Chopped Nicoise Salad

You can never go wrong with a classic.
We all have a favorite classic movie, song, and book. They may depend on the generation we’re from, but we can all agree on some. Like Someone Like It Hot, Born To Run, and On The Road.
They are classics with good reason. They have endured the test of time, proving their greatness over and over again. They bridge age and generational gaps and they’re awesome, just like that.

Pineapple Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Skillet

When did you realize you were becoming old and uncool?
All it took me was spending an afternoon with 12-year-old niece.
Until yesterday, I was the young/hip uncle, and all of a sudden I’m an old fart.
When and how did that happen?
I know it’s silly to say but it bothers me. It really bothers me.
I loved my status of “cool uncle” as opposed to the “uncool parents”.
I was not ready to let it go. But times have changed and apparently there’s nothing I can do about it.

Zoodles alla Norma (with Tomato Sauce and Eggplant)

I made Pasta alla Norma.
Let me rephrase that.
I made Zoodles alla Norma.
One word: epic.
Another word: simple.
Another word: healthy.
Three words I like to use, especially when it comes to cooking. And I know you do too. Right?

Roasted Sweet Potato, Sesame and Arugula Salad with Honey-Balsamic Dressing

Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes eating “healthy”.
Some people abstain from meat, for others it’s just red meat, some give up cheese or gluten (ehm...me?) or fat — I mean, you name it, there’s a eating plan out there that promises that you can live forever just by giving up ice-cream. You know, just to throw a totally random example.

12 Grilled Chicken Recipes

Barbecue season is finally upon us, or is it?
To be honest, the weather is still a touch chilly, but I think it’s time to get ready to fire up those grills.
In my case it means I should clean the barbecue.
Because last autumn I didn’t clean it before putting it away. So I’ll need to remove the dust, cobwebs, not to mention the remnants of the last barbecue...
I know what you’re thinking, what kind of person does not clean the grill before putting it away?
Honestly I don’t know what to say. That's just the type of backwards, ignorant life I've led up until now, and no amount of common sense will persuade me otherwise.
Anyways, personally I think nothing says BBQ season like some delicious, grilled-to-perfection chicken.
Definitely a party favorite. At least, my party favorite.
So without further ado here are 12 clean and flavor-packed ways to make grilled chicken that would implant smiles on everyone faces.

Coconut Crusted Baked Avocado Fries with Sriracha Mayo

You should have seen my sister’s face when I told her that I would have brought avocado fries for lunch at her place.
Let’s say that her initial reaction was she wasn't really excited about it, at all.
Actually she frowned and said “Really? Avocado fries? What a way to waste some delicious avocado. Why don’t you make some yummy guacamole instead?”
I replied “Trust me, avocado fries are awesome. Plus I coat mine with shredded coconut and I bake them in the oven instead of frying them. They’re light, gluten-free, and delish. You’ll see!”
She wasn’t convinced, but my mind was set. I was going to make avocado fries. I would coerce her into tasting them, and she would love them.
That was my plan, and I knew it was going to be successful. It had to be successful.

Sweet Potato, Spinach and Chorizo Hash with Fried Eggs

Do you know the difference between white eggs and brown eggs?
I didn’t, until a couple of hours ago.
I usually buy cage-free, free-range, organic eggs from the Farmers’ Market but never cared about the color.
Sometimes they’re brown, other times they’re white. Every time they taste like, uhm...eggs. So I never give it too much of a thought.
Well, to be completely honest, I usually pick brown eggs because they feel more exotic to me not to mention that I like to support genetic diversity in chickens (HA!)
Anyways, I faced this quandary this morning as I looked in my fridge. There they were: 2 brown eggs and 2 white eggs. As I grabbed them, I wondered: is there a difference?

Creamy Avocado-Spinach Pesto Zoodles

I hate when people start launching into “I could never be a vegan” or “I could never live without gluten” speeches.
I’m always like “You know that from experience or are you just guessing?”
Most of the time, people are just guessing.

Spicy Potato Cakes (Aloo Tikki) with Sriracha Ketchup

There are many different variations of potato cakes in the world.
There are potato latkes, potato pancakes, tater cakes, mashed potato cakes and then there are Aloo Tikkis.
Yeah, Aloo Tikkis.
I don’t know why, but the name makes me giggle.
Just like as a kid, hearing the teacher talk about Lake Titicaca made me giggle. Now that I’m thinking about it I still giggle at "Titicaca" like I did when I learned of that lake.
Titicaca...HA! Why is it so funny?

Easy Zoodle Bake

Sometimes a guy needs a pasta bake, just like mom used to make (no rhyme intended!)
A creamy, cheesy, hearty pasta bake full of flavor and deliciousness.