Summer Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Today’s recipe is to some extent similar to eggplant parmesan, but it’s assembled in single-portion little stacks. Much much much much simpler to make.
Layers of tender grilled eggplant, slices of charred tomato, melty mozzarella, sharp Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves...could it get any better?
Uh, that would be a “NO!”

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

If you’ve ever been to Maryland, you know eating crabs is a summer pastime: picnic tables covered with brown paper, silver buckets, buttered corn, french fries, cornbread, and the unmistakable scent of seafood.
In Maryland crab meat goes on everything: hamburgers, stuffed shrimps, stuffed mushrooms, soup, literally everything gets crab meat. But my absolute favorite thing made with crab meat are crab cakes.
When done right, crab cakes are just fabulous: the perfect blend of lump crabmeat, hardly any filler, and an amazing blend of seasoning. DELISH!

Easy Blackened Chicken

First off, let’s make things clear: Blackened chicken is NOT the result of burning your chicken, or cooking it too long, or from it sticking to the pan.
No, the blackened part of the chicken is the result of a mix of spices and herbs (paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, thyme, white pepper and onion powder) that coats the chicken and when put to high heat, gives the chicken an outer char.
Usually the coated chicken is seared on a smoking hot skillet to create the blackened effect and then it finishes cooking in the oven.
But in an effort to simplify the cooking process, I skip the ‘smoking hot skillet’ part and instead cook the chicken under the broiler.
It gets a little less blackened but the taste and texture are there, believe me.

One-Pot Cheesy Beet Rice

After I posted the recipe for the One-Pot Creamy Garlic Zucchini Rice three weeks ago, Mark @JerseyStylePhotography asked me if I have ever tried making it with beets instead of zukes.

Since I’m not very fond of beets — despite a recipe for chocolate beet cake and one for beet juice on this blog — my answer was of course “No”.
I mean, why on earth would someone ruin a perfectly good recipe with beets?
What a crazy idea...

Avocado BLT Sandwich

What is your all time favorite sandwich? The one you think is the ultimate sammie?
For me it’s the BLT. Sorry, let me rephrase that, it's the avocado BLT.
It’s my feel-good sandwich and my guilty pleasure, especially after a very hectic work deadline or a grueling workout.
Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado on toasted bread with a bit of mayo.
So simple, so very delicious.