Spicy Tuna Pesto Pasta

I’m a big fan of “pantry-friendly” recipes.
Though I have to admit that it’s kind of a vague term, since it doesn’t account for much of the diversity that influences what fills our cupboards.
But I’m pretty sure that in almost every household you can find a can of tuna, an onion, some tomato paste, olives, parsley, and oil.
That’s really all it takes to make this incredible Spicy Tuna Pesto Pasta.

Neapolitan Eggplant and Tomatoes

This is a recipe that everyone needs in their life.
A one-skillet recipe with very few ingredients, super simple to make, that yields great results.
What I love about this Neapolitan Eggplant and Tomatoes is its versatility: It can be a tasty sauce for pasta or rice, it also goes great on toasted bread to make bruschetta and you can also serve it as a toothsome side dish.

Easy Chimichurri Chicken

Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian sauce made with parsley, oregano, garlic, red-pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.
It’s, by far, one of my favorite condiments. It livens up whatever it’s spooned over: Meat, fish, even tofu. It’s almost universal.
It’s also a great marinade for chicken. Marinated chicken breast or thighs, cooked to perfection and topped with a big spoon of extra chimichurri sauce is one of the best chicken meals ever.

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!

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.

Italian Seasoning

A quick post today on something I recently just made out of necessity: Italian seasoning.
I know all too well that Italian seasoning is the kind of thing that chefs and sophisticated cooks “never” use.
But as far as I’m concerned, I use it all the time — and I’m not afraid to say it.
Whenever I need to season a chicken breast for dinner, Italian seasoning is there to make it more savory.
I’m whipping up some cauliflower crust cheese pizza? Italian seasoning.
Need to add some extra flavor to my soup? Italian seasoning.

Burnt Eggplant with Tahini, Pomegranate and Sesame Seeds

Autocorrect is awesome at turning your garbled typing into coherent messages.
Except when it's not.
Take for instance my friend Shashi. For the past week or so she asked on more than one occasion how I ‘twerked’ a particular recipe — I know that she meant ‘tweaked’ but clearly her phone was acting on its own volition.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love twerking just as much as the next person (well, not really) but I honestly have no idea how to twerk a recipe.
What are you supposed to do?
Let’s not forget that twerking presupposes dancing in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
Does that mean that in order to twerk a recipe you take a cookbook and rub your booty against it?
I dunno, I dunno.
I might need to ask Miley Cyrus for guidance...she knows a thing or two about twerking, right?

Soy-Lime Chicken Bowls with Cilantro Lime Dressing

I’m typing this post while sitting in a café in Berlin.
It’s sunny outside and there’s even a light breeze. Though it's supposed to get very warm today (temperatures will rise to near 100 degrees), I'm enjoying the cool morning.
There are so many things I want to tell you about this wonderful city but I feel like it’s too early.
I’ll have a post dedicated to this vibrant city next week. Be patient.

Avocado Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction

It’s easy to overeat during lunch time. You’ve been up since 6am, work is stressful, you’ve already eaten your daily intake of healthy snacks but you’re still starving.
And you know what? Everyone makes bad decisions when they’re starving.
Your mouth is watering, the stomach aches with hunger.
You walk into the Deli.
The options are endless.
Everything looks good.
Even things you normally don’t eat look good. Like Fried Chicken Sandwich or the Italian Meatball Sub with Double Provolone Cheese — you know, just to throw some examples out there.

Classic Basil Pesto

I'm a real snob when it comes to pesto — only fresh homemade, thank you very much and a strict no to anything coming from a jar.
Oddly enough, I haven’t posted my recipe for Classic Basil Pesto on TIY yet.
I wonder why.
I made Kale Pesto, Avocado Pesto, Avocado-Spinach Pesto, Radicchio Pesto but not Basil Pesto.
Weird things happen on this blog.

Creamy Avocado-Spinach Pesto Zoodles

I hate when people start launching into “I could never be a vegan” or “I could never live without gluten” speeches.
I’m always like “You know that from experience or are you just guessing?”
Most of the time, people are just guessing.

Avocado Hummus

In its purest form, hummus is a creamy, smooth dip that can be easily used to top just about anything. It might be one of the greatest culinary gift from the Middle East.
America has become obsessed with the rich chickpea spread, and for a reason. It’s not only delicious, it’s also super healthy.
The typical chickpea-garlic-tahini combination is as good as it gets — but why stop there?
Sometimes — just sometimes — I get tired of it. Not to mention, there are so many variations to the standard hummus recipe, it’s fun to play around.

Homemade Harissa (Spicy Red Pepper Paste)

You guys know how I love me some Sriracha.
The other day I took the “How addicted to Sriracha are you?” quiz - created by TheOatmeal - and got “100% addicted to Sriracha”.
True story.
But wait, I’m not here to annoy you with another post on the notorious rooster hot sauce; today we’re talking about Harissa.
A fiery paste used in North African cuisine that - just like its Thai cousin - is hot, complex and totally addictive.
Harissa is a blend of hot peppers, garlic, various spices and olive oil.
In North Africa it’s used as a flavor base for stews and curries, as well as a condiment to cooked vegetables and meats, and even spread on bread for a simple snack.