Raw sauces (such as pesto) are super simple and bring huge flavor to dishes. A few years ago, I developed a recipe using Romesco sauce and it became one of my absolute favorites. This classic Spanish sauce consists of garlic, roasted red pepper, bread, vinegar and roasted almonds. Note that it doesn’t contain any dairy, … Rigatoni with Romesco Sauce & Garlic Shrimp
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite go-to vegetables. Their sweet flavor and creamy texture make you feel like you’re eating something bad for you, when really sweet potatoes are a very nutritious food. In fact, one medium sweet potato contains over 1200% of your daily vitamin A and 50% of your daily vitamin C … Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Salad
One of my favorite quick-fix meals are BLTs. They always seem to satisfy because of their perfect combination of protein, carbohydrate and fat. I love bacon (in moderation!) and although it’s not the best time of year to find tomatoes, you can always find a perfect avocado and crisp lettuce. I decided to boost the … BFY (Better For You) BLT
I definitely did not grow up eating Thai food, but I’m so happy to have discovered it when I moved to Chicago. The components of Thai cooking, such as lemongrass, curry, coconut and fish sauce, are so versatile! For example, add red curry paste to your breakfast frittata and top with toasted coconut (trust me, … Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
I’ve always been a huge fan of Mediterranean food. It’s good-for-you comfort food that leaves you satisfied without feeling weighed down. Garlic and lemon are prominent ingredients in my version of Chicken Shawarma. The soft pita paired with the creamy tahini and cucumber dressing and warm chicken was the perfect meal after a long day. … Chicken Shawarma with Lemony Tahini Yogurt Sauce
This time of year, you may find yourself wandering around the produce department and noticing that there is a lot of citrus fruit. Shopping for seasonal produce is not only cheaper, but you’re guaranteed a fresher, more flavorful product. For example, I am normally not a huge fan of grapefruit, but the ones I bought … Fish Tacos with Spicy Grapefruit & Avocado Salsa
Today, all I could think about is WARMTH. I stuck close to the space heater in my office for even the slightest bit of comfort. These negative temperatures are rough on an outdoors person like myself. When we head to the Rose Bowl on Wednesday (woo!) I will be soaking up the sun as much … (Veggie Loaded) Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Risotto is one of my favorite side dishes. This one is particularly satisfying because it contains sweet and salty components. I first tried a version of this when I met Giada DeLaurentis at a special event. Ever since then I’ve been wanting to try making it myself and seeing if I could get the flavor … Sweet Corn Risotto with Smoky Bacon
Being home for Christmas brings back all kinds of food memories for me. Whether it was walking into my Grandma Heringhausen’s house and smelling the standing rib roast or walking into my Grandpa Hetzner’s house and smelling the pies baking, each memory is so special. This year my mom decided we should make my great-grandma’s … Grandma Link’s Cinnamon Rolls
This past Friday, Josh and I attended a holiday beer and wine tasting. While there, one of the vendors asked if I liked spicy food which lead to me buying a bottle of ghost chili beer! I first saw ghost chilies on an episode of Man vs. Food and all I could think of is … Jen’s Kickin’ Three-Bean Chili
