I'm a little giddy around this spring weather. It makes me want to have light, bright and healthy every single day. But salads and rice bowls can get exceptionally boring.

I recently went to a restaurant that had a chopped hearts of palm salsa on top of a fish. It was tart and refreshing - and everything I want in my springtime meals. So I took the idea and made it into a lunchtime-friendly all purpose pesto kind of sauce. It's basically just throwing a bunch of deliciousness in a blender and then making sure you keep some on hand for anything you want to brighten up.

I made it for a rice bowl and then literally ate it for lunch every single day for a week. I started pouring it on eggs in the morning and salads at night. It's the very definition of cheap and cheerful.

Blog, Ali's Recipes, Cooking, Food, RecipeAli RosenMay 7, 2018pesto, sauce, rice bowl, hearts of palm, walnuts, nuts, basil, 30 Minutes or Less, lunch, weekday, Served Cold, Day AheadComment

The Shoulder Season Stunner is Zucchini Parm

It is sunny here in New York today but this will-it-or-won't-it spring still has me hankering for something comforting. So what do you do think this shoulder weather?

Enter the zucchini parm. It's the lightened up version, a lot of vegetables, a lot of freshness with basil and lemon an still a bit of cheese to bring it together. It can be prepped ahead, which for me is usually half the battle.

So if you need an easy, warming meal, I can't think of anything better

This Cucumber Salad Wins the Trifecta of Being Beautiful, Easy and a Little Kooky

I was recently in LA doing some book promo for Bring It! and every kept telling me to go to Kismet. So we went early enough where we could take my son (and...to be honest... when they would let us in without making a reservation weeks in advance). The style and service was very LA - interpret that how you will - but I was really delighted by a lot of the fun and ease of a lot of the dishes.

One dish in particular was a cucumber and orange salad sitting on a little bed of labneh with a lot of surrounding spices. It struck me as such a cool presentation for a salad - leaving the dressing as part of the image, rather than tossed together or drizzled on top.

I got home and decided to make a slightly more home-cook friendly version using a fruit that is coming back into season - grapes! And I also figured that I would char them because why not and I love my broiler.

Surprisingly Gluten-Free Empanadas

I have to admit that I am always a skeptic when someone says 'gluten-free'. Often-times substitutions just mean something that tastes a lot worse than the original. But when something is already gluten-free - like a great flourless chocolate cake - I am right on board.

You would not think that empanadas fit into that category but in Ecuador they actually do. That's because they use starchy plantains to make the dough. When I first head about Luis Jaramillo's version at his restaurant Fifty I was intrigued. And then I tasted them and now I am a convert.

Video, Chefs, Food, Cooking, RecipeAli RosenApril 24, 2018recipe, gluten-free, appetizer, Ecuador, South America, pork, dough, foodComment

The Secret to Fluffy Scones

What if there was a perfect scone recipe that didn't make rock hard scones an option? Well you are in luck, because we have found it.

Blog, Chefs, Dessert, Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenApril 18, 2018baking, scones, dessert, afternoon, snack, pastry, Brooklyn, foodComment

The Perfect Bean Soup

There's nothing quite as warming as a hearty soup, and yet sometimes it is hard to find that perfect balance between light and filling. We went to Eataly and found that among all the fancy Italian items, none were quite as tantalizing as this bean soup.

Cooking, Food, Recipe, Blog, VideoAli RosenFebruary 26, 2018soup, dinner, winter, beans, Italian, foodComment

Tips for Better Cheesecake

You can always make a better cheesecake. We went to Juniors to learn how

Dessert, FoodAli RosenJanuary 16, 2018cheesecake, dessert, cake, cream cheeseComment

A New Look at New England Cuisine

No one knows New England like Matt Jennings. He has lived and cooked all over, from his former restaurant Farmstead in Providence to his current gem in Boston, Townsman. And now he has taken all of that knowledge (and more from his global travels) to create a book, Homegrown, that is a celebration of all things Northeastern.

Food, Interview, Restaurants, VideoAli RosenNovember 28, 2017New England, Matt Jennings, cookbook, Boston, Rhode IslandComment

Why You Should Cook All Your Grains on a Sheet Pan

I am lucky enough to read a lot of great cookbooks every year, but few of them fundamentally change the way I cook. But Raquel Pelzel's Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless did just that. Who knew you could cook rice, quinoa and even mac and cheese on a sheet pan?

Cookbook, Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenNovember 16, 2017cookbook, recipe, vegetarian, cabbage, bulger, grain bowl, Served ColdComment

How to Make Shrimp Puglia-Style

I recently went to Puglia and discovered something both amazing and intuitive: when you are faced with the world's best ingredients you don't have to do a lot to make them shine. We learned a recipe that is all about taking the freshness of the sea and keeping it as light and simple as possible.

Food, Travel, VideoAli RosenOctober 19, 2017shrimp, recipe, Puglia, ItalyComment

A Twist on Chicken and Dumplings

We found the perfect twist on the classic chicken and dumplings from Chef Thomas Boemer of Revival and Corner Table in Minneapolis. It's like a pot pie with a biscuit on top - and you will never look at either dish the same again.

Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenOctober 10, 2017chicken, dumplings, biscuit, recipe, winter, fallComment

A Look at Korean Temple Food

You might be familiar with Korean food, but there's growing interest in Korean Temple Food. Based on the diet of monks, it avoids meat and aliums like garlic or onion. But it's anything but boring - instead they focus on fermenting and other techniques to give a unique and exciting flavor. We delved into a simple recipe for pan-fried potatoes you can try at home.

Cooking, Food, Recipe, VideoAli RosenOctober 6, 2017Korean, potato, appetizer, vegetarian, recipeComment

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