Caprese Pasta Salad

My beau was concerned we needed one more side dish on our 4th of July spread and was really feelin a pasta salad.  I was not so convinced.  Pasta and potato salads are usually mayo based…not so great for sitting out in the sun all day while people graze.  “So just create a pasta salad without mayonnaise,”…

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Roasted Carrots with Tahini

I’m not a fan of cooked carrots – too sweet and mushy…but then I saw these gorgeous tri-color guys and couldn’t resist buying them.  I realized if I roasted them myself, I could ensure they would be on the firmer side.  Problem: solved. After shaving the carrots, I drizzled them with olive oil and dusted…

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Seasonal Tastes: April 2016 – Pepper Jack and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a heavy, Winter food item, but if you add a ton of chives, they feel nice and Spring-y.  This is how you make a seasonal ingredient work for ya.  This side dish requires exactly 4 ingredients because I’m such a nice person and like making your lives easy. Bring a pot of…

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Pasta with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

This one’s for all my gluten free vegetarian friends out there.  Or just people who like delicious things. I recently bought some interesting looking pasta made from black beans at Trader Joe’s.  The problem was, I decided I wanted to incorporate it into my supper very last minute and didn’t really have any ingredients to make…

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Pesto Chickpea Salad

And now I present to you one of the easiest salads ever. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas.  Gently toss with store-bought pesto, crumbled feta, julienned radishes, and quinoa.  I bought the pesto with quinoa from Trader Joe’s, which means I took the extra easy way out; however, you can very easily cook up…

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Broccoli Mushroom Bake

Over the weekend I had a few ingredients that had about one day left in em so I put them all in a dish in the hopes it would turn into something edible.  It’s ended up being all the ingredients of a broccoli casserole without the binding agent.  Since my binding agent is cream of…

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Sautéed Kale

Y’all, I totally think I figured out this whole kale thing.  I made some the other night just by throwing some things in a pan and it totally worked.  I have officially mastered kale. Simply sauté chopped kale in a pan with olive oil, garlic, and salt.  That’s pretty much what everyone does blah blah…

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Spinach with Cotija Cheese

Sometimes, you’re not going to make creamed spinach.  Maybe you don’t have the time or perhaps you’re watching your waistline.  Well, I’m here to tell you that I’ve got your satisfying alternative right here. Just cook up some frozen spinach.  When it’s done, add some salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and cotija cheese to…

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Mashed Potato Casserole

People often mix mashed potatoes with butter.  Or sour cream.  Or cream cheese.  But what about all three?  Oh baby, now you’re speaking my language. I tweaked the recipe of this mashed potato casserole for a creamy delicious side dish that puts the STAR in starch.  I didn’t follow the measurements for cream cheese and…

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Seasonal Tastes: December – Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

I know pumpkin is an October/November item, but since we’ve been experiencing a warmer Fall/Winter than usual here in NYC, I’m allowing that ingredient to slide into December – it still feels apropos.  Did I use that word correctly? I started with this recipe, but it was pretty much just an inspiration that I ran with.  I…

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