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Buttered Noochles

10/15/2020

This pasta is freaking amazing and one of my fave simple dairy-free "cheesy buttery" pasta sauces. It's made from just oat milk creamer, vegan butter, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. If you love cheese and dairy but can't eat either or are trying to cut back - this will be your new bestie.

Two things:

First, if you don't salt the water you cook the pasta in, the finished product may need a little salt. Second, don't get oat milk and oat milk creamer confused. I'm not so sure if regular oat milk would work since the creamer is a little more thick. Here's the oat milk creamer I use. (I buy it online because I can only find their almond oat milk creamer at stores and I'm allergic to almonds.) And honestly, if you're in a pinch you could just add the vegan butter, garlic powder and nooch to the hot pasta in a bowl and eat it that way - no skillet or sauce prep required and suuuuper fast! Been there, done that.

I love pairing it with a fun pasta shape. If I'm using brown rice pasta I use these shells, if I'm using regular pasta, I use this cannolicchi.

What you need:

1/2 lb pasta of choice
2 tbsp vegan butter (I use Earth Balance or Melt Organic)
3/4 cup oat milk creamer (I use Nut Pods)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder

What to do:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for as long as the packaging says.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium heat and add the oat milk creamer to it.
Once the oat milk and butter start to bubble, add in the garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Whisk to combine.
Whisk on and off while it simmers on low heat while it thickens up for around 8-10 minutes and then add the pasta to it. I usually top with a bit of black pepper.

Linguine & Clams

9/28/2020

Technically, you don't have to eat this pasta dish with linguine but the name 'linguine and clams' is so iconic to me that we're just gonna call it that. I personally loveeee clams with mafaldine too which is like a more wider long noodle with curly edges.

I love adding chopped clams to this dish in addition to the fresh clams in the shell. One of my favorite restaurants serves it that way and the texture + extra amount of clams is so gooood. Also, sometimes I add cherry tomatoes at the same time as the garlic cloves and it's so good that way too!

This dish is enough for two entrees, or three small plates and it takes about 30 minutes to whip up.

What you need:

1/2 lb of pasta (enough for 2 entrees or 3 small plates)
3 tbsp of butter (can be vegan)
4-6 minced garlic cloves (the more the better IMO)
1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes depending on how much heat you can tolerate
Around 30 fresh little neck clams (in a pinch you can use two small cans of chopped clams)
1 6oz size can of roughly chopped clams (you can de-shell some of he clams and chop them yourself but I kinda like the canned clams, is that gross? Lol.)
3/4 cup white wine (I use cheap chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp fresh chopped flat leaf parsley (dried parsley works too)

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Turn your fave stove burner (we all have one, lol) to a low heat setting and melt the butter in a large/deep skillet and add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. (Make sure the skillet you decide to use has an option to use a lid!)
While the garlic is simmering in the butter for a few, wash the clams with a scrub brush and cold water to remove any sand or possible bacteria.
Once the garlic is fragrant and translucent, add the clams into the skillet. Pour the wine over the clams, change the heat from low to medium and cover with a lid.
Check back after about 10 minutes to see if the clams have opened up. Once they are all opened - they're done. Discard any that stayed shut.
Remove the clams from the skillet and place them on a nearby plate while you add the chopped clams, pasta, pepper and parsley to the skillet. Mix over medium heat for a few minutes. (It's easier to mix around without the clams and their shells!)
Taste the pasta before adding the clams back in and serving. If you didn't salt the pasta water, you may need to season with salt.
Once you're satisfied with the taste of pasta sauce you can add the clams back in and it's ready to be served! I always top with more parsley and red pepper flakes.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake (Gluten Free/Vegan)

9/27/2020

I stumbled upon this recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen last week and changed it around a bit to fit the way I like to eat. I did use her vegan cream cheese recipe and it was FIREEEE, the best vegan cream cheese frosting I've tried hands down so I didn't change a thing about that part. (Tap here for her vegan cream cheese frosting recipe.)

When it comes to desserts, I'm obsessed with trying to find healthier ways to bake them! So instead of using 1 1/2 cups can sugar, I used 3/4 cup maple syrup. I also love subbing out wheat (flour) in baking recipes for a 1:1 oat flour and all purpose gluten free flour combo so I did that here too.

What you need:

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Pamela's)
1 cup gluten free oat flour (you can grind up whole or quick oats in a food processor to make your own!)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup grape seed or vegetable oil
1/2 cup oat milk
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (this helps the more dense gf flour rise)
1 batch of Jessica in the Kitchen's Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 inch brownie pan with non-stick or line with parchment paper. (I used this pan.) The brownie pan works best because it's not too large and the edges go up higher than a regular baking sheet so it holds the shape better.
Combine the dry ingredients (sifting is best to prevent clumps) in a large bowl.
I used my Kitchen Aid to mix/combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, milk vanilla and apple cider vinegar.
Pour in the dry ingredients in two equal parts until you have a cake batter.
Transfer the cake batter to the brownie pan and spread it out evenly with a frosting spatula or just a regular spatula.
Bake for 25 minutes and check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out dry, you're good if it comes out wet with batter, cook for another 5-10 minutes and check the cake again. (You can cover the top with tinfoil to prevent too much browning or any burning on top.)
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. (I made the frosting while the cake was cooling but you could make it at any of the waiting times while you bake the cake!)
Sprinkle the applied frosting with a little cinnamon, slice into squares and serve. Store in the fridge if you're not eating it right away and bring back to room temp before serving.

Butternut Squash Carbonara

9/23/2020

Loooove me some carbonara. I love making this dish because it can be easily customized. Want it creamier? Add heavy whipping cream. Want to add in some fall flavors? Add some butternut squash or pumpkin puree. Want it to taste like cacio e pepe? Toast some peppercorns and toss em' in. Looking to add some greens? Arugula or spinach both work great mixed in. Want to give it an Asian flare? Miso paste is so amazing in it too! The options are endlessssss.

A few carbonara tips I've learned over the years:

Grating cheese with a microplane (super thin) straight from a block works best. It melts easier and really just tastes way better than like that powdery kraft parmesan you can buy at the store.
DO NOT combine the sauce mixture and the pasta over heat, like in a pot on the stove. Too much heat will make the eggs in the sauce scramble and what you'll get is basically pasta with scrambled eggs in it, lol. The worst.
If you don't have pancetta, bacon will work. Try and get thicker sliced bacon if you can! If I'm working with bacon, I like to cut it into perfect little squares because it looks nicer that way!

What you need:

1/2 box long pasta - I prefer tagliatelle
1/2 cup diced pancetta or bacon or more if you want
2 egg yolks, one whole egg
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup pureed butternut squash (or pumpkin if you want!)

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Start cooking the pancetta (or dice the bacon and start cooking that.) Once it's done transfer to a plate and let it chill until the pasta is done. Up to you whether or not you want to set it on a paper towel in order to transfer less or more of the flavorful grease from it - as long as there's not a ton of it you're good.
Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, cheese, BNS puree and pepper in a large bowl. If you did not salt your pasta water you may need to add a pinch of salt here. There will be salt from the pancetta or bacon so you don't need a lot.
Drain the pasta and while it's still very hot - put it straight into the bowl with the sauce. This is *important* - use tongs to gently but also quickly toss the noodles over and over again in the sauce. The heat and movement spreads out the sauce and helps the raw eggs cook. (If you don't create that movement the eggs could scramble.)
Plate immediately and serve hot. Top each serving with more cheese and pepper.

Healthy Cinnamon Apple Bread

9/19/2020

I baked with applesauce for the first time!! The texture it brings to this cinnamon apple bread is insaneeeee. Don't expect some giant apple flavor to take over your tastebuds, it's pretty subtle but still so sosossoso good. I really love this one because even though one of the main components is apple, there aren't any apple chunks involved in the recipe. I hate apple chunks in any baked good, the texture of this bread is the same as like banana bread/pound cake! Aka, amazingly moist.

If you don't know by now, I have a weird obsession with baking healthy treats. It's usually at the start of a new season when I bake the most. Sooooo, this recipe is actually *vegan* because the applesauce replaces the eggs and I use oat milk instead of cow's milk. It's also gluten free because I used oat flour/gf all purpose flour and then it's nut free too, obviously, no almond flour used in any of my recipes due to my nut allergy! Oh and I used maple syrup instead of sugar so it's naturally sweetened. AHH, SO FUN TO BAKE HEALTHY THINGS THAT STILL TASTE THIS GOOD!

**Everyone's oven works differently and reaches different temperatures at different times so be patient with it and keep checking it throughout the suggested cooking time! It's a little harder for gluten free flour to rise, so if you have options, use a more narrow than wide bread pan.

Also, one more thing. It looks sort of ombre colored and I believe that is because I overdid it with the olive oil I used to brush the sides of the loaf pan. I am always scared that the loaf is gonna stick to the pan so I tend to over do it and that can sometimes lead to the edges of the loaf browning due to the heat and amount of oil seeping into the bread. Just an FYI.

What you need:

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup melted vegan butter - I used soy free Earth Balance
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup oat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup gf all purpose flour (I used Pamela's)
3/4 cup oat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Optional Frosting:

2 tbsp vegan butter (room temp)
3 oz vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a loaf pan by either lining it with parchment paper or greasing the sides with grape seed oil or extra virgin olive oil spray.
Add all of the wet ingredients to a large bowl and mix.
Add all of the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and then mix until combined and a batter is formed.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes. The batter should be pretty thick!
After 30 minutes, check on your loaf, cover it with tinfoil to prevent too much browning at the top and turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Cook an additional 15 minutes and then check the center with a toothpick to see if it's done or not. If it's not done, continue to cook for 5-10 minute increments.
If you're going the frosting route which I highly recommend, make it at any point and keep covered at room temp until the loaf is done baking and cooled.
Let the loaf cool completely before removing it form the loaf pan and adding the frosting or else the frosting will totally melt and slide off of the loaf!

Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

9/19/2020

I am having such a hard time writing this blog post because I'm actually eating this right now as I type and I don't want to stop taking bites but I also need to remember the amount of the ingredients I used before they disappear from my brain so here we goooo!

The pasta is gone so now I can actually think. A few notes:

If you're not vegan and you want to use real cheese, I would recommend melting in half a cup of cheddar once the sauce hits the stove. Have more oat milk creamer ready though in case you need to balance out the thickness.
If you can't find the Nut Pods Oat Milk Creamer at the store - same. I wonder if the almond milk creamer would work too?? If you try please let me know! Anyways, I order the oat milk creamer online, it's on my Amazon Affiliate Page. It's the best vegan "cream" alternative I've found that does not contain nuts so for me it's worth it to order on Amazon.
Serving size is for two and it takes about as long as it takes for the pasta to boil so around 10-12 minutes.

What you need:

2 cups penne pasta (I used Jovial Foods Brown Rice Pasta)
3 tbsp pumkin puree
3 tbsp nutritional yeast aka "nooch"
1 tbsp vegan butter (room temp or melted)
1/2 cup Nut Pods Oat Milk Creamer
1 pinch celtic sea salt
Optional for extra cheesiness: 1/2 cup Voilife Foods Vegan Cheddar Cheese

What to do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the penne pasta.
In a small food processor, combine the pumpkin, nooch, vegan butter, oat milk creamer and sea salt. Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a small sauce pot and let simmer for a minute or two while the pasta finished up cooking. (I feel like the heat helps it thicken a tiny bit.) If you're doing the extra cheesy option - melt in that half cup of vegan cheddar here. If you prefer a thinner cheese sauce have more oat milk creamer handy to balance it out.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve!

Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Tortellini

9/15/2020

Some people get excited about the cooler weather aspect of fall but for me it's all about the food. I'm a huge fan of all things butternut squash and I especially love pairing it with pasta.

All of the ingredients I used were purchased from my local ALDI grocery store! I was super impressed with not only the value but also the variety and selection of groceries that they offer! I also love that in addition to visiting the store or doing curbside pick up, you can shop with ALDI on Instacart too - perfect for those super busy days. One of my favorite products I found and used in this recipe would be the Priano Three Cheese Tortellini because of how quick and easy it was to make - it only takes a minute or two after being tossed into boiling water and then it's ready to go.

This blog post is sponsored by ALDI.

There are a few factors that take this particular butternut squash pasta sauce to a whole new level of cozy. It's obvious that the butternut squash is roasted and pureed but I also roasted a handful of garlic cloves with the squash and coated the entire roasting party in extra virgin olive oil and Stonemill Ground Nutmeg.

This recipe makes enough for two large entrees or 3-4 small sides. Prep time is 10 minutes and cooking time is 45 minutes, so it takes about an hour total to complete!

What you need:

1 medium-sized butternut squash (should result in 2 very full cups of cubed butternut squash)
6-8 peeled garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 teaspoon Stonemill Ground Nutmeg (optional: more for garnishing)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white wine - I used Winking Owl Pinot Grigio from ALDI (can sub in broth of choice if you can't consume wine)
1 package of Priano Three Cheese Tortellini
Optional garnishes: parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper so that it's ready to go by the time you're ready to roast.
Peel, de-seed and dice up a medium sized butternut squash. The cubes should be around 1" in size.
Put the cubes and garlic cloves into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in the Stonemill Ground Nutmeg, salt and pepper. Next pour the olive oil over top and mix until everything is coated and distributed.
Transfer the veggies to the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. (I like to flip them half way through so that the bottom doesn't brown too much.)
You should be able to easily cut through the butternut squash cubes when the timer goes off. If not, roast for an additional 10 minutes and check them again.
Next, transfer the roasted butternut squash and garlic to a food processor or blender. Add the tomato paste, heavy whipping cream and white wine or broth.
Puree until smooth and transfer to a skillet or pan to simmer while you cook the tortellini.
Transfer the tortellini straight out of the boiling water into the sauce allowing some of the pasta water to come with it. This will help loosen the pasta sauce and give it an extra silky texture.
Once the tortellini have been coated in the sauce, divide up into bowls or plates and serve while it's hot!

Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake

8/13/2020

Last week, I made Monique from @AmbitiousKitchen's Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake recipe and it was soooo good - like I freaked out when I ate it. Almond flour is one of the key ingredients but I found a way around that since I can't eat nuts. I was actually super skeptical about using an almond flour alternative since it distinctly says in her recipe a few times that she doesn't recommend a sub. I ended up used Pamela's Products GF/V Flour instead of the almond flour! Upon completing the batter, I realized it was super dry, almost like cookie dough instead of cake batter - so I added in a few splashes of oat milk and prayed that would do the trick. It did!

What I'm sharing below is a recipe totally adapted from Monique - I don't claim it as my own. I just changed a few things around and adjusted it to accommodate my nut allergy. Sooo many of you were excited about it that I decided to share for my fellow nut allergy fam.

So basically, this is the best healthy-ish cake I've ever eaten. There's 1/2 cup honey instead of sugar, no dairy and no gluten. Say whhaaaatttt. The frosting is optional but I think the sweetness from it is what makes it taste more like a cake than a sweet bread.

What you need:
For the cake

1 cup shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
Zest from 2 lemons
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup oat milk
1 1/2 cup Pamelas Gluten Free Flour
3/4 cup gluten free oat flour (I blend Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Gluten Free Oats in my food processor to make my own oat flour.)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the optional frosting

1/2 cup melted vegan butter, room temp (shouldn't be hot)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Shred the zucchini and squeeze out or soak up the excess water/moisture with a cheesecloth or towel.
Combine the wet ingredients in a a bowl and mix.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine - don't over mix.
Brush a 9x9 pan with a little bit of coconut or neutral oil like grape seed oil or line with parchment paper to prevent sticking and pour the batter into it.
Fold in the blueberries. Since the batter is relatively thick, you'll really need to fold them in a push them down.
Bake for 30 minutes and test the center with a toothpick to see if it's firm before cooling. If it's not firm, bake at 5 minute increments while perform the toothpick test until done.
While the cake cools, make the frosting by using a whisk to combine the butter, sugar and lemon juice.
Once the cake is completely cooled, transfer to a serving plate and top with frosting before serving!

Pad Thai

7/21/2020

Pad Thai, but make it allergy friendly. It's actually vegan and gluten free if you don't use eggs or meat as the protein because I took the fish sauce out of it!!

While pad see ew is my favorite Thai dish, Pad Thai is more common I feel like and a close second. I mean, of course I love it- it's noodles!! It's always been harder for me to eat at restaurants though since there's usually fish sauce and peanuts all up in it and I have so many unfortunate food allergies!! I started making my own version of the dish at home a while ago and it's def not authentic but it's as close as I can get - still v good in my opinion. :)

What you need:

1/2 lb rice noodles (enough for 2)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/4 cup roughly copped shallot
4-5 scallion stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar or mirin
4 tbsp Tamarind paste
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp palm sugar, tightly packed (or light brown sugar)
1 cup bean sprouts
Optional: 1-2 eggs
Cilantro for topping
Fresh lime wedges for topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to package instructions.
Fry 4 of the minced garlic cloves in vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy. Be careful not to burn them, the transition happens fast. Set them aside on a paper towel until the end.
Heat the oil in a wok or large deep skillet and add the carrots, shallot, and two minced garlic cloves. Let simmer for a few minutes until translucent. Don't let the garlic burn! If you're going to add chicken or shrimp I would cook in the wok/skillet here until done.
While the veggies are simmering, make the pad thai sauce in a bowl or jar by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, tamarind, water, and sugar.
Add the cooked noodles, rest of the scallions and bean sprouts to the wok with the veggies (and optional protein choice) and then quickly mix them with the pad thai sauce. If you're doing egg, clear a spot for the eggs and quickly scramble/cook them in the wok before mixing them fully into the noodles.
Top with the crispy fried garlic, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Pancake Ice Cream Cake

7/2/2020

It was my friend's birthday last month and she LOVES ice cream so I wanted to make her an ice cream cake without actually having to bake cakes. That's where I came up with the idea to use Pancakes! So this recipe is shamelessly inspired by a lazy feeling but I'm not mad about it at all because it's a game changer.

What you need:

A doubled batch of pancake mix, I used Aunt Jemima's the first time and Annie's organic the second time. (Both work great, and both times I doubled the suggested portion and had a little more than what I needed.)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sprinkles (I bought mine from Layered Cake Shop on Etsy - cutest colors and sprinkles ever.)
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream, I used an entire container of Tilamook (1.75 oz)

What to do:

Follow the packaging instructions to make the pancake batter and pancakes. (I used two large skillets at a time and cooked two huge pancakes in each one to make the time go by faster.)
It's important to leave the pancakes somewhat undercooked. They shouldn't be gloopy but I found when they are super dense in the middle and maybe even a little raw, the cake tastes and holds better. It's also okay if you mess up the pancakes while flipping because they'll be turned into crumbs anyways.
You can either use a food processor or two forks to rip the pancakes into pieces. You want pancake "crumbs". The size should be a little smaller than a crouton and a little bigger than bread crumbs. It's okay if they are not all the same size because they get smooshed in the cake mold.
One the pancakes have cooled, add the sprinkles and maple syrup to the pancake crumbs and mix. If the sprinkles start to melt too much in the wet syrup, you can add more in while layering in the cake mold.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer in order to soften it.
I used two 4" circular cake pans to mold the cake into the shape I wanted. You'll need to line the bottom of it with two pieces of parchment paper at a 90 degree angle so that you can easily pull up the cake once it's all frozen. (I cut 4 pieces of parchment paper into 2 inch wide strips because the circle shape is awkward and it made the most sense that way.) They should be long enough so that there are 4 tabs sticking up and out of the baking pan for you to pull! Once they are in place, you can put the pancake crumbs right on top of them.
Scoop 1 cup of the pancake bits into a measuring cup, it shouldn't be packed in there too tight but it should be decently full.
Line the bottom of each baking pan with the 1 cup of pancake crumbs and press down with the bottom of a cup until it's even. If it's a liiiiittle loose, that's okay, the ice cream will seep in and do it's thing.
Next, add a layer of the softened vanilla ice cream on top of each layer of smooshed pancake crumbs. The ice cream should be soft enough to spread around but not too soft where it's complete liquid. (A hot spoon helps to smooth it around better.)
Quickly transfer each pan to a flat area in the freezer. Leave it in there until the ice cream freezes up enough to hold another layer of pancake crumbs and then ice cream. (Mine sat in the freezer for a little over an hour before it was ready.)
Repeat steps 9 and 10 with the layers. On one of the cakes, top with pancake crumbs and more sprinkles. This will be the top portion of your cake - the one with just ice cream on top will be the base layer.
Return to the freezer again for at least three hours.
Remove each cake pan and let thaw for 5 minutes before pulling each piece of cake out of the pan. Start with the one without pancake crumbs on top and put it on your cake stand. Quickly remove the other cake from the pan and place it directly on top of the base layer. Pop it back into the freezer to firm back up for 30 minutes or longer.
Let thaw for 6-8 minutes before slicing through and serving!

Drunken Buttered Noodle Sauce

7/2/2020

This might be the most versatile recipe that I make in my kitchen. It's honestly not even a recipe it's just a cooking method of combining equal parts white wine and butter and then adding whatever you're in the mood for. It's def a chameleon pasta, blends into whatever and there's so many things that it pairs perfectly with!! I love how well the butter and white wine end up coming together to make the most silky buttery sauce. Sometimes I brown the butter a bit too before I add in the wine if I'm wanting an even deeper butter flavor.

I usually eat it plain with just pasta, but if I'm adding veggies to it I'll go with garlicky broccoli or charred corn in the summer. When I brown the butter, I like to use mushrooms and onion. For protein, sooo good with little neck clams or scallops! The pasta also pairs really well with with lemon chicken and capers too.

This dish can also be turned spicy or cajun with a teaspoon of either red pepper flakes or cajun flavors like Old Bay Seasoning or Tony's Creole Seasoning! (So good this way if you're pairing the pasta with seafood and/or corn.)

ALSO, you could add a few splashes (around 1/2 cup) of heavy whipping cream to this sauce to turn it into a more rich and creamy sauce, kind of like alfredo but with a slightly heavier booze factor.

What you need:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) regular or vegan butter
1/2 cup white wine (I use Kim Crawford pino or some sort of buttery chardonnay)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Optional - 1 tbsp cajun seasoning for a cajun version that pairs great with seafood
Optional - 1/2 heavy cream for a heavier, creamy version

What to do:

Melt the butter into a medium-large skillet on medium heat.
Once it starts to bubble, add the wine and or whatever extra seasonings or cream you might be adding in. The wine should create some steam and be bubbling. Lower the heat to its lowest setting and let the sauce simmer while whisking on and off for 10-15 minutes. It should go from bubbling to barely bubbling. (Be careful, if your heat is too high it could evaporate too much of the liquid and you might need to add another round of ingredients to keep it going.)
Toss the pasta in the sauce before serving. I like to add 2-3 tbsp of pasta water for an even better, silky texture. Parmesan cheese is also really good on top!!

Elote Pasta Salad

7/1/2020

This is the summer of corn. I've been eating so much of it lately and putting it into everything!

I couldn't decide if I wanted this to be a creamy pasta salad or not so I used burrata cheese so that some bites would be creamy and some wouldn't! You could totally add mayo though and make it a creamy pasta salad if you want!

If you don't have access to a Trader Joes, you could make your own elote seasoning at home! I would use 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp cotija cheese and then 1/4 tsp cumin powder. The lime juice and cilantro that are added to the pasta salad will add a more "street corn" flavor to the overall dish as well.

What you need:

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
4 ears of corn
2 tbsp Trader Joe's "Everything but Elote" seasoning (see note above if you don't live near a TJ's)
3 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 tbsp lime juice
Optional - 1/2 cup mayo or greek yogurt + garlic powder for a creamer pasta salad
Optional topping: burrata cheese

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, char the corn by cooking the ears in a large skillet with vegetable oil until charred and somewhat blackened. (You can do this on a grill too!)
Cut the corn off the cob and mix it with the seasoning, cilantro or parsley, vinegar and lime juice.
After draining the pasta, rinse it with cold water to bring down the temp before adding it to the other ingredients.
Chill for an hour before serving. Or not, it's good hot too LOL.

Pepperoni & Hot Honey Pizza

6/19/2020

I've discovered the most perfect pepperoni in the world. Introducing, Hormel Cup n' Crisps. Out of all the different kind of pepperoni meats I've tried with making pizza, this one is by far my favorite. They curl up so nicely into the perfect little cup to hold one of my other favorite pizza toppings of all time - spicy hot honey.

What you need:

2 cups of bread flour
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup room temp water but remove 1 tbsp of it before adding to flour
1 tbsp butter for greasing the pan
1 cup your fave pizza sauce
1 cup low moisture thick shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (5 oz) package of Hormel Pepperoni Cup n' Crisp
Spicy honey or you can use regular honey and red pepper flakes

What to do:

Add the flour, yeast and salt to a stand mixer and combine with a few turns of the dough hook. Add the water and mix on the lowest setting with the dough hook until a ball forms. Let that rest for 10 minutes.
On the lowest speed setting, knead the dough with the dough hook for 10 minutes - the dough shouldn’t be sticking to the sides, only the bottom of the bowl.
It should be kinda sticky unlike pasta dough, and silky. Remove the hook from the kneaded dough and set the dough in the bottom of the stand mixer bowl. Cover tightly and let rest for 2 hours in a warm place.
Spread a tablespoon of room temp butter all over a 9x13 baking sheet. Then spread out the dough. (It shouldn’t stretch all the way to the edges just yet, so do the best you can and then cover the dough in the baking sheet with saran wrap and let it rest for 30 more minutes.
Preheat your oven to 550° F or as high as it can go. (Mine only goes to 525° F)
After the dough relaxes for the 30 extra mins, spread it all the way to the edges and make sure it’s evenly distributed.
Coat the pizza dough with a thin layer of your fave pizza or marinara sauce. Cover with cheese, all the way to the edges. (All the way to the edges is important for crisping the crust because the cheese melts and seeps down to crisp it all the way to the bottom of the pan.)
Add a few additional dollops of pizza sauce to the on-top of the cheese, I do around 8-10 randomly but evenly distributed.
Since the Hormel Cup n' Crisp pepperonis curl up so well, they will shrink in size, so it's important to use the whole packet of them to line the pizza. Overlapping is encouraged, and it should look overcrowded but don't worry it'll turn out perfect!
Cook the pizza on the very bottom of the oven (not the rack, the actual oven) for 6 minutes. This achieves a crispy bottom crust! After the 6 minutes, move it up to the next level and lowest rack of your oven. This will finish off the melty cheese and crips up the pepperonis while preventing the bottom of the pizza crust to burn or blacken.
Once you take it out of the oven, drizzle with either hot honey or regular honey and spicy red pepper flakes. Let it cook for a few minutes and the carefully transfer it to a cutting board to slice up and serve!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars

6/16/2020

Here's the deal. The cookie dough recipe below is heavily influenced by what's on the back of the Toll House Chocolate Chip bag - that's what I grew up eating!! You could definitely use your fave cookie dough recipe or a healthier/gluten free blah blah cookie dough recipe - just make sure you replace the raw eggs with a liquid like an oil or milk and then bake the flour for 5-7 minutes at 350 F so that there's no raw ingredients that could contain bacteria. You also won't need any baking agents like baking soda because the dough won't be baked in an oven at all.

This recipe makes about 8 bars, or 16 small square bite-sized pieces.

What you need:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 tbsp whole milk
3/4 granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I love Lily's Sweets)
1 quart of vanilla bean ice cream

What to do:

Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit out in order to soften it.
Pour the flour onto a cookie sheet and spread it around until it's distributed as flat and even as it can lay. Bake for 5-7 minutes at 350 F. This way you won't be consuming anything raw that might contain bacteria.
Use the microwave or stove top to soften the butter. The butter should be 80% melted. Let it return to room temp before the next step or else it could be hot enough to melt the sugars which isn't good for the overall dough texture.
In a large bowl, mix the softened butter with the sugars, vanilla and milk until combined.
Slowly mix the flour into the sugars and butter, 1 cup at a time. *If the batter seems too dry, add canola oil 1 tbsp at a time until you get a cookie dough batter texture.
Mix in the chocolate chips and if you're like me, eat a handful of them while you're doing it lol.
Split the dough in half so that there's two identical sized portions of dough and roll each one out as best you can into a flat 9x9" square shape.
Take a piece of parchment paper and place it in the bottom of a 9x9" square pan so that the edges are sticking up and out of it. (This helps you to easily lift the finished product out of the pan at the end without ruining it.)
Next, fit one of your cookie dough squares as best as you can into the bottom of the pan until it's stretched to the edges and lays evenly. Stick it in the freezer for 20 minutes in order to make it a bit more firm.
Remove the layer of cookie dough from the pan, cover it and put it away in the fridge until later. (Now you have that part ready and sized for the top when the time comes.)
Take the other square of cookie dough that you rolled out and place it in the bottom of the pan on top of the sheet of parchment paper. Press down to make it fit evenly and then freeze for 20 minutes to firm up a little bit.
Add the ice cream on top of the cookie dough layer. The ice cream should be pretty soft and melty, but not totally liquid. Use a spoon or icing spreader to slather it around and make it as even as possible. You want the layer of ice cream to be hard enough to hold up the top layer of cookie dough without it sinking into the melting ice cream. (If the ice cream layer seems too soft, stick the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes and then add the top layer of cookie dough.)
Once the second cookie dough sheet is on top of the ice cream, let the whole thing freeze for 3 hours or overnight.
Before eating, remove from the fridge and let it thaw for 6-8 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing up!

SUmmer Corn Pasta

6/7/2020

I don't always put veggies into my pasta, but when I do...it's usually fresh summer veggies like corn! I used to make this recipe with rigatoni noodles but I think the sauce pairs better with a semi-wide longer shape like fettuccini, tagliatelle or mafaldine so I adjusted things according to that lil fun fact.

Also, this is optional but I really like when the corn is charred. (I didn't have enough time to char it the day I shot these photos!)

What you need:

1/2 lb of pasta (I prefer mafaldine or tagliatelle)
2 large or 3 small ears of fresh corn on the cob
2 tbsp butter
2 minced garlic cloves (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil (I put half of it into the pasta and half of it on top)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp lemon juice + more for topping
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping
Black pepper for topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Use a sharp knife to slice the corn off of the cobs. Toss the corn into a non-stick skillet with the butter and cook on medium heat until the corn starts to turn golden or charred depending on what you're going for.
Toss the minced garlic and half of the basil into the hot skillet for a minute or two and then add the cream, lemon juice and parmesan cheese and combine with a whisk.
Turn down the stovetop heat to super low and let the sauce simmer until the pasta is done cooking.
Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and mix. I like to add in a couple tbsp of the starchy pasta water here too to loosen up the creamy sauce a bit.
Before serving, top each dish with more parm, fresh basil, black pepper and a lemon wedge or lemon zest.

Chicken on the Grill

5/21/2020

This is hands down my favorite of all time way to grill chicken. You're probably thinking someone who makes pasta as often as I do doesn't know sh*t about how to cook meat on a grill. This is true, except for chicken. I can freaking make some damn good chicken on the grill.

I start off with a salt water brine (at least two hours or overnight) and then I use garlic powder and cayenne pepper and I brush layers of BBQ sauce onto the wings as they cook. If you don't have BBQ sauce they are just as good with the cayenne and garlic powder. You can use any part of the chicken for this recipe. I've done it with breasts, drums, thighs and wings. (Wings and drums are my fave!!)

As far as amount goes: make sure to have enough chicken for the number of people you plan to feed, which is obvious but there's always one person that will ask if I am not SUPER clear, lol. The salt water brine ratio is 1 cup water : 1 tsp salt, so however many cups of water it takes to cover the chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag + the appropriate amount of salt.

What you need:

Chicken - whatever parts you prefer (bigger parts will take longer to cook than smaller parts)
Salt (read above for brine ratio - it's 1 tsp salt per 1 cup water used)
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Your fave BBQ sauce

What to do:

Create your salt water brine. I place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and then use a measuring cup to add water one cup at a time until the chicken is mostly covered - then add 1 tsp of salt per each cup of water. (You can use Lawry's seasoned salt for even more flavor, I do that if I have it.)
Let the chicken soak in the brine in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Turn on the grill. I don't pay too much attention to the heat (as long as it's decently hot I start grilling) but the internet says for chicken it should be around 350 degrees F.
Remove the chicken from the salt water brine and season with garlic powder and cayenne pepper (I use it like salt and pepper - a good amount but not a ton.)
Throw the chicken on the grill and DON'T touch it. If you try to flip it and the meat clings to the grill, it isn't ready to flip yet. I usually close the grill and then let 10-15 minutes go by before tying to flip.
Once you can easily flip the chicken to the other side, brush the cooked side with a layer of BBQ sauce and close the grill and let cook for 5-10 minutes. (5 mins for wings, 10 mins for larger pieces like a breast.)
Flip again, brush with BBQ again. Depending on what bbq sauce you're using, there's a chance that cooking the chicken with it on for too long will cause the chicken skin to start to blacken (which is sometimes a good thing!) I would say to coat each side once or twice while flipping (and then you can always brush a little more sauce on it after you've taken off the grill.)
Before removing from the grill, cut through a piece of the chicken to make sure it's cooked all the way through.

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

5/19/2020

I always hesitate to put the word healthy in my recipe captions because I feel like there will be at least one health nut that will try to call me out saying "that's actually not healthy" but for me, this is a lot cleaner version of any dessert I would normally eat...and it's really freaking good!! Also, I've always been in love with the color of fresh raspberries! It's so perfect.

Let me know if you have questions in the comment section - it makes different amounts depending on if you slice it into squares or rectangles but this recipe is definitely enough to feed a crowd of around 8-10 people.

What you need:
For the crust

8 oz graham crackers (gluten free ones will work too)
1/4 cup melted vegan butter
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

For the filling

16 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Daiya bc it's nut free)
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup

For the raspberry puree

8 oz chilled raspberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp Vital Proteins collagen powder

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Form the crust by blending the graham crackers, butter and honey or maple syrup in a food processor until it starts to stick together a bit.
Line a deep 8x10 baking pan with parchment paper and spray or rub any exposed edges of the pan with coconut oil. (This recipe also works with a mini 8x4 baking dish - just results in a little thicker layers!)
Press the crust down into the pan so that it's an even flat layer and bake in the oven for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Stick the finished crust in the freezer immediately so that it's cool once you're ready to add the cheesecake filling.
Blend the cheesecake filling ingredients in a food processor or stand mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth. Add the filling to the baking pan on top of the cooled graham cracker crust, spread it out evenly and then put the pan back in the freezer for at least an hour.
Add the chilled raspberries, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup and collagen powder to a blender and blend until combined. Add it on top of the chilled cheesecake and spread it out into an even layer.
Return the whole thing to the freezer for 3 hours or overnight before removing it and slicing to serve! LET IT THAW for at least 15 minutes before slicing it up. Crucial because it breaks apart if it's too hard and frozen. (Learned the hard way lol.)

Tomato Sauce with White Wine, Shallots and Garlic

5/15/2020

Why is alcohol so good? I mean of course having a glass is amazing but I'm also talking about in food...because , some of my most favorite pasta sauces have either wine or vodka in them.

I was making my vodka sauce the other day with white wine (since I was out of vodka) and I was tempted to skip the last step of adding heavy cream to it and eat it how it was in the skillet because it just looked so pretty and smelled so good. So the next day, I did just that and here we are! SO this is basically my vodka sauce minus the cream and butter with wine + fresh garlic and shallots living in the sauce. You could leave the diced garlic and shallot as is in the sauce for texture or puree them like I did for a smoother sauce.

What you need:

1/2 lb pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves diced
3/4 cup white wine (I used Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc)
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp reserved pasta water

What to do:

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for as long as the package instructs.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook the onions and garlic in it until translucent (around 5 minutes.) Add the tomato paste in halfway through and spread it out over the surface of the skillet.
Once the tomato paste is a brick red color and the onions/garlic are translucent, add the wine and whisk everything to combine. You should see some of the wine evaporate right away or else your heat wasn't high enough.)
Transfer the sauce into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to skillet. (Not required but suggested for a smoother sauce texture.)
Switch the stovetop heat to its lowest setting and stir the sauce every few minutes until the pasta is done cooking. (If it's thickening up a ton you can add a tablespoon more of wine to it and maybe switch it to another stovetop station that's less powerful.)
Reserve a few tablespoons of the salty/starchy pasta water and add it into the sauce to loosen it up a bit. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, mix and serve hot.
Note: if you didn't salt your pasta water enough you. may need to season the finished product with a little salt.

Kimchi Noodles

5/14/2020

Korean glass noodles were my first Asian-noodle obsession aside from the more common stuff like lo mein or rice noodles. There used to be a restaurant in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland called BAC and I would go at least once a month to order their spicy kimchi dish. I remember it being so spicy that I could only take a few bites at a time and would have to wait a little before having more lol. So the good thing about making it at home is that you can control the level of heat you put into it.

Anyways, I found glass noodles at a nearby Asian supermarket and they ended up becoming the main ingredient of my Spicy Noodle Soup recipe that won Zoup Soup's National Recipe Contest in 2015! #funfacts

The noodles are made from sweet potato starch so they are naturally gluten free and vegan!! You could add protein to the dish but my favorite way to eat the dish is with veggies, kimchi and spicy sambal oelek. If you've never had sambal oelek, it's a chili paste that gives a pretty hard kick to any dish - I have it listed on my favorite products page on Amazon so tap here if you want to order some! The glass noodle brand I use is also available on Amazon and on my favorite products page, click here to order them!

What you need:

6 oz Korean glass noodles (1/2 of the package on my Amazon page)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 handfuls of snow peas
3-4 scallion stalks
1/2 cup kimchi
1-2 tbsp sambal oelek

What to do:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the glass noodles in it for 10 minutes.
De-seed the red pepper and slice it up into long pieces. Cut the onion into long pieces as well.
Cook all of the veggies stir-fry style in a large skillet or wok on medium heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
Add the kimchi and sambal oelek into the stir fry, I like to add in some of the juice from the kimchi jar as well for more flavor - about 2-3 tablespoons.
Add the cooked noodles to the cooking veggies. Stir until completely mixed together and then serve hot!

Banana Bread Cookie Bars with Dark chocolate + Sea Salt

5/13/2020

So here's what you can do with all of that quarantine banana bread you've been busy baking. You're welcome. They're also completely gluten-free and nearly vegan besides the egg I used in the banana bread which you could easily sub out for a flax egg. Feel free to change it around to whatever way you prefer to eat!

Layer one: Gluten free graham cracker crust with honey and butter.

Layer two: Mashed gf banana bread + raw banana + coconut butter, maple syrup and collagen power.

Layer three: Melted dark chocolate and flakey sea salt.

If you're looking for a stronger banana flavor to be present amongst all the other flavors and also want the banana bread portion of the bar to more like batter than bread, you can add one mashed banana to the banana bread crumbles.

I used a ton of different products that are my favorite so I'll list them here incase you want to use the same thangs! Pamela's gluten free honey grahams, Melt Organic vegan butter, Vital Proteins unflavored collagen powder, Bob's Red Mill old fashioned rolled oats and then Eating Evolved's coconut butter. (Since I can't eat nuts I love using coconut butter or @avokween's granola butter in place of almond or cashew butter.)

What you need:

8 oz graham crackers (about 12 squares)
1/4 cup organic honey
1 tbsp vegan butter
2 cups crumbled banana bread
1 ripe banana (if you want a more batter-like center)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut butter
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp unflavored collagen powder
1 dark chocolate candy bar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp Flakey sea salt for topping

What to do:

Pulse the honey grahams, honey and butter in a food processor until it starts to stick together a little bit. If it's not sticking, add in an additional 1 tbsp honey.
Transfer the graham cracker mixture to a bowl and mix in 1/3 cup of old fashioned rolled oats.
Line an 8x10 oven safe (deep) dish with parchment paper and spray PAM or rub veg oil on any corners or sides that the paper doesn't cover. (I used my 8x10 Detroit Style Pizza Pan.)
Smoosh and spread the graham cracker crust down into an even layer in your baking dish. (I turned a smooth cup sideways to roll over it like a rolling pin.)
Bake the graham cracker crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until firm and mostly hardened.
If you want the more batter-like center, mash the lone banana in a bowl so that you can mix it into the banana bread crumbs.
Grab some banana bread slices pulse in a food processor until it turns into crumbs. (I used slices from my Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe.)
Transfer the banana bread crumbs to a bowl and mix the coconut flour, banana bread crumbs, maple syrup, coconut butter and collagen powder. Dump the banana bread mixture on top of the cooked graham cracker crust and flatten it into an even layer.
Break a dark chocolate bar into pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again. Once there aren't any chocolate lumps and the chocolate has completely melted, pour it over the top of the banana bread layer and spread it out evenly.
Top with sea salt and then stick it in the freezer to set for at least 15 minutes.
Carefully remove the goods from the dish and then slice into either bar or bite sized pieces before serving. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Healthy White Bean Pasta Sauce

5/12/2020

If you told my former self that I would one day be eating a pasta sauce made out of beans I would probably run away. Lol. Jk. BUT, I grew up absolutely hating any and every sort of bean!

Turns out, I love them now. Also turns out, they can add a super creamy texture to sauces once they are pureed. The end result for this dish sort of tastes like alfredo but it's waaaay better for you because even though there's still a decent amount of parmesan cheese in there, there's no heavy cream or dairy besides that. Cannellini beans are full of fiber, folate, iron and magnesium so it's a great way to sneak some good stuff into your diet.

As far as subs, you could replace the parmesan cheese wit nutritional yeast to make it vegan or sub out the wheat pasta for brown rice pasta to make it gluten free!

What you need:

1/2 lb pasta (I used mafaldine)
12 oz cannellini beans (I used Jovial Foods 100% organic - soaked overnight and pressure cooked)
1 large garlic clove (or 2 smaller ones)
1/4 cup oat or rice milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup reserved pasta water

What to do:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water.
Blend all the other ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add it into the bean sauce.
Pour the sauce over the freshly drained pasta, top with more parm and pepper and eat.

Pad See Ew

5/12/2020

This is hands down my favorite dish to order from any Thai restaurant I visit. Everyone else seems to go straight for the pad thai but not me! It's traditionally made with fresh, flat wide rice noodles but if you're in a pinch and don't feel like heading to a Thai supermarket to find them you can use dried rice noodles too. (That's what I did, click here to see the brand I use on my Amazon shopping page!)

If you're not an Asian food freak like me you probably don't have oyster sauce or dark soy sauce at home. Those can be ordered on Amazon as well, I have the brands I prefer on my Amazon shopping page too!

What you need:

rice noodles
A handful of Leafy greens, I prefer Chinese broccoli or bok choy
1-2 eggs depending on how much you want in your dish

For the sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar

What to do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to package instructions.
Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Cook the leafy greens in a skillet until wilted and soft - about 6-7 minutes. Move them to the side and scramble the egg in the empty half of the skillet. Remove the eggs/greens and set aside.
Turn the skillet heat up to high and combine the sauce and noodles in it so that the sauce caramelized over the noodles. Be careful as you toss it because rice noodles break easily.
After a minute of tossing, remove from heat and gently stir back in the greens and egg before serving.

Vegan Mac And Cheese (Healthier Version)

5/3/2020

Okay so I now have two vegan mac and cheese recipes on my website. This one is more nutritious because of the pureed veggie ingredient + the nutritional yeast factor but it still remains nut free just like the other one! A creamy vegan mac and cheese recipe without cashews?? YEP. It might not be as beautiful as my other recipe but it's really good, better for you and WAY easier to make. If you're looking for my other recipe with actual vegan cheese in it, tap this link! Both are super good despite the fact that there's no dairy in either of them!

I also love how flex this recipe is. You could sub out the potato puree that I used for a number of things like butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots or cauliflower puree. As long as you turn whatever veggie you use soft enough via steaming or boiling to make sure that they completely blend into the sauce! I honestly considered adding some baby food to my next grocery list so I don't have to puree whatever veggies I plan to add in, LOL.

I prefer to use potato because of the starch content in it - when using less starchy vegetables like BNS I add in a teaspoon of arrowroot starch to help it thicken better. (Also, be careful if you use frozen veggies because they have a bit more water content then fresh veggies do.)

This recipe makes enough for two but it can easily be cut in half for a personal version! I like making it for myself and saving half of it for another day.

What you need:

1/2 lb pasta (I used brown rice pasta)
3 tbsp vegan butter
1/2 cup oat creamer (I used nut pods)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 cup pureed potato or butternut squash (or other similar veg - see suggestions above.)
1 tsp arrowroot starch if needed. (See note above.)

What to do:

Peel and cut a decent sized russet potato into cubes (1 potato will give you what you need for 1/2 cup potato puree) and boil in water for 10 minutes or until you can easily cut through it. Cook the pasta at the same time.
Blend everything together in a food processor until smooth and creamy before pouring it over the finished pasta.

Chicken Po Boys + Homemade Cajun Aioli

4/30/2020

I've never actually been to NOLA but I do love most Cajun-inspired dishes and I always order a po boy sandwich when I see it on a menu. I usually see shrimp or chicken options, but this would honestly be really good with my crispy cauliflower recipe as well if you're a vegetarian!

Seeing that we are going on over a month of Covid-19 quarantine, I had to get creative with what I had on hand at home so don't judge if this isn't exactly the po boy you once ate in Nola. I used some chicken I had in the freezer from Butcher Box and then some fresh steak rolls from my local grocery store's bakery. Traditionally, po boys are served on New Orleans French bread - which is a similar shape but softer than an actual French baguette and very light and airy. I feel like that would probably make a big difference in the overall sandwich quality but the steak roll wasn't too bad.

If you don't want to make the aioli completely from scratch you could just add some Cajun seasoning to some mayo. (Also if you don't have Cajun seasoning it is really easy to make from scratch...just google it.) For aioli shortcuts, I've also done half mayo and half greek yogurt with cajun seasoning to make a healthier option and it's just as good!!

What you need:
For the homemade aioli

1 egg
1 cup neutral oil - I used vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tbsp salt

For the rest

Boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast meat
Flour, garlic powder and seasoned salt (or cajun seasoning in it's place) for the breading
A few cups of canola oil for frying the chicken
New Orleans fresh baked French bread rolls (steak rolls will work too as long as they are soft and sort of flakey)
About 1/2 head of shaved or thinly chopped iceberg lettuce
Pickles (I used Tony Packos Sweet & Spicy)
Optional: sliced tomatoes

What to do:

Make the aioli. Add all the ingredients + only 2 tbsp of the cup of oil into a food processor. While blending, slowly pour in the cup of oil - the pour should be a tiny stream and it should take you about a minute to do so. You should notice the aioli forming and things thickening in there. Once the oil is all poured in you can stop blending and turn off the processor. Set the aioli aside until it's time to use later.
Fry the chicken. Use my boneless wing recipe to prep and fry the chicken, but instead of chicken nugget size pieces, cut them up a bit smaller so they can fit better onto the sandwich. I like to add a tsp of cajun seasoning to the flour batter too in place of the seasoned salt since we're going for Cajun vibes here.
Prep your bread by slicing it open - Bryant LOVES his toasted so you could do that here if you want. I usually stick his loaf in the oven under the broiler until the edges of the bread get crispy - just a minute or two.
Line the bottom of the bread with a handful of the shaved iceberg lettuce and some pickles. If you are adding tomato slices too those will go on here now as well.
Layer the hot fried chicken on top of the veggies and slather the chicken/top half of the sandwich with the cajun aioli before closing it up to eat!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

4/21/2020

I LOVE the color of this sauce just as much as I love the taste! The best part is is that it's relatively healthy since it's made out of pureed roasted red peppers with just a touch of either heavy cream or coconut milk depending on your dairy preference.

Since the sauce is mostly roasted red peppers, you'll want to use a good brand for higher quality. My favorite is DeLallo Foods! You can purchase either their Whole Roasted Red Peppers or Roasted Red Pepper Strips. I paired the red peppers with DeLallo's shellbow pasta shape which is the most perfect vehicle for transporting more of this delicious sauce into your mouth.

What you need:

1/2 lb DeLallo Shellbows
1 15 oz jar DeLallo Roasted Red Pepper Strips
3 tbsp white wine (can be omitted but I love the extra flavor)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp heavy cream (can be swapped out for coconut milk or cream for a dairy-free version)
Pasta water - be sure to save some!!
Optional: burrata cheese for topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shellbow pasta according to package instructions.
Sauté the roasted red pepper strips (or cut the whole roasted red pepper into strips) in a skillet on medium heat with the olive oil and white wine for 6-8 minutes.
Puree the roasted red pepper and any leftover drippings of white wine/oil in a food processor until very smooth.
Add the roasted red pepper puree back to the large skillet and then add the garlic powder and splash of either the heavy cream or coconut milk or cream and stir.
Transfer the cooked shellbows to the sauce directly from the boiling water - this will transfer over some of the starchy/salty pasta water.
Add an additional tablespoon or two of pasta water and mix before serving to loosen up the sauce so that it gets nice and silky.