Recipes

Barefoot Contessa’s Summer Garden Pasta

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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.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

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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.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Pickle Chicken Salad

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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.

I hope you enjoy it, I know I have been!

Made with Love,

Hannah

“Romaines of the Day Burger”

Categories burgers, Recipes3 Comments on “Romaines of the Day Burger”

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.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

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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!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros

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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.

YUM YUM YUM

Made with Love,

Hannah

Air-Fryer Chicken Wings

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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

Made with Love,

Hannah

Bleu is the Warmest Cheese Burger

Categories burgers, Recipes2 Comments on Bleu is the Warmest Cheese Burger

There are some things that America gets right, like BBQ, Chicken Wings, & Burgers. Now just combine the best of those things, a homemade buffalo sauce + a DELICIOUS blue cheese sauce & don’t forget the celery, to get this amazing burger that will WOW you. [You also get tons of extra buffalo sauce that you can use to make air fryer chicken wings.] All I have to say is Bob [Bob’s Burgers] knew what he was doing with this one.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 Cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
  • 1 Stick + 1 TBSP Butter, divided
  • 2 TBSP White Vinegar
  • 1/4 to 1 TSP Cayenne [ I like it hot so I do 1 TSP]
  • 1/2 White Onion, finely chopped
  • 2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
  • 3 Stalks Celery, finely chopped
  • 1 LB Ground Beef
  • 4 Sesame Buns
  • Green Leaf Lettuce

Let’s Get Cooking

Make the 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.

Make the Blue Cheese Sauce

Melt the remaining TBSP of butter in a saucepan over MED heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add in the flour & stir vigorously. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Add in the blue cheese and mix until it melts completely. Allow the sauce to sit on low, often stirring until it thickens up and coats the back of a spoon.

Make the Burger

Mix the celery and 1/2 cup of the buffalo sauce into the beef and gently form into 4 patties. Season both sides with salt & pepper. Cook as you normally would, I do about 6 min each side on MED heat. Be extra careful when you flip, this burger is a little softer due to the buffalo sauce.

Build your Burger

Start with your bottom bun [I like mine toasted] + lettuce + burger + blue cheese sauce + buffao sauce + top bun.

Serve with french fries and extra napkins, but the mess is always worth it.

P.S Be sure to save that buffalo sauce!!!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce

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One of the guiding factors in choosing a recipe for me revolves a lot around what produce is in season. I wanted to make pasta that highlighted spring produce and I came across this recipe from my New York Times cookbook by Jean Yves Legarve. I am not sure who that is, and if I am uncultured I apologize, but I do know one thing, you need to make this pasta. Cream sauces can be daunting, but I promise not only is this dish so delicious with the perfect amount of citrus and cheese, but it is also so easy to throw together you can make it on a weeknight.

Ingredients

  • 6 TBSP Unsalted Butter
  • 8 Thick Asparagus spears, stalks peeled & cut into 1-in lengths [I could only find an ALDI package of asparagus so I used 1/2 the package]
  • 1 Lemon, Grated for zest & juiced
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 TBSP Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 TSP Nutmeg
  • 3 TBSP Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley [I used dried]
  • 1/2 LB Spaghetti
  • Salt
  • Fresh Cracked Pepper

Let’s Get Cooking

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over MED heat. Add in the asparagus and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest + half the lemon juice + eggs + cream + Parmesan cheese + nutmeg + parsley in a bowl and mix well. Be sure to taste the sauce, the lemon flavor should be subtle. I had to add all of the juice from my lemon so be sure to taste!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Stir encough salt that the water tastes salty. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to your pasta package.

Drain the spaghetti well and return it to the pot. Add in the asparagus with the butter and lemon sauce. Toss well.

Turn the head to LOW and gently toss the pasta over the heat for 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly & adheres to the pasta. Season to taste with salt & LOTS of cracked black pepper.

Made with Love,

Hannah

‘Grinder’ Salad

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‘Hannah, what are you eating for lunch this week?” What a fantastic question, thanks for asking! In the process of doom scrolling the other week I saw all these videos on Tik Tok about this grinder salad. It is basically a deconstructed hoagie/grinder whatever you want to call it. It is very similar to the Kitchen Sink Salad that I have posted about previously. The Tik Tok recipe calls for mayo which I opted to leave out as it would not keep well since I am making the salad for weekday lunches. The fun part about this salad & the kitchen sink salad is it’s another opportunity to make it your own and clear out your fridge at the same time!

** A nice little bonus recipe: take your salami, spread some goat cheese, place a pepperoncini on top, and roll the salami up, OMG YUM

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 Pepperoncini + a little juice, diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 6 Slices of Salami, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 TSP Oregano
  • 1 TSP Basil
  • 1/2 TSP Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Head Romaine Lettuce, washed & chopped
  • Handful of Arugula & Spinach
  • Tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 Cucumber, sliced
  • Cheese of your choice, I used crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Sliced Green Olives
  • Olive Oil
  • Cracked Pepper
  • Feel free to add in croutons, I used the sourdough foccacia I made a few weeks ago.

Dressing:

Combine all in a container and mix well

  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1/2 TSP Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 TSP Red Wine Vinegar
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 1 TSP Oregano
  • 1 TSP Mayo* I added one day to make the dressing a little bit creamier you can opt-out

Let’s Get Cooking

First things first prep your ingredients.

In a large bowl combine red onion + pepperonchini + garlic + oregano + basil + red pepper flakes. Mix well and let sit

Prepare your lettuce & spinach/arugula [you don’t need to add the arugula, I just like the peppery flavor it adds]

Add your greens to the bowl + all your additional toppings. Mix well and top with freshly cracked pep.

If you are eating immediately, feel free to top it with your dressing. If not, store in a separate container that you can top with later.

Have fun & be creative & enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah