With the arrival of warm weather, the grills start firing up. Walking around my condo complex I can smell the different meats and marinades-it makes my mouth water! The grill is great for healthy eating and it gives flavor to your proteins and veggies that cannot be substituted on the stove. While Kyle was out…
Caramelized Onion Turkey Burger
For a long time the idea of a turkey burger, for lack of a better phrase, grossed me out. I can’t explain it, but it just didn’t sound appetizing. Maybe because for years my father has repeatedly told us the ONLY bad meal my mother ever made in 30 years of marriage was turkey meatloaf….
Spinach Stuffed Filet of Sole
This is a very straightforward dish inspired by Italian flavors and made for the fish lover. It’s very easy to make and you can adapt the stuffing ingredients to whatever your heart desires! It’s also very healthy and satisfying. INGREDIENTS 4 pieces filet of sole Fresh spinach 1 shallot 3 cloves garlic 1-2 tbsp of whole…
Spicy Italian Baked Zucchini Chips
I often am looking for a salty and crunchy snack in the afternoon or after dinner late night. Sweets don’t do it for me: I need the salt. Given that zucchini is a vegetable and you are baking them (rather than frying) this recipe is a smart alternative to the typical fried potato chip or…
Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burger
I love burgers especially those huge juicy, cheesy ones topped with tons of fun things! However, I am always willing to try new things–especially if means a healthy alternative. In anticipation of our vacation next week, I decided to stick with low carb and low-calorie meals. For that reason I opted to rest the burger…
Prosciutto Bread
Prosciutto bread has been in our family for years and usually shows up on Christmas Eve courtesy of my aunt Joyce. A few years ago I tried making it at home with my cousin and we changed up the recipe. No matter what ingredients you choose, it is easy to make and it is decadent….
Shrimp Fried Quinoa
Fried rice is one of my favorite take out items. I can’t imagine it’s that great for you so why not put a healthy quick on it and make it at home. I made this “fried rice” with quinoa and lots of veggies. Feel free to use any vegetables you like or have on hand….
Black Bean Soup
Black bean soup has been on my food bucket list for a while now. (Yes, I have a food bucket list– which includes foods that I have never attempted to make. i.e. crab cakes, sushi, homemade ravioli, etc). Black beans are good for you and I happen to love them. And loving black beans is…
French Toast Sandwich with Sauteed Bananas and Peanut Butter
This Saturday morning when I walked into the kitchen I saw bananas and bread. I got inspired to do something different. I’m more of an egg and cheese sandwich kind of girl but Kyle loves peanut butter and french toast so I got to experimenting. This was super easy to make and a nice weekend…
Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli and Cheese
I fell in love with spaghetti squash a few winters ago and made it almost weekly coming up with different recipes. There are so many ways you can use it–essentially you can substitute almost any spaghetti recipe. When you are watching your carb intake it’s a filling and warm winter meal! No, it’s not the…
Italian Garlic Bread with a Twist
Garlic bread is simple and delicious comfort food. No matter how you make it, garlic with bread and oil or butter is going to be amazing. But, there is a way to fancy it up a bit if you are so inclined. Where we grew up there was an Italian market where we always ordered…
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to do with chicken. It can get boring. One night after staring in my fridge for a few minutes analyzing ingredients I put together this pretty quick meal. It can be varied with different flavors. I went Greek but you can certainly use any kind of cheese you…
Mom’s Perfectly Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Growing up chicken cutlets were a delicious treat for dinner in our house as mom didn’t fry many things. This year for her birthday, Mom had a craving so we made her perfect chicken cutlets and served them in the perfect chicken cutlet sandwich. You can use this chicken to make chicken parmesan, you can…
French Onion Soup with Truffle-Salted Croutons and Gruyere CheeseS
French onion soup is one of the only soups Kyle will enjoy so it’s a natural go to on a fall or winter day. There are many ways to make this soup and I tried to lighten it up by using half the amount of butter normally used. Substituting with a tablespoon of olive oil…
Weeknight Bolognese with Whole Wheat Shells
Meat sauce is a great Sunday dinner: you can make it in the afternoon and let it simmer all day until you are ready to eat. The flavors only get better the longer it cooks. But meat sauce can also be a quick and easy week night meal that you can throw together after a…
Cioppino
Cioppino is pretty much a fish stew. Contrary to popular belief, cioppino did not originate in Italy but is an Italian-American dish. It’s traditionally made from the catch of the day, so you should use fish you can get fresh (and hopefully local when possible). Typically the seafood is combined with tomatoes in a wine…
Caramelized Onion Tomato Sauce
My friend Sarah participated in a CSA this year that gives her locally grown produce every week. She gave me a bag of tomatoes she couldn’t get through that were absolutely delicious. It’s rare to get a really good tomato anymore so when I do, I will usually just sprinkle salt on it and eat…
Fettuccine con Pesto
In continuing my theme of using ingredients from the garden, my friend Alex and I recently made pesto sauce. It’s a great time of year to make pesto and it is extremely easy to make. You can switch up ingredients depending what you have on hand making it a very versatile recipe. My favorite kind…
Potato Salad Two Ways
I love the summertime for all the fresh produce readily accessible. Fairfield county has numerous farmers markets and many of my family members have their own gardens. This weekend we went to Kyle’s parents house and his mom sent me home with a large shopping bag full of red potatoes, onions, cucumbers, kale and string beans…
Eggplant Balls
Italians are very familiar with meatballs, it’s part of our vocab from the time we can form words. “Eggplant balls” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. They could really use a new name. But ever since I saw Giada make these I couldn’t get them off my mind. They are crunchy on the outside, tender…
Poached Egg Parmesan
The Effrens have gotten very creative with eggs over the years. We will put a fried egg on almost anything so we can call it breakfast. But we do have some go to egg dishes that are always extraordinary and this is one of them. Here is our fathers day breakfast Mom and I made…
Italian Pasta Salad for your next BBQ
It’s easy to get bored of the same old pasta salad with celery and mayo. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious and I make it all the time but when you start spending your summer weekends at one or two BBQs, you want something new. This is a very simple recipe that relies on fresh…
Grilled Vegetable Quinoa
I love grilled vegetables, especially in the summer. You can eat them as a side, add them to a pasta dish, put them in a fajita, mix them with rice, or in this case make a very healthy and inexpensive light summer meal with quinoa. Quinoa is new to me but I have fallen in…
Asian-Inspired Scallops with Bok Choy and Soba Noodles
Tonight I was inspired by a dish Kyle ordered while we were on vacation in Newport, RI. I don’t love scallops but Fluke restaurant served the best scallops I ever had. They were simply amazing. So I decided to give them another shot with a very simple preparation. Since they are so simple I wanted…
Texas Caviar
This is a recipe I cannot take credit for. My friend Alexandra made it for me on my birthday two years ago and we fell in love with it. Because it’s so healthy and versatile I started making it for family parties. Turns out they love it too. It is somewhat of a bizarre recipe….
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