Sinfully delicious... without the sin! I keep seeing people use medjool dates as a natural, healthy sweetner in desserts, but I could never imagine those desserts tasting so delicious! This raw, vegan, glutenfree dessert will have you grabbing for more. A true guiltless pleasure!
Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 pack medjool dates, pits removed
1 cup chopped pecans - raw
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup candied pecans (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)
1 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
Recipe:
In a large food processor, pulse the dates, salt, cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the coconut oil & the chopped raw pecans until a smooth mixture forms.
In a large Pyrex, spread a thin layer of the coconut flakes.
Press the date mixture into the Pyrex so it forms a sheet layer of "fudge" over the coconut flakes.
Mix the chocolate chips & the rest of the coconut oil together until smooth (melt in the microwave for ~15 seconds if needed).
Pour the chocolate mixture over the date mixture & spread to coat evenly.
Sprinkle candied pecans over the chocolate if desired.
Finally tried the beer-can chicken! It's a miracle recipe that really makes you want to eat chicken all day. Buh bye dry, boring chicken. This drunken chicken recipe will impress yourself & your guests with juicy, tender chicken using just a few simple ingredients.
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 tablespoon garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, & chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 whole lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 can of beer (with only half the beer in it)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
Remove all giblets from the center of the chicken. Pat it dry with a paper towel so all the water is removed.
Put the chicken in a large 13x9 Pyrex.
Pour the vegetable oil around the chicken, flipping it over so it coats in the oil.
Rub the rosemary around the chicken so that most of it sticks to the skin. Put any remaining rosemary leaves inside the cavity.
Make a spice rub with the spices, rub it all over the chicken. Add the salt & pepper at the same time.
Cut the lemon into slices, put some inside the skin if you can easily peel it away from the meat.
Open the butt of the chicken & place it on top of the beer can. Ensure there's only about 1/2 the beer left in the can!
Add any remaining lemons inside the chicken from the top, then pour the olive oil over it.
Bake on 400 for ~1 hour & 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Can't think of a better dish to post on the season finale of Game of Thrones!! A delicious lamb dinner honoring the head of the thrown, the crown! This Crown Roast is so easy & so fancy looking. Ready...set...eat!
Time: 1.5 hours or less depending on how long you marinate
Ingredients:
2 racks of lamb, frenched (ask your butcher to do this for you or check out simple YouTube videos on how to!)
2 tablespoons chopped mint, oregano, basil, cilantro (can sub a basic chimichuri sauce for a faster marinade!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt/pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
Bend each rack into a semicircle with the meat side facing in & fat side out.
Use twine to tie them together like the picture above.
Rub on the olive oil, garlic, chimichuri mixture, salt, pepper, chili powder & cumin.
If you have one, put the crown in a bundt pan so that it holds its shape. You can let this marinate for 30 minutes if you have time. If not, it's fine to cook right away.
When ready, cook for 30 to 35 minutes on 375 degrees F depending on how rare you like your lamb.
Let it rest 15 minutes then cut the strong & the lamb chops & enjoy!
I used to think making pasta from scratch was too ambitious - especially since I don't have any pasta extensions to help with the shape. Then I decided to try making gnocchi... so incredibly easy, fast & delicious! Plus you can season it however you want and explore all sauce options!
Time: 30-35 mins
Ingredients:
2 brown potatoes, medium to large sized
1.5 - 2 cups all purpose flour depending on the size of your potatoes
1 large egg
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil
1-2 fresh sage leaves
Salt/pepper to taste
Recipe:
Peel the potatoes & boil them in lightly salted water until soft & mashable.
Drain the potatoes & mash them until smooth. Add the flour & egg.
Mix with your hands so the mixture becomes a dough.
Lightly flour a cutting board or table top. Place your ball of dough on the surface & break off a golf ball size.
Roll the dough ball into a log, about 1/2 inch thick.
Cut 1/2 inch pieces from the log. You can decorate them by lightly flouring the back of a fork & pressing it into the gnocchi to form a design.
Poach the gnocchi in salted water until the pieces float to the top.
Drizzle the truffle oil on the mixture & sprinkle in pieces of the sage. You can add salt & pepper at this time.. maybe even some fresh thyme!
Another incredibly easy Filipino dish that tastes like a fancy restaurant meal! Chicken Adobo has complex flavor profiles & will be ready in under an hour. This 6 ingredient meal will have your mouth watering.
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
5-6 chicken thighs, skinless for a healthier option
5-6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper or 5-6 black pepper corns
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 bay leaf
Optional: chili peppers for garnish / spice
Recipe:
In a large pan, heat the garlic on medium heat (with a little olive oil if desired)
Add the vinegar & soy sauce to the pan, along with the black pepper.
Place the chicken pieces & the bay leaf into the pan, turning the chicken pieces over once to get coated in the sauce. Then add enough water to cover the chicken.
Bring the sauce mixture to a boil & let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Take another pan, add a spoonful of the fat from the chicken (or vegetable oil) in it bring it to medium heat. Add the chicken pieces from the first pan & allow them to brown.
Reduce the sauce to about half, while the chicken is browning in the other pan.
Add the chicken back into the sauce pan & turn it so it is well coated. Serve with rice & enjoy!
A perfect, light, fresh dish to serve on a summery day! Traditionally, this dish in the Philippines would be served with whole fried fish rather than poached. This is my healthy take on Tilapia Escabeche.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 pieces of tilapia fillet, cut into smaller bite size pieces
1/4 cup water
2-3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 green chili peppers, sliced into smaller rounds
1/4 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt / pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Recipe:
Heat the garlic, ginger & onion in the vegetable oil on medium-low heat.
After the onions turn translucent, add the water & oyster sauce. Increase the heat to medium.
Add the vinegar & tilapia. If you are using chili peppers for a nice kick, add them at this time. Let simmer for a few minutes & flip the fish pieces over.
Allow the fish to cook through on the other side for another minute or two.
Serve with brown rice & sautéed veggies for a healthy dinner!
Tired of tomato sauce with your pasta? Got a butternut squash that you can't think of how to use? Try this incredibly easy pasta sauce! I seasoned it with fresh sage, cumin & tons of chili powder & it tastes incredible!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup skim milk or Lactaid
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 spoons chopped onion
1 spoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 vegetable boullion cube (can sub vegetable stock & don't use the water above)
2 sage leaves, torn into smaller pieces
Recipe:
Heat the vegetable oil in a pot with the onions until they start turning opaque. Then add the garlic.
Add the butternut squash cubes to the pot & sauté for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon, boullion cube & water.
Cover & let the squash soften for about 10 minutes, turning every so often so it doesn't burn.
Meanwhile, boil pasta of your choice (I used penne).
Lower the heat & add the milk. Once the sauce is combined, test for salt etc.
Turn off the heat & sprinkle in the shredded cheese.
Toss the pasta in the pot so the sauce coats it. Enjoy!
This is my fool-proof recipe for delicious homemade bread that's ready in about an hour! It is so impressive to make your own bread but with the craziness day to day life, it is tough to find time. Not anymore! The best part is most of these ingredients are usually already on hand, so there's no need to lug yourself to the grocery store to create the perfect loaf. Try this out next time you're craving fresh bread!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1/2 cup whole wheat + 1.5 cups all purpose)
1 packet fast acting yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon basil or Italian seasoning (or spice of your choice really, you can omit this step if you don't want a flavor)
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Additional warm water if needed for the dough
Recipe:
Use a large measuring cup to combine the warm water, sugar & yeast. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
Place the yeast mixture in the microwave (without turning it on!) so that it is kept in a warm dark place for at least 15 minutes. Yeast will be bubbly when you take it out.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large basin, mix the flour, seasoning, & salt together.
Add in the olive oil & yeast, mix into the flour. Kneed until everything is combined. It's okay if you over-kneed for this dough, you want the gluten activated as much as possible.
Sprinkle some extra flour on a cookie sheet to avoid the dough sticking to the pan.
Add the dough on top of the flour & shape with your hands into a loaf. Hint: sometimes I need the bread to cook fast so I make 2-3 smaller loafs and use 2 cookie sheets to bake them in.
Use a sharp knife to make 3 small slits on top of the loaf.
Bake on 350 for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the top is crusty. Timing will depend on how tall / thick you made your loaf & how many loafs you split it into. This recipe can make 3 small/medium sized loafs in 15-20 minutes!
Oh my god. These are the kind of dishes I risk becoming overweight for! Melts in your mouth, tastes like heaven & is so easy to make! Takes a little longer than the normal lamb chop dinner but it is soooo worth it. Trust me.
Time: 1.5 hours & time for marinating
Ingredients:
1 lamb loin with ~6-7 chops (trimmed & pre-cut)
1.5 tbsp of Harissa
3 cloves garlic
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
3 mint leaves, chopped
Salt/pepper to taste
Recipe:
Remove the thyme leaves from the stems & combine with the chopped mint & black pepper if you are using.
Make a paste with the seasonings & the Harissa.
Spread Harissa mixture all over the lamb (this is why you might not need salt, Harissa is very salty!).
Place the seasoned loin in a basin & add the garlic & bay leaf. Let sit in the fridge overnight (or for 2 nights if you have time!) to marinate.
When you're ready to cook the loin, remove it from the fridge & let it sit & get to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Pan-sear the lamb (in an oven safe dish if you have one!), fat side facing down first, to give it a nice char. Flip so it browns on each side for about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the lamb to an oven safe dish & seal it tightly with foil wrap.
Cook on 275 for about 1 hour or until desired doneness.
Makeshift Bloody Maria because I didn't have Clamato juice or horseradish but honestly, who has those on hand? This delicious brunch cocktail is so much fun to make (and drink)!
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2-4 cans of v8 tomato juice depending on how tall your glasses are
1/2 jalapeño, sliced
1 whole lemon
1-2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
2 shots really good tequila
Recipe:
Dice a few slices of the jalapeño (I used 4) & split the pieces into 2 tall glasses.
Halve the lemon & juice each half into each glass.
Add 1.5 teaspoons black pepper & the wasabi paste into each glass.
Muddle the mixture in each glass so the wasabi paste dissolves.
Add the v8 & the tequila & mix to combine.
Add ice if desired, then garnish with a lemon slice & a jalapeño slice, & olives if desired. I also added a fresh peperoncini as a garnish.
What a delightful vegetarian appetizer!! Stuffed mushrooms are so easy to make & so impressive to serve. I came up with this recipe based on ingredients I had on hand, so feel free to adjust the ingredients for stuffing based on what you have!
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
10-12 large stuffable mushrooms (can also use smaller ones for variety)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
8-10 green olives
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1-2 tablespoons diced jalapeño
Recipe:
Carefully rinse the mushrooms or wipe them with a damp paper towel.
Pull out the stems & dice them, set them aside in a bowl.
Dice the olives & add them to the bowl with the mushroom stems.
Add to the bowl the cheese, fresh sage, bread crumbs, & jalapeño.
Carefully place enough of the mixture into the mushrooms so that it doesn't spill over but are well-stuffed.
Place the mushrooms on a cookie sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
Sprinkle the smoked paprika on top & bake on 350 for ~20 minutes depending on the size of your mushrooms.
Tip: when the mushrooms start to form a little moisture underneath, they're ready!
Finally some warm(ish) weather on the East Coast! Bring on the tropical fruit!! I got some mangos that weren't quite ripe yet. Well being the impatient woman that I am, I decided to make mango chow, instead of waiting for them to get ripe :) #fooddiva
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4 large mangos (almost ripe but still hard)
Juice of half a lemon
1 scotch bonnet pepper, sliced with seeds removed
2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Salt/pepper to taste
1 large handful cilantro, finely chopped
Recipe:
Peel & slice the mangos into chunks.
Put all ingredients in a large basin & toss to coat the mango.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors combine.
Holy flavor explosion! If you just started getting sick of chicken, pump up the bland & give this recipe a try.
Time: 2.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole young chicken
1/2 cup grated fresh ginger (I peeled the ginger first then used a cheese grater)
3-4 whole star anise
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 habanero pepper, sliced thin (optional)
5-6 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Veggies to roast under the chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
Grab a 13x9 Pyrex & start laying out your veggies for roasting. I used sliced potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, snap peas, & mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt & black pepper.
Place a rack over the vegetables & spray it with cooking spray.
Rub the lemon juice over the chicken & inside. Pat dry.
Use your fingers to peel the skin away from the flesh & fill it with the butter, habanero slices, & fresh ginger. Do this all around the chicken under the skin.
Fill the cavity with the garlic cloves & any remaining ginger pieces.
Pour the olive oil over the vegetables & chicken & bake uncovered on 375 for 2 hours or until the chicken is golden brown.
Dim Sum at home! One of my fave Asian appetizers is soup dumplings. If you've never had them, get on it! Picture dumpling dough steamed & filled with incredibly delicious soup! The first thought is, how do they get the soup in there without the dumpling dough breaking?! So I looked up a bunch of recipes & came up with my own, based on my favorite flavors. Not the fastest recipe but it is easy & delicious. You'll feel really accomplished after, I promise. Enjoy!
Time: 30 minutes for the soup, 10 minutes for the dough, 15 minutes to steam the dumplings, & about 4 hours for everything to set
Ingredients:
1 pack ground meat, I used lamb
1/2 diced red onion or shallots
1 teaspoon chopped chives
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon grated or chopped fresh ginger
1 celery stick, chopped
2 cups water
1 chicken boullion cube
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 chili pepper finely chopped (optional)
salt/pepper to taste
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce + more for dipping the dumplings in
Dough ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups warm / almost hot water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Recipe:
In a large basin, combine the flour, some salt, vegetable oil & hot water to make the dough. Knead well then cover it with plastic wrap & leave it to set until use.
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger & onion for 1 minute. Add the ground meat & let it brown, breaking up the meat.
Add the water, chicken boullion cube, celery & chives. You can also add the salt & pepper at this time, and the chili pepper if you like.
Let simmer for another 15 minutes then turn off the heat & let it cool.
Put the soup in the fridge for at least 4 hours, you want it to turn jelly-like in texture.
After the soup is the right consistency, you can start breaking off the dough for the dumplings.
Use a large, clean, flat surface sprinkled lightly with dry flour. Break of pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball.
Roll out each piece to about 1mm thick, and round.
Fill each dough round with about 1.5 teaspoons of the jelly soup mixture.
Fold up the edges to close the dumplings, twisting & pinching the top so they seal well.
Place them on a lightly floured cookie sheet so they won't stick to the pan, & put them back in the fridge so the soup mixture doesn't melt. This is very important or your dough will get soggy!
Use a large pot filled 1/4 way with water. Cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil, poking it with a fork to create holes for the steam. Ensure the foil is securely tight around the edges of the pot so it won't sink in when you add the dumplings. Spray the foil with Pam or cooking spray.
Bring the pot to a boil, and place a few of the dumplings on the foil. Cover the pot with the pot cover & let them steam!
Enjoy with a mixture of ginger soy sauce.
Tip: Freeze the extra dumplings for a quick dim sum another night!
Here we have a 5 ingredient dinner that you can basically forget about after throwing it in the oven! I usually love duck when it's curried but this roast is so crispy, tender, and flavorful. The best part: it tastes like a lot of work but it is so easy.
Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole 5 lb duck, cleaned, skin on
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Recipe:
Wash the duck with cold water (and lemon juice if you like).
Preheat the oven to 375.
Pat it dry with a paper towel.
Sprinkle the salt, pepper & paprika on each side, rubbing it into the skin.
Place it chest-side up in a 9x13 Pyrex on top of a rack if you have it (so the fat drips off the duck while it cooks).
Bake for 1 hour uncovered, then take it out, drizzle with the butter, and put it back into the oven for another 30 minutes.
If you know me personally, you know I loooove carrot cake! It's the perfect mix of not too sweet and not quite savory. I went a little ambitious & made an eggless, bundt carrot cake with my own carrot cream cheese icing. Recipe uses a bit of ingredients but it is so easy to put together & so worth it!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2.5 cups shredded carrots
1 cup apple sauce
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground glove
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1.5 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk or lactaid as needed if the icing is too thick
1/2 pack plain light cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectionary sugar
PAM spray or other cooking spray
Recipe:
Put the carrots in a large basin (leave about 1 tablespoon aside for the icing) Add the vegetable oil, molasses, ground spices, salt, baking soda & powder, white sugar & applesauce. Mix to combine.
Slowly start adding the flour & keep stirring to combine. If it feels like the mixture is becoming too dry, you used enough flour.
Spray the cake pan with cooking spray, especially if you're using a bundt pan, so the cake won't stick to it.
Bake on 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on what kind of pan you used.
While the cake is baking, use a stand mixer to whip the icing together (cream cheese, vanilla, tablespoon of shredded carrots & milk or lactaid).
Once the cake is baked, let it cool almost completely so that you can turn it over & the bundt will stay in form.
Glaze with the icing & enjoy! You can freeze this cake and save pieces of it for months to enjoy :).
Garlic, olive oil & bread = happiness! It seemed a little ambitious to make my own garlic knots but it turned to be really easy! I used my standard pizza dough recipe & tweeted it to be more garlicky!
Time: 20 minutes + time for the dough to set Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 packet yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Fill a measuring cup with 1 cup warm water, the packet of yeast & sugar
Stir & set aside in a dark place for 15 minutes (I put mine inside the microwave & closed the door)
Put the flour, garlic powder, salt, & 1/4 cup olive oil in a basin.
After waiting 15 minutes for the yeast to rise in the measuring cup, pour the mixture into the basin.
Mix with your hands & knead into a dough. You might need to add some more warm water.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel & put a plate over it to keep it dark. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour so the dough can rise.
After the dough rises, break 2-3 inch pieces of the it & roll it into a log with your hand, then tie it into a knot shape.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Place the knots on a greased cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
While the garlic knots are baking, mix the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic & dried parsley.
Take the knots out of the oven & brush on the olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle salt over the garlic knots if desired. Enjoy!
Goodbye Halal Guys cravings!! First time trying to make shawarma & I'm really excited to say it came out delicious! Warm spices marinaded over a leg of lamb for 4 hours then slow-roasted in the oven for 3.5 hours... this easy, no fail recipe will have you drooling after just smelling it!
Time: 4+ hours to marinade, 3+ hours to cook
Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb
1.5 - 2 tablespoons of the following: ground cumin, ground coriander, ground allspice, ground tumeric
1 teaspoon each of ground cloves & ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 shallot, diced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
1/4 cup dry red wine
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Butterfly the leg of lamb using a sharp knife, set aside in a large basin.
Put all the rest of the ingredients into a food processor (including the onion) & pulse until a paste forms.
Rub the paste all over the lamb, getting it completely marinaded. Cover the basin with clear wrap & put it in the fridge to marinate for 4+ hours (overnight is best).
Let the lamb get to room temperature for about 20 minutes, then lay it into a pyrex flat. Cover it tightly with foil & roast it on 300 degrees for at least 3.5 hours.
Serve with yellow rice spiced with cumin seeds, salad or in a pita!
Try my homemade white sauce! Mix mayonnaise, a dash of white vinegar, salt, black pepper, & a splash of water together. Balances out the hot sauce if you're using it on this shawarma!
