I am a fan of all sorts of cheeses: hard, melted, fondue, spreadable– you name it. But by far my favorite is the kind that oozes onto the pan when you’re baking and gets super crispy in the process. You know what I’m talking about. 10 times out of 10 I am going to pick…
Eggplant Parmesan Dip
How do you reform an eggplant hater? Apparently you slather the stuff in tomato sauce and mozzarella, as I learned with James a few years back. After trying eggplant parm once, he went from pushing away any dish that had the vegetable in it to begging for baba ghanoush every week. We eat a ton of…
White Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
Sure, at first glance, it may just look like a big dish of tender pasta, creamy white sauce, and melted cheese, but it’s really so much more than that. Well, actually, that’s pretty much exactly what it is. But there’s also shredded chicken and spinach tucked between each rolled noodle, which both gives it a…
Italian Style Stuffing
Here in New Jersey, Italian-Americans make up almost 18% of the state’s population– surpassed in overall number only by our neighbor to the north, New York. This means that, despite the fact that I have not a drop of Italian blood in me, I’m surrounded by plenty of sources for a peek into Italian-American culture. Or…
Spicy Garlic Crunch Chicken
I went through a bit of a recipe slump recently where I’d think of recipes, write up the ingredients I thought I’d need and their approximate amounts, and then minutes before going to the grocery store, I’d completely change my mind and decide that I didn’t want to make those dishes anymore. And then I’d…
Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
You know what is absolutely disgusting? Cauliflower. … Said I, 4 years ago. I was a vegetable-lover, but cauliflower, with it’s mild-but-nutty-broccoliness, well it just grossed me out. But then! Then I realized that I’d been doing that whole cauliflower thing all wrong. When prepared correctly, it could be absolutely delicious. It could add extra fiber, vitamins,…
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Stuffed Garlic Bread
I hope I never go through another bad break-up. I certainly don’t plan to. But if the unfortunate day comes when I’m licking my emotional wounds while watching Pretty Woman and ugly-crying on the couch, I will break one break-up stereotype: I’ll stay away from the Ben & Jerry’s. I’ll make myself this Spinach and Artichoke Dip…
Chicken and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce
As you might know already from last week’s Sweet and Sour Chicken and Loaded Vegetable Lo Mein, I’m on a takeout-at-home kick this month. When I first decided to do a series of quick, lightened-up versions of fast food and takeout meals, I wasn’t sure of all the dishes I’d wind up trying to replicate, but…
Chicken Cacciatore
When I used to think “date night”, I didn’t think “chicken”.  Medium-rare steaks, juicy pork tenderloin, butter-drenched lobster; sure.  But chicken?  Nah.  It’s just too boring.  Too bland.  Not sexy enough. However, after 3 years of James begging me to make Chicken Cacciatore, I finally caved.  I had eaten it before– a simple meal of tomatoes, peppers,…
Crispy-Skinned Baked Chicken Wings + Honey Chipotle Garlic Sauce
IÂ am not what we’d call “proper” when it comes to table manners. Â I rest my elbows on the table. Â I devour my dinner in record time. Â If I chew on gristle or bone, I’ll stick my hands right in my mouth and pick it out without a second thought. Â When I eat, I can guarantee…
One Pot Greek Chicken Pasta with Creamy Feta Wine Sauce
Back when I was in college, my signature dish was Pasta Greco, an easy-to-make Greek-inspired pasta dish that I adapted from a local restaurant. Â When James and I were in the wee-beginning of our relationship and I was just beginning to realize that I could, in fact, make my own food instead of spending all…
Warm Brussels Sprouts and Kale Bacon Caesar Salad
Last night I went to the Vendor Summit for Kitchen Kapers, so I’m in an especially good mood today. Â If you’ve ever seen “Oprah’s Favorite Things”, then imagine that, just with kitchenware. Â Instead of cars, it’s like “YOU GET A VEGETABLE PEELER, YOU GET A VEGETABLE PEELER, EVERYBODY GETS A VEGETABLE PEELER!” It actually is…
Baked Sweet Chili Garlic Popcorn Chicken
Believe it or not, in between chowing down on all things cheesy or chocolaty that I put up here, I try to make healthy choices. Well, at least sometimes. And I know that a lot of you are right there with me, trying to keep your snacking down and your salad-consumption up. Â However, just because…
Chipotle, Black Bean, and Roasted Garlic Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
I love this combination of flavors so much that I’ve made 4 recipes now using chipotle peppers, black beans, roasted garlic, and sweet potatoes, trying to find the perfect way to use them on the blog. I’ve tried taquitos, soup, and quesadillas, but the recipe that really let all of the tastiness shine was Chipotle,…
Crock Pot White Bean Chicken Chili
We’re half-way through September and we’ve got out feet firmly planted in soup season, which makes me a happy gal.  Is there anything better than slurping up a big bowl of broth-bathed meat, noodles, and veggies? That was a rhetorical question– the answer is yes.  Yes, there is, by a margin.  Her name is Chili. The…
Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne
This is one of those recipes that shows that I’m incapable of making tough decisions.  I had so many ingredients on hand that I was excited to use, but I kept telling myself not to overdo it.  Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, ale, mustard, chicken, bacon, cream, pasta, parmesan, and smoked provolone?  No.  No, I couldn’t… (Spoiler alert: Yes, I…
