BBQ Pork Fried Rice

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This is a twist on pork fried rice you might order from a Chinese takeout place. Instead of sliced pork, I used ground pork that I seared until it had some nice browned bits, and I added Hoisin sauce, which is sweet, salty, and smoky all in one. This dish comes together in 30 minutes and feel free to use your favorite vegetables for Asian stir-fries: snap peas, broccoli florets, water chestnuts, it’s up to you! Enjoy this with crisp cucumbers and carrots and a drizzle of  super-simple spicy mayo.

Seriously faster to make than to order takeout

Seriously faster to make than to order takeout

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

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About a year ago, we went to dinner at my mom’s and she brought out this impressive tray  of chicken enchiladas that we all gobbled up. They weren’t the run-of-the-mill soggy or super-heavy enchiladas, they were chock full of chicken and had a little crunch on the edge of the tortillas with just enough sauce to hold it all together. It was one of those meals that made you instantly think, “I will have to make this so we can have it all the time!” A few days later I called my mom for the recipe and she cracked me up by saying, “Now, remember…it’s EASY enchiladas, so don’t roast the chicken yourself, ok?” I listened! And now we get to have this all the time. Thanks Mom!

Leftovers make the best lunches!

Leftovers make the best lunches!

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Turkey Meatballs

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My love of meatballs goes back to my days as a visiting kid at my Italian grandmother’s house on Long Island. We never, I mean never, went hungry over there, and were offered a meatball, or a “meat-a-ball” almost as soon as we came in the door. We would pull up a seat at the table that consistently could seat 12, and savor our bowl of meatballs, extra sauce, and homemade pizza bread. Then we raided the fridge for the peanut butter cups tucked in there! I needed to recreate that comfort food for my boys. Little did I know that it would become one of their favorite meals, so I couldn’t always wait until the weekend to make them. I have been experimenting and perfecting this recipe for years, and I have it down to the essentials…give it a try and I hope you love them. My guys prefer the more tender texture of turkey to beef, plus it’s much lower in saturated fat. It just translates into being able to eat this more often!

This meal is absolutely do-able on a weeknight. Try it!

This meal is absolutely do-able on a weeknight. Try it!

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Minestrone Soup

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This soup is like therapy. Both preparing it and eating it will make you feel better about what ails you. I decided to try this recipe after seeing Ina (we’re on a first-name basis now, me and Ina Garten) prepare this on her show, Barefoot Contessa, and she included it in her latest cookbook, Foolproof. I changed just a few things (for example, I use regular bacon instead of more expensive pancetta, and I chopped up fresh basil and tossed in a parmesan rind instead of using store-bought pesto), and the results spoke for themselves. My family finished the pot and requested I make it again! You will think I am making this up, but my 4-year-old ate his whole bowl and my almost 2-year-old (gasp–he is getting big too fast) got seconds! We paired it with my husband Mike’s homemade sourdough bread and some crisp Pinot Grigio. Magic.

P.S. Mike and I go to see Ina this week at her book signing, I can’t wait!

Dive in and be healed!

Dive in and be healed!

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Easy (Like Sunday Morning) Pancakes

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One of my favorite things to do for my fellas is to make pancakes on either Saturday or Sunday morning. I love the sweet smell wafting through the house, watching lots of snow fall outside, and knowing that we’re all in no rush to go anywhere. I cut up a nice big bowl of fruit for everyone to help themselves (usually strawberries, bananas and blueberries), and save the leftover pancakes in a single layer on a plate wrapped in plastic in the fridge for making the best peanut butter and jam “stackers” later that day or week. For the stackers, just take as many pancakes as you’d like, top them with your favorite pb and jam, stack them up and microwave for about 20 seconds. This snack needs a knife and fork, but it’s salty-sweet-amazing! I think you’ll really enjoy this simple recipe for your own fluffy pancakes every time. 

Get the syrup!

Get the syrup!

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Banana Streusel Bread

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Banana bread was one of the first things I ever baked when I was little. My mom bought me a set of Sesame Street books, and the second volume, for the letter B naturally, included a recipe for “Big Bird’s Banana Bread.” I was thrilled for the chance to mix things up and bake something in the oven, and thankfully my family supported the endeavor and loved the bread! Now I make this different version of banana bread, as Ina Garten would say…it’s with the volume turned up. This one is straight from mom. The streusel on top is crunchy and sweet, and the bread itself is moist but not too dense, so the pieces just tend to disappear! You can also make this into muffins, I have done that before and may even like that better.

This bread will be a hit in your house. Adorable child not included.

This bread will be a hit in your house. Adorable child not included.

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Seafood Spaghetti

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Happy New Year, everyone! I’m back and ready to inspire some amazing dishes for 2013. This dish comes fresh from my new cookbook obsession: Lidia’s Favorite Recipes. I am working on cooking my way through this petite powerhouse of an Italian cookbook. It has all the ingredients that make me love cookbooks: clearly written, well-tested recipes, and ingredients you can truly find at the supermarket. I haven’t made it past the crave-worthy pasta section yet, but I swear I will someday. I only changed a few things to give my own spin on this dish, I hope you try it and love it as much as my family did. It was our Christmas Eve dinner and it made us feel very celebratory!

Brimming with fresh seafood, there's nothing better than this steaming bowl of pasta.

Brimming with fresh seafood, there’s nothing better than this steaming bowl of pasta.

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Pasta with Quick Mushroom White Sauce

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Sometimes it is just great to know that you can make a delicious dinner faster than one can be delivered to you, and this is one of those recipes. You can use store-bought fresh pasta such as ravioli, boiled dry pasta of your choice, or even homemade fresh pasta. For busy weeknights, I am currently obsessed with Buitoni’s Wild Mushroom Agnolotti. I was watching Top Chef (in my opinion the best show on TV!) and Richard Blais, one of the eventual champions, was commenting on something they were eating back at the house after a long day of competition as delicious. I paused my DVR and got close enough to the TV to read the label, and it was the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti. I thought, if it’s good enough for a house full of chefs, it is good enough for me! My mom always said I was really easily influenced by advertising! Oh well!

This creamy sauce comes together in less than 20 minutes. Dinner: check.

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Orange Spice Tea

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This post is dedicated to my brother Rob and all the other family members who bring the drinks! Growing up in a house full of aspiring cooks most certainly has had its advantages for Rob. There was always something new to taste from my mom, my dad, my brother Dan and me. But that also means that sometimes the kitchen is just plain crowded with cooks! Rob is one of the most caring, loyal and dependable people you will ever meet, and just because he often is the one who brings the drinks to the holiday gathering doesn’t mean he is any less appreciated. We are thankful for you Rob! And this delicious tea made me think of you.

The amazing aroma from making this tea will waft through the whole house, warming you instantly!

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