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January 15, 2024
Simple Bruschetta Recipes
I’ve been craving something light and refreshing lately and made a few bruschetta recipes this weekend to snack on. And by snack on I mean we made it into a meal 😊 If you follow my blog, you’ve probably read my other posts about bruschetta – Simple Summer Bruschetta Recipes (May 2023) and Easy Bruschetta Recipes (June 2023). It’s such a diverse food. You can have sweet, savory, spicy, citrus, vegetarian, meat-based, or any combination. And it’s a bite-sized food so you can serve it as an appetizer or side dish or do what we did and make it a meal. I have 3 recipes to share with you today. One is sweet and refreshing, one is savory, and one is citrusy and refreshing. Strawberry Peach Bruschetta Bacon & Ricotta Bruschetta Lemon, Basil & Ricotta Bruschetta STRAWBERRY PEACH BRUSCHETTA (aka sweet and refreshing) Strawberry Peach Bruschetta is bursting with fresh flavors and has a hint of sweetness … Continue reading
May 15, 2023
Simple Summer Bruschetta Recipes
We recently had dinner at a local Italian restaurant and ordered a variety of Bruschetta as an appetizer. I’ve been thinking about the Bruschetta ever since and couldn’t resist the attempt to recreate it at home. Who doesn’t love a crunchy Bruschetta appetizer? And who doesn’t love options? That’s what I have for you today! Four vastly different yet incredibly satisfying Bruschetta recipes. When I think of Bruschetta, I typically think baguette with fresh tomatoes and maybe some basil or balsamic dressing. These are not your traditional Bruschetta recipes by any means, but I think you’ll like them just as much 😊 They are perfect as an appetizer or snack for any gathering and would be great for brunch, a bridal shower, girls’ night in, etc. Here’s what I have for you: Smoked Salmon Fig & Apple Blueberry, Basil & Ricotta Tomato Aioli & Bacon Smoked Salmon Bruschetta is surprisingly simple to make. Don’t worry, you don’t have to … Continue reading
March 6, 2023
Caprese Ravioli Salad
Caprese Ravioli Salad is the pasta salad of summer…. or winter…. whenever you are looking for something light and refreshing. It’s ready in about 20 minutes or less and is packed with fresh flavors of basil, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic glaze. This recipe can be served as a side dish or main course. If serving as the main course, add a garden salad or some fresh veggies and hummus on the side. The ravioli is coated in a wonderful oil and herb dressing. You can use cherry or grape tomatoes. I recommend cheese ravioli or perhaps cheese tortellini (if you can’t find ravioli). Use fresh basil, it’s way better than dried basil. And use mozzarella pearls or fresh mozzarella slices that are cut into smaller chunks. The keyword here is FRESH! You will really notice a difference in the taste and texture of the dish if your ingredients are fresh. The recipe can be found here. Start by … Continue reading
August 28, 2022
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Burrata
Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Burrata is the ultimate weeknight meal! It’s quick and easy to make, uses simple yet fresh ingredients, and highlights some popular summer flavors. Think fresh tomatoes and basil (possibly from your garden), creamy burrata, and soft gnocchi. It’s a game changer! The recipe can be found here. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the water. Set the gnocchi aside. You can prepare homemade gnocchi if you prefer but store-bought works well for this recipe. Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the tomatoes (unsliced, you want whole tomatoes), red pepper flakes (add more if you like a lot of heat), and salt. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium … Continue reading
July 5, 2022
Grilled Chicken Caprese
Grilled Chicken Caprese is an Italian-inspired chicken dish that is perfect for summer! It’s made with tender, juicy chicken that’s topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and a lovely balsamic glaze. This dish can be prepared in a variety of ways, but my preference is to grill it. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating a grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. You can also use your outdoor grill if you prefer. Combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken. Grill for 6-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Loosely place tin foil over the grill pan to act as a cover to melt the cheese (or close your actual grill over to … Continue reading
April 7, 2022
Herbed Chicken Parmesan Sliders
The ultimate handheld slider sandwiches are Herbed Chicken Parmesan Sliders. They are made with ground chicken, not traditional breaded chicken, and are perfect for a crowd or when you want a lighter dinner. Top with melted mozzarella cheese, fresh marinara sauce, and crisp basil, and you have the perfect slider! I think the sliders taste best on toasted ciabatta rolls (who doesn’t love ciabatta?) but slider buns will also work just fine. The ciabatta makes the sliders feel more authentic and Italian. The recipe can be found here. My first step is to bake the ciabatta rolls. I buy bake and serve rolls, so I always get that out of the way before I prep any of the other ingredients. Then I set them aside to cool while working on the rest of the recipe. You can skip this step depending on the type of rolls you are using. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F … Continue reading
May 9, 2021
Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta
I can’t say that I’m super “with it” and on top of today’s trends but did come across a recent TikTok trend where people are baking an entire brick of feta cheese and turning it into pasta. We tried it at home and not only is it a simple dish to prepare but it’s also delicious! The result is Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Add your tomatoes to a 9×13 baking dish. Either cherry or grape tomatoes are fine but make sure you have 2 pints. Then, liberally drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir until the tomatoes are fully coated. Shift the tomatoes there is a large well in the center. Place the brick of feta in the center. If you can’t find a brick of feta that’s ok. You can use crumbled feta but make sure to put it … Continue reading
March 12, 2021
Bruschetta Pasta (Vegan)
Every so often I like to make a vegan dish for a few reasons. First, the food is actually delicious (don’t knock it ‘til you try it) and second, I have friends and family members who are vegan (or follow a similar diet), so I like to have a few recipes in my back pocket in case I’m ever entertaining them. I’d rather be accommodating so they know they can comfortably eat at my house than have them eat before coming over. And truly, the food is quite good, in addition to being good for you! Bruschetta Pasta is one of my to-go dishes. It is a vegan dish, but you could easily add parmesan cheese or a little shredded mozzarella if you aren’t following a special diet or don’t have dietary restrictions. I like this pasta because it’s very light and refreshing. Think of traditional bruschetta, but instead of … Continue reading
February 22, 2021
Slider Sandwiches 4 Ways
Sliders are one of my go-to ideas when it comes to meal prep. I want something easy to make that will also last a few days. Let me tell you, they are delicious! If you’re unfamiliar with “sliders” they are basically small sandwiches that are served warm with various meats, cheeses, condiments and toppings (think finger sandwich size). You can mix and match the sandwich ingredients to create different flavors and serve as an appetizer or entrée. I like to make sliders for lunches. Two of the mini sandwiches are the perfect sized lunch plus they hold up very well over the course of a few days and are perfectly tasty when reheated. I have 4 recipes to share with you today for sliders. All are yummy in their own unique way! First up is Balsamic Dijon Ham Sliders. All the flavor comes from the balsamic Dijon sauce. It’s very … Continue reading
February 17, 2021
Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni
Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni is a sweet yet savory pasta dish with a lovely roasted red pepper sauce that is ready in about 20 minutes. The sauce is creamy, the roasted red peppers add a bold flavor, and the noodles are perfectly cooked, al dente. It’s easy to make and creates and explosion of flavor with every bite. The recipe can be found here. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure to salt the water! Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Stir once you’ve added the noodles and again every few minutes to ensure the noodles aren’t sticking together. Once the noodles are cooked al dente, then are done. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. While the pasta is cooking, add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, … Continue reading
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