Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Cacio e Pepe

From: Gimme Some Oven 

Cacio e Pepe

This cacio e pepe recipe is easy to make in about 30 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients. Feel free to double the recipe if you would like to use a full package of pasta!
Prep Time10minutes 
Cook Time20minutes 
Total Time30minutes 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 30 minute, pasta, valentine's day
 
Servings: 4 servings
 
Author: Ali

Equipment

  • Fine Grater
  • Bucatini
  • Tongs

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces uncooked pasta (I recommend bucatini)
  • 4 tablespoons butter diced into 1-tablespoon chunks*
  • 2 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper*
  • 4 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta water. Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water (roughly 3 quarts) and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt (about 2 tablespoons).
  • Bloom the pepper. Meanwhile, as the pasta water heats, melt the butter in a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove, you'll want to remove the pan from the hot burner entirely.
  • Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just barely al dente.
  • Toss the pasta. Use tongs* to quickly transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta briefly to combine. Add in half of the cheese and toss the pasta briefly to coat. Add in the remaining half of the cheese and continue tossing the pasta, adding in a few extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth and glossy sauce.
  • Serve. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with an extra twist of black pepper and/or extra Pecorino if desired. This pasta is definitely best served hot out of the pan, so please enjoy it right away!

Notes

Butter: Feel free to use less butter, if you prefer. Or you can also omit the butter entirely and just use extra starchy pasta water in its place, which is the traditional way to make cacio e pepe.
Black pepper: I like my cacio e pepe heavy on the "pepe" (black pepper) and always add extra as a garnish. If you are sensitive to black pepper, however, you may want to use less than the recipe suggests. Also please note that the 1 teaspoon measurement is for coarsely-ground black pepper. (So if you are using finely-ground pepper, you will need to use less.)
Tong alternatives: If using a shorter pasta shape (such as rigatoni), I recommend transferring the pasta with a spider strainer instead. Or if you do not own either, you can scoop out a few cups of the starchy pasta water and reserve the water in a heat-safe bowl, then drain the rest of the pasta in a colander and transfer it to the sauté pan.
Recipe edit: This recipe was edited in 2022 to include 2 instead of 3 tablespoons of butter, and the instructions were updated and clarified as well.
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Grilled Chicken Bruschetta Recipe

From: Clean Food Crush 

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. chicken cutlets, cut into half lengthways

  • 1 Tbsp avoca

    do oil
    , or olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning

  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

  • 3 medium vine or heirloom tomatoes

  • 1/2 small red onion, diced

  • one bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • sea salt and pepper to taste

  • 1/4 cup shredded all natural Parmesan

Instructions 

  1. Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Add in 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

  2. Close the bag and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is best if time allows).

  3. In a small bowl, combine diced onion, tomatoes, basil and 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

  4. Add sea salt and pepper to your taste. Toss well to combine then cover and set aside.

  5. Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit for about 15 minutes to reach room temp.

  6. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to med-high.

  7. Grill the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and tender.

  8. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan.

  9. Set aside on a platter and top with bruschetta-tomato mixture and enjoy!

Bruschetta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

From:
Clean Food Crush

Persons: 6 

Ingredients

  • 12 medium portobello mushrooms, stems removed
  • spritz of unrefined avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella
  • 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil
  • handful of finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees f. and place the mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Spritz lightly with oil of your choice and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
  2. Roast for 8-10 minutes, or just until they begin to soften.
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine your chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, oil, and chopped basil.
  4. Once the mushrooms are finished roasting, drain or pat dry any moisture that forms inside the caps.
  5. Fill/stuff each mushroom with your bruschetta mixture.

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Leftover Lamb Shepherd's Pie

Prepare: less than 30 mins

Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour

Serve: Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil, for frying

1 large onion, chopped,

3 large carrots, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

100ml/3½fl oz red wine

2 tbsp tomato purée

150ml/5fl oz lamb, chicken or beef stock or leftover gravy

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp redcurrant jelly

small rosemary sprig

500g/1lb 2oz leftover roast lamb, chopped or shredded (if slow roasted)

150g/5½oz fresh or frozen peas

small handful flatleaf parsley, chopped

1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, such as Maris Pipers, peeled and chopped

50g/1¾oz butter

60ml/2fl oz double cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a shallow flameproof casserole or a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and fry for about 5–6 minutes until softened.

Add the red wine and tomato purée and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the stock or gravy, Worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly and rosemary. Add the lamb, peas and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently on a low heat while you prepare the potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water for 10–12 minutes until tender, then drain. Heat the butter and cream in the pan, pass the potatoes through a ricer into the pan of butter and cream (or mash well). Mix well to form a creamy mash without any lumps. Season with salt and pepper.

If not using a casserole, transfer the lamb mixture into an ovenproof pie dish. Top the lamb with the mashed potato.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden-brown and bubbling.

Notes:

Added Rutabaga and Parsnips 

Doubles the sauce due to the amo

unt of veggies 

Uses cranberry sauce instead of red currant jelly

Uses thyme instead of rosemary 

Added some soy sauce and fish sauce to increase the umami

Added some shredded cheese on top of the potatoes and broiled for a few minutes 

From: BBC's Rick Stein’s Food Stories

Potsticker Soup with Mushrooms & Bok Choy

Total Time: 30 minutes

 

Yield: 4 servings 

 

Warm up with this comforting Potsticker Soup with Mushrooms & Bok Choy! Packed with delicious dumplings, tender bok choy, and earthy mushrooms in a flavorful broth, this soup is a cozy and satisfying meal. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner!


Ingredients

For the Soup:


4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional, for heat)

4 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button mushrooms)

2 cups bok choy, chopped (about 2–3 small heads or 1 large bunch)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped (for garnish)

1 tablespoon cilantro (optional, for garnish)

For the Potstickers:


12–16 frozen potstickers (store-bought or homemade; pork, chicken, or vegetable)

1 tablespoon olive oil (for pan-frying, optional)

Instructions

Prepare the broth: In a large pot, combine the chicken or vegetable broth and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, and chili garlic sauce (if using). Simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Cook the mushrooms: Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot and cook for 5-7 minutes, until they begin to soften and release their juices.

Cook the bok choy: Stir in the chopped bok choy and cook for 3-5 minutes until the bok choy is tender but still vibrant green.

Add the potstickers: If you’re using frozen potstickers, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the potstickers and pan-fry them for about 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy on the bottom. Then, add them to the simmering soup, letting them cook through for about 7-10 minutes, or until they float to the top and are fully heated.

Note: If you prefer not to fry the potstickers first, you can add them directly to the simmering broth, but pan-frying gives them an extra layer of flavor and texture.


Garnish and serve: Once the potstickers are cooked through, taste the soup and adjust seasoning with extra soy sauce or chili garlic sauce if desired. Ladle the soup into bowls, ensuring each bowl gets a few potstickers, mushrooms, and bok choy. Garnish with green onions and cilantro, if desired.

Enjoy! Serve immediately while hot.

Notes

You can use store-bought frozen potstickers (vegetable, pork, or chicken) for convenience, or make your own homemade potstickers.

For a vegetarian version, use vegetable or tofu potstickers and vegetable broth.

If you like a spicier broth, feel free to add more chili garlic sauce or even a splash of sriracha.

From: Facebook 

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Chimichurri dry marinade - salt free (savory spice)

1 Tomato powder 

1 Bell bell pepper powder 

1 Spanish paprika 

1.5 Aleppo chili

Arrowroot 

1 Garlic 

1 Parsley 

.5 Cumin

Minced green onion

3 cracked bay leaves

.75 Mexican oregano 

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

San Andreas Spice Rub

 4 tsp salt

12 tsp ground annatto

2 tsp sugar

1.5 tsp black pepper

3 tsp thyme

6 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp red pepper

1 tsp cinnamon