bacon

,

Crack Broccoli - The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat

,
Crack Broccoli - The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat

This is the best broccoli you'll ever eat. Roasting is such a delicious way to prepare veggies, and broccoli absolutely transforms when cooked in a hot oven. They turn golden brown, the stalks turn tender, and their flavor is enhanced. When roasting any vegetables, it's super simple: don't be afraid of oil & salt! Don't skimp, and toss the vegetables so that they're properly coated in oil and seasoning. 

This roasted broccoli really wakes up the taste buds. Flaky sea salt, cracked black pepper, and thinly sliced garlic are the base for great seasoning, but what really brings this broccoli up a notch is the addition of shichimi. Shichimi Togarashi is a Japanese blend of seven spices that varies depending on the region or cook. The typical ingredients include sansho (Sichuan pepper), dried citrus peel, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, shiso, nori, hemp seeds, and chiles. This mixture is wonderful on meat, noodles, rice, and fried foods. I love adding shichimi to my eggs or on top of my avocado toast!

After the broccoli is roasted, finish it off with a good squeeze of lemon juice and fresh lemon zest for some good brightness and acid. The cake topper is tossing in shaved Parmesan cheese for some nuttiness. This recipe works well for regular weeknight dinners, or as a side for entertaining. There's no need to measure a ton of ingredients - just toss it all together and roast it off in the oven for 15 minutes :)

Holiday Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberries

Holiday Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberries

Speaking of the holidays, this week's recipe is a simple and cozy side dish that is wonderful for this time of year. Roasting vegetables brings so much depth of flavor to the party, and also gives each piece of pumpkin a nice toasty edge. Adding pumpkin seeds for crunch, and dried cranberries for a tart contrast makes this the easiest dish to bring to your holiday parties this year. 

This recipe is completely adaptable. Don't have pumpkin? Try butternut squash or sweet potato. I like adding cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, but roasting the veg with trimmed Brussels sprouts, bacon, prosciutto, shallots, pecans, kale, ginger, chili, or cumin is wonderful as well. In this recipe, I finish off the dish with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, and flaky sea salt, but fresh parsley, feta, or even tossing it with pasta is delicious, too! Watch the video recipe below and let's get cookin! 

,

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

,
Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Growing up, I've gotta admit that I really loved Fig Newtons. But, raise your hand if you've actually never had a fresh fig before! I didn't try the actual fruit until fairly recently. I fell in love with their rich, earthy flavor... sweet, with a slightly chewy texture. They're so simple to eat. You can slice them up and eat with with yogurt or açai, throw some pieces onto a cheese board, or add them to pizza or flatbread with some burrata. Today's recipe is a fast, elegant appetizer that takes minutes to put together. 

, ,

Bacon Wrapped Peaches

, ,
Bacon Wrapped Peaches

Ok, I think we can all agree that everything...everything is better with bacon. Crisp, salty, fatty delicious bacon. BBQ season is here and grilling fruit is definitely one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer. The caramelization of the fruit is really delicious with the flavor of the bacon, and adding a simple reduced balsamic vinegar makes this the easiest appetizer ever. Finish the peaches off with fresh sprigs of mint for a flavor explosion in your mouth. Serious good eats. Watch my newest video recipe below! :) Let's get cookin!

Breakfast Tarts

Breakfast Tarts

I'm going to get this year started with a fun way to empty your fridge. The holidays may have left you with a bunch of leftovers that you don't know what to do with. Breakfast tarts are made from delicate puff pastry and are topped with whatever you like! I love classics like egg, prosciutto, spinach, and cheese; but these babies have infinite possibilities. Pesto, sundried tomatoes, leftover rotisserie chicken, smoked salmon, arugula, asparagus, even good ole ham and cheese. 

, ,

Crispy Prosciutto & Heirloom Tomato Avocado Toast

, ,
Crispy Prosciutto & Heirloom Tomato Avocado Toast

So that got me thinking. Avocado Toast. Is it just a California thing? And if it is, I can't see why...because it's delicious. Simple food that is easily elevated with the addition of one or two more ingredients...like prosciutto. And vibrant heirloom tomatoes; each one with their own vibrant color, flavor, and texture. This recipe isn't hard-fast - more like a simple guide for a visually beautiful, flavorful open-faced sandwich/toast that can inspire you to build your own. Sometimes the best meals come from throwing whatever you have in the fridge together.

,

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! :)

,

Crispy Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey

,
Crispy Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey

The other night at dinner my friend and I were talking about how much Brussels Sprouts have made a huge comeback. When we were kids, I hated them and avoided them at all costs. Maybe that’s because they weren’t dressed in duck fat (Barbacco in SF has the most amazing Duck Fat Brussels), tossed with bacon, or covered in cheese. These days, Brussels Sprouts are on menus everywhere, in every which way. Just this last week, I had some amazing ones with cinnamon, radishes, and an over-medium egg. Another night, my friend made some with simple olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, Parmesan, and lemon juice. They were delicious and made me want to play with another recipe using these lil addictive veggies. 
I roasted these Brussels after tossing them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. They get golden brown and crispy in the oven, and this is one of the easiest ways to prepare brussels sprouts! Balsamic vinegar brings a slight tang to the crispy little guys, and a drizzle of honey after roasting balances everything out. Hope you try these out - they’re the best snack or side for dinner ..they’ll even convert the biggest nay-sayer! Let’s get cookin :)