Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes have been a family favorite since 2010. They’re rich, nutritious, and just a tad bit fussy for potatoes, which makes them a favorite for Thanksgiving and other holidays.

Most recipes for sweet potatoes play on their sweetness, turning them into sweet potato casserole or sweet twice baked potatoes. While I love me some sweet potato casserole (I’m team pecan crumble/streusel on top!), this recipe is refreshing because sweet potatoes are wonderful in savory recipes and this one really lets them shine.

This recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma’s “Savoring America” cookbook. I was gifted this cookbook as a teenager and several recipes in there have become staples in my family over the last decade plus. This recipe is one of my favorites from there.

This Fluffy Key Lime Pie is from the “Savoring America” cookbook, also!

I’ve adapted this recipe to keep all the flavor while lightening it up a bit. Since we often make these for holidays or around the holiday season, we didn’t feel the need to have these so decadent when there is so much other rich and decadent food. This version uses less butter and milk instead of heavy cream. Bacon is optional, with the original calling for 4 chopped slices that get cooked along with the onion and garlic. Bacon, while delicious, can overtake dishes. We don’t normally add it, and don’t miss it! These are plenty flavorful without it.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves about 8

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes, unpeeled

• 2 Tbsp / 28g cooking oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 6 oz / 180g (about 4 cups) chopped spinach or other similar green

• 2/3 cup / 158g chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, softened

• 1/3 cup / 79g milk

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup / 57g shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.

Bake the Sweet Potatoes

1. Poke the surface of each sweet potato all over with the tines of a fork.

2. Bake in preheated oven until soft and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor or regular bowl, leaving a thin lining of flesh in the skin about 1/4” thick.

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

2. Add spinach and broth, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and broth has mostly evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat.

3. Pulse sweet potato flesh with rosemary in a food processor until smooth, or use a handheld mixer. Add butter, milk, and Parmesan and pulse or beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add spinach mixture to sweet potato mixture and mix until combined.

5. Divide evenly among sweet potato skins and top with Swiss cheese.

6. Bake until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Spinach is my favorite and readily available option for these, but some other options include collard greens, swiss chard, or any other of your favorite greens. Cooking time may vary, depending on green chosen and how long it takes to become tender.

• Any good melting cheese that you desire can be used on top of these.

Yield 8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

1 H & 45 M

Total time

2 H & 30 M

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are both rich and delicious with a smooth, cheesy filling with herbs and greens, perfect for holidays or any time.

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Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 Tbsp / 28g cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 oz / 180g (about 4 cups) chopped spinach or other similar green
• 2/3 cup / 158g chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, softened
• 1/3 cup / 79g milk
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup / 57g shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Bake the Sweet Potatoes

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C.
2. Poke the surface of each sweet potato all over with the tines of a fork.
3. Bake in preheated oven until soft and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven.
4. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor or regular bowl, leaving a thin lining of flesh in the skin about 1/4” thick.

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
2. Add spinach and broth, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and broth has mostly evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Pulse sweet potato flesh with rosemary in a food processor until smooth, or use a handheld mixer. Add butter, milk, and Parmesan and pulse or beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add spinach mixture to sweet potato mixture and mix until combined.
5. Divide evenly among sweet potato skins and top with Swiss cheese.
6. Bake until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Spinach is my favorite and readily available option for these, but some other options include collard greens, swiss chard, or any other of your favorite greens. Cooking time may vary, depending on green chosen and how long it takes to become tender.
• Any good melting cheese that you desire can be used on top of these.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

258

Fat

14 g

Sat. Fat

7 g

Carbs

27 g

Fiber

4 g

Net carbs

22 g

Sugar

6 g

Protein

7 g

Sodium

400 mg

Cholesterol

31 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 half potato.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/7/9/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes

savory twice baked sweet potatoes, cheesy sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving sides

dinner

American

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Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi all'Americana - Four Cheese Pasta

Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi is an Italian dish, luxuriously creamy yet deceptively simple to make. It simply requires boiling pasta, melting four different cheeses into some milk, then tossing the pasta in the cheesy sauce. Voila. Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi.

Italian version coming soon.

This is essentially the same dish, but Americanized. Instead of simply melting cheese into milk, this version takes the roux route. A few more ingredients, a touch more time, but more foolproof and able to be more inexpensive. Allow me to elaborate.

More flexibility on the cheeses

Because the Italian version melts cheese straight into milk, you have to be more mindful of which cheeses you’re using lest you end up with gummy chunks of cheese in the sauce. The cheeses used are often taleggio, Parmigiano reggiano, gorgonzola, and gruyère. Other alternatives include brie, pecorino, grana padano, fontina, emmental, Edam, stracchino or robiola.

Do you know what all of those cheeses have in common? They are all specialty cheeses, highly unlikely to be found in the cheese aisle at any grocery store. If you’re lucky, your grocery store might have a specialty cheese section where you can find all or some of these. Otherwise you’ll have to go to a specialty cheese place to find them. This makes this dish both expensive and elusive to make.

Enter, the Americanized version. When you make a cheese sauce with a roux, it’s more forgiving of which cheeses you add. Now, I still wouldn’t be reaching for fresh mozzarella, but it frees you up to use a combination of four different cheeses that might not normally work in the Italian version.

That said, two cheeses that seem to be classic in quattro formaggi, whether it’s the pasta or the pizza: Gorgonzola and Parmigiano. Sure, use the American made parmesan (just not the plastic-y pre shredded or grated kind though, ok?) rather than exclusively Parmigiano, but still use some kind of real parmesan. The other two cheeses you can be more flexible with. Sometimes I’ll use Asiago or mozzarella (low moisture, not fresh), Monterey, cream cheese, or other inexpensive yet decent melting cheeses.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi all’Americana

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb / 500g short pasta of choice

• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter

• 2 Tbsp / 15g all-purpose flour

• 2 cups / 474g milk

• 2 oz / 57g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded

• 2 oz / 57g parmesan, shredded

• 2 oz / 57g Gorgonzola crumbles

• 2 oz / 57g cream cheese

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, generously salt; cook pasta according to package directions, just 1-2 minutes less than stated cooking time.

2. In a medium-large pot over medium heat, melt better. Add flour, stirring for 1-2 minutes until flour is absorbed and lightly toasted. Add about 1/4 cup of milk, whisking briskly. When milk is mixed in and mixture has thickened, add in another 1/4 cup milk, whisking constantly. Continue adding in milk slowly, whisking all the while. Bring to a simmer.

3. Add in cheeses and stir until melted and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup water. Add pasta to cheese sauce and mix to evenly coat pasta. Add some reserved pasta water as desired, to thin out and create an even creamier sauce, mixing for a couple more minutes until sauce coats and clings to pasta.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The four cheeses can be swapped out, however to stay tastefully close to the Italian version, keep the Parmesan and Gorgonzola.

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi all’Americana

Four Cheese Pasta inspired by the Italian classic "Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi" with an American twist: made with a roux and cheeses that can be interchanged more easily. This dish is luxurious and cheesy, and easy enough for quick weeknight meals.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb / 500g short pasta of choice
• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter
• 2 Tbsp / 15g all-purpose flour
• 2 cups / 474g milk
• 2 oz / 57g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
• 2 oz / 57g parmesan, shredded
• 2 oz / 57g Gorgonzola crumbles
• 2 oz / 57g cream cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, generously salt; cook pasta according to package directions, just 1-2 minutes less than stated cooking time.
2. In a medium-large pot over medium heat, melt better. Add flour, stirring for 1-2 minutes until flour is absorbed and lightly toasted. Add about 1/4 cup of milk, whisking briskly. When milk is mixed in and mixture has thickened, add in another 1/4 cup milk, whisking constantly. Continue adding in milk slowly, whisking all the while. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add in cheeses and stir until melted and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup water. Add pasta to cheese sauce and mix to evenly coat pasta. Add some reserved pasta water as desired, to thin out and create an even creamier sauce, mixing for a couple more minutes until sauce coats and clings to pasta.

Notes

• The four cheeses can be swapped out, however to stay tastefully close to the Italian version, keep the Parmesan and Gorgonzola.

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/10/7/pasta-ai-quattro-formaggi-allamericana-four-cheese-pasta

four cheese pasta, quick easy weeknight meal, dinner party pasta, Italian cheese pasta, pasta ai quattro formaggi

dinner, pasta

Italian, American

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Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Bite-sized morsels of chicken and lightly crunchy broccoli pieces tossed in a salty and sweet stir fry sauce makes for a dinner that tastes like take-out, but is actually quite quick and easy.

We eat a lot of chicken and broccoli around here, so it only makes sense that we make a chicken and broccoli stir fry. In fact, the Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry is very much based on this recipe, we just use tofu instead of chicken for meatless meals.

The chicken is lightly battered in cornstarch, which helps to thicken the sauce once it’s added. The sauce is initially just 3 ingredients whisked together: broth, soy sauce, and sugar. Then, the chicken is cooked up, some garlic and ginger are added for aroma, and finally, the sauce. The broccoli is added in just at the very end, and steams up in 2-3 minutes. Tada! Simple enough for all but the busiest of evenings, and delicious to boot.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my Mama

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Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Serves about 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth

• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce

• 2 tsp / 10g sugar

• 1lb / 454g chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized piece

• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch

• oil, for pan

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• Red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, lime wedges, fresh mint, etc. for topping, as desired

Directions:

1. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.

2. Toss chicken with cornstarch.

3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other large pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.

4. Add chicken, stirring frequently, until internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C, about 3-5 minutes.

5. Reduce heat to low; add ginger and garlic; stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.

6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until starting to simmer.

7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.

8. Remove from heat. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

30 Min

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Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Bite-sized morsels of chicken and lightly crunchy broccoli pieces tossed in a salty and sweet stir fry sauce makes for a quick and easy dinner that tastes like take-out!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce
• 2 tsp / 10g sugar
• 1lb / 454g chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized piece
• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch
• oil, for pan
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• Red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, lime wedges, fresh mint, etc. for topping, as desired

Instructions

1. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.
2. Toss chicken with cornstarch.
3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other large pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken, stirring frequently, until internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low; add ginger and garlic; stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.
6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until starting to simmer.
7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.
8. Remove from heat. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

286.74

Fat

9.11 g

Sat. Fat

1.3 g

Carbs

13.21 g

Fiber

2.07 g

Net carbs

11.14 g

Sugar

1.77 g

Protein

36.45 g

Sodium

1503.43 mg

Cholesterol

98.34 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 serving of 3.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/7/3/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry

chicken stir fry, better than take-out, broccoli stir fry, sweet and sour stir fry, healthy stir fry

dinner

Asian

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Taco Salad

Taco salad is a classic in my family. Seasoned beef, 2 kinds of beans, cheese, tomatoes, onion, and enough lettuce to be able to call this a salad, all tossed in creamy homemade thousand island dressing. It’s delicious.

I’m not sure who was the original genius to decide to turn a taco into a salad and use a mayonnaise and ketchup based dressing, but it works, and it works so well. I highly recommend you make your own thousand island dressing! It’s very easy.

My earliest memories of this salad were probably because it was one of my brother’s favorite meal requests. Over the years it has slowly morphed into the version we make today, which is a bit more wholesome than the original. Where a bag of Doritos used to be used, we now use tortilla chips. Store-bought thousand island dressing has been replaced with this much more flavorful homemade (7 ingredient) thousand island dressing. A packet of taco seasoning has been replaced with our own mix of spices. Sometimes we make it with beef, sometimes we keep it vegetarian for a lighter meal. All in all, we’ve moved this away from processed foods in favor of using more whole foods, and it’s only better for it. What used to be my brother’s taco salad, has become everyone’s favorite taco salad.

Listed below is more or less the quantities of ingredients we use, but this is one of those recipes where you can measure with your heart! In fact, my mom’s recipe doesn’t even list quantities on some things because we just add as much as we want. Want less beans? Use 1 can instead of 2. Love tomatoes? Use more than 2! Is cheese your love language? Use as much as you want! You get the idea, it’s very easy to adjust according to your tastes.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my mama

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Taco Salad

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

• 1 lb ground beef, cooked with 1 packet taco seasoning

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1 small onion, diced small

• 1 (14.5oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (14.5oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island Dressing, or to taste, recipe here

• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

• 4 oz tortilla chips or Doritos, lightly crushed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, beef, tomatoes, onion, pinto and black beans together.

2. Just before serving, add dressing and toss to combine. Lightly toss in cheese and chips.

3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Shredded chicken is also delicious in this instead of beef.

• This salad is also wonderful served without meat, as a vegetarian dish.

• Ingredient quantities are very much customizable to your liking.

• If you anticipate having leftovers, only toss chips into the amount you think will be eaten. You can always add more chips, but leftovers with chips get soggy.

Yield 6-8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Total time

20 Min

Print

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Taco Salad

Romaine lettuce, taco seasoned beef, pinto and black beans, cheese, tomato, onion, and chips all tossed together in a creamy homemade Thousand Island Dressing.

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Ingredients

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1 lb ground beef, cooked with 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 (14.5oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island Dressing, or to taste, recipe here
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz tortilla chips, lightly crushed

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, beef, tomatoes, onion, pinto and black beans together.
2. Just before serving, add dressing and toss to combine. Lightly toss in cheese and chips.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Shredded chicken is also delicious in this instead of beef.
• This salad is also wonderful served without meat, as a vegetarian dish.
• Ingredient quantities are very much customizable to your liking.
• If you anticipate having leftovers, only toss chips into the amount you think will be eaten. You can always add more chips, but leftovers with chips get soggy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

594.37

Fat

30.01 g

Sat. Fat

8.4 g

Carbs

73.09 g

Fiber

21.71 g

Net carbs

51.38 g

Sugar

21.54 g

Protein

16.06 g

Sodium

1152.99 mg

Cholesterol

40.54 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings, including beef and homemade dressing.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/8/12/taco-salad

best ever taco salad, vegetarian, summer recipe, side salad, healthy taco salad

dinner

American

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Cozy lentils cooked to perfection with flavors of ginger, garlic, and curry, served over rice. Easy, nutritious, and filling for when you want a comforting meal.

Something about August sits different. It’s still summer, yet somehow, inexplicably, you can feel that maybe before you’re ready, fall will be here. School starting, shorter evenings, cooler weather. Curries are one of my favorite cozy weather dishes. They’re easy to make and there are so many! While I love summer and all the summer no-cook or grilled dishes that go along with the season, I do start to miss cooking and hearty dishes. Those hot days where it’s too hot to turn on the oven are hard on me! Michigan summers are mild compared to Florentine summers, but I was still excited that this week held some cooler days that felt perfect for this lentil curry with rice.

I first started making this curry in Florence, I think it was during 2020 and have been making it regularly ever since. I love to add spinach to get in some vegetables, and I would often make it in a crockpot while also adding rice and more water straight to the crockpot; curried lentils and rice all cooked up together!

A note about ground coriander

McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Coriander, 1.25 Oz

While most of the ingredients in this recipe would be considered pantry staples, the biggest exception for me would be ground coriander. (Coconut milk might not be a staple for everyone, but if you make Asian dishes frequently it is!!) Now, a little pet peeve of mine is recipes that sound wonderful but call for one or more obscure ingredients that are “essential”, but also ones you’ll never use again. You know what I’m talking about, right? Well, normally I would be tempted to skip or find a substitute for ground coriander since that has never been a spice I’ve really used. The first time I made this recipe I somehow had coriander seeds in a spice grinder. It was a labor of love to hand grind 1 1/2 tsps, but I was surprised at how good it was! It’s not that you can taste the coriander itself, but the one time I didn’t have enough I could actually tell and missed the depth of flavor it lended. Bottom line, you can make this curry without it, but if you plan on making this again I would get yourself a bottle of ground coriander!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Janet’s Munch Meals

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil

• 1 onion or shallot, diced small

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 Tbsp curry powder

• 1 Tbsp cumin

• 2 tsp chili powder or paprika

• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 cup / 210g dry lentils

• 1 (15 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes

• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth or water

• salt and pepper to taste

• Several handfuls of spinach, 100-200g spinach, finely chopped, optional

• Rice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, for serving, optional

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for several minutes, until translucent.

2. Add garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, chili powder, and coriander and cook for about 3 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.

3. Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

4. Lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid at any point, if necessary.

5. Stir in spinach and cook for another minute or two.

6. Serve over rice with cilantro and red pepper flakes, as desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• This lentil curry can also be made in a crockpot: Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding any extra liquid as necessary.

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

45 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Cozy lentils cooked to perfection with flavors of curry, ginger, and garlic, served over rice for a meal that is quick, nutritious, filling, and easy on the budget!

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Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 onion or shallot, diced small
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder or paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup / 210g dry lentils
• 1 (15 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• Several handfuls of spinach, 100-200g spinach, finely chopped, optional
• Rice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for several minutes, until translucent.
2. Add garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, chili powder, and coriander and cook for about 3 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.
3. Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid at any point, if necessary.
5. Stir in spinach and cook for another minute or two.
6. Serve over rice with cilantro and red pepper flakes, as desired.

Notes

• This lentil curry can also be made in a crockpot: Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding any extra liquid as necessary.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

497.79

Fat

29.02 g

Sat. Fat

21.57 g

Carbs

48.62 g

Fiber

20.69 g

Net carbs

27.95 g

Sugar

10.59 g

Protein

17.68 g

Sodium

705.08 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings, not including rice.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/2/lentil-spinach-curry

curried lentils, vegetarian, vegan, cheap meals, budget meals, curry

dinner

Asian

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Simple Sesame Noodles

Some of my favorite things include pasta, Asian flavors, and easy dinners. Enter, these Simple Sesame Noodles.

This dish is ready in as little time as it takes to cook pasta, because the sauce can be ready before the water even comes to a boil. You can add veggies as you wish, or not to keep it as quick as possible. Veggies can be baked, steamed, or stir-fried then added in when you add the sauce.

It’s hard to believe, but an even easier pasta dish quite similar to this exists on this blog. This one has a few more ingredients and depth of flavor, but for when you need the absolute easiest pasta dinner, try these 6 ingredient Simple Thai Noodles.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses, and American companies and products made in the USA for American readers. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Simple Sesame Noodles

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb / 500g linguine or other long pasta

  For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup / 68g soy sauce or tamari

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil or other oil of choice

• 3 Tbsp / 42g sesame oil

• 2 Tbsp / 40g maple syrup, honey (42g), or sugar (25g)

• 2 Tbsp / 28g rice vinegar

• 2 Tbsp / 28g water

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp hot chili oil or red pepper flakes, optional

  Garnishes, optional

• green onions, sliced

• cilantro

• peanuts, roughly chopped

• sesame seeds

• crushed red pepper flakes

• fresh mint

Directions:

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat; bring to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together all sauce ingredients.

3. Add sauce to cooked pasta, toss to combine, adding pasta water as desired to thin out sauce.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Adding pasta water to a sauce that is already thin may seem unusual, but even thin sauces thicken as the pasta cools and continues to absorb liquid. So for extra saucy sauce, add a touch of pasta water. The starch in pasta also lends a certain creaminess to sauces. Pasta water is the secret ingredient to many a good pasta and sauce, helping to marry the pasta to the sauce. You probably won’t need the whole cup, but once the pasta water is drained you can’t get it back, so as a general rule of thumb I always reserve at least 1 cup.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

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Simple Sesame Noodles

Thai inspired flavors give this pasta a burst of flavor, you'd never guess it's one of the quickest and easiest pasta recipes!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 lb / 500g linguine or other long pasta

For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup / 68g soy sauce or tamari
• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil or other oil of choice
• 3 Tbsp / 42g sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp / 40g maple syrup, honey (42g), or sugar (25g)
• 2 Tbsp / 28g rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp / 28g water
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp hot chili oil or red pepper flakes, optional

Garnishes, optional

• green onions, sliced
• cilantro
• peanuts, roughly chopped
• sesame seeds
• crushed red pepper flakes
• fresh mint

Instructions

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat; bring to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together all sauce ingredients.
3. Add sauce to cooked pasta, toss to combine, adding pasta water as desired to thin out sauce.

Notes

• Adding pasta water to a sauce that is already thin may seem unusual, but even thin sauces thicken as the pasta cools and continues to absorb liquid. So for extra saucy sauce, add a touch of pasta water. The starch in pasta also lends a certain creaminess to sauces.  Pasta water is the secret ingredient to many a good pasta and sauce, helping to marry the  pasta to the sauce. You probably won’t need the whole cup, but once the  pasta water is drained you can’t get it back, so as a general rule of thumb I always reserve at least 1 cup.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

884.69

Fat

31.96 g

Sat. Fat

4.59 g

Carbs

125.66 g

Fiber

5.84 g

Net carbs

119.79 g

Sugar

12.53 g

Protein

22.74 g

Sodium

1109.09 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 serving if this recipe serves 3, including all garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/23/thai-noodles#google_vignette

quick dinner recipe, easy thai noodles, asian pasta, lo mein, sesame noodles

dinner

Asian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi is an iconic Italian-American dish, featuring shrimp cooked in a rich, buttery sauce with garlic and lemon, sometimes a hint of white wine and parsley. Often, this is served as a sauce over pasta, and while Shrimp Scampi is often thought of as a pasta dish, it is not technically so.

There is a similar dish in Italy, known as Pasta agli Scampi, and various other preparations of scampi. Scampi are a type of shellfish not found in the States similar to very large shrimp or small lobsters. Garlic and white wine are often paired with seafood in Italy, so you can see where the pasta dish Americans know as Shrimp Scampi is not so dissimilar.

It’s hard to say exactly where Shrimp Scampi came from. I often like to learn further about dishes and do some digging and researching on origins, variations, techniques, etc. when writing up well-known recipes, ending with a neat little history to share with those of you who care about that part. This time I only came away with an even hazier idea of where Shrimp Scampi originates from, with many sources offering their take with no one able to say for certain. All we really need to know is that Shrimp Scampi is delicious and deceptively easy to make, winning hearts all over the world.

Recipe inspired by Ina Garten

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Shrimp Scampi

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb / 500g linguine pasta

• 1/4 cup / 56g butter

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup / 119g dry white wine or broth

• 1 - 1 1/2 lb / 454-680g cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

• 1/3 cup / 79g freshly squeezed lemon juice

• zest of 1 lemon

• salt and pepper to taste

• red pepper flakes, lemon slices, fresh parsley leaves, for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt generously, and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes; add shrimp. Cook until simmering and shrimp is heated through.

4. Add parsley, lemon juice and zest; stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer while pasta finishes cooking.

5. Drain pasta when it is finished cooking, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Add pasta water as desired to thin/smooth out sauce.

6. Serve with red pepper flakes, lemon slices, and fresh parsley leaves.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The size and kind of shrimp you choose to add is largely up to you. Large or small, tails on or off. You can also use raw and cooked shrimp interchangeably, you will simply need to increase the cook time if using raw shrimp, by about 5 minutes, once you add the shrimp to ensure it turns pink and is cooked through.

• The quantity of shrimp is also per your tastes. I don’t love recipes that call for half a bag of this or half a can of this, leaving product that will potentially go to waste if you don’t find another use for it. I buy shrimp in 1 or 2 lb bags, and I’m happy using an even 1 lb bag of shrimp in this recipe. However, if the shrimp you buy comes in different quantities or you really love lots of shrimp, go for the 1.5lbs!

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi is a classic American-Italian sauce with butter, garlic, white wine, and lemon, tossed with pasta and plenty of shrimp.

Ingredients

• 1 lb / 500g linguine pasta
• 1/4 cup / 56g butter
• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup / 119g dry white wine or broth
• 1 - 1 1/2 lb / 454-680g cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup / 79g freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes, lemon slices, fresh parsley leaves, for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt generously, and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes; add shrimp. Cook until simmering and shrimp is heated through.
4. Add parsley, lemon juice and zest; stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer while pasta finishes cooking.
5. Drain pasta when it is finished cooking, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Add pasta water as desired to thin/smooth out sauce.
6. Serve with red pepper flakes, lemon slices, and fresh parsley leaves.

Notes

• The size and kind of shrimp you choose to add is largely up to you. Large or small, tails on or off. You can also use raw and cooked shrimp interchangeably, you will simply need to increase the cook time if using raw shrimp, by about 5 minutes, once you add the shrimp to ensure it turns pink and is cooked through.
• The quantity of shrimp is also per your tastes. I don’t love recipes that call for half a bag of this or half a can of this, leaving product that will potentially go to waste if you don’t find another use for it. I buy shrimp in 1 or 2 lb bags, and I’m happy using an even 1 lb bag of shrimp in this recipe. However, if the shrimp you buy comes in different quantities or you really love lots of shrimp, go for the 1.5lbs!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

749.8

Fat

24.43 g

Sat. Fat

9.2 g

Carbs

88.83 g

Fiber

4.19 g

Net carbs

84.66 g

Sugar

4 g

Protein

38.28 g

Sodium

288.39 mg

Cholesterol

213.07 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/17/shrimp-scampi

Classic Shrimp Scampi, Traditional Shrimp Scampi, Butter Garlic White Wine Lemon Shrimp Pasta

dinner

American, Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

This Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry is one of the easiest in our repertoire. A good green curry paste and coconut milk carry the flavor in the sauce, while a quick sauté on some green vegetables of choice and baked tofu bring this quick and tasty meal together in no time.

You can use just about any vegetable you choose in this dish, but I love keeping it all green. Goes with the green curry paste, and keeps it feeling fresh and spring-like, you know?

Tofu: to bake or to pan-fry?

You have the option of pan-frying or baking the tofu. Baking overall takes longer, but it’s less hands on, so may save you time in the end. It’s also a healthier alternative to pan-frying. Pan-frying, though, will always give you the edge on perfectly crispy, golden tofu. Baking can also get you crispy tofu, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just a little different. Baking is my preferred method!

If you choose to bake, there are actually two different ways you can go about this. Normally, after the water has been pressed out of the tofu, it would be lightly breaded in cornstarch and oil before being baked. This way is delicious and I highly recommend it.

Another way, as in the recipe below, is simply baking the tofu, no coating no fuss. This results in a crisp, almost chewy tofu that is another great option. I choose this method when crunched for time or cooking for people who prefer to eat lighter.

I paired the bake method with this particular curry recipe to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. However, feel free to bake/fry tofu in your favorite way before tossing in the sauce with the veggies!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from New York Times

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Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 cup snow peas

• 1 14oz / 400g can of coconut milk

• 2-4 Tbsp / 36-72g green curry paste

• Juice of 1 lime

• Rice, lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds, etc. as desired, for serving

Directions:

Prepare the Tofu

Oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until light golden.

Cook Vegetables and Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, asparagus, and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get some color, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add coconut milk and green curry paste to pan and stir to combine. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken.

3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and tofu.

4. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Use whichever vegetables you like best, the recipe as written above is the winning combo of veggies that we liked, while keeping it a fun green theme. Some ideas include using corn kernels, carrots, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, fennel, etc. Just keep in mind the approximate cooking length of the veggies you’re adding. Hardy root vegetables like carrots will take a bit longer, while veggies like broccoli, especially if you like them with a bit of a crunch like I do, will take just a few minutes until al dente perfection.

• Certain veggies like broccoli and kale tend to “absorb” the sauce more than others, so if using these you might find your dish overall less saucy.

• To avoid soggy vegetables, make sure not to cook them all the way through before you add the sauce, as they will still cook once you add the sauce.

• Green curry pastes can vary in spiciness, so I would advise starting with just 2 Tbsp of curry and tasting for spice level before adding more.

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

45 Min

Print

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Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

Creamy, spicy, springy curry with tofy and green veggies served over rice. A quick and simple curry!

Ingredients

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 14oz / 400g can of coconut milk
• 2-4 Tbsp / 36-72g green curry paste
• Juice of 1 lime
• Rice, lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds, etc. as desired, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the Tofu

1. Oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
3. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until light golden.

Cook Vegetables and Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, asparagus, and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get some color, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk and green curry paste to pan and stir to combine. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and tofu.
4. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Notes

• Use whichever vegetables you like best, the recipe as written above is the winning combo of veggies that we liked, while keeping it a fun green theme. Some ideas include using corn kernels, carrots, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, fennel, etc. Just keep in mind the approximate cooking length of the veggies you’re adding. Hardy root vegetables like carrots will take a bit longer, while veggies like broccoli, especially if you like them with a bit of a crunch like I do, will take just a few minutes until al dente perfection.
• Certain veggies like broccoli and kale tend to “absorb” the sauce more than others, so if using these you might find your dish overall less saucy.
• To avoid soggy vegetables, make sure not to cook them all the way through before you add the sauce, as they will still cook once you add the sauce.
• Green curry pastes can vary in spiciness, so I would advise starting with just 2 Tbsp of curry and tasting for spice level before adding more.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

736.72

Fat

60.15 g

Sat. Fat

39.85 g

Carbs

30.97 g

Fiber

9.42 g

Net carbs

21.55 g

Sugar

10.97 g

Protein

29.01 g

Sodium

43.1 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 2 servings, not including rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/8/green-tofu-and-vegetable-curry

Green curry, spring curry, coconut milk curry

dinner

Asian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Smooth Potato and Vegetable Soup

This soup couldn’t be simpler to make, simply chop up vegetables, boil them, and purée them. Tada! Dinner. It’s high on my list for easy meals that require little hands on prep, think 10 minutes or less. Feasible even with a newborn and other little kids demanding all your time!

It’s all vegetables, which makes it hearty and very nutritious. Once it’s puréed you can’t tell what’s in it which makes it easy to sneak in maybe some of those vegetables that your family isn’t so fond of. If I’m going to be really honest, veggie soups aren’t overly exciting, but I really enjoy this one. It’s difficult to ruin, even if you swap out different kinds of veggies. Make as written at first if you feel more comfortable, rather than branching out on your own right away. After the first time or two making this, you’ll quickly learn what you want more of or less of in the veggie department to suit you and your family’s tastes.

And, being all vegetables, this soup is vegetarian and vegan, gluten and dairy free. Friendly for many diets and dietary needs!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

---

Smooth Potato and Vegetable Soup

Serves about 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 quart / 1 liter chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled

• 3 medium potatoes

• 2 medium carrots

• 2 stalks of celery

• 1 small-medium broccoli crown

• 1/2 medium onion

• 2 fresh artichoke hearts, or 1 14 oz can, drained

• salt and pepper, to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling, and crusty bread, optional

Directions:

1. Rinse vegetables and chop all into chunks.

2. Add all ingredients to a large pot over medium-high heat and brig to a boil.

3. Allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender when checked with a sharp knife. Check periodically to ensure it doesn’t boil dry, adding more water if necessary. Total time will depend on how large or small your vegetable chunks are.

4. Once the vegetables are tender, transfer to a blender with enough broth to cover or almost cover them in the blender, or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. If you desire a thinner soup, add more broth or water.

5. Serve immediately with bread and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Jenny’s Notes:

1. You’ll notice the recipe is a bit vague, and I did that on purpose. If I wrote all the options or different ways I’ve made this soup, it would be quite confusing to read. So, you can find some variations down here.

2. What kind of broth? Completely up to you. I prefer vegetable as this is a vegetable soup, but you could just as easily use chicken, beef, a combo, or your own homemade broth.

3. Try using sweet potatoes for part or all of the potatoes.

4. I don’t even bother to remove the skin from any of the potatoes or carrots. It all gets blended anyway, and it saves a lot of time while adding nutrition!

5. The first time I made this with artichokes I hadn’t ever worked with a fresh artichoke before. I thought the center was bigger than it was, and thus ended up with some strands of fiber throughout the soup from the leaves. Not a deal breaker, but beware of those fibrous artichoke outer leaves. If you aren’t sure what exactly is the “center”, simply try biting the leaves. If it’s too fibrous and hard to chew, don’t blend it. The center will be small, as in, I-bought-that-whole-artichoke-just-for-that-tiny-thing? and yellow and almost melt in your mouth tender.

6. Feel free to play with some spices to change things up! I like to add a Tbsp of turmeric, and sometimes some thyme or sage.

7. Finally, add or subtract any vegetables you want! Basically as long as you have the same volume of vegetables to liquid, ish, you’ll end up with a vegetable soup. Ha. I love how simple it is. It’s just playing with flavors and textures!

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

45 Min

Print

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Smooth Potato and Veggie Soup

Simple and nutritious purèed potato and vegetable soup

Ingredients

• 1 quart / 1 liter chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 small-medium broccoli crown
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 fresh artichoke hearts, or 1 14 oz can, drained
• salt and pepper, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling, and crusty bread, optional

Instructions

1. Rinse vegetables and chop all into chunks.
2. Add all ingredients to a large pot over medium-high heat and brig to a boil.
3. Allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender when checked with a sharp knife. Check periodically to ensure it doesn’t boil dry, adding more water if necessary. Total time will depend on how large or small your vegetable chunks are.
4. Once the vegetables are tender, transfer to a blender with enough broth to cover or almost cover them in the blender, or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. If you desire a thinner soup, add more broth or water.
5. Serve immediately with bread and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Notes

1. You’ll notice the recipe is a bit vague, and I did that on purpose. If I wrote all the options or different ways I’ve made this soup, it would be quite confusing to read. So, you can find some variations down here.
2. What kind of broth? Completely up to you. I prefer vegetable as this is a vegetable soup, but you could just as easily use chicken, beef, a combo, or your own homemade broth.
3. Try using sweet potatoes for part or all of the potatoes.
4. I don’t even bother to remove the skin from any of the potatoes or carrots. It all gets blended anyway, and it saves a lot of time while adding nutrition!
5. The first time I made this with artichokes I hadn’t ever worked with a fresh artichoke before. I thought the center was bigger than it was, and thus ended up with some strands of fiber throughout the soup from the leaves. Not a deal breaker, but beware of those fibrous artichoke outer leaves. If you aren’t sure what exactly is the “center”, simply try biting the leaves. If it’s too fibrous and hard to chew, don’t blend it. The center will be small, as in, I-bought-that-whole-artichoke-just-for-that-tiny-thing? and yellow and almost melt in your mouth tender.
6. Feel free to play with some spices to change things up! I like to add a Tbsp of turmeric, and sometimes some thyme or sage.
7. Finally, add or subtract any vegetables you want! Basically as long as you have the same volume of vegetables to liquid, ish, you’ll end up with a vegetable soup. Ha. I love how simple it is. It’s just playing with flavors and textures!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

240.61

Fat

4.33 g

Sat. Fat

0.72 g

Carbs

46.34 g

Fiber

8.9 g

Net carbs

37.42 g

Sugar

8.16 g

Protein

8.2 g

Sodium

1094.33 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 serving if recipe serves 4, including olive oil drizzle.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2018/11/11/smooth-potato-and-veggie-soup

potato soup, Armenian vegetable soup, vegan, vegetarian

dinner

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Sticky Lemon Tofu

Last updated September 27, 2024

Crispy tofu with a zingy, sweet, and super flavorful sticky sauce over rice makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Serve with your favorite garnishes and you’ll feel like you’re eating takeout, but it’s actually much healthier!

Inspired by Chinese takeout “lemon chicken” but made with tofu instead. Meatless, nutritious, and you can choose to add veggies, as you wish.

The tofu can be baked or fried, depending on your preference, either way resulting in delicious, crispy bites of tofu that are just asking to be covered in a sticky lemon sauce. I prefer baking them, it’s healthier and the oven does the work while I work on the sauce. Either way is delicious and simple, though!

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil

• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce

• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water

• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup

• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil

• 2-3 green onions, sliced

• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice

• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Directions:

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels mostly dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.

   Pan fry:

3. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.

   OR Bake:

4. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).

2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.

4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.

• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.

• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

55 Min

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Sticky Lemon Tofu

Crispy tofu nuggets tossed in a super flavorful sticky lemon sauce inspired by Chinese takeout Lemon Chicken, served over rice.

Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce
• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water
• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup
• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice
• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Instructions

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.
3. Pan fry:
4. Heat a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.
5. OR Bake:
6. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).
2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Notes

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.
• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.
• Use whichever kind of cooking oil you prefer. I simply write “oil” since specifying often gets people thinking they must use a specific oil, when really you can use any high-heat cooking oil (peanut oil, avocado oil, some use olive oil, etc.)
• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

476.8

Fat

23.04 g

Sat. Fat

2.04 g

Carbs

47.45 g

Fiber

2.93 g

Net carbs

44.51 g

Sugar

20.62 g

Protein

21.78 g

Sodium

1742.63 mg

Cholesterol

1.18 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 serving if recipe serves 2. Does not include rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/3/15/sticky-lemon-tofu

Sticky lemon tofu, chinese takeout lemon chicken

dinner

Asian

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Herbed Six Cheese Pasta

Last Updated September 7, 2024

Why, when we make macaroni and cheese, do we usually just add one cheese? Because it’s easy, yes. But have you ever added 2, 3 or even 6 different cheeses to your pasta? Because it’s wonderful and the flavor profile explodes. In a good way.

Here is one of my cheesy pasta recipes, made with yes, 6 different cheeses! You can easily mix up which cheeses you use, with whatever you have on hand. It creates a unique but divine pasta every time. The herbs I added in with the inspiration from herb cream cheese that I sometimes like to put on my toasted bagels. MMMMMMmmmmmmmm.

Now, one of my first thoughts when I see a number of cheeses (especially 6!!) in a dish is that it’s probably a really rich, high fat dish. Good for special occasions, not so much a weeknight dinner. The best thing about this pasta, is that it doesn’t use any more cheese than a regular, homemade, stove top macaroni and cheese. Actually, it uses less than some recipes! I like to use about 2 cups of shredded cheese (equal to about 8oz of cheese) for 1lb of pasta. This recipe also uses a total of 2 cups of shredded cheese. No heavy whipping cream, no half & half, just milk. It’s not overly indulgent, like so many recipes can be, while still tasting indulgent!

This pasta is cheesy, creamy, smoky, and should be cooking on your stove and in your tummy ASAP! :)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe by Jenny. Inspired by Inspired with a Twist

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Herbed Six Cheese Pasta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. / 500g pasta of your choice

• 4 Tbsp / 56g oil or butter

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup / 30g all-purpose flour

• 2 cups / 474g milk

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme

• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 cup / 56g shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup / 56g shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup / 25g shredded asiago cheese

• 1/4 cup / 25g shredded parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup / 28g shredded smoked gruyère cheese

• 2 oz / 57g cream cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot bring a good quantity of water to boil. Just before the water boils, salt the water. Stir to dissolve salt, then add in pasta. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 2 cups of pasta water.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil or butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir, for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Add flour and stir with a whisk, until all the oil or butter has been absorbed by the flour. Stir for an extra few seconds, to toast the flour.

4. Slowly add in milk, a bit at a time, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken, then slowly thin out as you add more milk.

5. When all the milk has been added and the mixture comes to a simmer, add in all the spices and herbs.

6. Add in all of the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, along with 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir well. Add in more pasta water until desired consistency is reached. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools and sits. Serve.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The cheese options for this pasta really are endless, no need to feel confined by the exact cheeses I have written here. I use different ones all the time! Cheddars, mozzarellas, Monterey or Colby Jack, gruyere, gouda, smoked cheeses, havarti, provolone, taleggio, Swiss…think of your favorites! Another I love to add? A blue cheese, like Gorgonzola. Mmmmm. It’s like one of my favorite Italian pizzas, quattro formaggi, a pizza with four cheeses, one of which is Gorgonzola.

• If you don’t have fresh herbs available to you, you can easily sub in dried. As a general rule of thumb, use 1/3 the amount of dried in place of fresh. In this recipe, because the measurements are already quite small, I usually end up going with “generous 1/8th teaspoon”, or “pinch of this”, and it turns out wonderful!

• If you enjoy especially rich pasta, you can use half & half or some cream in with the milk. I usually use 2% milk, still creates a luscious, cheesy, pasta, but without being overly indulgent!

Yield 6-8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Herbed Six Cheese Pasta

Creamy, smokey, cheesy pasta featuring 6 different cheeses with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and spices

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 lb. / 500g pasta of your choice
• 4 Tbsp / 56g oil or butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup / 30g all-purpose flour
• 2 cups / 474g milk
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup / 56g shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup / 56g shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup / 25g shredded asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup / 25g shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup / 28g shredded smoked gruyère cheese
• 2 oz / 57g cream cheese

Instructions

1. In a large pot bring a good quantity of water to boil. Just before the water boils, salt the water. Stir to dissolve salt, then add in pasta. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 2 cups of pasta water.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil or butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir, for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Add flour and stir with a whisk, until all the oil or butter has been absorbed by the flour. Stir for an extra few seconds, to toast the flour.
4. Slowly add in milk, a bit at a time, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken, then slowly thin out as you add more milk.
5. When all the milk has been added and the mixture comes to a simmer, add in all the spices and herbs.
6. Add in all of the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, along with 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir well. Add in more pasta water until desired consistency is reached. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools and sits. Serve.

Notes

• The cheese options for this pasta really are endless, no need to feel confined by the exact cheeses I have written here. I use different ones all the time! Cheddars, mozzarellas, Monterey or Colby Jack, gruyere, gouda, smoked cheeses, havarti, provolone, taleggio, Swiss…think of your favorites! Another I love to add? A blue cheese, like Gorgonzola. Mmmmm. It’s like one of my favorite Italian pizzas, quattro formaggi, a pizza with four cheeses, one of which is Gorgonzola.
• If you don’t have fresh herbs available to you, you can easily sub in dried. As a general rule of thumb, use 1/3 the amount of dried in place of fresh. In this recipe, because the measurements are already quite small, I usually end up going with “generous 1/8th teaspoon”, or “pinch of this”, and it turns out wonderful!
• If you enjoy especially rich pasta, you can use half & half or some cream in with the milk. I usually use 2% milk, still creates a luscious, cheesy, pasta, but without being overly indulgent!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

574

Fat

24 g

Sat. Fat

14 g

Carbs

66 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

63 g

Sugar

7 g

Protein

23 g

Cholesterol

68 mg

Sodium

419 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 6 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/7/14/herbed-six-cheese-pasta

Deluxe macaroni and cheese, best macaroni and cheese, six cheese pasta

Dinner, Pasta

American

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---

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Last Updated September 7, 2024

This Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry is deliciously salty, satisfying, and nutritious.

My family makes this recipe quite a bit, it’s quick and easy, providing protein and vegetables and a carb, if you serve it over rice.

If you’re watching your salt intake, you might prefer to use a low-sodium soy sauce and broth. Using low-sodium ingredients allows you to have more control over how salty your dish is, whether or not you actually may need low-sodium for health reasons.

This dish is also delicious meat-ified…by that I mean, with chicken instead of tofu. I’m not a vegetarian, and I love this recipe both ways. If making with chicken, you’ll want to cut it into cubes or bite-sized pieces. You can still coat the chicken in the cornstarch, and proceed with recipe as written. You’ll simply want to cook the chicken thoroughly, before adding in the garlic and ginger and finishing the stir fry. Voila! Meat-ified.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves about 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu

• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch

• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth

• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce

• 2 tsp / 10g sugar

• oil, for pan

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.

2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.

3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.

4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.

5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.

6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.

7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.

8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.

Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc.

Jenny’s Notes:

oven baked tofu

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.

• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.

• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Crispy tofu with lightly crunchy broccoli in a salty stir fry sauce makes for a quick and satisfying dinner that is as good as take-out!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu
• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch
• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce
• 2 tsp / 10g sugar
• oil, for pan
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.
2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.
3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.
4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.
5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.
6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.
7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.
8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.
9. Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc

Notes

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.
• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.
• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

223

Fat

11 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

16 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar

2 g

Protein

16 g

Cholesterol

2 mg

Sodium

1322 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 3 servings, not including rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/8/18/tofu-and-broccoli-stir-fry

stir fry, tofu, broccoli, takeout, Chinese takeout, vegetarian dinner

dinner

Asian

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---

Chicken Fricassée

Last Updated September 7, 2024

Chicken fricassée is a French chicken stew, consisting of browned chicken and vegetables in a creamy mushroom sauce.

It starts with a simple pan fry of chicken in a skillet with butter, until they’re nice and brown. The chicken is removed from the pan so you can cook onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and a bit of thyme. Flour, chicken broth, and white wine are added to make a slightly thick, hearty sauce. Finally, cream (or milk if you prefer a lighter or less expensive version) and a splash of lemon juice are added at the end to turn the sauce into a creamy, velvety wonder, perfect for serving over mashed potatoes.

The whole thing can be cooked on the stove or it can also be finished in the oven. It goes a little quicker on the stove, my preferred version. My mom, on the other hand, prefers to finish hers in the oven. She likes the hands-free time while it’s in the oven to clean up the kitchen, which is also useful!

This makes for a convenient rotation to weeknight dinners since most of the ingredients I always have on hand, save for the mushrooms. This can be made without the mushrooms if you so prefer, but honestly it’s one of my favorite parts so I make sure to add mushrooms to my grocery list!

I’m not normally a meat, carrot, and potato kind of girl, but ever since I first made this a few years ago it’s become a part of our regular dinner rotation, it’s so delicious and satisfying.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from The Toasty Kitchen

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Chicken Fricassée

Serves about 4

Ingredients:

Chicken fricassée over mashed potatoes

• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter

• 1 lb / 454g uncooked chicken breasts

• 2-3 carrots, sliced into half moons

• 1 onion, diced medium

• 8 oz / 227g white button mushrooms, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 2 Tbsp / 15g flour

• 1/2 cup / 119g dry white wine

• 1 cup / 237g chicken broth

• 1/2 cup / 119g heavy cream, half & half, or milk

• 2 Tbsp / 28g fresh lemon juice

• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Take the chicken breasts and lay them on a cutting board. Slice each chicken breast horizontally into two thinner breasts, slicing parallel to the cutting board. It’s like butterflying, but cut all the way through so you have two separate pieces.

2. Heat the butter in a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add all the pieces of chicken, and cook for a few minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165° / 74°C. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Add carrots and onion to hot pan and cook several minutes, until starting to soften.

4. Add mushrooms and cook for another few minutes, until mushrooms are cooked and have mostly released their water.

5. Add garlic and thyme, cook for just another minute.

6. Add flour and stir to coat all vegetables, cook another minute or so.

7. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.

8. When the wine is almost evaporated, add the chicken broth; stir until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.

9. Remove pan from heat and stir in cream and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.

10. Add chicken breasts back into sauce; serve. Goes great with mashed potatoes.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Step 1 could be optional, you can keep your chicken breasts whole if you wish. I like cutting my chicken breasts into thinner pieces before cooking since a whole chicken breast is usually much bigger than a serving, and it takes longer to cook. Our butcher in Italy always cut our chicken breasts like this and I loved it, thinner pieces of meat that are done cooking in a matter of minutes.

• If you prefer, bone-in chicken (legs, thighs, etc.) can be used. Adjust cooking time accordingly to ensure chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C)

• I have made this before without the wine, and it was still wonderful. So if you don’t have any on hand or just prefer to cook without it, omit the wine with no worries.

• To finish this dish in the oven, you’ll want to make the whole thing in a pan that is able to go into the oven, such as a cast iron skillet. Follow recipe as written up through step 8. Add chicken back into the pan (without adding cream or lemon juice) and place in an oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and stir in cream and lemon juice.

• If you choose to finish in the oven, you can focus more on browning the chicken in the pan in step 2 rather than cooking it through, since it will be baked in the oven. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked before you take it out of the oven at the end!

Yield 4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

35 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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Chicken Fricassée

French chicken stew with carrots, onion, and mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter
• 1 lb / 454g uncooked chicken breasts
• 2-3 carrots, sliced into half moons
• 1 onion, diced medium
• 8 oz / 227g white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp / 15g flour
• 1/2 cup / 119g dry white wine
• 1 cup / 237g chicken broth
• 1/2 cup / 119g heavy cream, half & half, or milk
• 2 Tbsp / 28g fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Take the chicken breasts and lay them on a cutting board. Slice each chicken breast horizontally into two thinner breasts, slicing parallel to the cutting board. It’s like butterflying, but cut all the way through so you have two separate pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add all the pieces of chicken, and cook for a few minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165° / 74°C. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
3. Add carrots and onion to hot pan and cook several minutes, until starting to soften.
4. Add mushrooms and cook for another few minutes, until mushrooms are cooked and have mostly released their water.
5. Add garlic and thyme, cook for just another minute.
6. Add flour and stir to coat all vegetables, cook another minute or so.
7. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan.
8. When the wine is almost evaporated, add the chicken broth; stir until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
9. Remove pan from heat and stir in cream and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Add chicken breasts back into sauce; serve. Goes great with mashed potatoes.

Notes

• Step 1 could be optional, you can keep your chicken breasts whole if you wish. I like cutting my chicken breasts into thinner pieces before cooking since a whole chicken breast is usually much bigger than a serving, and it takes longer to cook. Our butcher in Italy always cut our chicken breasts like this and I loved it, thinner pieces of meat that are done cooking in a matter of minutes.
• If you prefer, bone-in chicken (legs, thighs, etc.) can be used. Adjust cooking time accordingly to ensure chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C)
• I have made this before without the wine, and it was still wonderful. So if you don’t have any on hand or just prefer to cook without it, omit the wine with no worries.
• To finish this dish in the oven, you’ll want to make the whole thing in a pan that is able to go into the oven, such as a cast iron skillet. Follow recipe as written up through step 8. Add chicken back into the pan (without adding cream or lemon juice) and place in an oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and stir in cream and lemon juice.
• If you choose to finish in the oven, you can focus more on browning the chicken in the pan in step 2 rather than cooking it through, since it will be baked in the oven. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked before you take it out of the oven at the end!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

304.93

Fat

12.69 g

Sat. Fat

6.48 g

Carbs

14.38 g

Fiber

2.31 g

Net carbs

12.05 g

Sugar

6.12 g

Protein

28.4 g

Cholesterol

99.61 mg

Sodium

494.26 mg

Nutritional Information is approximate. Based on 4 servings, using heavy cream

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/1/28/chicken-fricasse

chicken breasts, chicken stew, french chicken dish, chicken fricassée, carrots, onions, mushrooms, white wine sauce

Dinner

French

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24 Hour Sourdough Pizza Dough

Last Updated: June 5, 2024

Sourdough pizza!

My absolute favorite pizza dough recipe, and definitely worth the time to plan a day (or 2) ahead. At first glance the recipe might seem complicated (it is a 2 day recipe, after all), but it really is very simple, with no more than 1-2 minutes of kneading involved. With sourdough, time is your friend and does most of the work for you.

If you’ve ever made homemade pizza dough and wondered why it’s “good” but missing out on that chewy, wonderful crust texture that you get from the best pizzerias, this recipe will have you wondering no more. It’s chewy and flavorful and will have you whipping pizzas out of your home oven that taste about as close to your Italian vacation as can be possible! Which leads me to ask…

How’s it going? With your sourdough starter, I mean.

Margherita Pizza

If you weren’t already dabbling in sourdough before 2020, everyone and their brother started a sourdough starter during all of the stay-home business and many varying lockdowns, ammiright?

Did your starter get off to success, or did it dwindle, never making it to its full, goopy, bubbly glory? Perhaps it’s sitting, forgotten, in the back of your fridge. Perhaps you’re a sourdough baking fiend, whipping out the loaves and baguettes like nobody’s business.

Or, just maybe, you’re like me, your friendly sourdough-user-but-not-an-expert, keeping the starter alive and using it occasionally but mostly as discard to flavor/boost other recipes. If this sounds familiar, then this recipe is perfect for you. Not too hard, I’ll try not to give you too much theory (yes, I do know some!), and, as long as you have a not-dead starter, basically foolproof.

Not convinced yet? This is the single pizza recipe I make most, by far, even though it takes 24+ hours, because it is that good and that simple. Actually, if I make pizza, I don’t even think about which crust I should make. I just make this one. Day 1 is really just stirring 3 ingredients together. That’s it.

Some Sourdough Tips

Did I mention I have experience but am not an expert on sourdough? Yes, so what follows is my experience and some of the most helpful sourdough tips I’ve learned over the past 5 years dabbling, that may help you too.

master of disguise: Arugula Pizza

Keep in mind that sourdough is highly individual. Meaning, the time you give it, how active it is, the temperature of your house, types of flour you use, etc. will all affect your starter and your end product. For example, I’ve started sourdough starter on two separate continents with results that varied quite a bit. I’ve made this recipe several times with both my Italian and American starter. To be honest I always had more success with my American starter, it feels invincible where my Italian one always needed some tender care and coaxing. But maybe I subconsciously gave my Italian starter too much free reign thinking that it ought to know what to do, being Italian in the land of pizza, after all. Anyway, here goes nothing:

1. When making sourdough breads, most recipes will assume or instruct you to have an active/ripe (freshly fed) starter. This means you probably fed your starter at least once the day before starting the recipe, and you’re not just taking your starter straight out of the fridge to start the recipe. Recipes that use NOT refreshed starters will often call themselves discard this or discard that.

   I USUALLY use my starter straight out of the fridge for this recipe. In fact, there may be a note somewhere with this recipe that says you can use your starter straight out of the fridge, making this not such a guilty confession. That’s another great thing about this recipe. And it turns out great. I will mention, though, that sometimes my Italian starter would yield a less fluffy crust, and I found more success if it was recently refreshed.

2. I once read that it’s actually very hard to kill a (well-established) sourdough starter if it’s kept in the fridge. This relieved a great amount of guilt for me, as, if more than 1 week passed since I had last fed my starter, I had this constant nagging that every day more that passed my starter was dying and suffering. And while the sourdough starters of one person (me) are hardly a vast study, I would say this has turned out true. Even 1 month+ in the fridge and after just one feed it bounced back and was lively. Nice.

3. Keep in mind the word “recipe” when associated with “sourdough” should be used loosely. Formula might be a better word. The beauty, and frustrating part of sourdough is that it IS so variable. If something isn’t going right, in this recipe or any other with sourdough, go back to your starter, your little living friend. My two biggest mistakes with sourdough starter have been not giving a new starter enough time to get established, and not giving the dough enough time to rise/proof. It can feel strange to let dough rise for so many hours rather than the typical 1-2 hours with instant yeast if that’s what you’re used to!

Buy on Amazon

While the following recipe uses both volume and weight measurements as is usual on this blog, I would encourage you in all baking but especially with sourdough to use a scale. It makes everything easier, creates less dishes to wash, and is quicker and more accurate. When you’re working with sourdough it really does make most sense to use a scale. Scales are not expensive and you don’t need a top of the line one to do the job! You can get a handy little one for as little as $9.99 on Amazon.

My Weigh

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If you’re wanting to get more serious about your baking and invest in a slightly larger scale, this is the one I just started using, and am really liking it so far. It’s very similar to the type of scale I would use when working at bakeries or La Pasta Fresca in Florence.

The Difference between “Sourdough Starter” and “Levain”

If these two terms confuse you, hopefully this explanation will help you.

Sourdough starter is your flour and water mixture that you keep in the fridge and feed.

Levain refers to the usually first part of a sourdough recipe where you add sourdough starter with more flour and water, that will end up as part of your bread product. Another way you can think of it, the levain is built from the starter and will always end up baked.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe lightly adapted from Ken Forkish’s “The Elements of Pizza”

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24+hr Levain Pizza Dough

Makes 2 large, 3 medium, or 5 small pizzas

Ingredients:

Day 1

• 50g (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) sourdough starter

• 100g (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) water

• 100g (3/4 cup + 2 tsp) bread flour or all-purpose flour

Day 2

• 225g (scant 1 cup) water

• 14g (2 1/2 tsp) salt

• 250g (All of the levain [sourdough]) from day 1

• 375g (scant 3 cups) all-purpose flour

Directions:

Day 1

1. The evening before you intend to make pizzas, mix together in a medium bowl the sourdough starter, warm (100°F / 38°C) water, and flour.

2. Cover the bowl and let it sit out on the countertop overnight.

Day 2

1. Roughly 12 hours later, your starter from the day before should be bubbly, goopy, and active.

2. Pour warm (90-95°F / 32°-38°C) water into a large bowl, add salt, and stir until salt has dissolved.

3. Mix in all of the levain started the previous evening; it may not completely mix in, that’s ok. You can use a spoon or your hand with a “pincer” like motion, like a crab, helping the levain to break up into the water.

4. Add flour and stir, with a spoon or by hand, just until dough forms into a mostly uniform mass. Continue for about 30 seconds, a shaggy looking dough ball is ok. Target dough temperature is 80°F / 27°C.

5. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.

6. Knead dough for 30 seconds - 1 minute on a lightly floured surface, dough should become very smooth and uniform. Shape into a ball and place seam side down into a lightly greased bowl; cover.

7. Let dough rest at room temperature for about 3 hours.

8. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and shape into desired number of balls (2 for larger pizzas, 3 for medium, or 5 for small), using a scale for consistency. Place shaped dough balls seam side down onto a lightly floured sheet tray, parchment paper, or silpat, keeping space between. Lightly flour tops and cover with plastic wrap; let rest for another 5 hours.

   After the 5 hours, the dough balls can either be refrigerated and used to make pizzas the next day (day 3), or continue and make pizzas!

Make Pizzas

1. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack of your oven before preheating.

2. Preheat oven to 550°F / 288°C or the max of your oven.

3. Roll with a rolling pin or toss a pizza dough ball to desired size, using lightly floured or oiled hands. Place dough round on parchment paper to easily transfer on and off the pizza stone.

4. Bake about 5-7 minutes for small pizzas, 6-9 for medium, or 8-12 for large pizzas, using your eyes to test for readiness more than time.

Jenny’s Notes:

• While I include the original temperature notes for ingredients from Ken Forkish’s original recipe, I will confess I don’t always take the time to measure or check them as I make this often enough in roughly the same environment/temperature house that I just go with it. It’s very educational to do so with new recipes and in new environments, and helps when sharing a sourdough recipe to keep the recipe as consistent as possible, keeping some of the factors (like temperature) the same.

• The 8 hour rise time on day 2 as a mass, then as dough balls, (steps 7 and 8) doesn’t have to be precise, if you need to shape the dough after 2 hours, that’s perfectly fine, you just want a total time of about 8 hours, so you could rest the dough for 2 hours, shape, then rest for 6 hours.

• If you refrigerate your dough and use it to make pizzas on what would be day 3, take dough out of the fridge about an hour before making/baking pizzas. In a pinch I’ve used the dough straight out of the fridge, but the dough will rise better and be fluffier if you don’t go cold turkey, heh.

• If you’ve never used your oven at its maximum temperature and think that’s crazy, just keep in mind that pizzas made in wood burning pizza ovens like they are in Italy, are baked at temperatures of up to 900°F / 485°C, so your home oven at its max isn’t even going to get near the burst of heat that make the best pizzas!

Yield 3-5 pizzas

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

35 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Inactive time

20 H & 20 M

Total time

21 H & 20 M

Print

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24 Hour Levain Pizza Dough

Homemade sourdough pizza crust in just 24 hours, with time doing most of the work for you!

Ingredients

Day 1

• 50g (2 Tbsp + 1 tsp) sourdough starter
• 100g (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) water
• 100g (3/4 cup + 2 tsp) bread flour or all-purpose flour

Day 2

• 225g (scant 1 cup) water
• 14g (2 1/2 tsp) salt
• 250g (All of the levain [sourdough]) from day 1
• 375g (scant 3 cups) all-purpose flour

Instructions

Day 1

1. The evening before you intend to make pizzas, mix together in a medium bowl the sourdough starter, warm (100°F / 38°C) water, and flour.
2. Cover the bowl and let it sit out on the countertop overnight.

Day 2

1. Roughly 12 hours later, your starter from the day before should be bubbly, goopy, and active.
2. Pour warm (90-95°F / 32°-38°C) water into a large bowl, add salt, and stir until salt has dissolved.
3. Mix in all of the levain started the previous evening; it may not completely mix in, that’s ok. You can use a spoon or your hand with a “pincer” like motion, like a crab, helping the levain to break up into the water.
4. Add flour and stir, with a spoon or by hand, just until dough forms into a mostly uniform mass. Continue for about 30 seconds, a shaggy looking dough ball is ok. Target dough temperature is 80°F / 27°C.
5. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.
6. Knead dough for 30 seconds - 1 minute on a lightly floured surface, dough should become very smooth and uniform. Shape into a ball and place seam side down into a lightly greased bowl; cover.
7. Let dough rest at room temperature for about 3 hours.
8. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and shape into desired number of balls (2 for larger pizzas, 3 for medium, or 5 for small), using a scale for consistency. Place shaped dough balls seam side down onto a lightly floured sheet tray, parchment paper, or silpat, keeping space between. Lightly flour tops and cover with plastic wrap; let rest for another 5 hours.
9. After the 5 hours, the dough balls can either be refrigerated and used to make pizzas the next day (day 3), or continue and make pizzas!

Make Pizzas

1. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack of your oven before preheating oven.
2. Preheat oven to 550°F / 288°C or the max of your oven.
3. Roll with a rolling pin or toss a pizza dough ball to desired size, using lightly floured hands. Place dough round on parchment paper to easily transfer on and off the pizza stone.
4. Bake about 5-7 minutes for small pizzas, 6-9 for medium, or 8-12 for large pizzas, using your eyes to test for readiness more than time.

Notes

• While I include the original temperature notes for ingredients from Ken Forkish’s original recipe, I will confess I don’t always take the time to measure or check them as I make this often enough in roughly the same environment/temperature house that I just go with it. It’s very educational to do so with new recipes and in new environments, and helps when sharing a sourdough recipe to keep the recipe as consistent as possible, keeping some of the factors (like temperature) the same.
• The 8 hour rise time on day 2 as a mass, then as dough balls, (steps 7 and 8) doesn’t have to be precise, if you need to shape the dough after 2 hours, that’s perfectly fine, you just want a total time of about 8 hours, so you could rest the dough for 2 hours, shape, then rest for 6 hours.
• If you refrigerate your dough and use it to make pizzas on what would be day 3, take dough out of the fridge about an hour before making/baking pizzas. In a pinch I’ve used the dough straight out of the fridge, but the dough will rise better and be fluffier if you don’t go cold turkey, heh.
• If you’ve never used your oven at its maximum temperature and think that’s crazy, just keep in mind that pizzas made in wood burning pizza ovens like they are in Italy, are baked at temperatures of up to 900°F / 485°C, so your home oven at its max isn’t even going to get near the burst of heat that make the best pizzas!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

591.5

Fat

1.59 g

Sat. Fat

0.24 g

Carbs

124.01 g

Fiber

4.39 g

Net carbs

119.62 g

Sugar

0.43 g

Protein

16.78 g

Sodium

1817.54 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 pizza dough ball if you make 3 medium sized dough balls.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2022/2/12/24hr-levain-pizza-dough

pizza dough, levain, sourdough starter, homemade pizza, sourdough pizza

dinner

Italian, American

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Slata Tounsia - Tunisian Salad

Last updated October 2, 2024

Slata Tounsia, or Tunisian Salad, also called Salade Tunisienne, is a summertime classic in Tunisia.

Unlike most American salads that involve lettuce, there is no lettuce to be seen here, just tomato, cucumber, onion, apple, jalapeno peppers and a bright dressing that brings it all together and makes it irresistible. It’s simple, yet delicious.

It can be served as is as a side dish, or as it would be served traditionally, with tuna and hard boiled eggs, and olives, making it a well-rounded meal. I’m partial to the full-meal version, although my mom would probably be making fun of me since every time I call her and she asks what we’re having for dinner tuna, eggs, or both are probably involved. Hey, they’re good for you! Very mediterranean, you find lots of eggs and tuna in Italy as well.

The most classic version of the salad doesn’t include apple, even though many in Tunisia add it. We always add it because it gives such a happy and sweet element to the salad. I thought it sounded a bit strange at first, but it works really well.

Onion breath and how to avoid the worst of it

If you, like me, love onion but are hesitant to eat it raw if you have to go out in public anytime after, you know….”heyyyyyy guysssss I just ate onion!” you’ll be happy to hear that the dressing helps to cut the strength of the onion. Yes, you’ll still have some onion breath afterwards, but the vinegar and lemon in the dressing do wonders. If you really can’t deal with the onion breath, you can try soaking the onions for a few hours or overnight in the dressing (essentially making pickled onions) to cut their oniony strength even more. This salad I probably ate several times a week last summer when I was pregnant. I craved it but couldn’t deal with the onion breath afterwards, made me gag, haha, so we would leave the onions in the dressing for at least a few hours before finishing the salad.

To further reduce the after effects, I’m just going to go ahead and share some other ideas that I gathered off the internets and found to help. Nothing is foolproof, but it does help.

1. Brush your teeth. This might seem obvious, but the sooner you can brush your teeth after eating onions or other insulting foods the better.

2. Floss your teeth. Yep, just like brushing, get out all the stuff from the cracks for the cleanest and best chance at a fresh tasting mouth.

3. Swish mouthwash.

4. Chew gum.

5. Eat other fruits, vegetables, and bread afterwards.

6. Drink lots of water. I find lemon water to be especially pleasant and offsets the onion taste nicely.

7. Drink milk. Kinda like when you eat spicy food, drinking milk can help flush out the taste/spice faster.

While it might be overkill to do all, my comfy little routine became brushing and flossing immediately after, drinking lemon water a few times, and chewing gum and rebrushing teeth as needed.

Anyway where were we? Oh yes, making slata tounsia. Enough villainizing the onions, who are friends.

Recipe from the husband

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Slata Tounsia - Tunisian Salad

Serves 2 as a main dish or 3-4 as a side

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar

• juice from 1/2 a lemon

• 1 tsp dried mint

• 1 red onion, diced small

• 2 cucumbers, diced small

• 2 tomatoes, diced small

• 1 apple, peeled if desired and diced small, optional

• 8 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced small

• salt to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, for serving, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine vinegar, lemon, and dried mint. Add the onion and mix to coat evenly. Allow to sit while you chop the rest of the vegetables and fruit.

2. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, apple, jalapeño peppers, and salt to taste to the bowl with the onions. Taste, adding more salt as needed.

3. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and arrange tuna and sliced hard-boiled eggs on top.

Jenny’s Notes:

• While red onion is the best in this salad (and the prettiest!), other types of onions work as well.

• red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or your favorite vinegar could be used in place of apple cider vinegar.

• 8 jalapeño peppers might seem like a lot, but as long as you’re careful to remove all the seeds the salad will have a light kick but should not be overly spicy. Since peppers can vary in spiciness even if they’re the same variety, it’s always smart to have tasted/used the peppers before consuming them raw so you know what you’re getting yourself into. That said, you could use other types of peppers, spicier varieties if you’re brave or milder if spicy isn’t your thing.

Yield 2-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Slata Tounsia

A classic Tunisian summer salad made of cucumber, tomato, hot peppers, onion, and sometimes apple with a bright and simple dressing served with hard boiled eggs, tuna, and olives.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 1 red onion, diced small
• 2 cucumbers, diced small
• 2 tomatoes, diced small
• 1 apple, peeled if desired and diced small, optional
• 8 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced small
• salt to taste
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine vinegar, lemon, and dried mint. Add the onion and mix to coat evenly. Allow to sit while you chop the rest of the vegetables and fruit.
2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, apple, jalapeño peppers, and salt to taste to the bowl with the onions. Taste, adding more salt as needed.
3. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and arrange tuna and sliced hard-boiled eggs on top.

Notes

• While red onion is the best in this salad (and the prettiest!), other types of onions work as well.
• red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or your favorite vinegar could be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
• 8 jalapeño peppers might seem like a lot, but as long as you’re careful to remove all the seeds the salad will have a light kick but should not be overly spicy. Since peppers can vary in spiciness even if they’re the same variety, it’s always smart to have tasted/used the peppers before consuming them raw so you know what you’re getting yourself into. That said, you could use other types of peppers, spicier varieties if you’re brave or milder if spicy isn’t your thing.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

183.34

Fat

7.96 g

Sat. Fat

1.13 g

Carbs

28.25 g

Fiber

6.65 g

Net carbs

21.61 g

Sugar

17.75 g

Protein

3.27 g

Sodium

111.39 mg

Cholesterol

1.86 mg

Nutritional info is approximate. Based on 2 servings that includes apple. Not including tuna, eggs, and olives.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/7/2/slata-tounsia-tunisian-salad

Mediterranean cuisine, Tunisian dish, summer salad, slata tounsia, salade tunisienne

salad, side dish, main dish

Tunisian, Mediterranean

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Crispy Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts

Made with pumpkin gnocchi

Last Updated August 10, 2024

Think gnocchi with crispy sides, tender browned brussels sprouts with crispy edges, with a browned butter sauce and a bright hint of lemon.

I found this recipe thanks to New York Times’ Instagram account, and after the first OH YEAH THIS IS GOOD trial run I’ve made it several times since. It’s easy, the ingredient list isn’t scary long, and it has brussels sprouts so it’s totally healthy, right? Maybe not, but it’s rich and satisfying so you don’t need to eat a huge serving.

It starts with cooking and crisping up those little sprouts, then you trade out the sprouts to brown the gnocchi, then add butter, honey, lemon and a bit of red pepper flake spice and cook until the butter browns (when it smells like heaven); add the sprouts back in and grate a little parmesan cheese on top. Easy and impressive!

Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts often get a bad rap and I know people who will only eat them if they’re served with plenty of bacon. While I’m sure there do exist those people who truly dislike the sprouts, I believe that most people who claim to not like them just haven’t eaten them properly prepared. There’s nothing worse than limp or soggy brussels sprouts. Never ever boil them, yeah? They’re at their most delicious if they are pan fried or oven baked. Crispy brussels sprouts: yummy. Soggy brussels sprouts: yucky. If you or someone you know is a brussels sprout skeptic, this recipe may just be the one to win you over!

That said, if you are one of the true dislikers, you can switch out the brussels sprouts for other veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, or any of those cruciferous types.

Adaptations from the original recipe

While New York Times might think this recipe serves 4 people, I pretty consistently ate this in 2-3 sittings. Ahem. I added in the “3” part just to be generous.

I reduced the butter from 6 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp. 6 was just…a lot. You’re more than welcome to use that much if you’re looking for a very rich dish, but I think 4 was plenty, you could probably even get away with 2-3 Tbsp.

The original recipe calls for pan frying the brussels sprouts, but no matter how many times I’ve tried, it always took much longer for the brussels to cook than the specified 5-8 minutes. I would say up to 15-20 is closer. I’m sure part of it is that I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Otherwise, it can be more time efficient to roast the brussels sprouts in the oven while you’re preparing the gnocchi.

I reduced and changed the lemon aspect of the recipe. NYT says to peel thick strips of lemon zest, then chop, ending with about 2 tsp of zest. I personally found the lemon a little overpowering this way, so I compromised and was happy with the following adaptations: zesting a lemon with a regular zester, which creates a finer zest, and using only about 1/2-1 tsp of the finer zest, OR skipping the zest and adding in a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end. Either way gets you there a bit quicker and easier. One of my least favorite tasks in the kitchen is zesting citrus so sometimes I opt for a splash of lemon juice when I just don’t want to zest, ya know?

If you noticed I listed 1 lb of brussels sprouts as 500g, which are not equal weights. That’s because brussels sprouts often come in 500g packages in Italy. Since a pound is really only 454g, I rounded up for practicality’s sake. Yes, it bothers me to do so but I think it’s for the best, ahem. :)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from New York Times

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Crispy Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup / 56g olive oil

• 1 lb / 500g brussels sprouts

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 18 oz / 500g package of gnocchi

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter

• 1/2 tsp honey

• grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Clean and chop off the ends of the brussels sprouts, and any brown leaves. Slice into halves, or quarters if particularly large.

2. Cook the brussels sprouts OPTION 1, SKILLET:

   Heat 3 Tbsp / 42g of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts in an even layer, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Sprinkle over lemon zest and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sprouts are crispy and a nice golden brown.

   Add the red pepper flakes and stir, cook for another 3-4 minutes or until sprouts are crisp and tender.

   Transfer to a plate or bowl while you cook the gnocchi.

   OPTION 2, OVEN:

   Preheat oven to 450°F / 232°C.

   Toss the brussels sprouts with 3 Tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, some pepper, lemon zest, and red pepper to evenly coat; spread in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until crispy, golden, and tender. While roasting, prepare gnocchi.

3. Add the remaining 1 tbsp / 14g of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi in an even layer and cook without stirring, 3-4 minutes or until golden brown underneath.

4. Add butter and honey, season with salt and pepper. Cook until butter has melted and starts to turn golden brown and nutty smelling, this can take several minutes.

5. Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet and cook just until everything is warmed through.

6. Remove from heat and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Use just 2 Tbsp / 28g butter for an even lighter version of this

• Butter can go quickly from perfectly browned and nutty to burnt, so keep a close eye on it!

• Whether you buy a package of gnocchi or make your own, different flavors are delicious in this recipe. Pictured in this post (first and last) are some pumpkin gnocchi, so good!

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

40 Min

Print

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Crispy Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts

Crispy, pan-fried gnocchi and roasted brussels sprouts with parmesan cheese, a hint of lemon, spice, and honey.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup / 56g olive oil
• 1 lb / 500g brussels sprouts
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 18 oz / 500g package of gnocchi
• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter
• 1/2 tsp honey
• grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions

1. Clean and chop off the ends of the brussels sprouts, and any brown leaves. Slice into halves, or quarters if they’re particularly large.
2. Cook the brussels sprouts OPTION 1, SKILLET:
3. Heat 3 Tbsp / 42g of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brussels sprouts in an even layer, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Sprinkle over lemon zest and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sprouts are crispy and a nice golden brown.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and stir, cook for another 3-4 minutes or until sprouts are crisp and tender.
5. Transfer to a plate or bowl while you cook the gnocchi.
6. OPTION 2, OVEN:
7. Preheat oven to 450°F / 232°C.
8. Toss the brussels sprouts with 3 Tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, some pepper, lemon zest, and red pepper to evenly coat; spread in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until crispy, golden, and tender. While roasting, prepare gnocchi.
9. Add the remaining 1 tbsp / 14g of oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi in an even layer and cook without stirring, 3-4 minutes or until golden brown underneath.
10. Add butter and honey, season with salt and pepper. Cook until butter has melted and starts to turn golden brown and nutty smelling, this can take several minutes.
11. Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet and cook just until everything is warmed through.
12. Remove from heat and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Notes

• Use just 2 Tbsp / 28g butter for the lightest version of this!
• Butter can go quickly from perfectly browned and nutty to burnt, so keep a close eye on it!
• Whether you buy a package of gnocchi or make your own, different flavors are delicious in this recipe! Pictured are some pumpkin gnocchi, so good!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

705.17

Fat

37.14 g

Sat. Fat

13.14 g

Carbs

81.25 g

Fiber

7.83 g

Net carbs

73.42 g

Sugar

4.94 g

Protein

15.02 g

Sodium

307.61 mg

Cholesterol

90.46 mg

Nutritional info is approximate. Based on 3 servings

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/6/9/crispy-gnocchi-with-brussels-sprouts

gnocchi, easy dinner, comfort food, brussels sprouts

dinner

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

---

Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Last Updated September 6, 2024

If the name of this pasta sounds familiar, it’s because you might be thinking of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup. That’s exactly what you should be thinking, because this pasta is an ode to the soup.

Growing up one of my favorite meals was what we called “broccoli carrot cheese soup”. I would only get it every now and then, as my mom’s version included the likes of Velveeta cheese and didn’t line up with what she normally fed her family. No matter how much broccoli and carrots you put in the soup, they just won’t offset the mysterious substance that is Velveeta Cheese.

My childhood love of the soup led me to think, why couldn’t you recreate it as a pasta? You know, make the cheesy soup a little thicker so it’s like a sauce, then add pasta? Basically macaroni and cheese with broccoli and carrots. But you know, sans Velveeta.

Seemed like a great idea to me! While it normally takes at least a few tries, if not many, when I’m creating a new recipe or idea, this was one of the few instances where the first try turned out pretty great. Some things are just meant to be, ya know?

While the classic soup uses cheddar, I don’t use cheddar when I make this in Italy. Cheddar is only sold in select stores in Italy, almost always in slices, and is not the cheapest. For these reasons, I use my go-to melty cheese, Fontal. And a bit of Parmesan, because Italy. Cheddar is the original choice for the soup, and is often used as a melting cheese in many recipes, and one of my favorites to use when I’m making this in the States. On the other hand, you don’t have to use Fontal or cheddar, use your favorite melting cheese!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe by Jenny Nicole

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Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 8oz / 250g (1/2 package) short pasta, such as shells, fusilli, macaroni, etc.

• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter

• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces

• 2 medium carrots, sliced into half or quarter moons

• 3 Tbsp / 23g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup / 118g vegetable broth or water

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup / 114g shredded cheddar, fontal, or similar cheese

• 1/4 cup / 25g grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. In the meantime you can start the sauce.

2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add broccoli and carrots and cover with a lid, stir frequently. Cook until vegetables start to become tender, about 12-15 minutes.

3. Remove lid and turn heat down to low. Add flour and stir until it has coated the vegetables.

4. Add broth and stir until thickened.

5. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to start to thicken each time before adding the next 1/4 cup of milk.

6. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, and cheeses; stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is homogeneous.

7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving some of the pasta water.

8. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Jenny’s Notes:

• You can cook the broccoli and carrots in a couple different ways:

  • Sauté/steam them as in the recipe above

  • Steam them and make the sauce separately, adding the steamed veggies to the sauce after the cheese

  • Boil them with the pasta. If you choose this boiling method, you can add the veggies at the same time as the pasta which will result in very soft veggies, or add them in half way through to retain a bit of bite. Drain pasta and veggies as you normally would the pasta, then add all to sauce.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Cheesy pasta with plenty of broccoli and carrots, just like the beloved Broccoli Cheddar soup!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 8oz / 250g (1/2 package) short pasta, such as shells, fusilli, macaroni, etc.
• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into half or quarter moons
• 3 Tbsp / 23g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 118g vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup / 114g shredded cheddar, fontal, or similar cheese
• 1/4 cup / 25g grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. In the meantime you can start the sauce.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add broccoli and carrots and cover with a lid, stir frequently. Cook until vegetables start to become tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove lid and turn heat down to low. Add flour and stir until it has coated the vegetables.
4. Add broth and stir until thickened.
5. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to start to thicken each time before adding the next 1/4 cup of milk.
6. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, and cheeses; stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is homogeneous.
7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving some of the pasta water.
8. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Notes

You can cook the broccoli and carrots in a couple different ways:

• Sauté/steam them as in the recipe above
• Steam them and make the sauce separately, adding the steamed veggies to the sauce after the cheese
• Boil them with the pasta. If you choose this boiling method, you can add the veggies at the same time as the pasta which will result in very soft veggies, or add them in half way through to retain a bit of bite. Drain pasta and veggies as you normally would the pasta, then add all to sauce.

As in just about all recipes, if you really love cheese you can always add more! Or less, for that matter.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

507.33

Fat

25.49 g

Sat. Fat

14.46 g

Carbs

48.60 g

Fiber

6.33 g

Net carbs

42.27 g

Sugar

3.16 g

Protein

22.70 g

Cholesterol

71.17 mg

Sodium

781.05 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 3 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/3/24/broccoli-cheddar-pasta

broccoli carrot cheese soup, broccoli cheddar pasta

Dinner, pasta

American

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In these photos i used whole wheat radiatori pasta

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Labor Eggplant Parmesan

Last Updated September 6, 2024

This Eggplant Parmesan is, apparently, labor-inducing magic.

If you’re pregnant and at full term (39 weeks), there’s an Italian restaurant that serves an Eggplant Parmesan that could help you go into labor, or so say hundreds of women. Too good to be true? Probably. I was certainly a skeptic. But it didn’t keep me from being curious!

The best part? They have the recipe up on their website so you don’t have to go to Georgia to have your baby!

Please note: If you are not expecting a baby, this recipe won’t make you go into labor. That’s good news, so everyone can enjoy this dish.

What’s the deal with this Eggplant Parmesan?

Down in Cobb County, Georgia, this Italian restaurant, Scalini’s, has their walls lined with photos of women and their babies, hundreds of them. What do they have in common? They all ate Scalini’s famous Eggplant Parmesan within 48 hours of going into labor. You can visit their site here and read some of the moms’ testimonies.

We know it can’t be the restaurant or their atmosphere, since the recipe is online and many moms from all over have made this and have their own Eggplant Parmesan babies!

By now I can’t even remember how I first came across this story. In fact, you may already know about it, it’s been on What to Expect, Today’s Parent, and others.

It seemed comically incredible to me, and I immediately decided I would have to make this a bit later on in my pregnancy. I of course gave no stock to its magical labor powers, reading the testimonies it seemed like a lot of coincidences. If you’re past your due date and you go into labor, uh, sorry but how do you know it was the eggplant? Chances are you would’ve gone into labor anyway! Or so I was inclined to think. But like eating spicy food, dancing, curb-walking, and any other means a woman might resort to for getting labor going, it seemed harmless and fun, one more thing to try. And I think women like to actively get labor on because not only are we uncomfortable and can’t wait to meet baby, but we also like to feel like we’re doing something and not just sitting around like…glowing whales?

My Eggplant Parmesan Labor Story

One fine September eve when I was 40+3 weeks pregnant I decided it was time to have some fun and try this parmigiana. It had only reached about 90°F/32°C that day, so naturally the first thing I decided to do would be to turn on the oven.

The whole making of this dish took me longer than I anticipated, so many eggplant slices! So after several hours on my feet in a hot kitchen I was feeling quite tuckered out. I had had plans with my husband to go out for our nightly passeggiata and it kept getting later and later. Finally the parmigiana was out of the oven and ready, so good. Worth it!

I later went out onto our little patio to cool down in the evening air and make some calls. No one answered, and I had this strange forlorn feeling, like something was about to happen and I couldn’t get ahold of anyone. My mom eventually called me back, and we laughed and talked until late. I had started having some more regular Braxton-Hicks shortly before and during the call, and I joked that maybe I should start practicing with my pregnancy app contraction timer so the first time I’m not trying to use it is in actual labor.

We hung up at almost 1am my time, on the premise that I should sleep. On reentering the apartment I saw the parmigiana again and had to eat another couple bites. I had barely laid down when I felt what was unmistakably a real contraction. Some more ensued and I started keeping track for real on the contraction timer. They were coming regularly and the more I moved the faster and harder they came. I didn’t get a wink of sleep as a contraction would wake me up anytime my eyes started to close, and eventually my body decided to evict all of the Eggplant Parmesan. A few hours later we were at the hospital. Almost exactly 24 hours after eating this Eggplant Parm my son was born. Am I believer now? I just might be, or yet another coincidence…

What is Eggplant Parmesan?

An Italian dish known as Parmigiana di Melanzane or often simply parmigiana, it consists of layers of deep fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese. It’s as heavy and wonderfully delectable as it sounds.

Eggplant Parmesan is a rather labor intensive dish (no pun intended!). The eggplants need to be salted and sit for an hour, the marinara sauce needs to simmer for an hour, then there is the breading and frying of the eggplant, and the actual assembly and baking. To make things easier you can make the marinara ahead. You can also make the whole dish ahead of time, it makes for wonderful leftovers OR you can refrigerate it or freeze it before baking. One Italian recipe I was reading even went as far as to claim that time itself was one of the most important ingredients for an unbeatable parmigiana, time for the flavors to meld after it’s assembled and baked.

This particular recipe is a family recipe from Scalini’s restaurant. From what I know of Parmigiana, this is pretty close to the original dish, albeit slightly Americanized. I don’t mean that scathingly, as not everything that’s not the original is automatically bad. Often people tend to fall on two sides of this “issue.” They don’t know/don’t care what the difference is, or they’re righteously indignant that a restaurant could call itself Italian and serve, say, Fettuccine Alfredo. I do, however, think it’s important to understand what the original dish is meant to be, while appreciating that it may evolve into something different, especially as it’s served in different countries over the years. An Italian restaurant in Italy is naturally going to be different than an Italian restaurant in America, each having different clientele, differing availability of ingredients. This being a family recipe handed down in an Italian immigrant family, I’m sure they know the following stuff better than I!

That said, the main differences between the classic recipe and this one, are the following:

• In Italy the eggplants in parmigiana are typically deep fried: I’ve mostly seen them fried as is, but some do batter in flour, egg, or both before frying. Scalini’s batters in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, but only directs to sauté.

• The marinara usually would be simmered with salt, pepper, and onion, with fresh basil added in the last few minutes. Scalini’s uses oregano and several other spices. This right here is often what tips me off to an “Americanized” dish: we love to add more spice, more cheese, etc. Again, it’s not wrong, just different. I happen to think both ways can be delicious.

• Scalini’s uses a generous amount of ricotta alongside parmesan and romano, the classic usually calls for just Parmigiano and mozzarella, although some use caciocavallo and yet others use provolone or a scamorza bianca.

In other Italian recipes for Parmigiana di Melanzane I’ve seen some of the following suggestions:

• As far as the classic recipe goes, you can leave the skin on the eggplant, peel it, or peel it in stripes, depending on your preference. I recommend leaving it on for 3 main reasons: The skin is where most of the nutrients are, where most of the flavor and texture is, and it’s easier to leave it on.

• Choose firm, ripe, dark purple globe eggplants.

• While this recipe doesn’t specify, it’s often recommended to remove some of the extra water from the fresh mozzarella as well. Simply squeeze the mozzarella between paper towels until the paper towels remain mostly dry. This could be skipped if you choose a drier cheese such as caciocavallo or provolone in place of the mozzarella. Others recommend using a mozzarella closer to its expiration date, when it has naturally lost some of its water. (See note below though, as it may be why Scalini’s doesn’t say to remove the water.)

• Some recipes in Italian say to layer in this order: eggplant, mozzarella, sauce, parmesan. They say finishing with mozzarella on top may cause it to become too dry and burn. You’ll notice this recipe finishes with mozzarella only on top. I didn’t have problems with the mozzarella burning, but I also didn’t remove too much water from the mozzarella first so that could be why.

The recipe below is Scalini’s exact recipe, to best preserve its baby’s-a-comin’ magic. Some of the directions I may have re-worded to make them a bit more clear. You’ll also find my usual recipe notes at the bottom, some of the questions I came across while making this and ideas to make things easier.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Eggplant Parmesan alla Scalini’s

Serves about 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Eggplant Parmesan

• 3 medium eggplants, washed

• 1 cup / 120g flour

• 6 eggs, beaten

• 4 cups / 400g fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned

• olive oil for sautéing

• 8 cups marinara sauce, recipe below

• 2 cups / 500g ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Romano cheese

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 lb / 227g fresh mozzarella, grated

For Scalini’s Marinara Sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic

• 8 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/8 cup chopped fresh sweet basil

• pinch of thyme

• pinch of rosemary

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Make the Eggplant Parmesan:

Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. 9x13in / 23x33cm or similar size baking dish.

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4in / 1/2cm slices.

2. Line eggplant slices on paper towels. Lightly salt them, cover with more paper towels, and place something heavy on top of them. This will drain excess moisture. Allow to sit for about an hour.

3. When the hour is up, heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Take one slice of eggplant and dip in flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Place in hot pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices of eggplants, adding more oil to pan as needed.

4. In the baking dish, spread enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom. Add a layover of eggplants, then spread some ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheese over eggplants. Repeat layers until within about 1/8in / 1/4cm from the top.

5. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over top.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the Marinara Sauce

1. In a large pot over medium heat, lightly sauté onions in oil for a few minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat to low and add remaining ingredients; stir and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Scalini’s recipe doesn’t specify what size baking dish to use, so I guessed. I halved this recipe and used an 8x8in / 20x20cm baking dish and ended up with quite a few eggplant slices leftover. I did not halve the marinara recipe and made the full 8 cups, hoping to have leftover. However I didn’t have much leftover. If you’re making the full 9x13ish recipe above, you might want to consider making more than 8 cups sauce. Any leftovers you can use on pasta, as a dip for breadsticks or garlic bread, on pizza, or anything else you like marinara on.

• The hour that the eggplant is sitting and sweating is a good moment to make the marinara. Then the marinara can simmer for its hour while you start frying the eggplant. Otherwise you can make the marinara sauce 1-2 days ahead.

• Cup and Tbsp measurements are a bit less common than indicating the amount of vegetable/fruit, 1 onion, 1/2 an onion, etc. If you don’t feel like measuring the onion and garlic, I used 1 medium-large onion and 6 garlic cloves and it turned out great.

• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs are not a thing in Italy, only plain breadcrumbs exist, so that is what I used. I could have added a bit of dried oregano, basil, parsley, garlic and onion powder to make my own Italian breadcrumbs, but I opted not to since the marinara is already quite generously spiced.

• I ended up needing quite a bit more flour and even breadcrumbs than called for, this will all depend on the size of your eggplants. The important part here is making sure all the eggplant slices get breaded rather than following the recipe precisely.

• When it comes to sautéing the eggplant, you may want to use 2 pans simultaneously to fry them up, to make it go quicker. Otherwise, you could choose to deep fry them as is traditional (but use a frying oil such as refined peanut oil, not olive oil for deep frying) or bake them. I baked some of mine and thought it worked nicely and saved a lot of time. I’ve also read of Italians grilling the eggplant for a lighter version.

• 1/8in seems like a very close and precise measurement for filling the baking dish, you can play it by, uh, eye, and stop where you feel comfortable. I left a touch more space so the marinara wouldn’t bubble over while baking.

Yield 8-10

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 20 M

Cook time

1 H & 25 M

Inactive time

1 H & 10 M

Total time

3 H & 55 M

Print

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Eggplant Parmesan alla Scalini's

Thinly sliced eggplant breaded and fried layered with a flavorful, homemade marinara and plenty of ricotta, parmesan, romano, and mozzarella. An Italian classic.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the Eggplant Parmesan

• 3 medium eggplants, washed
• 1 cup / 120g flour
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups / 400g fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned
• olive oil for sautéing
• 8 cups marinara sauce, recipe below
• 2 cups / 500g ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb / 227g fresh mozzarella, grated

For Scalini’s Marinara Sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 8 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh sweet basil
• pinch of thyme
• pinch of rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Make the Eggplant Parmesan

1. Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. 9x13in / 23x33cm or similar size baking dish.
2. Slice the eggplant into 1/4in / 1/2cm slices.
3. Line eggplant slices on paper towels. Lightly salt them, cover with more paper towels, and place something heavy on top of them. This will drain excess moisture. Allow to sit for about an hour.
4. When the hour is up, heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Take one slice of eggplant and dip in flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Place in hot pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices of eggplants, adding more oil to pan as needed.
5. In the baking dish, spread enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom. Add a layover of eggplants, then spread some ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheese over eggplants. Repeat layers until within about 1/8in / 1/4cm from the top.
6. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over top.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the Marinara Sauce

1. In a large pot over medium heat, lightly sauté onions in oil for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Turn heat to low and add remaining ingredients; stir and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Notes

• Scalini’s recipe doesn’t specify what size baking dish to use, so I guessed. I halved this recipe and used an 8x8in / 20x20cm baking dish and ended up with quite a few eggplant slices leftover. I did not halve the marinara recipe and made the full 8 cups, hoping to have leftover. There was not much leftover. If making the full 9x13ish recipe above, consider making more than 8 cups sauce. Any leftovers can be used on pasta, as a dip for breadsticks or garlic bread, on pizza, or anything else you like marinara on.
• The hour that the eggplant is sitting and sweating is a good moment to make the marinara. Then the marinara can simmer for its hour while you start frying the eggplant. Otherwise, make the marinara sauce 1-2 days ahead.
• Cup and Tbsp measurements are a bit less common than indicating the amount of vegetable/fruit, 1 onion, 1/2 an onion, etc. If you don’t feel like measuring the onion and garlic, I used 1 medium-large onion and 6 garlic cloves and it turned out great.
• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs are not a thing in Italy, only plain breadcrumbs exist, so that is what I used. I could have added a bit of dried oregano, basil, parsley, garlic and onion powder to make my own Italian breadcrumbs, but I opted not to since the marinara is already quite generously spiced.
• I ended up needing quite a bit more flour and even breadcrumbs than called for, this will all depend on the size of your eggplants. The important part here is making sure all the eggplant slices get breaded rather than following the recipe precisely.
• When it comes to sautéing the eggplant, you may want to use 2 pans simultaneously to fry them up, to make it go quicker. Otherwise, you could choose to deep fry them as is traditional (but use a frying oil such as refined peanut oil, not olive oil for deep frying) or bake them. I baked some of mine and thought it worked nicely and saved a lot of time. I’ve also read of Italians grilling the eggplant for a lighter version.
• 1/8in seems like a very close and precise measurement for filling the baking dish. I left a touch more space so the marinara wouldn’t bubble over while baking.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

689.69

Fat

27.88 g

Sat. Fat

11.16 g

Carbs

79.97 g

Fiber

10.93 g

Net carbs

69.04 g

Sugar

16.07 g

Protein

33.24 g

Cholesterol

189.44 mg

Sodium

1434.96 mg

Nutritional Information is approximate. Based on the recipe as written, or approximately a 9x13in / 23x33cm dish providing 8 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/1/11/8wxyybc3bfjrebtg8bnkgwcj6gm278

Labor inducing, how to induce labor, eggplant parmesan, authentic Italian recipe, Eggplant parmigiana, Parmigiana alla melanzane, Scalini's

dinner

Italian

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Last Updated September 6, 2024

I was never a big fan of lentils growing up, but the past couple of years I’ve really been appreciating their nutritious versatility. So when I saw a recipe called “Best Lentil Soup” I wanted to try it. At the same time I was very skeptical. Best? In the whole wide world? I kinda doubt it. But now I want to try it to see just how good it is, because it probably is good. But best is a really big word.

Do you know what? This is a really good lentil soup. I’m taking out that word “best” because I certainly have not tried all the lentil soups in the world, and don’t feel that this soup could accurately make that claim without trying hundreds more lentil soups. But it IS delicious. It’s creamy, comforting, and leaves your tummy feeling all warm and fuzzy and satisfied. It has a bit of zing from ginger and curry, and a bit of acidity from fresh lemon to round off the creamy coconut base. Plus it comes together quickly and is freezer friendly.

So if you, like me, are craving and enjoying all the comforting food and clothes and activities that come with fall, then you should try out this soup!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe lightly adapted from Love and Lemons

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 Tbsp mild curry powder

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 28oz / 800g canned fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes

• 1 cup dry lentils

• 2 1/2 cups / 593g water

• 1 14oz / 400g can coconut milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Generous handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

• Lemon or lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

2. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
   

3. Add in the tomatoes, lentils, water, coconut milk, a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down heat. Cover and simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as desired.
   

4. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread, rice, or your choice of side.
   

Jenny’s Notes:

• This can also be made in the crockpot! Simply add all ingredients except for cilantro and lemon to a slowcooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours, until lentils are tender. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

• The length of time until lentils are tender will depend on the type you are using, whether brown, green, red, etc., and all work just fine in this recipe.

• If soup becomes too thick, add more water as needed to thin it out.

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

35 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Creamy coconut curry lentil soup with lemon and cilantro

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp mild curry powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 28oz / 800g canned fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 1/2 cups / 593g water
• 1 14oz / 400g can coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Generous handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
• Lemon or lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add in the tomatoes, lentils, water, coconut milk, a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down heat. Cover and simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as desired.
4. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread, rice, or your choice of side.

Notes

• This can also be made in the crockpot! Simply add all ingredients except for cilantro and lemon to a slowcooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours, until lentils are tender. Stir in cilantro just before serving.
• The length of time until lentils are tender will depend on the type you are using, whether brown, green, red, etc., and all work just fine in this recipe.
• If soup becomes too thick, add more water as needed to thin it out.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

470.36

Fat

29.45 g

Sat. Fat

19.52 g

Carbs

42.84 g

Fiber

8.43 g

Net carbs

34.41 g

Sugar

4.14 g

Protein

15.62 g

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Sodium

160.15 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/10/31/1v9wrzjq3xlv7z7b9eachzdw3n5isn

Vegan, gluten-free, curry, best lentil soup

Dinner, soup

American

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Last Updated September 6, 2024

Simple goodness: Arugula tossed with Homemade Italian Dressing

Have you ever thought to make homemade Italian dressing? I certainly hadn’t, until this summer, as it’s usually something I buy. Why bother making it homemade when it’s cheap and I really don’t use it that often? Except for pasta salad, and I’ve been allll about the pasta salads this summer.

First I wanted the classic creamy pasta salad (dressing made with mayo and mustard), then the Italian dressing pasta salad, then I started going off and making up my own, like this Greek Pasta Salad I posted a couple weeks ago. But you know what’s ironic? You can’t find Italian dressing in Italy. Italian dressing is very American. Italians dress their salads with a quality olive oil, salt and pepper, generally speaking. One time I was in Switzerland grocery shopping and saw American dressing. I’m American and had no idea what it was. It was creamy, maybe like Ranch? Haha. I was amused. I wonder if that’s how Italians feel about Italian dressing.

Being in Italy with no Italian dressing ready made at the store, I figured I would see if I could find a homemade recipe. Surreeee there are plenty on the interwebs! And easy enough ingredients, you probably have them all on hand, as I did. Olive oil, vinegar, some spices…I looked at several different recipes, looked up the ingredients for “classic” Kraft Italian dressing, and combined a few of them to create a bit of my own version. It’s tangy and got the job done! Success. Made a delicious pasta salad and had a bit leftover even to dress some regular ol’ salads.

It probably won’t taste exactly like the store bought version, but maybe better if you’re not a die-hard Kraft fan? Some of the ingredients listed on the Kraft Zesty Italian dressing are a bit vague, like “spice,” which can be hard to replicate, but the bright side is that you can control the quality and freshness of ingredients going into your dressing. Better yet, no preservatives at all!

Great for salads, pasta salad, marinades for all types of proteins!

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Recipe adapted from Kraft, Five Heart Home, and the Whole Cook

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Makes about 1 cup dressing

I clearly need to figure out how to attractively photograph liquids…and find my whisk. (Recently moved apartments.) But hey, forks work, too!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup / 168g extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup / 60g red or white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp / 5g lemon juice

• 1 tsp / 7g honey

• 3/4 tsp dried basil

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 cup / 25g grated parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Whisk or shake all ingredients together; taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

2. Store in fridge, shake well before using.

Jenny’s Notes:

• This is one of those very versatile and very easily adjustable recipes, no one says you have to follow this one to a T! If you don’t have red or white wine vinegar, use what you have on hand. Even the olive oil can be switched out for what you have. While olive oil will give you the heartiest flavor, technically Kraft uses a bunch of rather junkier oils that don’t add much to the flavor profile (soybean, canola), but oils do tone the vinegar in dressings/vinaigrettes. The spices can be upped if you want a very zesty dressing, or you can add another teaspoon of honey to help tone it down a bit.

• You could also finely dice red bell pepper to add to this instead of the crushed red pepper, but that seemed like more work than I wanted to put in for this “whip up” type recipe. Plus, I like the touch of added spice, even if not original.

Yield 8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Total time

10 Min

Print

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Homemade Italian Dressing

Homemade zesty Italian dressing is simple, uses pantry ingredients, and doesn't have any preservatives like store-bought versions.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 168g extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup / 60g red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp / 5g lemon juice
• 1 tsp / 7g honey
• 3/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup / 25g grated parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

1. Whisk or shake all ingredients together; taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
2. Store in fridge, shake well before using.

Notes

• This is one of those very versatile and very easily adjustable recipes, no one says you have to follow this one to a T! If you don’t have red or white wine vinegar, use what you have on hand. Even the olive oil can be switched out for what you have. While olive oil will give you the heartiest flavor, technically Kraft uses a bunch of rather junkier oils that don’t add much to the flavor profile (soybean, canola), but oils do tone the vinegar in dressings/vinaigrettes. The spices can be upped if you want a very zesty dressing, or you can add another teaspoon of honey to help tone it down a bit.
• You could also finely dice red bell pepper to add to this instead of the crushed red pepper, but that seemed like more work than I wanted to put in for this “whip up” type recipe. Plus, I like the touch of added spice, even if not original.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

204.62

Fat

21.89 g

Sat. Fat

3.39 g

Carbs

1.58 g

Fiber

0.14 g

Net carbs

1.44 g

Sugar

0.75 g

Protein

0.98 g

Sodium

202.78 mg

Cholesterol

2.69 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings of 2 Tbsp each and includes parmesan cheese.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/7/26/italian-dressing

Homemade Italian dressing recipe, copycat Zesty Kraft Dressing, Greek dressing

Condiment

American

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