Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken

Can I be totally honest with you guys?
I am in love with this Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken. So much so that I made a second batch of it the day after devouring the first — which was like two days ago. Speaking of which, I think the time has come to whip up another one because seriously, this is smoky spicy awesomeness.

Pan Sheet Chicken Saltimbocca

Did you know that saltimbocca literally means “jumps in the mouth”?
That description could not be more fitting for this classic Italian restaurant favorite: the dish is so delicious people you cook it for won’t be able to eat it fast enough.

In this version, chicken replaces traditional veal and instead of pan frying it, it’s roasted in the oven. But the mouthwatering addition of prosciutto and sage stays the same and makes the the dish practically irresistible.
These Pan Sheet Chicken Saltimbocca take minimal effort to make and are ready in just 30 minutes: simple, delicious, and just one pan in the sink to wash up.
It’s my special dish for Niece every time she visits. Pure perfection. Serve it over spinach or better yet, with roasted fingerling potatoes that you can pop in the oven while the saltimbocca are cooking. I can’t seem to make too much — we finish however much there is.

There’s no overloading of ingredients (just seven, if you count also salt and pepper), the perfect complement of flavors, super simple execution, and minimal dishes to wash: what could you possibly want more?

Pan Sheet Chicken Saltimbocca                                                                                                         Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 4

8 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (mine were about 3 oz each and ¼-inch thick) and then halved (for a total of 16 small chicken cutlets)
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half
16 sage leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup dry white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Top each cutlet with half prosciutto slice and lay a sage leaf in the center of each cutlet. Weave a toothpick in and out of each cutlet to secure the prosciutto and the sage.
Place cutlets on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Remove baking sheet from the oven, pour white wine over the cutlets and roast for additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the wine has reduced to a flavorful and distinct sauce.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition facts

One serving (i.e., four saltimbocca) yields 375 calories, 18 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs, and 48 grams of protein.

Sheet Pan Ratatouille

I can’t believe how well this worked out. I also can’t believe I made this quintessential stove top hearty dish in the oven. But I can believe I’ll be making this again tomorrow, because it’s delicious and an incredible cinch to make.

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.

(Vegan) Coconut Curry Chickpeas

Crazy week? It can be all too easy to throw healthy eating out of the window and chow down on some takeaway.
With busy life comes the desire to feed oneself all that is easy, quick, and effortless.
But don’t dive into that pizza, Pad Thai or Chipotle just yet.
I have a perfect recipe for you.
So easy and simple, you’ll have dinner sorted in no time.
And if you make a double batch, you’ll have lunch for the next couple of days too.

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.

Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef

One of the most fundamental, basic rules of dinner parties — and the one I routinely ignore — is that you should never try out recipes for the first time on your guests. Good manners predicate that guests are not guinea pigs, hence you should never test new dishes and ideas on them.
But when those guests are your family — which means that they are forced to love you — I say go to town on them.
Fortunately, with this Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef everything worked perfectly, like I knew it would. Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, and beef in the slow cooker: Hardly something can go wrong.

Cinnamon Carrot Soup

Although it’s still cold, it definitely feels less harsh than last week (and the week before that).
The severe and unusually long cold blast we just experienced was one the sharpest documented — numerous records (if not all) have been broken.
And when it gets cold (especially that cold), I have but one craving: warming and nourishing soups. There’s nothing quite like a big bowl of soup to keep your insides warm and healthy.

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

This week has gotten away from me a little. I haven’t had many home cooked meals and I’ve put my recipe testing on hold for a few days.
I’ve been finishing up my holiday to do list — okay, I started and have almost finished up my holiday to do list. Luckily, I’m taking Friday off and plan to wrap things up, because on Saturday and Sunday I’ll be cooking for the family for Christmas.

(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?

Crock Pot Shredded Beef Ragu

Ragu is one of those recipes that really showcases the beauty of Italian cooking: everyday ingredients, fast prep, long and slow cooking until you get a luscious dish that tastes like a million bucks.

Frosted Grapes

With Christmas just around the corner (I can’t believe it’s already that time of the year), I wanted to share an extra special snack that is a staple in my house since I was a kid: frosted grapes or as niece like to call ‘em Elsa’s Frozen Grapes (believe it or not, after 4 years Frozen was released she still looooves it!)
Seriously, is there anything more festive than these sugared grapes?
Not only they are a yummy snack but you can use them as a decoration to your holiday desserts. Imagine a classic white layer cake topped with these grapes. It's pretty awesome if you ask me.

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.

(Vegan) Creamy Crock Pot Coconut Curry Lentils

Weeknight dinners don’t get simpler or healthier than this.
You can prep everything for these (Vegan) Creamy Crock Pot Coconut Curry Lentils in 5 minutes tops, then toss it all in your slow cooker and with no other effort required on your part, you’ll have a healthy meal that everyone will love.
Fact is, when I’m using the crock pot to save time (and stay out of the kitchen) I like to keep things as simple as possible, and believe me when I say that it doesn’t get simpler than this.
Just some peeling and chopping is needed, then throw everything in the slow cooker, go out to work or run errands, and when you get home you don’t have to start fussing with dinner—the work’s already done.

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.

Moroccan-Spiced Burgers with Harissa Mayo

It’s well known that I’m a harissa fiend.
I have a love affair with the North African fiery paste and I love putting it on…well, everything.
Spaghetti, chicken, potato salad, you name it.
So it was only a matter of time before I would put it inside a burger to create a — in my humble opinion — memorable meal.

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.

Maple Chipotle Roasted Carrots

This recipe is proof that vegetable side dishes don’t have to be boring. Or, to put it in other words, that there are tasty ways to prepare what could be a boring vegetable for a side dish.
Because let’s face it, sometimes carrots can be pretty mundane just plain on the side of your main dish.
Am I right?
Introducing Maple Chipotle Roasted Carrots.

Easy Crock Pot Orange Chicken

Let’s get things straight people: if you’re looking for something that is going to be a Panda Express style orange chicken, this recipe ain’t for you.
There’s no breading and deep frying, that’s not how slow cooking works. There’s not a chance in the world that you will get crispy orange chicken out of it. Actually, you won’t get crispy anything out of a Crock Pot.
However, if you’re craving orange-y, savory, sweet and sour, spicy melt-in-your-mouth chicken, then look no further because I have the perfect recipe for you.