Grubarazzi

Although I love making protein smoothies for breakfast (like my Mango Kale Smoothie with Coconut and Mint ), sometimes a girl needs something hot and substantial in the morning. Especially before a two hour sweat session at the gym (nothing is more motivating than preparing to be a bridesmaid in two weddings in four months). And nothing satisfies me more than potatoes and eggs. The perfect solution: a healthy and satisfying sweet potato hash with zucchini, red peppers, and runny yolks. It’s a quick meal with perfect nutrients for one, or simply up the ingredients to feed a crowd. Quick Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs is fake out healthy comfort food with three servings of vegetables and tons of protein. It really can’t be beat. The trick to making this a healthy hash is by using just a little bit of your favorite fat while utilizing a nonstick skillet with a lid, and a splash of water to cook the sweet potatoes evenly. Throw the sweet potatoes in first, allow the water to evapo...

Would you like to know my deep dark secret? My greatest accomplishment in the kitchen was the day I learned how to hard boil an egg. After years of breaking egg whites as I painstakingly shed away at the evil shell, and cursing the heavens every time I got one unpeeled only to discover a green rim around the yolk, I finally figured it out. Nothing beats slicing open a warm egg to find a soft and billowy yellow yolk… to stuff in my face. Sometimes, the easiest things are the hardest to master. Which brings me to my next greatest achievement: making a perfect deviled egg. A good deviled egg can be made with as little as 4 ingredients: eggs, mayonnaise, relish, and paprika. But a perfect deviled egg requires a little more love and creativity. Take Mario Batali’s riff on a classic Hellmann's® recipe called Fiery Chipotle Deviled Eggs . Batali punches up the flavor by adding chipotle hot sauce, spicy mustard, cilantro, and celery salt. And wow, they are good! When I was a...

Nothing is more comforting than a soft, hot cakey muffin jam-packed with apples and spices. After being knocked on my tuckus from the flu this week, I was in dire need of some coziness from the kitchen. I will go to my death bed (and I came close this week) proclaiming that I am not a baker. My man is gifted with the baking gene, and when the holidays come he whips out his natural skills and bakes away. The one year we baked together my pumpkin pies turned out like hockey pucks. You might ask who can screw up the easiest pie in the world. That would be me.  I do the cooking. After establishing this fact I was still glaring at a conundrum: a huge pile of fresh apples looking right back at me. Something must be done. How dare they stare at me with those cute little cheeks!  My husband ran down the stairs to a kitchen filled with flour, sugar, spices, pumpkin and diced apples and exclaimed “Awww! You are baking!”   I grimaced, sniff...

Bacon inspires me. When there is cured pork belly at my abode it’s an all-out gastronomic show down. This week it's been used in gratines, chili, and now a fluffy frittata.   A frittata is essentially a quiche sans crust, and it is an easy yet deceiving dish. Many of my past attempts have been served directly from the pan. Not because I found it appealing, but because they wouldn’t budge.The secret to a smooth ride out of the pan is bacon drippings. Oh yes.  Follow the steps below for a flawless performance in the kitchen… just don’t skip the bacon, for cryin’ out loud! Bacon, Spinach & Mushroom Frittata 12 large eggs 1 tsp. cold water ½ cup pecorino Romano cheese (just as good without the cheese) 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. garlic powder 4 slices thick cut bacon 2 cups steak cut mushrooms ½ red onion, thinly sliced 5 cups baby spinach ½ cup ricotta cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees...