I can say about most soups! Get this Recipe This soup is everything you want when the weather gets chilly: 🥄 Creamy but not heavy – It has that perfect rich texture without being too much 🥄...

meatloaf on plate with mashed potatoes and peas

Hi Reader, I've been making this meatloaf for years, and it's one of those recipes that just works. Simple, satisfying, and the kind of thing that makes dinner feel easy even on busy nights. 👉🏾 Here's my tried-and-true meatloaf recipe Now, here's the thing about meatloaf - it's all about the little details that make it extraordinary instead of just "meh": 🥩 The Meat Mix – I like using 85/15 ground beef as it has enough fat and flavor, but not too much to make the meatloaf greasy. Some people...

smothered chicken in a pan with spoon picking up chicken

Hi Reader, You know how sometimes you make something and it completely surprises someone? That happened to me with this smothered chicken recipe. My mom is Caribbean, so she gets her Southern food exposure through me. When I made this dish for her, she couldn't stop talking about the gravy and how tender the chicken was. Coming from someone who knows her way around bold flavors, that was high praise! Smothered Chicken Recipe This is comfort food at its absolute best. Chicken thighs coated in...

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Hi Reader, I love biscuits, but man, the traditional ones are kind of a pain to make. All that cutting cold butter into flour, then rolling and cutting... I just don't have time for all that most days. These mayonnaise drop biscuits are a good replacement when I need a quick and easy biscuit. These biscuits are incredibly simple to make: just stir the ingredients in a bowl, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until golden and done. Mayonnaise Biscuit Recipe The best part? These beauties...

close up of general shrimp

Hi Reader, Whenever I'm craving something crispy, saucy, and slightly sweet for dinner, I make General Tso's Shrimp. This dish features crispy golden shrimp, paired with a perfect sweet and tangy sauce. It comes together so easily and tastes like you got it from a restaurant. 👉🏽 Here's the recipe: General Tso's Shrimp 🍤 The Secret to Perfect Crispy Shrimp – It's all in the cornstarch batter and not overcrowding your pan. I fry mine in two batches in my 12-inch skillet, and they come out...

whole rasted chicken on baking pan

Hi Reader, I've been making roast chicken for years now, and let me tell you, it took me way too long to figure out the secret to getting it right every time. You know how it goes; sometimes the skin is rubbery instead of crispy, and the meat is dry. I'd stand there, thinking, "Why can't I just make a decent roast chicken in the oven?!" Then I tried this method where you start with high heat and then turn it down, and WOW. Golden, crispy skin and juicy meat every single time. I use my baking...

collage of two okra dishes

Hi Reader, Okay, so okra is literally everywhere right now. Those beautiful green pods are having their moment, and I'm totally here for it. But I get it, okra has a reputation. Maybe you've had a bad, slimy experience before (we've all been there). I've got two foolproof ways to make okra that'll completely change your mind. The Crispy One: Roasted Okra This is my go-to for converting okra haters. Just slice it up, toss with olive oil and some basic seasonings, then blast it in a 450°F oven...

cooked pork shoulder steak sliced on plate

Hi Reader, I was at my local butcher's a few weeks ago and spotted pork steaks on sale. I'll be honest—I had no clue what they were, but the price was right and I'm always up for trying something new. I added them to my weekly menu and went down a total rabbit hole researching the best ways to cook them. It turns out that mine were on the thin side (about ½ inch), so I decided to try a simple pan sear. The result? Perfectly tender, juicy cuts of pork that had way more flavor than I expected!...