roasting

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Crack Broccoli - The Best Broccoli You'll Ever Eat

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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! 

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Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Crisps

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Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Crisps

The flavor of cauliflower is mild, and a bit sweet and creamy - it acts as a canvas for whatever . Roasting this veg is glorious, and let's face it; everything is better with cheese! This recipe is for a really delicious and addicting snack that is as simple as slicing florets of cauli, roasting them for 15-20 minutes, and then adding tons of cheese and fresh parsley. Baking grated Parmesan turns the warm, nutty cheese into salty crisps. These Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Crisps taste like one of my favorite indulgences - chips. The tender roasted cauliflower is perfectly seasoned, and the baked cheese gives them a nice crust. I could easily polish off a tray of these yummy cauliflower crisps :) Let's get cookin!

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Spring Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

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Spring Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

Pasta salad is perfect for Springtime! This recipe is an easy and delicious way to stretch out fresh seafood. Tender orzo pasta, roasted salmon, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and salty feta are tossed with a zesty citrus dressing for a beautifully hearty salad. There's something about the texture of orzo pasta that makes me crave it all the time! This Spring salad is great for emptying the fridge - don't have asparagus? Use peas, spinach, or beans! Sub shrimp for salmon or leftover chicken and feel free to use Parmesan instead of Feta :) If you're cutting carbs, toss all these ingredients with crispy Romaine or kale. 

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Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

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Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken

These suckers went fast in my house. A zesty marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper is a quick way to inject a ton of flavor into any cut of chicken. It’s baked in the oven, which helps cut down on extra oil, and comes out tender and juicy, ready to be finished off with fresh lime zest and chopped cilantro. Because this recipe is really for a simple marinade, it can be used to dress up chicken in almost any dish… chop it up for over a salad, serve it over pasta, rice, quinoa, or throw some pieces into some tacos for a fun weeknight meal. 

This marinade is made of ingredients that are super affordable, and often, all you need to head to the store for is for fresh limes and cilantro. Limes are often on sale at produce markets for fairly cheap prices - this week Safeway had them on sale at 3 for $0.99! You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken - breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. I prefer thighs, even though breasts are healthier and have more protein. If you’re just starting to play with different chicken recipes, I’d suggest cooking up some chicken thighs! You can hardly mess them up :) So let’s get cookin, this one’s a fun one.

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Corned Beef with Roasted Cabbage, Balsamic Carrots & Mashed Red Potatoes

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Corned Beef with Roasted Cabbage, Balsamic Carrots & Mashed Red Potatoes

Growing up, my grandma always baked her corned beef with a crust of mustard and brown sugar. I’ve also heard about a ton of people boiling their brisket in ginger ale, which adds a little sweetness to balance out the brininess of the meat. I decided to combine these two techniques, and see how it would come out. I thought that it would bring tons of flavor to the brisket. 

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Crispy Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey

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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 :) 

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Perfect Roasted Chicken

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Perfect Roasted Chicken

I’ve been thinking about recipes for Father’s Day… and everything that comes to mind when you think about celebrating Dad is meat. Grilled meat, marinaded meat, burgers, ribs…chicken. Roasted chicken is mouthwatering. Crispy, salty skin, moist and tender meat that literally falls off the bone. 

I think that people generally associate roasted chicken with long cook times, dry meat, and overall tediousness. Or, you’ve tried roasting chicken and end up with soggy skin. My two-step process for perfect roasted chicken is fail-proof and guarantees crisp skin and delicious chicken. I’ve shared this recipe on the blog before, but I figured that I would feature it again since it was one of my very first recipes. 

So give it a try, treat dad or your family to a comforting meal that can be served with any side dish, can top a salad, be added to pasta, or be packed for lunch the next day. It’s easier than you think :)