Kick off the holiday season with our latest Island Scene e-cookbook: season’s greetings!
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, other holiday observances, or you just enjoy seeing our Islands illuminated in glowing lights, this season is a time of festive spirit, holiday magic, and gatherings with family and friends.
And what better way to celebrate than with food? But we don’t want you to spend all day in the kitchen; time spent with loved ones is the most magical gift of all. That’s why our latest e-cookbook features 10 recipes that are delicious and easy to make!
Here’s a preview of what you’ll find in this special holiday edition:
Have a suggestion on what kind of recipes you’d like to make? Share with us by emailing feedback@islandscene.com.
A look back at some 2025 favorites
We’ve been busy experimenting in the kitchen this year! Here are some of our favorite recipes we’ve made for islandscene.com:
avocado egg salad sandwich
Swap out mayonnaise for avocado, and you’ll have a creamy, healthier version of an egg salad sandwich (and just as delicious).
chicken burrito bowl
The best part about this Mexican chain-inspired recipe is you can customize to your heart’s desire, which also means adding as much salsa, cheese, or chicken as you want!
chicken caesar chaffles
Chaffles, or cheese waffles, are easy and versatile, and if you add some canned chicken, you’re building a meal full of flavor and protein. A mini waffle maker is perfect for chaffles, but you can use any waffle iron or even make it in a pan on the stove.
fresh pineapple tea
Pineapple tea is popular at cafés and fancy brunch spots for a good reason: It’s a tropical delight! While many recipes call for plain black tea as the base, we used a pineapple-infused black tea. This, combined with fresh pineapple, resulted in a delightfully pineapple-forward drink.
genmaicha milk boba tea
Genmaicha is a Japanese green tea blend made with roasted brown rice. It’s less bitter than regular green tea, contains less caffeine, and can help with digestion. We combined genmaicha with boba to create the perfect blend of sweet and savory.
loaded sweet potato rounds
Think loaded baked potatoes, but no fork necessary. These sweet potato rounds are lightly seasoned, baked to perfection, and garnished with your favorite toppings.
mediterranean couscous salad
The natural nuttiness of couscous combined with fresh basil leaves, juicy tomatoes, and tangy artichokes brings a delicious pop of flavor to every bite.
mini confetti cakes
Instead of using oil and eggs in the cake mix, we substituted Greek yogurt and water, and it still tasted like the confetti cake we all know and love. The rainbow nonpareils (small, round sprinkles) are an optional topping, but we highly recommend adding them for a satisfying crunch.
mini meatball buns
Meatball subs can be a little messy, especially with marinara sauce or meatballs falling out. These mini meatball buns solve that problem since everything is enveloped in dough. Try adding fresh basil to the marinara sauce for an extra burst of flavor!
no-bake strawberry lemon trifle
Fluffy angel food cake paired with sweet strawberries is our kind of dessert! This refreshing trifle also has a perfect tangy lemon flavor. Even better, no oven required.
pappardelle with tomatoes and kale
This pasta dish has become one of our go-to recipes for dinner guests. It has just the right amount of heat, and the pappardelle’s wide and flat shape is perfect for holding and absorbing the tomato-based sauce.
peanut coconut cauliflower curry
Are you a fan of food with a little kick? If so, this is the perfect recipe for you, especially when you need to use up some vegetables in the fridge. We paired the curry with brown rice, but quinoa would also be delicious.
