Better Home Cooking Basice: #57 Zest, then Juice or Freeze Citrus.

I zest citrus almost daily. By zesting citrus it packs a lot of flavor into dishes without adding extra liquid when it isn’t needed. First & foremost if you are using the zest of citrus (limes, lemons, oranges, etc) you should zest the fruit while it’s whole - it's much easier this way. But then what? Well you can either cut it in half & juice it or if you’re not going to use it right away you can freeze it. I wouldn’t leave it in the freezer for more than a week. When you’re ready to use it take it out of the freezer & pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to let it thaw & you can use the juice then. If you don't freeze it the citrus fruit becomes a shriveled tough raisin that is virtually un-juiceable (read: a waste!).

Say good bye to shriveled pre-zested citrus at your house & hello to a freezer full of juicy possibilities.
Get more of my better home cooking basics here. 

Fettucine Marvini with Crab

If you're on a diet, skip this recipe & make this one instead. If you want something insanely delicious keep reading.

I used this buttery garlic linguine marvini recipe for the base of this recipe & I added some lemon zest & crab meat. I know you're not supposed to have seafood with cheese but it tastes good so I won't judge you if you don't judge me.

Super huge happy birthday wishes for my awesome sister-in-law, Marie! Happy birthday lady! Hope you have an amazing day & an incredible year! Love you.  xx

Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad with Mint, Walnuts & Arugula

Last week we were in Charleston, SC (ahhhh I love that place & I will share some pictures soon). Truth be told the majority of the food we ate was either fried or seafood - leaving little room left for anything green (unless you count fried green tomatoes).  Now that we’re back into the swing of a full week I’m doing my best to eat fresh - plus it’s spring (finally) so I always find myself wanting to eat more green things & just lighter in general.

I was flipping through the pages of Bon Appetite magazine & came across a recipe for strawberry-rhubarb salad. Being a forever fan of the pie version (my mom still makes the best strawberry rhubarb pie!). Coincidentally, my sister-in-law, Dulcie, asked me how else she could prepare rhubarb.  Clearly the universe was telling me that I needed to try out the salad.  It did not disappoint. It was every bit tangy & sweet that the pie is but in a healthy salady-bite. I did change it up a bit from the original recipe swapping out hazelnuts for walnuts & adding some arugla because it’s what I had on hand - & I just love arugula. (Check out this unexpected way to use arugula in your Cinco de Mayo cocktail that I stumbled upon at work & had to try out.)

PS: This recipe calls for mint. I could only find a small potted plant of the mint - wish me luck keeping her alive & green because my thumb is not.

PPS: Bon Appetit suggests not making this salad the night before in fear that the rhubarb will breakdown too much & become too soft. Make it as close to serving time as possible.

UPDATE: I ate all of the arugula out of the salad for dinner & had a lot of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture left so I refrigerated it overnight. I packed some arugula on top & some avocado & am currently enjoying it for lunch - maybe I didn't cut my rhubarb super thin but I have to say it's just as delicious on day 2.

Grilled Zucchini with Chickpeas, Raisins & Garlic-Yogurt Sauce

I'm definitely a creature of habit. I like what I like. I usually like to eat at the same handful of places for lunch, if I haven't (responsibly) packed one.  When I go grocery shopping I usually buy the same ingredients with a little variation here and there depending on sales and seasonal things.  Last night I was in the mood for something familiar but different. I've been eating zucchini all week. I love it and I rarely get tired of it. According to the Today Show it's in season - so there you go - now is the time to zucchini it up.  I usually just sauté it with some other veggies like I did here but after finding Caroline Wright's recipe on food52.com's under $20, in under 20 minute meals I was on my way to buy some more zucchini.

This grilled squash with chickpeas, raisins and garlic-yogurt sauce hits all different bells and whistles that I think would be served somewhere exotic, like Morracco.  The chickpeas have a bit of pop to them in texture and even more so with the hot and sweetly warm spices.  The grilled zucchini is toothsome and even better with grill marks.  To top it off there's creamy garlic-yogurt sauce.  For those of you who think eating vegetarian food is for the birds, try this hearty dish and you'll be singing a different tune.

I am definitely adding this dish to my regularly scheduled programming.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #51 Choose Citrus Fruit that is Bright , Smooth & Shiny in Texture & Feels Heavy.

The other day I was using a microplane to zest the limes that I was substituting for lemons to make chimichurri sauce. After collecting all the zest I needed, I cut the limes in half to juice them. Two out of the three were juicy & provided lots of juice for my sauce. However, the third one was dry & pulpy with virtually  no juice to offer. That stuck with me & I headed to google to figure out how I could prevent this dehydrated citrus fiasco in the future. What I found seems like it should be common sense but it wasn’t to me (at first) so I’m sharing it with you.

When shopping for citrus here are the three things you want to look for:
Is it bright in color? If it’s a lemon is it bright like the sun? if it’s  lime is it really green?
Is the texture smooth & shiny?  If not throw it back & look for a one that is.
Is it heavy? Bigger is not always better but heavier is. The heavier the piece of citrus fruit the more juice it’s bound to have in side.

Do you have any tips for selecting the best fruits & veggies? Please share in the comments below!

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

Spinach Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Hoboken is only a mile square but it has a ton of great restaurants.  Among them are some tasty Cuban spots like La Isla.  It's a casual little place with rarely an empty seat with tons of tasty dishes on it's menu. One of my favorites is the spinach salad. It's just fresh with a combination of sweet and savory flavors as well as creamy and crunchy textures.  It's not a terribly complicated salad it's just the care they take to pile it on the plate.  It's really a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds too.  It's great on it's own or you can add shrimp or chicken to if if you want to "beef" it up. If you're ever in Hoboken, NJ I definitely recommend stopping by La Isla for a meal, if you aren't you can make a salad inspired by this great spot right in your own kitchen!

Greek Salad Party Kebabs

At my work we celebrate A LOT. It's pretty awesome. One of the things we celebrate for sure is birthdays. Each team member draws a name at the beginning of the year and then is in charge of the festivities for the person she has drawn. This year I got Jess.  As part of the Jess-tivities, I wanted to serve some food.  We're mad snackers in our office and Jess might just wear the crown jewel in that department which she literally gets from her mama (Happy Mother's Day Elizabeth!).

Since we would be celebrating in the happier hours of the day I thought we could just something refreshing and savory that would also pair nicely with some lets-drink-wine-at-work-to-celebrate-your-birthday-wine. They're super easy to make. No cooking involved. All you need to know is how to chop, spear, stir and pour to make these fancy little party kebabs.

Learn how after the jump!

Oh and of course: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to my Mama Jeannie, my grandma, Mary O and all of the fabulous mommies out there!

Pear Pie

We've been buying a ton of fruits & veggies, even more so than normal. We've been juicing! But that's not what this post is about. We had a ton of pears (because they make for a very delicious juice) so I decided to use some of them for dessert number two for Easter Sunday dinner (this was the first).  I know you don't normal hear pear pie as a dessert, apple pie, cherry pie sure but not pear. Pear tart yes, but not pear pie. Well you're hearing it now. I made pear pie.  I didn't know how it was going to turn out but my overly stuffed family & I managed to get it down just fine. Now only if I had taken the leftovers home with me. #kickingmyself

Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs

Instead of making mashed potatoes, try roasting your cauliflower instead. It’s surprisingly simple & the white color with roasted tips makes it look like a tasty carb but in fact it’s a veggie - win!  If you want to add a little crunch add the bread crumb topping - if you’re cutting out carbs skip it, it’s great just roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper & lemon juice (like I made here).

I used this recipe I found on food52.com & I’ll definitely be making this cauliflower (or as Chris calls it “white broccoli”) again.

How do you make your cauliflower?

PS: If you love this cauliflower you may also love these green beans &/or this roasted squash!

Peach-Rhubarb-Blackberry Pie

If I had the choice between cake & pie I’d pick pie 99% of the time. I’m a pie girl. My mom always made pies & I just love fruity sweet desserts so pies satiate my sweet tooth for the majority of the time.

My mom & dad were up to visit at my sister’s apartment this past weekend. I wanted to bring something so I automatically chose to make a pie. Chris & I made a trip to  DePiero’s Farm to see what was fresh & came across sweet peaches & rhubarb. With a a nod to strawberry rhubarb pie - one of my faves I concocted a peach version of it. I had some blackberries at home so I added those too.

Overall it was a pretty tasty pie. My peaches were pretty juicy so the filling had a bit more liquid than I would have loved but we still enjoyed it all the same.

Fresh Guacamole

Everything I learned about guacamole roots back to Trader Joe's & table side restaurant guac prep.  Trader Joe's sells a great little kit with everything you need to make your very own fresh guacamole at home.  After you've used that kit enough you don't even need a recipe & you're able to fly on your own at other grocery stores to buy the ingredients for fresh guacamole all by yourself.

The one & only ingredient that can really make or break your guac is (clearly) the avocados.  Avocados need to be firm yet impressionable (so when you press your thumb into the side of it it should have a little give -not be rock hard or super mushy but just right).  So if your avocados are too hard no amount of mashing is going to make a great guacamole, post pone it or go on a hunt for some more avocados & in the mean time leave your avocados to ripen in a brown paper bag. If they're the other end of the spectrum & are super mushy use them fast before they brown.

Ingredients:

• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado(s)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (ribs & seeds removed, chopped finely)
• 1 lime (zest & juice)
• 2 tomatoes (or 1 large) (seeded & chopped)
• salt & pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Make it!

1. Cut the avocado(s) in half & scoop out the yummy goodness, discard the seed & shell/skin.
2. Mash avocado, garlic, shallot, jalepeno, lime zest & juice together (use whatever works for you, I used a fork, but a spoon for muddler will work too).
3. Stir in the tomatoes.
4. Season with salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.
5. Eat this with everything & on anything. Store in an airtight container (if there is any left).

Grilled Blackened Chicken Avocado Salad

It’s grilling season. To marry that fact with my love for salads lately allowed me to dream up this grilled blackened chicken & avocado salad.  The chicken is spicy & the avocado is creamy & cooling. It’s a great combination. Give it a try. It’s also super easy to make!
PS: happy birthday to my dancing partner in crime, Christine!

Six Survivor Ingredients

My NYC girlfriends always tell me that they just don't shop for or have room for ingredients & don't know what to buy, so they just don't cook.  Well I've got my ingredient guide down to the only six items that you'll ever need to make a successful dish (whether it's chicken, a simple salad or a pasta dish).  If you keep these six ingredients on hand you can't go wrong & you'll always have something fresh & tasty to enjoy.

My six survivor ingredients & why:

1. lemon - you can use the zest to add real flavor to any dish. The zest is even more flavorful than its juice but use it's juice too to squeeze over fish or seafood for a little extra (well) juice!
2. sea salt - try looking for unbleached salt - you wouldn't drink a bottle of bleach so why would you want to cook with/eat bleach. Not me anyway. The sea salt in the photo above is pink because it's unbleached, oh & from Hawaii!
3. black pepper - if you do nothing else to a piece of chicken or even a fried egg, please season with salt & pepper, it'll make all the difference from a bland-please-pass-the-salt dish & mmmmmm this is really good.
4. fresh herbs - always make it look like you tried. Buy what's in season but also buy what you like. Fresh herbs add freshness & look pretty too.
5. fresh garlic - shy away from the jarred stuff & spend the extra time to chop up some fresh, sticky garlic the taste is much stronger (read: better).
6. extra virgin olive oil - you can cook it into tomato sauce, use in in a marinade or do about a million other things with it. It's the light kind of fat that will add flavor to you dish & doubles as a skin moisturizer!

oh & there's one extra secret ingredient that you must have on hand when you cook.  Read on to find out!

Chicken Pot Pie

Just when we thought it was spring we got hit with a cold front!  The best way to warm up is with some comfort food.  Typically I think of chicken pot pie as "winter food" but if you throw in some spring veggies (like asparagus) you've instantly made it season-less!

The forecast for the North East is chilly for the rest of the week so you might want to make a pot pie yourself!

Crunch Celery, Spinach & Parmesan Salad

I watch food network all the time. I even watch it at the gym. Yes I do.
This past weekend I watched the Barefoot Contessa whip up her Italian inspired celery and parmesan salad. I took a nod from this great lady & made this for dinner. I added some spinach for a little extra green-age.

Olive Oil Bundt Cake

We decided last night at Easter dinner that I will make the desserts for all family dinners at my grandma's house (with the addition of the 7 fishes on Christmas Eve where Chris will make his crab stuffed mushrooms & I'll make the honey balls). So desserts are my thing since my grandmother & aunt have the dinner down to feed a few small country instead of pint-sized family members. 

This Easter I made some new desserts which is always a risk but I think they went well.  The first of the two desserts I made was an olive oil cake. I've had olive oil cake at La Columbe & it was delish so I searched the internet for a recipe that spoke to me. I found Gina DePalma's recipe for an almond olive oil cake by way of Lottie + Doof's blog.

I know what you're probably thinking - olive oil cake - that's a little weird. And no this is not an April Fools joke (although, happy april fools!).  But honestly if you like pound cake, almonds & a buttery glaze - there is really nothing you won't love about this cake. It's pretty easy to make. Sure there's a few steps but it's not all that bad. Plus if you're making it for a holiday party that you don't have to cook an entire dinner for your family why not spend that time baking up this cake. I used our bundt pan because it gives the cake in interesting shape but you can definitely use a spring form pan or just a regular cake pan too, it'll still be delish.

Chickpea & Tomato Ragout

I make dinner most nights after I get home from working all day so quick, easy & tasty food is ideal. We ate this chickpea & tomato ragout with some grilled fish (cod, I think) but I could make a meal out of this alone. It's reminiscent of pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans) minus the pasta. It's ready to eat (prep to finish) in about 20 minutes & you can eat it hot, room temp or cold.

Zippy Zucchini Bites

I made these zippy zucchini bites for my coworker's birthday (along with these). I call them zippy zucchini bites because I couldn’t remember the name from the original recipe I found on Pinterest when my coworkers asked me what they were. I called them zippy because they have sweet mint, spicy harissa, zesty lime & tangy goat cheese all rolled up into one little tasty bite, hence the original name. To me that warrants the name zippy, which is also just fun to say & who doesn’t love some alliteration(? <— nerd alert).

I’d make these again. You can make them ahead of time. I chilled mine overnight & then served them at room temperature. I think they’d be a perfect fresh bite for pre-Thanksgiving appetizers because they’re not heavy & really easy to eat! They're also gluten-free & a great non-carb to have on the table. Plus, any kind of rolled appetizer always looks super pretty & fancy, so your guests will be super impressed.

Refreshing Israeli Salad

Living in Hoboken & working in NYC I am spoiled by food inspiration.  One of my guiltiest pleasures is the Taim Mobile that dangerously close to my lunchtime neighborhood. It's a ritual, I always order the falafel sandwich with everything on it in a whole wheat pita - because that makes it healthier!  On their amazing menu tacked to the side of the truck is a wide variety to sides & other dishes, one of which is Israeli salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley & a lemon mint dressing.  Sounded easy & spring enough for me to make it, so I did. It's great by itself of in a wrap (more on that later). Make sure to click through to get this super simple recipe.

PS: a special welcome to the world to little baby Jonathan! I can not wait to meet you!!

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Lemon-Basil Ricotta

I found some adorable baby eggplants walking through a local farmers market with Chris this past weekend (as seen on my instagram feed).   I made these grilled eggplant stacks that give a tiny nod to eggplant parmesan but lighter for this end of summer version with my new found favorite chimichurri sauce.