Homemade (Paleo) Mayonnaise

You certainly don’t need me to tell you how to make mayonnaise.
You might need me to tell you how to make Homemade Sriracha or Homemade Ketchup, and tell you not to go to a chinese place to pick up a food delivery order you placed online: "I had a delivery" "Why are you here, then?" [DUMB]
Mayonnaise though...I’m sure you can handle that on your own.
Maybe I just need to remind myself how to make mayonnaise. And that mayo is a simple emulsion made of just oil, egg yolks and either vinegar or lemon juice. There’s no place for water, HFCS, sugar, modified corn starch, dried eggs, CALCIUM DISODIUM ETA (ugh!), natural flavors, etc.
Not mention that homemade mayo tastes well...like real mayo and that it’s so delicious.
Homemade mayonnaise is an entirely different species when compared to store-bought mayo. Creamy, rich, flavorful, so quick and easy to make - it literally takes 1 minute.

Garlic Butter Zoodles with Herbs

I’m the kind of person who’s terribly suspicious of people that don’t like garlic.
I don’t really mistrust them, but it certainly raises questions as to whether they’re vampires or not.
Plus I have found that the people I’m closest to do love garlic as much as I do.
Like there’s some sort of kinship among garlic lovers. We love garlic taste and we’re not bothered by the bad breath/odor: HA!
Seriously though, people that appreciate garlic fries, garlic breadsticks, bruschetta, garlic mashed potatoes, garlic steak, or garlic shrimp know what’s what. Those who don’t, well…they’re missing out on something IMO.
And I’m not even mentioning how healthy garlic is; it’s like the superfood of superfoods.

Garlic Thyme Potatoes Anna

So you’re probably thinking: Potatoes again? Really?
Like I posted a recipe for potatoes two weeks ago for heaven’s sake, and here we are again.
I don’t know what to say to you guys, it’s just that lately I’ve been craving potatoes like crazy.
It’s literally all I want to eat.
Baked, plain, mashed, in soups, skillets, whatever.
It’s kind of weird.

Cauliflower Crust Hamburgers

I have to give full credit to Alan for this idea.
He’s so THE man — not only he "invented" this cauliflower crust hamburger but he's a triathlete and he's training for the Ironman too. Hello?
Basically Alan took my recipe for cauliflower crust grilled cheese and made it into a burger.
When he first posted it two weeks ago on Instagram I was like “Whooooooa, that’s awesome!”

15 Quinoa Recipes

Let’s get this out of the way: quinoa is not paleo.
KEEN-WAH -> NOT -> PAY-LEE-OH.
Alrite?
So 'Paleo Police' please don’t jam my inbox with your fantastic messages warning me that the Aztec seed is not cavemen-approved.
I’m aware of it and I’m OK with it.
I already mentioned here, here, here, and probably in a couple of other places I don’t remember.
I doesn’t matter though: I dig quinoa therefore I eat quinoa.
It's my favorite gluten-free...seed.
You might have heard people calling quinoa a grain but technically it’s not a grain, it’s a seed treated like a grain (some like to call it pseudo-grain)
Quinoa has great nutrient profile: it is a complete protein source, containing all nine essential amino acids, which is rare for a plant source. It’s also rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...
What I really love about quinoa is the subtle nutty flavour and slightly crunchy texture.
Quinoa is great in casseroles, salads, meatballs/patties, and soups.
If you haven’t tried it yet well, you really should!
So without further ado here are some of my favorites recipes with quinoa:

Turkey Koftas with Roasted Red Chili Sauce and Tahini Yogurt

And with that it’s Friday! I cannot believe that this week flew past so fast.
Monday was like yesterday; what in the world happened to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday?
It’s all a blur to me. Where did the time go?
In a word, WORK. Ugh, right? I have been so busy that time has just flown by like a shuttle blasting off into space. It has to be done though — what can you do about it?
In a way, I’m glad it’s the end of the week, I’m tired and boy do I need to slzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
*head hits the desk*
Oh wait, this Sunday is the dreaded Daylight Savings Time, meaning we’ll lose an hour of sleep. Great, just what I needed...
*head bangs against the wall*

Spicy Basil Lemon Chicken

Let’s talk about selfies for a minute — or, you know, pictures you take of yourself.
I was at my sister's for dinner last night and when she called the kids to the table, Niece replied “Wait a sec, I’m taking a selfie!”
I was like “Is she serious? She can’t come to the table because she has to take a selfie?”
Apparently yes, kids these days spend a good portion of their free time taking selfies.
I wonder, is it a ‘bad’ or ‘good’ thing? While the jury is out, I believe it’s certainly worth reflecting on.

If you have any form of social media, chances are you’ve seen them on a regular basis. Instagram/Twitter/Facebook are being crushed under a bonanza of selfies.
I just checked to see how many photos have been uploaded to Instagram under #selfie. Would you like to know how many photos there are?
239,954,122 photos. Yes, there are almost 240 million selfies on Instagram alone.
People smiling in their smartphone lenses or, more likely, striking a pose with an intense look on their face — as if they’re telling you they have some deeper motive and you don’t know the half of it.

Cheesy Mushroom Quinoa Casserole

Imagine a lake.
Algae begins growing in the lake.
Every day the algae doubles in size and it keeps increasing in that ratio.
On the 48th day the lake is completely covered with algae.
On what day is the lake half-covered in algae?
Think about it for a moment, don’t blur out the answer just yet.

Cranberry Green Tea Smoothie

Can anyone please help me identify what is that yellowish blob in that Tupperware container sitting in the back of my freezer?
Is it soup? Sorbet? Mashed potatoes maybe?
Who knows, who knows…
And what about those depressing looking freezer-burned veggie burgers. How long have they been lurking there? Months, years, decades?
Maybe I shouldn’t have started cleaning out my freezer, it was not a great idea after all.
These encounters are starting to get scary.

Creamy Avocado Pesto Zoodles

It’s weird for me to say this but “Enough with the cold weather!”
I've had it. You have, too.
A cold snap here or there, is OK.
But for two months and more?
Stop it, already. Seriously, it’s not even fun anymore.
I want spring to arrive, and finally be able to venture outside for my morning runs without freezing to death and risking my life on those icy sidewalks.
Is it too much to ask?

Crock-Pot Honey Sesame Pulled Pork

This is the sort of recipe that falls into the category of ‘Vaguely Oriental’ recipes.
I use the term ‘vaguely’ whenever I make something that has some oriental flare — but I won’t go as far as labeling it ‘Chinese’, ‘Thai’, ‘Vietnamese’, or ‘Japanese’.
Using orientalish ingredients in a dish - such as soy sauce or sesame seeds - doesn’t grant an ‘oriental Passport’ to that dish.

12 Cauliflower Crust Recipes

Happy Sunday friends!

I hope you're staying warm with this crazy cold weather. As I look outside my window I’m thinking if the real danger facing humanity is not global warming after all, but rather the coming of a new Ice Age.
In reality, Mother Nature is just doing what she’s supposed to do — giving us the seasons.
Still I can’t wait for this winter to pass soon, so I can finally go outside, breathe in fresh air, breathe out ‘stale’ air, and enjoy spending free-time outdoors.
Unfortunately it’s way too soon for spring, so in the meantime all we can do is to cook for ourselves something delicious that will warm us from the inside out.
What about something made with cauliflower crust?

Lemon Potatoes

Do you get angry when playing video games?
I myself am not big on video games — growing up I’ve never owned an Atari, PlayStation, XBox or Nintendo Wii. But ever since the dawn of smartphones and tablets, I’ve started playing video games on my mobile devices like the rest of the world population.
Angry Birds, Words with Friends, Candy Crush, Fruit Ninja, etc, you name ‘em.
During a subway ride, while waiting at the checkout line, when you do your business in the restroom (to me, a sacred moment), playing a quick video game on your phone it’s the best.
That is, until you start getting angry at the video game. I’m talking about full on exasperation, to the point that you want to smash the device against the wall.
NEVER.A.GOOD.IDEA.

Simple Ricotta Fritters with Marinara Sauce

If you read this blog often, you obviously are smart, have a great sense of humor, AND you know my obsession with cooking everything from scratch.
You probably also know that I like simple and quick recipes — because you and I don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen on weeknights.
Even more so when it’s freezing outside (btw, why does it have to be this cold people?) and all we want to do is crawl on the sofa, wrap ourselves in the warmest, softest of blankets and read a good book.

Kale Walnut Pesto

Last week I posted two recipes with kale pesto (this one and this one).
Though you guys seemed to have liked ‘em both, I had the feeling - through your comments on the blog, FB, IG and Twitter - that you were more interested in the kale pesto than the recipes themselves.
So yesterday I was like “Uhm, maybe I should post just the recipe for the kale pesto. If the readers want just to print/save the kale pesto they should. It totally makes sense!”
I know, I’m smart as a whip (Ha!)

Quinoa Kale Pesto Bowls with Poached Eggs

There are three phrases I want to say before I’m sprawled on my deathbed.
To be honest I don’t think I will ever be in a situation where I could actually say those phrases (i.e., very dramatic scenarios) but I still want to believe that the right occasion will come one day — hope dies last after all.

Sauteed Mushroom Gouda and Kale Potato Skins

The other night I was discussing reality television with a friend of mine.
We both agreed that reality TV was somehow interesting at first, but the fact that it's gotten so over-abused proves that its 15 minutes have largely passed.
Nowadays, every channel has a reality show about pretty much everything: drive a truck on ice -> get a show; have a bunch of kids -> get a show; have an embarrassing complaint/lump -> get a show; make your daughter a star -> get a show; be a complete idiot -> get a show.
It’s not even interesting anymore.
Even cooking shows are getting boring and old to watch.
There are too many of them: Top Chef, Master Chef, Chopped, Hell’s Kitchen, The Taste, The Kitchen, The Next Food Network Star, the list goes on forever.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Sometimes I feel you guys should hang me by the feet from a tree and beat me with a stick like I was a piñata.
A lot of fun for you, a tad less for me.
But I won’t deny it, you would have the right to do so.
You see, I spend a lot of time on this blog telling you to use fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients yet, here I am presenting you a recipe with tomatoes - let me rephrase that - a recipe using only tomatoes, a lot of tomatoes.
Tomatoes are, by far, the most popular summer “vegetable” (although it's technically a fruit.)
The difference in taste, mealiness, and price is obvious when you compare a summer version with a winter one.
Of course you’ll see ripe tomatoes all year round in supermarkets, but there’s a very good chance that they come from South Florida (unless you live there, not local produce) or they’re picked green, halfway around the world, and ripened through artificial means.

Thank You

Hey, guys, whatup?
I have no recipe for you today. But let’s not allow that to keep us from each other.
Today it’s all about me thanking you.
Because I need to tell you that I’m feeling blessed (and just for the record, I’m totally uncomfortable saying it!) that you guys visit this place every day, every week, every month, every year.
I’m still amazed I can reach so many of you.
It’s not only my mom, my sis, aunt G, and cousin Dan anymore. There are hundreds, thousands, millions (OK, maybe not millions) of you.
I feel so very grateful for this, words cannot express.

Tomato and Eggplant Compote

There's a first time for everything. Our first steps, first kiss, first day of school, first love, first car, first job, first bungee jump, first trip abroad, first time stuck in an elevator for 30 minutes, first oyster, or first bout with food poisoning.
If we repeat an experience, it’s never the same as the first time. It couldn’t be, a repeatable first is by definition an oxymoron.
Then there are those firsts that we would gladly avoid repeating (put being stuck in an elevator and food poisoning on that list for me.)
Sometimes we learn a lesson from our firsts and sometimes we don’t.