Palomas

Palomas

For a little fizzy twist on the classic margarita, the Paloma is the perfect cocktail. My girlfriend Kayla introduced me to this grapefruit and tequila cocktail on an afternoon where we turned Happy Hour into a $100 outing. Needless to say, I've been ordering them ever since. The Paloma is a refreshing combination of sweet and tart grapefruit juice or soda, lime, and a nice salty rim. Top off this 5 minute cocktail with club soda for a bubbly finish. I love using fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, but you can also use Squirt or Grapefruit Jarritos! :) Let's get drankin!

,

Spiced Chicken with Creamy Chili Herb Sauce

,
Spiced Chicken with Creamy Chili Herb Sauce

You can never have enough chicken recipes in your arsenal! Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not too big on spicy food. But I love this recipe! Smoky, spiced chicken thighs are grilled and topped off with a bright, fresh sauce made of parsley, lime juice, jalapeño, and a drizzle of half-and-half for a little body. Both the spice rub and the herb sauce take minutes to whip up, so this is a great option for weeknights!  Let's get cookin!  

,

Grilled Cheese Tacos

,
Grilled Cheese Tacos

There's nothing like a classic grilled cheese. And I think we can all agree that we've been waiting on a taco emoji since forever. So what happens when you combine the two? Pure heaven. This week's recipe for Grilled Cheese Tacos is an incredibly easy way to appease your biggest junk food craving in minutes. Toss together some fresh pico de gallo and slice up some creamy avocado to top it all off. These tacos are perfectly warm and gooey, salty and savory; and the pico adds a nice fresh punch. Let's get cookin :) 

Chilled Ginger Sesame Soba Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Chilled Ginger Sesame Soba Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Indian Summer is here and the weather is gorgeous out here in San Francisco. I have been craving a big bowl of cool soba noodles with tons of junk inside! The junk is often the best part of any dish. My favorite thing about this one is how bright and colorful it is. I'll show you how to whip up an absolutely delicious sesame dressing that is savory, with a kick from freshly grated ginger and lemon zest. All the veggies can be substituted with your family's favorites, but edamame, carrots, Shiitakes, and Persian cucumbers are full of nutrients and keep this dish nice and light. I love adding thin strips of fishcake and slivers of green onion to finish it all off. Let's get cookin :) 

, , ,

Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

, , ,
Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets

One of my favorite "junk food" indulgences has always been chicken nuggets. The options out there aren't that healthy; most of them are deep-fried, and heavily breaded. Sometimes we don't even know if the nuggets are made of actual chicken! Chicken nuggets are easy to make at home, and with this recipe, I'll show you how you can replace extra breading with yummy quinoa!

Quinoa is actually a seed that is very high in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, and more. It's also gluten free. Quinoa has a sweet, nutty flavor and is delicate in texture. In recent times, it's been known as a substitute, but quinoa is so versatile, it can easily be a main! 

Making Quinoa Crusted Chicken Nuggets is as easy as a 3 step breading process and throwing them in the oven! They're baked, not fried. I love putting a twist on classic junk food by simplifying the ingredients and making them more straightforward. It's important to know what you're putting in your body. These nuggets get a little superfood boost from quinoa, while tasting just as good as your favorite fast food joint. Let's get cookin :) 

,

Grilled Halloumi with Herbed Strawberries

,
Grilled Halloumi with Herbed Strawberries

Cheese. I think it's safe to say that for some, cheese is its own food group! Cheddar, Gruyere, Jack, Parmesan, Cotija, Brie, Fontina, Feta, Mozzarella...the options are deliciously endless. One of my favorites is Halloumi, which is a semi-soft, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. Because of its high melting point, it can easily be fried or grilled. Grilled cheese.

Halloumi is salty, and really wonderful when paired with mint. It's nice to eat during the warm months. The flavor of the cheese is perfect with fruit like grapes, watermelon, figs, and strawberries. Today's recipe is a surprising mixture of flavors that really play off each other and create a fun dish where spicy meets sweet and salty. This would be beautiful when served at brunch or as an appetizer . The macerated strawberries get a little kick from Serrano pepper, and fresh mint and cilantro top it all off. Let's get cookin :) 

, ,

Perfect Fried Chicken

, ,
Perfect Fried Chicken

Crispy, seasoned skin, and tender, flavorful meat. One of my favorite indulgences is simple fried chicken. However, I find that sometimes fried chicken has really yummy skin, but is dry and flavorless inside. So I set out to come up with the perfect recipe for flawless homemade fried chicken with the following criteria in mind: easy, not too time-consuming, and yielding a great golden crust with well seasoned meat. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and techniques and have come up with a recipe that I’m really happy with. The steps are simple and there’s little hands-on time in the kitchen. I learned the secret of using Old Bay Seasoning from Melissa Gilbert of what else but Little House On The Prairie, and incorporated a really important step - brining the chicken overnight. 
The other night I used the same recipe on lil nuggets of chicken and tossed them in Chinese white pepper right out of the frying oil. Fantastic. I love a good base recipe that makes it easy to doctor up and experiment with. Read on to find out how to make the best fried chicken you’ll ever make. 

,

Minty Spring Pea & Ricotta Ravioli

,
Minty Spring Pea & Ricotta Ravioli

Alright are you ready to impress everyone in your family, including yourself? Time to make some homemade ravioli! Don’t worry, we aren’t making fresh pasta dough - this is an easy and accessible recipe that will become one of your favorite staples! In keeping with this beautiful warm weather, I’ve kept the filling nice and light for this dish. After devouring all the ravs, I’m definitely going to adapt this recipe and make a heartier fall ravioli in the near future! 

These babies are so simple to throw together. It’s as easy as blending the filling ingredients together, and sandwiching a healthy dollop in between two paper thin wonton wraps. Seal them up and toss them in boiling water for about 3 minutes, and serve it any way you like! Today I’ll show you how to make a brown butter sauce with accents of what else, but bacon :) You can also serve these homemade ravioli in broth for a heartwarming meal. Let’s get cookin! :)

,

Ahi Poke & Wonton Crisps

,
Ahi Poke & Wonton Crisps

Poke is something you crave. Something you daydream about. Tender chunks of raw ahi tuna, marinated in shoyu, sesame oil, and any combination of chili pepper and sriracha. Other variations of ingredients may include seaweed, green onion, maui or red onion, toasted sesame seeds, furikake, garlic, or tobiko. If you’ve been lucky enough to travel to Hawaii, most likely you’ve tried authentic poke and you’ll know why it’s something I crave constantly. 

,

Classic Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

,
Classic Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

I love experimenting with fun, seasonal ingredients, but sometimes learning to make a classic is just as great. Pesto can be made with tons of different ingredients; it’s a game of mix and match. A great pesto only requires a few fresh ingredients. The most important part is using fresh basil (or your favorite herbs) and good quality extra virgin olive oil. 

This recipe is simple and delicious. Pesto is incredibly versatile - once you have a fresh batch, you can use it on way more than pasta! Make homemade pizza, eat it with eggs, spread it on bread or a sandwich, or use it as a salad dressing. This recipe is for a classic basil pesto. A quick pulse in a food processor and you have a fresh, garlicky sauce that is way better than a jar from the store. Let’s get cookin :)