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Crispy Zucchini Blossoms, stuffed with Mozzarella and Anchovies
Originally posted on vanillabeanonline.blogspot.com on Sunday, July 31st, 2011 Hello again I made the most awesome fried, stuffed zucchini flowers this weekend! They’re often prepared dipped in batter, deep fried and with a sprinkle of salt. That’s how my Grandmother, Nonna Rosina made them. They have a delicate flavour that goes well with just about…
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My Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken
Hey all ! I love a roast chicken recipe that includes bread. You can roast a chicken over thickly sliced bread or like in this recipe, adding bread cut into crouton sized pieces to the roasting pan, absorbs all of the cooking juices and packs a real flavour punch! The edges get all toasted and…
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Perfectly Pink Pasta
The colour of this pasta sauce is unbelievable! Vibrant! Almost un-natural, but it is all-natural and despite it being almost too pretty to eat, it’s too delicious not to. With a few simple ingredients, you can make this show-stopper of a dish. I made it for Valentine’s Day of course! Could anything be more perfect?…
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Harissa Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini-Honey Vinaigrette
Cauliflower just got really exciting 🤯. This easy & healthy recipe is so addictive, so flavourful you will have to restrain yourself from eating the whole bowl. The tahini by The Tahini Goddess (truly the best!), makes the vinaigrette creamy add imparts a lightly nutty flavour. We used the Caesar flavour but the Classic or…
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Sticky Pomegranate Pigs in Blankets with Bacon and Roasted Pistachios
AKA, my family’s favourite hors d’oeuvre when they come to my place. Yes, the charcuterie board is delicious, packed with great cheeses and all the fixings but it’s the Pigs in Bacon Blankets that I can never seem to make enough of. Thankfully, they’re so quick and easy to prepare that they’re honestly a pleasure…
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The Best Gemelli with Pesto, Potatoes and Roasted Artichokes
It just doesn’t get much easier than this recipe and it has now become one of my favourite pasta dishes in my repertoire. It doesn’t require many ingredients and is super quick to prepare. Pesto is the main flavouring component here. We love the Kirkland brand from Costco. It just makes everything better, doesn’t it?…
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Boxing Day Panettone French Toast with Chocolate and Bananas
I say Boxing Day but for some, the big family breakfasts are on Christmas morning. Either way, this is one you’ve gotta try! It’s crispy on the outside and soft and melty with chocolate on the inside! It’s is easy, no fuss and feeds about four. If you’ve been gifted a panettone, this is a…
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Easy Tiramisu Snowball Cookies
Holiday cookies and Tiramisu (in my home) were a tradition all my life. So this year I thought I’d combine the two and make my version of Bon Appetit’s Tiramisu Snowball cookies. This is a great follow up to my Baklava Cookies which also take a beloved dessert recipe and transforms them into cookies –…
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Christmas Tree Spinach & Cheese Breadsticks
The christmas tree, an iconic holiday symbol! So much so that we even make foods that look like them 🙂 My take is a Breadstick Tree stuffed with a filling that’s akin to a very spinach-ey spinach dip with cream cheese, parm & your favourite melty cheese. So you know it’s gotta be delicious, right?…
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Honey, I’m Nuts for Baklava Cookies
Have you ever heard of a cookie swap? I’m not sure how it works because I’ve never been invited to join one nor do I know anyone who has. Rather than look it up, I like to imagine that every member of this swap brings their cookies and they exchange them with one another in…
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The Humble & Delicious Spanish Tortilla – Tortilla de Patatas
In North America, we know this as the Spanish tortilla but in Spain it’s just a Tortilla (de patatas), the humble and endlessly snackable omelet stacked high with potatoes! Eggs and potatoes happen to be two of my favourite foods and therefore, I knew I’d love it. I have to admit, I was a little…
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The Ultimate Vegetable Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce.
I want to start off by declaring that this is one of the best things I have made in a while. In fact, at the moment, I can’t think of anything better. It has blinded me. It’s veggie-packed and creamy. Leeks, broccoli and spinach go particularly well with cheese and creamy sauces. The leeks in…
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Fall in love with every bite – Apple Cider Whoopie Pies
It’s officially apple season, which is, according to me, the best time of year. Apple desserts are so complete. When I think of my favourite ones, I think – Tart, sweet, flakey, warm, comforting! Basically, they’re everything. This recipe uses apple a little differently. The flavour and essence of them are baked into this soft…
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Cheesy Maccheroni with Roasted Squash & Ricotta Salata
On a recent trip to New York I was lucky enough to score a table at The Four Horsemen a much lusted-after restaurant in Brooklyn (AKA cool New York). One of my favourite dishes of the evening was the house made maccheroni, with Gold Bar squash, citrus butter and ricotta Salata. There were also crunchy…
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The Best Cuban Sandwiches with Slow-Roasted Mojo Pork Shoulder
Since spending a lot of time in Miami last year, I developed an obsession for Cuban sandwiches. At first, I was dubious. I just didn’t get the mix of braised pork and deli ham. Whyyy”, I thought to myself. Have one or the other! Not sure what I’m talking about yet? Let me explain. It’s…
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My Obsession – Calabrian Chili Butter Eggplant & Crispy Chickpeas
The following recipe is my current obsession as stated in the title. I discovered it scrolling through my feed on Instagram and something about it stopped me in my tracks. Part of it may have been the author, Justine Doiron’s calming voice. I could listen to her narrating her posts all day. I tried it…
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“The Bear” French Omelet, My Way
Ok first off, if you haven’t seen the show “The Bear”, you must! It’s a show based on a chef, nicknamed Bear (derived from his family name), his family restaurant, the chaos that ensues and the importance of friendship, hard work and perseverance. How’s that for a quick summary? Anyway, the sous-chef makes a French…
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Rosemary Chicken Meatballs with Orzo
Maybe it’s my Italian upbringing but meatballs are my favourite comfort food, especially when paired with orzo, everyone’s new favorite pastina shape. This rendition of the popular duo is easy & quick to make, perfect for a weeknight. It’s saucy without being heavy, the meatballs are tender and flavourful with the addition of oil-packed sun…
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The Best Red Pepper Jelly Glazed Chicken Meatball Subs
These Banh Mi style subs are so good that even though I had mine just yesterday, I am wishing I had leftovers and so does my husband. In fact, he just said that now as he stands with his head in the fridge looking for snacks. The meatballs alone are full of flavour and have…
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Strawberry & Vanilla Ice Cream Cake with Pretzel Crust
Layers of creamy vanilla bean and strawberry ice creams with a light-as-air angel food cake center and cookie/pretzel crust. Sounds great doesn’t it? It is! I served it to some friends the other day and they loved it! My husband who at first refused the cake said, “I’m not a strawberry ice cream person”, and…
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The Best Key Lime Pie with Biscoff & Graham Crust
Aside from cheesecake, key lime pie is one of my most requested desserts! Even more than chocolate! To be honest, I thought that key lime pie would be daunting to make partly because I knew I liked it but didn’t know what it was made with. What is this mysterious, delicious custardy lime filling? Sounds…
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Juicy Lime & Cilantro Chicken Thighs
This quick marinade containing Lime, garlic, cilantro and a touch of honey hits all the notes we want in a piece of chicken. It’s bright, garlicky, and fresh with a touch of honey for sweetness that also promotes more caramelization which means more flavour. What I like about this is that it pairs equally well…