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Skillet Garlic Parmesan Bread

April 9, 2017 by Ashley 8 Comments

Skillet Garlic Parmesan Bread is a quick, easy, delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with pasta! A great way to jazz up frozen meals or leftovers.

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Mambo Sprouts and Good Food Made Simple. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

It's time for some real talk.

Life has been hectic lately, and as much as I love cooking, I don't make all of my meals from scratch every.single.day. like some people may think. I take shortcuts in the kitchen when I need to - I buy meal prep kits, frozen meals, and do takeout, delivery, and even fast food.

I've had my fair share of regrettable last minute lunchtime drive thru meal purchases, because I just couldn't beat the convenience and I had too much stuff to get done.

Life happens, so keeping your pantry and freezer stocked with better for you options can be a huge asset in making sure you don't totally compromise your food values.

And it was for that exact reason that I was so excited to learn about Good Food Made Simple's new line of frozen entrée meals.

First of all, I was excited to learn that these meals are all made with humanely raised meat that is free of antibiotics and animal byproducts. There are no added hormones, artificial flavors or ingredients, and at least 70% of the ingredients are organic.

It's very similar to the way I cook in my own kitchen. I buy organic when I can, and support my local farms, but not exclusively. I source organic when possible and practical, and I think that's what makes it more realistic for my family.

The portion sizes of these meals are nice, and the flavors are clean.

My favorite of the offerings from Good Food Made Simple is the Cavatappi Bolognese. It had just the right amount of rich, Italian meat sauce that's made with fresh, sautéed organic carrots, onions, and basil. It's paired with organic cavatappi pasta and topped with organic mozzarella.

I was honestly shocked at how good the texture of the pasta was. I don't know how they managed to get it right, but it was great.

And I married into an Italian family, so I know a good al dente pasta.

As you may know, I am a big fan of garlic bread. It's such a simple side dish to make at home, and it's absolutely perfect for sopping up any extra sauce that you may have in your pasta dish.

For this particular recipe, I thought it would be fun to use one of my favorite pantry staples - butter flavored coconut oil. It's rich and buttery but totally vegan.

Now, before we get too crazy, let it be known that I also loaded this up with a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, so this recipe itself isn't vegan.

But I do have a feeling that swapping out the Parmesan with a bit of nutritional yeast may just make a great dairy-free substitute. I'll be sure to report back after I try it out for myself.

I typically make my garlic bread by placing it under the broiler, but this time around, I thought it would be nice to fry it up in a skillet while the pasta cooked up in the microwave.

I'm happy to report that by the time the pasta is cooked through and rests for a minute or two, the garlic bread is good to go. So this is something that doesn't keep you in the kitchen for very long on a busy weeknight meal, but totally takes the meal to the next level.

Feel free to use dried parsley here if you don't have fresh, and if you do have fresh, sprinkle a little of it over the pasta before you dive in, too. That little extra pop of herbs really livens up the dish.

If I had to choose, my runner-up favorite frozen entrées from this line would be the Steak Black Bean or Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. I liked adding a dollop (or 3) of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt on top of them before diving in. Really tasty, and it totally doesn't feel like what I tend to picture as a "frozen meal".

Want to win 5 coupons for free meals from Good Food Made Simple? To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me which variety you're most looking forward to trying. The contest will close onFriday, April 14, 2017 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

UPDATE - The winner has been selected via random.org - CONGRATS to gertdog!

Quick Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

April 3, 2017 by Ashley 6 Comments

This quick, hearty make-ahead salad is perfect for lunch on-the-go or as a fresh, flavorful last minute addition to any meal.

Disclosure: Special thanks to REBBL for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Things have been a bit hectic over here lately. And on those days, sometimes I look up at the clock and realize it's already lunchtime. Or even past my typical lunchtime.

It can be tricky to make healthy lunch choices when I'm in the midst of all that chaos, so it's nice to have go-to meals that I can either make ahead of time or throw together in 5 minutes or less.

Take this salad, for example. I had put it together in the morning so I'd have lunch waiting for me when I had some downtime. I was in the middle of working on a few projects with rapidly approaching deadlines, and the power went out.

The timing was rotten for me - I had less than 2 kid-free hours to try to focus and get stuff done, and there was no way of knowing how long we'd be without power. So I packed up my laptop and headed to my local diner to get some ~~free internet access~~ lunch and chip away at my work before heading out to pick up my son from school.

The next day was pretty hectic as well but once lunchtime rolled around, I knew I was set! I divvied out a portion of my pre-made salad, topped it with half an avocado, and sprinkled on some microgreens. For a little extra boost, I also grabbed a Cold-Brew Protein from REBBL.

I've talked about my fondness for REBBL before - so I was beyond thrilled to hear that they were coming out with 3 new flavors and that they had expanded their distribution to Whole Foods out in my neck of the woods here in New York. Feel free to check out their store locator to find your nearest retailer.

Just like the other varieties, these new flavors are certified organic, soy and dairy free, gluten free and made without cane sugar, carrageenan, thickeners, gums, natural flavors or agave. Their coconut milk base makes them incredibly creamy and satisfying.

The new flavor offerings are:

Reishi Cold-Brew - a super smooth cold-brew coffee with no added sugars. It has 7 grams of coconut MCTs for energy and metabolism. Reishi mushroom is believed to help support healthy immune function and healthy aging.
Turmeric Lemon Tart - a golden-hued sweet-yet-tart blend of turmeric root, lemon, and a touch of organic honey from wild-harvested rainforest bees. Each bottle includes 1,800MG of turmeric root, reported to support joint health, cognitive function and digestive wellness.
Cold-Brew Protein - a powerhouse elixir that delivers 12 grams of plant-based protein from pea and sunflower. The velvety mix of cold-brew coffee and coconut milk blend together for a rockin' afternoon pick-me-up. This one includes super herb support from maca, ashwagandha and reishi, a blend believed to enhance endurance and recovery.

My husband and I especially liked the Cold-Brew Protein paired with this salad. It really turned what looked like a light lunch into something much more satisfying than we had expected.

The avocado added a nice dose of healthy fats and a bit of creaminess to this crisp salad, while still keeping it vegan. If you were packing this salad up to bring for lunch later in the day, I'd recommend either bringing a whole avocado, or halving it in the morning when you're packing up so it doesn't brown too quickly.

You can squeeze a little lemon juice on it after cutting if you like, but I tend to just bring the half that has the pit still in it with me, as that trick also helps keep it green for longer.

I think some hard boiled egg or crumbled cheese would be nice topping options as well - maybe some crumbled feta. I had some microgreens from a local farm hanging out in my fridge, and they were great on top of this salad. Any type of baby lettuce you have on hand would be good for a last-minute topping here, but again, go with what you have on hand, and feel free to omit the toppings.

This salad would also be great without any of the toppers, served alongside some grilled meat or seafood. Yum!

Want to get your hands on your own assortment of REBBL beverages, including these 3 new flavors? My friends at REBBL are giving one Big Flavors reader a sample case of 12 bottles! To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite make-ahead lunch. The contest will close on Friday, April 14, 2017 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

UPDATE - The winner has been selected via random.org - CONGRATS to Kristin!

Our Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes

March 28, 2017 by Ashley 12 Comments

The fluffiest pancakes you've ever had are less than 30 minutes away! These light, airy buttermilk pancakes are hands-down one of our favorite breakfast recipes.

Weekends are all about breakfast in my house. Luckily, I have a husband who is more than willing to spend some time making pretty much any breakfast food that gets requested on those mornings.

So while I drink ~~an entire pot~~ a few cups of coffee and our son plays Minecraft, he cooks up a storm.

Total keeper.

These pancakes (a.k.a. flapjacks, a.k.a. griddle cakes) are the culmination of yeeeeears of testing multiple pancake recipes and variations.

We've tweaked this from our favorite parts of several different recipes and come up with the best, go-to, standard buttermilk pancake recipe.

If you're looking for a fun spin on traditional pancakes, these colorful birthday cake pancakes with sprinkles are another awesome option.

One key part of this recipe is that the batter needs time to take a quick rest. This allows it to get light and airy, which results in magnificently fluffy pancakes.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use regular milk and stir in 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to it. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature, and proceed with the recipe as directed.

It's super helpful for those times when you reeeeeally want buttermilk pancakes but don't have any buttermilk on hand.

We like to use a scoop for consistently-sized pancakes. You can also use a ladle or measuring cup if you don't have a scoop that size in your kitchen.

We find that a #16 scoop, which measures about ¼ cup of batter, works out beautifully here.

We've been using our Griddler for pancakes for over a decade now, but if you don't have a griddle at home, a non-stick skillet will work just fine.

Also note that there's a specific time when you should be flipping your pancakes. You'll see the surface of each pancake fill with bubbles while cooking. Wait for those bubbles to start to pop, and that's the indication that you should flip 'em.

Once you get the hang of it, it's super easy to have a comforting, delicious breakfast on the table in under 30 minutes.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Mar 19, 2017 at 8:21am PDT

There are countless variations to these delicious pancakes. You can dress 'em up or dress 'em down, and rest assured, they'll always be a hit!

We typically serve them with butter (bonus points if it's Kerrygold Irish Butter) and pure maple syrup.

This time around, we made some "TNT" pancakes for our son's stuffed Creeper from Minecraft by sprinkling it with chia seeds and green sprinkles. He loved it!

What are your favorite pancake toppings? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

Roasted Veggie Bowls with Lemon-Flaxseed Vinaigrette

March 26, 2017 by Ashley 6 Comments

A fried egg is the perfect topping for these nutrient rich vegetarian bowls. A simple vinaigrette brightens the dish up and packs a powerful Omega-3 punch!

Disclosure: This post was created as part of my ongoing partnership with Barlean's. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Clean eating. That term gets thrown around a lot these days. But what does it really mean?

To me, it's all about eating things that are as close to their natural form as possible. So it's choosing whole vegetables instead of prepackaged, precooked ones that have additives, preservatives, and the like.

Looking for items that aren't processed, or only minimally, is taking a big step in the direction of eating clean.

You'll get more nutritional value out of something that has a more direct path to your dinner plate. Look for food to look the way it looks in nature. Simple as that.

And to me, one of the biggest things you can do to clean up your diet and eat more wholesome foods is to find a local farm to support.

If you follow me on Instagram or have seen my series, Big Flavors from the Farm, you know that I'm a big proponent for supporting local farms, farmers markets and purveyors. It's always so fun to get to know the actual people behind the food that you feed your family, and I love being able to ask questions about their different offerings.

One of my favorite ways to find meal inspiration is to visit a local farmstand and see what looks good, then work from there.

And you don't need to be fussy with how you prepare the ingredients! One of the my favorite simple, go-to methods is to roast a tray full of veggies and drizzle them with a fresh, homemade vinaigrette.

Bonus points for giving it a nutritional boost by swapping out the standard oil for Omega-3 dense flaxseed oil.

And even more bonus points for adding some ground flaxseeds for a bit of texture.

Flaxseeds are a raw, vegan source of Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans and dietary fiber. They're easily added to so many different items - I like sprinkling them onto fruit and yogurt parfaits, but they're also great in smoothies, salads, and baked goods. You can even make "eggs" out of them if you're looking for a vegan egg substitute.

Though you know I'm always down to #putaneggonit.

Topping roasted veggies with a fried egg is a great way to add protein and make a vegetarian meal feel more satisfying.

For these particular bowls, I took inspiration from a trip to my hometown farm. I went there to buy microgreens and ended up buying a whole array of goodies, including the beautiful oyster mushrooms, pea shoots, and eggs that I used for this meal.

These bowls would be a great way to use up any veggies you have on hand. Roasting brings out so much flavor, and having a variety of colors and textures makes for a beautiful, interesting meal.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Mar 23, 2017 at 6:18pm PDT

If you can't find pea shoots, feel free to substitute any greens you have on hand. Baby arugula or a spring mix of salad greens would be great here, too.

The lemon vinaigrette adds the perfect amount of citrus to brighten up the dish and brings it all together.

We particularly liked how the runny egg yolk mixed with the other ingredients as we were eating, creating a luscious sauce. Totally delicious!

Looking for more clean eating inspiration? Barlean's also sent over a copy of Amie Valpone's cookbook, Eating Clean, and let me tell you - there are oodles of beautiful, inspirational recipes here.

Definitely check it out, and if you're around on Tuesday, March 28th at 1pm EST, they're hosting a twitter party to discuss all things clean eating.

What are your favorite clean eating tips? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

Veggie Cream Cheese Roll-ups

March 20, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Eat the rainbow with these colorful, veggie-packed bites! Serve 'em up as a dinner party appetizer, or let them brighten up your lunch box.

Bite-sized food is always more fun to eat. Take my Rich Cocoa Brownie Bites, for instance. Small, delicious, and totally worthy of second helpings (and thirds, and fourths...).

But dessert isn't the only thing that's more fun in bite-sized form. Savory dishes can gain instant cute points when they're rolled up with tortillas with flavored cream cheese "glue" to hold them together in neat spiral shapes.

The filling combinations are endless, and it's a great way to use up meats and veggies that you have on hand at home.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Jan 17, 2017 at 2:10pm PST

For this particular variation, I was inspired by the veggie cream cheese that is served at bagel shops here in New York.

There's a mix of fresh veggies running through every bite of cream cheese, and it adds a ton of fresh flavor to any bagel, sandwich or wrap.

So I decided to keep it vegetarian here and do a mix of thin sliced veggies and baby spinach, along with the veggie-and-herb cream cheese.

Veggie Cream Cheese Roll-ups: Eat the rainbow with these colorful, veggie-packed bites! Serve 'em up as a dinner party appetizer, or let them brighten up your lunch box.

I loved the bit of spiciness that the radishes added, and the cucumbers were really refreshing. The spinach was nice, too, although it made it a bit trickier for the rolls to hold their shape.

I made this recipe on the same day that I made these Smoked Salmon Roll-ups. Both were delicious, and we liked having a few of each for lunch.

The veggie roll-ups didn't hold up as long as the smoked salmon roll-ups in the fridge, likely because of the moisture content of the veggie slices.

So I'd advise enjoying these within a day or 2 of making them for the best results.

They were a little messy to roll, but after the first one, you should get the hang of it.

What do you like in your roll-ups? I'd love to hear your favorite combos in the comments section below!

Looking for more bite-sized food? Here are some of our favorite recipes:

Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

March 15, 2017 by Ashley 32 Comments

This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

It's that time of year again! Time to fire up the slow cooker to make the annual batch of corned beef and cabbage.

But why use the pre-made spice mix that comes with the corned beef brisket from the grocery store when you can make a simple, flavorful blend yourself?

Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage: This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

For me, St. Patrick's Day will always be synonymous with the day my slow cooker died. I had been making corned beef and cabbage without fail for several years at that point.

I remember opening the lid of my slow cooker and thinking it was odd that the cabbage was still so green after a full day of cooking.

It's because it wasn't cooking - my slow cooker shorted out and died, so I had to throw out a batch of meat and veggies that had been sitting at room temperature all darn day.

We ended up going to the local diner for our corned beef and cabbage fix, and interestingly enough, I wasn't feelin' my pint of Guinness. I handed it off to my father-in-law and chalked it up to a bad day. I found out a few days later that I was pregnant with my (now five-year-old) son!

So it was a memorable day for many reasons, but I was happy to get a new, functional slow cooker after all that mess. My husband ended up picking out a nice replacement for me, and all was right in the world again.

This meal is super simple to put together. I haven't made it since getting my Instant Pot last year, but you could definitely use the slow cooker function on it and follow the same instructions.

I'll have to do some experimenting to see how it would be different to pressure cook this instead. It would certainly make quick work of this meal!

We always serve this meal with potatoes of some sort - often plain ol' boiled, roasted garlic mashed, or Colcannon if we're feeling fancy.

We like dipping the meat and veggies in coarse ground mustard, but it's definitely optional. Dijon would be a good choice, too.

Definitely make a loaf of our favorite Irish Soda Bread if you have time - it's the perfect way to wrap up this Irish meal!

Looking for more comfort food favorites? Check out these 5-star recipes:

Rich Cocoa Brownie Bites

March 6, 2017 by Ashley 6 Comments

This post was created as part of my ongoing partnership with Stonyfield. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Bust out your favorite cocoa powder and satisfy your brownie cravings with this super rich, bite-sized chocolate-packed dessert.

Is there anything that smells better than a batch of brownies baking in the oven? Warm, chocolatey goodness... I'm a big fan.

So when Stonyfield sent over a box of goodies from a few of their fellow B Corps in celebration of their recent certification, I figured homemade brownies were in order!

Now, I find it tricky to make brownies from scratch that can hold their own against my favorite box mixes. So I turned to Alton Brown for some guidance.

One major change I made to Alton's brownie recipe was to get rid of the butter. Instead, I used a mix of my favorite butter flavored coconut oil and some of Stonyfield's 100% Grassfed Plain Yogurt.

I even used some of that coconut oil to grease the pan. It spread super easily and was a nice change from the typical vegetable shortening that I use in baking. I also substituted half of the flour with King Arthur Flour's 100% Whole Wheat Sprouted Flour.

Make sure you use good quality cocoa powder here. It makes all the difference! I had some partial bags of a few cocoa powders that I love in my pantry, so I used some of each for this recipe.

I also used up the rest of my coconut sugar, which was great mixed with the granulated and brown sugars. I always love finding a (delicious) home for partial containers of ingredients, and this recipe really cleaned house for me.

I didn't even bother sifting any of the ingredients since I was short on time. It still worked out really well, and the resulting brownies were ridiculously rich and delicious.

So what's all this B Corp talk, and why should we care?

The short answer is: it's a global movement of people using business as a force for good.

It's businesses in the for-profit world looking out for more than their bottom line - they're working toward higher standards of social and environmental responsibility, accountability, and transparency, so consumers can feel good about making the decision to support them.

From the B Corporation website:

B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Today, there is a growing community of more than 1,600 Certified B Corps from 42 countries and over 120 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

Here's a bit about it from the Stonyfield website:

Certified B Corporations^® meet the highest standards of verified overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

At Stonyfield, we already think about the impact of everything we do--from what's in the cup and how it's made, to how it gets to you. We've been on a mission to create food that's good for us, our kids and the environment all along. We don't have all the answers, but we believe it's important to take care of the world around us to make food that you can feel good about feeding your family.

I was thrilled to learn that many brands that I already know and love have been B Corp Certified. Brands like Preserve, Pukka, Purely Elizabeth, King Arthur Flour, Method, and Pete and Gerry's are all on the list, as is the one and only Ben & Jerry's.

It can be hard to know who to trust, especially when it comes to big corporations.

You know, "The Man" and all.

So seeing companies put themselves out there, being forthcoming, and showing the public the actual things that they're doing to improve the way they do business is a breath of fresh air.

Are your favorite brands on the list? You can find out, as well as learn learn more about all things B Corp at www.bcorporation.net.

And if you're looking for a dessert recipe to knock your socks off, be sure to make these brownies!

Instant Pot Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup

March 3, 2017 by Ashley 9 Comments

Nothing beats a hearty bowl of homemade chicken soup with bacon. This recipe utilizes the Instant Pot for all day flavor in less than an hour!

It's no secret that I've been obsessed with my Instant Pot. It's been one of the most versatile items in my kitchen arsenal. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I made my first batch of homemade yogurt in it this week. It was seriously amazing!

I have so many Instant Pot recipes to share, but I've been making things faster than I can get them written up.

It's a good problem to have, I suppose!

Overhead view of an Instant Pot full of soup with a bowl and spoon alongside.

This soup is one that I made a while back. I saw it in an issue of Cooking Light billed as a slow cooker recipe, and thought it would be fun to Instant Pot-ify it.

That's totally a real term, right? No? I'm going to roll with it anyway.

Getting this soup on the table in under an hour instead of over 4 sounded like an awesome idea, too.

Plus, in my version, you can do it all in one vessel - no need to dirty a skillet and a slow cooker. I also used already boneless, skinless thighs for this recipe to save even more fuss.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Nov 2, 2016 at 2:55pm PDT

The meat was so tender that I was able to shred it right in the insert - no need to remove it and cut it up or remove any bones.

A quick note about leeks: they're dirty. You need to make sure you clean them well before cooking with them, or you'll end up with grit in your food.

My favorite method is to use the my salad spinner, which, it turns out, I use mostly for cleaning leeks!

Cleaning #leeks for #dinner - it's probably the main use for my #salad spinner! Fill w water and shake the leeks around with your hand to loosen the dirt, let them soak for a few min, pour out the water, repeat quickly and spin to dry. Such a great #tip! #latergram

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Feb 8, 2017 at 6:39pm PST

This soup turned out so wonderfully! It was hearty yet light, and had just enough bacon to make it feel a little indulgent.

It was a big hit with my whole family.

You may need a little extra salt and pepper at the end - go with your instincts here. My husband tends to like things a little more seasoned than I do, but it's always easier to add a little more than take it down a notch.

Bowl of Instant Pot chicken, bacon, and potato soup with a spoon alongside.

One word of warning - the potatoes will be ~~like molten hot lava~~ pretty hot when you go to serve this soup.

The roof of your mouth will thank you for proceeding with caution before diving into your bowl.

Bowl of soup with a spoon in front of an Instant Pot.

Looking for more Instant Pot comfort food? My Instant Pot Herbed Pot Roast is fan-freakin-tastic! And my Instant Pot "Baked" Beans make a great side dish! And if you're looking for a tasty appetizer, my Chicken Quesadillas with Chipotle Ranch Dip are a great choice.

Looking for more comfort food favorites? Check out these 5-star recipes:

What are your favorite types of soup? Do you think they'd be a good fit for an Instant Pot conversion? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!

Instant Pot Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup: Nothing beats a hearty bowl of homemade chicken soup with bacon. This recipe utilizes the Instant Pot for all day flavor in less than an hour!

Lemony Almond Crusted Cod with Homemade Mayo-Free Tartar Sauce

February 28, 2017 by Ashley 8 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Woodstock Foods. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Cod is coated with ground almonds and pan fried till beautifully flaky & tender in this delicious seafood recipe. Serve with my easy, homemade mayo-free tartar sauce for a simple, gluten-free fish dinner!

It's hard for people who know me to believe that I grew up never (ever!) eating seafood. My mom didn't (and still doesn't) enjoy it, so it was just not something I was around very often.

Plus, I did grow up in a pretty land-locked area of the Midwest. Seafood just wasn't really on my mind.

Fast forward to me moving to New York and living with a seafood loving guy. Slowly but surely I tried several of different types of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans and came to realize that not only did I enjoy eating them - I was also pretty darn good at cooking them!

Recently, I've been really enjoying flaky white fish like cod. It cooks up quickly and can take on a variety of flavors, depending on your mood and what's in your kitchen.

I bought some beautiful Wild Alaskan Pacific Cod from Mike's Organic Delivery (one of my favorite local-ish resources). I knew it would be perfect for a weeknight seafood dinner like this.

For this particular recipe, I was inspired by the Organic Lemon Almonds from Woodstock Foods. I typically use panko or regular bread crumbs when coating fish to pan-fry, but I figured these almonds would make a flavorful, gluten-free option.

A few pulses in the food processor, and I had a gorgeous, nutty coating ready to go! And the lemony aroma was absolutely incredible!

And now, for the sauce.

I love a good tartar sauce, but it tends to feel awfully heavy with all that mayo. I decided to brighten it up a bit and used Stonyfield 100% Grassfed Plain Yogurt as my base instead.

A few ingredients get mixed in, and it's off to the fridge to chill while the fish is breaded and fried.

After patting the fillets dry and seasoning them with salt and pepper, I brushed them with a bit of the plain yogurt. It worked as a great "glue" for the ground almonds to adhere to the fish.

Have a paper towel-lined plate at the ready after you place the fish into the skillet to fry. This will ensure that any excess oil gets soaked up before serving these crispy, flaky fillets.

Just make sure to be gentle when you move them between the skillet and the plate. The cod is so tender and flaky that it could easily fall apart if you aren't careful.

This fish was a huge hit with my family!

My son was all about that tartar sauce. And he loved eating some extra almonds alongside. They're packed with so much real lemon flavor - they really do make a wonderful snack.

I served the fish with steamed jasmine rice, a bit of leftover salad that I made for lunch that day (using sunflower microgreens from my favorite local farm), and an acorn squash that I pressure cooked in my Instant Pot right before I made the tartar sauce.

The microgreens were really lovely with the fish - I'll have to pair those two together again soon!

What are your favorite side dishes for fish? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

I've also been enjoying bowls of grassfed yogurt topped with the Hiker's Harvest Mix and a spoonful of Lightly Toasted Almond Butter for breakfast (and late-night snacking), too. Absolutely delicious!

Banana Split Granola Kabobs

February 23, 2017 by Ashley 12 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Mambo Sprouts and MadeGood. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

This 3 ingredient snack packs all the flavor of a dessert classic into a healthy, bite-sized skewer! A fun, allergy-friendly lunchbox treat.

My family loves granola. Kids and grown-ups alike - it's a staple at our breakfast table. It also shows up at dessert time fairly often, and it's a great snack for when we're on-the-go.

The problem with a lot of store bought (and even homemade) granola, is that it contains peanuts or tree nuts. Now, don't get me wrong, we love those types of granola, but there are many cases where we go somewhere that has been designated as a nut-free zone.

My son's preschool is one of these places, and I'm not able to send several items with him due to allergy restrictions. So I was thrilled to learn that MadeGood has a whole line of allergy-friendly granola snacks.

They're made in a facility free of 8 common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, dairy, egg, soy, sesame, and fish. And they're organic, non-GMO, ethically sourced, too!

There are several flavors, in both bars and minis. And as a bonus, each individual package contains 1 serving of vegetables from 6 vegetable sources.

I immediately gravitated toward the Chocolate Banana Granola Bars. They combine a bunch of my favorite flavors.

And dark chocolate?! Yes, please!

I thought it would be fun to turn the Chocolate Banana Granola Minis into a fun after school snack for my kiddo.

The banana and chocolate were totally giving me banana split vibes, so I added some fresh fruit and paired it with yogurt for dipping.

We happen to love plain yogurt, but vanilla would also be really nice here. It'd give you that vanilla ice cream flavor, but without feeling like junk food.

And if you want to keep this vegan, by all means use your favorite soy or other non-dairy yogurt.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Feb 22, 2017 at 2:00pm PST

Food on a stick is always fun, and these skewers are no different. They're different from the lunch kabobs I make for my son's lunch sometimes, and anything with "banana split" in the title is guaranteed to get a smile.

These would be great packed in his lunchbox for school, too! And I can feel good knowing that he's getting extra nutrition and not bringing in anything that could potentially cause a reaction to one of his classmates.

The combinations for these kabobs could be endless! The Apple Cinnamon Granola Minis would be fun for an Apple Pie a la Mode Kabob, and the Strawberry Granola Minis would be fun for a Strawberries and Cream Kabob.

Making food more fun without a ton of fuss is always a good idea. My son loves trying new things, and is already asking me when he will get this special treat again.

And how can I say no to that little face?!

Orange Scented Cannoli Dip

February 17, 2017 by Ashley 1 Comment

This classic Italian pastry is now a decadent dip - perfect for entertaining or any time you need a quick & easy dessert recipe for a crowd!

Have you tried cannoli? It's a very popular dessert here in New York. You can find it at almost any Italian pastry shop, but if you want the best cannoli you need to find a place that fills the shells fresh right when you order them.

There's nothing worse than a once crispy pastry shell that has gotten all soggy and sad from being filled early in the day, then sitting in a dessert case for waaaaaay too long.

And making them at home takes a lot of effort and timing, as well as some special tools. Sometimes you just don't have the time or energy for all that.

Enter this cannoli dip.

A while back, I picked up a ~~boatload~~ few containers of ricotta cheese on sale from the wholesale club. I knew I wanted to make a few cheesecakes for the holidays, but I wasn't sure what else to make.

Turns out I needed a quick, easy dessert recipe to bring to a New Year's Eve party. A friend of mine recommended cannoli dip, and I knew that I needed to make it happen!

I had actually tried cannoli dip for the first time at a party a while back and it was super tasty. So it was perfect timing to try it out in my own kitchen.

A post shared by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Dec 31, 2016 at 12:35pm PST

My friend mentioned that she likes to add orange zest to her cannoli dip, and I couldn't agree more. Some people aren't into the orange flavor with their cannoli, but it was a very welcome addition in this instance.

I amped up the orange flavor a little more by including fresh orange juice as well. It was just the right amount, and it really enhanced the dip nicely.

I went with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I love these from Ghirardelli) because larger chips make this dip a little too clunky.

I thought I found cannoli chips at the grocery store for dipping, but they were actually Polish Chruściki or "Angel Wings". They worked out BEAUTIFULLY for this though - the texture was perfect to go with the dip.

And one of the party hosts is originally from Poland and was really excited to see them. Success!

I had initially planned to do a baked cinnamon sugar tortilla or pita chip type of thing to go with this dip, but I'll totally buy these again next time. They were a match made in dessert heaven!

Pork Scallopini with White Bean-Tomato Salad

February 13, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Need a quick weeknight dinner? Thin cut pork is coated in panko and fried till crispy, then topped with a vibrant salad that comes together in under 20 minutes! A perfect use for canned white beans!

I recently came across a fantastic sale on pork scallopini. So I stocked up and stashed a few packages in the freezer for later use.

I just knew they'd come in handy when I needed a simple dinner and was short on time.

These thin cuts of pork are beautifully tender and cook up very quickly. They're great simply coated with flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs, then fried till golden brown.

For this meal, I decided to use a few items that I had in my kitchen to make a simple topping to go on top of these crispy cutlets.

I love a fresh, cool salad on top of meat that's fried like this. It adds a really nice textural contrast, and it's a great way to use canned goods from your pantry alongside any fresh herbs and veggies that you happen to have on hand.

The cannellini beans here add a nice creaminess as well as a good boost of fiber and protein.

My family goes through a lot of tomatoes, so I almost always have them on hand. In the winter, it's easiest to keep a pint of grape tomatoes in the kitchen. Their flavor is pretty consistent year-round, and they're a great way to brighten up dishes even in the colder months.

You could use any fresh herb that you like in this recipe. I had some basil, so that's what I used. Parsley would be good here, or a mix of the two.

Fresh thyme, oregano, tarragon or rosemary would be nice as well, but don't use quite as much, since they're significantly more potent than basil. Maybe a teaspoon or so would do.

I like using brined non-pareil capers in so many dishes, as they're smaller and add just the right amount of saltiness. Often, like in this recipe, I'll also include a bit of the caper brine to really drive the flavor home without needing to include any additional salt.

This recipe was so simple to make and it was a hit with my whole family. My 5-year-old even had seconds!

I really like that you can make the white bean-tomato salad while the pork is frying. And it all comes together in under 20 minutes!

What are your go-to quick weeknight meals? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

Toasted Farro Grain Bowls with Roasted Winter Veggies

February 9, 2017 by Ashley 11 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Mambo Sprouts and Village Harvest. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Chase away the winter blues with this hearty, veggie-packed grain bowl. Top it with a runny egg for the ultimate comfort food upgrade!

Grain bowls. Do you enjoy them? I love how they act as a blank slate for any number of toppings. Plus, they're a really wonderful way to clean out your produce drawer! They're usually good served cold, warm, OR at room temperature. Talk about versatility!

And I love trying to find colorful combinations to top 'em.

For this particular grain bowl, I chose to use one of my very favorite grains - farro. Its high fiber content makes it heart-healthy (which is perfect in February since it's Heart Health Month!) and is good for digestion.

I like the chewy texture - it has a nice bite to that and holds up well to vinaigrettes and overnight stays in the refrigerator.

Let's talk squash. What's your favorite variety? I tend to lean toward butternut or spaghetti squash, but I'm trying to be more adventurous lately.

For some reason, I always thought of acorn squash as kind of... boring. I'm not sure why, but it just never really stood out to me until recently. I picked up this beauty from the grocery store and thought that slicing it and roasting it would be the perfect way to utilize it.

I mean... just look at those scalloped edges! Ain't she pretty??

Another thing that I didn't realize until fairly recently is that you can eat the skin of a lot of varieties of squash. It tastes great in this dish!

Building a grain bowl can seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! For this one, I picked 2 veggies to roast - acorn squash and Brussels sprouts. I put each of them on their own sheet pan, drizzled them with oil, and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

They went into the oven and roasted away while I prepared the farro, vinaigrette and toppings.

I've been a bit obsessed with making hard and soft boiled eggs in my Instant Pot lately, and these grain bowls were just screaming for eggs! I love that I can make them in advance, refrigerate them, and they're ready whenever I need to #putaneggonit.

Any type of egg that you prefer would work here - a fried egg would be lovely, and hard boiled would also work. I just really loved how the runny yolk of the soft boiled egg mixed with the rest of the ingredients as I was eating this dish.

It made it extra luscious, and I was all.about.it.

The most important rule of any grain bowl is to just have fun with it. You can take the time to pile the ingredients separately or just mix 'em all in. Whatever works for you - it'll be tasty any way you choose!

My friends at Village Harvest want to help you get more grains in your life! Check out their product locator to find their farro & other grains near you!

~~And be sure to click here to snag your coupon for $1.00 off any package of Village Harvest Farro or Arborio now through February 28, 2017.~~

What's in your perfect grain bowl? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Ashwagandha Chai Porridge

January 30, 2017 by Ashley 7 Comments

Thanks to REBBL for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Take your morning oats to the next level with a piping hot bowl of this super herb-infused breakfast porridge. Easy & ready in 25 minutes!

I also have 2 fabulous giveaways from my friends at REBBL - details below.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may recall my trip to New Orleans for ShiftCon, an eco-wellness conference, this past December. It was my first time there, and I had an amazing time. I connected with some of my favorite organic, non-GMO brands and got acquainted with many, many more.

Among my favorite finds was REBBL - a beverage company dedicated to making ridiculously delicious drinks made from REAL ingredients that are ethically sourced and sustainably farmed. They take their name from the Roots, Extracts, Berries, Barks, and Leaves that they utilize from all over the world. Their website even has a sourcing map with info on exactly where everything comes from, and why each ingredient is important.

I tried the Turmeric Golden-Milk after an intense early morning HIIT Yoga session at the conference and immediately fell in love!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Dec 3, 2016 at 11:49am PST

It was a nice way to have something that felt indulgent, but was actually jam-packed full of goodness that helped support my post-workout recovery. And after the many meals that I enjoyed out at restaurants all over New Orleans, it was nice to imbibe in something so nutritious, cool, and refreshing.

Not many brands have nailed down making superfoods taste good. But I have since tried all of REBBL's flavor formulations, and they have each been absolutely delicious!

And I'm giving away some of their beverages - check out the end of the post for details on how to enter!

So it's a new year, and many of us are working toward new health and wellness goals. Eating healthier, exercising more... you know the drill. But instead of going too far in one direction, cutting back too much, and giving up on those new intentions, why not choose to mindfully indulge all year round?

One way to do this is to enhance foods that are already good for you with fun and interesting ingredients. Like my Ashwagandha Chai Porridge. This recipe is a fun way to jazz up your standard oatmeal breakfast.

Ashwagandha is known as the "super-herb of Ayurveda" and may help support sustained physical endurance, improved cognitive function, quick recovery and enhanced relaxation.

We'll be using 2 types of oats here. The rolled oats break down and get nice and soft while the steel-cut oats add a nice, chewy texture. The resulting porridge is the best of both worlds!

I chose to use a mix of REBBL's Ashwagandha Chai, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and water in this recipe to keep it totally vegan. The chai is made with coconut milk, which I thought played nicely with the almond milk. You could certainly substitute any type of milk that you enjoy.

This porridge was a huge hit at the breakfast table! My 5-year-old absolutely loved it. He took one bite and asked me to make it again. He dubbed it "the fun porridge".

I only put 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in at the end of the cooking time, and drizzled a little extra on top when serving it up. My son and I liked splashing the hot porridge with a bit more of the cold almond milk and chai, too.

And there was juuuuuust enough left in the bottle for us to sip a bit with our meal.

Want to win an assortment of REBBL Elixirs & Proteins for yourself? To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite way to mindfully indulge. The contest will close on Friday, February 17, 2017 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

UPDATE – The winner has been selected via random.org – CONGRATS to Alex!

But wait - there's more! REBBL is also teaming up with KitchenAid and Cocokind on a few larger giveaway prize packs. You can check out the full details and fill out an entry form here. {Giveaway is now closed}

Chicken Quesadillas with Chipotle Ranch Dip

January 26, 2017 by Ashley 8 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Simply Organic. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Simply seasoned chicken thighs are cooked in the Instant Pot till tender, then shredded + sandwiched between 2 types of cheese in this delicious recipe.

It's no secret that I'm a total Stonyfield fangirl. Yogurt has been a staple for me for as long as I can remember. And when it comes to Mexican food, my family has been using Stonyfield's plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for several years now. I love how rich and tangy Greek yogurt is.

So when I found out about the brand spankin' new Smooth & Creamy Double Cream Yogurt, I.Was. Stoked.

It's even richer than the whole milk Greek yogurt and not quite as tangy, which makes it a perfect whole milk, full fat substitution for sour cream and oils in cooking and baking.

And let me tell you... it's absolutely luscious!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Jan 18, 2017 at 2:26pm PST

These quesadillas were inspired by the Chipotle Ranch Dip Mix from Simply Organic. Since the Super Bowl is coming up, I thought it'd be fun to make quesadillas for a crowd.

They're perfect as an appetizer or even as a meal on their own. Far be it for me to interfere with anyone who wants an entire plate of this cheesy goodness!

I had a big pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the fridge, so I seasoned them with a few spices from Simply Organic: Adobo Seasoning, Smoked Paprika, and Ground Cumin. It made for a simple, delicious seasoning blend that really amped up the flavor of the quesadillas.

I cooked the chicken in my Instant Pot (because I'm totally obsessed!), but check out my tips below if you don't have one. Either way, you can get beautifully tender chicken that's a cinch to shred.

These quesadillas were a huge hit with my family!

We all enjoyed having 2 different dipping options - the Chipotle Ranch and the straight up Double Cream Yogurt. My 5-year-old ended up eating more of these quesadillas than I did! He asked for them for lunch for the next few days.

Seal of approval from the kiddo. Always a good thing.

I can't believe I haven't made quesadillas more often. Once you get into the swing of assembling them, they're super easy.

Here are some tips for quesadilla success:

If you don't have an Instant Pot you can cook the chicken on the stovetop. Season and sear as directed, then add chicken stock, partially cover your pot with a lid, and let simmer until the meat is very tender, about 30-45 minutes.
It's helpful to keep the toppings about half an inch away from the outer edges of the tortilla, so there's room for melting without things spilling out into the skillet.
If flipping full tortillas proves to be too messy, you can put half the amount of ingredients onto one side of a single tortilla and fold it over to cook.
I used a mix of 2 types of cheddar cheese that I shredded in the food processor, but many types would work here. Use your favorite, and feel free to mix and match.
This recipe is easily cut in half. I like to make the full amount of chicken and save half of it for tacos and other meals throughout the week.
When reheating leftover quesadillas, popping them onto a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes will ensure they get crispy again. Microwaving will make them a little soggy (but they'll still be tasty!).

Smoked Salmon Roll-ups with Cream Cheese

January 24, 2017 by Ashley 10 Comments

This easy make-ahead 5-ingredient appetizer recipe for smoked salmon tortilla roll-ups with cream cheese and dill is always a party favorite.

Whether you're having a dinner party, birthday party, tea party, game day gathering, baby shower, bridal shower, or graduation party, these bite-sized pinwheels are always quick disappear.

Small cutting board with sliced smoked salmon roll-ups on top.

Smoked salmon tortilla roll-ups and veggie cream cheese roll-ups have been appetizer staples in my house for years. They're perfect little poppable bites that aren't messy to eat.

Being able to prepare this recipe in advance and having it hold up well in the fridge is a huge bonus. Not only are these great for party spreads, but they also work beautifully packed in lunchboxes or picnic baskets.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

"I made them, just added some "caviar" to make them more festive! It was a success! Thanks" -Celia

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Bento-style lunchbox packed with tortilla cream cheese roll-ups, fruit, nuts, crackers, and veggies.

🧡 Why we love this recipe

These beauties only require 5 ingredients.
It doesn't require any actual cooking or use of a stovetop or oven.
You can mix and match the things that you mix into your cream cheese.
They look impressive, but they really don't take a lot of work.
Kids have a lot of fun making tortilla roll-ups, and this is a great recipe for them to help with in the kitchen.

📝 Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make these easy smoked salmon wraps (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):

Light cream cheese or Neufchâtel - you can also use full-fat if you prefer. If you're unfamiliar with Neufchâtel, here's an article that explains it and the difference between that and cream cheese.
Fresh dill - you could also use freeze-dried or dried dill (use less if not using fresh)
Green onions
Burrito-sized flour tortillas
Sliced smoked salmon

A bowl of cream cheese topped with fresh dill and green onions, ready to mix for tortilla roll-ups.

A bowl of cream cheese mixed with fresh dill and green onions, ready to spread on tortilla roll-ups.

Spreading dill and scallion cream cheese on a large tortilla for smoked salmon roll-ups.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

"Can't make enough really they are simply easy and delicious."
-Margaret

✅ How to make this recipe

Mix cream cheese, dill, and green onions together in a medium bowl.
Spread ¼ of the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla.
Top with a single layer of smoked salmon.
Roll the tortilla into a log shape.
Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
Slice each log into discs and serve.

See recipe card below for full instructions.

Smoked salmon in a layer on top of a tortilla covered with cream cheese.

Rolling up a flour tortilla coated with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon.

Flour tortilla with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon rolled up into a log.

📌 Tips and variations

This is an incredibly easy recipe to put together, but a few tips will help ensure that you have success when you make them.

Look for large, 8-inch flour tortillas, usually marked as "burrito" sized. You can make these with smaller tortillas if you can't find the larger ones, but I've found this size is the easiest to work with.
Don't overstuff your tortillas. Go for a nice even layer of cream cheese and a single layer of smoked salmon.
Feel free change up what type(s) of mix-ins go in your cream cheese. Some great additions to this recipe include chopped capers, thinly sliced red onion, and lemon zest.
Divide your cream cheese mixture into fourths in the bowl and use one fourth for each tortilla. You could even change up the flavors in each fourth and have each tortilla get a different cream cheese mixture spread on top.
Leave a little bit of cream cheese around the edges of the tortilla. This acts as a bit of a glue to help seal the tortillas closed.

Three rolled up tortillas wrapped in plastic wrap, labeled veggie, salmon, and ham.

Apply some firm pressure (without smushing) as you roll your tortilla. You want to make sure everything is compressed enough to hold together.
Wrapping the logs in plastic wrap and twisting the ends is helpful for keeping everything together while it chills. If you have a storage container that's the right size, you could lay them down in that, seam side down, while they chill.
If you're making a variety of flavors, it can be helpful to label them as you go so you know which is which.

Tips for cutting

If you're looking to get evenly sized pinwheels, I've found that the best method is to first cut the whole log in half, then cut each of those halves in half, then cut each of those four pieces in half.
I often trim the very end off of both sides of the log. The filling doesn't tend to get all the way to the end, so it's mostly tortilla. It makes a good snack for you to enjoy while you're cutting down the rest of the pieces!
Use a serrated knife when cutting, if possible. Cut in a sawing motion to keep your pinwheels from getting smushed and ruining the spiral design.

Close up of smoked salmon roll-up tortilla bites.

💡 More bite-sized party food ideas

Here are a few more of our favorite make-ahead party bite recipes to serve alongside these smoked salmon roll-ups:

Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon shop page for recommendations!

Spiced Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

January 21, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Two types of dark chocolate make these cookies deliciously rich and chewy.

Looking for a decadent, chocolatey way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Look no further than these double chocolate cookies with a spicy kick!

When I saw this cookie recipe over on Heather's blog, Well Floured, I just knew I needed to make them for my Supper Club's annual cookie swap. And boy, was I glad I did!

I used some high-quality chocolate for these, and it really paid off. I loved the depth of flavor that they had, and the little bit of spice from the cayenne was just fantastic.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Dec 10, 2016 at 2:47pm PST

This was a fun recipe to make with the whole family. We ended up using a #30 scoop to portion out the cookies, and baked them on Silpat-lined baking sheets. I needed to add a bit of baking time to get them just right at that size - it took 16 minutes in my oven.

The results were wonderful! They were rich and chewy - almost brownie-like. They were easy to make, and were a hit with everyone who tried 'em!

Do you have a favorite chocolate cookie recipe? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

1 cup flour
½ cup dark dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne (optional)
1 ½ cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
4 tablespoon butter
½ cup sugar
1/ cup powdered sugar

preheat oven to 325 degrees

line baking sheets with parchment or silpat mats

whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne (if using)

in another bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla

melt chocolate and butter, and whisk into the egg mixture

fold in the flour until completely incorporated

scoop dough (about 2 tablespoon size balls) and roll into balls

roll each ball in the sugar, and then the powdered sugar

place balls on prepared baking sheets, and bake 12 minutes

cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, and them move to rack to complete cooling

Grains of Paradise-Crusted Steaks with Mashed Plantain, Collard Greens & Ginger Peanuts

January 16, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Switch up your meat and potatoes game with this West African-inspired meal.

My family loves a good steak dinner. Even my 5-year-old enjoys a nice piece of medium-rare beef. A lot of times, I like to leave my steak simple - seasoned with salt and pepper, seared for a nice crust on the outside with a beautiful pink inside.

But a while back, one of the recipes in the Blue Apron order that I placed called for grains of paradise as a spice crust for sirloin steak. I hadn't cooked with grains of paradise before, so I decided that this would be the perfect way to try it out without having a big jar of leftover spices.

We really enjoyed the flavor of the grains of paradise - it was mildly peppery with a hint of a citrus. Very interesting, and something I'd like to use in other recipes.

This dish ended up being a huge hit at the dinner table! We really enjoyed this preparation of plantains - it was a nice change of pace from rice or mashed potatoes.

The acidity of the herb sauce added a much needed tanginess to the tender steak, and the ginger-y peanuts made a wonderfully crunchy topping. I found myself mixing the collard greens into the plantains for each bite, topping it with some steak and dunking it into the sauce. It was a really well balanced meal that I'd love to make again.

2 Top Sirloin Steaks
1 Black Plantain
1 Bunch Collard Greens
1 Lime
1 Bunch Parsley
2 Tablespoons Peanuts
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 1-Inch Piece Ginger
1 Teaspoon Grains Of Paradise

See Blue Apron for the full recipe.

Pax Romana's Quinoa Salad with Mixed Vegetable, Goat Cheese & Orange Dressing

January 10, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This is part 2 of a feature on my delicious experience with Chef Cristian Pettita at Pax Romana in White Plains, New York. You can find part 1 here.

No more boring quinoa salad recipes! Fresh orange zest and juice go into the bold, bright vinaigrette for this beautifully plated restaurant recipe.

Quinoa is an ingredient that people tend to feel very strongly about. I happen to enjoy the versatility of quinoa as an ingredient, and like using it as a way to change up our standard grain side dishes.

And it doesn't have to be plain ol' quinoa - it can be dressed up a million ways!

Chef Cristian showed me how he makes this gorgeously elegant quinoa salad recipe in his restaurant kitchen, and I couldn't believe how easy it was to put together! Honestly, prepping the ingredients probably takes the longest, and even that is pretty minimal.

You can chop the veggies while the quinoa cooks and cools. He used white quinoa at the restaurant, but I had a partial bag of red quinoa at home, so I opted for that. I actually really liked the color that it added to the dish.

The fresh orange juice and zest blend together to make a bright, vibrant dressing. Make sure you season it with plenty of salt and pepper to really make the flavors pop.

You can even make this dish ahead of time, reserving a little of the dressing on the side for drizzling, and just garnish it with the greens, cheese, and orange segments when you're ready to serve it.

When he plated it up (oh.so.gorgeously), he added some beautiful micro greens and thin slices of candy cane beet for garnish. I find those at the farmers market sometimes, and would definitely recommend using them to make this dish look even fancier.

I had some baby arugula in the fridge, so I scattered that on top and think it turned out just fine!

The other thing that he used to ensure a beautiful presentation was a ring mold. Use your spoon to really press the salad down in there so it holds its shape before removing it from the plate.

There are tons of options online if you're looking for one (or a whole set). They have many uses in the kitchen - for plating, cookie and biscuit making, and shaping things like eggs and pancakes. He also used some kitchen tweezer/food tongs to really help place everything precisely.

It was a real work of art!

All these plating techniques definitely elevate this dish, but it would be equally delicious in a more free-form, rustic presentation (read: on a plate or in a bowl with garnishes piled up on top).

Any way you make it, this dish comes out beautifully. I made most of it early in the day, then just plated it and added the finishing touches at dinner time. It makes a perfect light lunch or as a starter or side dish to a larger meal.

Pax Romana

January 9, 2017 by Ashley Leave a Comment

UPDATE: This restaurant has recently closed but will hopefully be re-opening in a new location very soon. The information will be updated as it is available.

This installment features a new favorite local Italian restaurant + Q&A with Chef Cristian Petitta, who is bringing the best of each region of his native Italy to Westchester County, New York.

A few months ago, I met up with a few local food Instagrammers for a pasta making class at Pax Romana, a new local Italian restaurant. I have made pasta before, but I thought it would be a fun night and figured it would be well worth the ticket price.

Boy was I right!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 21, 2016 at 8:56am PDT

The class was a blast, and the Chef was so charming, entertaining, and knowledgeable. He prepared several outrageously delicious pasta dishes for us to enjoy while our pasta dough rested, and we got to take what we made home to cook with the next day.

I was anxious to bring my Italian husband and his parents in to have lunch at the restaurant, and to try out some of their non-pasta dishes, too. I was specifically looking forward to trying the Pinsa Romana, which is all the rage in Rome at the moment. And Pax Romana is currently the only place in New York where you can get it!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 12, 2016 at 8:43pm PDT

The meal transported my father-in-law back to his childhood in Calabria, Italy. Everything was beyond delicious, and it was a nice change of pace from the run of the mill Italian-American restaurants that are prevalent in this area.

Plus, I spied the mother lode of Nutella-filled donuts (Bomboloni), which was the perfect way to end our lunch. (We didn't eat these all, but we were definitely tempted!)

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 16, 2016 at 12:40pm PDT

The meal was a big hit with my family, and Pax Romana quickly took the place of our favorite local Italian restaurant.

A few weeks later, I sat down with Chef Cristian Petitta to get the scoop on how his restaurant came to be.

Big Flavors: Did you think there was a risk opening an Italian restaurant in an area with so many Italian-American restaurants?

Chef Cristian: When we decided to open this place, definitely there was a high risk because there was so many Italian restaurants that all wanna do the same thing. So we came with the idea to do something different than everybody has. More friendly. I’m from Rome. The guys here are from Rome. We tried to bring the Roman roots here, but we aren’t necessarily a Roman style restaurant.

Definitely you have a high influence of Roman style food, but we wanted to try to do something different. We wanted to do not Italian-American, because that’s what 99% of the restaurants do.

There are 20 different regions in Italy. I like to get the best products of each region and create something and educate people when they come here on what is the real Italian food that you would eat over there.

When it’s truffle time in Piedmont, I’ll get that one. I had a beautiful fregola sarda from Sardinia the other day, I put it next to the fish. I like to get the best ingredients of every single region - north, south central… I’m Italian so I like it all, and that’s pretty much what nobody does here.

We changed the menu 2 times in the first 8 months, and I’m working on the new menu. We change the menu often. I work with fresh products - I use a lot of local farms, local produce. That’s what makes the difference, you know?

Big Flavors: What kind of reaction have you been getting from people who used to come to the old Italian restaurant that had been here for years?

Chef Cristian: The people who used to eat the same old Italian food probably had difficulty understanding what we do over here because it’s completely different… they had the same menu for 25 years.

From the new generation, they love us because definitely they found something different to look forward. We do a lot of different things, a lot of specials. They love us. They needed something different in this town that nobody had.

Big Flavors: It definitely feels a lot fresher, younger.

Big Flavors: How did you get into cooking?

Chef Cristian: I don’t know <laughs>. I was very little. I remember growing up in a family where my mom, my grandmother used to cook. My grandmother used to do gnocchi every Thursday, fettuccine Sunday, so homemade pasta and sauce. So I always loved to cook.

I did my culinary school in Rome, Italy, and then I traveled a bit. I went to England, the north and south of Italy of course… I think you are born to be a chef.

Big Flavors: What was your first culinary job?

Chef Cristian: I used to go with my teacher from culinary school to do private events on the weekends. I went to school during the week and on weekends he would take me to restaurants, sometimes to private houses, to castles… beautiful places… to do catering. That’s where I started.

And then for my career… I would say the most prestigious place that I worked was the St. Regis in Rome. Then after that, I worked at another 5 star hotel in England, The Baglioni Hotel in London. Then I went back in Italy and worked for one of the most prestigious yacht clubs Porto Cervo in Sardinia, which was beautiful.

Big Flavors: What brought you here?

Chef Cristian: I wanted to learn to improve my English <laughs> and I always had this Big Apple in my head. So when I finished my summer season in Porto Cervo, I came here because I wanted to see this Big Apple. When I came over here, I’m honest with you, I really didn’t like it.

European style and American style is completely different. Completely different. But I hear all these big names, big chefs and Michelin stars and I wanted to see what it was all about.

Big Flavors: How many varieties of fresh pasta do you make, and how much do you make per week?

Chef Cristian: We have 13 different pastas on the menu, plus we have a lasagna at the bar, so it’s 14. Plus every night we have a different pasta special. So I would say 15. For now. I probably go through 75 kilos of flour, which is about 150 pounds of flour.

Big Flavors: What's your favorite type of pasta? Or is that like picking a favorite child?

Chef Cristian: <laughs> Yeah, I like everything.

Big Flavors: What's the last meal you cooked for yourself? Not for work, but just for you.

Chef Cristian: Me, I’m very easy because I always say that I love the 3 Ps, which is pasta, pane, pizza, which is the bread. A triple P. So for me if I see a nice dish of pasta on the table and then I see a ribeye steak, definitely I’m gonna go with the pasta. I know it’s sad to say, but it’s what I like.

Big Flavors: Can you tell me a little bit about the Pinsa Romana and what makes it different from the pizza that most Americans know?

Chef Cristian: Pinsa Romana is a mix of flour - soy flour, rice flour, and wheat flour. There is a bit of dry sourdough inside. The process is very long. There is a 48 hour minimum fermentation in the refrigerator for temperature control. That means that I do my pinsa dough today and serve it at minimum in 2 days.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 16, 2016 at 10:25am PDT

Also this flour is able to get a high percentage of water, so the dough is very hydrated - this flour can absorb 80% water - which gives you less carbohydrates. Which is more like a healthy option <laughs>.

The final product is different. Everybody opens up an Italian restaurant, puts in a beautiful brick oven. Everybody does Neapolitan style pizza.

I wanted to bring something that I'm very proud because I am the only one in New York state, the second in the country to have it.

There is only one guy in San Francisco who does it - of course, from Rome. I wanted to bring something different, original, unique that nobody has. And we finally did. It took us more than 4 months, FDA approved and stuff. But we finally did, so it's great.

Big Flavors: And it's SO good.

Big Flavors: What are 3 ingredients that you always keep on hand in your kitchen at home?

Chef Cristian: Definitely extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and I must have some cheese in the refrigerator. My wife doesn’t like cheese, but a piece of Parmesan cheese has to be there.

Big Flavors: Tell me about the cooking classes - I know you do Monday night pasta classes, but do you have other classes that you're offering?

Chef Cristian: I used to teach at Sur la Table in Ridge Hill, but the thing is that over here I can’t have the sink. So basically I wanted to have a pasta making class, but make it different.

You can come here and make a few types of pasta, I’m gonna cook a few pasta dishes in front of you, I’m gonna give you the recipe and put a nice presentation and give it to you.

Something that even if I don’t have a kitchen over here, it’s still hands-on with food and you’re still gonna do stuff yourself.

Big Flavors: So it's not just a demo.

Chef Cristian: No definitely. You make your own pasta.

Thanks again to Chef Cristian and his team for their hospitality and for letting my readers get a peek at into their delicious culinary creations.

You can find all things Pax Romana on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Pax Romana is ~~located at 189 E. Post Road in White Plains, New York~~ reopening soon at a new location.

Get the recipe for Chef Cristian's Quinoa Salad with Mixed Vegetable, Goat Cheese and Orange Dressing and see how it turned out when I made it in my tiny kitchen by heading to this post!

Brunch Week Recipe Roundup

January 6, 2017 by Ashley 1 Comment

Brunch Week Recipe Roundup: Celebrate the best meal of the day with some of our favorite brunch food & cocktail recipes!

I hope you've been enjoying all of the breakfast and brunch recipes I've been sharing this week. And since the weekend is almost here, I figured a roundup of some of our best brunch dishes would be the perfect way to kick things off.

Brie Waffle Bites - Bring your brunch game to the next level with these easy yet elegant bites.
Carrot Apple Ginger Refresher - Fresh parsley and ginger liven up this refreshing 4 ingredient juice.
Caramelized Banana Breakfast Porridge - Coconut sugar turns into an ooey gooey topping for these creamy, vanilla-scented bowls of comfort food.
Turkey-Scotch Eggs - A panko-crusted homemade sausage mix makes the perfect crispy coating for this beautifully decadent English egg recipe.
Wobble Café's Pain Perdu - This stuffed French toast can be filled with your favorite flavors - the sky (and your imagination) is the limit!
Zoodle Frittata - A drizzle of aged balsamic, grated Parmesan, garden fresh tomatoes and basil adorn this deliciously elegant yet simple breakfast dish.
DM Bloody Mary - Chile-Infused Vodka makes this brunch cocktail a nice, spicy way to start your day.
April Bloomfield's English Porridge - A 50/50 mix of rolled and steel-cut oats makes this a rich and creamy bowl of comfort food, perfect for cold winter mornings!
Baked Apple Spice Donuts with Maple Frosting + Pumpkin Granola - Crunchy granola is the perfect topping for these apple and Greek yogurt infused baked donuts!
Ham-and-Cheese Muffins - An easy, delicious breakfast treat that your kids can help make!
Breakfast Enchiladas - Add some Mexican flair to your breakfast table with these egg-filled beauties!

What are your favorite brunch foods? Drinks? I'm always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy breakfast at any time of day.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

January 3, 2017 by Ashley 2 Comments

A bit of nighttime prep helps make this breakfast classic nice and fluffy the next morning.

It's day 2 of Brunch Week (AKA Hangover Week) here on Big Flavors, and what could be more perfect for brunch than a new waffle recipe?

It's no secret that my family loves waffles. In fact, we recently had to replace our vintage waffle maker with a new one because it finally went kaput. We made a bold decision going from a circular, Belgian-style waffle maker to one that makes squares, and so far we're loving it.

My husband is generally the designated weekend breakfast maker in our house, and waffles are one of his favorite things to make. My son really enjoys helping him make them, too. I'm mostly into picking out and prepping fun toppings and eating the (delicious) results.

We've been wanting to try out yeasted waffles for a while now, so we tried out this recipe from The Kitchn. We had some friends coming over from out of town, so we put the batter together the night before they were due to arrive.

It's always fun checking out doughs and batters that contain yeast after they had time to rise. We made a double batch for this recipe, so we had to split it up into 2 bowls to avoid waking up to overflowing bowls of yeasty dough all over the kitchen.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 24, 2016 at 7:47am PDT

My husband always makes his waffles look extra pretty when serving them up by dusting them with powdered sugar before bringing them to the table.

We always serve 'em up with butter, plenty of pure maple syrup, fresh fruit, and the occasional medley of spreads (like cookie butter or Nutella) or a handful of chocolate chips.

It's all about options, people!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 24, 2016 at 9:05am PDT

This time around, we cooked up some Applegate breakfast sausage (though I'm also partial to waffles with their Uncured Sunday Bacon alongside).

These waffles were good, but took a bit too much work and waiting to beat out our other go-to waffle recipes.

I'm glad we tried them, though, and will definitely try more yeasted waffles in the future.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on May 21, 2016 at 3:21pm PDT

Looking for something to do with leftover waffles? They freeze beautifully and reheat well in the toaster or oven. We usually make a double batch just so we can stock the freezer for those mornings when we want homemade waffles without making a mess in the kitchen.

Another great way to serve waffles is to make these Brie Waffle Bites. Guaranteed to be a hit at any party!

What are your favorite waffle toppings? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

Night Before:

½ cup warm water
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
½ cup melted butter
2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour

The Next Day:

2 large eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda

See The Kitchn for the full recipe.

Turkey Scotch Eggs

January 1, 2017 by Ashley 10 Comments

A panko-crusted homemade sausage mix makes the perfect crispy coating for this beautifully decadent English egg recipe.

This post may contain affiliate links.

It's a new year, so let's kick it off in style with brunch!

What was your libation of choice on New Year's Eve? I'm always partial to Prosecco or a killer cocktail. And for all the people who may have... overindulged last night, this post is for you.

I'm officially dubbing the first week of the year "Hangover Week" - and what better cure for what ails you than some runny egg yolks and deep fried meat?

Turkey-Scotch Eggs: A panko-crusted homemade sausage mix makes the perfect crispy coating for this beautifully decadent English egg recipe.

Our Supper Club has a different theme every month, but there are a few that we repeat every year. Brunch is one of them. We usually meet up wearing pajamas and eat a ridiculously decadent 6 course meal jam-packed with breakfast foods, coffee, and cocktails.

One of the things that we've wanted to try making from scratch for a long time now is Scotch Eggs. Traditionally, recipes call for sausage meat to coat the boiled eggs, and we decided to take this opportunity to season up ground meat ourselves.

One of the members of our group doesn't eat beef or pork, so we went with ground turkey here. I'm sure pork would be delicious, or a blend of meats. The turkey worked out beautifully, and everyone was able to enjoy it!

Once your sausage mixture is ready, use your hands to score it into 8 roughly equal-sized portions. Get your breading station ready with a bowl of flour, another of beaten eggs, and one of panko bread crumbs.

Having all of this set up will make assembly much easier.

I had some whole wheat panko to use up, so I used that for some of the Scotch Eggs, and regular panko for the rest. I didn't really notice a difference in the taste or look of the finished product, so either would be a fine choice here.

We assembled these at home and refrigerated them until we went to our brunch party.

Once we got there, we let the container of Scotch eggs sit on the counter while we heated the oil to deep fry them.

I recommend doing a test egg first to make sure you cook the meat fully without overcooking the coating. If you keep the oil around 350° F, you should be golden.

Pun very much intended.

We were absolutely thrilled with how our Scotch eggs turned out! The seasoning mix was really flavorful, and I really liked the combination of fresh and dried herbs.

Another thing that made these feel more authentic was the use of English mustard. It has a nice, spicy flavor that we really enjoy. We've been using int in lots of recipes and on sandwiches ever since we picked it up for this recipe.

If you're looking for tips on different methods for making Scotch Eggs, as well as some background on the origins of how they came to be, check out this article. There's lots of great info over there, and it's the starting point I used when coming up with this recipe.

We also brought these Brie Waffle Bites to the brunch party. They were a perfect starter, and went great with the bevy of mimosas that we enjoyed that day.

I'm not gonna lie - this recipe takes some work to put together, but it's a super impressive brunch offering. And leftovers reheat well, which is always a plus.

What are your favorite brunch items? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below.

Cheers to another delicious year!

Looking for more of our favorite egg recipes? Check out these 5-star recipes:

New Year's Eve Appetizer Roundup

December 28, 2016 by Ashley 1 Comment

Ring in the New Year with our favorite party food starter recipes from the past year!

Looking for small bites to serve at your New Year's Eve gathering? Here are our newest, savory faves. Guaranteed to be elegant, memorable ways to get your party started!

Cheesy Potato Skins with Smoky-BBQ Shredded Beets - Bite-sized potatoes are stuffed with cheddar cheese and baked till crispy, then topped with a vibrant array of toppings in this healthier spin on a party classic.
Garlicky Tomato, Ri(goat)ta Cheese, Thyme, Honey + Aged Balsamic Toast - A colorful, sweet-yet-savory addition to any meal that's also perfect on its own as a light lunch.
Mercimek Koftesi (Lentil Balls) - Turkish red pepper paste adds deep, rich flavor to these hearty vegan bites!
French Cheese + Caramelized Onion Crostini Trio - Dress one baguette up 3 different ways with this simple, elegant starter that showcases 3 of my favorite French cheeses.
Bluecoast's Raw Tuna with Pickled Peach & Corn Relish - Freshly popped popcorn is a fun, slightly crunchy topping for this silky smooth seafood starter.
French-Inspired Deviled Eggs - These mayo-free beauties get a big boost of flavor from fresh tarragon, cornichons and dijon.
Grilled Niçoise Salad Flatbreads - Fire up the grill and take this classic French salad to the next level! No grill? No problem! A quick trip under the broiler will also yield delicious results.
Chimichurri Shrimp - Because food on a stick is always perfect party food!

And while we're at it, let's not forget to bring our cocktail A-game to the party!

We'll be spending the evening with some good friends, and I've been asked to bring dessert. I'm still figuring out exactly what I'm going to make, but you better believe I'm also going to be bringing a platter of Pickle Treats, too!

What's on your NYE menu? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Banana Superseed Scones with Banana-Orange Curd

December 23, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This post was created as part of my ongoing partnership with Barlean's. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Coconut sugar and fresh citrus combine to make a luxuriously rich topping for these super tender scones. Quick, simple, and perfect for holiday baking!

I love a good scone recipe. So when I found myself with a bunch of overripe bananas, I decided to forego my usual banana bread and banana muffin recipes, and resisted the urge to pop them in the freezer to make Banana "Ice Cream".

I had freshly baked scones on the brain, so I decided to mash up one of the bananas to use in the dough, and 2 more for the curd topping.

Now, if I had used standard granulated sugar, this curd would have been more... banana colored. However, I've been on a big coconut sugar kick recently, and have been working on using it in more and more recipes these days.

I love that it has a lower glycemic index than granulated sugar, and it's a great addition to so many different dishes. The rich flavor and color are similar to brown sugar, and it ended up giving the curd an almost caramelized flavor. It totally reminded me of bananas foster!

Note to self: develop a bananas foster curd recipe soon!

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Dec 15, 2016 at 5:45pm PST

Instead of using butter in this recipe, I used Barlean's Butter Flavored Coconut Oil. I refrigerated it for the scones, since I usually use chilled butter in that type of baking, and it worked out beautifully!

And it smells amaaaaaazing!

I measured out ¼ cup of the oil and just set the whole measuring cup on a shelf in the fridge for a few hours until I was ready to bake.

Getting it out of the measuring cup was a little tricky, but I still managed to get it cut into the flour mixture without too much fuss.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Dec 15, 2016 at 6:10pm PST

I used a 3-inch biscuit cutter to shape my scones, and gently smushed the rest of the dough together to form a few scones out of all of the scraps. You could also cut the circle of dough into wedges if you prefer triangular-shaped scones.

As a finishing touch before popping these beauties into the oven, I brushed them with a little milk and sprinkled them with some Flax, Chia & Coconut Seed Blend. I loved the little bit of texture it added to the finished scones, and that extra embellishment really made them look that much more special.

I've been putting that blend on my parfaits and cottage cheese several mornings a week for months now - I love it! It's high in Omega-3 (ALA) with dietary fiber, minerals, amino acids and plant-based protein. A little sprinkle here and there is a very good thing.

These scones are quick to put together, bake up beautifully, and would be the perfect way to start (or end) the day. Breakfast or dessert (or even breakfast and dessert... I'm not judging!).

I recommend eating them warm, fresh from the oven. If you're having them leftover, pop them in a preheated oven (350°F will do the trick) for a few minutes to warm them up and make sure they didn't get soggy from being all closed up.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. What kind of baking is going on in your kitchen? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Family-Style Chicken Spaghetti

December 21, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Transform rotisserie chicken into a quick, satisfying weeknight meal in just 10 minutes!

I saw this easy pasta recipe in the July issue of Cooking Light and knew it would be perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight.

I haven't used a whole lot of store-bought rotisserie chicken in the past, but I'm beginning to really appreciate it for days when I'm busy but still want to eat something (mostly) homemade.

This recipe uses a method similar to what I do with my Balsamic Roasted Grape Tomatoes Over Angel Hair, only instead of roasting the tomatoes, they take an even quicker trip underneath the broiler.

The sauce is then blended to get a quicker version of a fresh tomato sauce. The fresh basil really livens this dish up, and my family really enjoyed the addition of shredded chicken.

My family absolutely adores roast chicken. In fact, hopefully one day soon, I'll roast 2 chickens when we just need one, then shred and freeze one of them to make meals like this possible without having to buy a rotisserie chicken.

But this is a perfectly simple, doable recipe that was a big hit at our dinner table.

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 pt. cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, cut into 1-in. wedges
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

See MyRecipes for the full recipe.

Looking for more pasta dishes? Or maybe chicken recipes? How about both?

What are your favorite quick & easy meals? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!

Julia Child's Wine Poached Sea Scallops Poached with Fines Herbes

December 18, 2016 by Ashley 4 Comments

A quick-and-easy, elegant seafood course that's sure to impress!

My Supper Club often chooses specific chefs for theme nights, and our most recent one was Julia Child. So each of us had to choose a recipe from Julia Child to prepare for a massive, six course French-inspired dinner party.

And it.was.awesome!

Growing up, I watched a lot of Julia Child's cooking shows. My favorite was Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home. It was captivating to watch her in the kitchen, though I didn't end up cooking any of her recipes on my own until a few years ago.

So when this theme came around, I set off for the library to pick up a stack of her cookbooks.

I really enjoy cooking with scallops. They're so elegant - they always make a meal feel special.

One of the recipes from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom called for a poached preparation. Scallops without that nice golden crust?! It looked super simple, and it was unlike anything I had ever tried before. I knew I needed to try it out.

In the book, this recipe has a few options for variations. Both sounded awesome (Fines Herbes or Provençal - with Tomatoes), and I went for the first option, which seemed less labor intensive.

I used a mix of fresh herbs here, and it really livened up the flavor of this seafood dish. Her recipe said that the cream was "optional", but I meannnnnn...

This dish was a big hit with our Supper Club! It was such an interesting, light preparation for scallops. You could really taste their inherent sweetness, and the vermouth added that French flair. They were cooked beautifully, and the texture was beyond silky smooth.

I could see this being beautiful as an appetizer, too, served as individual scallops on those large, flat-bottomed spoons. This is making me want to have another French-inspired dinner party!

I rewrote the recipe and directions a bit, because while I love the conversational tone of Julia's recipe writing, it isn't how my brain works in the kitchen. I hope you give this scallop dish a try - it really is tasty!

Ravioli Lasagna

December 14, 2016 by Ashley 11 Comments

Thanks to Hoboken Farms for sending over an assortment of pasta sauces for me to try out! As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

An Italian classic in a fraction of the time! Refrigerated pasta + your favorite marinara team up for an easy weeknight meal.

$Ravioli Lasagna: An Italian classic in a fraction of the time! Refrigerated pasta + your favorite marinara team up for an easy weeknight meal.$

My father-in-law is from Italy, and he makes some seriously amazing lasagna, among other things. I'm working on setting up a date with him to make it together, and write up his recipe.

He spends hooooours working on his lasagna, and it's reserved for special occasions.

But what if you want lasagna on a weeknight without so much fuss?

Allow me to present my Ravioli Lasagna.

Ain't she pretty?

$Ravioli Lasagna: An Italian classic in a fraction of the time! Refrigerated pasta + your favorite marinara team up for an easy weeknight meal.$

I had a few packages of refrigerated cheese ravioli that I wanted to use, along with a few packs of sliced fresh mozzarella. I didn't even realize it was sliced when I bought it, but it ended up saving me even more time!

I knew that an easy, lasagna-type meal could be mine with minimal effort, but I needed the perfect sauce to go with it.

Now, my Italian husband would argue that any jarred pasta sauce has to have things added to it. He always needs to amp sauces up before serving them.

I've tried sneaking one over on him with a sauce straight from the jar before, but he always knows.

Enter Hoboken Farms.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Nov 19, 2016 at 4:09pm PST

Let me tell you - I'm seriously impressed with their sauces! The Big Boss Vodka Sauce was a total life saver on Halloween when we needed a quick & simple meal. And the color, along with some black bean pasta made it feel extra festive.

I heated it straight from the jar and it was phenomenal. It tasted just as good as the homemade stuff that the Italian side of our family makes.

Same with the Big Red Marinara Sauce that I used for this recipe. You can taste the real tomatoes that have been simmered to make it. It's really well balanced, and worked perfectly in this lasagna.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Nov 19, 2016 at 4:34pm PST

I chose to make it a meat sauce lasagna with ground beef, but you could easily substitute ground turkey, or even leave the meat out completely (which would make this come together even more quickly).

You don't need to pre-cook the ravioli— just pop them out of the refrigerated package into the casserole dish.

A few layers of sauce, ravioli and cheese and you're good to go! You could use frozen ravioli, too, but you may need to add a few minutes of baking time to make sure they're cooked through.

$Ravioli Lasagna: An Italian classic in a fraction of the time! Refrigerated pasta + your favorite marinara team up for an easy weeknight meal.$

I like to set my casserole pan on a baking sheet juuuuust in case any bubbles over in the oven. You don't want sauce or cheese dripping down and burning in there. Trust me.

I served this with My Favorite Garlic Bread and it was a big hit all around. Italian husband approved!

Big time.

Big Flavors 2016 Holiday Gift Guide Part 2

December 10, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Wow your friends & family with these tasty edible (and drinkable!) holiday gifts. You can find part 1 here.

This year's gift guide is extra special to me, as I'm including several small batch, artisan products that have really wowed me over the past year.

There are lots of tempting items included - everything from stocking stuffers to new kitchen appliances. And they're all guaranteed to bring more deliciousness into your life!

7. When I saw the homemade, hand-decorated gingerbread cookies from Baked by Kristen Z at a local farmers market, I.Was.Floored. Her cookies are ridiculously adorable, and the designs are executed flawlessly. And they're delicious, to boot! A batch of holiday-themed cookies would be absolutely perfect tucked into stockings or nestled among the branches of any Christmas tree.

And if you're ever in the market for custom cookies, she makes (and ships!) ANY cookie for ANY occasion. I loved the assorted fall/Thanksgiving ones that I got to try. How cute are this pumpkin pie cookie, these winter woodland creatures, and these snowmen?! I've totally been ~~stalking~~ following her creations online ever since. You can order her gorgeous cookies online, and you can also find her at the Hudson Valley Hospital's Holiday Farmers' Market on Tuesday, December 20th from 11am-5pm. If you're in the area, stop by, say hi, and scoop up some of the cutest cookies you'll ever see! Bonus fun fact: she recently got engaged to the farmer who runs my local farm. Talk about a power couple!

8. Give the gift of gluten! Speaking of artisan goods baked right here in the Hudson Valley, I'm obsessed with Journeyman, a community supported bakery (CSB) located in Peekskill, New York. All bread is baked by Westchester resident Michael Sellers, who is focused on preserving the ancient tradition of bread baking while exploring the role that bread plays in sustaining a community.

I picked up this semolina, fennel & apricot bread from the farmers' market a few weeks ago and have been dreaming of it ever since. You can really taste the love that goes into his breads, and each variety I've tried has been so beautifully balanced. His online store has both individual products and bread subscriptions. How perfect would it be to get such a quality bread delivered right to your door every single (or every other) week? Pure. Carb. Heaven.

9. I've used my share of tea infusers, but this Magnetic Hourglass Tea Timer and Infuser from UncommonGoods is by far the best one I've tried. I love that it's easy to open and close, has a wide opening for loose teas, and comes with a base to catch any drips. The little hourglass on top has a magnet on each side that you can flip over to start a new timer - no need to worry about over-steeping your teas ever again!

And I know I've mentioned them before, but I really do enjoy the wide variety of premium loose teas from Teavivre. They have so many varieties, and they all come with a brew guide for proper steeping. I had the Taiwan Jin Xuan Milk Oolong Tea last night (that's the one pictured above) and it totally hit the spot.

10. Get your stretchy pants ready for an adventure with Belgian Boys! The self-proclaimed Troublemakers of Taste make some of my favorite, deviantly delicious, Belgian desserts. When I first saw their De Leige Wafels in the store, I was ridiculously excited. My father-in-law grew up in Belgium and had been talking about the waffles from the city of Liège for yeeeears, and how much he had been missing them. So I scooped up some of them and totally made his (and my!) day.

They have a huge line of treats (spoiler alert: they're all addictive!) that would make perfect stocking stuffers. Or, you know, snacks for while you're writing up a holiday gift guide.

Ahem.

11. Give your happy hour the ultimate upgrade with Bloody Mary mixers from Back Pocket Provisions. This is my good friend Jen's company, and I have to say, she's a bloody genius! Her small batch mixers are made with fresh tomatoes grown locally on farms in Virginia. The ingredients are carefully selected, and each batch contains the perfect blend of ingredients to give you the best Bloody Mary you've ever tasted. You can taste the freshness, and it's absolutely incredible.

Last year, I set up a Bloody Mary bar with Bloody Brilliant (her take on the classic) and Bloody Bangkok (a Thai-inspired spin that packs a spicy punch). Both varieties rocked our worlds, so I was thrilled to get to try out the Bloody Baja earlier this week. It's infused with smoked paprika, local green chilies and Certified Organic, non-GMO sweet corn. Holy moly. I made the Este Guey recipe that was on the jar (helloooo, tequila!) and garnished it with blue cheese-stuffed olives and hearts of palm, along with the recommended cilantro-rimmed glass. It. Was. Everything. I can't pick a favorite, and I'm so glad I don't have to!

And if you're looking to upgrade your bar game even further, consider getting reusable straws! I've been loving these stainless steel ones that I picked up from Zicome on Amazon a while back. No need to waste disposable straws, and they even come with their own little cleaning brush!

12. Guys. GUYS. I've been all about my Instant Pot since I got it for my birthday back in July. I've talked it up to anyone and everyone who asks about it (and even to some who don't!). I haven't gotten all of the recipes I've made in it written up yet, but I have tons in the works! It has been a total game changer in my kitchen.

It's basically a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker (and so much more) all in one. And the price is great - you get a lot of bang for your buck! What I love most about it is that I can sear or sauté food right in the insert, then add liquid and any other ingredients to it, seal it, and let it slow cook or pressure cook all in the same vessel. No need to dirty up a million pots and pans or spend oodles of time cooking. It has saved me on numerous weeknights. And I'm all about pressure cooking eggs for batches of hard or soft boiled eggs in minutes. Easy peasy!

13. Do you really need an excuse to give the gift of spreadable bacon? I love the goodies from The Bacon Jams. It's like having deliciously smoky bacon ready to eat 24/7 without having to fry (or bake!) it up. This stuff can be used in so many different ways. My family absolutely adored the Cheesy Bacon + Apple Croissants I made a while back, and it's wonderful spread on toast underneath a runny egg, too. Yum!

They have other bacon-y goodness on their site, too, including an Emergency Bacon Kit that would make a really cute gift for the bacon lover in your life. Their Taste of Philly crate looks fun as well - it's stocked with some of PA's finest gourmet foods.

14. And last but certainly not least, let's talk pickles. I've been shopping at the Pickle Licious stand at the local farmers market for yeeeeears now. If you've seen photos of my kiddo with a pickle on a stick (just $1!) at the market on my Instagram account, I can guarantee you it was at Pickle Licious (and likely one of their New Pickles, our personal favorite variety). In fact, while I was pregnant, I ended up buying several giant containers of different types of their pickles and had to laugh at myself while I was making room for them all in my refrigerator. Of course, that's something I tend to do anyway, it was just extra funny with a big ol' pregnant belly.

Anyhow, Pickle Licious is a New Jersey based company that serves a pretty large area in New York as well. They have an online store now, too, but when I found out that they had a Pickle & Olive of the Month Subscription, I literally squealed with glee. The quality of their pickles and olives are top notch, and this is a really fun and unique gift idea that is sure to be a hit.

Big Flavors 2016 Holiday Gift Guide Part 1

December 9, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Edible (and drinkable!) gifts are a fun, festive way to celebrate the holidays. Check out my top picks!

This year's gift guide is extra special to me, as I'm including several small batch, artisan products that have really wowed me over the past year.

There are lots of tempting items included - everything from stocking stuffers to new kitchen appliances. And they're all guaranteed to bring more deliciousness into your life!

1. Give the gift of artisan chocolate! When I met Eliza & Erlé from Farmhouse Chocolates + Ice Cream at the Stowe Farmers' Market this past summer, I fell in love. Not only are all of their chocolates decadently delicious, they're also made with organic, fair trade, soy-lecithin free chocolate. They use local Vermont milk and cream, local eggs, seasonal produce, and various fresh fruits, herbs, and spices.

Everything is done by hand, packaged beautifully, and completely addictive. Dark chocolate truffles are available in flavor combinations such as cacao nib + sea salt, espresso bean, Vermont maple, and rosemary-grapefruit. Dark chocolate bars have a variety of add-in options like lavender, toasted hazelnuts, and almonds. And their chocolate covered salted caramels are nothing short of magical. Pinky swear.

2. Speaking of sweet-and-salty, the Cara-Sel Salted Caramel Sauce from The Ardent Homesteader is outrageously tasty. I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin at a local farm festival at Hilltop Hanover Farm on what had to have been the hottest day I've ever spent outside. Luckily, she had samples of her Cara-Sel, along with pretzels for dipping (swoon) and these fantastic bittersweet chocolate salted caramel bars that I may or may not have totally inhaled. And she totally beat me to this genius idea of cooling off with another vendor's espresso chip ice cream with a hearty drizzle of Cara-Sel on top.

Cara-Sel is handmade with just 5 ingredients: organic sugar, cream, Cabot butter, sea salt, and vanilla. No artificial anything. Ever. If you're in the Hudson Valley, you can find a list of shops that carry it here. Otherwise, they now have online ordering!

3. Caffeinate your loved ones! I've been a fan of Irving Farm Coffee Roasters for quite some time now. I love that they have so many varieties - you can search their catalog by region, single origin, or blend. The beans are roasted right here in the Hudson Valley, and lots of local restaurants and coffee shops brew Irving Farms coffee. I just picked up a bag of their Rainforest Foundation Project Blend from the new coffee shop in my hometown. This blend was created in tribute to their partnership with the Rainforest Foundation, is Certified USDA Organic, and $1 from each bag sold gets donated directly to the foundation.

Now I've never had a coffee subscription before, but it would be a perfect gift for a gal like me. As someone who grinds her own coffee beans (with this burr grinder) every morning, and often again in the afternoon, I really appreciate quality beans. They have options for monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly deliveries, and you can choose blends or single origin for each type of delivery.

4. Why spend lots of money on specialty flours, especially for people who are on gluten-free diets? Buy grains and legumes whole, and mill them yourself with the Mockmill stand mixer attachment. I've talked about my Mockmill before, and it really is a sleek, unique addition to my kitchen arsenal. The nutritional benefits of freshly milled flours are incredible, and items made with it have a much deeper flavor. It's easy to use and simple to clean. I also highly recommend The Homemade Flour Cookbook as an accompaniment and great starting point for getting acquainted with fresh flour.

5. I've teamed up with my buddy Tina (AKA Cheftini), the Food Bank for Westchester, and several other local Westchester businesses and food enthusiasts on Home Cooking for the Holidays, a collaborative recipe e-cookbook devoted to feeding families in need. The cost is only $5 per download, and every $25 donated provides a holiday meal for a family in need. Our goal is to provide meals to 1000 local families this holiday season.

In addition, Cheftini is doing a cooking demonstration to launch the e-cookbook this Saturday, December 10th at 11am at ATHLETA Scarsdale (Vernon Hills Shopping Center - 700 Post Rd. Scarsdale, NY). She'll also be streaming it to Facebook LIVE. I also heard that anyone who attends the event and buys the book gets 20% off one item at ATHLETA. Pretty sweet!

6. Represent your city during happy hour! I am so so in love with these City Maps Glasses from UncommonGoods. My husband and I have been mixing up a storm, representing New York City (hollaaaaaa), Chicago (I miss you!), and New Orleans (just visited there for the first time and am dying to go back!).

There are lots more options, including Detroit, Seattle, Boston, Dallas, and Cleveland. Each glass is etched with the city's distinct grid, which makes cocktail time more educational, don't you think?

Stay tuned for the part 2 of my gift guide - there was just too much awesomeness for 1 post!

Pay it Forward This Holiday Season

December 7, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This post was created as part of my ongoing partnership with Stonyfield. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

2016 was a rough year for a lot of people, and I think it's about time we focus on the positive. Smile more. Shine some light on that darkness. Give to people in need. Donate to causes near and dear to your heart.

One of the things that has made a big, positive impact on me and my family this year has been the opening of Fable: From Farm to Table, a local farm right here in my hometown of Ossining, New York.

I've talked about Fable before - it's a year-round farm that's situated on one of the nation’s oldest historic farm properties. They offer a farm stand 2 days a week, as well as CSA shares.

Their produce is really exceptional, and the farmers are incredibly knowledgeable and eager to share information on the different varieties that they offer.

And the chickens living on the farm are some of the happiest I've ever seen (and their eggs are delicious, too!).

When Stonyfield pitched in to help me "Pay it Forward" this holiday season, I knew right where I wanted my donation to go.

Fable is in the last few days of a Barnraiser campaign to grow their farm.

They're looking to make healthy sustainable farming the norm by pioneering the next generation of responsibly grown food and humanely raised chickens.

And I couldn't be more excited to help get the word out!

The money that is raised in the Barnraiser campaign is going toward some very significant improvements on the farm, such as:

• Drip tape irrigation and fencing to expand their fields
• Hydroponic greenhouse maintenance and operation
• Bee hives, equipment, wildlife protection, and structural materials
• Chickens, feed, hawk netting, and free-range pasture expansion
• Cold storage, hot water heater, and electrical upgrades

This can all be done if they meet their goal of $15,000 by this Friday, December 9th.

If they reach their stretch goal and receive another $5,000 on top of that, they plan to purchase solar panels to have truly clean and renewable electrical power on the farm.

I am all about this plan!

I also love that this farm is doing big things in small spaces by practicing hydroponic vertical farming, among other things. You know I can appreciate maximizing a tiny space!

I hope you'll consider donating to Fable. And if this inspires you to reach out to help local farms in your own hometown, that's pretty awesome, too.

It feels good to know your farmer!

How are you planning to Pay it Forward this holiday season? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Icing

November 29, 2016 by Ashley 3 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield, King Arthur Flour, Dreamfarm & Silpat. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Two types and sizes of chocolate chips make these tender cookies doubly delicious!

My son turned 5 last week (!!), and I got to go into his Pre-K class to read one of his favorite books (The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems). I also got to bring a treat, so I asked what he wanted.

"Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla frosting."

Since I'm perpetually experimenting with yogurt in the kitchen, I decided to put some Stonyfield Smooth & Creamy Whole Milk Plain Yogurt in both the cookie dough and the icing.

I usually use milk to thin out icing, but since I wanted to use it to write, I thought yogurt would add a nice richness. It totally did!

King Arthur Flour has been a pantry staple in my tiny kitchen for years now. It's the most trusted brand by the resident bread maker in our Supper Club, and he has done yeeeeears of reserach. I used their 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour in these cookies. I love that it's unbleached, never bromated, and consistently high-quality.

I've also been experimenting with coconut sugar lately, substituting it for brown sugar, with great results. It added a really rich, deep flavor and chewy texture to these cookies.

Another baking obsession of mine are these Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips. I buy them in bulk from the wholesale club - that's how much I love 'em! They're larger than standard chocolate chips and stay kind of melty inside the cookies, even after they've cooled off.

I also had a partial bag of mini semisweet chips to use up, so I figured 2 chocolates would be better than 1.

It obviously was - it worked out beautifully!

I used a #30 scoop, which is just over 2 tablespoons, to portion out these cookies and got 33 cookies out of this recipe. I may have also ~~snacked on~~ sampled a bit of the dough, too, so you may get more than that.

Anyway, another thing that made these cookies fun to make was the use of Levoons from Dreamfarm. They're measuring spoons that you squeeze to level the for accurate measurements. (Be sure to check out the end of this post to win a set for yourself!)

My son has been having a BLAST with them - he used them to make a pumpkin pie (almost totally by himself!) for a Friendsgiving celebration early last week.

Actually, it was the same day as his cookie party at school. We've been having a lot of delicious desserts over here lately.

Ahem.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Nov 21, 2016 at 3:05pm PST

I can't remember the last time I baked cookies without using a Silpat non-stick silicone baking mat on my baking sheets. It helps prevent the cookies from sticking, and provides really consistent browning.

I let these cookies cool for a minute or 2 on the baking sheet before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

You want to make sure they're totally cool before decorating them to ensure that your icing doesn't melt all over the place.

These cookies are fantastic without the icing as well, but when the birthday boy requests a special dessert, I'm happy to oblige.

Want to win a set of Levoons for your own kitchen? To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me your favorite type of cookie. The contest will close on Friday, December 9, 2016 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen via random.org and will be contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

Pork Chops and Couscous with Tomato-Caper Sauce

November 28, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This quick, colorful meal is perfect for busy weeknights when you want a homemade meal without a lot of effort.

This recipe from the September issue of Cooking Light magazine. I'm a big fan of capers, and I loved that it promised to be a quick & easy meal.

I bought a 6 pack of thin-cut pork chops, and it was the perfect amount for 3 adults (2 of those thin chops for each of us).

The couscous had a surprising depth of flavor for so few ingredients. Toasting the turmeric really brought it to life, and using stock instead of water made it extra rich.

This is definitely a recipe that should be in your arsenal. It's simple yet elegant enough for dinner guests. Absolutely delicious!

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ¾ cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
1 cup uncooked whole-wheat Israeli couscous
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 (4-oz.) boneless, center-cut pork chops
¼ cup sliced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 thyme sprigs
¾ cup chopped ripe tomatoes
¼ cup dry white wine
2 ½ tablespoons drained capers

See MyRecipes for the full recipe.

Red Lentil Fusilli with Bacon, Butternut Squash, and Spinach

November 27, 2016 by Ashley 5 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Pasta Lensi. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Vibrant pasta made from red lentils brings a boost of protein and fiber to this scrumptious, salty-sweet bowl of comfort food.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 28, 2016 at 7:20pm PDT

A few months ago, I went to a rooftop pasta party in NYC to celebrate the launch of a line of single ingredient pastas from Pasta Lensi.

I was really intrigued by the idea - dried legumes that are ground and mixed with water to form lower carb, higher protein and fiber versions of some of my favorite pasta shapes.

Plus, it was a rooftop.pasta.party. How could I refuse?

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 29, 2016 at 6:55am PDT

There are currently 4 varieties: Chickpea Casarecce, Red Lentil Fusilli, Black Bean Sedani, and Yellow Lentil Penne Rigate. Since these pastas are made from an ingredient that has more flavor than standard pasta, you can treat it as an ingredient instead of a blank canvas.

At the dinner party, we were served 4 courses - 1 dish made with each variety of legume pasta, created by the charming Chef Walter.

I was excited to find that each of the pastas had a nice texture, and really played off of the other ingredients of the dish well.

This line of pastas is good news for people who have gluten sensitivities, those looking to cut carb intake, and vegans. And bonus points for it being Non-GMO Project Verified.

I decided to recreate one of Chef Walter's dishes at home, and it did not disappoint! The red lentil pasta is nice and colorful, and worked beautifully with the flavors of the squash and spinach.

Of course, a little bacon grease never hurt anyone either.

This dish was pretty easy to put together, but I did tweak it a bit from the recipe I was given.

The original recipe calls for the garlic, sage, and spinach to be stirred in at the end. I put the garlic and sage in the pan to sauté a bit with the squash, then wilted the spinach down in the same pan before adding the pasta and liquid to the pan. It brought the flavors through more in the final dish, and my Italian husband absolutely loved it!

This dish is perfect for autumn, and it's one I'll definitely make again and again. I think some crispy sage leaves would be a fun garnish, too. And I love that I can eat a big bowl of it and not feel like I ate a giant bowl of carbs.

Pasta Lensi Legume Pastas are currently available nationwide at Walmart, and they're hoping to branch out to more retailers in the future. I definitely recommend giving them a shot. I'd love to see what kind of meals they inspire in your kitchen!

Black Rice Bounty Bowls

November 14, 2016 by Ashley 1 Comment

This is part 2 of a feature on Fable: From Farm to Table in Ossining, New York. You can find part 1 here.

Make the most of farm fresh produce with these vibrant, veggie-packed bowls.

There's just something about a colorful assortment of local produce that gets me excited.

Throw a dozen fresh eggs into the mix and I.am.in.heaven.

After my morning on the farm with Tom and Anne, I was sent home with all sorts of goodies to experiment with in my tiny kitchen. I'm not gonna lie - it was hard not to just devour all of those tomatoes raw right from the pint, but I showed a bit of restraint.

I took one of each type of tomato (which included heirloom varieties such as Cosmonaut Volkov, Sunkist, Pink Boar, Green Zebra and Indigo Rose), cut small pieces for myself, my husband, and my 4-year-old, and we had a good ol' tomato tasting.

It's basically a science experiment, right?

I liked 'em all, because I really have never met a (ripe) tomato that I didn't like. My son liked the Green Zebra and Indigo Rose best, and we ended up going back to the farm the following week to buy more.

But I digress.

Have you ever cooked with black rice? Or perhaps you've heard of it referred to as forbidden rice. Either way, it's a delicious, bold, colorful way to change up your dinner game.

I decided to take a variety of the produce that I got from the farm (most of which was in the ground or on the vine just hours before I brought it home), sauté it together, and serve it on top of some of that aromatic black rice.

Once the veggies were ready, I took the pan off the heat and stirred in some butter and fresh herbs. It added a nice richness, and the herbs really brightened the dish up. It was a bold mix of herbs, but they really worked well together.

And what better way to finish off a dish like this than to put an egg on it?

I've been experimenting with my Instant Pot a lot lately, and hard or soft boiling eggs is one of my favorite ways to use it. For this dish, I pressure cooked the eggs while I was sautéing the veggies, and topped the bowls with them right at the end.

I love that runny yolk, but feel free to use hard boiled if that's more your style. You could even pop a fried egg right on top.

If you haven't tried farm fresh eggs before, I beg you to give them a shot. The flavor is so much richer than the ones you buy at the store, and it's always fun to get to know the farmers and animals behind the food you eat. My son loved meeting the chickens at Fable, and after eating his bounty bowl, he dubbed their eggs, "the best eggs I ever had!". He also really enjoyed the black rice.

All of the produce was top notch. And something that struck me was that the package of thyme contained the most delicate sprigs I've ever encountered. I honestly don't even think I would have had to strip the leaves off of the stems. So tender!

Feel free to use this recipe as a starting point to use up any mix of veggies and herbs that you have on hand. There are so many fun combinations to try out, and so many ways to top these bowls, too.

I think I'll do a crispy fried egg with a runny yolk next time...

Fable: From Farm to Table

November 13, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I'm especially excited about today's feature, because this farm is right here in my hometown of Ossining, New York.

Fable: From Farm to Table is located on one of the nation’s oldest historic farm properties. The land has been farmed since the mid 1700’s. The home, barns, and blacksmith’s cottage once served as an inn and stagecoach stop for travelers heading north from Manhattan.

Tom Deacon and team are bringing new life into this land, growing vertically in their hydroponic greenhouse year-round. There are 16 acres of land on the property, and Fable is currently farming on 2 of them.

They're looking to expand their farm (check out their Barnraiser linked at the end of this post), and I couldn't be more excited to watch them grow!

Their produce is beyond delicious - we love going to their Farmstand (which opens again this coming May) on Sundays and Wednesdays between 9am-6pm.

A lot of local farmers markets aren't open mid-week, so it's been really convenient for my family. They've extended their hours for the 2017 season to accommodate people coming by after work to pick up CSA shares.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Aug 24, 2016 at 9:29am PDT

My son has so much fun picking out colorful herbs and veggies to take home to our tiny kitchen. This kid gets really excited about food.

And he's always excited to meet the chickens that lay what he has dubbed, "the best eggs I ever had!".

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 14, 2016 at 9:44am PDT

I spent the morning on the farm with owner Tom and farmer extraordinaire Anne, along with some of the happiest chickens I ever did see.

Big Flavors: How did your farm get started?

Tom: Two winters ago, I had been growing outdoors over the summer, and I just wanted to bring everything inside and grow for myself, indoors. That’s when I started learning about hydroponics.

I brought all of my crops indoors, and with all the soil came all the pests. So that’s when I decided to get into hydroponics. I bought 8 of those towers that you saw in the greenhouse, and it just did very well.

I started giving it out to some friends and family, and they started saying, “can I buy from you regularly?” and I eventually contacted a bunch of restaurants and was emailing them, “hey - if I grow produce, would you buy it?” and by the time I sent off my 4th of 5th email, the 1st one responded, “YES! If you can grow local, fresh, organic food, we would love it!”.

So I started doing my research on greenhouses and hydroponics and I contacted Bill & Penny, who were renting out the land here, and they had a greenhouse available… so last June we started building in the greenhouse. We sold to one of the restaurants that I reached out to, and we primarily grew basil, so I started selling basil to Turco’s, and I was also in the Hudson Valley Hospital’s Farmers’ Market.

Then someone from Down to Earth came in and asked if we’d like to go to New Rochelle, so we started going to that, and we applied to the TaSH in Sleepy Hollow, so it kind of built from there.

In terms of the farm aspect and the soil part of it - it was bothering me that we couldn’t grow anything over the winter… and that’s when garlic came to mind. So we planted garlic in the fall, and in the summer we started expanding to the 2 fields that you saw over there.

Big Flavors: Can you tell me a little about your sustainable growing practices?

Tom: Especially with the hydroponic aspect of it, we use significantly less water because we recycle that. All the water that feeds the plants drips down into a gutter which goes into a tank that pumps back to the plants.

We try to conserve anything possible.

We use biodegradable egg cartons with vegetable-based inks, we compost, feed bruised produce and food scraps to the chickens, and dry and jar herbs that do not sell.

We created a water tank and nipple system to feed chickens and conserve water, we e-mail receipts to customers rather than waste paper and ink and we source as much materials as possible from renewable and sustainable companies.

Big Flavors: What do you do for pest control?

Tom: Garlic and neem oil are our two big go-tos. We use garlic in two different ways - one is we crush it up and basically marinate it in water and spray it on plants to repel pests. Then the crushed up parts of the garlic that don’t turn into liquid we can sprinkle that around the plants, and that kind of deters groundhogs, gophers and things like that.

And then neem oil is just oil that’s extracted from the neem plant. It needs to be heated up a little bit, but you spray that on the plants and that actually kind of kills bugs and insects.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Aug 12, 2016 at 6:23am PDT

Big Flavors: I put red pepper flakes down on my garden, which I feel like helps sometimes, because I have things burrowing in my planters…

Tom: Absolutely! You can mix that with garlic - red pepper and garlic is a good combination as well.

Big Flavors: And it would smell awesome!

Big Flavors: Can you explain the benefits of vertical and hydroponic farming?

Tom: Efficiency. You can grow a lot in a little space. Where one farmer will normally grow one plant, we’re growing ten.

Big Flavors: Other than at your Farmstand, where can people find your produce and eggs?

Tom: Our herbs are at Turco’s in Yorktown, and for Farmers Markets, we’re attending the TaSH in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, and the New York Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt twice a month.

Big Flavors: Do you have any tips to help people include more veggies into their diets?

Tom: To me, knowledge is the big thing. When you start to realize the stuff that’s in processed foods, and you learn about that, it’ll make you start eating healthy. Because that’s what it did for me.

If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.

When I realized the pesticides that were on plants - when my doctor actually told me to peel the skin off of an apple - that bothered me. So people need to eat organic, non-processed foods. Look at the ingredients on some of those boxes.

Big Flavors: Is there a particular farm ingredient that you look forward to every year? Like me, I'm a tomato girl - what item do you get excited for?

Tom: Mine is eggs. But in terms of produce, herbs. I like playing around with herbs and mixing herbs in different kinds of things and seeing how they taste.

Big Flavors: Like the drinks that you had at the TaSH market the other day?

Tom: Yeah - I love to do new and exciting things. That’s one of the things that I’d eventually like to do here - try to grow something that doesn’t typically grow here in New York. So if I can get a dwarf lemon tree and try to grow it in a greenhouse or something like that.

We have 2 little baby avocado trees - I don’t know if they’re going to last - those things get 30 feet tall. But yeah, if I could get a dwarf citrus tree or something, I’d love to.

Big Flavors: Like a limited batch?

Tom: Yeah! Or honey - next year we’re gonna do honey. That’s gonna be my goal.

You can find all things Fable on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You can also help them expand their farm by donating to their Barnraiser campaign, which includes creation of a cold storage room, irrigation equipment, fencing, bee hives, electrical upgrades, and an expansion of their chicken field.

Fable: From Farm to Table is located at 1311 Kitchawan Road (Route 134) in Ossining, New York.

And stay tuned to get the recipe for the Black Rice Bounty Bowls that I made using lots of farm fresh goodies from my visit to the farm!

Behind BF Volume 12: Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

November 11, 2016 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Thanks to The Valley Table for inviting me to be part of their Hudson Valley Restaurant Week Grazer program this year and reimbursing part of my meal. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

There are so many things that I love about living in the Hudson Valley, and Restaurant Week is definitely one of them!

I've been participating in the delicious festivities each spring and fall for several years now. It's such a great way to find new local restaurants to try out without breaking the bank. A 3 course lunch is $20.95, and 3 course dinner is $29.95. This season's HVRW runs from November 1-13, 2016.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 27, 2016 at 6:25pm PDT

This year, I was invited to the kickoff up at the Culinary Institute of America, and it was a crazy delicious evening.

There were many local chefs and restauranteurs there talking up their plans for restaurant week menus, as well as purveyors that showcased their delicious wares.

There was also a wonderful panel on supporting local craft beverages right here in New York.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 27, 2016 at 6:40pm PDT

This event got me super stoked about local cheeses - I got to sample quite a few offerings. I was particularly fond of this St. Stephen triple cream cheese from Four Fat Fowl. It was truly luscious.

My favorite bites of the night were this Trio of Duck Toast by Chef Jenny Chamberlain from Hudson Valley Foie Gras: Duck Ham Reuben (applewood smoked duck ham, powdered foie gras Russian dressing, Swiss Mornay, homemade sour kraut, rye toast), FAB [BLT] (duck bacon, heirloom tomato fondue, arugula, foie gras mayo, white toast) and Sweet Whisky Liver (torchon of duck foie gras, whisky foie gras, caramel cinnamon pear mustarda toast).

Have. Mercy.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 28, 2016 at 9:39am PDT

After a jam-packed evening of deliciousness, I was pretty amped up for restaurant week to finally arrive.

I made lunch and dinner reservations to dine at a few restaurants that have been on my to try list for quite some time now. I also recommended a few that are participating in HVRW that I love (I'm looking at you, Pax Romana!) to some friends.

First up was lunch at Purdy's Farmer and the Fish. I met up with my friend and fellow Supper Club member, Nancy, who blogs over at NY Foodie Family. This place has been on my list forever, but it's a bit of a drive from me. I actually met the chef of the soon to open Hudson location (in Sleepy Hollow) at the HVRW kickoff party and was thrilled to learn that it would soon be much more convenient to dine there.

It was a beautiful day, so we sat out on the porch for lunch. I ordered the seared scallop with dried fruit farro and butternut squash to start. It was the perfect way to kick off this fall menu. The scallops were expertly cooked, and I loved the pops of sweetness from the dried fruit. I'm also very fond of farro, so this dish was a total home run for me.

I chose the short rib cannelloni with autumn root vegetables and red wine reduction as my main course. It was succulent and tender, and just the right size for lunch. The toasted bread crumb topping added a very welcome crunch.

Finally, I had the pumpkin cheesecake with ginger snap crumble. It was silky smooth, and drop dead gorgeous. The flavors worked so well together.

All in all, this was a fabulous meal, and I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a dining out option. I'm really excited for the new location to open, although it will be about 5 minutes from my house, so it could get dangerous!

Our second meal out was dinner at Hudson House River Inn with all 6 members of our Supper Club. This restaurant is in Cold Spring, which is a very quaint little town that I enjoy quite a bit. The Inn was built in 1832, is just 100 feet from the river, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

We had some pretty fantastic cocktails to start - their bar menu is impressive! I had the lobster bisque as my appetizer, and I could have had 3 more bowls and been happy for the night. It was rich and velvety and totally delicious.

I also snagged one of my husband's homemade Maryland crabcakes with dijon mustard sauce, and it totally took me back to our annual summer vacation. Definitely a quality crabcake!

I went with the Chainti braised short ribs served over wild mushroom risotto, topped with caramelized onions and Maytag bleu cheese with baby vegetables as my main course. The beef was rich and tender. My husband went with the orange rosemary breast of duck with crown maple syrup, wild berry demi glaze, wild rice pilaf served with baby vegetables. He really enjoyed it.

For dessert, we ordered one of each - the New York style pumpkin cheesecake with fresh whipped cream and the bourbon chocolate pecan pie with maple walnut ice cream and caramel sauce. We both preferred the pie - it was really great with the ice cream!

Finally, I planned a last minute lunch date on Wednesday with my husband. I wanted to pick somewhere close, and when I saw RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen in Tarrytown on the list, I was stoked! This is right near a playground that we frequent with our son, and I had no idea it was there!

This meal was absolutely fantastic! I had the salad to start - local lettuces & roasted vegetables with whipped Hudson Valley ricotta crostini and Chardonnay vinaigrette. I liked the variety of greens, and the roasted veggies were a great compliment and different than most salads I've had. And I'm always a fan of ricotta. Always.

For my main course, I went with the homemade gnocchi made with Hemlock Hill Farm grass-fed beef bolognese, roasted hen of the woods mushrooms and Parmesan. The gnocchi totally rocked my world! So pillowy soft and light, even with a meat sauce on top. It was a great portion size for lunch, and I practically licked my plate clean.

For dessert, I chose the warm apple galette made with Wright's Farm apples, butter pastry crust and their own vanilla bean ice cream. It was absolutely scrumptious!

This meal was a surprise hit for me - I just had no idea the restaurant was so close to home, and that they carried so many local, farm fresh ingredients. There's even a small retail store up front that carries products made, raised, and grown naturally and sustainably right here in the Hudson Valley. They had several of my favorite cheeses there, as well as some great local beers, produce and pantry items.

I'm looking forward to the next installment of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week - the list of restaurants keeps growing every year, and it's always a lot of fun to dine out and support local businesses!

Squash Blossom Frittata

November 7, 2016 by Ashley 2 Comments

Edible flowers are a gorgeous addition to this Italian classic.

Have you ever cooked with squash blossoms? They're such a beautiful ingredient that pop up at farmers markets every summer during their fleeting season.

My friend Antonella brought a bag of squash blossoms from her family's garden, and I used them to whip up a little breakfast for dinner!

A few notes about squash blossoms. In my experience, they tend to have... let's just say critters from the garden hidden inside. Be sure to sort through them well and remove any unwanted visitors that you come across.

Looking for more frittata recipes? This zoodle frittata and this spinach, bacon, green onion, and cheddar frittata are great options. And if quiche is more your style, this spinach and cheddar quiche is a family favorite.

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on Sep 14, 2016 at 7:08pm PDT

When I've worked with squash blossoms in the past, I've stuffed and baked or fried them, so I've left the stems attached. For this recipe, I pulled everything except the petals off. Once the eggs went into the pan, I delicately pressed the blossoms onto the top surface before popping the whole thing into the oven.

When the frittata is in the oven, it puffs up really tall, then sinks down a bit as it cools off. The resulting texture is light and fluffy.

This was a pretty quick dish to put together. I served it with a Calabrese Potato Salad (recipe coming soon!) inspired by my father-in-law to round out the meal.

It would be great alone for breakfast or paired with some salad greens tossed in a light vinaigrette for lunch. My family enjoys breakfast foods at any time of day, so it was a big hit at our dinner table.

Chimichurri Marinated London Broil

November 3, 2016 by Ashley 1 Comment

An herb-packed marinade + flavorful dipping sauce boost the flavor of this reverse seared steak.

Have you tried the reverse sear method for steak yet? Let me tell you, we are BIG fans.

Basically, you cook your steak low and slow in the oven until it's close to the temperature you want it (medium-rare, in our case), then remove it from the oven and sear it in a big ol' cast iron skillet.

The result is a gorgeous, evenly cooked steak inside with a golden, seared crust on the outside.

I've always been a little shy to try cooking London Broil at home. Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you just end up with a tough cut of meat. It's a bit of a gamble, but when I saw it on sale at the store (buy one get one free) I figured I had to give it a shot.

And this recipe turned out so well that I ended up making it twice in the same week, which was perfect since the spice blend makes twice the amount you need for this recipe.

It was meant to be!

This chimichurri spice blend packs a ton of flavor. For this recipe, I cover it with some hot water for 5 minutes to soften all of the herbs up before whisking in oil and vinegar and popping the steak in.

I let my London Broil marinate in this mix for 6 hours, and it was fantastic!

When it comes to cooking the steak, I used one of the handiest kitchen tools in my arsenal, a dual probe thermometer that you leave inside the meat while it's in the oven. It's great for things like poultry, because you can monitor the temperature in 2 separate places (like the breast and thigh). But it's also handy to use just one of the probes to monitor cuts of meat like this London Broil. That way you can set the temp and have the remote unit notify you when it's ready.

If you don't have one of those, a single, instant read probe thermometer that you don't leave in the oven is another good choice, and it can be used for lots of different types of kitchen tasks (I bought this one originally to take the temperature of steamed milk for lattes, but I use it for so much more than that).

Make sure to let the meat rest after you sear it, before slicing it up thinly against the grain. Both of the pieces of London Broil I picked up turned out beautifully with this method.

The sauce is cool and tangy, perfect for dipping the tender steak into. I love the kick that the horseradish adds.

I served this London broil with some veggies that I tossed with grainy dijon, olive oil, and white wine vinegar before roasting. The whole meal was a huge hit at our dinner table both times!

3 Ingredient Refreshing Rose Face Mask

October 31, 2016 by Ashley 5 Comments

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield and Tom's of Maine. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

This all natural beauty treatment gently exfoliates and moisturizes in just 5 minutes!

My brother and his wife just left town, and while they were here, we did some pretty epic baking. We also did some pretty epic eating.

So in between all of the eating and baking, my sister-in-law and I did some exercising and got to chatting about the things that we do to counteract these occasional meal splurges.

Both of us have been making a concerted effort to to cut out most of the junk that we put into our bodies by eating more whole foods lately, including lots of organic fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat.

But then we got to talking about the things that we put onto our bodies, like deodorant, moisturizer, and makeup.

I love a good face mask, and I had been wanting to try one with Stonyfield Greek yogurt and rosewater for a while now. So when she mentioned that her friend uses a paste of baking soda and water as a face scrub, I thought it would be a fun addition to a homemade face mask.

There's just something about a face mask that feels special. This one in particular is nice because the cold yogurt feels really refreshing on your face, and the baking soda makes it light and fluffy. It almost has a whipped texture that feels really great while you're applying it.

The little bit of rose water adds just a hint of fragrance that really brought the spa feeling right to my own home.

We experimented with a few different formulations of this face mask before settling on this one. Any more baking soda and it's a little too abrasive. None at all and we weren't sure it was doing much for us.

We also determined that 5 minutes was a good amount of time for this to feel refreshing enough while still being able to rinse it off easily. Any longer and it dries more and will need to be scrubbed a bit harder.

Plus, trial and error meant extra spa treatments this past weekend.

Looking for more homemade DIY beauty products? This Triple Citrus Exfoliating Salt Scrub is another great option!

I've been a fan of Tom's of Maine for quite some time now. I'm typically very sensitive to artificial fragrances, and their deodorants and antiperspirants are made without them. They smell good without being overpowering or irritating my skin.

I had wisdom tooth surgery a few weeks ago, so the Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste has been fantastic! I like that it's fluoride-free and leaves me fresh and minty. They have lots of different types of oral care items for kids and adults to take care of all sorts of dental needs.

Tom's of Maine also takes a really thoughtful approach to how they select the ingredients that go into their products. It's nice to be able to identify the items that are being used in products before actually using them. Again, I try to avoid putting a lot of junk in my body - why would I want to put it on my body?

I really appreciate that they don't use animal testing or animal ingredients, and are transparent about their goals for ingredients, waste, packaging, energy, water, giving back, employee health & volunteering.

It can take a while to revamp your routine to include less artificial ingredients, but it's definitely something worth working on. Every little bit helps!

Back to the face mask. It was a big hit at home, and it's something that both me and my sister-in-law plan to incorporate into our routines.

It uses ingredients that I always have on hand, so I really could make it any time. I'm also looking forward to trying it with the whole milk Greek yogurt to see if it's even more moisturizing.

What's your favorite DIY health/beauty tip? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below!

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