Tag Archives: Garlic

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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Not too long ago, I wrote a blog called Creative Cauliflower Meals about various ways to use cauliflower in Chinese inspired recipes.  We’ve been talking about those recipes ever since and thought, why not try a few more? There are SO MANY ways to utilize cauliflower in recipes.  My most preferred way is to substitute chicken with cauliflower.  Once it’s cooked/baked, it has a very similar texture so you can hardly tell you aren’t eating meat.  This is a great way to expand your pallet if you are vegetarian or exploring a vegan diet. First up is Baked BBQ Cauliflower Wings.  These are just like boneless BBQ chicken wings but a lot healthier and you aren’t sacrificing the taste.  These are full of flavor and easy to make! The recipe can be found here. ***This is a vegan recipe*** Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a … Continue reading

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Friday night is pizza night at our house.  With COVID, we’ve been cooking at home a lot more than ordering in or going out to eat so we’ve taken to preparing our own pizzas from scratch at home.  It’s been fun to play around with toppings and be creative with what we add to each pizza.  You can definitely stick with the traditional toppings if that’s what you prefer on pizza, but we like to branch out and make each pizza unique. This crust is a favorite of mine as well.  I’d prefer less dough and more toppings in each bite so I’m going to share with you my recipe for Thin Crust Pizza Dough.  This is the base I use for all my homemade pizzas.  It’s thin, doesn’t require any time to rise, and gets nice and crispy when you bake it on a pizza stone.  One plus side … Continue reading

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Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi & Veggies is a great one-pan meal the whole family will love!  It’s full of toasted gnocchi (store bought but still delicious), roasted fresh veggies, herbs, and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.  It’s easy to throw together on a busy weeknight and is a meal that can be enjoyed year-round. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop the bell peppers and onion.  You can use any color of bell pepper – it just makes the dish more colorful!  You don’t need to slice the tomatoes. Peel the garlic cloves and place on a cutting board.  Lay a knife sideways on top of the garlic and use the palm of your hand to press down and “smash” the garlic.  If you would prefer to use minced garlic that is fine too! Add … Continue reading

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Friends and family will be coming together with Christmas right around the corner.  Are you ready for all the festivities?  Are you hosting a party?  It can be stressful preparing for a get-together with a house full of guests, but it doesn’t need to be.  Some people have multiple places to stop in one night while others have one stop to make.  Whether your guest are coming and going or staying for the evening, you can serve a simple menu of appetizers. I think this is a great idea because 1) your guests can eat as much or as little as they like, 2) you can have a large variety of options to choose from, and 3) you spend more time socializing with your guests than you do in the kitchen. Here’s what I plan on serving: Burrata with Cranberries and Ciabatta Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes Chicken Parmesan … Continue reading

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