Showing posts with label Comfort Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comfort Food. Show all posts

(Vegan) Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils

May 12, 2021

(Vegan) Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils


There are (almost) countless recipes for lentils on this blog: made in the Crock-Pot, on the stovetop, with green lentils, red lentils, spicy, less spicy, creamy, etc. You name it.
Still, in my book, there are never enough recipes for lentils.

Baked Feta Pasta Sauce

March 16, 2021

Baked Feta Pasta Sauce


I haven’t fallen into the TikTok rabbit hole, just yet.
I feel I’m almost too old for Instagram, TikTok seems really far fetched.
I mean, if 14-year old Niece is really into it — as the majority of teenagers are — I’m not sure it’s something apt to her uncle.
In addition, let’s be honest, I don’t have any particular good dance moves nor I’m skilled in telling jokes or doing sketch comedy: How am I supposed to contribute to the TikTok community? You get my point.
Let’s say that my feelings towards TikTok are similar to those brilliantly expressed by Amy Poehler in her very funny interview with Willie Geist on the Sunday Sitdown podcast “If TikTok was a window, I would be a weird person standing outside of it.” Ha!

Easy Tomato Chicken Curry

February 25, 2021

Easy Tomato Chicken Curry


I should have named this recipe “Penny’s Tomato Chicken Curry” because it comes from aunt Julia’s friend Penny who thankfully passed along her recipe to me.
I couldn’t name it after Penny though, because as it usually happens I tweaked and streamlined the original recipe to make it more compatible with my cooking style — it was a bit time consuming and to be honest some steps seemed avoidable. You know me, I'm all about ease when it comes to cooking these days.
In other words, this is Penny’s Easy Tomato Chicken Curry tweaked by yours truly.

(Vegan) Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

January 29, 2021

(Vegan) Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Life is definitely too short to eat second-class mashed potatoes.
I like mine with a shameless amount of butter and milk (or cream) and it’s been hard to make them any other way. That was until I tried these uh-mazing Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes.

(Vegan) Double Chocolate Pudding

January 25, 2021

(Vegan) Double Chocolate Pudding
Children and adults alike love chocolate pudding and have done so for years. Usually eaten as a snack, pudding can be also a refined dessert.
Though it’s easier to buy ready-made pudding (or instant pudding) sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, and even gas stations I urge you to try making it at home at least once.
It’s a hundred times better, way cheaper, and you can tweak to make it suit your tastes — more sweet, less sweet, more thick, less thick, and so on.

Semolina Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana)

January 19, 2021

Semolina Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Romana)


Laura, my cousin-in-law, is sort of obsessed with my Semolina Gnocchi (aka gnocchi alla romana.) I made them for her, her husband (i.e., my cousin Mark), and their children once they came over for dinner like two years ago and apparently they’ve been on her mind ever since.
I gave her the recipe (THIS recipe, word for word) but she swears that the gnocchi she makes are good but do not come even close to mine.
I’m quite confident that it has only to do with the fact that memories are always better than reality — this recipe is so simple and easy that it’s almost impossible to mess up. It’s actually so straightforward that after making it a few times, you won't need the recipe at all.
Just seven ingredients — each one a common staple, except perhaps for the semolina flour — are all you need to whip up this classic Italian main dish.

Creamy Garlic Broccoli Rice

January 14, 2021

Creamy Garlic Broccoli Rice
Finish your broccoli!” "Eat your broccoli or you can't have dessert!" "If you feed your broccoli to the dog one more time, you're grounded!"
I'm sure we've all been threatened in a similar way with broccoli by our moms.
They wanted us to grow up healthy, so they made us consume spoonfuls of the cruciferous vegetable despite our disapproval.
Chances are that, growing up, we didn’t like it that much, even if it was referred to as “tiny trees” or other cutesy names. Maybe that happened because it was mostly served kind of mushy or slathered in cheese. Maybe it was just one of those vegetables that you had to eat — like some sort of punishment.

Easy Creamy Apple Chicken Curry

January 11, 2021

Easy Creamy Apple Chicken Curry


Today I have a great recipe to share with you. A mild and (super) creamy chicken curry that comes together in 30 minutes with ingredients you’ll likely have already in the pantry.
I mean: Chicken, onion, apple, oil, yogurt, milk (or cream), and curry powder. That’s about it.
A simple recipe, very easy to make and that’s perfect for kids and those who don’t like their curries too hot.

Mushroom Ragout

December 17, 2020

Mushroom Ragout
Staying home for the holidays amid pandemic restrictions made me realize that for the first time in years (read this as ever) I will be home to water a fresh-cut tree and not let it die.
Since almost all the holiday festivities have been canceled (or restricted) having the smell of a real tree in the house might be a way to keep some of the holiday spirit going and help me get through with what I’ve heard has been called the “Covid blues.”
After all the holidays haven’t been cancelled this year, we have to celebrate in a meaningful, albeit different, way.

(Vegan) Pumpkin Chickpea Curry

December 3, 2020

(Vegan) Pumpkin Chickpea Curry

Here’s a great little recipe in case you have some (or a lot) leftover pumpkin puree from your Thanksgiving baking — a nice way to use it up before it’s forgotten in the back of your fridge.
And if you don’t have leftovers, don’t worry, you can always open up a can of pumpkin puree like I did.

Lemon Spice Pound Cake

October 30, 2020

Lemon Spice Pound Cake

With the cold closing in and the holidays just around the corner, I feel it’s about time to fire up the oven and bake like there’s no tomorrow. Am I right?
Today I’m sharing with you guys one of my favorite recipes for pound cake: Lemon Spice Pound Cake.

Best-Ever Barley Salad

July 28, 2020

Best-Ever Barley Salad


There’s a certain kind of dish that lets you down not because it’s bad, but because it could have been great. One of those dishes, for me, is barley salad.
Over the last 10 years I’ve probably tasted close to 50 different barley salads; at potlucks, “bring-a-dish” picnics, barbecues, salad bars, and even at one very fancy restaurant (which I’m not gonna name.) I can’t name one that was memorable let alone exceptional.
I sadly almost came to the conclusion that barley salad could never reach the heights of a farro salad or of a rice salad. Good yes, great never.

No-Cook Tomato CousCous Salad

July 10, 2020

No-Cook Tomato CousCous Salad


I can say without a hint of doubt that this is going to be THE recipe for what will probably be remembered as one of the most awkward summers of our life (sigh!)
I used the adjective “awkward” instead of more bitter ones just because — being ever the optimist — I know (more like I hope) that sooner or later we’ll find a way out of this ditch.
Anyways, I found this recipe while perusing a French cooking website. I was skeptical at first but intrigued nonetheless. The non-cooking part was what sold me on it. With the heat and humidity rising the very last thing I feel like doing is turning on the stove.

Italian Jam Tart (Crostata)

May 11, 2020

Italian Jam Tart


With the majority of us hunkered down at home, I know you’d probably expect me to tell you to do things like social distancing from your fridge, drink green juices, workout in your living room every day, etc.
And you should, keeping yourself healthy and active is very important, especially right now.
However, I also believe that it’s paramount to stay sane, light-hearted, and gruntled.
For me, that means eating something comforting, sweet, and delicious every day; such as a slice of this Italian Jam Tart (aka crostata).

Soft Apple Crinkle Cookies

April 20, 2020

Soft Apple Crinkle Cookies


During this quarantine we seem to be discovering our ovens for the first time. We’re all craving something sweet and soothing, so why not try out that Cinnamon Pecan Banana Bread or those Salted Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies recipes that have been hanging on the fridge for the last thousand years?
I mean, the thirty pounds flour, twenty bags of sugar, and ten boxes of eggs (also known as the Covid-apocalypse hoard) aren’t going to bake themselves. Am I right?

Easy Zucchini Fritters

March 30, 2020

Easy Zucchini Fritters


The word fritter usually conjures up something deep-fried, fat-laden, and overall heavy.
But these Easy Zucchini Fritters are testament that light fritters can be possible.
Grated zucchini joins forces with onion, flour, eggs, and grated Parmesan cheese to make low calorie, delicious little green pancakes that can be a light vegetarian meal or meze or a side dish to any Mediterranean-style chicken, quinoa, or salmon.

Avocado Egg Salad

March 19, 2020

Avocado Egg Salad


We are going through difficult times and it might not always be easy to stay positive. Nonetheless we have to try our best.
As we hunker down at home, there’s no time like the present to get busy in the kitchen and try out some new delicious dishes.
I wholeheartedly believe that cooking is therapeutic, for yourself and for those around you.
Serve a delicious meal, everyone is happy. A simple source of comfort and pleasure.
It’s the kind of caring for the well-being of your family that ought to be top-of-the-mind right now.

Oven Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs

December 12, 2019

Oven Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs


Before I begin, a confession. Although a navigated cook, I suffer the shame of the occasional pre-dinner party debacle.
I, naively, put my complete faith in a recipe I have never made before, praying it will work. I follow the directions to the letter, only to discover ten minutes before the guests are scheduled to arrive that the food is inedible and I have nothing to serve.
Some recipes are posted/printed without ever being tested and the rule of thumb is to
never try a recipe for the first time when preparing food to a dinner party. Subject your friends/family first to work out kinks.

Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

December 3, 2019

Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze


The holiday season is in full swing. Some people love it; some people want to hide under the couch until January 2nd. Whichever group you fall into, we can all agree that this is the best time of the year to fire up the oven and start baking, sharing, and of course, eating.

(Vegan) Easy Crock-Pot Curry Lentils

November 5, 2019

(Vegan) Easy Crock-Pot Curry Lentils


I honestly believe that the best way to cook lentils is in the slow-cooker.
I’m well aware that the most common method is to cook (or boil) lentils on the stovetop and that the fastest one involves a pressure cooker — but the slow-cooker method delivers the best results not to mention it is also the easiest way to cook ‘em.
Take these Easy Curry Lentils for instance, super easy to make and pack quite the punch in the flavor department. All the ingredients are placed in the Crock-pot for 7 hours and that’s it. You can forget about it.
What you’re left with are healthy and uber delicious lentils that are sure to satisfy even the most- die-hard meat lovers.