’Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf‘ - not this time!

Sometimes I use ground turkey, and sometimes just lean beef, depending on what’s on sale at the time. Also, putting cheese inside as it bakes is a nice twist, but I don’t always and this still turns out flavorful and moist, largely in part from our bacon wrapping. The bacon on the bottom of the pan won’t get crispy, so I remove it before serving, though you don’t have to. For me it just flavors and prevents the meat mix from sticking to the pan. Also, there are strips on the top, which do get somewhat browned, so often I leave them when serving.

I like to pair this with our rosemary smashed red potatoes, but this is good on its own with steamed vegetables.

And what does the day after bring us? None other than leftover meatloaf paninis! They are delicious. I toast two thick pieces of fresh sourdough with some parmesan cheese, on a skillet. Then brown-up the sliced meatloaf with bacon in the pan. Then it’s just a matter of layering some of the leftover & warmed smashed potatoes, slice of meatloaf, some Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese, and a little more sauce from the night before…. there we have a serious sandwich folks, and it is glorious…

There are dozens of ways to cook plain old ground beef, but you don’t have to resort to hamburgers and tacos all of the time. The flavors from bacon, wine, cheese & garlic rock this loaf of goodness; I know you’ll enjoy it also.

 If you’re still not convinced, here is a little inspiration from Chazz Reinhold… I just couldn’t help myself: Wedding Crashers-Meatloaf Scene.

I haven’t been around lately, let’s be honest.

It’s not you, it’s me.

No really, I’m not just saying that…

I hope this temporary hiatus has not come in between our unconditional love….of food.

Will you accept my apology?…. Hmmm, the silent treatment, i get it.

Well, what if I make it up to you?

Something delicious? Something delicious, and simple to make, and there will be prosciutto?! I Promise.

See, I knew you’d come around!

I’m glad we could get back together, in the kitchen. It’s just been way too long…

After all of these weeks, sometimes all you need to ignite the recipe-creation flame, are ingredients already within your pantry. In my case it was in my fridge, and I knew it was the right time to get all bundled-up. Well, not in the traditional, let’s-put-on-a-North-Face-and-avoid-winter’s-fury sense; but rather, let’s literally bundle together some fresh ingredients for dinner! Springtime asparagus is a favorite and delicious in peak season. What makes this vegetable even better is that we’re wrapping it in Italian prosciutto; come on now, I promised, and would I lie to you?!

I made these simple, yet striking asparagus bundles for Easter this year, and knew they’d be making a comeback. The other night I was planning to make pasta with cheese & pepper (some people with more impressive accents might venture to call it, Cacio e Pepe), and I couldn’t decide what to serve it with. Then it dawned on me! Asparagus bundles ON the pasta (insert: Ah ha! Lightbulb Epiphany Moment, here). Now we have an easy pasta base to marry with our green vegetable, and the salty texture/flavor from the prosciutto-goodness. This is simple to prepare during the week, and it only requires a few ingredients… I knew this would be a keeper from the very beginning, and I think you may enjoy this too..

I opted for fresh pasta noodles, and felt fettuccine would be an excellent choice. I wish I had the time to make my own pasta for this, but I chose the packaged-fresh noodles from the market. We’ll boil these on the stove, and then use the oven to finish the asparagus bundles.

Shall we eat? Let me get your chair….

 That was quick, not to mention satisfying, and all without messing-up the kitchen much! Now’s the time to embrace spring vegetables before the season’s end. It’s good to be back cooking, and even better to be sharing it with you, cheers!

Basically, we’re making large chocolate eggs out of smaller ones, but it is really easy, tasty, and pretty good looking if I do say so. 3 ingredients is all you’ll need. Well…you’ll need a double boiler for melting the chocolate, and a mold like our egg tray, but that’s really it!

Here’s how the eggs got all glittered-up for Easter:

This only takes 15 minutes or so, but the time for it cooling & hardening the chocolates can take anywhere from 1-2 hours depending how warm your kitchen is. I put a fan on mine to expedite the process:) These little colorful & crunchy chocolate eggs would look very festive wrapped up as a little addition to an Easter basket! You can certainly make a standard chocolate bark in the same way or use candy molds, but since I didn’t have anything egg-shaped, the deviled platter had to step-up.

Everything is better candy coated, and baking chocolate is no exception. Enjoy these bright, 3-ingredient chocolates this week!

I used to love shelling fresh peas when I was little (I have no idea why), but baby green peas are still one of my favorite vegetables!

You can easily find them year-round in the freezer aisle, but fresh really can’t be beat. Instead of steaming them as I usually would, I wanted to make a cold salad with the help of some fresh dill, shallots, lemon zest, pecorino cheese, and bacon (that’s close enough to an Easter ham, right?) I wanted this to be light and fresh, so I opted to stay away from making this salad creamy with lots of mayo and sour cream, though it remains vibrant with lemon & good quality extra virgin olive oil. Okay, we do add a teaspoon of light mayo for the heck of it, but it helps bind the lil’ guys together.

This is very easy to make ahead, and a great compliment to a spring meal. Now we have no excuses but to eat our veggies and like it!

I love buying locally, so these English peas were a great find! I think this little salad is a nice alternative to simply steaming them, and they make for a perfectly pleasant cold salad, not to mention they’re nutrient-dense. Fresh dill is one of the prime spring flavors in my eyes, and it pairs really well with our sweet pods. The shallots I bought were really hot, so I cut back on the amount, though if you have sweet onion, that would be a great alternative in this case. No need to reach for that V-8, the peas have got you covered…

Only a few minutes, a few ingredients, and we have one less dish to worry about for brunch. A Happy Easter & Passover weekend to you, hopefully all in the company of good friends, good greens & good food!

These cookies are very easy and leftovers store well. I often double the batch for gatherings and there never seem to be any left. We give these cookies a lil’ extra something sweet by using honey in addition to our brown sugar. I also use a vanilla paste, which is made by the wonderful fine-baking-ingredient-folks at Rodelle. The paste gives a great texture to work with, and lends a very concentrated yet smooth vanilla flavor perfect for cookies like these. If you haven’t used the paste before or Rodelle’s vanilla products, check them out! Vanilla extract works fine here too, and don’t forget the cinnamon & honey…

These salty-sweet cookies smell as good as they taste, so let’s get some in the oven before I start eating all of the chocolate chips…

I always recommend letting your butter and eggs come to room temperature, and chilling-down the dough before baking. In most cases, I intentionally under bake my cookies slightly, so they’re chewier, but still slightly crisp on edges. Sometimes I get crazy and use the cookies frozen to make ice cream sandwiches…dessert knows no boundaries here!

It’s nice to sweeten your day, and these are easy to whip-up post dinner, and then make batches when you have time throughout the week. Just make sure to get one before they’re all gone… 

Sesames (Sesamum indicum) are loaded with body-benefiting minerals, vitamins & fiber. Hard to believe that 1/4 of a cup gives us the following Daily Values:

• 73% copper,
• 44% manganese,
• 35% calcium,
• 31% magnesium,
• 29% iron,
• 22% phosphorus,
• 18% zinc, and last but not least,
• 17% of our daily value of fiber.

Well, I’ll be darned! They’re also unique, as they possess two special lignans (sesamin & sesaolin) that help protect against oxidative damage and lower cholesterol. Speaking of lowering cholesterol, sesame seeds contain the highest amount of  phytosterols over any other nut/seed, per a study published in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. Plant phytosterols are proven very important for lowering cholesterol levels, so why not add a few of these into your cooking?

Despite their healthy disposition, these baby seeds are nutty and add great texture. Easy to throw on salads and into dressings, but why not incorporate them right into your breadcrumb mix? So this is how we use them to make a favorite family chicken recipe…

These are an easy appetizer, or make them slightly larger as the main protein for your dinner. It’s crucial to time this and serve them right after baking, so avoid leaving them in oven to keep warm, or they’ll become tough and seeds will burn. I have found they’re still delicious & crispy at room temp if you’re serving as an app, and they make for tasty leftovers. There are bountiful choices of dipping sauces, and Lord knows I love ketchup more than the average adult should, but a tangy honey-based sauce really works best with the nutty sesame flavor in my opinion. (Maybe all of those childhood years dipping my Chicken Nuggets in honey really wasn’t all that weird!?) These strips are a convenient way to include more sesame into your diet, and I think they’ll become a repeat recipe in your kitchen also!

Sesame seeds are nutritious & delicious, but thanks to the great & late comedian Mitch Hedburg, they’re also humorous…this is a favorite: Mitch Hedberg Sesame Seeds.

I’ve made beef stew of many varieties, sometimes with plain stock, sometimes red wine, but I always seem to divert back to my version using stout. It’s March, and Saint Patrick’s Day is on the holiday horizon, and who am I to pass up an opportunity to be festive? (Don’t worry, we won’t dye the stew green). Since I’m not a fan of corn beef & cabbage, looks like stew will win-out this year. This recipe is best made on a day when you have some time to let the beef become very tender, and flavors meld together. So, I usually make this on a Sunday, or when I can start it in the afternoon, and though it makes quite a good amount, the leftovers are almost better!

I might go all out since I have Guinness, and make some of our Guinness Brownies from last March! Beef and brownies, not sure that’s the best marketing, but it certainly be a night of stomach pleasing deliciousness.

Beef stew may take some time, and hands-on preparation, but it is worth the efforts on occasion, and tonight is good enough for me!

When the weather warms, it’s nice to eat lighter. Since I just went to my farmer’s market this weekend, I decided to cool-it-down in the kitchen, and make something fresh and bright! I know what you might be thinking, but we won’t be using Easter candy in the making of this meal…we’ll save that for later in the month! However, we will be using local farmer’s market spinach, baby sugar beets, honey tangerine, and if those aren’t fresh enough, we’re topping this off with homemade Green Goddess Dressing. It’s light, full of fresh herbs and it’s green, so it has to be good for us. 

This salad will find its vegetable balance with the additions of creamy goat cheese crumbles, sliced red onion, and some lightly toasted pistachios for crunch. I think the green goddess is a great compliment to the sweetness of the beets and tangerine. Really, the salad gives us an excuse to eat copious amounts of dressing, but the good news is it’s healthy. This colorful creation would be awesome for a luncheon, or just to feed your own face, and here is how you can…

Starting with the leafy layers. we build our bowl with a fresh farmer’s market variety of savoy spinach. I buy this Indian, curly variety when in season from a local grower, Rodney Farms, at my local farmer’s market. It’s heartier than the more common flat leaf spinach & tastes freshly fantastic! I’ve previously praised the health benefits of spinach on the dinnervine, especially in our garlic spinach & tomato pasta, and I still try to eat it several times per week. This salad makes that easy to do, but we’re not stopping the nutrition there, oh no. We’re going to include antioxidant rich beets and honey tangerines, and the dressing? First thing that comes to mind with most dressings is they’re fatty, which equals unhealthy. Ours however, will have a base of Greek yogurt, freshly chopped herbs and avocado. No mayo. No oil, and you won’t miss them one little bit.

I find with spinach there are some leaf logistics to consider: washing fresh-from-the-farm-spinach, especially curly varieties is a must! Though this spinach is organic, it takes some time to clean thoroughly. I like to embrace some temporary OCD on these occasions and triple-wash mine. I rinse spinach bunches with cool water, submerge into a large bowl with cool water for several minutes, swish…rinse and repeat! (that almost sounded like a Pantene commercial) but regardless, you’ve gotta clean the green! I do this to ensure there are no critter stow-aways that may still be hanging around, and I don’t need any pet caterpillars at the moment.

I store my rinsed spinach once air-dried, in gallon zip-lock with a paper towel inside to absorb any residual moisture. If you don’t have fresh market spinach, then the packaged and pre-rinsed baby spinach from the store is great too…and you don’t have to wash it 200 times, which will just leave more time for eating dressing… 

Ring-in-Spring in your kitchen, with a bowl of goddess-inspired goodness!

I’m trying to incorporate more fruit into my diet (well, I wrote it down on my to-do list at least) and I love fresh pears of almost every variety. There is something mildly sweet & clean about them, which makes ripe pears perfect for baking, and in this case, poaching with a flavorful sauce. Though, the real inspiration for this dish came when I sampled a seasonal balsamic vinegar at my local WeOlive. They were featuring a Mulled Spiced Balsamic this winter, which shined with aromatic flavors of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, though was still very subtle. I fell in love with this one immediately, and though it would be great with oil for dipping bread, I knew it would compliment a dessert perfectly! I love to use various balsamics over fruit, like strawberries & blackberries, but I thought that the red pears on my counter deserved a go, and so I found myself reducing a slightly acidic/semi-sweet sauce, and poaching these bad boys ’till perfectly tender. Great on their own, but I felt we needed to make this one extra decadent given the occasion, with rich & creamy mascarpone cheese & cinnamon. It is indulgent, and I’m okay with that…

Perfectly easy to prepare, and this one would also marry-up well over rich vanilla bean ice cream, or Greek yogurt. Though, I virtually never buy mascarpone, and it is a welcome & decadent deviation from my standard yogurt. Mascarpone is essentially an Italian cream cheese, and comes in flavored varieties, but I went with the plain and just added the cinnamon for just a touch of spice. Our poaching sauce is full of vibrant flavors, which will tie the dish all together, so we don’t need much other than that and the pears! I think this is great for a romantic night-in, or for a dinner party dessert. Valentine’s Day may mean long lines, overpriced gifts, and a 2 hour dinner wait, but it is certainly one darn good excuse for making something sweet. 

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day to you, and however you’ll be spending it, I hope there is dessert!

Luckily, I had the components for this already, and used fresh broccoli florets, and crimini mushrooms. Though you could use frozen broccoli and canned button mushrooms if you’ve got them, but I like to grab fresh vegetables whenever I can. Since the dinner menu was decided early, I had time to marinate the chicken breasts in Italian dressing for several hours in the fridge. This gives us a little extra flavor & seasoning. Then it’s only a matter of skillet cooking the chicken, steaming the broccoli and making some rice. Mix all ingredients together, put them in a dish, crumble-on said crackers, bake and…Voilà! You have a very satisfying dish with some good-for-you vegetables & a lean protein, and well…some Cheez-Its…and umm, they fall into the cheese food group I’m assuming. *Warning: Consuming 1/3 box of addicting, baked-cheese snack crackers in the preparation of this dish is not recommended… not that I would know from personal experience or anything…

It’s time to put down the crackers & cook…

Loving the creamy texture of this, and keeping the chopped ingredients chunky makes for a hearty and rustic plate. I made enough for friends and even had some leftovers, but I wasn’t bummed about that in the least! This one is already on the radar again for later in the month. You can easily add more cheese and seasoning to your taste, but definitely don’t skimp on the crunchy cracker topping, it makes for one ridiculously easy and unique crust… I guess wandering down the wrong aisle at the grocery store has its perks, enjoy!

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