Ambitious Deliciousness – Dont Eat Lazy.

I wanted to share about my very first butternut squash gnocchi making experience with y’all. Gnocchi, for those of you who might not know, is a pasta usually made of boiled potatoes and flour, with countless variations, from ricotta cheese to fresh spinach!

The end result is supposed to be pillowy, chewy bites of butternut squash goodness, dressed with a light tomato sauce. My version ended up being a gooey, flavorless blob of dough instead.

Next time, I will try the pan frying method instead. I would also use at least 1 potato for its starch texture. The only redeeming part? The sauce came out wonderfully flavorful and light, I ended up cooking some regular pasta as to not waste such great tasting sauce.

Do you have a favorite gnocchi recipe? If so, please share in the comments!

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Hope everyone had an abundant holiday with family and friends! I feel as though I’ve gained about 5 pounds in the past two weeks, which is quite terrible news for a bride-to-be. It’s time for me to shape up and get back into the routine of healthy eating and exercising!

Here is a photo of a quick and easy pasta dish I made using leftover cherry tomatoes, ham, cheese, along with a lemon I found in the back of my fridge. I did not expect these flavors to complement each other so well but they did! The pine nuts added a nutty note, along with a crunchy textural contrast.

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Most of my weeknight meals consist of very basic things, such as soba noodles or brown rice and eggs. During the week, it’s rather difficult to make anything that requires a lot of preparation, especially when I’m famished after a workout and all I want to do is stuff my face!

But once inspiration hits, there’s no stopping me. I’ll plan a menu for days, obsess over which groceries to purchase and read the recipe about a 100 times just to make sure I don’t miss anything. I got this recipe from a blog, and I even went as far as to ask a question in the comments section. (Talk about obsessive!)

I cooked for for my friend Emily, in honor of her 30th birthday, which just so happened to be over a year ago. I know – a whole year later! So Emily, Vince, Dan and I had a wonderful night of eating and enjoying ourselves.

This beautiful dish is inspired by Michael White, owner and executive chef at Marea. He braises baby octopus with homemade sauce, then places it over fresh fusilli, along with extracted bone marrow. I had some frozen bone marrow,  so why not serve it as my main course?

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What’s your favorite comfort food?

I’d bet that for a large number of you, lasagna is the perfect comfort food! Though I’m a fan of lasagna, it’s not something my mom made for me while growing up. If anything, I would say my version of comfort food would definitely be a Korean stew.

Dan and I were in Woodbridge, New Jersey a couple of weekends ago to run an errand. Being a New Yorker, I’m always making some sort of joke about New Jersey (snicker snicker). But not on this day. We ate Chick-Fil-A (yes, I know NYU has one) and stopped by Wegman’s to get groceries! Is it possible to be obsessed with a grocery store? Why, that is a resounding yes! Wegman’s reminds me of my college days in upstate New York and I will always have fond thoughts when it comes to Wegman’s.

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Happy Friday to you!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. And for that, I apologize. I’ve been working really hard to edit a new look and feel for the site, and it’s ALMOST ready for your viewing pleasure. I’m excited to share that I’ll be doing a giveaway once I go live, so stay tuned! I promise the prize is a good one. =)

Is it still technically fall? It sure feels like winter in NYC! In any case, I came across this pumpkin ravioli from Recipe Rhapsody that uses dumpling wrappers. I substituted kabocha squash for pumpkin and really enjoyed this simple yet delicious recipe. I also froze a whole bunch of these for next time!

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This past Tuesday, I attended an event at Unilever Test Kitchen in New Jersey that enabled me to cook my own recipe using Ragu’s brand new pasta sauce. I met a bunch of mommy bloggers, which I thought was interesting, since I don’t have kids (or a husband) for that matter. But everyone was so friendly, which made it easier for me to feel comfortable!

The kind folks putting the event together asked me to send them a recipe so that they can prepare the ingredients. I was talking to my friend Sharon about what to make, and she suggested putting chorizo and pineapple in the pasta sauce. People seemed to really enjoy it, so I was happy. Thanks for the great suggestion!

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This is yet another classic pasta recipe. This was my first time making it but it was a success. It was quick and easy. I made this for D and he enjoyed it, but then again, he’s biased.

I wanted to cook with fresh clams but didn’t have time to scrub those little guys. Instead, I went with the canned kind, along used some white wine for the sauce. As long as you have fresh herbs and garlic, I think you’ll be fine. I didn’t use any cheese in the name of keeping the dish more healthy, but I would highly recommend using at least a little bit to add depth of flavor.

As an appetizer, I went with a no-fail classic: tomatoes with mozzarella and chiffonade basil, fresh cracked pepper and olive oil. Simple, delicious and best of all – doesn’t need heat!

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Happy Independence Day! A special thanks to all those who sacrificed for our freedom. Hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend with family and friends!

Puttanesca is an Italian dish that I’ve always enjoyed but never tried making at home. This dish is begins with some garlic and diced onions, then includes a harmonious blend of flavors from anchovies, capers, and tomatoes. It’s a great alternative regular tomato based sauces, and has a ton of flavor!

My friend J and I made this dish together for dinner, then had dessert wine and brownies.

I used real tomatoes, but that canned diced tomatoes may actually work better in this case. I also added kale as a way of incorporating some greens into the dish. If you are a fan of dark greens like kale, you should definitely give this a try!

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Have you ever tried making the same recipe multiple times unsuccessfully? It’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve experienced. My otherwise capable self does not like this feeling of not knowing how to do something to seemingly easy.

One time, I spent an hour boiling tomatoes and then slaving over the sauce. I ended up with a sauce that was so full of liquid that you could have poured it into a cup to drink. I tried adding flour to make it thicker (until it congealed in the fridge and grossed me out). Then the next time, I added cornstarch, which turned out even worse!!

I made a couple of changes to see if I can fare better this time. And luckily, I did. Instead of using a stainless steel pot, I used to a thick anodized saucepan, thanks to a generous gift from a friend (thanks R!). I also tried using canned tomatoes this time, mainly because I didn’t want to waste good tomatoes again like last time.

Speaking of tomatoes, there is a shortage of tomatoes due to bad weather in Florida. Fresh tomato prices are on the rise so a lot of restaurants are starting to feel the pinch. Chicken wing prices have also gone up but for some reason, it doesn’t make me as sad.

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Somehow, I managed to cook a green meal the other day. I don’t mean green, as in environmentally friendly, but a monochromatic meal.

I made this delicious meal on the spot using some Thai basil, along with steamed Yu Choy vegetables as a side dish. I didn’t even realize how green my meal was until I took a photo. As we often eat with our eyes, it was not as aesthetically pleasing to look at, though it tasted really good.

Instead of a non-green colored produce for garnish, all I could find was a lonely walnut. So there it is. Maybe my meal would be more appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day? In any case, this would definitely fall under the category of “delicious weeknight meal in under 20 minutes.” (If you make the pesto in advance, even quicker!)

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