Roasted Mushroom and Tomato with Polenta

It's no secret that I love polenta, it’s a versatile and delicious dish that can be prepared in various ways. So when I spotted this recipe on the NYT I knew I had to make it.
Roasted mushrooms and tomatoes are coated in a fragrant and spicy Sichuan oil to create a harmonious blend of flavors.
The combination not only enhances the natural earthiness of the mushrooms but also adds a delightful kick to the dish. The juxtaposition of the creamy polenta with the bold, aromatic elements of the Sichuan oil create a unique and satisfying meal that perfectly complements my love for this classic Italian staple.

(Easy) Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

Thai red curry paste is something I always buy and recommend you do too.
It’s a staple in Thai cuisine and is used in a wide range of dishes, from curries to soups and stews. It’s made by grinding together a variety of fresh herbs and spices, such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, and chili peppers. The ingredients are blended together to create a smooth and fragrant paste that is spicy but more importantly full of flavor.
I generally use it in these Crock-pot Thai Red Curry Lentils, which are cous Steph’s favorite dish ever.

(Easy) Chicken Curry

This is one of those recipes I make over and over again because it checks all the boxes.
Simple, quick, tasty, nutritious, and on budget.
Not to mention that on any given day I have the necessary ingredients to make it.

(Easy) Greek Rice Salad

It’s summertime and the high temperatures have already made their way through our windows.
Global warming is causing heat waves to be more frequent and longer and since there’s no way to prevent the sun from shining bright and making our days hotter, the only thing we can do is to keep ourselves cool and hydrated.
Lemonade, iced tea, watermelon, high-water fruits and vegetables, all combined together can help you face a dreaded heat wave. However, here’s another recipe that you can add to your list to get you through the summer: Greek Rice Salad.

Two-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

This is my go-to recipe when I get a craving for chocolate mousse and I don’t either have time or the ingredients to make something more elaborate such as a Pistachio Mousse, Mom’s Chocolate Pudding or this Dairy-Free Cocoa Mousse.

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.

Skillet Pizza Chicken

This Skillet Pizza Chicken is my go-to recipe whenever I have my nieces and nephews over.
It’s a great simple dish that takes minutes to make and it's easy to clean up since it’s using only one cookware, on top of being a kid’s favorite.
Plus, it’s almost impossible to mess up. As long as you can cook some chicken in a pan and stir a couple of times you’re good to go.

Easy Garlic Chicken and Pepper Skillet

In my book there’s nothing better than an action-packed meal that is full of flavor and doesn’t take a long time to make.
What also makes it better is not having a million dishes to clean up or having my food stick to the bottom of my pans. That is seriously the worst.
I have started cooking a lot with a new non-stick wok-ish pan that I bought online.
I love it for two reasons: Number one is that nothing will stick to it AND it is super easy to clean (okay, maybe three reasons, but who's counting). The second reason is because it is shaped like a wok, it works wonders in locking the flavors.

Mexican Rice (Part II)

Since I posted the recipe for this Easy Mexican Rice last week, I received a couple of emails asking about the recipe for the more “classic” version of Mexican rice.
So who am I to deny such a request?

Easy Mexican Rice

When I want to cook restaurant-style Mexican rice at home I usually follow the run of the mill recipe that includes rice, onion, cumin, tomato sauce, broth (either chicken or caldo de tomate), and salt. A simple recipe that yields solid results.
So when I spotted this recipe in the NYTimes I was intrigued.
It’s not that different from the other one, the ingredients and cooking instructions are pretty much the same. However, this one includes a green bell pepper.
In addition, the veggies, aromatics, and broth are pureed in the blender to make a sort of gazpacho. After the rice is toasted, you add the “gazpacho” to the rice, and that’s about it. After 15 minutes the rice has absorbed all the flavors and becomes pretty darn amazing.

Crock-Pot Barbecue Pulled Chicken

The start of the new year has been overshadowed by the Corona pandemic and frankly far from ideal.
However, as my yoga teacher constantly says: “There’s always something to be thankful for".
And looking back at the past five weeks, there have been some cool things that have happened such as: Wordle, some sick NFL games, a brand new smartwatch, a delectable Poppy Seed Tea Cake, and — last but not least — this awesome Crock-Pot Barbecue Pulled Chicken.

(Vegan) Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup with Paprika Chickpeas

It's that time of the year again, pumpkin everything!
Of course, everyone hears about pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
But what about a delicious pumpkin soup so that you can put to good use all that extra pumpkin you have?

Huli Huli Chicken Breast

The original hawaian Huli Huli recipe is a trade secret, but there are several variations you can find on the internet. They all tend to include a combination of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and something acidic (such as vinegar or lime juice.)
I would define it as a sort of teriyaki-style sauce: sweet and tangy, ketchup and soy based.

Tandoori-Spiced Grilled Chicken

I don’t choose the recipes I post on this blog based on whether they photograph well or not.
I always aim to take good pictures of the food I make because it might be an incentive for the reader to try that particular recipe. However, sometimes ugly food is the tastiest food.
And just because it doesn’t photograph well, it shouldn't matter, how it tastes is what is really important, right?

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

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) 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.

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

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.