Cucumber Hummus Appetizers

I really enjoy every aspect of having friends over for dinner (except for the cleaning part, of course!) and was especially excited for the meal we had last night with our friends Geeti and Puneet because Geeti is also a huge foodie. We had an absolutely amazing feast...

Gruyere Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms

I apologize if you had trouble with my blog earlier this week. I tried to upgrade my WordPress account and the theme completely crashed – ugh. Luckily, my better half is a computer whiz and very supportive of my blogging. He stayed up until 5am – yes, 5am – to fix it...

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Tart with Feta

Have I professed my love of feta yet? You can probably tell from my recipes that I’m completely obsessed with goat cheese, but feta is a close second. My hubby always wonders what I’m going to do with the one and a half pound tubs of crumbled feta we get from Costco,...

Plantain and Black Bean Quesadillas

So, I have to admit that we’re not huge football fans – in fact, I actually always feel a bit lucky that Apolinaras grew up in Europe and doesn’t follow any American sports at all, so I never get stuck watching them. But, I always insist we tune into the Super Bowl...

Individual Breakfast Pot Pies

I’ve been waking up a couple hours earlier than Apolinaras on the weekends lately. My grumbling tummy and earlier bed time (pregnancy can be exhausting!) are to blame. I’ve been putting the time to good use though. First, I devour a bowl of cereal or some yogurt and...

Light Pesto Lasagna with Chicken and Spinach

After college graduation, I backpacked through Europe with my friend Britt. One of the highlights of our trip was hiking through the olive orchards and vineyards of the Cinque Terre, a gorgeous section of cliffs in the Italian Riveria. My favorite meal there was an...

Green Eggs and Ham

  Wednesdays have quickly become my favorite night to relax in front of the TV because I love Top Chef and have become addicted to Glee. I was so disappointed this week when Glee wasn’t on due to the World Series and the “Top Chef All Stars Dinner” was on instead...

Roasted Butternut Squash, Prosciutto, and Sage Quiche

I secretly enjoy checking out wedding registries and seeing what makes couples tick. Are they more excited about the monogrammed towels and fine china or the obscure kitchen gadgets and fancy knife sets? I’m sure you can guess which category we fell into! I was...
Spring Goat Cheese Risotto

Spring Goat Cheese Risotto

What’s one to do with leftover goat cheese and asparagus? Why make a goat cheese risotto with spring veggies, of course! Risotto has been a little controversial on Top Chef lately. Apparently, it’s supposed to spread on the plate and be a certain consistency to be...

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M&M Cookie Dough Tart

M&M Cookie Dough Tart

Speaking of birthday treats, I made a very festive one for our lab technician Juliana this week. I topped a chocolate chip cookie base with a thick layer of eggless mini M&M cookie dough and then decorated the top with more M&Ms! I always like to add some oats...

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Strawberry Lemon Mini Bundt Cakes

Strawberry Lemon Mini Bundt Cakes

Apolinaras always gives me the cutest sad puppy dog face when I'm whipping up treats to bring into lab for birthday celebrations. If I'm making cupcakes, I always save a couple for him to enjoy, but I can't just cut into a pie or cake and give him a slice before it's...

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Sushi Spring Rolls

Sushi Spring Rolls

You may have noticed I’ve posting less often than usual. I normally try to get about two recipes up per week, but between the exhaustion and nausea of the past several months, I just haven’t spent any time in the kitchen...yep, I’m pregnant!! Apolinaras and I are just...

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Tempura Banana Sundaes with Caramel Sauce

Tempura Banana Sundaes with Caramel Sauce

Man, ice cream is hard to photograph, especially when it’s smothered with warm tempura bananas and caramel sauce – major melt factor! I first swooned over tempura bananas in New Zealand at a Japanese restaurant in Auckland. They were crispy on the outside and gooey on...

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Chicken Fajita Nachos

Chicken Fajita Nachos

Apolinaras headed to the grocery store the other weekend and accidently brought home tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s instead of the tortillas on my list....oops. It was pretty obvious the only solution to this problem was to make chicken fajita nachos instead of...

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Red Bean Paste Stuffed French Toast

Red Bean Paste Stuffed French Toast

I’ve been trying to work on clearing out the clutter from our pantry and recently found a lonely can of red bean paste hidden away in the very back corner. How did I forget about such a treasure? It jumped into our cart at HMart a few months ago, and I was originally...

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Nutella Pavlova with Strawberries

Nutella Pavlova with Strawberries

Time for my third and final New Zealand recap post (here are part 1 and part 2 if you missed them!). From Kaikoura, we set out on our longest drive of seven hours to the opposite side of the South Island to see two glaciers. Yes, glaciers! We visited Fox Glacier first...

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