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Roasted Shrimp, Red Bell Pepper & Mozzarella Salad

This salad is simple but layers big, bold flavor with fast-cooking, juicy roasted shrimp, charred, sweet bell peppers, and cool, creamy, torn mozzarella so every bite is just a touch indulgent! Plus a few meaty, salty olives thrown in for good measure, all tossed together in a bright, gently sweet balsamic vinaigrette with citrus and coriander. All the yummy bits and bobs to fill you up but keep you feeling nice and light – aka, a salad totally worthy of the #giantwoodenbowl!

PS. Update on how to get this wooden bowl coming very soon!!

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Rigatoni With Fresh Sungold Tomato Sauce

I wish I could take credit for how unbelievably delicious this liquid gold pasta sauce is, but it’s really just nature showing off with the perfect balance of sweet Sungold tomatoes, garlic, onion, and plenty of olive oil! Plus a splash of something extra…

The best part is that it is so easy to make! Hot tip: grab ripe Sungold tomatoes now while they’re still in season and make a bunch of this sauce to freeze for gloriously easy meals to come – you (and your kids) will drink it right up, so make extra! 

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Whole Grilled Branzino

Presenting one of the lightest, easiest, most flavorful, and most magnificent ways to cook fish — and my absolute favorite: Whole Grilled Branzino!

Mediterranean sea bass (branzino) is a flaky, white fish that is meaty and mild, and I love how crispy and salty the skin gets on the grill — stuffing with garlic, fresh herbs, red onion, and lemon keeps everything extra juicy! Stick around to the end of the video to see how easy it is to de-bone, but we usually just serve them whole for an utterly mermaid-ready experience — especially if you light a bonfire and grill beachside!

Suggested pairing: tender lettuce salad, roasted potatoes, or crusty baguette with a little olive oil and salt, and a cold beer or verdicchio, soaking up the final days of summer fun!

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Sizzling Garlic Shrimp with Tomato Toast

Tender shrimp in sizzling garlic-chile oil, served with a side of grilled bread rubbed with more garlic and tomato! Otherwise known as Gambas al Ajillo and Pan Con Tomate! One bite and I am transported back to a magical trip to Barcelona John and I took before kids where we spent long days wandering the city on foot, taking in all the Gaudi, cooling down with chilled bowls of gazpacho and glasses of Verdejo wine. We sat  by the beach and ate the famous toasted, broken Fideua pasta paella (bathed in the freshest seafood and sometimes little flecks of spiced chorizo, too) after breakfast sandwiches filled with nutty, rich slices of Iberico ham.

And then I discovered the heavenly combo I’m showing you today at a restaurant called Paco Meralgo, where their speciality is simple, traditional meals done to perfection. This is my attempt to recreate that magic (always with a few twists of my own), and the best part is that this ultra-flavorful meal only takes about 15 minutes to cook, which is why it’s one of our favorites for fast meals all year long and especially when the weather is too hot to be near the oven for long!

See this recipe come to life on my IGTV.

Summer Candy Salad

One of my favorite summer snacks is sweet, cold watermelon with creamy, salty feta, and a splash of olive oil. It’s light and hydrating on a hot afternoon, and that sweet/salty combo is just so tantalizing — but I didn’t think you needed to see a whole recipe on such a simple dish, so this Summer Candy Salad is an ode to that perfect combo! I expand on it with a few more sun-ripened gems you might find cropping up at your farm stand right now (sungolds! cucumbers!), some chickpeas to fill you up, a scattering of pita chips for some lovely crunch, and an easy lemon-honey vinaigrette to tie it all together. Goes beautifully with grilled lamb chops, kofte burgers, roast chicken, or simply on it’s own!

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Grilled Chicken Tacos

I lose my mind for tacos! Let’s make one of my favorite, easy combinations – a juicy, spiced chicken breast, chopped and added to a soft tortilla with the crunchiest of creamy, smoky-spicy chipotle cabbage slaw! A little bit of avocado to mute the heat and squeeze of fresh lime juice makes the whole situation seriously sublime. These are some of our summer entertaining standbys because everything can easily be made as a big batch – or just as easily for a party of 1 or 2. And make extra! The chicken is so flavorful and keeps really well for throwing into salads the rest of the week.

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American French Girl Salad

Inspired by the deliciously simple, ridiculously satisfying salad of shredded carrots, parsley, lemon, and olive oil I love to snack on in Paris cafes! I decided to add a few more of my favorite sweet, crunchy root veg, smashed chickpeas, and a couple soft-boiled eggs to help fill me up and make the Citrus-Caper Shallot Vinaigrette extra glossy. And then I may have added everything bagel seasoning! This is my kind of health food!

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Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Lucious, golden brown, crispy on the outside, and so melting and tender on the inside – cauliflower is the vegetable that eats like a steak! I LOVE roasting a whole head because the presentation is seriously impressive, plus slicing off casual hunks smothered in yummy chile herb tahini sauce is just so hedonistic.

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Roasted Chicken Salad with Walnut & Pistachio Vinaigrette

It’s a new BIG bowl salad, friends!! And this one makes my mouth water every time I think about it. Nutty and crunchy and fresh and filling, layered with golden brown roasted chicken (spatchcock-style!! It cooks in 45 minutes with gloriously juicy meat and crispy skin) and fried shallots. Inspired by my memories of the Roasted Chicken Salad at the Faena Miami Hotel, let’s get in the kitchen and go on vacation!

See this recipe come to life on my IGTV.