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

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 :) 

Recently, I went to the food pantry at my school. They always have these big sweet potatoes, and I just love stocking up on them in my apartment. Sweet potatoes are my new favorite ingredient, and they can be used in so many different ways. I have made gnocchi before, but I decided to add a little twist by using sweet potato instead of the traditional russet potato.



Let's just say, I am in love. It's golden and crispy on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. There's a subtle sweetness to it that you just can't get with regular potatoes. Plus, isn't the color to die for?! I just love how bright and beautiful this dish is. The gnocchi can be served as a main course or a side dish. I serve this alongside my Red Grape Arugula Sala which makes this a delicious and filling meal.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi 
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
2-8 ounce sweet potatoes
1 egg
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3tbsp. butter
6 garlic cloves
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. oregano
Salt; to taste
Pepper; to taste

Instructions

1. In a pot, fill it with water and place it on medium-high heat. Lightly salt the water and bring it to a boil. 
2. Place the sweet potatoes in the pot of salted boiling water. Boil the sweet potatoes until it's tender. Poke with a fork to see if it is soft. 
3. Once the sweet potatoes have reached a soft stage, pat dry and peel the skin. At this point, the skin of the potato should fall off quite easily. 
4. With a potato masher or a fork, mash the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg with the sweet potatoes and mix it well. 
5. Add the flour 1/2 up at a time, kneading very gently after each addition. 
6. Once the flour has been fully incorporated into the sweet potato mixture at a dough-like consistency, transfer the dough onto a floured work surface. If the mixture is too wet or sticky, add more flour to the dough. If the dough is to dry, add water. 
7. Roll and stretch the slice on a floured surface until it forms a long, skinny rope-like shape.
8. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments and transfer to bowl. If you would like to have ridges on the gnocchi, take a back of a fork to create the texture. 
9. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the gnocchi. The gnocchi is fully cooked when it floats to the top of the surface. Drain and toss gently with a little olive oil to prevent the gnocchi from sticking. 
10. In a pan, melt the butter. Add the minced/chopped garlic cloves into the pan. Let the garlic reach a light-golden color. 
11. Add the gnocchi into the pan of butter and garlic. Pan fry for a few minutes until it reaches golden brown on the outside.
12. Remove from heat and season with parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.  
13. Garnish the gnocchi with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve and enjoy :) 

The toasty pine nuts add a hint of nutty flavor to the pasta. It's a surprising touch, but it brings the whole dish together.  The combination of "sun-dried" tomatoes, fresh spinach and basil, Italian sausage, and tangy feta cheese is absolutely delightful. Instead of sticking to making pasta with a sauce, I left the ingredients whole to simplify the dish and add bursts of flavor. Trust me, this farfalle recipe is a hit!

Pine Nut Farfalle
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients 
8 ounces farfalle pasta
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil; roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves; minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
6 ounces fresh spinach
2 Italian sausages
2 ounces feta cheese
Salt and pepper; to taste
Olive oil; for cooking
Parmesan cheese; serving

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the farfalle pasta according to the directions on the box.
3. Place pine nuts in a skillet and heat over low-medium heat. Toss and shake the pan until the pine nuts are toasty and golden in color, which roughly takes 5 minutes. Set pine nuts aside for later use. 
4. While the pasta is cooking, let's make the "sun-dried tomatoes" cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Lightly drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper to the cherry tomatoes. Toss the cherry tomatoes in the olive oil, salt, and pepper and evenly lay it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
5. Place the baking sheet of cherry tomatoes into the preheated oven. Let the cherry tomatoes bake until dry. Depending on how big the tomatoes are, the longer the cooking time is. For my cherry tomatoes, it took roughly 10 minutes. Make sure to keep a watchful eye on the tomatoes. There's a fine line between dried and burnt! 
6. For the Italian sausages, I use a two-part cooking method. Place the sausages in boiling water until it is cooked thoroughly. Remove cooked sausages from boiling water after 10 minutes. Then, slice the cooked sausage into smaller pieces. 
7. Lightly coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on medium-high heat until it is hot. Place minced garlic into the pan and cook until it's golden and fragrant. Put the cooked sausage into the pan and let the sausage brown. 
8. Remove the pan from the heat. 
9. Add the farfalle pasta in the pan with the sausages. Toss the hot farfalle and sausage with the fresh spinach and basil. The residual heat from the farfalle and sausage will wilt the spinach and basil without having to cook it. 
10. Add the "sun-dried" tomatoes, feta cheese, and pine nuts into the pasta and toss until it is well combined. Sprinkle salt and freshly cracked black pepper to the pasta to taste. 
11. For garnish, add some shaved parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve and enjoy! 

1. Lightly coat a non-stick frying pan with olive oil. Turn your stove to medium-high heat and warm up the pan. 
2. Lightly season the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. 
3. Place the salmon in the frying pan, skin down. If you opted for no skin on your salmon, you can fry on any side. 
4. Cook for roughly five minutes on one side. Afterwards, flip it onto its other side and cook for an additional two minutes. Since each salmon fillet can be cut differently, I suggest gauging how long you cook your fish based on its color. If it has a golden color all throughout, then you know it's done. If your fish is still pink after the suggested cooking time, cook your salmon for a longer period of time. 
5. Remove the salmon from the pan once you have finished cooking. 
6. Leave the remaining oil in the pan on medium heat. Add the honey and soy sauce into the pan. Stir and cook for a few minutes until it reaches a thick, glaze-like consistency. Taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. If you feel that it's too sweet, add more soy sauce. If you feel that it's too salty, add more honey. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker the glaze is going to be. Depending on how viscous you want your sauce to be, adjust the cooking time accordingly. Beware, honey burns! So make sure not to leave it on the heat for too long. 
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Place the cooked salmon back into the pan with the sauce and coat it. Spoon the sauce all over the salmon so that it's drenched in all of that sticky goodness! 
8. I like to serve my salmon with some brown rice and spring mix. Place your glazed salmon on top of the rice, and pour the remaining sauce on top of the salmon. It should seep into your spring mix and brown rice, adding more flavor to your dish! 
9. Garnish your salmon with some sesame seeds and green onion or cilantro. Serve and enjoy :) 

Now that I no longer have a meal plan, I have to make my own omelettes. After watching the cooks make perfect omelettes at the dining hall for an entire year, I have been able to pick up some tricks that they use to cook perfect omelettes. Omelettes are a little tricky to make, but I will provide you with some tips in my recipe that will help you get your omelette looking perfect every time.

Tomato and Spinach Omelette 
Yield: 1 Omelette

Ingredients 
Two handfuls of fresh spinach
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese
2 large eggs OR 4 egg whites
Olive Oil
Salt; to taste
Pepper; to taste

Instructions

1. Lightly coat a 9-inch non-stick pan with olive oil. Heat the pan on medium-high heat until it is hot. 
2. With a small knife, cut the cherry tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. 
3. Beat the eggs, salt, and pepper until combined. 
4. Place the chopped cherry tomatoes into the skillet and the spinach. Using a spatula, cook the spinach until it has wilted and cook the tomatoes until it has softened. 
5. Evenly distribute the cherry tomatoes and the spinach on the pan. Once you are satisfied with the placement, carefully pour the beaten egg mixture around the pan. 
6. Tilt the pan so that the egg mixture covers all parts of the pan. Continue to tilt until the pan has been entirely coated with the egg mixture. 
7. You'll begin to notice that there are areas of raw egg in the pan. Take a spatula to puncture a small hole in the omelette, and let the raw egg mixture fill the hole. This way, you won't get any raw spots in your omelette. 
8. Let the omelette cook until the egg mixture has set. Once it has set, lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for roughly 1 minute. 
9. For the finishing touch, add the cheddar cheese on top of the omelette. 
10. Slowly release the omelette from the pan with a spatula by starting from the sides of the pan and working your way to the center. 
11. Using the spatula, gently lift one half of the omelette and fold. 
12. Slide the omelette onto a plate and pair it with some fresh fruit! Serve and enjoy :)