Zucchini Pasta Carbonara

March 29, 2018

Zucchini Pasta Carbonara


Spaghetti carbonara is a classic pasta dish that the whole family loves and that takes as long to make as it does to cook the pasta. The ingredients are simple: Pasta, bacon, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. A silky sauce is created when the beaten yolks are tossed with the hot pasta and a little fat from the bacon. Luscious and wonderfully indulgent, pasta carbonara is as good as it gets.

Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken

March 23, 2018

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

March 19, 2018

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.

Pan Sheet Chicken Saltimbocca



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


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

March 14, 2018

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

March 9, 2018

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

March 1, 2018

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

February 23, 2018

(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

February 15, 2018

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.

Chocolate Caprese Cake (Gluten-free)

February 8, 2018

Chocolate Caprese Cake (Gluten-free)


I can give up many things in my life but never chocolate. There’s no way around it.
Call it an addiction, call it a craving. It’s my reality, I just can’t ignore the voice in my head screaming for chocolate.
Luckily, I have a solution. My mantra when it comes to chocolate is “just a little bit”.
Whenever I get the craving for chocolate, the only reasonable thing to do is to go ahead and have my chocolate fix, with moderation.

Crock-Pot Mongolian Beef

February 1, 2018

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.