Instructions

1. Place ground pork, egg, garlic, green onion, yellow onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, baking soda, salt and ground pepper in a large mixing bowl. 
2. With a spatula or your hands (I like to use my hands), mix all of the ingredients together until you get a uniform and well-combined filling. 
3. To assemble the dumpling wrappers, set aside a bowl of water. Put a tbsp. of the filling into the middle of the wrapper. 
4. Using your finger, dip it into the water and brush the edges of the wrapper. Make 4-6 pleats down the right side of the dumpling, giving a gentle pinch with each pleat. 
5. Cook the dumplings
1. Steamed dumplings: While wrapping the dumplings, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, place the bamboo steamer on top of the pot. Let the dumplings steam in the bamboo steamer for 15 minutes. 
2. Potstickers:  In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Carefully place dumplings in the pan, flat-side down. Pan-fry dumplings for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup cold water all at once and immediately cover pan. Reduce heat to medium and allow dumplings to steam for 5 minutes. Uncover pan and pan-fry for another 2-3 minutes, until bottoms dumplings are golden brown and crisp. 
6. Serve alongside a dipping sauce and enjoy! :)

If you can't tell by now, I absolutely adore Italian food. Lasagna is one of my favorites. Instead of going the traditional route on this classic dish, I've swapped out tomato for cream and ground beef for chicken. This dish is packed with cheesy garlic flavor. The cream sauce, mozzarella, garlic chicken layered between strips of al dente pasta makes this dish irresistible. If you're a cheese lover, you'll definitely fall in love with this dish.





I wish I could say that this was quick to make, but it really wasn't. However, it's the type of dish that can last you an entire week, and I assure you that you won't get tired of it. Also, it's super impressive to bring this to any potluck or dinner party. Trust me, your guests will LOVE it. I served this dish to my friends while we were studying for finals on the weekend, and they really enjoyed it. Without further ado, let's whip this delicious lasagna up so we can enjoy this delicious comfort food along with a new episode of The Bachelorette together!

White Chicken Lasagna 
Yield: 15 Servings

Ingredients
For Lasagna:
12 sheets lasagna noodles
4 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
1 tbsp. butter
10 oz. mushrooms; sliced
2 garlic cloves; minced
10 oz. spinach; cooked and squeezed dry
2 cup mozzarella; shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese; shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella; shredded
1/4 cup basil; roughly chopped

For Cream Sauce:
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 garlic cloves; minced
1/2 small onion; diced
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
4 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup parmesan; shredded
1 cup mozzarella; shredded
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/8 cup fresh basil; chopped

Instructions

1. Lightly salt a pot of water and bring the water to a boil. Place the lasagna noodles into the pot and cook until it reaches al dente (10 minutes). 
2. On a skillet, heat 1 tbsp. butter and add minced garlic. Once garlic starts to soften, cook the chicken thighs on medium high heat until cooked all the way through. With a fork, shred the chickem into smaller pieces. Set the chicken aside. 
3. With the same skillet, cook the sliced mushrooms for 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Mushrooms are completely cooked when the mushrooms have released all its moisture, reached a golden brown color, and shrunk in size. 
4. For the sauce, melt the butter and add onion and garlic in a small pot. Once the garlic and onion start to soften, mix the flour to form a rue.
5. Pour the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir until sauce begins to thicken. 
6. Add the cream cheese. Mix until it is completely melted into the sauce. Remove pot from heat. 
7. Add shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, and basil. Stir well until everything is emulsified and melted. 
8. Assemble the lasagna. 
1. Lay out three sheets of lasagna noodle for base layer. 
2. Scatter shredded chicken, spinach, and mushroom evenly.
3. Scatter small spoonfuls of ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
4. Pour half of cream sauce over the cheese layer and spread evenly.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for next layer. 
6. Put final three sheets of lasagna noodle on top. 
7. Finish with a 1/2 cup of mozzarella spread evenly on top. Add chopped basil and parsley.
9. Cover lasagna dish with aluminum foil. Bake the lasagna at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. 
10. Remove the aluminum foil covering and cook for an additional 25 minutes. 
11. Cut evenly into square pieces. Serve and enjoy! :)

Instructions 

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. 
2. Create a small well with the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the olive oil and warm water into the well. 
3. Using a spatula/wooden spoon, incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together. 
4. Slowly add another 1/2 cup of flour while mixing the ingredients. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of flour. It will get more and more difficult to incorporate. 
5. Once it gets too difficult to stir with a spatula, use your hands to knead the dough. Add any remaining flour if you feel that the dough is too wet. 
6. You will know when you're almost done kneading the dough if it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. The dough should form into a smooth ball. 
7. Drizzle the bowl with olive oil and coat the ball of dough with olive oil.
8. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for at least 2 hours. 
9. While you are waiting for the dough to proof, work on the tomato sauce. In a pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and onion. Sautee the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden and the onion is translucent and soft. 
10. Add the can of tomato puree into the pot. Mix in the oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. 
11. Allow the pot of tomato sauce to be heated on medium until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat once it reaches the simmering stage. Finish the sauce off with a drizzle of olive oil.
12. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
13. Once the dough has risen, gently deflate it and remove from the bowl. On a floured surface, shape your pizza dough with your hands or a rolling pin. Create a crust by pinching the edges of the dough or folding it over
14. Transfer the dough to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
15. With a fork, pierce the dough in the center to prevent any bubbling of the dough when baking the pizza. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil. 
16. Add the tomato sauce and desired toppings*. 
17. Place the pizza into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the toppings are golden brown. 
18. Slice the pizza. Serve and enjoy! :) 

• Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Pepperoni, Olives, Peppers, Mushrooms, Fresh Basil
• Pesto Sauce, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Fresh Basil

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Butter your loaf tin or tray to prevent sticking. Sprinkle some sugar over the buttered tray. 
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas together until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar and sour cream. 
4. Once the liquid ingredients are thoroughly combined, stir in the all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until well-combined. 
5. Gently fold in walnuts and chocolate chips into the mixture. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tray/tin.
7. Pop the tray/tin into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. To check that it is fully cooked, take a toothpick and insert it into the center of the tin/tray. If it comes out clean, it's ready to eat. 
8. Serve the banana bread with fresh whipped cream and enjoy! :)

This week, I have been trying something new. I started a meat-less diet. It was unintentional, but I'm glad that it turned out this way. This whole vegetarianism thing has forced me to be more creative in the kitchen. I had only started this whole diet because I ran out of chicken, and I was too lazy to go to the Albertsons across my apartment complex to get some (plus, Albertsons is expensive!!). After going on this meatless stint, I realized that it wasn't as hard as I thought. So now, I am entertaining this idea of implementing more vegan-friendly meals to my diet. When I took a community college class my senior year of high school, my professor showed me Cowspiracy in an effort to scare me into veganism. It did not work, but I was more aware about how my food choices affected the environment. While I probably won't be giving up chicken for good anytime soon, I am going to try to add more sustainable-friendly meals.



Not too long ago, my sister got me a spiralizer for my birthday. I have been dying to try it out, and I finally convinced myself to take that leap of faith and try spiralizing my zucchini. I'm glad that I did. I've never had zoodles before, but I think it's a perfect substitute for pasta if you're looking for a low-carb meal. The coolest thing about this dish is that it is vegan too! Yes, vegan food can be delicious. Similarly, if you are not a big fan of zoodles or tofu, just replace it with pasta and chicken (not vegan-friendly options).



The creamy peanut sauce truly brings this dish together. There's a hint of spiciness which I believe adds a really nice kick to it. Additionally, I did not cook the zoodles. Zoodles can get very soggy when cooked, so it is best to serve it cold and toss it in the sauce. The tofu is pan-fried to a golden color and slightly crispy. If prepared right, tofu can be really delicious. For this recipe, I used extra firm cubed tofu that I found at the grocery store! I had friends who were super against eating tofu, but I'm sure that with a dish like this, it will change their minds.

Creamy Peanut Zoodles
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
For peanut sauce:
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. garlic chili pepper paste
1 garlic clove; minced

For zoodles:
1 large zucchini
14 oz. tofu; cubed
Olive oil; for cooking
Sesame seeds; garnish
Green onion; garnish

Instructions 

1. Mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil until well-combined. 
2. Then, add garlic chili paste and garlic love to the sauce. Adjust amount of soy sauce and chili paste based on how salty and spicy you want the sauce to be! 
3. Spiralize the zucchini. Place the spiralized zucchini in a large bowl and pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. If you are not serving immediately, put the spiralized zuchinni in the fridge. 
4. In a medium frying pan on medium-high heat, pour a small amount of olive oil to the pan. Once it has reached desired temperature, fry the cubed tofu until it has a golden color. 
5. When the tofu is golden brown, add half of the peanut sauce that was created earlier to the pan. Quickly coat the cubed tofu in the peanut sauce. 
6. Cook until the sauce has evaporated. You will be left with brown bits of sauce that have clung onto the tofu. 
7. Take out the zoodles from the fridge. With the remaining half of the sauce, pour it on top of the zoodles and gently toss. 
8. Add the warm tofu on top. Garnish the dish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve and enjoy :)