Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I have never met a pasta that I didn't like.  Honestly, I can't think of a single one.  But this pasta, this one is up there with a really good Carbonara, or a Cacio E Peppe, or a Spaghetti al Pomodoro (like this OMG).  It's made with Fusilli (but you could sub in any pasta you have on hand), a ton of fresh lemon juice and zest, cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula and a delicious cream sauce (that has 2 cups of heavy cream... just pretend you didn't read that part... FORGET IT NOW).  The recipe calls for broccoli, but I omitted that because, I don't know, I wasn't feeling it that particular night.  That's the beauty of cooking, my friends.  Do what you want!  You the boss.  

(Sorry, I've been watching too much Boss Baby.)

Recipe HERE. 

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

HELLO BLOGGING WORLD!  

Ok, how did I do this again?  This blogging thing?  I would type nonsensical thoughts, you would read them, chuckling loudly while slapping your knees, there were food photos, recipes... ok, it's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now.  There were moments of gold and there were FLASHES OF LIGHT.  

I haven't forgotten about you, it's just we were out west for eleventy days (my favorite not-a-number), and as my kids get older it seems to be taking them longer and longer to adjust back to their accustomed time zone.  My son becomes a teenager, staying up too late and playing dead in the morning (like seriously, I know you can feel that I've just ripped the blankets off your body and I know you can see the sunlight burning through your closed eyelids as I've just violently opened the shades).  My middle child decides to pick 8pm to run laps around the house, wearing three winter coats (??), until I finally decide to give her a leeeeeeeeetle Benadryl (hahahahahahahaha, kidding).  My toddler keeps waking up with night terrors... first, there was a "bird" in her bed and the next night a "crab" (I won't go there).  Needless to say, I am a walking asleep person...

...but I haven't forgotten about you.

In fact, I've made the same dinner the last 3 nights in a row in an attempt to get more photos so I can post the recipe, but somehow I just have one?  Remember how I said I was a walking asleep person? 

Alas!  It's time for me to just POST it already.  Because it's so delicious, and because you deserve it.  It's basically a chicken and rice bowl on top of arugula and topped with various yummy things, and it's based on a dish called 'Le Bowl' from a restaurant called Zinque in Los Angeles.  I toss the chicken in a little mayo and sriracha, which is why I'm calling it spicy, and if you watch "Sing" as much as I do, then you just heard Gunther the pig in your head.  Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

Servings: 2 bowls

Printable Recipe

2 cups arugula

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups roasted chicken, shredded

Sriracha sauce

Mayonaise 

Shaved Manchego cheese (or Parmesan)

1/2 avocado, diced

Cherry tomatoes, diced

Corn shredded off the cob

Divide the arugula and brown rice among two bowls.  In another small bowl, add chicken and desired amounts of mayo and sriracha (I do about 1 Tbsp mayo and 1 heaping tsp sriracha), stir together.  Top each bowl with chicken, cheese, avocado, tomatoes and corn.  Drizzle some more olive oil and more hot sauce (if desired) on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper!   

TODAY tonight: Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese

Goooooood morning, Internet!  I'm back with another TODAY tonight, which is a series where I make something at home that Carson ate at work and absolutely loved, mostly just to get him to shut up about it.  Just kidding!  I love hearing him talk!  Anyway, after he tried this Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese (along with the gruyere and caramelized onion one) he said it was probably the best thing he's ever eaten on the show, and that Matt Lauer shared similar sentiments.  That's a pretty good review, if you ask me.  We had some friends over this weekend so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it and it, was, delicious.  Delicious enough to use commas inappropriately.  It's made with smoked gouda and pepperjack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and seasoned with cayenne and paprika... which all contribute to the most wonderful smoky flavor.  And it doesn't hurt that you use bacon fat to make the roux.  Definitely try it at your next gathering, especially if you're a bacon fan, and if you try the other one please send me your thoughts!   

Recipe HERE.

Buddha Bowls

I'm still not exactly sure what a Buddha Bowl is.  I saw this article on Buzzfeed and became intrigued.  I think they are supposed to be hearty bowls full of raw or roasted veggies and healthy grains that make our bellies so full we end up looking like little buddhas.  Does that sound right?  While I'm not sure I want to look pregnant when I'm not, I am on board with hearty and delicious bowls of goodness, aren't you?  So I made my own with brown wild rice, roasted kale, broccolini and sweet potato, crunchy seasoned garbanzo beans and avocado.  While a lot of these bowls have a tahini-based sauce, for this I simply drizzled some good olive oil and sriracha on top of the finished dish and it, was, sublime.      

To get a nice crunch on the garbanzo beans, it helps to remove there outer skin.  This is tedious, I won't lie.  I'm weird, however, and enjoyed it... but I also enjoy pulling every single last hair out of a hairbrush.  I'd even enjoy it if it was your hairbrush.  Yeah, I'm weird AND disgusting.  Anyway, it helps to rinse the chickpeas (garbanzos, is their a difference?) under water while removing the outer layer with your fingers and discarding in the sink.  Trust me, make a double batch of these for snacking... they are delicious and much healthier than playing with stranger's hairbrushes. 

Buddha Bowls 

Makes 2 bowls

Printable Recipe

1 bunch kale (I used black kale), stems removed and chopped

2 cups diced sweet potato

1 bunch broccolini, stems removed

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and outer skins removed

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups cooked wild rice or brown rice

1 avocado, halved and sliced

Olive oil and hot sauce for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, place sweet potatoes, kale and broccolini.  Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes, flipping veggies halfway through.  Remove, cover with foil and set aside.  In the meantime, place garbanzo beans in a bowl and add cumin, chili powder, salt and minced garlic.  Toss to coat.  In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add beans and saut� for 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until beans have a nice crunch.  To assemble bowls, add rice first, then roasted veggies, beans and avocado.  Sprinkle with olive oil, hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Lasagna Bolognese

 I've been gone for a long time.  What have I been up to?  We went to California, my husband won a golf tournament...

Also I made lasagna!   

You can find the recipe HERE.  Now listen up, people, I DID NOT MAKE MY OWN LASAGNA NOODLES like the recipe calls for.  I bought the kind in a box, and boiled them for 4 minutes and then rinsed them under cold water.  I baked the lasagna for about 40 minutes (the first 20 lightly covered with foil).  Maybe I'll make my own noodles the next time I make this, OR, in...oh...16 years when I'm an empty nester and actually have time.  Probably the latter, because did you know kids totally and utterly consume your life?  At least they're cute and worth it.  Do you know what else is worth consuming?  (That makes it sound like I eat my kids.)  THIS LASAGNA.  Yum.  

Check back next week for some Oscar-worthy appetizers!  Also, tune into Kathie Lee and Hoda on Tuesday for some yummy casserole recipes :)

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio with Kale

Anyone else feel like comfort eating today?  Make this for dinner and don't look back.  It's simple, hearty and delicious.  Plus, it's full of kale, so it's practically like eating a green smoothie.  One bummer when I made it last night: I forgot to reserve some pasta water that would have aided in making the sauce all thick and creamy.  In fact, I almost threw myself down the garbage disposal to retrieve the starchy water.  But then I didn't do that, and I moved on with my life.  It was still superb, and I highly recommend it.  Happy, healthy, SAFE weekends, my friends.

Recipe HERE

Crispy Tortellini Bites

How are your holiday breaks going?  Are you eating a tremendous amount of food and frying things for a midday snack like us?  My sister dragged me to my first ever Soul Cycle experience today and I thought I was going to die.  My body was like, "LOL you crazy fool, you've had 17 pounds of beef, chocolate and vodka over the past week, HOPE YOU'RE HAVING FUN!"  Oh well, the new year is right around the corner and then we'll all hit the gym and eat nothing but kale and drink gallons of water, right?  Riiiiight.  In the meantime, let's keep frying things!

These crispy tortellini bites are AMAZE BALLS.  They are also very easy to make, although slightly time consuming because you have to work in batches.  However, SO worth it.  It's as simple as making tortellini according to the package, coating it in an egg, flour, panko mixture and lightly frying it them in oil.  Serve alongside marinara for dipping and sprinkle parsley on top for color!    

Recipe HERE.

Have the Happiest, Healthiest New Year's Eve - see ya in 2017 :)

TODAY tonight: Pumpkin & Sausage Lasanga

Mid-mornings in our house go something like this.  Carson comes home from the Today Show, telling me all about what he's just eaten.  "Oh my god, Ina was on today and she made filet mignon with a creamy mustard sauce and it was the most incredible thing I've ever eaten."  And my reply?  "I found a half-eaten piece of frozen waffle by the fireplace and I ate that.  It was dusty."  But, pathetic breakfast aside, I do appreciate his opinion because sometimes I see food on TV and I'm not sure if it will translate at home.  Well, a few weeks ago he came home raving about this lasagna made with a creamy, cheesy pumpkin sauce.  He knows I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, especially if the flavor is strong, but he insisted I'd love this.  He was right!  Don't tell him.

I LOVED this lasagna.  The pumpkin isn't overwhelming, but it turns this dish into fall comfort food at it's best, with help from flavors like a dash of nutmeg and fresh sage.  It will feed an army, so make it for a World Series game or Halloween or the Circus (election night).     

Recipe here.

*Side note, I made this for a dinner party that I ended up canceling because my son caught the stomach bug.  I thought it was probably irresponsible to serve food with a side of lysol.  Oh, and if you're wondering if my daughters ended up getting sick, yes they did.  At the same time, and I can't decide if I like that better or worse than staggering the illness.  

Stomach Bug for President!  I'm delirious.     

Cheesy Green Rice Casserole

There was a time in my life when my younger sister and I lived together, and we ate chicken and rice every night.  We usually threw in some onions and green bell peppers, and there was always cheddar cheese on top.  We would start with a small helping and then we would go back for more, and more and more, because we are sisters, and we are the same.  We usually drank Bacardi and Diet Coke as well, and we watched stupid television.  I can actually taste all of this as I type.  Especially the rum.  

This cheesy rice casserole reminded me a little of our chicken and rice nights.  Maybe because it was very simple to make?  Comfort food at it's best?  Or maybe because it's a casserole, and my sister and I come from the Land of Casseroles (aka Midwest).  All I know is I LOVED this.  It's the perfect thing to make if you have a lot of leftover rice (or if you have the "boil in a bag" kind like me).  And while I added finely diced broccoli and peas, you could really throw anything in here.  Cubed ham, bell peppers, onions, chicken, etc.  The result will be the same delicious, cheesy dish.  I used a can of coconut milk, but I'm sure you could substitute that with 2 cups of regular milk, however I loved the subtle flavor the coconut milk offered.  Make this tonight!  And drink some rum with your sister.

Cheesy Green Rice Casserole
(Serves 8-10)
Printable recipe

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups broccoli, finely diced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated cheddar
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together rice, broccoli, peas, coconut milk and cream cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle with grated cheddar.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.

One-Pot Pasta + Black Bean Brownies

Let's talk about friends for a second.  There are so many different kinds... the friends you've had since you were little, the ones that you don't see much but when you do can pick up right where you left off, the mom friends that just GET IT, and the ones you meet later in life but you instantly feel like you've known them forever.  One is silver and the other gold, or something like that.  Anyway, I have only known Savannah Guthrie for a couple of years, but it seems like much longer.  She just GETS it, and is a pretty amazing human being as well.  Just look at how I'm cuddled next to her in the photo below, completely ignoring my husband...   

It's always fun cooking with her (AND Carson) - if you missed the One-Pot Mexican Pasta and the Black Bean Brownies I made yesterday morning, you can find the recipes here and here.

Photos by Nathan Congleton

Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo

Is anyone else excitedly pulling out their slow cooker in anticipation of fall?!  I am, however I pull it out all year long (best tool for when it's hot and humid outside).  The other day I was obsessing over crockpot recipes when I found this one and decided to make it right away.  The best part?  I had all the ingredients!  Because more than half of them are canned... easiest thing ever.  Also, most delicious thing ever.  We served it as a side at a BBQ but it would also be perfect for the main dish with a salad or green veggie.  And my two-year-old ate it!  Success!

Ok, back to giving myself M&M's for going pee pee in the potty in an attempt to get that two-year-old interested...  

Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo

Recipe adapted from here

Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

2 15 oz. can mild enchilada sauce

1 4.5 oz. can green chiles, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can corn kernels, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup vegetable broth, or more as needed

4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 heaping cup shredded Mexican cheese

2 cups uncooked orzo

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: cilantro, avocado, jalape�os, green onions

Place tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chiles, black beans, corn, vegetable broth, cream cheese and shredded cheese in the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours.  Add orzo and cook for another 30 minutes.  Add more vegetable broth if necessary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with optional toppings.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

At first glance, doesn't that sort of look like cheesy garlic bread?  WELL IT'S NOT!  Oh, you gathered that because the title of this post is "Spaghetti Squash Bolognese"??  Stop rubbing your smart brains in our faces.  But you're right, this is spaghetti squash that is roasted first and then topped with a ground turkey-based marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and roasted again until the cheese gets all bubbly and golden.  It's very simple to make (although I always make Carson slice the squash in half as I fear for the safety of my fingers) and easily would feed a family of 4 if not more.      

You can find the recipe HERE.

*I would feel remiss not to bring up the recent terror attacks in France.  A friend of mine who is an American citizen living there summed up how I've been feeling lately by writing... "it's like a bad dream, the kind you want to shake off when you wake up with a hug from your partner or kids."  I wish I could understand, or provide answers, especially because my son is old enough to ask questions, but instead I feel confused, frustrated, lost and tired.  And oddly, I keep thinking about these people who carry out such acts of hatred, and I keep imagining them as babies.  Innocent little babies, with their lives in front of them.  I want to wrap them up in my arms, and I want to love them.  Is that just the strangest thing?  I don't know, I guess it helps me to believe that love will always win.

One Pot Mexican Pasta

Everyone always assumes that because I write a food blog and cook a lot, my kids must be fabulous eaters.  EHHHHHH.  (That's the sound of an annoying buzzer.)  WRONG!  I have picky, picky eaters.  Right around 18 months, each of them have rejected all foods that are healthy (I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture).  It's hard!  I've felt everything from frustration, anger, shame and embarrassment over it.  But on my good days, I realize... they are still growing, they won't be like this forever, and so I go about trying and sneaking, sneaking and trying.  Trying new foods, and when that doesn't work, sneaking them into their meals.  (*Ordinarily, that photo above would be much more beautiful with cilantro, green onions or jalape�os sprinkled on top... but, green things, yeah.)   

Cue this cheesy, one-pot Mexican pasta with a whole lot of, wait for it, SQUASH!  I sneak frozen squash into the ground turkey and it sort of melts into the dish, creating a slightly sweet counterbalance to the spicier Mexican flavors.  Obviously, the best part about this dish is you can make it in under 30 minutes in ONE pot.  And another great thing about this recipe?  I used Chickpea Pasta for some added protein and fiber, which also makes it gluten-free!  (Of course, you can use any pasta that you would like).  My son and toddler loved it. The stubborn middle child?  Well, we had a 1950's style showdown.  She sat there, crying, begging for a treat, resisting even ONE bite, and I held firm and drank a bottle of rose by myself.  

One Pot Mexican Pasta

Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 pkg. taco seasoning

12 oz. frozen squash, thawed

8 oz. pasta

2 cups chicken stock

1 8 oz. jar taco sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the ground turkey, and cook until no longer pink.  Add the taco seasoning and squash, and cook for a few more minutes, until everything is combined.  Add the pasta, chicken stock and taco sauce and bring to a boil.  Stir everything up, cover the pot, lower to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.  Uncover, add cheese, and simmer until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened.  I added a little more cheese on the top before serving.  Top with anything you like!  

*This sort of tasted like a delicious, homemade Hamburger Helper!  

Spinach and Shrimp Risotto + TODAY

Ohhhh, here we are again.  Morning time.  For those of you with kids, when you hear that pre-6am "mama, mama, mama, mama," do you ever think, hmm, maybe today the breakfast fairy will whisk them out of bed and change their diapers and prepare a meal and I will be able to sleep for another 20 minutes.  Do you ever think that?  Yeah, me neither, that's weird and silly.  Anyways...

We're up!  And it's all good.  I actually needed to get up early to prepare for Father's Day weekend, which is also Carson's birthday weekend, so tonight I'm baking him a cake and I can't wait to share it with you next week.  In the meantime, if you missed my Father's Day segment with Carson on the Today Show yesterday, you can find all the recipes here.  Easy surf and turf... our kind of meal!

p.s.  That is a risotto my mom made while she was visiting last week.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!  She followed this recipe but added peas and pancetta (the latter she cooked in the beginning and added at the end).  I hope you all have lovely weekends celebrating the dads in your lives!  Go dads!  

Teriyaki Salmon Bowl with Crispy Kale

When we eat salmon - and we eat it a lot - almost always Carson throws it on the grill (with this seasoning, yum).  While we obviously love it, doing the same thing can feel redundant so I've been searching for ways to shake up our salmon routine.  Ugh, I feel really old when I say things like "shake up our salmon routine."  Anyway.  Via the world wide web, I've been seeing a lot of salmon bowls lately, so I decide to create my own.  It came out great and was very easy to throw together!  Can I just tell you what I did instead of writing a recipe?  Pleeeeeeease?  Thanks, I'm tired.

I preheated my oven to 400 degrees.  About 30 minutes prior to baking my salmon, I threw it in a plastic bag with about a cup of my favorite teriyaki sauce to marinate.  While those flavors blended together in the fridge, I tossed my washed and chopped kale in about a teaspoon of sesame oil and sprinkled it with salt.  I placed that on a baking sheet lined with foil, and baked for 10-15 minutes, then I set it aside in a bowl.  When I was ready to bake the salmon, I placed it on that same baking sheet and baked it for about 10 minutes.  While that was baking, I saut�ed some shiitake mushrooms in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil until golden brown.  I served the fish, mushrooms and kale with some cooked brown rice and avocado.  

By the way, this would have been even more yummy with Sriracha drizzled over the top but I couldn't find my Sriracha WHO STOLE MY SRIRACHA?!  I'm blaming you. 

TODAY tonight: Cacio e Pepe

On this episode of "TODAY: tonight" - where I recreate something Carson ate at work and loved more than his wife and kids (just kidding) - I'm showing off this cheesy, peppery, SIMPLE AF pasta dish that only requires 3 ingredients.  Three!  Pasta, pepper and cheese, and, you know, a little bit of olive oil and water... but that doesn't count.  It couldn't be easier and yet there are definitely crucial steps, like cooking the pasta until al dente, reserving the pasta water for the sauce, using course ground pepper and really good cheese.  If you do those things, you will truly love this dish.  Perfect for a night when you have no other plans for dinner... just serve with a salad and crusty bread and you're done!  Check out the recipe here.

Green Mac & Cheese

I swear to God, my children once ate vegetables.  They ate fruit, and healthy grains, and fish and lean meats and foods that came in all different shapes, sizes, textures and COLORS.  Then, each of them hit 18 months, and they were all, "nah... OVER IT... I'll just eat chips and Skittles until I'm out of college and my palate returns to normal, thanks."  My son (who turns SEVEN today!) was always a little better (maybe because I had time to actually focus on one, single child?) but my girls are trying to turn me into a mental patient.  As a mom, I keep trying.  That's my job, to feed them healthy foods.  So I keep trying.  Like yesterday, I made this Green Mac & Cheese, assuming I could trick them into thinking a magical leprechaun turned it that color.  That's fun, right?!  

Me: Hahahahahahaha, look lasses and laddy, a wee little leprechaun has played a trick on us, ohhhhh, aren't we lucky little Irish children!?!

Them: (Blank, disgusted stares)

Cut to THREE different-sized meltdowns over dinner.  My middle kid ran from the table, the baby just screamed "all done, all done, all done, all done" and my seven-year-old took a bite, plugging his nose and choking back tears, like I was feeding him poison.  

My take on this creamy, cheesy pasta full of pureed spinach and broccoli (which I decided to throw into the blender with the spinach so there were NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF VEGETABLES)... it's delicious.  It's so, so good.  Carson loved it as well.  Which is good, because we will be eating it for lunch every day this week.  You should make it too, because your kids are probably better than mine.

Recipe!

*Look, I even melted cut-up string cheese on the top because I ran out of cheddar and I wanted it to be EXTREMELY GOOEY AND CHEESY.  

Minnesota Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

If someone asks me where I'm from, I always say Minnesota.  Technically, I was born in California, and then I spent a big chunk of time in Connecticut before moving to the Midwest when I was 9 years old.  I lived in Minnesota until I graduated high school and never moved back, not even 10 years spent there and yet, I still feel like that's where I'm "from."  Sometimes I wonder why that is?  Is it because most of my concrete memories are from that time?  Or because I formed so many close friendships that are still strong today?  Maybe it's because I called soda "pop" for many years, or because I still crave Bruegger's Bagels even though I can get a true east coast one whenever I want.  Or is it because my mom still lives there, in the same house we grew up in?  (Even though she's slooooowly spring cleaning, packing up, and asking us if we want Dumbo on VHS.) 

It's probably all of those things and more... so whenever something is associated with Minnesota, I feel a certain alliance with it, like this recipe.  Oh, a Minnesota Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup?  Well, I'm FROM THERE, so I need to make it.  Also, I will make anything with caramelized mushrooms and heavy cream.  This was SO GOOD.  Rich, creamy, hearty... proving us Minnesotans know how to eat.  I mean, we fry Snickers bars and put them on a stick and sell them at our state fair, duh.