I was recently reminded of how much I love scallops but I never seem to make them for some reason.
Read MoreI have been eating this super healthy and delicious salad all summer long. It combines all the flavors I love in the summer: tomatoes, basil, avocado and fresh corn. I made this for my family recently and they went crazy for it, so I thought I would share it here too. When I first served it, I served it over a flank steak but I think it is hearty and tasty enough that is stands up all on its own.
Read MoreI get asked a lot what my are my favorite types of recipes. Do I love to bake, do I love to cook? Well here is the answer I love to bake, that was my first love as a kid, but creating recipes like this is what makes me truly excited. Recipes that are healthy, involve minimal clean up and come together in 30 minutes. I have mentioned this before but I think about my sister a lot when I am developeing these kinds of recipes. Will a mother of 2 be able to do this while wrangling those kiddos and managing a hangry husband? Yes, then it will pass the test!
Read MoreSpringtime asparagus frittata with leeks, peas and goat cheese - Totally delicious and super healthy, perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch.
Read MoreThis Thai chicken satay combines all of the flavors that I love in Southeast cooking (and yes I know there are a lot them ) It also involves my love of coconut milk. I love using coconut milk in so many dishes because it adds a sweet richness to whatever is begin cook - savory and sweet. And don't get me started on this spicy peanut situation. I could drink that sauce it is so freaking good. Peanut butter is mixed with lime juice, soy sauce and all sorts of other yummy flavors. Be prepared to be obsessed.
Read MoreMy husband's job takes him all over LA. Literally all over LA. Half of the time he works out of an office and the other half out of warehouses in areas of LA that I have never heard of. I made the mistake of asking him what he was eating for lunch when he is working at the warehouses and the results were dismal. Basically he was just going to the corner taco truck everyday because there were no other options that were close. He said the food wasn't very good and this, coming from the guy who could eat cereal for every meal, means it is bad.
Read MoreA friend of mine recently asked me to bring over an appetizer to a dinner party she was throwing. After giving it some thought I decided to try and go healthy. Often times appetizers are heavy and not necessarily healthy - or at least the ones I am used to serve. I love a cheese board but who doesn't totally pig out on a cheese board to the point where they are no longer hungry? (Am I the only one?) I decided to go with a crudite platter (because crudite is the next cheese board? Maybe I have been living in LA too long) along with the most delicious dip out there, romesco.
Read MoreI was cleaning out my fridge recently, something that I need to do more of, and discovered a bottle of buffalo wing sauce. I bought this bottle for a recipe development project a couple weeks ago and since I was in search of a relatively healthy dinner, I decided to make some buffalo chicken in my Instant Pot. I served it with a vinegar based cole slaw and a pretzel hamburger bun and it hit the spot.
Read MoreAny easy way to eat more fruits and vegetables is to use a salad dressing as a dipping sauce. In these fresh spring rolls, I loaded them with lots of fruits and veggies like radish, yellow bell peppers, mango, and spiralized zucchini. I also think people are more likely to eat more veggies when they don’t look like a boring salad.
Read MoreWho can resist any dish with the word nacho in it, right? I swapped out the corn tortilla chips for sweet potato wedges and topped the sweet potatoes with avocado, radish, sprouts and black beans. I also threw on some some fried eggs, because a perfectly runny egg yolk will convince even the pickiest of eaters that this dish is worth eating
Read MoreI think in a past life I lived some exotic gorgeous Mediterranean or middle eastern country. I know that sounds crazy, but I am totally drawn to that type of food - food that is loaded with olive oil, chickpeas, yogurt, pomegranate, spices, lemons, dates, tahini - the list could go on. Flavorful and simple food. When I see something with any of these flavors on a menu I automatically order them. I recently had this amazingly delicious chicken dish at a California/Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco and I had an epiphany, the secret to juicy chicken is yogurt.
Read MoreI have been trying hard to eat healthy this week. I feel like this week is the buffer between Thanksgiving and when all the holiday parties come at you in full force. This asian salmon with cabbage slaw is on heavy rotation these days, which is good because it is super tasty and really delicious.
Read MoreI am trying to eat a little healthier for the next couple of days given last week's Thanksgiving feast and the upcoming holidays. This shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles is on heavy rotation.
Read MoreThere is a jar of this chimichurri sauce in my fridge at all times. It add tons of flavor to steak, chicken, seafood and even bigs bowls of veggies and rice. I know that adding mint into a chimichurri is a little unconventional but if mint is not your thing, just replace it with more parsley. Also my secret ingredient is a little bit of honey -that sweetness balances the acidity and makes it perfect.
Read MoreI met a pet pig named Oliver recently, (that sounds like the start of a joke, right?) Well no joke, I met a real life pet pig - evidence here and here. We hung out for a bit and snuggled and I realized that I need to lay off the pork for a while. Because he pretty much was the cutest thing ever. And that is what I am doing for a little while at least.
Read More
Happy Monday! I thought I would start a new series on here - a quick and easy recipe series. Recipes that are 30 minutes or less with as few ingredients as possible. So lets kick this off with a miso ginger salmon. It is the perfect weeknight meal.
Read MoreCan I tell you something? Something that is pretty shocking especially in my line of work- I hate (well hate is a strong word) but deeply dislike holiday food. I know right!? How can that be? There are a couple of reasons. First, when you work in a test kitchen and have to develop recipes for Thanksgiving in the middle of July, the allure of holiday food kind of loses its appeal. Turkey and stuffing in July is just kind of weird. It also doesn't help that I never really know what time of year it is because I work about 6 months ahead when developing recipes - Christmas in August, Valentine's Day in October - it is kind of confusing when the real holiday finally comes around. Plus most of the time that holiday food just doesn't taste good. There I said it. Bam! But you know what always tastes good - tacos. If I could have a taco for every meal, I would and I would be completely happy.
Read More