Ever since I was little, I always loved being in the kitchen with my mom. Sitting at the counter, working on homework, talking the night away…but I never quite made my way in front of the stove. As I got older, and actually had to start cooking for myself, I didn’t really understand the appeal of repeat recipes that my mom raved about. I was alone, it was taking a while, and my skills weren’t producing anything…let’s just say…”extraordinary”.
Cooking can be intimidating. And overwhelming. And…a lot of work! But what I didn’t know about cooking, though, was that it’s more than just putting food on a table and eating it (of course, that’s one of the best parts…but stay with me here). It’s about the experience, from start to finish, and that’s the one thing I was really missing. I wasn’t enjoying myself!
So, when I left school for home and finally found time to make things that excited me (alongside my mom who is clearly a great source of motivation), I was officially hooked! And that’s not to say that you need a buddy in the kitchen like I have these days, you just need a good playlist (we love our Google Nest Hub for our music) an excitement for the project to come, and maybe a glass of wine or two.
Now, my days aren’t complete without planning a recipe and getting my hands dirty in the kitchen. There’s just something about knowing that for the next two hours or so there’s nothing else you need to tackle besides that recipe. It’s a great creative outlet and a huge stress-reliever, at least for me.
First steps…
If you’ve been a little apprehensive about any of the recipes we’ve posted prior to these, first and foremost, don’t be, secondly, this is the post for you! The best part about cooking is that there’s always room for error, and even in making mistakes, you can discover something amazingly unexpected. Seriously, some of our most-made repeat recipes came from happy accidents (i.e. my most notable “happy accident” at the ripe age of 8 or so with Lemon Chicken, recipe below!).
I’ve made (and loved!) countless recipes, but these three I’m going to feature today have been consistent favorites of mine and I’m so excited to share them all with you. Easy, delicious, and super fun to put together. Plus, all three of these are insanely simple to adapt. There’s a reason they’ve been my go-to’s over the years, and that’s because they are so customizable to whatever you have on hand! If you think it’ll taste good as a substitute for an ingredient you’re missing, it probably will.
Okay, let’s dive in!
I’d like to introduce you to one of my all-time-favorites ever since I was little…Chicken in Lemon Cream and Penne. The perfect balance between comfort food and something exciting, it’s creamy and lemony, with just a hint of spice. Well, a little more than a hint. Remember when I mentioned the whole “happy accidents” thing? Well, when I first (very first) ventured into the kitchen with my mom as a young 8 year-old or so, we were making this exact recipe. I was so excited to contribute and help out wherever I could, and my mom, which she regretted at the time, gave me the job of adding in the cayenne pepper.
From what I can remember, and in a second, you’ll understand why things would be a little fuzzy, the safety part of the cayenne jar popped out and I accidentally dumped in WAY more cayenne than the recipe called for. To make matters worse, when it fell into the pot, the pepper dust flew in a cloud all over my hands, eyes, nose, and mouth. While my mom was worried the dinner was ruined, we had to flush out every part of my face in the half-bath sink. Well, back to the happy accidents, she ended up tasting the recipe after I recovered and loved the additional kick.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tsp herbes de provence
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 lemon (zest of)
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off excess oil from pan. Drain.
- Add the chicken broth the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any bits with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta, chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.
You know those recipes that feel like nostalgia in a bite? That’s this Broccoli and Bow Ties recipe from Ina Garten (a repeat-recipe if i’ve ever heard of one!). It’s fresh and simplistic and tastes like a cozy night in when you were younger. I love to make this on the fly if there’s ever a time I need something vegetarian but also want something filling. The broccoli, cheese, and lemon come together so well in this dish, and of course you don’t have to use bow ties if you don’t have them (or if you’re GF…i’m still waiting for bow ties to be created), but the fun pasta shape does wonders in the happy-memory-department.
Broccoli & Bow Ties
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
- 1 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp good olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
- freshly grated Parmesan, optional
Instructions
- Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
- In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.
- Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.
- To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for about 5 minutes, until light brown.
Lily, my youngest sister, was a home cook LONG before I would consider myself to be one. When she frequented the kitchen with my mom, they came up with a meal that simultaneously satisfied her picky-palate and wow-ed the rest of us. This stir fry is honestly super customizable and circles around the things you have most on hand. Lily’s biggest note to date on this recipe, though, is to “make it like Tess did that one time”. The secret to “Tess’s Way” is just adding the teriyaki and soy sauce into the pan pretty early on while the chicken is cooking and continue incorporating from there. Cook the chicken until it reduces in size and is full of saucy flavor! With the addition of the rice, veggie of your choice, and delicious onions…it’s delicious and exactly what stir fry should be – simple.
Lily’s Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 tbsp teriyaki
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to your spice preference)
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 red bell peppers (or any veggie you like!)
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the cubed chicken and onion, tossing it around the pan occasionally. Once the chicken is no longer pink, slowly incorporate the teriyaki and soy sauce, making sure to let it cook down before adding more. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and add salt to taste. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice. Add the diced bell peppers (or vegetable of your choice) to the rice once it's. ready to be fluffed. Use a fork to combine the two.
- Place the chicken overtop the rice and pepper mixture in a bowl and enjoy!
