I live & die for any recipe that shows off the fresh ingredients. This Barefoot Contessa Summer Garden Pasta is the ONE. I mean the one and only pasta you need to be making this summer. Not only is it so freaking easy to make, but it also shows off the most beautiful produce that you may just be growing in your backyard right now!!! Since this is a no-cook sauce, you heard me, no cook; be sure to allow the tomatoes to sit the full 4 hours to really infuse that oil and soften up. I made mine with some Ohio City Pasta, which is always a favorite to grab at the Hudson Farmer’s Market, but feel free to use whatever pasta you desire. Barefoot Contessa made this dish for 6, I did enough for just 1 person.
Ingredients
5 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Good Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
5 Large Basil Leaves, julienned + more for serving
1/2 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt + Pepper
Single Serving of Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
Let’s Get Cooking
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes + 1/4 Cup Olive Oil + basil leaves + red pepper flakes + salt + pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room femp for about 4 hours.
When ready to serve, bring a pot of water with a drizzle of olive oil + salt to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Dain the pasta and add to the bowl with the tomatoes. Top with cheese & extra basil leaves.
I hope after your take your first bite you put your fork down and lean back in your chair in awe of how delicious this dish is.
It’s June, so it’s pretty much summer. Here in Ohio, it’s been in the high 80s for the last week so all of us have been avoiding those hearty-heavy meals. So now I am turning to pasta salad, it’s light, and you can pack it with all your favorite colorful veggies. This pasta salad takes a Mediterranean approach, focusing on our veggies & healthy fats!
Ingredients
1 Package of a Pasta of your choosing, I used Chickpea Protein Pasta
1/2 Cucumber, sliced & quartered
1/4 Cup Kalamata Olives
1/4 Cup Green Olives
1/2 Red Onion, sliced
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
1/3 Cup Artichokes, chopped
1/4 Cup Olive Oil + more if needed
2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 TSP Parsley
1 TSP Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Let’s Get Cooking
Cook your pasta according to package directions and rinse.
Prep all the ingredients
In a large bowl, add in the pasta + cucumber + olives + red onion + tomatoes + artichokes and mix well.
Pour over the olive oil + red wine vinegar + oregano + parsley + salt + pepper and mix well.
If you’re making this for meal prep, separate your salad into individual containers. Or share with a group of family and friends.
I LOVE chicken salad, as you can see with this being my third recipe. It is such a versatile meal, you want to make it spicy, sweet, tangy, the world is yours. I was inspired by a creator, Nutritiously Easy, on TikTok who made a pickle chicken salad. I’m a pickle girl, exclusively Claussens, so I had to make it, and holy shit I could eat the whole bowl myself. I have been eating it in a lettuce wrap with some kettle-cooked potato chips for lunch and honestly, I don’t think things could get any better.
Ingredients
3 Claussen Pickles, diced
1/2 Cup Mayo
Fresh Dill, chopped
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
Splash of Pickle Juice
Rotisserie Chicken, chopped
3 Celery Stalks, diced
Green Onion, diced
Salt
Pepper
Let’s Get Cooking
Break down your rotisserie chicken,, removing the skins, and chopping them into bite-sized pieces. Be sure to save that and make chicken stock!
Prep all the rest of your ingredients and grab out a large bowl.
Toss in your chicken + Mayo + dijon + celery + pickles and mix well. Add in your salt + fresh dill + pickle juice + green onions + loads of black pepper. Mix well and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, I stand by that it always tastes better the next day. Top with more black pepper to taste.
One of my favorite co-workers turned back to work from being on maternity leave, so I wanted to do something special to welcome her back. I decided on cupcakes as they are easy to share! This recipe comes from Baked By Rachel, Rachel’s cupcakes feature a lemon curd that I decided to leave out, but follow along with her recipe if you’d like to add. I added a little extra lemon juice & zest as I like my cake really punchy. I also ran out of powdered sugar when making the frosting, so it wasn’t my best, but we are all works in progress.
Ingredients
Blueberry Puree
1 1/2 Cup Blueberries,
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Sugar
Lemon Cake
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 TBSP + 2 TSP Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Baking Soda
1 1/4 TSP Baking Powder
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
Frosting
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
3 TBSP Blueberry Puree
Let’s Get Baking
To make the blueberry puree: combine blueberries + lemon zest + lemon juice + sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over MED heat, stirring occasionally. As the blueberries begin to soften, mash them and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Once thickened, press the mixture through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl and allow to cool.
Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare your cupcake cups.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter + sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs + lemon juice + lemon zest, scraping the bowl as needed. Add in salt + baking soda + baking powder. Alternate the additions of flour & sour cream, mixing until combined.
Divide the batter into prepared cups and bake for 16-18 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
To make the frosting: beat the butter, adding in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. Drizzle in 1 TBSP of blueberry puree at a time. Mix until fully combined & no streaks remain. Transfer to a piping bag and decorate as you desire.
A Caesar salad with chicken and some french fries is a summer staple for me. That tangy Caesar dressing and those croutons are just so complimentary. Rather than croutons, grab some hamburger buns, and let’s turn this salad into a delicious burger. The best part is, with the leftover romaine and dressing you have, you can make your adored chicken Caesar salad with the leftovers! and yes, Caesar salad dressing is made with anchovies, so just get over it, you’ve been eating it this whole time anyways.
Ingredients
1 2oz Tin or Jar Anchovies packed in water
2 TSP Garlic, minced [I used 2 cloves]
1 TSP Dijon Mustard
1 TSP Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Mayo
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 LB Ground Beef
4 Hamburger Buns
1 Head Romaine Lettuce, leaves chopped
Let’s Get Cooking
Grab your food processor and dump the tin of anchovies and the water in, blend into a paste.
In a small bowl, combine 3 TSP of the anchovy paste + garlic + mustard + Worchestershire + mayo + parmesan + lemon juice + olive oil. Set aside, I let mine sit for about 3 hours in the fridge, you don’t have to let yours sit that long!
Mix the remainder of the anchovy paste in with the beef and form 4 patties. Season both sides with salt & pepper and cook the burgers according to your desired doneness.
BUILD YOUR BURGER: Bottom bun, chopped romaine, burger, Caesar dressing, top bun.
Though it’s just me I have to get ready in the mornings, sometimes that can be more than enough. Anything that makes mornings easier, I am about, and this breakfast casserole from ChewoutLoud is one of them. First off it’s so easy to prepare, and secondly, I feel like I am getting all my necessary nutrients in the morning, which is always a win. What I also love about these casseroles is you get to tweak them based on what you have in the kitchen; don’t have kale? Use spinach! Don’t have peppers? Cool, don’t use them! Make it your own! I added some extra spices to my sweet potatoes because I feel at times they can be bland.
Ingredients
4 TSBP Olive Oil
1 LB Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
2 TSP Turmeric
2 TSP Chili Powder
1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 Cup Bell Peppers, diced
1 LB Ground Breakfast Sausage
2 Cups Kale, chopped
14 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
Salt & Pepper
Let’s Get Cooking
Preheat the oven to 400F
On a baking sheet, combine sweet potatoes + 2 TBSP olive oil + turmeric + chili powder + salt + pepper & toss to coat. Bake for about 20 minutes or until soft.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking heat the remaining 2 TBSP of oil and add in the onions + garlic and cook until translucent on MED heat. Add in the peppers & cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish.
In the same skillet, cook the breakfast sausage until cooked through. Drain and add to the baking dish. Add in the roasted sweet potatoes + kale, toss to combine.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs + milk + salt + pepper. Pour into the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Serve immediately, or cut once cooled and wrap in foil and freeze!
Sometimes when I am having a bad day some simple baking can help get me in a better headspace. I like to use what I have laying around the house and I have a few oranges that need to use up so I figured, why not make some scones! The key to making scones is to knead as less as possible, you’re going to think that the scones aren’t going to come together, but trust me, they will! I got some inspo from Sally’s Baking Addiction, especially grating the frozen butter!
Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 1/2 TSP Baking Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
2 1/2 TSP Orange Zest
2 TSP Fresh Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, frozen & grated
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Large Egg
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries [can do frozen]
Orange Glaze
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
3 TBSP Fresh Orange Juice
Let’s Get Baking
Combine the flour + sugar + baking powder + salt + orange zest in a large bowl. Add in the grated butter and combine until the mixture comes together, looking like small crumbs. Place it back in the fridge.
In another bowl whisk together heavy cream + egg + vanilla + orange juice. Grab the flour mixture and drizzle the liquid over. Add in the raspberries and mix together until there is no dry flour.
Pour onto the counter and with floured hands, work the dough into a ball, and be very gentle. Press into an 8-in disc and cut into 8 wedges. Brush with extra heavy cream. Place back into the fridge for 15 min.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Combine the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the scones.
I ADORE Halfbaked Harvest. She makes the best recipes, that at first glance seem complicated, but when you get down to it, they are easy & so freaking delicious. I made these gyros over the last week, and being one person, I had them for dinner multiple nights in a row. Usually, I get bored with eating the same thing over and over again, but I was excited for dinner every night! Tiegan uses feta in her tzatziki, I did not have any & it turned out delicious, but feel free to add it if you like! Don’t forget to set some time aside so the chicken can marinate! For serving, I added lettuce, homemade pickled red onion, and dill.
Ingredients
1/3 Cup Plain Yogurt [She calls for full fat, but I used low-fat and it worked perfectly]
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 LBS Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs, or Breasts, cubed
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Shallots, chopped
1 TBSP Smoked Paprika
1 TBSP Oregano
1 TSP Turmeric
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper
Pitas or Naan, warmed
Tzatziki
8 oz Feta Cheese
1/4 + 1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt
2 Garlic Cloves, grated
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/2 Large Cucumber, shredded
salt
Let’s Get Cooking
In a bowl, combine yogurt + olive oil + cubed chicken + lemon juice + garlic + shallots + paprika + turmeric + oregano + chili flakes + salt + pepper. Mix well to combine and let marinate for at least 15 min at room temp or overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Toss and bake for another 5-10 minutes/ until cooked through. Switch the oven to broil and cook until the chicken chars on the edges, about 1-2 min WATCH CAREFULLY.
Make the tzatziki while the chicken cooks. Combine feta + 1/4 cup yogurt + garlic + lemon juice in a blender and blend until creamy. Stir in the 1/3 cup yogurt + cucumber + pinch of salt + red pepper flakes. Always taste test to be sure.
To assemble: spread the warm naan with tzatziki, then lettuce, and chicken [ I like to sprinkle some dill on top]. Add on red onions & a little cilantro.
I am all about reducing food waste where I can, so I get excited when I get to use ingredients/sauces with more than one recipe. These air fryer chicken wings came into my life because of the delicious buffalo sauce that was made for the Blue is the Warmest Cheese Burger. You don’t have to use that sauce, you can follow whatever flavor your heart desires!
Ingredients
Brine
1 Cup Pickle Juice
1 1/2 Cups Water
4 Garlic Cloves, smashed
Salt
Buffalo Sauce
2/3 Cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
1 Stick
2 TBSP White Vinegar
1 TSP Cayenne
1lb Chicken Wings, rinsed and patted dry
Let’s Get Cooking
Start with your brine. I let my chicken wings brine for at least 6 hours, max 12 hours.
In a large bowl combine all of the brine ingredients, be sure to heavily salt the water. Add in the washed chicken wings, cover the bowl with foil, and place back in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Once ready to cook, rinse and pat dry.
While the wings are brining, make your buffalo sauce. Combine the Frank’s Red Hot + butter + vinegar + cayenne in a small saucepan & stir over MED heat until the butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and let stand until cool.
When ready to cook, preheat your air fryer to 400F. If you want to bake these, preheat your oven to 400F.
Lightly oil the fryer and place a single layer of chicken wings into the basket, cook for about 20 min, or until the outside is crispy. I had to do multiple baskets due to my fryer being small. To keep warm, place your oven on the lowest temp and place on a sheet pan while the other batches are cooking.
Once all the batches are done, pour half of the buffalo sauce into a large bowl, add in your cooked chicken wings, then the remainder of the sauce, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
I even had extra blue cheese sauce from the burger recipe that I served with the wings as well. YUMMY
I grew up having a contest with my brother to see who could eat the most Sour War Heads in one sitting. The roof of my mouth was always destroyed and it was worth it every time. It is safe to say that I love all things sour and anything that highlights citrus flavors. I found this recipe from our girl Claire Saffitz in her Dessert Person cookbook and I was intrigued; not many desserts highlight limes, so I had to give it a try. These bars are so refreshing & also TART, these are the perfect dessert for a person like me who loves a good lip pucker, if you are like me, I HIGHLY recommend them. You need an 8×8-inch pan for this recipe.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
Butter for the pan
2 TBSP finely grated Lime Zest, takes about 3 limes
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 TBSP Finely Chopped Fresh Mint
1/4 TSP Baking Powder
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2-in pieces, chilled
Salt
Lime Curd Filling
3/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice, about 7 limes
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice, about 1 Large Lemon
1 TSP Cornstarch
1 Cup Sugar, divided into 1/2 cups
5 Large Egg Yolks
1 Large Egg
6 TBSP Unsalted Butter, cut into tablespoons, chilled
Salt
Powdered Sugar & Lime Zest for serving
Let’s Get Baking
Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking pan with two sheets of foil, crossing one over the other. Butter the bottom of the sides of the foil and set the pan aside.
Onto the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, use your fingertips to massage the lime zest into the granulated sugar until fragrant oils are released and the mixture looks like wet sand. Add in the flour + chopped mint + baking powder + salt and toss to combine. Add in the pieces of chilled butter and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to smash the butter completely into the flour mixture, working until you have lots of moist crumbs that hold together easily when squeezed.
Transfer the shortbread dough onto the prepared pan and scatter the crumbs easily across the bottom. Use your hands to flatten the crumbs into an even layer across the bottom. Bake the shortbread until lightly golden across the surface, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Reduce the oven temp to 300F. Let the crust cool while making the filling.
To make the lime curd filling: In a small saucepan, combine lime juice + lemon juice + cornstarch + salt and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and cook over MED heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture comes to a boil, whisk constantly until it thickens slightly from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks + whole egg + remaining 1/2 cup until the mixture is smooth, thick, and has paled in color a couple shades, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the hot citrus mixture into the eggs a TBSP at a time to slowly raise the temperature, until you’ve added about half the citrus mixture to the eggs.
Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan, then set back over MED-LOW heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the curd turns opaque is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and barely holds the marks of the whisk, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the curd from the heat and whisk in the butter a piece at a time, waiting until each piece melts before adding the next until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the hot curd over the crust and shake the pan gently so it settles in an even layer. Bake the bars until the sides have puffed & the center is set but still a bit wobbly when you shake it, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven & let the bars cool completely in the pan.
Transfer the cooled pan to the fridge and chill until the bottom of the pan is cold to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove the foil & cut it into about 16 squares. Dust with powdered sugar and top with more lime zest before serving.
Hangry Hannah 