Tortellini Aglio e Olio

I've had Aglio e Olio with pasta many times,

but I never thought to use it on tortellini until recently.

And let me tell you - it is absolutely amazing!
The sauce gets in all the little pasta crevices and is just WOW!!!
(But really - how can pasta, olive oil, garlic and parm ever taste bad?!?)

I had never made the sauce myself before this time,
but as usual, Google pointed me to something yummy!

This will be my go-to Aglio e Olio recipe
and I just had to share it on the blog.

The Goods:

Tortellini

Olive Oil

Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

Salt

Italian Parsley

Parmesan Cheese

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook until lightly browned.

Next add the red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.

Cook your pasta according to directions and then drain.

Pour sauce over pasta and toss until mixed well.

Add fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Then serve yourself a bowl and dig in!!!

You can easily substitute any pasta of your liking in this recipe.

Tortellini Aglio e Olio 

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 Pound Pasta

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Italian Parsley

1. Cook your pasta, drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.
5. Pour sauce over drained pasta and mix well.
6. Add fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
7. Serve, garnish with more parsley and cheese and ENJOY!!!

Dad's Lemon Pepper Chicken

My dad has made Lemon Pepper Chicken for years.

I can't remember a birthday growing up,

that I didn't request for him to make it for dinner!

After I moved away and started to cook more variety,

I asked him for the recipe and only slightly modified it!

Keep reading to see how this tasty chicken is made.

The Goods:

Chicken

Lemon Juice

Olive Oil

Worcestershire Sauce

Fresh Pepper

Garlic

Garlic Salt

Salt

Fresh Thyme

Squeeze your lemons to get fresh lemon juice.

I recently got a lemon squeezer and don't know how I lived without.

It makes getting fresh lemon, lime or even orange juice so easy! 

It took me three lemons to get 1/2 cup of juice.

Add everything except the chicken to the juice.

And then mix until everything is incorporated.

You can use whatever chicken you'd like.

Boneless, bone in - it really doesn't matter.

I've had it on all, but I prefer boneless breasts.

Add a little bit of marinade to a container with a lid,

add your chicken and then the rest of the marinade.

Secure lid tightly and marinate a few hours or overnight.

Grill your chicken until cooked fully.

Then serve with a yummy side or two and enjoy!!!

And if possible - dine outside with a yummy cocktail!

Dad's Lemon Pepper Chicken 

About 1 Pound Chicken

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 Cloves Garlic - minced

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme

1. Juice lemons until you have 1/2 a cup of juice.
2. Add everything else, except the chicken, and combine well.
3. Put marinade and chicken in a container with a lid.
4. Refrigerate for at least a few hours, or overnight.
5. Grill until chicken is cooked fully.
6. Serve and enjoy!!

Sesame Seed Coated Seared Ahi

For the longest time I was afraid to cook Seared Ahi.

I guess I was scared I would mess it up somehow.

But after talking to a friend, she convinced me to try it.

And I was shocked at how easy it really was!!

So after make it a few times,

I decided that even though it is pretty easy,

I should share it on my blog!

The Goods:

Ahi Tuna

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Sesame Seeds

Dip your tuna in soy sauce then immediately coat in sesame seeds.

Heat a stainless steel pan over medium-high heat,

add a little bit of olive oil and swirl around to distribute.

Once your pan is hot add your tuna and a few minutes.

I usually flip after two to three minutes,

but for more rare flip after about a minute and a half.

Cook another few minutes until tuna has reached desired doneness.

Remove seared tuna from the pan and let rest a few minutes.

Slice your tuna pretty thin on an angle and serve as desired.

Most recently, I enjoyed mine on a delicious green salad.

Homemade Pesto: Take 2!

My herb garden is doing really well

and I have a TON of basil.

So what's someone with so much basil do?

They decide to make a yummy pesto

and of course, then blog about it!

Years ago, I blogged about making Sunflower Seed Pesto.

It is really good and a great option for someone allergic to tree nuts.

I didn't need to omit tree nuts, so I used pecans in today's recipe!

Like most recipes I make,

this is pretty simple to whip up.

It tastes AMAZING,
and can even be made a few days before!

Now let me show you how easy it really is!!!

The Goods:

2 Cup Fresh Basil

2 Cloves Garlic

1/4 Cup Pecans

1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Add basil, pecans and garlic to food processor and chop.

Drizzle in 1/2 Cup oil and process until incorporated and smooth.

If using immediately, add remaining oil and cheese.

If using later (or even to freeze), drizzle remaining oil on top.

When ready to use, thaw and then incorporate cheese.

The finished product!

It was so so SO good!!!

I like to use my pesto on pasta of course,

but it's also great on a sandwich or even fries too!

Quinoa Apple Salad

A few weeks ago, I met up with some friends for lunch and 

we went to one of the newly opened locations for Lemonade!

If you live in LA and haven't tried Lemonade yet, you're missing out.

Find one close to you and try it ASAP!

I've been to a few different Lemonade locations and have been a fan from day one.

A friend even gave me their cookbook for Christmas this year!

I have yet to make anything out of the cookbook, 

but after my most recent visit I knew I needed to try to recreate one of the dishes I had.

So what was the dish you ask?

Red Quinoa Salad with Apples, Arugula, Sunflower Seeds and Pistachios!

If you don't know already - I love love love me some quinoa salad.

(You can check out some past posts about it here, here and here!)

Just a few hours after lunch, I decided I didn't want to wait long and 

got to work searching for a copycat recipe online. 

To my surprise, it wasn't very hard and I had a recipe in no time!

Now that I'm done rambling, let me show you how easy it is to make!!!

The Goods:

Qunioa 

Water (Not Pictured)

Fuji Apples

Arugula 

Sunflower Kernels

Pistachios

Juice from an Orange

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cook your qunioa according to package directions.

Since I'm using this in a salad - I always like to cool my qunioa before adding it.

Pour/scoop the quinoa onto a chilled baking sheet and spread it out to cool.

While the qunioa is cooking, get your other goods ready!

Add the apples, pistachios and sunflower kernels to the bowl and toss to combine.

Fold in the arugula, orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

That's it! Now it's time to dig in and ENJOY!!!

Hope you like this quinoa salad as much as I do!

I've already made it twice since having it at Lemonade.

Oh and don't forget - go try Lemonade if you haven't already!!!

Chicken Piccata and Homemade Pasta

I recently had a hankering for some for some homemade pasta, 

so I quickly started to think about what I wanted to enjoy with said pasta.

After a little thought, I couldn't get my mind off:

CHICKEN PICCATA & HOMEMADE PASTA!!!

I found this recipe and couldn't wait to get to work.

And sadly, was so into making it I don't have any step by step pictures.

I know - HUGE blog fail.

The meal was so good I couldn't not post about it.

And as the recipe states, it really is easy!!

Piccata Goods:

Chicken

Flour

Butter

Salt

Lemons

Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Flat Leaf Parsley

Capers

For my step by step homemade pasta instructions,

see this blog post!!!

The finished product!!

So good and I can't wait to make it again.

Maybe the next time I'll be a better blogger, 

and remember to take more pics to update this post.

Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

I've made homemade hummus multiple times before,
but I recently discovered a recipe and I doubt I will make it another way again.

It's better than so many other hummus I've tasted.
No more store bought hummus for me!!!

This hummus is creamy and SO SO SO easy to make!
Take a look below at the process.

Hummus Goods:

Tahini

Olive Oil

Garbanzo Beans

Sea Salt

Paprika

Water

Cumin

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Mix the tahini and the lemon juice in the food processor for about a minute.

Scrape the sides, and process for about 30 more seconds.

Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin to the tahini/lemon juice mixture.

Process until combined.

Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans.

Add half the beans and process for about a minute.

Scrape the sides and add the rest of the beans.

Process for a minute or two - until hummus is smooth.

The hummus will most likely be too thick,

so slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons water until the consistency is to your liking.

What's homemade hummus without some homemade pita chips though?

I Googled and found this recipe from one of my old time favorites!
Again - this is SO easy and SO much better than store bought.

I don't think you'll want any other pita chip after trying these.
Check out how easy they are to make below.

Pita Chip Goods:

Pita (I use Whole Wheat)

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Cut the pita into wedges.

Toss in olive oil and sea salt.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, flip and bake 5 to 10 more minutes.

Pita chips should be toasted and crisp!

Ta da!!

Now go make some homemade hummus and pita chips.
It's a great snack and I THINK you'll thank me! 

Craisin Green Bean Quinoa Salad!

Wow! That title is a mouthful.

I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of a better way 

to describe this delicious salad in fewer words.

You may or may not have figured out that I really like quinoa.

I usual use it to make tasty salads for lunches throughout the week.

You can read about one here and another here!

After eating both of those above salads many times, 

I wanted to branch out and try a NEW quinoa salad!

A local lunch place makes one with craisins and green beens. 

It is so simple and tasty, so I was looking for a recipe similar to that.
I couldn't find one exactly like I wanted, so I just sorta made up my own!

Craisin Green Bean Quinoa Salad 

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

½ teaspoon salt or to taste

¾ cup craisins

1 cup green beans

¼ cup sliced almond

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

1. Rinse the quinoa in several changes of water. Combine the 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, uncover, and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, craisins, green beans, almonds,

and green onion until well mixed. 

3. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Toss until well blended. 

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Elina and Robyn Make...Gnocchi

It's been quite awhile since I posted about something delicious Elina and I made.
I'm sorry it's been so long, but I hope this amazing food makes up for it!

A few weeks ago, Elina and I were watching a show on the Food Network and they were making homemade Gnocchi. As soon as we saw this, we both looked at each other and had the same thought -
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS SOON!

After doing a little research, we figured making gnocchi wouldn't be much more difficult than making homemade pasta and we've both done that numerous times before. The more difficult part was deciding what type of sauce to make with the gnocchi.

After each of us threw our a few ideas, we decided on ...

A Cheesy Garlic Cream Sauce!!!

Homemade Gnocchi with anything sounds great, but with a cheesy garlic cream sauce is sounds even better!
(Note: We didn't toss our broccoli with the gnocchi as this recipe indicates.)

The Goods - Part 1:

Flour

Eggs

Potatoes

Parmesan

Cream

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

The Goods - Part 2 (AKA Things we forgot in Part 1...):

Milk

Chicken Broth

Butter

Fresh Parsley

Peel, cut up, cook, drain, cool off and finally rice your potatoes.

Arrange your potatoes in a dome and create a well in the middle.
Add your egg mixture and start combining with your hands.
Gradually mix in cheese and flour until dough is slightly sticky.

Divide dough in sixths, roll out into 1/2 inch thick, then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.

Create indentations on each piece using fork tines.

We put our gnocchi on cookies sheets, then stored them in the fridge while we made the delicious sauce!

Now time, to make the sauce!!!

Melt butter and cook the garlic.

Stir in Chicken Broth and combine.

Whisk in Cream and Milk until incorporated. 

Add the parmesan right before combining with the gnocchi.

Bring water to a slow boil, add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface.

Drain the gnocchi and combine with the sauce.

Finish off with Fresh Parsley.

Plate, add more fresh parm and serve with a crisp green salad!

The gnocchi and sauce were absolutely amazing!

After taking a few bites, we decided that the gnocchi were like little pillows of deliciousness.

And then we scarfed the rest down without saying another word to each other.

It was THAT good!

We were both very happy with the end result and knew we'd both be making this again.

In fact, we even had some uncooked gnocchi leftover that we were able to freeze for a later date.

Quinoa Spinach Patties

I ran across this recipe awhile ago, and made it not too long after. 

I really liked them, but forgot all about them...that is until recently! 

Once I remembered them, 

I knew I wanted to make them as soon as possible and blog about them to share their deliciousness! 

And you know what? 

They were even better than I remembered them being and I seriously cannot wait to make them again! 

I love to eat them alone, but they're super tasty in a salad or with a fried or poached egg!

Oh and the best part - they are SUPER easy to make. 

I only make a half a batch, which is more than enough for myself.

Now take a look for yourself and then go make them!!

The Goods:

Uncooked Quinoa

Water

Eggs

Parmesan Cheese

Green Onions

Garlic

Salt

Spinach

Panko Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

 Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

Add the cooked quinoa to everything else but the olive oil.

Form the patties and fry in the olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes per side. 

Cool slightly on paper towel lined plate.