Southwestern shrimp salad

When I was growing up, my mom would make this bean salad called Texas caviar. It had all the usual suspects of Tex-Mex cuisine—corn, bell pepper, onion, tomato, etc. We would eat it with Fritos Scoops by the vat (or so it felt). It was an awesome summertime eat because it didn’t require a heat source to make. Midwest summers don’t mix well with the oven. Or the stove. Or even a toaster. Ninety-degree days with 90% humidity and no air conditioner? No thanks, I’ll eat my Eggo frozen.

Here, I have made a slightly sexier version of my mom’s Texas caviar. I should probably call if California caviar because if living in LA has taught me anything, it’s that adding avocado to something makes it “Californian.”  But, I won’t do that to you guys.  

This salad is hearty, fresh, and light. You can eat it by itself, over greens, or my personal fav—with tortilla chips. The lime and cilantro lend a brightness that really wakes up the shrimp and cuts through the richness of the avocado. The black beans give it some substance, so it’s easy to fill up on. I like to keep my knife cuts rough and rustic and the best part about making this dish is that the measurements don’t need to be precise. Add as many or as little of the ingredients as you like. You can also eliminate anything you don’t jive with or add an all-star ingredient I may have left out.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2-1 can corn, drained (or fresh or frozen)
• 1/2-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• juice of 2 limes
• cilantro, chopped (to taste)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Peel your shrimp (if they haven’t been) and chop into bite size pieces. Prepare all vegetables by dicing into similar sized chunks.

In a small bowl combine lime juice, onion, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Let sit for about 5 minutes to allow the juices to mellow out the flavor of the onion.

In a large mixing bowl combine corn, beans, avocado, tomato, jalapeño, shrimp, and cilantro. Add onion mixture and stir to coat. Add more oil or lime juice if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 30 mins. Serve with tortilla chips, over greens, or just by itself!

Homemade meatballs

By now you should know I’m a pretty big fan of Italian(s)—food, people, culture—so it should come as no surprise that the guy I’m dating is Italian. When we first met I asked what his last meal on Earth would be, and he immediately responded with his dad’s meatballs. So (obviously) I got my hands on the recipe and here we are. You can thank Steven Constantino if you fall in love with these meatballs—and trust me, you will.

This was my second time making them, and I don’t know how they compare to Matt’s father’s, but I thought they were damn delicious. Matt kindly informed me they were a bit onion heavy, and to make sure to chop the onions into oblivion. The recipe calls for one small onion or half a large one, and I think I chose too big of a large one. The first time I made them, I remember him deliberately instructing me to chop all the ingredients into smithereens, so just make sure you finely, finely, finely dice everything to avoid one ingredient from masking the others.

For this batch of meatballs, I made the homemade marinara sauce recipe I stole from Carissa’s family (you see now why I keep Italians close—they always have the best family recipes). But the first time I made the meatballs, I used a jarred sauce called Rao’s that Matt swears by. It’s a little more expensive than the popular brands like Prego or Ragu, but it tastes homemade, so it’s definitely worth it.

We’ve used the meatballs to make subs, put them over pasta, and just eaten them by themselves in the sauce, with a little parmesan on top. I think Matt’s dad even uses them in his lasagna, which I’d love the recipe for—hint, hint! 

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground chuck
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup romano cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 2–4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small  or half a large yellow onion, minced (very finely)
• 1/2 cup fresh, flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• sauce (3–4 24-oz jars or homemade marinara)
• fresh basil, to garnish

Instructions

Make sauce if using homemade.

Finely mince the garlic, onion, and parsley. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients (except sauce) and mix well with hands.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Shape mixture into medium-sized balls and place on a lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 3o minutes.

Warm the sauce and drop in balls to continue cooking until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh basil.

*Recipe makes 20-30 meatballs. Store leftovers in a Ziplock bag in the freezer.
**Ask your butcher to grind chuck for you if you can’t find it already ground.

Bruschetta

If you’ve read my post My adventures with Neapolitan pizza pie, you know I’m a huge fan of Italian cuisine. I love the rustic, simplicity of it, as well as the sense of family it embraces. It’s all about quality ingredients and unbuttoning your pants to make room for more because Nonni’s plating up your fourth serving of lasagna.

Bruschetta is an appetizer you’ll find at a lot of Italian restaurants. It has different variations, but traditionally it’s toasted bread that’s been rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and commonly topped with a medley of tomatoes and basil. Although I do not come from an Italian family, caprese and bruschetta have always been staples on our app menu—especially late summer when my dad’s tomato garden is in full swing.

I’ve tried many a bruschetta, and I will say I think mine is the best I’ve had (thus far). I like to combine elements of caprese with bruschetta to get the ultimate Italian app. The key to getting depth of flavor is rubbing the crostinis (or “little toasts”) with a clove of garlic after they’ve been grilled. It gives the toast a nice garlic aroma to perfume the rest of the toppings. I also like to add balsamic vinegar to the tomato mixture for a tangy kick.The soft, fresh mozzarella counterbalances the crusty bread and cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar.

Honestly, my mouth is watering right now thinking about it—I’ve got to finish this post so I can make some.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients

• tomatoes (I like using heirlooms because I’m a tomato snob)
• basil
• garlic
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• fresh mozzarella
• ciabatta (or any rustic bread)
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Dice tomatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl. Julienne the basil and throw in the bowl. Mince garlic (approx. 1 clove per 4 medium tomatoes) or use a press, add it to tomato mixture, and toss. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to coat—tasting to test for balanced acidity levels. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Rest for at least 30 mins to let flavors meld.

Cut bread into slices and drizzle with olive oil. Toast under the broiler or on a grill, making sure not to let it burn. Once toasted, cut the end off a garlic clove and rub each toast with it (both sides if you’re trying to keep vampires away). Top crostinis with fresh mozzarella and a spoonful of bruschetta.

For best flavor, serve at room temp. 

Shakshouka

S H A K S H O U K A. My new, absolute favorite breakfast dish. I tried it for the first time last weekend at an awesome French restaurant near my place, called Republique. I’ve been wanting to go there since I moved into the area because the line is down the block every weekend. My pal Urmila—gastronomic guru, host of YouTube channel Mila Makes, and co-founder of Carry On Magazine—was in town last weekend, so we met at Republique to brunch it up. I highly recommend eating there if you’re in the LA area—cool vibes, awesome pastries, and really good food. Like, really good.

So what is Shakshouka, anyway (besides really fun to say)? The dish originated in North Africa, and is essentially eggs in a spicy stew of tomatoes and peppers, but has many variations. I based my recipe off some good, authentic ones Urmila recommended, combined with Republique’s version, and my own little twists.

Republique managed to get a great depth of flavor that was really cumin-forward, so I tried to accomplish the same with mine. I also liked the cool contrast the mint leaves gave to the spiciness and warmth of the dish. They laced it with yogurt (which I forgot to do) that really balanced out the acidity of the tomatoes. I threw in some kale to give it a bit more substance and nutrients, and added basil because the more herbs the better in my book!

Oh, and did I mention the bread!? The bread might be the best part of the whole dish. It’s served with a side of crusty bread you can use to sop up all the delicious, tomatoey sauce and gooey yolk. Mmmmmm. I actually just used the bread as a spoon throughout the whole meal. I mean, what’s better than a spoon you can eat??

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 4-5 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2-3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
• 4 cups (28 oz can) diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• chili powder
• cumin
• paprika
• cayenne
• coriander
• pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• parsley
• basil
• mint
• 1-2 cups kale, chopped
• feta cheese (optional)
• Greek yogurt (optional)
• Rustic, crusty bread of choice (I used garlic ciabatta)

Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cut onion and pepper into thin(ish) slices. Add a generous amount of olive oil to the hot pan, along with the peppers and onions. Saute veggies until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and seasonings (chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander, salt and pepper) to taste. You can adjust later, so just start small. Add a pinch of sugar and stir well. Simmer on med-low heat for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Roughly chop herbs (parsley, basil, mint) and add to the sauce.

If sauce is looking thick, take a potato masher and crush the tomatoes to create a juicier sauce. Add the chopped kale to the pan, stir, and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings one more time, if needed.

Crack eggs into the sauce, one at a time. I created little divots with the back of a ladle to make a nest for each egg. Let the eggs cook in the sauce until the whites are set and yolks are runny. You can cover with a lid to speed up the process.

While eggs are cooking cut bread into thick slices and grill or toast under the broiler. When eggs are done garnish with more fresh herbs, feta cheese, and yogurt.

Crock pot Korean beef with broccoli

When my best friend moved back to Boston last year, she was nice enough to give me her crock pot. I don’t know how many times I’ve told myself I was going to make something in it, but never did. So last week I decided enough was enough—I was going to make something, dammit. I browsed Pinterest for the perfect recipe to pop my crock pot cherry (sorry, that sounds terrible) and came across a recipe for Korean beef. Yes please!

The great thing about crock pot recipes is—of course—the ability to set it and forget it. I started this dish when I woke up and it was ready by lunchtime (or dinner if you were to do the low heat setting). I actually suggest using the low and slow method because it will make the meat more tender. Because the chuck roast comes from a heavily exercised part of the cow (the shoulder), it can be very tough. However, cooking it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time allows the connective tissues (the part that makes them tough) to dissolve. SCIENCE!

Anyway, I had to go to work in the evening the day I made this, so I needed to speed things up. I will say that although the flavors were phenomenal, the meat was a bit tough. You live and you learn.

Another great thing about this dish is that it’s a lot healthier than your average takeout meal. Although it’s getting better, a lot of takeout dishes are loaded with sodium, MSG, and other unnatural preservatives. Making it at home allows you to control the amount of salt and the quality of ingredients you use. Aaaand I say this between bites of leftover Chinese takeout.

Do as I say, not as I do! 

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (or rump roast)
• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1 tbsp freshly ground grated ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
• 1/2 tsp granulated onion
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch + extra, if needed
• sesame seeds (for garnish)
• green onions (for garnish)

Instructions

Cut your roast into 1-inch cubes and place in the crock pot.

In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, ginger, garlic, granulated onion, and white pepper. Add to crock pot and mix with beef until well combined.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours (again, I suggest the slower method for ultimate tenderness).

For the last half hour of cook time, cut broccoli into florets and put into crock pot. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and mix into crock pot with beef and broccoli. Turn heat to high and continue to cook for half an hour or until sauce thickens. You can add more corn starch gradually if sauce is too thin.

Serve over rice, in tacos, or by itself and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Panzanella salad

It’s finally time to gear up for the greatest Holiday of all time—Thanksgiving! Number one on my thankful list? FOOD. I have been planning my Thanksgiving menu for probably a good 2 months, now (seriously, you can ask my boyfriend). He and I will be spending the holiday together, just the two of us, with enough food to feed Jon and Kate plus 8.

Growing up in my house, the menu for Thanksgiving didn’t just consist of dinner and dessert. Hell no. It was filled with festive, boozy drinks, an overly extensive hors d’oeuvre spread, a “change into your stretchy pants” dinner, and various desserts we were too full to eat, but stomached anyway. The in-between time was filled with football watching, game playing, and of course, more boozy drink sipping. Although I don’t often get the chance to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I do my best to create that same food and drink filled atmosphere whomever I’m with. Luckily for me, my boyfriend loves to grub, so I foresee a long awaited food coma in our future.

We’ve decided to each make a couple (or 5) appetizers, and this panzanella salad will be one of mine.  Panzanella is basically just a salad using day old bread combined with some type of vegetable (usually tomatoes) with oil, vinegar, and herbs. The bread sops up all the juices and flavor from the rest of the ingredients, so the longer you let it sit and meld, the tastier it is. My family always has some form of caprese or bruschetta with crostini as an appetizer, and this sort of a combines them all. It’s super easy and can also be served as a side dish, so if you’re scouring for new menu ideas this holiday, give it a try!

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• day old bread (I used whole wheat ciabatta)
• tomatoes
• fresh mozzarella
• basil
• garlic
• Italian seasoning (or herbs de provence)
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the bread into 1/2 inch cubes, toss with a little olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and bake bread until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully as to not burn the bread. Transfer bread to a bowl and let cool.

Cut the tomatoes into small chunks and put in a large bowl. I used a combination of heirloom and cherry tomatoes (cut in half). Mince garlic or use a garlic press and add to tomatoes. Cut up mozzarella into small chunks (similar in size to the tomatoes) and add to bowl. Tear basil leaves into small pieces and add to bowl. Season liberally with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over mixture. I don’t measure when I do this, I simply add more vinegar or oil to taste. Start out with small amounts, as you can always add more. You want the mixture to be juicy so the bread can soak it up. The salt with help draw moisture from the tomatoes as it sits.

Add the bread cubes to the mixture about 30-45 mins before serving.

My adventures with Neapolitan pizza pie

*Forewarning: this entry is long. If you’re just looking for the dough recipe, skip to the end. But you’re missing out on lots of laughs and fun. Bye. 

Lately I have been obsessed with pizza. But not just any pizza, I’m talking authentic, Neapolitan style pizza cooked in a wood fired oven at extremely high temps with a thin, chewy crust, topped with simple, rustic ingredients. This obsession came to head when I was visiting my best friend, Carissa, in Boston last month.  Her dad (Eddie Spaghetti), being the awesome Italian that he is, has a wood fired pizza oven in his backyard—cue praying hands emoji. So, you better believe I made Spaghetti whip me up a couple pies while I was there. Not only was it the best homemade za I’ve ever had, I also learned a lot about authentic, Italian cooking.

Of course, being on the East Coast also meant I had to try the local pizza, since LA pizza pales in comparison, according to every East Coaster, ever. Verdict? They’re right—kind of. The reason I say kind of is because I’ve come to realize that the east and west coast aren’t going for the same result when it comes to pizza, so it’s not really fair to compare the two. I discovered this when Carissa’s brother, Paula (his name is Paul, but I call him Paula because it’s cute) said that the West Coast tries to be “too fancy” with their pizza. The East Coast is good at keeping it classic with the basic, simple ingredients (think: cheese, pepperoni,  and basil) whereas the West Coast tries to elevate their za with exotic ingredients (think: truffles, goat cheese, and duck bacon).  So, if you ask me which one is better… I’d probably still say the East Coast, who am I kidding? But, I do have an appreciation for California’s creativity.

And so, taking all my newfound knowledge and experience with pizza making, I ventured to the kitchen to create my own (sort of) authentic, Neapolitan style pizzas with a California twist. I dragged my brother along with me cause God knows I couldn’t be trusted with measuring cups alone.

Story Time

My brother (Stephen) travels a lot for work, so when he’s home we take advantage of spending time together. For us, this usually consists of cooking and drinking, usually simultaneously. So last week I proposed the idea of getting together to make some homemade pizza. I told him all about the pizza Spaghetti made on my trip, and suggested we try out the dough recipe. He was all in. Since the dough takes two days to rise he asked if I wanted to make the dough by myself, I repeat by myself, and then bring it over to his place when we were ready to cook. I politely reminded him that I need adult supervision when it comes to measuring, and then politely forced him to help me.

So, cut to, we’re in my kitchen very diligently measuring out the all ingredients (there’s four ingredients in this recipe) when he gets a phone call and leaves the room. I decide to carry on with the measuring and before I know it, I’ve added two tablespoons of salt instead of two teaspoons. Oops. He looked away for five seconds and I’ve already ruined everything. When he comes back to the kitchen he simply picks out most of the salt with his fingers (genius) and we call it good.

Now that we’ve combined all the dry ingredients, it’s time to add the water and form the dough. Stephen pours the water in little by little while I mix it together with my hands. So far, so good. When we near the end of this process, Stephen thinks the dough looks too dry and suggests we add more water. I don’t really think it needs more water, but I enthusiastically agree anyway and we add the water. Oops numero deux. The dough turns into a sticky, hot mess. I’m a little worried at this point, but secretly happy I wasn’t the only one that made a mistake, today. We both decide that adding more flour seems like a legit solution, so we keep adding flour until we feel it looks right.

Next comes the fold and stretch. The recipe does not describe how exactly you’re supposed to “fold and stretch” the dough, so Stephen just decides to stretch the hell out of it at all angles and mangle it into a ball. I think I have a better idea of how to do this, so I try it out and Stephen agrees it’s more civilized, and we press on.

Alas, the dough is done. We wipe the sweat off our brows and high five each other in the form of downing a bottle of wine. We deserve it.

Pizza Time 

The recipe makes about four pizzas, so we both came up with a couple ideas for each pizza, all inspired by noteworthy zas we’ve encountered in the past. We split it up into four courses. I created courses one and two, Stephen did course three, and we both (along with Stephen’s girlfriend, Adriana) created the fourth course.

• Course one: Margherita
• Course two: Mushroom, truffle oil, and arugula
• Course three: Roasted curry carrot with beets and shaved Brussels sprouts
• Course four: Proscuitto, sage, and fig jam

Unfortunately none of us have a wood fired pizza oven, or a backyard for that matter, so we decided to grill the pizza instead of putting it in an oven (with the exception of course four).

Course one: Margherita

Ingredients

bufala mozzarella
fresh basil
red sauce*

*whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, kosher salt, and oregano (blended). Do not warm, sauce cooks in the oven. 

Making this pizza was important to me because I wanted to make a truly authentic Neapolitan style pizza, like the one Spaghetti made for me in Boston. So, I called him up and he helped me out with the sauce and all the essentials.

I love this pizza because the ingredients are so simple, but the flavors are so vibrant. What I’ve learned about Italian cooking is that they like to keep things simple, fresh and rustic. They use good quality ingredients, and let them shine on their own.

Course two: Mushroom, truffle oil, and arugula 

Ingredients

cremini mushrooms
goat cheese
arugula
truffle oil
olive oil

The inspiration for this pizza actually came from the restaurant I work at in Culver City, called the Overland. We recently added flatbread pizzas to our menu and my favorite one has mushrooms, arugula, and burrata cheese. I wanted to recreate that, but put my own spin on it.

I added truffle oil and used goat cheese instead of burrata. I thought that the tanginess of the goat cheese would pair nicely with the peppery arugula and cut through the pungent, rich flavor of the truffle oil.

Because we didn’t use a sauce for this one, we thought it came out a bit dry. If I were to make it again, I think I’d make a bechamel (white sauce) to put on it as well, which is actually what they do at my work. You win this time, Overland. Luckily, I had plenty of sauce left over from the Margherita, so we used it as a dipping sauce.

Course three: Roasted curry carrot with beets and shaved Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

beets
shaved Brussels sprouts
toasted hazelnuts
goat cheese
carrot curry sauce*

*I have no idea what’s in this sauce, you’re gonna have to wing it or call my brother.

This pizza was designed by my brother after eating at one of his favorite places in New Orleans called, Domenica, which in Italian means, Sunday. It’s hilarious to me that he chose to make this one because it’s rare that he eats vegetarian pizza. He one time said and I quote, “I need meat. I’m not in the mood for a f***ing farmer’s delight,” when we were deciding which pizza to order. Yikes.

Anyway, I guess one of the locals at this place suggested the Roasted Carrot pizza and he was in the mood for a f***ing farmer’s delight that day. He said it was one of the best pizzas he’s ever had, so here we are. I don’t know what the pizza at Domenica tasted like, but if it was anything like this, I suggest you check it out if you’re ever in New Orleans.

I’m a huge fan of the beets and goat cheese combo, so that made me happy right off the bat.  The nuttiness from the hazelnuts paired well with the curried carrots, and the crunch of the sprouts made it all come together. Not only was it tasty, but it was beautiful as well. I love how rustic and bright this pizza is.

We decided if there was one thing we would change, it would be to add some sort of cream element to the sauce to make it a bit more, well.. saucy. But I think that’s what makes cooking fun. People think they aren’t allowed to make mistakes, but that’s how we learn and become better cooks. Speaking of mistakes.

Course four: Proscuitto, sage, and fig jam

Ingredients

proscuitto
fresh sage
mushroom brie
fig jam

This was sort of our “we have four pizzas, but only three ideas, what the hell should we put on the last one?” pizza. I decided proscuitto would be a good idea, and then my brother and Adriana came up the rest by running across different items at the grocery store. Now don’t get me wrong, all of these ingredients have the potential to make up a very yummy pie, but the failure came in our execution and maybe one too many glasses of wine.

What I believe our thought process was, was to make it more of a dessert pizza since it was the final course. Smart. What we did to make this a dessert pizza, was simply douse it in copious amounts of fig jam. Not so smart. The end result was a much too sweet, sticky mess, that was kind of similar to eating a spoonful of jelly. We really just should have smeared some PB on it and called it a day.

However, this was the only pizza we made in the oven, and I thought it most resembled the way a Neapolitan style pizza cooks in a wood fired oven. So that was nice

My brother was so determined to not let the pizza go to waste, that he decided to repurpose it and make bread pudding. If you’re baffled as to how/why he did this, join the club. I’m sad to say I never tried the pudding, so I can’t tell you myself how it tasted, but I just talked to my brother and he said it’s still sitting in the fridge, untouched—it’s been a week. I’m making him try it, now. Stay tuned.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Okay, he just called with the verdict. His words, “Dude, this is f***ing bomb.” So there you have it, folks. If at first you don’t succeed, make that shit into bread pudding. #wordsofwisdom

And, finally, here’s the recipe for Neapolitan style pizza dough (2 day method). Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 5 cups Italian “00” flour (you can find this at Whole Foods)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 14 oz room temperature water

Instructions

Add all dry ingredients to large mixing bowl and stir. Add water and mix for about 2 minutes. I used my hands, but you could use a Kitchenaid mixer if you have one.

Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, and then mix for another 2 minutes.

Take the dough out of the bowl and stretch and fold dough into a ball. I’m not 100% sure on the correct way to do this, but I just kind of stretched it apart and then folded it under, tucking it into a ball shape. Cover the dough with a bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.

Perform three more stretch and folds every 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl big enough for it to double in size. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

The recipe says to take the dough out and divide it into 4 sections and form into balls at this point, but I just left it in the fridge for the additional 24 hours and cut it up into balls when I was ready to make the pizzas.

When you are ready to make the pizza, take the balls out of the fridge and bring them up to room temp. Flour a large, flat surface, such as a counter top, and begin forming the pizza. I just gently stretched the dough apart using my hands until I formed a shape/thickness I liked. You want it to be thin, but not so thin that it will fall apart when you put your toppings on. Transfer the dough to a pizza paddle or something that’s easily transferable to your cooking source. Top the pizza with any ingredients you like. Feel free to try out some of mine, above.

To bake the pizza

If you’re using an oven:

Preheat your oven to the highest temperature it will go for 45 minutes with a pizza stone in the oven (you can use a cookie sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone).  Put the pizza on the stone and bake until edges are charred and the dough and toppings are cooked through.

If you’re using a grill:

Oil the grill (not with spray) to prevent the dough from sticking. Briefly cook the dough on both sides creating grill marks before adding the toppings. Take off the grill to add all the fixings and then transfer the pizza back on the grill until toppings are to your desired doneness.

*These methods were an experiment for us, so you may find a method that is easier or works better for you. Be creative. Best of luck. 

A BIG THANK YOU TO MY BROTHER FOR TAKING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS!!

Paprika chicken in a white wine butter thyme sauce

I’m sure ya’ll hate the saying “winner winner, chicken dinner” as much as I do (except you, Guy Fieri), but this dish is seriously a winner chicken dinner. It’s elegant, rich, and savory. Not to mention, beautiful. When I made this, I felt like I was on a date with myself. So, for any of you who actually have dates, please make this for them. If they don’t love you already, they will. Maybe. Don’t hold me to that, actually.

I paired mine with brown rice, which soaked up all the rich, buttery sauce, hiding any evidence of its health benefits. But you could skip the rice and just drink the sauce after you’re done with the chicken if you want. In which case, we should get married because I love you.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 cup dry white wine
• paprika
• cayenne
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Rub chicken breasts with paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Finely chop the garlic and remove the thyme from the stems.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and melt 3 tbsp of butter. Add the chicken and cook til a golden brown crust forms. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the remainder of the butter, garlic, and thyme and stir until softened.

Add the wine and reduce heat to med-low. Cook until the wine has reduced to a sauce and the chicken is cooked through. You may need to flip the chicken a few times throughout. Serve over any grain of your choice and garnish with a little fresh thyme.

*This recipe makes about 2 servings.

Zucchini cake Florentine with coconut oil hollandaise

There are two types of people when it comes to using up leftovers. The people that suck and let them sit in the fridge for 3 months til they turn to moss, and the people that are awesome who use them to create something innovative and delicious. I’m probably a bit of both, but for cool factor purposes I’m going to consider myself more of the ladder for this entry.

Last time, I presented you with the zucchini cake. This time, I have repurposed the cake and transformed it into a unique take on a brunch time favorite—eggs Florentine. For those of you unfamiliar with Florentine, it’s essentially eggs Benedict (if you don’t know what this is Google it, you should be ashamed of yourself) with the addition of spinach.

When I am cooking for myself, I like to see how I can lighten up dishes that are usually considered heavy/rich/sinful/decadent without sacrificing flavor.  And this, my friends, is a winner. I healthified (it’s a word) the hollandaise sauce by swapping out butter for coconut oil, and you can’t. even. tell. You can even ask my brother, who I assure you does NOT prefer to healthify his food.

Happy eating, everybody. And don’t waste your leftovers!

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• Zucchini cakes
• eggs
• spinach
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• fresh parsley (for garnish)

For the hollandaise 

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• lemon juice
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Reheat leftover zucchini cakes for about 20 minutes, or until crispy and warmed through.

Fill a blender with boiling water, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. This will keep the sauce warm after you make it.

Pour the hot water out of the blender and dry it thoroughly. Add the yolks and lemon juice (as much or as little as you’d like, you can always add more) and pulse. Quickly heat the coconut oil on the stove. When oil is hot, set blender to low and slowly pour the oil into the mixture. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and pulse to blend.

Heat olive oil over med-low heat and saute spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Cook eggs any style you like. Traditionally, poached is the way to go, but I did sunny side up because I’m lazy. Layer the spinach and the egg on top of a zucchini cake and drizzle with hollandaise. Garnish with fresh parsley.

*This recipe only makes enough hollandaise for 1-2 cakes (depending on your preferences, of course). I would double or triple the recipe if making for a group. 

Zucchini cakes with lemon mint aioli

First of all, my apologies for being MIA for the last month or so. In my defense, Carissa (my BFF who I’ve mentioned in multiple entries) moved back to Boston and my heart needed to cry and be pathetic for a while. But, I’m back now and gifting you with my most delicious recipe yet! So, let’s all move on and eat some zucchini cakes.

This is a great vegetarian alternative to crab or salmon cakes for all of you living by Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo’s mantra, “Fish are friends, not food.” They’re super tasty though, so you’re still going to love them if you’re an omnivore, carnivore, or even a cannibal. That was gross, I’m sorry.

If you can get them to be crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, you’re going to be a happy camper. The key is to make sure you really squeeze all the water out of the vegetables before forming the patties. Otherwise you’re going to end up with a soggy patty and a frown.

The lemon aioli lends a great tanginess to cut through the richness of the cake, and the potato make this a surprisingly filling dish. You can have them as an appetizer or serve em up between two buns as a burger. I actually used the leftovers for breakfast the next day to make zucchini cake Florentine. So bomb. I’ll put that recipe up soon.

Ok, my mouth is watering. I need to finish this and put some food in my belly.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

For the cakes

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 russet potato
• 1/2 onion
• fresh parsley, chopped
• fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 1/2 cup oat flour (or whatever flour you want)
• 1/2 cup Italian panko bread crumbs + extra to coat cakes
• 2 eggs
• coconut oil for frying

For the lemon mint aioli 

• mayo
• greek yogurt
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• fresh mint, chopped
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Instructions

First, make the aioli by combining all ingredients to taste. I used a 1 to 1 ratio of the mayo to greek yogurt. Store in the fridge.

Trim the ends of the Zucchini and grate it. I used a cheese grater to do this, but it would be immensely easier with a food processor. Transfer the grated zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Peel and grate the potato and add to the bowl. Finely dice the onion and add to the bowl. Stir veggies well with your hands and transfer to a runway of paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. This step is SUPER IMPORTANT, so don’t be lazy about it.

Once dry, transfer the vegetable mixture back into the mixing bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to mixture. Add all remaining ingredients (besides the oil) and mix with hands until the texture holds its shape when you form patties. Add more bread crumbs, if necessary.

Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to form the patties. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to shape the patties, but you can use your hands, as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan and cook until a golden brown crust forms. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and transfer the cakes onto it. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.