Homemade Ricotta

Today we're going to make ricotta. Yep, it's a weekend and you got nothin' else to do, am I right? Set aside a few hours and soon you'll have fresh homemade ricotta. A big plus: it's eaaaasy!

Back to Basics 29 - Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

These pancakes have become my new favorite. They are fluffy, sweet and filling. They're also a great blank canvas so you can add anything inside or on top of them.

Back to Basics 28 - Herbed Veggies

This is a great vegetable side to make when you're in a hurry or too lazy to cook. All you need to have on hand is some frozen vegetables and herbs, ANY herbs!

Hamburger Bun

I know a few people who have been waiting for this recipe. I recently made these and brought them to a cookout and they were a hit! The buns are soft, egg-y, a little sweet and DELICIOUS! This is also one of the easiest dough recipes I've ever made. Honestly, try them out!

BBQ Sauce

I got this great BBQ sauce recipe from Skinny Taste, it's an awesome blog! This sauce is thick, sweet and a little spicy. Perfect for pulled pork. Then, while you're at it why not make some coleslaw too? You can also put it on pizza dough and make BBQ chicken pizza. I just want you to eat really really well ok? That's what friends do. This sauce is really easy to make, let me show you.

Back to Basics 27 - Coleslaw

I'm kind of picky about coleslaw. I don't like coleslaw that's swimming in mayo and the veggies are limp and lifeless, I also don't like coleslaw that barely has anything and it just tastes like cabbage salad. The worst though, is watery coleslaw. UGH. This recipe is perfect. The cabbage is crispy, there is enough mayo to coat all the veggies and it's also gorgeous! This goes great alongside some pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Making mayo at home is not as crazy as it sounds. I feel like that's a pattern on this blog. Many things sound super complicated but when you actually found out how to make them, they're super easy. I decided to make my own because of the same reason I make everything else, I wanted real food. It's also really cool to see how it's made and it's a lot fresher. The taste of fresh mayo does not even compare to store-bought. This recipe is from Alton Brown, who is a culinary genius! If you cross Mythbusters with Food network, you get Alton. You don't need any unusual equipment to make mayo, all you need is a whisk and a bowl.

The only thing I will say about the homemade mayonnaise is, there is no way to make this "low-fat". Once you see what ingredients go in mayo, you will question just how they can sell it in a store and call it low- fat or even fat-free. There's gotta be some crazy science behind making mayo only 10 calories per tablespoon. So, I would suggest using the real thing, but just use less of it.

Back to Basics 26 - Spicy Broccoli

I'm always looking for sides recipes. I can make grilled chicken breast and I know right away what grains I want to make with it (Quinoa with pine nuts, brown rice, farro with pistachios). Same goes for steak, fish or meatloaf. But I'm at a loss for the veggie side. Well, this recipe has saved many dinners! It's quick, nutritious, delicious and easy. I always have everything in my pantry, including the broccoli which I keep in my freezer. You don't even need to defrost it, just pull out the amount you need and add it to the skillet. Just omit the chicken stock or add a tiny bit.

Back to Basics 25 - Meatloaf

This is my go-to recipe for meatloaf. It makes A LOT of meatloaf, it's tasty and it has so much nutrition! The bulgur and mushrooms allow you to decrease the amount of fatty ground beef, while not taking away any of the flavor. In fact, it adds to it! This recipe does have a few steps so let's get right to it!

Back to Basics 24 - How to Cook Chickpeas

"Why would you cook chickpeas when you can buy canned?"-you ask
Well, #1 it's fresher. Who knows how long those chickpeas have been in that can? Plus the can might contain BPA which we don't like.
#2 it's cheaper! You can buy organic chickpeas, or any bean for that matter, and it will be cheaper than the organic canned beans or maybe even the conventional ones!
#3 you get to choose the consistency you want for your beans. You can cook them for longer, or add different spices and herbs to flavor them.

Plus it's really not that hard! You barely do any work. I'll show you.

Yellow Mustard

Today's recipe is a good one. It takes you about 10 minutes to do and everybody will think you're a chef when they learn you made this. The humble yellow mustard!

Greek Pasta

This pasta recipe is pretty interesting. Instead of using the typical tomato to make a sauce, we use jarred roasted red peppers; instead of Parmesan, we use feta. It's an especially perfect recipe for Meatless Mondays because it's so quick! First of all, you don't miss the meat. Second: Mondays are hard! Nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen after coming home from work and you can work on cooking the pasta while the sauce is being made. You also proooobably have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. That being said, if you do want to add some meat, chicken, tuna or shrimp would be a great addition.

Miso Soup

I came across this delightful recipe when I was searching for miso soup with a bit more substance. I had a cold and wanted to get better VERY soon and this did the trick. It has garlic and ginger which are great for you when you have a cold (and also great for your taste buds). We add mushrooms and bok choy which give you lots of vitamins. Lastly, it has some very flavorful and not-at-all-dry chicken thighs. So, let's get this going!!

Back to Basics 23 - How to Pick the Perfect Canned Tuna

Canned tuna can be very easy and quick to use. You can mix it into salads, pasta dishes or sandwiches. But there can be a danger in buying canned tuna: BPA lining in the cans, mercury and it can also not be so great for the environment. So here are a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for canned tuna.

1. Look for cans that say "Pole and Line Caught" or "Troll Caught". This means that the fishermen will catch each fish individually. If you can't find that, try looking for the blue MSC label, it means the product you're buying is certified sustainable and it's given by the Marine Stewardship Council.
2. BPA (Bisphenol-A) is a chemical used in the lining of most cans. The reason we don't want BPA in the cans is because it has been linked to the development of precancerous lesions and abnormal development of reproductive systems in animals. It's especially important when the product inside the cans is acidic, like tomatoes. But it's also important when shopping for tuna. You can find tuna in pouches that don't have BPA but it's difficult to find pouched tuna that is environmentally safe.
3. I also look for tuna that will have less mercury in it. The tuna that has less mercury is one labeled "light" and comes from skipjack.
4. The last thing I look for is the word unsalted or no salt added. I always look for unsalted everything when it comes to canned food. Beans, tomato products, seafood, vegetables, etc. You can control the amount of salt that goes into your food so it won't raise your blood pressure and it's also better for the overall flavor of the dish. Nobody likes oversalted food.

I do have to say that tuna with these labels will not be the cheapest. In my supermarket they are usually about $1 more than the well-known brands. But it's ONLY $1 more. To me, it's worth it.

I found this tuna at Whole Foods this past weekend and it's the most perfectly labeled can. It says pole and line caught, has the MSC label, is BPA-free, it's light skipjack tuna, and it is also unsalted.

Back to Basics 22 - Stuffed Shells

So here's a cool thing I did recently... I MADE CHEESE!

Guys, I'm a cheesemaker now. Sort of. I made cream cheese and ricotta which are 2 of the easiest to make but still, I made it happen.
It's a really cool feeling to know that you are able to make something with your hands in your own kitchen. It's so rewarding to watch something as ordinary as milk transform into this thick, creamy and rich deliciousness. I highly recommend it. Especially if you are slathering the thick creamy cream cheese deliciousness on your own hot homemade onion bagels.

It's definitely something to write about in your diary: "Dear diary, I'm a badass. That is all."

Anyway, I made ricotta so I could stuff it into some pasta shells with spinach and homemade tomato sauce. This recipe does not disappoint. Trust me.

Winter Roast Chicken

I love roasting chicken. First, it's simpler to make than you would think but looks pretty impressive to guests. Second you get a ton of leftover chicken so it's great to make it on a Sunday, and use those leftovers for meals for that week. You could even roast 2 at the same time without double the effort. It's also so versatile! You can season the chicken itself with so many different spices and herbs, you can roast it along with different vegetables and make it a seasonal meal. And c'mon... chicken is so good!
I made this chicken following the same recipe I usually follow, all I did to make it a "winter" meal is put some different herbs in the chicken, and the vegetables were mostly root veggies and I even added an apple. So I guess it's a sort of fall/winter thang. Whatever you wanna call it, just know it's delicious. Let me show you how simple it is.

Onion Mushroom Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese will get me every time. It doesn't matter how it's made or what goes into it, I wanna eat it. This mac and cheese recipe happens to be the best I have ever eaten. The pasta is ooey and gooey, the middle layer is sweet and savory, and the top is crusty and golden. I have a very similar recipe on the blog, the only difference is that the middle layer is spinach. I made this as a side dish to go with some grass-fed filet mignon for my Valentine's Day dinner with my boyfriend. It was heavenly.

Back To Basics 21 - Spaghetti & Meatballs

I'm about to make you guys real happy...

Giant meaty, cheesy meatballs. Saucy pasta. That is all.

Back to Basics 20 - Roasted Brussels Sprouts

If you're not sure about Brussels sprouts, this is the recipe you want to try out. Roasting makes almost anything taste better. And adding bacon and garlic will make rocks taste good! Not that I would know from experience. Ew. Anyway....recipe!

Lighter Hummus

I love hummus. SO MUCH. It's good with pretty much anything. It makes vegetables taste better and crackers seem healthier. You can add it to a sandwich or eat it straight up. It's pretty magical.
I have another hummus recipe on the blog that is a sort of basic recipe that you can go to when you want hummus. This is exactly the same but made a little lighter. We use a little bit more olive oil so we get the health benefits from that but less tahini and we skip the liquid from the can, which has a little bit of sodium in it.