Italian

Presto Pesto that’s Vegan, Oil, and Nut Free!

February 9, 2017 By Milen Gala

Let’s talk about quick and easy meal planning…. Come on, pull up a chair, I’ll serve you some tea…

Every day for me just seems to get busier. I mean with 2 funny kids, an awesome husband, no nanny to speak of, a house, laundry, bills, paperwork, being a school board member, and chairing two separate committees I seriously feel like I have no time!

And yet, I’m unwilling to compromise on how my family eats. I still want to feed them really healthy, home cooked meals 5 days a week.

Do you feel the same? Okay then let’s talk about how we can make that happen!…

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

February 3, 2016 By Milen Gala

I think the mark of becoming a grown up was when I started making my own pasta sauce… This probably happened for me after I got married and decided I had to start growing up. I used to live on jarred pasta sauces, and late night take out, in my college years, so thanks to my (much better cook and chef) husband I who taught me how easy it is to make pasta sauce from scratch, I realize how much better pasta tastes with sauce from scratch!
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Kale and Pea Pesto with Oven Roasted Tomatoes

March 25, 2015 By Milen Gala

If you haven’t already guessed it I’m going to let you in on a little secret. My hubby’s favorite food in the whole world is… pasta!

Yup, he likes pasta so much that I swear he should have been born Italian. He’s one to fully admit that he is a pasta loving herbivore… There is something about the belly filling, carb loading, endless sauce and veggie combinations dish for him. It’s a complete meal, served hot, in a bowl, just the way he likes it.

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Brussels Sprout-Kale Pesto Pasta with Toasted Pistachio Crumble

February 22, 2015 By Milen Gala

Just when I thought pasta couldn’t get any better, I discovered the magic that is Brussels sprouts.

I know you are thinking the same thing I am… Yup! How can Brussels sprouts get any tastier?

Well, let me tell you… If there ever was a doubt about the deliciousness of these perfect little cruciferous vegetables, this recipe will blow any of that doubt out of the water.

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Creamy Dreamy “Macaroni & Cheese”

February 27, 2014 By Milen Gala

We just got back from a fabulous week in Cancun, Mexico. Each day, after playing in the water and getting fantastic farmer’s tans while wearing their rash guards all morning, the kids ordered lunch poolside. A huge serving of amazingly rich, creamy macaroni and cheese with a side of french fries and veggies. (Yes, I let them eat french fries once in a while, and even ice cream…) The mac n’ cheese was soooo good it was hard or any of us “adults” to resist diving in and stealing a few bites for ourselves…

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Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Rabe, Harissa & Mint

September 27, 2013 By Milen Gala

All too often, we look askance at yet another pasta recipe. Typically, because your average online pasta recipe is an attractive, visually appealing, tapestry of color but ultimately, a mildly disappointing, somewhat mediocre and insipid plate. Well, this is a dish that may change your mind when it comes to the perception of pasta recipes.

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Gnocchi Alla Romana

May 3, 2013 By Milen Gala

Last week V and I had dinner at Ethan Stowell’s famed Roman-inspired restaurant, Rione XIII in Seattle. It was an amazing meal paired with great wine and the star dish that evening was undoubtedly the boldly flavorful and intensely satisfying Gnocchi Alla Romana…the best I have ever eaten….

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Mushroom and Herb Polenta

February 19, 2013 By Milen Gala

For the past few weeks we have been dealing with a case of the flu (yes, we did get the flu shot) and pink eye (yes, pink eye) between the two kids. I’m convinced that sending our children to school is a recipe for 40 viral illnesses by 8 years of age. Really?… 40?… Friends tell us that that’s the magic dose; the magic number of colds, flus, other viral and bacterial contaminations, infections, epidemics… whatever we want to call it, to get our immune system revved up to deal with the next 8 decades.

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Risotto Alla Zucca

December 17, 2012 By Milen Gala

One morning in Tuscany, we took a day trip into the hills above Florence to a renowned private vineyard, where we met a member of the Contini Bonacossi Noble Family (owners of the art work in the eponymous private gallery at the Uffizi). After touring the vineyards, olive tree orchards, wine cellars and olive oil refinery of the Tenuta di Capezzana Estate, we had the the pleasure of joining their private chef to prepare a vegetarian version of a traditional Tuscan meal, and later enjoyed lunch with the family.

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Tuscan Ribollita

December 5, 2012 By Milen Gala

A few days in Tuscany, in the rolling hills of Chianti, amidst orchards of olive trees and vineyards dating back to the Middle Ages, can be magical…a time to pause, relax, reflect and enjoy the simplicity of rustic Italian cuisine paired with sensational, deep and earthy wines.

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