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.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #61 Top Baked Potatoes with Greek Yogurt Instead of Butter or Sour Cream.

If you love to load up a baked potato with gobs of butter or sour cream (like we do at our potato-loving house) this tip is for you. Swap out those fatty condiments for protein rich Greek yogurt instead. You'll get all the creaminess with less guilt & some nutrition to boot.

Want to take your baked potato to the next level? It's easy & tasty. Use this simple recipe to add some fresh & creamy flavor to your next baked potato.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #59 Don’t Throw Away Sprouted Garlic, Remove the Green Part Instead.

Have you ever found little green sprouts coming out of your garlic? I have & I've made the mistake of tossing it thinking it was bad. Turns out - it's not bad! Keep that garlic. Simply remove any green parts & then use it as you normally would. The green part is evidently super bitter.  Or if you have a green thumb, I think you can plant the garlic in the ground once it's sprouted.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

PS: happy birthday to my sweet friend Hely! 

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps + Sesame Peanut Ginger Dressing

TACOS. There I said it again. I wanted to make tacos again this week (shocker) but I opted for a lighter twist. I swapped out my go-to corn tortillas for big pieces of butter lettuce. In actuality I made lettuce wraps (like I did here) but I used shrimp. They were just as easy to make & fun to eat as regular tacos except I felt a little bit better about the extra helpings.  I loaded mine with veggies & some sesame peanut ginger dressing. Click through to get the recipe for the tasty shrimp I made for these, plus the dressing! Yep you get two recipes today. You can use them together like I did or just make one or the other (ex: make the dressing to serve with salad all week long or make the shrimp & toss with some quinoa).

3 Bean Escarole Soup with Garlic Oil & Homemade Croutons

Growing up my mom would make what my grandfather & father would call ’scroll & beans. For those not familiar with this language ‘scarole means escarole. If you’ve never had escarole I encourage you to try. It’s actually a lettuce but it tastes really good, almost sweet, when it’s cooked. I’ve always had it in chicken broth with canellini beans, grated cheese & crusty bread so when I found this recipe I channeled my youth & conjured up my take on this classic (to me) combination. I used three different kinds of beans because I didn’t have three cans of cannellini beans, so if you want to stick to one kind - go for it! You can skip the croutons & extra cheese if you like - but why would you want to do that? This is a quick & satisfying dinner especially while this weather continues to flirt with spring (it was 37 degrees yesterday & I think that’s pretty close to spring - today not so much.)

PS: For those observing Lent this will be a great meatless dish for your Friday dinner. Enjoy!

PPS: if you're gluten-free - skip my beloved croutons!

Spicy Beef & Acorn Squash Winter Stew

I’m not a huget meat eater but I’ll have the occasional burger or meatball if the mood strikes me. If you’ve been following my blog (thank you!) you’ll probably notice that most of the recipes involve veggies, chicken & fish with very little meat in between. Which means that that’s what my husband eats too. Last night I opted to throw Chris a bone & make a beef stew. Given his positive reaction I may have to make this & meat more often.

Guacamole & Salmon Sandwiches

We have salmon usually about once a week (if we’ve made it to the super market the weekend before the week gets going). I usually make salmon with a side of veggies & either potatoes or rice or some other starch.  This week I decided to take the salmon to some bread & make these salmon guacamole sandwiches for dinner.  We’ll definitely have these again maybe in a different variation - but salmon on bread is a winning combo for me (& Chris!).

Zucchini Butter

Zucchini is a veggie (or is it a fruit?) that I always have in my shopping basket & during the summer I grab as much zucchini as I can. It’s a great grilling veggie but it’s also great when you slow cook it into this yummy zucchini butter. While it’s ‘slow-cooked’ it’s also really easy to make. You can cook it ahead & store it in a jar & then toss it with pasta, farro or smear some on toasted bread.   I tossed ours with some linguini, a little bit of pasta water & topped it with some grated cheese. It was tasty!

Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

I went to college in South Carolina. In the four years I lived there I really don’t remember ever eating grits. I’ve been back to visit a number of times but I never choose grits off the menu. Why? I really don’t know. Maybe I like everything that much more & I’m afraid of change. I did have grits at the fabulous wedding we attended in Charleston back in April but other than that time I can’t remember the last time before that was. Nevertheless, I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine & I felt like I had to try to make it.

First up was finding “grits” in my local Hoboken, NJ grocery store. Given that it’s a Southern staple I didn’t think I’d have much luck finding it here. My assumption was true. There wasn’t one package (that I could find) that was labeled “grits” so I found the next best thing (which in my opinion is the same thing) - coarse ground cornmeal. I’ve used it to make polenta before so I took a gamble thinking it would work for grits.

You might be thinking: what’s the difference between grits & polenta? So did I. I really have no idea. Seems to me it’s a matter of semantics, read more about the theory on that here.

Chris doesn’t remember being a huge fan of grits either but I have a feeling we’ll be having this for dinner again very soon - it’s that good. I now love grits or at least these grits!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #33 The Smaller Garlic is Cut the More Flavor it will Offer.

I'm talking about garlic again today - surprise, surprise. Truth is if you love garlic as much as I do I want to help you make the most of what you've got. The strength of the taste of garlic is directly correlated to how finely it is chopped, cut or grated. Think of the wise guys cutting the garlic in Goodfellas with a razor blade. It's no coincidence that they cut it paper thin. If you're still working on your knife skills here are a few ways to fake it till you make it:

1. Grate it. Use a microplane grater & grate a clove of garlic until you can't hold it with your fingers any more.
2. Process it. Toss a clove or two of garlic into your food processor. Let it do it's thing for about 30 seconds & you'll have super finely chopped garlic.
3. Cut it & mash it. Do your best to cut garlic with a knife. Sprinkle it with salt & then mash it with a mortar & pestle. This will give you tons of flavor like it did for me here.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.  

Better Home Cooking Basics: #32 Do Not Store Garlic in the Fridge, it Can Cause it to Lose Flavor.

Do not store garlic in the fridge. The refrigeration can cause it to lose flavor (who wants that!?!). Opt to store your garlic in a dark, dry place like your pantry.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here. 

Garlicky Pretzel Pizza Rolls

On a day when it’s semi-cooler I suggest you make these. Perhaps a great snack for watching the World Cup. I made these for Easter - yes I know that was a while ago but they are timeless snack worthy of a post even if it comes in mid-June.

I started off with visions for replicating this recipe. Things didn’t work out as planned. I tried to make the dough suggested in the recipe that is supposed to be like Auntie Anne’s pretzels (I LOVE AUNTIE ANNE’S PRETZELS). Alas, the milk I used was too hot & I’m pretty sure that I killed the dry active yeast because although it was Easter, it did not rise again. Being that I was making these rather last minute I had to use what I had - so I used pizza dough i had in the fridge.  I used the same method as making pretzels (remember these yummies?) so I think they were pretty close to the initial recipe. The result was tasty & I don’t think anyone (but me) missed the Auntie Anne’s pretzel dough. The next time I make these I will try that recipe again (I WILL!!!). 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend :)

Simple Vinaigrette

It’s unofficially summer - it’s just getting hotter & I love it! Every time the temps rise I want to eat cooling simple meals - mainly salads.  I rarely buy salad dressing at the super market with the exception of blue cheese dressing to compliment Chris’s love for anything buffalo sauced & that little packet of raspberry vinaigrette that comes in that delicious spinach salad mix from Trader Joe’s.  Other than those two exceptions I usually throw lemon juice or vinegar & some olive oil on my salads & call it a day.  Sometimes I like to make my own (like here & here).  This simple vinaigrette is great because it’s made from stuff you most likely shop for on a weekly basis & even if you don’t you can find them at the most basic grocery stores - no specialty stores necessary.  It’s a great dressing that turns plain mixed greens into a salad with no other toppings. We ate mixed greens tossed with this dressing with some pizza for dinner. The salad was so good I made two giant serving bowls of it & not a leaf was left!

If you’ve never made your own dressing, give it a try. It really is easy & usually tastes better than anything on the shelf. Oh & with this recipe you’ll be able to identify all the ingredients.

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!

Polenta Squares with Sun-Dried Tomato & Walnut Tapenade

This past weekend my sister-in-law, her hubs & my sweet little niece came over for a visit. I channeled my inner mother, went out on a limb & tried a new recipe that I had never tried to serve our guests.  I tried this recipe for polenta squares with sun-dried tomato & walnut tapenade.

I think it came out pretty tasty, although now looking back at my photos & the photo they show on food52.com, my polenta squares look a little thin (note to self: next time I’ll make them a bit thicker). I have to admit I was a bit spastic at making my squares or rectangles as I now see that’s really what shape they were. I’ll note where I spazed out in the directions in hopes you'll learn from my mistakes.

PS: happy birthday to my cool-little-dude nephew, Chris! I love you!

Cheesey Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you follow me on instagram you may have already seen the giant pile of mashed potatoes I made for Thanksgiving. We always have several kinds of potatoes, but my cousin Marco insists it's not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes - so it we had mashed potatoes & it was officially Thanksgiving.  This year I added two of my favorite things to our potatoes - cheese & garlic - & mashed them with a supped up version of the potato masher that my cousin-in-law, Mariah, said would've made Grandma O'Hara proud.

Keep reading for my recipe. How do you make your mashed potatoes? Do you use a food processor or go for the full arm work out with a traditional masher?

PS: remember if you have a ton of leftover mashed potatoes you can reinvent them with this recipe!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #5 Use Fresh (Not Jarred) Garlic

Have you ever seen garlic in a jar? I honestly didn't until post-college. I saw it popping up in my super market & in the fridges of people I knew. So I jumped on the band wagon & tried it. For the longest time jarred garlic is what I used to cook with until it wasn't. One day I didn't have jarred garlic so I resorted to the good old fashioned head of garlic I had sitting on the counter. Albeit it wasn't pre-diced & it took a minute or two to peel & chop but the taste was like nothing jarred garlic could deliver.  Sure the jarred stuff smells delicious & the aromatics will fill the room but the taste just isn't there for me. As a garlic lover the taste needs to be there.  Do we have a jar of garlic in our fridge - sure we do. Do we use it? Nope.

The moral of this tip is fresh is best - if you can & it's available leave the jarred stuff on the shelf & grab a the head of garlic when you're cooking.

Want more of my better home cooking basics? You can check them out here.

Bonefish Grill's Chimichurri Sauce

Do you ever sit in aw of the world that is Google? I was looking to see if I could find a recipe like Bonefish Grill's Chimichurri Sauce. So I Googled it. I not only found a recipe - I found Bonefish Grill's official chimichurri recipe on the Bonefish Grill blog. I quickly found myself wishing for other things because that one was way too easy.

If there was one sauce/dressing that works on everything from  grilled warm fish to cold crisp salads - this is the one.  After making this you'll find yourself wishing for something else too. I started the week spooning this delicious sauce over some grilled salmon, next I tossed it with some mixed greens & tomatoes for a quick fresh salad, but I didn't stop there. Check in later this week to see what I served with this garlicky, South American fresh herb sauce.

Ingredients (via Bonefish Grill)

• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. plus Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp. oregano, dry leaves
• 1 tsp. black pepper, ground
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Finely grated lemon zest from 3 lemons
• 4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley
• 1 cup olive oil

Make it!

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse chop until all ingredients are approximately 1/8 inch in size.
2. Add Italian parsley and pulse chop until parsley is 1/8 inch in size.
3. Add the olive oil and blend in quickly. (Do not over blend, you want it to be a little chunky)
4. Allow the sauce to marinate for 30 minutes before serving. Store it in a glass dressing bottle like I did here , refrigerate it & use it all week!

Easy Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Back when I used to waitress on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, NYC my boss and I would order dinner from one of the nearby restaurants.  (I know what you're thinking - you were waitressing why didn't you eat the food there - it's because in the evenings we would only serve coffee and cake otherwise we would not go down the block for a meal). We'd usually eat the same things. One of the dishes we'd order was polenta or as what my boss used to reference as peasant's food that was now a delicacy.  It's pretty simple, tasty and hearty so if it was good enough to fill the bellies of Italian peasants it's good enough for me.  If you like mashed potatoes this is like the Italian cousin of it.  It's creamy, garlicky and cheesy.  Perfect. I actually think it may be easier to make than mashed potatoes!

And to go with the common thread of this week I nabbed this recipe from none other than Ina Garten.

Roasted Garlic, Onion & Blue Cheese Grilled Empanadas

I've talked about my love of the tasty restaurants in my neighborhood before. Cucharamama is one Hoboken's best. It's usually saved for special-occasion-date-nights. They have a huge range of artisanal South American small plates that they cook in a wood burning oven right behind the bar!  On our most recent visit to Cucharamama we had the Empanadas de Cebolla y Queso
or cocktail empanadas filled with onion confit and spanish cabrales blue cheese. They're one of the most perfect bites that are both sweet and savory all at once, not to mention cute! Naturally I had to try my hand at recreating them. Since I don't have a wood burning stove and I really detest turning on my oven during a heat wave I made my empanadas outside on the grill!