This pasta dish is the epitome of Summer! Fresh lemon brightens up creamy ricotta to make the perfect pasta sauce! Toss in peas for some green - OR - chopped zucchini or spinach - whatever you like! Best of all? It all comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil so you're not standing over the stove!
Read MoreIn my family, we like both! Sangria (like meatballs and sauce/gravy) is a very personal thing. Everyone has their way of doing it. But if you've never tried it before, here's how my family makes it! And to be honest...these recipes are just the basics. We will literally use whatever booze is in the house, whatever we're in the mood for, and usually whoever is making the sangria is drunk by the time it's ready cause they've been tasting as they go! But we always enjoy the results!
Read MoreThis light and fresh Summer salad is quick and easy to make and can be tailored to any diet! Orzo, which are small pasta, cook up in just 4-5 minutes. Tossed with fresh Summer vegetables, extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and you have lunch on the table! Top you salad with grilled shrimp or chicken (thanks to the folks at Traeger Grills for helping us out!), or swap in feta cheese for a vegetarian version. Vegan? Toss on some grilled tofu instead, or just add in beans like ceci. Gluten free? Swap the orzo for rice or quinoa! You get the idea.
Read MoreThis quick and easy parsley based sauce is the perfect Summer condiment! Enjoy it with chicken, steak, fish or veggies! I make mine with shallot, red wine vinegar, LOTS of parsley, some fresh chives (cause they grow in the garden!) and some capers - but feel free to switch things up and swap them out to suit your tastes! Try adding in mint for a lamb dish, or some tarragon with fish - whatever is fresh and easy will work here!
Read MoreThis classic Sicilian dessert (now found all across Italy!) makes the perfect sweet treat to celebrate the good ol'U.S. of A! Granita is special because it's not flavored frozen water, but rather frozen puree of whatever you're looking for! Then it's mixed every 30-45 minutes during the freezing process, giving it its unique texture! In this video I'll show you how to make an easy mint simple syrup to flavor your granita with! Then we'll mix it with watermelon puree to make a beautiful, refreshing dessert - PERFECT for 4th of July weekend - or any time you want a light (healthy!) dessert for a hot Summer's day!
Read MoreWe're celebrating dads with one of MY father's favorite dinners! Pork chops with onions and peppers! This is a delicious one-pan dinner! Pork chops smothered with onions and peppers and finished in the oven! Drizzled with balsamic vinegar these chops have amazing flavor! Serve them with crusty bread, crispy potatoes (OR, toss the potatoes in the pot with the chops!) and a big fresh salad and I think YOUR dad will be as happy as mine is when he sees this come out of the oven!
Read MoreWatch how quick and easy it is to make a healthy spinach pesto from scratch! Pestos are a great way to dress pasta, chicken, shrimp, anything really! And the best part is they're ready in minutes; the food processor handles it all for you! I make my spinach pesto with fresh baby spinach, toasted walnuts, garlic and some parmesan cheese! Rounded out with a quality olive oil and you've got a quick and easy sauce that's both healthy and delicious!
Read MoreThis has been a HUGE request, both on the channel and in cooking classes! So I finally got around to playing with some gluten-free flour and found that a good old fashioned egg pasta dough works best! Along with the VERY rustic, truly hand-cut pasta form! Rolling the dough through my hand-crank machine was a struggle but simply rolling it out on the board and cutting the pasta by hand worked out great! It tastes REALLY good - no difference between this gluten-free version and regular fresh pasta! No change in cooking time either!
Read MoreIt's true - there's nothing exceptional about chicken salad...other than, in this case, the memory it brings back for me! My great-grandmother's house in Fort Lee NJ, as a kid, playing on the knee wall in the back of her house, waiting for her and my mother to tell us lunch was ready! And later, after she passed, my mother realizing yet another of her culinary secrets! We could never figure out how she got her chicken salad to have such a great texture...until Mom discovered the meat grinder in her kitchen! She quickly ran through some red onion, celery and poached chicken and discovered that was the trick all along! Mom still has the meat grinder but lucky for the rest of us the food processor works the same way here!
Read MorePossibly my new favorite quarantine activity is reading books ABOUT food, and then recreating dishes I've read about! While reading Andrew Cotto's "Cucina Tipica" I was left salivating by his scene around braised ceci beans. I had never heard of them! But it sounded delicious, and incredibly simple (as cucina tipica usually is!). So I did my best to recreate the dish for dinner that night - and it was SO good! I knew immediately I had to share it with all of you! Rich extra virgin olive oil bathes ceci beans and fresh herbs for a comforting dish that checks ALL the boxes! It's warming, and soothing, delicious and filling while also being INCREDIBLY healthy and immunity boosting (BONUS given the times!). I've been serving it with my focaccia bread and a big fresh salad.
Read MoreLike so many of us, Mother's Day won't be what it USUALLY is for my family. So I wanted to come up with something fun, and easy, that anyone could tackle at home! I imagined my friends' husbands cooking with their kids; or adult children (like me!) cooking for their mom and dropping it at her door. And as always, I wanted to use fresh, seasonal ingredients. Strawberries were the immediate answer there - and a crostata sounded lovely. A simple recipe, with a few ingredients, that dads, kids, and big kids alike could easily create - without short-changing mom! Just like our current lives, this dessert is perfect in its imperfections. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mama's out there, sharing their love and strength with all of us trying to navigate this crazy world! We love you!
Read MoreI'm trying something a BIT new here - not with the recipe - that's tried and true! But with this video! We shot it using Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic! Chef Risa Boyer is my special "virtual" guest this week! She's sharing her cheddar and chive buttermilk biscuit recipe! Along with ALL her tips, from how to make a quick buttermilk if you don't have any, to how to get the flakiest biscuits! PLUS what you can do right now to help support HER small business, Vanillamore!
Read MoreWatch how to make this delicious Spring frittata! Using fresh, seasonal ingredients, you can make a simple meal that works anytime of day! Dandelion greens are a great Spring green that are available in stores - or even your own backyard! Yes, THAT dandelion green! Add in some earthy mushrooms and of course, plenty of parmesan cheese! This egg dish can serve for breakfast and brunch - clear through to dinner in a pinch! Plus it makes great leftovers! Serve with a fresh salad, crusty bread, or cooked grains on the side!
Read MoreDark, leafy greens are the #1 thing Americans are missing in their diet! And I get it, not everyone likes their naturally bitter flavor. But this preparation helps soften and sweeten them, making a perfect side dish for rich, roasted meats (Hello Easter!). Sautéed garlic in oil helps reduce the bitter flavor and makes the tough leaves easier to chew and digest! Don't get me wrong, you can absolutely eat them raw, but it's not for everyone! Want more ways to layer in flavor? Try adding dried fruits like raisins or craisins, splash a little balsamic vinegar in with them, use a microplane to add in some lemon zest, and of course, a little grated parmesan doesn't hurt either!
Read MoreWhile reading Lidia Bastianich’s memoir “My American Dream” her perfect description of a simple gnocchi dish that she would make with her grandmother as a child in northern Italy in Springtime got my tastebuds going! I HAD to recreate the dish! This is it! Gnocchi with asparagus, garlic, oil and pecorino cheese! WOW! Five simple ingredients create a flavorful dish that is PERFECT for this time of year!
Read MoreWith everyone clamoring over Corona virus - not to mention the time of year in general - I thought I'd bring back Health Coach Hacks and start you off with my 5 Favorite Smoothie Recipes! These easy meals help boost immunity and weight loss! NONE of them have added sugar - all sweetened with fruit by Mother Nature! They all contain healthy, whole foods that will serve your body and allow it to do what it does best - keep you WELL! And as always - feel free to start here and play with the recipes! Try different types of milk (I use almond milk in the video and at home) or even yogurt! Swap in different greens like spinach, kale, or beet greens. Try an apple or pear in place of a banana. And add in different nuts, seeds and nut butters like walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflowers seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds! The options are endless! Enjoy all of these in good health my friends!
Read MoreI love this dish. It always brings back great memories. It's one of those Italian-American classics that we all grew up on and have come to love. At this point, I'd call it comfort food. And since it comes together in 30 minutes with some pantry and fridge staples, it's a weeknight dinner lifesaver! Penne alla vodka was a trendy dish in the late 70's and early 80's. Italy got over it pretty quickly, but it's held its own here in the States! I don't think I've been to a family function, Italian or otherwise, that didn't have a tray of the stuff being served! This is how I make mine.
Read MoreMy friend Chef Mike Carrino joins me in the Cucina this week to answer the question - what do Chefs eat at home? Turns out, it's Thai red curry with duck! At least for this Chef! This dish is actually incredibly easy - chopping the vegetables is the only time consuming part! Chef shows us how to perfectly render the fat from the duck breast. And then easily toss the dish together! LOADED with nutrients and anti-inflammatory elements - this dish will keep you healthy, clear through till Spring!
Read MoreMy family LOVES mussels in white wine sauce! While it's usually a staple appetizer for Friday pizza night; we love making it at home as well! Especially because then we can add all the garlic we want! You'll be amazed at how easy it is to steam mussels in white wine and garlic! Seven simple ingredients creates the perfect meal or appetizer. You could even toss these bad boys over pasta! But my personal favorite? Soaking up that amazing sauce with a good piece of bread! Yum!
Read MoreThis easy pasta dinner is perfect for chilly winter nights. Pasta al forno (in the oven, or baked) can easily be tailored to fit your family! I show you a very simple recipe in this video, using marinara sauce that I already had made. While the dish is classically made with a meat sauce (ragu), there's a LOT of options here. Simply layer up the dish, similar to a lasagna with fresh ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella! Bake in the oven and serve with a salad or roasted vegetables!
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