15 Delish Casseroles To Warm You Up

 In terms of pure comfort, casseroles are high on the list of my fave autumn cooking.
Double points if they have a good amount of cheese and triple if they also contain quinoa.
In fact, I’m stoked that the chilly weather has brought casseroles back into my meal rotation.

Big batches of Baked Spinach Rice or Cottage Pie not only make the kitchen smell like a million bucks on a Sunday night, but they become easy lunches and dinners throughout the week.
And if a couple of friends swing by, no prob — there’s always plenty to share.

On top of that casseroles don’t deserve their reputation of being heavy and loaded with cream and cheese — don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely delicious when they are — but they can be just as warming and yummy when filled with veggies.

So without further ado here are my 15 fave casseroles: filling, nourishing, and all delish. And trust me there’s not a single can of cream of chicken soup in sight!

Tuna Burgers For Two

 If you’ve been following me you know that I love me a good burger.
But who really doesn't?
Who doesn’t dig a messy, delicious, and flavorful burger?
It’s America's quintessential comfort food and can now be enjoyed in an impossibly endless number of ways.
It doesn’t have to be made from beef to give satisfaction. There are ton of options — chicken, turkey, tofu, sweet potato, and all kinds of fish.

10 Recipes To Make When You're Sick

 It finally happened. After months of good health and high spirits, one of my friends has infected me with the cold.
I hate getting colds because there's nothing you can do about it, except let it run its course. I hate getting food poisoning, I hate getting fevers, but I hate cold more.
Have you ever tried reading a book, watching a movie or working with a runny nose?
It is perhaps the most frustrating thing ever.
Just as you start to enjoy yourself, your nose begins to drip like a leaky faucet. Completely killing any enjoyment you have, as you proceed to wipe your nose again and again and again.
Torture.

Anyways, instead of feeling miserable and sorry for myself, I decided to take action and bolster my immune systems with food.

Believe it or not the most authentic way to fight a cold (or flu) is to eat foods that will help you build the healthy cells you need to feel better.

So I went in and selected 10 recipes from The Iron You to make when you’re sick. Most are smoothies, juices, and soups — because, as you have probably heard it like a million times, when you’re sick you need to get plenty of fluids.
And it’s true. The body needs extra hydration when you’re trying to get well.
But there’s also a grilled cheese. Trust me, there's nothing better to do on a sick day than to put cheese between two slices of (cauli) bread and call it a day.
I also included a recipe for popsicles as it’s my favorite remedy for a sore throat.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

(Easy) One-Pot Turmeric Chicken and Rice

There’s no doubt that one-pot meals are the best, easiest weeknight dinner solution, ever.
We can go even as far as saying that they’re almost a miracle when you need to cook but just don’t have the time or energy to do it.
Don’t feel like cooking? But look — it’s dinner in one pot!
Don’t feel like creating a pile of dishes? But it’s just one pot! (And a spoon, a plate, a fork, and knife but shhh, I don’t want to scare you off.)
Have a lot of friends coming over?
No more picking main, planning sides and veggies, running the stove, oven, and microwave at the same time. One pot and you’ve got a full-blown meal.
Everyone arriving at different times?
Don’t worry, one-pot meals are very forgiving of tardiness.

Health(ier) Sloppy Joes

With so many mouths to feed, my mom did everything she could to stretch her dollar at dinner and keep her recipes simple.
That meant that a lot of our meals featured ground beef, from meatloaf to spaghetti to tacos to chili, there wasn’t a ground beef dish my mother didn’t have a recipe for.
And then there was my favorite of them all, Sloppy Joes.
The Sloppy Joes my mom made always included ground beef, onion powder, a Sloppy Joe seasoning mix, and potato rolls. The sides typically included an iceberg lettuce salad, on special occasions we would also get Ore-Ida french fries.

Honey Lemon Garlic Ginger Chicken

 On the very long list of questions that I ask myself constantly and that I am convinced other people are never troubled with — “Where’s my phone?”, “Where did I put my keys?”, “What did I come into this room for?” — “What do I possibly have the energy to fix for dinner tonight besides fried eggs and avocado?” is near the top.

Cacio e Pepe Cauliflower Breadsticks

I LOVE Pecorino Romano cheese, like “truly, madly, deeply” love.
We have a long history together and we cannot help but to cherish one another.
To be honest I cherish it, I dunno if it shares the same feelings for me. I doubt it.
Anyhow, I love pecorino cheese because it makes my mouth pucker when I take a bite; it's so salty and sharp — I guess I must be really a salt fiend, whenever I’m grating it I always cut off a little chunk (okay, maybe a big chunk) and eat it straight.
So when I first saw Food & Wine’s September cover featuring a brilliant cacio e pepe pizza, as one does, my first thought was “Oooh, so hard to achieve outside a food styling studio pretty” (I mean, look at that beauty) followed by “Wait, cacio e pepe (a Roman dish with only three ingredients — pecorino cheese, black pepper, and spaghetti) on a pizza?”, followed by “Maybe that’s too much Pecorino?” (answer: no, there’s never too much pecorino cheese ) and then “I wonder how that would be on cauliflower crust? Does cauliflower pair well with pecorino cheese? And what about pepper?”
So many questions…

The Best Baked Spinach Rice

Last week was not my week in the kitchen, guys.
I had earnest, ambitious designs on a beet curry that would be pink and pretty and spicy and would finally put the word “end” on my quarrel with the red/purple root.
But as the week went on and as failures occurred — unnaturally purple, watery, and nothing like what I had in mind — my enjoyment of the project plummeted.
But because I’m one of those persons that no-matter-what follows through and finishes what he started, I did, and lo, it was acceptable, you know?
It’s just that I’m not a beet person and I can tolerate it only when juiced and I forgot?
None of this matter because the pot fell, spilling the curry. As I crouched on the kitchen floor scooping the curry into the garbage, I started questioning my life choices.
Why forcing myself to like something just because a bunch of other people like it?
I should know better…

Honey-Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

One word: EPIC!
You may think that I’m totally exaggerating. I’m not.
These meatballs are so...so….SOOOOO delicious. Epic is the right word to describe them.
So good, they’re addictive. Once you’ve cooked them, and sampled one, you will wonder how there will ever be enough left for dinner.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Lentil Bolognese

Bolognese sauce is a serious thing. As you may or may not know there’s only one true and authentic recipe for bolognese sauce — that the Italian Academy of Cuisine recorded and deposited with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in Italy.
So it’s not like you can improvise and make your own bolognese sauce.
Or worse make a VEGETARIAN/VEGAN bolognese sauce. The horror!

Pistachio Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Look, I know what you’re thinking. Cookie sandwiches on a (supposedly) healthy food blog?
Are you serious about it? How can you keep a straight face?
What can I say?
Sometimes a guy just needs his cookies and it was at such a moment on a recent afternoon that I made these Pistachio Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

Lemony Harissa Potato Salad

Have you made your own harissa yet?
Hopefully with the Sticky Harissa Chicken or the Harissa Spaghetti I was able to convince you that homemade harissa is the THING and something you really want (and need) to have in your refrigerator at all times.
If that wasn’t enough, then maybe this Lemony Harissa Potato Salad will do the trick.

Sunflower Sesame Seed Brittle

Today I have a brilliant little recipe for you guys, which doesn’t involve a lot of ingredients or effort for that matter.
What could possibly be better?
A sweet and irresistible brittle, packed with healthy fats. Paleo, vegan, and gluten-free: a treat that everybody can enjoy.
Hurray!

Eggplant Parm Rice Casserole

This is dope.
So dope, it’s going to send you into a tailspin.
The cheesiest, tomato-iest, eggplant-iest, DOPEST casserole tailspin of your life.
For realz.

(Paleo) 3-Ingredient Vanilla Ice-Cream with Ginger Pecan Crunch

When I was little, my mom and I used to make vanilla ice-cream with pecan brittle for special occasions.
I remember melting the sugar in the pot and watching the temperature on the candy thermometer climb as the melted sugar bubbled away.
I loved that ice-cream. I loved that ice cream very much purely because it was made at home and I also remember that it used to be very crystallized and I always ended up having a brain freeze after that. Ouch!
It was sweet, rich, with an awesome crunch. Perfection.

Thai-Style Pulled Pork

Happy Birthday Dad, [almost]!
I swear that this recipe has nothing to do with my personal love and veneration of Thai cuisine and everything to do with making something nice, spicy, and meaty for Dad.
I know, how thoughtful of me.
Just because my kindness happens to come through via my Thai-food obsession, it doesn’t mean that this post is about me.
It’s my way of celebrating Dad’s birthday and definitely the best way I know to give gifts. Edible gifts, foods that are gifts, gifts that can be used to make food, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…
So this is my way of saying — through the language of food — HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
And if this gifting opportunity for Dad doubles as a chance for me to have Thai-flavored pulled pork sandwiches, it’s totally a win-win situation.

Quinoa Pizza Crust

Everyone loves pizza.
It's America's favorite food: Fun to make, fun to eat, and it’s guaranteed to make people happy.
Beautifully crispy, covered in tomato sauce, oozing with mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled with fresh basil.
What’s there not to love?
Unfortunately — despite looking (and smelling) awesome — the vast majority of pizza is far from being healthy. Made with dubious ingredients and greasy beyond belief.
So as with so many things, sometimes it’s best to make your own. Maybe even experimenting a bit in the process.

(Paleo) Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins

I am, without a better way to put it, swimming in pecans.
Dismayed by the price of nuts everywhere in my hood, but determined enough that this wasn’t going to keep me from baking with them, I asked a friend out in the ‘burbs — a place where people would never ever pay $6.99+tax for a microscopic 6 ounces of pecans — to see if he could better.
He came back with three pounds for less then $20 from Costco.
Which is, to put it mildly, awesome.

Sunny-Side Up Eggs with Provencal Tomatoes

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, everywhere!
Ripe and ready, the globes of goodness are now in full array at the farmers’ markets.
The almost unbearable summer heat has spurred the Cherries, Dates, Beefsteaks, Romas, San Marzanos, Oxhearts, Brandywines, etc. to an awesome state of rich, sweet succulence.
The availability of locally grown tomatoes is one of the reasons I love summer.

Avocado Lime and Basil Smoothie

Guys, I think I’m onto something.
Like I know that if you glance at this recipe's ingredient list, it looks like a weird combination of ingredients for a smoothie: Basil? Lime? Avocado?
Wait, what?
But believe me when I say that this is the REAL DEAL.
It’s so smooth, bright, cheery, and refreshing: the perfect antidote to the heat wave we're all experiencing right now.
[On a side note can I just say that I’m so done with this summer. Seriously I’m done. Fall can’t come soon enough. I want to pull out the sweaters, scarves, warm coats, and the fresh smell of hot coffee. Summer begone.]

Farmers Market Hash with Eggs

One of my many escapes in life is to go to Farmers Markets.
It’s definitely one of my favorite weekly activity and a great way to get inspiration.
I love how people grow produce and share it with the rest of the world. And by shopping there I feel like I give back to the local community and receive the best in return.
I love the easy-going pace–browsing around, building meals vegetable by vegetable.
Ideally, I buy fruit and veggies and make something amazing with what I buy. Something similar to a “Chopped” challenge in which I’m the only contestant and where I get to choose my ingredients.

Raspberry Chia Jam

So the chia seed party jam isn’t the first party I’ve been late to, and it’s probably not going to be last.
However, I fully embrace the mantra “better late than never!”
Except for the Pokemon Go hype, trust me guys, I will never join in. NEVER! As if I needed another reason to bury my heads in my smartphone. No, thank you.
Anyways, chia seed jam has been around the block for quite some time now. And yes, this is my first time posting a recipe for it.
What can I say?
Oh yes, better late than never!

5-Minute Maple and Thyme Skillet-Roasted Apricots

Let me just get the obvious out of the way because I know what you’re thinking: what am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be at the beach or something?
It’s summer after all, so leaving home (even if it’s air conditioned) and spending time outside, in the shade, is (almost) mandatory.
So again, why am I sitting in front of my laptop on a sunny August afternoon?
These are valid questions, but you see, there is history here, a prolonged history of recipe testing/creating which cannot be stopped.
Not even by the call of the beach.

Cauliflower Bagels

You guys asked for this recipe.
And who am I to deny it to you?
You (yes, you, you know who you are!) specifically requested the recipe for the cauliflower bagels sans the BLT part.
Because you needed the calorie count for the bagels alone.
Because you didn’t care for the bacon (like really?), tomatoes (again, really?) or lettuce (okay, I get it).
Without further ado there you have ‘em, cauliflower bagels, in all of their glory!

(Vegan) Easy Healthier Sweet Potato Tikka Masala

The Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe I posted earlier this year is truly one of my all-time favorite meals (and yours too btw — seriously, you guys LUV that recipe.)
It’s the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and satisfying. It’s vegan without trying and without pretense.
It’s just awesome. Period.

This Sweet Potato Tikka Masala takes that idea and adds an awesome spin to it. All the classic flavors from that curry show up here, but we’re adding roasted sweet potatoes and sweet peas to bring out a sweet creaminess and a smoky flavor that is legit beyond measure.

Superfood Goji Berry Smoothie

Good news people: this smoothie is awesome!
And that’s a fact, whether you like it or not.
It’s ridiculously healthy and tastes delicious. Like there’s no need to talk about it because it’s a total no-brainer.
It fills your belly and helps keep you full. It’s a perfect on-the-go breakfast, snack or even a meal for lunch. Actually, this smoothie is so perfect the time of the day truly doesn’t matter.

Raspberry Mint Iced Tea

Okay! Let’s be real for a minute. I'm melting right now.
I know some like it hot but heat waves really makes me ornery.
Yes, I’ve said it: O-R-N-E-R-Y.
It’s almost 100° outside but feels like it’s 200°. They don’t call it a cruel, cruel summer for nothing.
And there’s nothing we can do about it, except giving in to the fact it’s sweltering hot by finding something super cool to do.

Pesto Rice Salad Bowls with Tomatoes, Green Beans and Feta

Pesto. Pesto. PESTO.
Did I just said pesto?
Arguably one of my all time favorite condiments/sauces in the entire world. And it’s totally the star of these Pesto Rice Salad Bowls with Tomatoes, Green Beans and Feta.
I think what I love most about pesto, aside from the wonderful flavor and vibrant green color, is how easy it is to make at home.
It’s one of those things people end up buying pre-made at the grocery store out of convenience, not realizing how simple it is to make it. Especially at the height of summer, when basil is abundant and cheap.
Plus, when you’re making it at home, you have the ability to really control the amount of ingredients that you’re adding.
You can make it sans garlic or use less cheese. You’re in control, you decide.

(Flourless) Herbed Potato Waffles

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession: savory potato waffles.
Can I be honest with you? I am totally a sweet waffles person, so savory waffles are way out of the box for me.
But then I found out that I LUV these (Flourless) Herbed Potato Waffles, like a lot.
Maple syrup and butter, I’ll come back for you when the morning comes.

Easy Caprese Skillet Chicken

So...THIS...this Easy Caprese Skillet Chicken is usually on my weeknight menu at least every fortnight.
It’s just so easy and tasty: A total no-brainer.
I’m fortunate enough to be able to get fresh mozzarella from this place (in my opinion one of the best mozzarella ever, unless you live in Naples but that’s another story), so it’s just too easy to throw together something as yummy and nutritious as caprese chicken.
Not to mention that during summer you can easily get some baseball-sized tomatoes that are so sweet and juicy they should actually be illegal.

Blueberry Lemonade

Judging from the last couple of recipes I’ve posted on this blog, you might assume that I’m currently subsiding on a liquid diet. I’m not.
I’m still eating solid food too, I promise.
Fact is, when the heat weighs me down I’d rather sip than munch food. So smoothies, juices, iced tea, and — needless to say it — lemonade.

Limonada De Coco (Frozen Coconut Limeade)

Summer is in full swing and the weather is heating up all around.
For those of you who are already on vacation, good for you, I envy you so much. Because let’s face it, the city is a terrible place to be in the summer.
The hot exhale of garbage trucks, questionable drips from a/c units above your head, mounting piles of garbage simmering in the heat, crowded and smelly subway cars. Should I go on?
And though it’s true that there are a million things to do to make summer more liveable in the summer (free public pools, sprinkles parks, etc.), from July 4th on everyone that has the means to be elsewhere is, while the rest of us is slowly melting on the pavement.

Pesto Chicken Salad

Even though I’m swamped with work at the moment — dealing with tons of deadlines, endless paperwork, emails, and all sort of tiresome things on my real life agenda — I’ve decided to focus my daydreaming on something more aspirational: what to cook on a lazy summer evening.
And though the current heatwave we’re experiencing is not too bad, I’m not brave enough to venture outside of my air-conditioned cave, fire up the grill, and make some grub.
Instead, I stayed in and made some delicious mayo-less Pesto Chicken Salad.

(Paleo) Brownie Bites

I made these Brownie Bites last night.
Why? Because I wanted chocolate.
Where? In my kitchen.
And you know what? They are awesome!

Antioxidant Berry Chia Seed Smoothie

I can see you rolling your eyes. (That's right, I can see you even from here, because I have a super powers!) You're thinking: What? NOT another smoothie! Is he on one of his smoothie marathons or something?
Well, don’t worry. The next recipe will be a NON-smoothie I promise. I just couldn’t resist sharing with you guys what I had for breakfast for the last month, and probably what I’m going to have for lunch for the next two months.
And isn’t it the point of a personal food blog to show you guys the food I’m actually making (and eating)?

Zoodles with Creamy Garlic Cashew Sauce

I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not, but there is such a thing in this world called cashew cream.
And it is awesome.
You don’t need to be a vegan or a vegetarian to appreciate it. Actually, you’re going to love this as long as you’re a person who likes to try new things every now and then.
And this comes from a person who has been super skeptical about cashew cream for years.

Pina Colada Chia Pudding

I’m aware that there’s a time and place for everything, in the case of pina colada it’s a swim-up bar at a tropical resort or under a cabana while gazing at the turquoise water meeting the impossibly blue sky.
But I realize that not all us have the time or the means to fly to the tropics just to sip pina colada.
So what about a pina colada in pudding form that’s also super good for you?
Too good to be true?
Of course not.

Tzatziki Potato Salad

I know I told you like a year ago what my favorite potato salad was but as it turns out, I’ve got room in my allegiances for another. Though this may not be the classic potato salad most people grew up with; like a month ago I was asked to bring potato salad to a cook-out and decided to try this one.
I knew that it was full of picky eaters who want traditional food with no changes or anything “exotic”. If I had told them ahead of time what was in this salad they wouldn't have eaten it.
Instead they inhaled it and asked for more.
“Who made this potato salad? It’s delish!”

Super Simple Piri Piri Chicken

As you already know I adore spicy food, and I have no trouble with it except my nose runs terribly and I start sweating profusely on my head.
Do you remember how Pavarotti wiped sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief? Just like that. Not pretty.
And it can be a little embarrassing, especially while eating in social situations.
That’s why when I go out for work or when I’m with a certain group of people I go a little mild. Instead I let the spice fly with my closest friends or when I’m eating alone.

Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad with Sesame Seed Dressing

The other day I looked at the thermometer outside my kitchen window and it read 100°F.
Clearly, I need a new thermometer.
And yet, even if it isn't that hot out (to be honest today it’s actually pretty chilly), it's definitely been getting warm enough that my water consumption is starting to increase dramatically while I almost lost my appetite — okay not really but you know what I mean, right?
We’re entering that time of the year when a light and fresh salad is exactly what (and all) I need.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Homemade Nutella)

I know it’s a terrible idea to post a recipe for homemade Nutella right now. It’s June. You’re getting in a bikini/swim trunks in a couple of weeks and I know for a fact that all you’re focusing on is getting beach-ready.
You’re probably all about salads, smoothies, and juices. Yet here I am, presenting you with a luscious Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.
But you see this Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is made with only good-for-you ingredients and it’s so delicious it will make you feel better instantly.
And since it’s a known fact (or at least I like to believe it so) that happiness is one of the biggest factors in feeling and looking great you can understand why it totally makes sense to post a recipe for homemade Nutella right now.
Not to mention that it’s not like you have to eat more than a spoonful. It’s possible — though difficult — to exercise some self-control around chocolate and hazelnuts. Trust me.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

The sauce you guys, the sauce. This dish is all about the sauce.
It’s actually so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful and maybe even want to lick the plate clean.
I did it and do not regret it, at all.
I mean, when you sautè butter and garlic, then add milk, salty chicken broth, and tangy lemon juice, good things are going to happen. Good as in magical. Good as in you should stop reading this post. Seriously, stop and go make it. NOW.

Flourless Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I made us some cookies.
I know, how kind of me.
It started as a quest for cookies that tasted like Nutella, if, say, you were the type of person who may or may not have bragged with his 7-year old niece that he could bake any cookie ever known to mankind. Including, but not limited to, a “cookie that’s as awesome as Nutella but does not have Nutella in it!”