Weekly Favorites 06/17/18 to 06/23/18

Time for another batch of favorite food and restaurant articles! This week, we go from chicken fajitas, to a vegan, no bake chocolate cheese cake!


Chicken Fajitas - via The Indian Claypot

I've never been shy about my love for fajitas. So when a new recipe option comes available, it is sure to catch my eye! This one is an Indian fusion recipe!

Try this colorful and flavorful chicken fajita for a weekend dinner!https://t.co/cqBPerV5vj#foodporn #foodie #food #recipes #yummy #delicious #tasty #recipe #getinmybelly #nomnom #eatclean #RecipeOfTheWeek #RecipeOfTheDay #foodblogger #lunch #healthy pic.twitter.com/tbBhEqM2t6

— The Indian Claypot (@indianclaypot) June 16, 2018

Chicken Braised with Lemon, Sage, and Olives - via Villa Sentieri

I love olives. No, really, I may have a problem! Sometimes my salads are olives with a side of olives! This chicken sounds almost perfect with lemon, sage, and of course, olives! I can't wait to try this one out!

NEW #RECIPE: Chicken Braised with Lemon, Sage, and Olives >> https://t.co/yNSEFOcssA

#VillaSentieri #foodblogger #fdblogger pic.twitter.com/PoHWzkfCMJ

— Gary (@VillaSentieri) June 20, 2018

Spaghetti with Smoked Trout Carbonara - via The Pasta Project

One of the things I love about the Weekly Favorites series, is that it helps me find inspiration for foods I might not have otherwise tried or conceived! This Smoked Trout Carbonara is one of those! I would have never thought to combine smoke trout with pasta! I will have to add this to the list of things to try!

This divine #spaghetti with smoked trout #carbonara is my go-to dish when I def want to impress my guests! Based on a Michelin star restaurant #recipe it's actually pretty easy to make! https://t.co/MDGFvZZYkr #lovepasta #smokedtrout #italianfood #foodblogger #pastarecipe pic.twitter.com/ydRPDL6tFL

— Jacqui DeBono (@jacquidebono) June 15, 2018

No Bake Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake - via Game of Cookies

At first, I wasn't sold on this cheesecake recipe. I'm a bit of a purest when it comes to cheesecake and the idea of a no bake didn't quite appeal to me at first. But then, two things struck me! The flavor combination of chocolate and coconut have been steadily growing on me. Also, my wife has been trying to avoid dairy, which means if I make a cheesecake at home, I'm basically baking for myself. Maybe that's not such a bad thing! So maybe, this no bake, vegan cheesecake could make for a compromise!

Foodies of Twitter!! Looking for a delicious cheesecake to bake over the weekend?! YOU FOUND IT! Go ahead and try this vegan chocolate &coconut cheesecake! You won't regret it! 🥥🍫🤤
📽️https://t.co/6vkgaPKMVk#baking #foodie #foodblogger #vegan #recipes #veganrecipes #food pic.twitter.com/FqrxVKDTwq

— Vanessa 🍪 (@gameofcookiesyt) June 16, 2018

No Sugar Tomato Sauce

For as long as I can remember, I've added sugar to my tomato sauce. Whether I'm making something quick or an all day affair, I've used sugar to cut down on the acidity from the tomatoes. The other day, I decided to try something different. Instead of the usual sugar, I added some carrots to the sauce. The naturally sweet carrots took care of the job the sugar usually performs, and added some extra nutrients too!

The Recipe:

• 1 Large Onion - Diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves - Diced
• 3 Celery Stalks - Chopped
• 3 Carrots - Peeled and Chopped
• 2 Large Cans Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup Red Wine
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Basil



No Sugar Tomato Sauce

• Olive Oil

In a heavy bottom stock pot, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the remaining ingredients. 

From here, there are 2 different routes to take: 

The high heat method, which can be little risky, but can make the in less than an hour. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Be careful with the high heat method, because tomatoes can burn very easily. just make sure to stir the sauce often to prevent burning. 

The low heat method, which is definitely the safer route. Once the onions and garlic are ready, reduce to the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. The low heat method will allow all of the ingredients to break down and help the flavors come together, without the risk of burning.

Either way, I like to use a heat diffuser with my sauce, to help evenly distribute the heat around the bottom of the pot.

Once the sauce is cooked, I like to blend everything together with an immersion blender, to break down all the large pieces.

Happy eating!

Recipes for a Single Mom - Part 3

This is the last part of a series of recipes I’m sharing that I wrote for a single mom back in college. I met her while working at Starbucks. She was one of our semi-regular customers. She was looking to cook some healthy meals for her kids, but wasn’t sure where to start. So I offered to share a few recipes with her. Some of them were recipes I already had, and some were new ones I wrote for her.



Today, I am sharing a recipe for Arrabiata Sauce, which is a spicy tomato sauce.








The Recipe:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 28 ounce can tomato puree
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• fresh basil, chopped
• fresh oregano, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• Spaghetti 

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and parsley and sauté until the onions turn translucent. Remove to a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven. Add the remaining ingredients. Under low heat, let simmer covered for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. To finish sauce, puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender, until it is mostly smooth.

Serve with spaghetti or a pasta of your choice. This goes great with meatballs, chicken meatballs, or Italian sausage. It also makes a great sauce for lasagna.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes err Spaghetti and Meatballs

My wife and I typically take turns cooking dinner. The other night it was my turn. We had planned on making meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but when I reached in to the basket for the potatoes we had in stock, the potatoes were sprouted and had started to turn soft. So much for the mashed potatoes.

What could I make at this point that the kids would eat without having to go to the store? I could tell we were nearing zero hour, so time was of the essence. I looked in the pantry and found a can of tomatoes and a bag of pasta and then there was half an onion left in the fridge. Fortunately, my meatloaf is just a giant Italian style meatball, so the meal was easily transitioned to spaghetti and meatballs. I threw together a quick tomato sauce and dinner was ready. We used farfalle pasta, which my 2 year old son calls "bubbaflies."


Some of the pictures didn't quite turn out, but we had already eaten before I realized it.



Quick Tomato Sauce

• Olive Oil
• 1/2 onion - diced
• 4 garlic cloves - minced
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Tsp oregano
• Tsp parsley
• salt and pepper
• spinach (optional)
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

In a sauce pan, heat olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic with salt and pepper over medium-high heat. When the onions turn translucent, reduce the heat. Add the canned tomatoes, oregano, parsley, and sugar. The sugar will help to counteract the acidity in the tomatoes. I like to add it, but it is optional. I also like to shake in some crushed red pepper, but it depends on who is eating with me. Cook for about thirty minutes. To sneak in some extra vitamins for the kids, you can throw in a handful of spinach leaves. Put the sauce in a food processor, or use an immersion blender if you have one, and blend until smooth.









Italian Style Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (I make my own. Look for the recipe below.)
1/2 cup Italian cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper


The meatballs are super easy to make. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Add in a few drops of water. Mix together with you hands. This is the most effective way. When the ingredients are well mixed, roll out the meatballs and place on a sheet pan. Make sure the meatballs are not any bigger than about 2 inches to make sure they will cook through. Please the sheet pan under the broiler and cook until the meatballs are browned. Flip the meatballs over and cook until brown. If you want to use this same recipe for a meatloaf, cook the meatloaf for 1 hour at 350 degrees.











Italian Breadcrumbs


4 pieces of bread
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Parsely
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper


Toast the bread until lightly brown. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place the bread crumbs in an airtight container. I have found that this recipe will last just about forever, or at least until I run out, without going bad.