You might not think of soup this time of year, but this spring minestrone soup is full of fresh spring vegetables and herbs that now is the time to make it!

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Last weekend we planted our herb and vegetable garden for the season and I am excited for the bounty to arrive! So no, unfortunately nothing in this spring minestrone soup came from my garden. But, the bread you see in the background does have some oregano from my neighbors herb garden that is already taking over. The benefit of perennials!

Other than our mint growing back and our asparagus bed, we again planted a few types of tomatoes, peppers, basil, and zucchini. The newest addition this year is yellow squash. But I also finally bought a few potted flowering and decorative plants to spruce up our front porch and back deck. I feel like a true homeowner finally after 3 years haha!

But back to this soup.

I’ve made a more traditional minestrone in a slow cooker before, but I loved the idea of incorporating a bunch of fresh green springtime herbs and vegetables – peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini, spinach, and parsley. Add some cannellini beans and ditalini pasta to make it hearty enough to be a meal on it’s own. Then to seal the deal it’s finished with a dollop of fresh basil pesto. But if you need more may I suggest serving it alongside a homemade Chicken Salad Chick chicken salad?

I actually have made this twice already because the first batch I canned and gave to a close friend going through breast cancer treatment right now. She enjoyed it so much I had to make more for myself because I only tasted one spoonful to make sure it was edible. And yes, I also gave her a fresh baked loaf and herby sourdough bread too ;-).

Two years ago: Father’s Day Gift Guide

Four years ago: Grilled Garlic & Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin with Corn Salsa

Eight years ago: Twinkie Truffles

Ten years ago: Grilled Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

SPRING MINESTRONE SOUP

Print

Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 32 oz. (4 cups) reduced sodium vegetable broth
• Parmesan cheese rind, plus grated for garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup shelled peas
• 6 oz. sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 4 oz. (1/2 cup) uncooked ditalini pasta
• 3 oz. (1/2 bag) fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high. Add onion and celery, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute or until fragrant. Add broth, Parmesan rind, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer and beans, peas, and zucchini. Cover with lid ajar and cook for 5 minutes. Add pasta and spinach and cook another 5 minutes*. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
3. Remove the cheese rind, bay leaf, and thyme stem and then stir in the pesto and parsley. Serve immediately with additional cheese on top.

Notes

*I undercook the pasta slightly at first because it will continue to cook as it cools down.

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Who knew vegan spicy chicken could be so damn delicious? Made with homemade, seitan even meat eaters will love this sandwich.

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This may look like a delicious chicken sandwich but you would be wrong. It’s a freaking delicious seitan sandwich! Yep, I finally took the leap and tried my hand at making my own seitan.

What is seitan?

Seitan is a vegan source of protein made from primarily wheat gluten and water (so not gluten free) and it also a great open for those that cannot eat soy-based products. You can find it in some stores but it is relatively easy to make, but does take a little bit of time.

The sticky dough can be formed into a loaf, or in this case shaped into chicken breasts, then boiled and used as desired in various recipes. I have also used this seitan recipe to make vegan buffalo chicken sandwiches and I really want to try this seitan Mongolian beef or a seitan banh mi next.

But it wasn’t enough to just make the seitan, I had to then bread it, oven-fry it, and turn it into this beautiful as it is tasty sandwich. The inspiration which was taken from a spicy chicken sandwich served at Rockmill Tavern in Columbus, OH.

Just like their spicy chicken sandwich, it is garnished with bread and butter zucchini pickles, spicy urfa aioli (made with vegenaise of course), served with a blob of vegan honey butter on top of the bun. I know that honey is sometimes a debated item for vegans but maybe you could do a maple butter instead? I bet that would be delicious as well!

Speaking of questionable vegan items, technically I goofed and forgot that brioche buns I served these sandwiches on are not vegan. If you are vegan obviously use a different bun, or you can try making your own vegan brioche buns!

And the end result? Fan-freaking-tastic! Seriously look at that thing, would you ever guess it wasn’t a perfectly breaded and fried spicy chicken breast? I will admit it was a process but I would absolutely make them again.

Can I used pre-made seitan?

Absolutely! If you are lucky enough to find seitan-chicken breasts you could easily bread them and assemble into this sandwich. But of course you could do this with any vegan chicken cutlet replacement.

Not a vegan and want to use chicken? I’m not a vegan either but I do like to try plant-based options (still cannot get over these vegan scrambled” eggs” or vegan mac and cheese). But it goes without saying that you can for sure use chicken in this recipe instead if that’s preferable.

One year ago: Sourdough Recipe Roundup

Eight years ago: Review: Classic Snacks Made From Scratch

Nine years ago: Carrot Cake Waffles

Ten years ago: Chocolate Cookies ‘n’ Creme Cookies

VEGAN SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH

Print

Yield: 4 servings Cooking Time: 1 Hours 10 MInutes 1 Hours 10 MInutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SEITAN

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1-1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 cup dairy-free milk
• Chili oil

URFA "MAYO"

• 1/4 cup vegenaise
• 1 tsp urfa pepper flakes*

HONEY-BUTTER

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) vegan butter
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp salt

SANDWICH

• 4 toasted brioche rolls
• Pickled zucchini
• 4 grilled or roasted small red peppers

Directions

1. In a large bowl whisk together vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, garlic, paprika, and salt. Add water and stir until a ball forms. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough comes together and is elastic. Cut into 4 pieces and form into chicken breast shapes. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
2. In a large pot, add the broth, vinegar, and liquid smoke. Place over high heat until boiling, then lower to a simmer. Carefully place the seitan into the broth, ensuring it is covered by the broth (if not, transfer to a smaller pot). Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from pot and let cool enough to touch.
3. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
4. Add the Panko and oil to a 12-inch skillet, stir frequently and toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a wide, shallow dish and allow to cool briefly. In a second shallow dish, mix the flour, cayenne powder, and season with salt and pepper. Finally, add the dairy-milk to a third dish.
5. Pat the seitan dry. Dip in the flour, then the milk, and finally the Panko mixture. Press the Panko onto the chicken to completely coat. Transfer to the prepared wire rack.
6. Brush the tops of the chicken with chili oil, flip and brush the other side. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
7. Assemble sandwich by spreading urfa "mayo" on the bottom bun, place one piece of seitan on top, followed by pickled zucchini, top bun, roasted pepper, and a blob of honey butter. Skewer with a steak knife and serve.

Notes

* Can use regular red pepper flakes.

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This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! Giveaway is sponsored but I did not personally receive any complimentary products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever seen a moldy muffin full of broken glass in the trash that you just had to have? I give you the matcha zucchini muffin disguised for Halloween!

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Nothing like a moss cake or moldy muffin full of glass chards, amiright?

No?

What if I told you they were actually matcha zucchini muffins dressed up and ready for Halloween trick-or-treating? I promise they don’t taste like mold. And that “glass” on top is actually sugar!

I got the idea for these muffins from an old YouTube video that has stuck with me after all these years. Remember the “Shoes” video (another friends and I were thoroughly entertained by in college)? Well he also did one about muffins and it starts out alright until he introduces all kinds of weird flavors, including one with glass in it.

But as usual I couldn’t just stop there, I wanted to make them look moldy too. While the muffins themselves look pretty grossly green thanks to matcha and zucchini (with some white chocolate spores), I wanted to really get that fuzzy mold look. Here comes more matcha and powdered sugar dusted on top with my sugar dusting wand.

These might be the grossest looking things I’ve ever made, but thankfully when it comes to Halloween that’s a win! I’ve never been so proud of something so disgusting looking. Helps that they are indeed tasty breakfast muffins.

While you continue to work on your gag reflex, scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the #HalloweenTreatsWeek giveaway!

Take a look more spooky Halloween recipes from our #HalloweenTreatsWeek Bloggers today: 

Halloween Cookies & Bars:

• Boo Meringues from 4 Sons R Us
• Hocus Pocus Sugar Cookies from For the Love of Food

Halloween Brownies:

• Frosted Frankenstein Brownies from Big Bear’s Wife

Halloween Pies & Tarts:

• Spider Web Chocolate Tart from The Flour Handprint

Halloween Breakfast: 

• Moldy Bits of Glass Muffins (Matcha Muffins) from The Spiffy Cookie

Halloween Drinks:

• Layered Halloween Smoothie from Tastes of Homemade
• Halloween Mimosa from Fresh Coast Eats

Sweet Halloween Treats:

• Halloween Pretzel Treat from Devour Dinner
• Graveyard Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats from JZ Eats
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cups from Sweet ReciPEAS
• Monster Marshmallow Pops from Sweet Beginnings
• Wicked Witch Fudge from Take Two Tapas

Two years ago: Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Butter Thumbprints

Four years ago: Peanut Butter Ricotta Pierogies with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Six years ago: No-Churn Pumpkin Cannoli Ice Cream

Seven years ago: Ghost Chili with Cornbread Topping and Chipotle Creama

MOLDY BITS OF GLASS MUFFINS (MATCHA ZUCCHINI)

Print

Yield: 1 dozen Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

MUFFINS

• 2 cups oats, old-fashioned or quick cooking
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp matcha green tea powder, plus more for garnish
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, for garnish

CANDY GLASS

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 + 2 Tbsp water
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• Candy thermometer

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin-pan cups, or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder and soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat buttermilk, oil, and egg until well blended; stir in shredded zucchini. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture and stir just until the flour mixture is moistened (the batter will be very thick). Stir in white chocolate chips, if using.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, line a baking pan with wax paper or a silicone baking mat.
6. in a medium saucepan add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Insert the candy thermometer and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees.
7. Working quickly and carefully, immediately pour on the prepared baking pan, tilting to spread. Allow it to sit until hardened (about 30 minutes). Once hardened, break into pieces using a mallet.
8. To garnish the muffins, dust the tops with matcha powder, followed by powdered sugar. Then insert pieces of candy glass into the top*.

Notes

* Best served the same day as the candy glass and powdered topping will dissolve over time due to moisture from the muffin. Alternatively, you could assemble later.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Happy Halloween!

Spooky Season is here and it is time for 2020’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event! #HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.

“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”

For the 3rd annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 30 hauntingly talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media.

Plus, don’t forget that we have some great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsor and bloggers this year!

Prize #1 from Dixie Crystals

OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Stainless-Steel Mixing Bowl Set

Prize #2 from Angie at BigBearsWife 

Ninja OP301 Foodi 9-in-1 Pressure, Slow Cooker, Air Fryer and More, with 6.5 Quart Capacity and 45 Recipe Book, and a High Gloss Finish

Prize #3 from Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar

Origami Owl Locket and Halloween Charms

Prize #4 from Kathy at Lemon Blossoms 

6 Quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Prize #5 from Terri at Our Good Life

Young Living’s Thieves Mints ($50 Value)

Pop a Thieves Mint into your mouth for cinnamint-fresh breath after meals. Made with naturally derived ingredients and free of artificial sweeteners, dyes, and preservatives, Thieves Mints are a choice you can feel good about. Created with Young Living’s Thieves essential oil blend, these mints deliver minty coolness with a hint of warm, sugar-free sweetness. Thieves Mints come in a conveniently sized container that is great to take on the go!!

Prize #6 from Julie  at Back To My Southern Roots

1 Copy of  – The Peanuts Family Cookbook: Delicious Dishes for Kids to Make with Their Favorite Grown-Ups

Prize #7 from Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS

1 Copy of her new cookbook “Holy Sweet! 60 Indulgent Recipes for Bigger, Better Desserts”

Prize #8 from Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

1 Copy of her cookbook, “Incredible One-Pot Cooking: Easy, Delicious Recipes for Exciting Meals Without the Mess”

Prize #9 from Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog

1 Copy of “Friends: The Official Cookbook”

Prize #10 from Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer from Take Two Tapas and Michele from West Via Midwest

ONE (1) $75 Amazon gift card

Prize #11 from Shanaka from It’s Shanaka

ONE (1) $25 Amazon gift card

Prize #12 from Ashley from Cheese Curd In Paradise

1 Copy of her cookbook, ” The Serial Killer Cookbook: True Crime Trivia and Disturbingly Delicious Last Meals from Death Row’s Most Infamous Killers and Murderers”

Prize #13 from Amy from House of Nash Eats

ONE (1) $100 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 5th – October 10th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 14 prizes and therefore we will have a total of 14 winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing brand sponsors: Dixie Crystals that provided a prize pack for our giveaways and also sent some samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes. We would also love to give a huge thanks to our Halloween Treats Week bloggers because a lot of them also donated prizes for the giveaways, including:  Angie of BigBearsWife ,  Nicole of Nicole Taggart’s Origami Owl Jewelry Bar, Kathy of Lemon Blossoms,  Terri of Our Good Life,  Julie of Back To My Southern Roots,  Peabody of Sweet ReciPEAS, Megan of Strawberry Blondie Kitchen, Nicole of For the Love of Food Blog, Michaela of An Affair from the Heart, Jennifer of Take Two Tapas , Michele of West Via Midwest, Shanaka of It’s Shanaka, Ashley of Cheese Curd In Paradise, and Amy from House of Nash Eats!

This vegan scrambled tofu looks and feels just like eggs that you might not even know you are eating tofu! Served of a bed of seasoned sweet potato and kale hash.

I love meat. Seems like a strange way to start a post about a Vegan recipe right? But what I’m trying to accomplish by doing so is that despite that statement, I also love Vegan food. I order it more often than I make it (which isn’t saying much as even that isn’t often) but I’m always surprised by the results when I do. I’ve only purposely posted two vegan recipes on my blog (Buckeye pancakes and Macaroons), but have posted a few others that I realized were vegan after the fact (two that come to mind are my lentil skillet and chocolate almond cupcakes minus the frosting)- further proof that just because it’s vegan doesn’t mean it won’t be loved by meat eaters. So when I was asked by Valentina of The Baking Fairy to participate in her #Veganuary event I decided to step up to the challenge. I’ve been slacking lately and needed the creative push, so why not start 2019 with a Vegan recipe?

My first more experimental journey into Vegan cooking was a little while ago at vegan cooking class here in Columbus where we learned to make three recipes, two of which I am sharing combined into one today (the other was a cashew cream used to make a parfait, which was also crazy good and plan to share eventually). Sweet potato hash was nothing new to me, but tossing it in ground flax seed was something I had not yet had before and was very pleasing. The surprise was found in the tofu eggs. Never would I ever thought of replacing scrambled eggs with crumbled tofu but it really is as simple as that because the scrambled tofu truly does texturally resemble eggs and the color added by the seasonings helped solidify the illusion.

Looks for other Vegan recipes to try? Check out the other bloggers sharing Vegan Recipes for #Veganuary:

• Vegan Burrito Bowls with Jackfruit Carnitas by The Baking Fairy
• Baba Ganoush by Lemon Blossoms
• Creamy Vegan Curry Bean Soup by Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Delicata Squash Fries with Chipotle Garlic Dipping Sauce by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Instant Pot Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by The Live-In Kitchen
• Instant Pot Chipotle Sofritas by Herbivore Cucina
• Moroccan Eggplant with Chermoula by Caroline’s Cooking
• Roasted Veggies with Satay Peanut Sauce by Hardly A Goddess
• Scrambled Tofu with Sweet Potato & Kale Hash by The Spiffy Cookie
• Vegan Artichoke Hummus by A Day In The Life On The Farm
• Vegan Baked Oats and Vegetable Bites by Cook With Renu
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwiches by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Vegan Cannellini Rocket Tortilla Pizza by The Fiery Vegetarian
• Vegan Cookie Dough Energy Balls by Veggie Lexi
• Vegan Cranberry Apple Chickpea Salad by Join Us, Pull Up A Chair
• Vegan Fire-Roasted Tomato and Bean Soup by Blogghetti
• Vegan Khoresh Bademjan by Palatable Pastime
• Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff with Tofu by Simple and Savory
• Vegan Superfood Breakfast Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Vegan Thai Roasted Carrots with Peanuts by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Vegan Vanilla Chai Oatmeal by Fairyburger
• Vegetable Chettinad (Vegan Spicy Vegetable Curry) by Flavours Treat

Five years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Cookies

Six years ago: California Quesadillas with Honey-Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Eight years ago: Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies

SCRAMBLED TOFU WITH SWEET POTATO & KALE HASH

Serves 6

Ingredients:

HASH

3 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick half moons

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp ground allspice

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups kale, roughly chopped and tossed in 1 Tbsp olive oil

TOFU

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 sweet onion, finely diced

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Roma tomato, finely diced

1 (14 oz.) pkg firm tofu, crumbled into large pieces

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the olive oil, then sprinkle with flax and seasonings. Spread on prepared baking hsset and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Add kale and bake 5 more minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare the tofu. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Add pepper and onion and saute until lightly caramelized. Add zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute. Add crumbled tofu and seasonings and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve tofu over sweet potato hash.

Source: Adapted slightly from a Zest Juice Co. cooking class.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WonderfulYourWay #CollectiveBias

I love all of the fresh vegetables in pasta primavera. This version incorporates alfredo sauce and chicken for a chicken alfredo-pasta primavera combo that is as delicious as it is easy to make.

Alert: Valentine’s Day is exactly 1 week from today! If you haven’t already made dinner reservations, you better get on that asap. We sometimes will go out for Valentine’s Day but never on the actual day, maybe the day before or after to avoid the crowds. Instead we like to stay in and cook together. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday, that means finding a meal that is not just fitting for the holiday, but also quick and easy to prepare.

We love pasta in our house, but we have also been trying to incorporate more lean meats and vegetables into our diet. So after I picked up a trusty box of Barilla® Classic Blue Box pasta, I also grabbed all the veggies to make a alfredo primavera. This authentic brand is simple yet wholesome, which helps in my desire to create an easy and delicious “Wonderful Your Way” meal for Valentine’s Day. And the availability of perfectly matched, great tasting sauces makes like even easier. Hello garlic alfredo!

So how easy was this dish to throw together? Well, while the pasta boiled in a pot of water, I sauteed the onion and garlic and briefly cooked all the veggies – just enough to warm them up while still retaining their crunch factor. After removing the veggie mixture from the pan, I then seared some chicken breasts lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Once the chicken was cooked and placed on serving plates, I added the alfredo sauce to the same pan to warm it up, followed by the pasta, veggies, and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper and maybe a little bit of the pasta cooking water to reach the preferred sauce consistency and you are done!

Of course don’t forget some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. Then, after your done savoring your meal with your loved one and cleaning up the minimal dishes (hooray!), you’ll have plenty of time left to cuddle on the couch. As an added bonus, there is plenty leftover to enjoy for lunch the next day and I’m a huge fan of leftovers for lunch. And who is going to complain about another serving of primavera?

I hope you make this for Valentine’s Day dinner or your next date night in, I think you will love it! But if you are looking for more Barilla “Wonderful Your Way” recipe inspiration, click HERE.

Two years ago: DIY No Sew Faux Roman Shade

Three years ago: Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup

Four years ago: Lip Balms

Five years ago: Whole Wheat Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Six years ago: Velveeta Chicken & Veggie Mac

CHICKEN ALFREDO PRIMAVERA PENNE

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 onion, fined diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets

1 large carrot, sliced diagonally

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 zucchini, sliced diagonally

1 medium yellow squash, sliced diagonally

1/2 cup frozen peas

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (1 lb.) box Barilla® Classic Blue Box Penne

1 (14.5 oz.) jar Barilla® Garlic Alfredo Sauce

5 basil leaves, finely sliced, plus more for garnish

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add broccoli, carrot, pepper, squash, zucchini, and peas, stir, and cook for only 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
4. Add sauce to the skillet to warm. Stir in basil leaves and then add veggies and pasta. If the sauce seems a little thick, add some of the reserved cooking water. Top with more Parmesan, salt, pepper, and basil to taste.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

These are not your every day stuffed zucchini boats, these are filled with taco meat to change up your next taco Tuesday.

Apparently I like this meal so much that I have already posted a nearly exact recipe on my blog already featuring Manwich – Mexican Manwich Stuffed Zucchini Boats to be exact. I only realized this when I was looking up the two recipes from which I adapted this one and saw the previous one which was also adapted from the same two recipes of mine – Mexican Stuffed Shells and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

I’m losing my mind kids. I’ve been blogging for almost 6 years and I’m starting to forget what has already been done. I almost threw out this post and skipped today but decided to go ahead with it anyway. It’s slightly different and heck I clearly enjoy it enough to keep making it so it’s worth the semi-repeat. It would be great served with a side of Mexican cauliflower rice and if for some reason you dislike Manwich then here’s your alternative.

Two years ago: Blackberry Basil Sparkler

Four years ago: Banana Ice Cream Nutella Sandwiches

MEXICAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini (about 30 oz.)

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp homemade)

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained

1-1/2 cups pico de gallo (or salsa)

1 cup taco sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4″ thick. Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.
3. In a frying pan oven medium heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain grease then stir in taco seasoning and cream cheese. Cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Add black beans and mix well.
4. Pour pico de gallo on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each zucchini shell with the meat mixture and place zucchini in the prepared pan. Drizzle the taco sauce over the top, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions and sour cream.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Mexican Stuffed Shells and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats.

These Greek stuffed peppers are a fantastic alternative to the tradition stuffed pepper. Packed with tons of flavor thanks to spices from Spiced Pantry!

Have you heard about Spiced Pantry? It’s a new food subscription box that takes your taste buds on a tour around the world! Their monthly global foodie box features a different world cuisine including 4 pantry ingredients (think spices, unique grains, legumes) and 4 recipes needed to make the region’s food. It costs a bit more than other spice boxes I’ve tried ($19/month) but you actually receive enough ingredients to make each recipe 2-3 times instead of just once, maybe twice, which is awesome because I definitely want to revisit the recipes I tried and may also get creative with my own recipes.

I got to try out the Greek spice box which included uncooked peponaki (resembles orzo), Athens spice blend, Greek oregano, and mahlab (powdered cherry seeds), and recipes to make chicken souvlaki, stuffed peppers, salad, and braided cookies. Talk about one heck of a meal! I wanted to make them all at once but decided to just do the stuffed peppers and braided cookies for starters and save the rest for another day. Thank goodness I did because these peppers were actually quite filling! They were stuffed with cooked peponaki, zucchini, tomato, onion, feta, and the Athens and oregano spices. Great vegetarian option, but I am tempted to try them with less peponaki next time in order to add in some ground lamb. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

As for the cookies, they incorporated the mahlab spice which I had never heard of until receiving it in this box – which is the whole point, trying new things! Just a teaspoon was used in these shortbread-like cookies which my boyfriend and I made together and had fun rolling and twisting the dough into the braided shapes. It made a little under 3 dozen so I brought a few to work and they were a huge hit. I am bringing the rest to TN this weekend to share with my friends!

After this delicious meal, I absolutely cannot wait to make the souvlaki served with the salad next. I don’t think my Greek-craving taste buds can ever be fully satisfied and I kind of wish I could get Greek boxes every single month! But other cuisines are tasty as well and I look forward to trying some more. Want to sign up and try it for yourself? Use SPIFFYCOOKIE5 and it will give you $5 off your first box (valid through July 16, 2016). It’d make a great Father’s Day present ;-).

One year ago: Oven-Fried Granola Chicken Tacos with Mango Crema

Two years ago: Greek Hummus Dip with Homemade Pita Chips

Three years ago: Breakfast Stromboli

Five years ago: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

GREEK STUFFED PEPPERS

Serves 5

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked peponaki (or orzo)

5 medium bell peppers, assorted colors, tops sliced off and seeds removed

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)

1 (15 oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained and diced

1-1/2 tsp Athens spice blend (or other Greek spice blend)

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus more for serving

3/4 cup water

Tzatziki sauce, for serving (I used homemade)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add peponaki and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large pan of medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini and cook 4 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes, Athens spice, and oregano and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peponaki and feta.
4. Place the peppers in a 2.5 quart baking dish. Divide filling equally between the peppers, replace lids, and pour water into the bottom of the dish.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated and the peppers are starting to brown. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Source: Spiced Pantry

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was just excited to try it out and was provided a complementary box. As such, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.

Don’t make the same boring zucchini bread. Give it more flair with the addition of pineapple, cranberries, coconut, and walnuts!

After a fairly mild winter thus far, temps dropped drastically last night. And right on time, the thermostat decided to throw a hissy fit and we woke up to a 55 degree house with 10 degree temps outside this morning. I remained in my cocoon complete with kitty cuddles as long as I could before subjecting myself to the world outside of my bed. I then proceeded to wrap myself in the comforter and skillfully dressed myself beneath it.

The one thing I do enjoy about colder temps is baking the day away, hovering near the warm oven. During the summer it’s a battle but during the winter it’s tempting to leave it on all day and sit in front of it like a fireplace. Heck I already sit in front of it like it’s a fireplace, as I sit on the floor with my face plastered to the oven window and watch the magic happen. Sometimes I don’t act like I’m 30 and I find nothing wrong with that.

As for the zucchini bread, this recipe was sent to me by my mom after she raved about it. She made it several times over the holidays and both loaves would always quickly disappear. I successfully replicated this disappearing act on my friends over the holidays as well, and now I am spreading the love to you! Filled with shredded zucchini, crushed pineapple, cranberries and optional walnuts and coconut.

Three years ago: Homemade Eggnog

Four years ago: Lasagna Soup with Ricotta Bread

Five years ago: Pumpkin Pancakes

PINEAPPLE CRANBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, juice squeezed out

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup coconut (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, pineapple, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. Fold in the cranberries, nuts, and coconut.
4. Divide batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
5. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Mom.

Items you may need (affiliate links):

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeamPizza #CollectiveBias #cbias

Move over pasta salad and make room for this veggie salad. You will forget the noodles are made from zucchini when paired with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto.

It’s the first recipe post of the new year and I am finally revealing one of my favorite spiralized recipes – zucchini pesto caprese salad! I actually first made this early on in the college football season and since it was a huge hit at the tailgate, I made sure to put it on the menu for bowl game season along with a Red Baron Classic Crust Supreme pizza and an Edwards Oreo pie that I picked up at Walmart. Because who says you can’t have some good veggies with your pizza while watching the big game?

I hosted a viewing party on New Years day to cheer on my favorite poisonous nuts and normally I’m a fan of setting up a top-your-own pizza bar with homemade dough. But being the day after staying up all night to welcome in the New Year, on top of recovering from a cold, I wasn’t really into the idea of spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Since I’ve always enjoyed Red Baron pizzas dating back to when I was a kid it was an easy decision.

But the hostess in me couldn’t serve everything out of a box, no matter how delicious it is, so I made my zoodle caprese salad figuring that some veggies to pair with the pizza would be appreciated. While my friends and I like to eat, we try to balance it out with some healthy option and this salad happens to be delicious and incredibly easy to put together. After creating the zucchini noodles with my spiralizer, I added little mozzarella pearls, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and tossed it all in homemade pesto that I always have on hand. Pesto just makes everything better and you can even add a drizzle of balsamic to seal the seal. It’s easy to forgot that the noodles are made of zucchini.

That Oreo pie by the way? Total winner. People were eyeing it from the start and jumped on it the moment it was sliced. It tasted like frozen whipped topping mixed with Oreos and cream cheese and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Many said it tasted exactly like they had hoped it would. It didn’t stand a chance and disappeared as quickly as it was placed on table.

Three years ago: Baby Chicken Fingers with Apple

Four years ago: Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Five years ago: Homemade Vanilla Extract

SPIRALIZED ZUCCHINI PESTO CAPRESE SALAD

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. (2 medium) zucchini squash

8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls, drained

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 Tbsp fresh minced basil

1/4 cup basil pesto (I used homemade)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Balsamic glaze, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut zucchini into noodle-shaped strands using a spiralizer or mandoline. Place “zoodles” in a large bowl and add mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Pour pesto over the mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Marinate salad in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Serve topped with a drizzle of balsamic if desired.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original.

Skip the take-out and make your own fried rice at home using whatever vegetables and protein you have on hand. But the secret ingredient to perfect fried rice? Dark soy sauce!

While you stare lovingly at this bowl of fried rice, I am flying high in the sky. Literally, I am flying back to the west coast today followed by a ferry ride to the San Juan islands off the coast of Seattle. And yes, this is the trip that I have gone on and on about for the past few months now. As such I will be taking a brief hiatus from the blog other than today and Sunday. Normally I plan ahead and either have guest posts lined up or simply spend tons of time in the kitchen to have posts lined up during my absence, but with all the traveling this summer I’ve pretty much used up my backlog of recipes. But for now, let’s talk about this rice.

While living in Memphis, Qing used to bring in Chinese noodles or fried rice every month or so much to our delight. Her fried rice rivaled any I’ve ever had before and I constantly asked her to teach me how to make it. At first she used to say I had to come over and watch her cook it as she didn’t really measure anything, and trust me I was prepared to do just that. But one day she managed to keep track of what she did on that particular occasion and now here we are. The best thing about fried rice is that you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand: eggplant, peppers, onion, carrot, broccoli, kale, etc. The most important part however is getting your hands on some dark soy sauce. While you can just use regular soy sauce, I promise it’s worth the hunt to find the dark stuff.

P.S. Don’t forget to check back on Sunday for the best summer popsicle recipe ever!

One year ago: Crispy Peanut Tofu & Cauliflower Fried Rice

Two years ago: Salted Nutella Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

CHINESE FRIED RICE

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp peanut or other neutral cooking oil

1 small head of broccoli, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 zucchini, diced

1 green onion, diced

1 tsp garlic-chili sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup dark soy sauce, divided

Asian BBQ pork or other cooked protein (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the egg and cook until scrambled. Remove from skillet, place in a large bowl, and set aside.
2. To the same skillet add one tablespoon of oil. Add broccoli, celery, carrot, and zucchini, garlic-chili sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add green onion and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from skillet and add to large bowl.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the cooked rice, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes or until soy sauce is absorbed. Stir in vegetable mixture, protein (if using), and remaining soy sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Source: Qing

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