Image sourced from kcrw.com
Pesto is much-loved around here — I’ve cooked with it in pasta dishes, as a pizza sauce, and even as an addition to hummus or other dips. And while I’ve enjoyed playing with the basil – Parmesan – pine nut formula by swapping in spinach, kale, cashews, almonds and more, until recently, I had never ventured too far outside of that routine. That is, until I tried Rachael Ray’s Roasted Red Pepper Pesto.
That is, until my DC girlfriends and I created a Cookbook Club.
Summertime pasta? Yes, please!
In the summer months, I’m always looking for easy, fresh recipes that don’t require any of the following:
[Come to think of it I’m looking for recipes like that all the time.]
Hey, remember that time you wanted to cook a meatless entree, but weren’t sure what to serve? You poked around your pantry and fridge; found some veggies, some cheese, and not much else. What’s a hungry girl or guy to do?
Why, whip up an oven-baked veggie torte, of course.
[Totally irrelevant side note: Found Maria Carey’s entire 1995 “Daydream” album on Youtube this morning. Good Lord, do I love the Interwebs sometimes. I’ll be jamming to “Fantasy” and “One Sweet Day” for the next month or so, just so y’all know. 🙂 ]
For my friends of the Christian and Catholic varieties (or simply for those wondering why a few folks are walking around with dark spots on their foreheads?), today’s observance of Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. While yesterday’s Mardi Gras was an opportunity to binge and go more than a little calorie-crazy (hello, paczkis that I ate en mass. NOM NOM NOM), Lent ushers in a time of penance, prayer and sacrifice. Even if you’re not particularly religious, a re-start on New Years Resolutions probably won’t hurt!
In my recent Googlings (Hey, if “Google” is a verb, then I’m making “Googlings” a noun. #englishteacher #stillfollowinggrammarrules?), I noticed a few recipes for unconventional breadings for baked or sauteed chicken breasts. Like these gems:
Once a week at least, I like to cook a vegetarian meal. This veg-erriffic food-fest is for a few reasons:
Know what’s surprisingly easy to whip up in your own kitchen, without spending hours slaving away? A one-woman Panera.
Allow me to explain: With just one simple, adaptable recipe (and a few pieces of helpful equipment), your apartment, house, efficiency, whatever, can smell like a European bakery filled with fresh, warm focaccia. Whether cut into wedges and served with soup, grilled with toppings as a flatbread pizza, or sliced and toasted to create the perfect panini, this bread is shockingly easy to make and even easier to eat. Continue reading
Yes, this dish is good. SO good.
And yes, you can make it easily. So easily, in fact, that as you’re gorging yourself on pumpkiny, cheesy goodness, you’ll be shocked that you made it yourself.
You’ll also be surprised to know that this dish is healthier than you’d think. First, the pumpkin puree is a nutritious, vitamin-rich way to sneak some veggies into your meal. Second, the shredded kale — whether frozen or fresh — is a nutrient powerhouse. Third, IF you consume a moderate portion and balance it with a side salad or other veggies, you can indulge a bit with higher-fat cheese due to a surprisingly low-fat béchamel sauce base.
galley kitchen gal 