One of my resolutions for 2016 is to entertain more at home than I did in 2015. I used to invite friends over 2-3 times/month before I started teaching cooking classes full-time. By the time Friday rolls around, I'm kind of over major food prep. So cooking for friends fell by the wayside. But I ...
Vegetable Paella Recipe
We made it to Barcelona! Neither my husband, the kids , nor I has ever been to Barcelona before, and hubby and I haven’t been to Spain in 17 years! We are very excited to start our European vacation here. So much to see and do in a short amount of time! As you would imagine, I am fairly ...
Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl with Lemon-Tahini Dressing Recipe
We all have those recipes we love but don't make very often (for me it's chicken pot pie and spanakopita.) And then there are the recipes you rely on when you don't want to think about what to make. Those are your go-to, no-fail, everyone-loves-this recipes. I wish I had an endless supply of ...
indian basmati rice with peas recipe
I am 100% Italian and I absolutely love pasta, but I also looooooove rice. Love! I am crazy about all kinds of rice and it shows in my pantry. I have so many varieties of both white and brown rice and I never get tired of it. Overeating pasta doesn't make me feel great and makes it very hard for ...
Cilantro-Lime Rice and an Unexpected Rice and Bean Burrito Bowl
We all love to cook, right? Ok, maybe some us just like to cook. And I know that I'm the biggest cheerleader of planning your meals ahead so that dinnertime is stress free and a walk in the park. Yeah. Well, gotta tell you that this week did not go as planned. One day especially was just a ...
Green Rice Recipe (Arroz Verde)
I traditionally teach a Mexican-inspired menu during the month of April so that my students have some fun recipes to cook for their family and friends on Cinco de Mayo. I am obsessed with Mexican food, so I really look forward to this time of year. Of course, April has come to an end and sadly, ...
Spinach Risotto Healthy Recipe
I had a bad day recently and what I really wanted to do was inhale a pan of brownies, but I had just published a post about how I beat a sugar addiction and I didn't want to be a healthy hypocrite. Instead I set out to make a pot of spinach risotto, my culinary equivalent to a big hug. If you're ...
basmati rice with roasted cauliflower
We are well into fall and I couldn't be more excited. At the farmer's market the other day I was happy to see the return of some familiar faces -- winter squash, apples, pomegranates, persimmons and the entire Cruciferous family of vegetables. Have we talked about this group and why you should be ...
vegetable fried rice recipe
When parents struggle with "what to make for dinner," one tip I like to offer is to find a dish that everyone likes to eat when you go out, and try to make it at home. Fried rice, however, is a food that I thought I could never make at home. I don't know why it seemed to be out of my cooking ...
harira recipe
Harira is a Moroccan stew that is traditionally served during Ramadan to break the daily fast. In my house it is a nourishing one-pot meal that is perfect for a chilly winter evening. I have seen many versions of recipes for Harira. Typical ingredients include lentils, chickpeas, rice or ...
healthy brown rice pudding recipe
Brown rice is a staple in my home. A simple bowl of steamed brown rice, whether it is short-grain, long-grain, basmati or jasmine is utterly satisfying to me. I love the nuttiness and wholesomeness of brown over white. Keeping the rice whole, with the bran and germ layers intact, gives you loads ...