Category: Main

Sriracha Chicken Salad

Lately, my legs are adjusting to the long forgotten sensation known as sunshine. They’re happy to be out and I’m eager to get them into shape for beaches and skirts. I finally get to eat outside again and no one is taking that away from me for another five months.

Currently, I am waiting for invites to picnics at the park, or any kind of lunch invite, really. I’m not picky as long as I get to be outside soaking in the rays. My mind is already daydreaming of the Cape and other shenanigans. (more…)

May 9, 2015
Sesame Veggie Soba

Despite a little wind and a few sprinkles here and there, spring has finally made its way into New England. No more snow, and days that only grow longer and longer until summer.

I’m ready to jump into my sandals and race to the park for a picnic. In another week or so, I’ll also be racing to the farmers’ market to browse this season’s green offerings. There is no greater joy for me than celebrating the warm seasons with fresh produce and healthy living.

(more…)

April 28, 2015
Grilled Cheese Deluxe

I’m going to talk about a place that doesn’t exist anymore… a tiny mecca called Rachel’s Kitchen in Bay Village of Boston. They were owned by wife and husband Rachel and Alon. They also made the best sandwiches ever, but they’ve since moved on to bigger things. Now, Mike & Patty’s has taken over the space and they make some mouthwatering sammies as well.

(more…)

April 12, 2015
Creamy Tomato Bisque

One of the most exciting things about cooking is finding a recipe you love and then tweaking it around. Letting your intuition and taste buds guide you into new, but familiar territory. At the end of that culinary journey, you pleasantly find that your instincts have done well and created something spectacular.

A lot of my recipes are developed that way – cooking through other people’s works and then undoing it for my sake. I think that’s the heart of the creative process – acquire what skills you need and then unlearn all of that to build something new. It’s so exciting this way.

(more…)

March 25, 2015
Caramelized Onion Pasta Sauce

My absolute favorite thing to do in the kitchen isn’t just to bake or cook, or even eat (gasp!). What I truly love to do is to experiment. Sorry Mom, but I just really love to play with my food.

Because really, creating new recipes is so much fun. It’s a chance to channel your inner mad scientist. When I’m working on a recipe, I tweak one thing, try it again, take notes, tweak another thing, take more notes, cackle victoriously, tweak tweak tweak, eat eat eat. By the end I’m usually covered in butter and ready for a nap, but hopefully I’ve at least learned something new and created something delicious. Experimenting with baking is easier to me because all the ratios of ingredients can only be changed in certain ways, so I have more control over everything.

(more…)

March 20, 2015
Mushroom and Leek Quinoa

Happy 2015!

I’m sure you guys are bombarded with New Year’s resolutions and what not. It’s almost impossible not to feel the pressure from our social media newsfeed. Meanwhile, I’ve been indulging in Netflix marathons. I’m only human.

To lessen my guilt of binge watching everything, I have made this dish to guide me onto the path of fitness inspiration. This quinoa recipe is made with roasted mushrooms, sautéed leeks with garlic, and toasted almonds – all wonderful ingredients to nourish a new you. The mushrooms taste similar to crispy pork skins after roasting them – a trick I learned from a chef. The garlicky leeks are amazing and I could eat these all day.

This dish also helps me miss summer less – these are ingredients I’d buy weekly at the farmers’ market. Since the days are slowly getting longer again, consider this post my countdown to springtime.

This is a delicious way to start the New Year with no compromise on taste. (more…)

January 5, 2015
Turkey Kale Hash

So after my favorite holiday comes my favorite leftovers. For Thanksgiving I make extras of everything just so I can have a ton of food to ‘snack’ on later. I am shameless about this and this is why I stay in a food coma for about a week after Turkey Day has passed.

However, I do occasionally grow tired of eating the exact same plate of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This dish is a lighter take on brunch while utilizing what you may already have in the fridge from the big feast. I suppose this is a way to ease myself out of guilt when I go back to injecting stuffing and mashed potatoes into my veins.

Don’t feel limited to only using the ingredients I have listed below. Go scavenge for whatever is left in the refrigerator and then throw it altogether like a wiz. This is merely a suggestion.

Go wild.

– W. (more…)

November 30, 2014
Mushroom Gravy with Herb Buttered Chicken

That holiday with the turkey and the family is just around the corner and I could not be more excited. I love any excuse that encourages me to over-indulge on food without any morsel of guilt. Well, not entirely.

For me, gravy is kind of a big deal. It’s that side dish that goes well with everything: turkey, mashed potatoes, chicken, rice, all of it. Gravy adds a special, classic touch to the Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe is very hearty and easy to make.

Gravy can seem a little intimidating at first because it is a step-by-step process and it requires some patience. But once you break down this recipe, you’ll see how simple gravy really is. I’m separating this into two parts since you can’t start the gravy without any fat. Besides, you can totally use this method for another type of poultry in ten more days.

(more…)

November 17, 2014
Rosemary Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti

Imagine this: It’s date night and it is getting colder and colder outside. Are you too lazy to go out to a restaurant but still want a nice sit-down meal? Now imagine this: you can make your own delicious, gourmet meal for your date. Be the hero and cook up this delicious pasta dish for a date or a lucky friend.

Fun fact: I have always loved seafood – my mother introduced me to all kinds of adventurous eating while I was growing up. She’s a lucky lady, too, because she was blessed with a daughter who would clear the plate and ask for seconds. For that reason, I don’t remember my first experience with shrimp but I know shrimp always meant a good meal. To complete the circle of life, my mom will eat anything I make if it comes from the sea.

This shrimp spaghetti is simply a variation of a pasta I already make all the time. The ingredients are very traditional and there are no weird surprises here. However, I highly recommend using fresh herbs and peppercorn for this little number. The herbs really serve as the binding flavors for everything here from the fresh lemon to the succulent shrimp. I gently encourage you to use freshly grounded peppercorn because it does make a difference in aroma and in the kick.

Let’s get it on.

-W. (more…)

November 12, 2014
Fresh Semolina Pasta

The best advice I’ve ever gotten is something we’ve all heard before:

Fake it ’til you make it.

I was a shy little intern at my first bakery job when the Chef there casually threw this tiny phrase at me, and I don’t think he realized how much I would take it to heart. Because of this offhanded advice, I started to fake the necessary confidence and “make it”. I became a real baker there after my internship, and actually felt sure of myself rather than fearful that I would burn the whole place to the ground.

The beauty of “fake it ’til you make it” is that it can even be applied ability, particularly when it comes to being in the kitchen.

And that’s where this pasta comes in.

Before embarking on the mission to make homemade pasta, I assumed the process would be insanely complicated and require the skills and dexterity of a wise Italian nonna.

What I found was that it’s just a long process, but actually relatively simple. Sure I hit some road bumps along the way, but nothing that I couldn’t overcome with the help of a quick Google search. Even then I still had no clue what I was doing – all I had was the confidence that I could figure it out.

What I discovered was that the best homemade pasta is made with real semolina, not plain old all-purpose flour. Most of the pasta recipes I saw out there call for all-purpose because it’s easy, but AP flour just isn’t strong enough for pasta, and in my opinion, lacks true pasta flavor. You can find semolina at most health food stores, or online (I got mine from King Arthur Flour). Not to mention there are many other uses for it beyond this pasta.

I’ll even let you in on a secret: I had to make this pasta at least seven times before I got my recipe right. Even after switching from AP to semolina, I messed up in every possible way, which is great – now I can warn you about all the possible pasta pitfalls.

Ready? Let’s do this.

(more…)

October 28, 2014