Feature Archives - Page 7 of 100

Dinner Planner – Week of October 23, 2023

I am back from my trip to Paris and even though I missed Hubs, it was too quick! I spent a few days with dear friends and then joined a small group hosted by reps from Staub in the US. We went to the Staub factory in Merville, France, which was like being a kid in a candy store. I saw how all Staub enameled cast iron is made from start to finish. As you know, I started buying Staub in my 20’s when I was first married and built my collection slowly over time. I am still using the same pieces in my daily cooking and I still believe Staub is the highest quality, most beautiful and versatile cookware. For anyone interested in all the restaurants and shops I visited in Paris (+ some of the ones I didn’t get to), it will all be in this Monday’s newsletter! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

Dinner Planner – Week of October 16, 2023

My heart is heavy. The past week has been more than difficult to comprehend and I fear there will be less peace instead of more, at least in the near future. I am en route to Paris for a solo trip to visit a few friends and then take a tour of the Staub Factory outside of Paris, which has always been on my bucket list. Feel free to follow along on Instagram if you’re looking for a distraction. Stay safe. Check in on your friends and loved ones who may feel anxious and alone right now. I am very proud of my community and I appreciate and love you.

Baked “Fried” Chicken Recipe

Fast food chicken sandwiches are all the rage but they’re not using good quality chicken and we all know that deep-fried food is terrible for you, especially if made in a restaurant. Restaurants use THE CHEAPEST, WORST oil possible which gets heated over and over again. It’s very inflammatory. We can make a great version at home and you can decide how you want to cook it: bone-in, skin-on in the oven or boneless, skinless in the oven or pan-fried on the stove. You can air fry the chicken, but I have ‘t tested that out. I think what a lot of people like on these chicken sandwiches is the sauce, so I’ve given you a couple suggestions below. You obviously can serve the chicken as is and not on a sandwich! If you are plant-based, I have the most insane vegan chickpea patty recipe coming soon. SO GOOD!

Dinner Planner – Week of October 9, 2023

I am back from visiting my mom and she really recuperated incredibly well after her procedure. I had a lovely time on Long Island (the weather after the epic rainstorm was perfection) and I even got to visit Anna in Jersey City, her new home! I have a lot to catch up on and I am also getting ready for a big trip next Friday to Paris. I’ll be visiting friends for a couple days and then I was lucky enough to be invited by Staub to go to their factory outside of the city. Some people like to go to Paris to shop and see the Eiffel Tower. My dream is to go to the Staub factory!! You’ll have to follow on Instagram to come along with me! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:Continue reading

One Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Recipe

I LOVE a one pot meal! If you haven’t tried any of my one pot barley or farro recipes, you must! I know many people need to avoid gluten grains, so I thought I would make a version with quinoa. Quinoa is a light, fluffy seed that feels like a grain. It’s technically a pseudo-cereal, so many people who can’t tolerate grains, do well with quinoa. You know I’ll add vegetables anywhere I can, and this recipe is so easy and so flexible. Quinoa needs flavor boosters, so I love the olives here, as well as the dried herbs. If you dislike olives, use half the amount of capers. If you dislike capers too, add some feta or another salty cheese before serving. This is a great meal prep recipe and is awesome in school lunch boxes or to bring to the office. If you decide to swap in some stock for some or all of the water, adjust the added salt in case the stock has salt. Remember, be conservative – you can always add more salt later.

Dinner Planner – Week of October 2, 2023

I’m currently on Long Island helping my mom so I’ll have to wing it if I can manage an IG live on Monday night. Just check my stories on Monday and I’ll let you know then! If you’re a monthly cooking class subscriber, we are uploading the new class on October 1st! The theme is Cozy Fall Dinners at Home and the recipes include the following:

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Oven Roasted Salmon with Rice and Coconut-Tomato Sauce, Tamale Pie, Radicchio Salad with Olives and Parmesan, Vegan Chocolate Snacking Cake with Sweet Potato Chocolate Frosting

All the recipes can be made vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and they are all brand-new! If you are not taking my cooking classes, you should be! Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better cook! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:Continue reading

Rice Chopped Salad Recipe

Rice is one of the least expensive grains and it is also highly digestible. I just don’t like to overeat it because it doesn’t have a ton of nutrition and it can cause a blood sugar spike on its own. So ideally, I will bulk up rice with lots of non-starchy vegetables. You can top this rice chopped salad with tuna, turkey or chicken, or cooked beans to make this a complete meal. I even grated hard boiled eggs on top once and it was delicious! It lasts a good 5 days in the fridge too.

cauliflower rice dill dried tart cherries olives pistachios rice scallions zucchini

Dinner Planner – Week of September 25, 2023

I have been churning out the homemade veggie and chicken stocks and freezing them because once football starts, I consider it soup season. I actually make more soup than my dinner planner indicates. I always make soup for Sunday lunch and at least once during the week. A tip I have for you is that many leftovers can be transformed into a soup. Casseroles, leftover cooked proteins and vegetables, baked potatoes and other starches. I chop up anything that might taste good together and put it in a saucepan and add enough stock that it looks like a soup. Reheat and enjoy! Here’s your dinner planner for the week: