Creamy Caprese Rice Casserole

Don't you just love when you have a recipe that can be a favorite week in/week out? One you keep making and loving?
For me it’s the Creamy Caprese Cauliflower Casserole.
There's something about that dish that I found quite special. It has a rich, comfort-food feel that you would never expect from a dish made with cauliflower and tomatoes.
It's easy and delicious. Plus it makes great leftovers — not to mention everyone I have served it to has gone crazy for it.
So I thought it was time to make another caprese themed casserole.
Enters the Creamy Caprese Rice Casserole.

Mom's Parsley Potato Salad

If you grew up in a household where mayonnaise was almost forbidden — though she never admitted it, I’m fairly certain that Mom hates mayo — you can understand why I don’t have a family recipe for a classic (mayo-drenched) potato salad.
It was just not part of Mom’s cooking repertoire.
She did have her own version of potato salad though.
One that involved parsley, lemon, olive oil, capers, but — not surprisingly — zero mayo.

Homemade Almond Joy Bars (Paleo and Vegan)

The Almond Joy is one of the most iconic American candies (together with the Tootsie Roll, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Milk Duds, Butterfinger, etc.)
It’s famous for its creamy coconut filling topped with almonds and covered in milk chocolate.
It also has a sibling, the Mounds bar, which is basically the same, minus the almonds.
And though the recipes for these two candy bars are top secret — just like Coca-Cola or Nutella — it’s possible to recreate these amazing coconutty candies in your own kitchen.
With only a few ingredients you can whip up your own Almond Joy Bars in no time.
Needless to say it, these are way healthier than store bought. As in, gluten-free + grain-free + refined sugar-free + vegan healthier + paleo healthier.

No-Bake 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Butter Bars

Almond butter, almond butter, almond butter! It’s the classic saying: “When life gives you almond butter…”
…Or something like that.
When you’ve got heaps of almond butter on your hands, you don’t take that stuff for granted. Instead, you turn it into something even more incredible. Such as double chocolate almond butter brownies, almond butter blondies, almond butter cookies OR almond butter bars.
Yeah, you heard that right, almond butter bars.

The Best (Paleo) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Would you believe me if I say that these cookies are the real deal? That despite being paleo and grain-free they don’t just look appetizing but they are actually delicious? And that you won’t be disappointed when you take the first bite?
You don't?
That's too bad, because these (Paleo) Chocolate Chip Cookies will exceed all your taste and texture expectations.
In fact, I genuinely believe that they are actually better than the original (you know, the cookies made with white flour and sugar).

Smashed Potatoes with Tapenade

This recipe comes from celebrity chef Francis Mallmann whom I’ve discovered thanks to Netflix Original Documentary Series “The Chef’s Table”.
He’s the Argentine god of fire and I’ve cooked a lot from his cookbooks Seven Fires and Mallmann on Fire.
And if it wasn’t for him, I never would have thought to put these two flavors together in all the world of combinations: On one side the tapenade so briny, savory, and aromatic, on the other the ever-so-mellow boiled potato.
Who would have thought that they’d be any good together?
Thankfully Chef Mallmann did and he had the fortitude to put it in his cookbook for me to find.

(I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless) Mushroom Lentil "Meatloaf"

I’m sorry guys for the long recipe title. I know that it’s annoying and I tried every which way to shorten it but I wanted it to describe the awesomeness of this dish, hence the long title.
But you see, when the process of perfecting a recipe takes time (a lot of time) and what normally takes a couple of days of testing ended up taking over a week to finally hit the mark, you want to showcase it in all its glory.
So there you have it: (I Can’t Believe It’s Meatless) Mushroom Lentil “Meatloaf”.
A title that requires parentheses and quotes.

Mom's Chocolate Pudding

In my forced departure from chewable-food, I dusted-off some old recipes that I haven’t made in years and asked friends and family for their own recipes that don’t require heavy use of your jaws. Needless to say it, a large number of pudding recipes showed up in my inbox.
It’s funny that when somebody is in no condition to flex those cheek muscles to smile, let alone to chew food, pudding is the first thing that comes to mind.
Which hardly ever happens, pudding is not that popular. Seriously, when was the last time you had pudding? Or thought about pudding?

Minted Sweet Pea Hummus

Good morning guys, I hope that you all had a great week and that you're ready for the weekend.
Today I have a quick and delicious recipe for you guys.
Since I’m sure you already have these ingredients in your kitchen — because they are so basic/such a staple (at least in my pantry) — what about mix them all up and give yourself a treat? You interested?

(Gluten-Free) Lemon Polenta Cake

Now, I know what many of you are thinking.
Has he lost his mind? Polenta goes great with all kinds of meats and sauces what does it have to do in a cake?
Hold on a sec, and hear me out: Polenta makes for an excellent substitute for flour in cakes and in turn makes them naturally gluten-free.
Plus polenta gives an awesome yellow-sunshine color to cakes and also gives a wonderful texture.
Are you on board?
I thought so….

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Usually pizza is the first thing that gets tossed out of the window the moment somebody starts eating healthy.
That’s why there are so many healthier alternatives to pizza around. Such as cauliflower crust pizza, eggplant pizzas, quesadilla pizza or my all time favorite pizza sweet potato skins.
These Zucchini Pizza Boats are another gem that you absolutely need to try.
Fresh zucchini topped with olive oil, garlic, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and your fave toppings.
It makes for a perfect pizza without all the carbs and the calories.

(Vegan) Creamy Crock-Pot Eggplant and Zucchini Curry

Considering that my obsession with curry borders maniacal — I don’t mean to brag but there are so many curry recipes on this blog I can’t even count, including but not limited to, chicken tikka masala, chickpea tikka masala, sweet potato tikka masala, butter chicken, eggplant curry, coconut curry chicken, etc... — it should come as no surprise that today I have yet another recipe involving curry for you.

Zucchini Crust Grilled Cheese

Guys, today I made something awesome.
Awesome as in, literally awe-inspiring and awe-amazing.
But let’s start from the beginning. Almost three years ago I created what has become the most popular (and copied) recipe on this blog, my worldwide famous Cauliflower Crust Grilled Cheese.
A recipe that made headlines and sparked obsession around the entire globe. If you don’t believe me, read here
So today I decided the time was ripe to make something as incredible as my cauli crust grilled cheese.

3-Ingredient Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Salmon

Today I have a new entry in the much-neglected seafood category on this blog.
It’s a known fact that I am almost fish-averse.
Sure, I’ve come around to salmon and tuna but for the most part my seafood appreciation level is pathetically low.
If you ever invite me out for sushi, I will never say no but don’t be surprised if I order only avocado sushi and cucumber sushi.
Raw fish is still a step too far for me. I mean I can eat it, of course, and I’ve done it many times but I don’t find any pleasure or satisfaction in it.

(Flourless) Chocolate Beet Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

It was recently pointed out to me that this blog lacks cake recipes and the reason, I am sad to say, is that I don’t bake many cakes.
That is not to say that I don’t like baking cakes, I just don’t do it that often.
When a craving for cake strikes, usually mug cakes come to the rescue. Truth is, I surely don't need an entire cake laying around the house, with the risk of polishing the entire thing off.
If y’all know what I mean...

Broccoli Flatbread

I don’t mean to sound corny but this broccoli flatbread is MMM MMM GOOD.
Made with only 3 ingredients (if you don’t count salt and pepper), these Broccoli flatbread not only are super easy to whip up but are also incredibly yummy, super colorful, and since they’re made with broccoli (aka one of the healthiest vegetable there is) they’re also good for you.
Wanna hear more?
I bet you do.

Easy Crock-Pot Bourbon Chicken

You know a recipe is a total winner when you make it year after year, you still love it like the first time, and you never get bored of it.
So you might ask why am I posting this Easy Crock-Pot Bourbon Chicken only today?
It’s a valid question. And the answer is: I don’t know.
Plus it’s like I’m under some legal obligation to share all of my recipes with you.
And say I invite you over for dinner and when it is time to eat I serve you chickpea tikka masala, lemon garlic chicken zoodles or cauliflower grilled cheese. You’ll be probably like “Uhm okay is that it? I know these recipes already…”
Which is precisely the reason why I need to keep some recipes secret.
Mmmkay?

Spinach-Mozzarella Stuffed Burgers

I know I'm not reinventing the wheel here. Stuffed hamburgers have been around since at least 1954 but it seems like they have been a bit of a trend the past few years.
Sometimes called inside-out burgers — because cheese and other traditional topping ingredients are folded inside the burger — stuffed burgers offer a surprising burst of flavor and some believe that the stuffing also helps keep the meat itself more moist and juicy.
The most notorious stuffed burger is, of course,  the Juicy Lucy: a cheeseburger that has the cheese inside the meat patty instead of on top, resulting in a melted core of cheese within the patty.

Vitamin C Bomb Smoothie

Is it me or it looks like spring is finally in the air?

The temperatures are still pretty chilly but the forecast says it will start warming up soon and the days are getting longer and lighter, if you know what I mean.
Although the approaching change in season has us rejoicing for the sunshine, warm weather, and blooming flowers that it brings, it also has us bracing for allergies and seasonal colds to flare up.
No matter how much you love spring, colds and allergies are not fun.
Luckily, there are natural ways to fend them off.
Such as charging on Vitamin C, which is considered the "muscle" of the immune system.

Crock-Pot Chipotle Lime Chicken

If you, just like me, think that there are many perfect marriages in the food world — like avocado and chocolate or garlic and butter or orange and pork — then you’re probably already familiar with chipotles in adobo sauce.
If not, let me give you a quick primer.
Chipotles in adobo are dried, smoked jalapeños rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and a couple of spices, for a tasty sauce that packs serious heat but also plenty of balance and body.
What I really love about chipotle in adobo is that they’re complex enough to use as a solo seasoning but they pair really well with herbs, other spices, honey, etc.
These little suckers can do it all. Sauces, glazes, marinades, braises, soups, sandwiches, you name it.