Merry Christmas To You All!

It’s Christmas Eve you guys!
I can say without hesitation that this is my favourite day of the year.
All that has to be done, has been done and if it hasn't happened there is little you can do about it now.
It's a day of anticipation for the excitement to come.
Roaring fires, good food, and the air filled with warmth. I’m busy whipping up a feast for my family, and will probably be up into the early hours wrapping presents.
I come from a large family, and being together with everyone is just so much fun.

I hope that each and every person has a wonderful holiday filled with all of the people you love, food, and fun.
I also hope that everyone gets a chance to relax and enjoy the people that surround them.
Is anyone having a White Christmas? If so, you’re lucky because there’s nothing better than a White Christmas in my opinion.
It is also a time to reflect about how the past year went, and to be thankful for the friends, family, and my presence here on earth.
I am so very grateful that you guys read this blog, enjoy it and that in some way it enriches your life as it enriches my life to write it. Thank you.

I wish you a Merry Christmas with your all loved ones.

Chicken-Spinach Meatballs with Creamed Feta Paste

"To sneak or not to sneak?"
That is the question.
Are you one of those parents that - just like Gwyneth Paltrow - sneak veggies into food your kids love?
Do you make chocolate brownies with hidden carrot and spinach, fudgy zucchini chocolate cookies, and sweet potato waffles?
Do you feel like you're winning at parenting every time you kiddo eats some veggies without knowing it?

Honey-and-Spice-Glazed Chicken

You know that feeling when you open a refrigerator and you’re like “Uhm, what the hell am I going to eat tonight?”
To me that happens a lot. Which is sort of weird because I love to eat, I love to cook, and I love food.
Now that I think about it, it’s actually super weird being that I run a food blog.
Anyways, that question inevitably comes up more often than I would like to admit.
The game changer I've realized, is having chicken breasts ready (either fresh or frozen).
There's really not much one CAN’T do with chicken breasts. Grill them, bake them, fry them, shishkabob them, make fajitas, stir-fry, slow cook & pull the meat apart for burrito/taco filling, braise them.
Pretty much the only thing you can't do with a chicken breast is eat it raw or treat it like a roast. It's a versatile, almost characterless chunk of protein.
I never look at a chicken breast and ask myself “what can I do with this?"; instead I decide what I want to eat and then ask myself "how would I work chicken into this?"

Shredded Kale Salad with Pancetta and Hard-Boiled Egg

Every time I’m about to post a recipe with kale, I start thinking of things I could write in the post to convince you to give it a try.
It’s kinda weird, as I feel compelled to make a case for it.
Presenting some valid points, such as listing all the health benefits of kale or why the dish is delicious.
I even try to anticipate all issues you might have against this green veggie — such as “Kale is bitter”, “Kale is hard to chew”, “My hubby doesn’t like kale”, et cetera, et cetera.
It’s all in my head though. It’s not like you guys have ever given me a hard time for posting a recipe with kale.
To the contrary, I always get super positive responses when I post a recipe with kale.
Still, part of me feels the need to justify it.

(Paleo) Skillet Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Coconut Whipped Cream

Let me introduce you guys to baking simplified.
Just one pan and two steps create a giant, gooey, delicious, gluten-free, and grain-free cookie.
An ingenious recipe that is basically a variation of my basic Paleo chocolate chunk cookie recipe, with one huge difference. Instead of the endless cookie parade of scooping, rotating trays, timing batches, transferring to cooling racks, and all the other tasks associated with baking a batch of cookies, I threw the dough in a 6.5-inch cast-iron skillet, baked it for 30 minutes, and oh my, it turned into a delicious gigantic cookie.

Kale Chips 5 Ways

I was at a Christmas dinner party the other night and they served kale chips.
I thought that everyone in the whole wide world knew about kale chips, so I was a bit surprised when people started saying things like “Uh, what is this green stuff?” “Is that seaweed?” “That’s good, what is this?”
I mean, how long has the “kale chips craze” been going on? Three years, maybe even more.
Everyone has blogged, tweeted, facebooked, and even instagrammed about kale chips.
Is it possible that someone has not heard about ‘em yet?
Apparently...
Soooo for all those of you that haven’t tried kale chips yet (and btw who are ya?), or for those who have yet not tried making them at home, here is not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but 5 recipes to make kale chips at home.
Crispy, delicious and so very healthy kale chips.
If you haven’t done it yet I suggest you jump on the bandwagon and join the kale chips CRAZE asap.

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

Winter is a time for resting, eat nourishing food, recharge your batteries, and even feel a little depressed or melancholy.
The days are short, and the nights are long. It’s nature’s way of showing us to recuperate.
We should embrace hibernation, save energy, and get a lot of sleep. Maybe sleep until we’re completely sleeped-out (if that's even a thing).
It has been said that the “average” American sleeps for 8 hours every night during wintertime.
I honestly would like to meet this “average” American.
Because I don't think I've slept 8 hours nightly since...ummm...since...I don't know when.
6? Always.
7? Sometimes
8? I would love to but I NEVER do.
Every single night I crash into bed like a ton of bricks, yet I always wake up 5 minutes before my alarm goes off.
It’s not like I’m perpetually tired, but I know I could sleep more.
And I never oversleep, not even on weekends. It’s just not in me.

Creamy Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Crisps

I get it, soup is not as exciting as a cookie, a cheesy casserole, or a ramen burger.
Maybe a clam chowder or creamy chicken might get your attention, but a broccoli soup?
I already know what you’re thinking: “Booooring!”
In fact, if I were to advertise to you a healthy broccoli soup, you’d probably run in the other direction screaming “Please not another greenish healthy soup!”
Still, I think that soup may be the most under appreciated category of food. There is something awesomely comforting about a bowl of piping hot soup when it’s chilly outside.
And I know for a fact that I’m not alone on this one.
The long lines at Hale & Hearty Soups are proof that soup is a favorite among many, not just me.
But that’s not the reason why I made this broccoli soup.
The reason why I made this soup is because, in general, I don’t find broccoli soups all that interesting, not even when there’s a ton of melted cheddar inside.

Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Hash with Baked Eggs

Not all cookbooks are created equal. Some are great, some are good, some are just fine, and others are not so great at all.
Some are old favourites, others are personal favourites containing your go-to recipes, and many more are just filled with recipes that put food on the table.
And there are those that are more than just a cookbook — maybe they take you on a journey, tell a story or teach you something.
The Kitchn Cookbook is definitely not your average cookbook.
Actually, I don’t think it can even be considered a cookbook, it’s more of a book.
It’s a combination of recipes, kitchen lessons, and organizational and storage tips.
You can think of it as some sort complete guide to organizing and working in your kitchen: from stocking the pantry, to implementing simple tweaks that will make cooking easier, and planning meals and gatherings around the table.
The Kitchn Cookbook, takes you through all the basics, balancing prescriptive steps with explanations that serve to teach foundational principles.

Chicken Rollatini

Weeknight meals can really be a challenge.
We all have busy lives, and by the time we get home we’re tired and hungry.
We open the fridge hoping that some food has magically appeared while we were out, but reality always hits us right in the face.
Sadly, there are no gnomes cooking for us while we’re at work, nor stealing the socks out of the dryer for that matter.
Sure, if you’re wealthy enough you can have a cook.
But for the rest of us who can’t afford having a cook on staff, cooking dinner every night can be a time-consuming task.
One of my go-to recipe when I’m short for time, is these chicken rollatini.