Italian Farro Salad

If you’re not familiar with it, farro is a grain similar to pearl barley, but it’s dried in such a way that instead of being fluffy and spongy, it becomes a bit chewy and has an incredible nutty flavor.
Farro is a pure form of wheat with the husk intact.
It’s been a staple in the Mediterranean diet for centuries, in fact it was a major food for the ancient Romans, who used it to make bread and soups before shifting to wheat.
It’s incredibly versatile and pretty healthy too. It contains a lot of fiber which proves to be very good when it comes to digestion and cardiovascular health. It’s also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals.
It used to be pretty hard to find, but nowadays almost all grocery stores carry it. From Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods to Walmart, look for it in the natural-food or special selection sections.

Greek Pasta Salad

Pasta salads tend to get a bad rap, but I find that the more I think of them as cold and fresh summer dishes and the less as mayo-laden bowls of suspicious ingredients offered in delis around the country, the more inviting they become, not only for picnics and potlucks but for an awesome Friday night.
I actually made this Greek Pasta Salad for a BBQ this past weekend, everyone raved about it, and wanted to know how to make it.
In my book, I always know that something works when people ask for the recipe. Then again, I’m not sure if they are ever going to make it but sure enough, they’ve enjoyed it.
I love when people get so excited about something that is so simple to make and so fresh.

Sheet Pan Spicy Chicken Fajitas

I don’t know if I should tell you or not, but I kinda have a thing for Mexican food in my house.
I’ve never actually thought about it until now, but I’m pretty sure I eat Mexican food at least once a week. From quesadillas, to carnitas, to enchiladas, to these awesome Sheet Pan Spicy Chicken Fajitas.

Pepper Quesadillas

It’s about time you meet one of my fave go-to meal, Pepper Quesadillas.
When I’m feeling too lazy to make a proper meal but I still want something delicious, filling, and a tad on the healthy side too, I throw together these quesadillas in 15 minutes flat.

Marinated Red Peppers with Garlic and Oregano

Most of the time, I don’t choose the recipes I share here, it’s the market that controls it.
As it happens when you live in a climate that deprives you of field-fresh produce for almost half the year, leaving you to go completely out of control and of course overdo it in the months that you’re graced with it — bringing home buckets of fresh produce when you only need a fraction of it.
The other day I picked-up some mega-huge red peppers thinking about pickling them, but then I changed my mind — as I often do— and I instead roasted them.

Easy Gratineed Eggplant

It’s finally starting to feel like summer so today I’m making a dish that has summer written all over it.
A super simple Gratineed Eggplant — a dish that get raves from anyone who's tried it.
I know that “gratineed” sounds like a fancy word but in reality it just means to bake or broil in au gratin style. That’s it.

(Vegan) Sun-Dried Tomato and Chickpea Burgers

Here is the thing about veggie burgers — I found that once you bite into them, they are often mushy, or they tend to fall apart or even worse they are cardboard-like.
Even some of the good ones are more akin to a fritter than a burger and all miss that juicy burger texture.
Prepare to be amazed.

Classic Souvlaki Kebabs

Why is it that, no matter what, we always crave the back-to-basics, simple food that has been around for ages?
Probably because no one wants to fuss and also because we like food that doesn’t make demands on our time, our kitchen skills or our wallets.
As far as I’m concerned there are recipes — such as these Classic Souvlaki Kebabs — that I make a lot around here.
Simple food that speaks for itself. What is there not love about it?

Green Falafels

For those of you who don’t know, falafel is a simple fritter of ground chickpeas, filled with garlic and herbs and fried into a glorious, filling, and inexpensive food.
Falafels are typically eaten wrapped in pita bread and topped with yogurt sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes. But when I make ‘em at home, I’ll eat them straight-up with just a dip of tzatziki.
Traditional falafel is also a vegan food: A great source of protein for people who have cut meat out of their diet and low in fat if you fry it in heart-healthy vegetable oil (such as grapeseed oil.)

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Can we please discuss for a moment the price of supermarket veggie burgers? Why are they so expensive?
One can argue that this happens because veggie burgers are made with a lot of ingredients.
Or maybe it’s because vegetarians are willing to pay more to avoid beef/pork, the manufacturers know this and thus charge more.
More likely is it because the production of veggie burgers is on a much smaller scale if compared to the beef counterpart and in addition vegetables and grains — though generally quite cheap pound to pound — are seasonal and can greatly fluctuate in price.
Whatever might be the reason: veggie burgers are expensive!

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

I don’t know if there is a name for this but when I see a recipe that sounds intriguing, I have this bad habit of cooking it either right-that-very-moment or pretty much never.
I do the same with clean laundry, I either get every single thing into its proper closet/drawer or it sits on my bedroom chair for days — never bothering to put it away. Same thing happens when I buy something I’m not sure of, I either return it the very next day or it stays in its bag forever.
The fact is, once something leaves my short-term memory, it may as well be lost eternally.
But with recipes, at least today, I’m on a rescue mission.

Double Chocolate Blender Brownies

If you ask me, banana and chocolate is a marriage made in heaven. Just like eggs and avocado, tomato and mozzarella, orange and thyme, and coffee and shortbread, just to name a few.
I know that not everyone is a fan though and that some may be dubious about a recipe for brownies that calls for bananas and chocolate.
To be honest, if three years ago you’d told me about a killer recipe for double chocolate brownies made with bananas, I wouldn’t have believed you. But since then, three things happened.

Caprese Lemon Cake (Gluten-Free)

I have this suspicion about myself that I love anything caprese.
As long as it’s labeled “caprese” I know I’m going to like it, a lot: Salad, chicken, cauliflower casserole, rice casserole, etc. you name it. The combination of tomato and mozzarella and anything else always wins, in my book.
I think it also has to do with the fact that when I first visited Capri (many moons ago) I fell in love with the place: the feel of the warm Mediterranean breeze, the turquoise water that crashes onto the rocky shores, the magnificent sights that greet you around every turn, and, of course, the taste of the delicious foods available at cafés and restaurants.

(Gluten-Free) Almond Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Since it’s the holidays, I’m all about cookies. And today I’m going to share one of my very favorite cookie recipe: Almond Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.
Insanely delicious, super easy to make, and great for holiday parties and cookie exchanges (if you’re into that). And you know what? They are also gluten-free and can be made vegan and/or paleo if you want.
Awesome, right?

Best Ever Tuna Salad

No matter how inventive or creative or ingenious I try to be be with my weekday lunches, at some point I end up craving just a simple tuna salad sandwich. Just like egg salad, a tuna salad may be the ultimate lunchtime comfort food. Perfect for cold sandwiches or fresh wraps on the go.
Here’s my favorite, not-so-basic tuna salad recipe. I think it’s just about perfect.

Fancy Egg Salad

I’m going to make a confession guys, this egg salad is (as the title suggests) fancy and high-maintenance.
Made from a few ordinary ingredients it's more than the sum of its parts: well balanced, with bright fresh flavors, and a texture that spans from rich and creamy to crunchy.
It really has it all.

(Easy) Spinach Ricotta Quiche

I am certain that for many of you — just like myself — the sole preoccupation right now is Thanksgiving menu and that you probably forget — just like myself — that in order to survive and make it to Thursday alive you still need to eat.
That’s why I have a little recipe for you today, a fantastic quiche that
(A) requires a few simple ingredients,
(B) is incredibly easy to make,
(C) is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, and
(D) last but not least, is super delicious and wholesome, while being healthy and nutritious.

One Pot Pizza Rice

I was not, in fact, looking for a new rice dish. I have already so many, I certainly do not need one more.
But, as it happens, because I’m terrible at timely meal-planning, I was attempting to make this chicken for dinner a couple of weeks ago and it wasn’t ready on time, or even close to it.
That’s when I remembered a one-pan Spanish rice I made in February that was both delicious and easy to make.
Realizing I had almost all the ingredients on hand, I rustled it up. But since I had Nephew and Niece over for lunch, I made a few tweaks (no spices, marinara sauce instead of tomato sauce, etc.) and what began as Spanish flavored rice ended up looking much more as a tomato rice that smelled like pizza.
So I took it a step further, sprinkled some mozzarella I had in the fridge, dotted with mini-pepperoni slices, five minutes under the broiler and BOOM a delicious One Pot Pizza Rice.
The kids loved it so much they asked for seconds, and thirds. Actually, they polished it ALL off.

Crock Pot Cinnamon Applesauce (No Added Sugar)

I love applesauce. I know that makes me sound like I’m three years old, but I will freely admit it with no shame whatsoever.
However, I am also very picky about my applesauce — this also makes me sound like I’m three years old. I do not like overly sweet applesauce, and I abhor those applesauce flavors you can buy at the store, like tropical or mixed berry.
The only fruit sauce combination I accept is apple+apple+apple.
And needless to say, it I prefer homemade applesauce to store-bought.
Straight-up apples that have been cooked down into a thick pulp, with lemon juice and a bit of cinnamon. So simple, so incredibly delicious.

Easy Crock Pot Carnitas

I am embarrassed by how long it took me to post a recipe for carnitas — or “little meats” that are usually braised then roasted — which are as far as I’m concerned the very best thing to pile on a corn tortilla.
To me, they’re the undisputed king of the taco food truck. The Mexican answer to American pulled pork: moist, juicy with a rich and tender texture, and riddled with plenty of well-browned crisp edges.
The only thing greater than my love for carnitas was my wonderment as to how they were made. I imagined that getting a flavor so complex, and a texture so nuanced — tender in the center and crunchy at the edges — was best left to the experts.
That’s why I continued for many happy years to pay a premium price for them, especially in a city where good food can cost the earth.
Man, was I wrong.