This year has been tough, but one of the silver linings has been watching how many of you have really gotten into cooking. Nothing makes me happier—other than my kids and John’s breakfast sandwich and I guessss John—than seeing how many of you are making my recipes. I’m so impressed by how well the dishes turn out, and love to see which Cravings recipes you’re loving!
To show you all how much I appreciate your support, here are five of the most popular Cravings recipes made by YOU. Surprise, surprise… lots of noodles and pasta. But wait, there’s more! I’m also digging up five recipes you may not have made yet or forgot about to add to your cooking rotation. So go ahead and switch things up—or keep making spicy miso pasta. And as always, keep tagging me in these beautiful masterpieces!
The Top 5 Most Popular Cravings Recipes (recipes 1-4)
My Sleeper Hit Recipes You Should Make ASAP (recipes 5-6)
As my gift to you, here are three of my favorite recipes from the first Cravings cookbook I’m sharing with you exclusively online! (recipes 7
Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, and Orzo Salad
Photo by @everydayannieblog on Instagram
I want to remind you about one of my greatest-of-all-time salads: creamy, cheesy orzo salad with roasted cauliflower. I like the one-two punch of salty feta and sweet dried cherries that balance each other out, but feel free to have fun with this one! Swap in a different roasted veggie, add some nuts or a different dried fruit, or use a milder cheese. You really can’t go wrong here!
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Serves: 4 to 6
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 45 minutes
For the Cauliflower and Orzo:
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1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets (about 5 cups)
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4 tablespoons olive oil
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 cup orzo pasta
For the Dressing and Salad:
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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon honey
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1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
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1 cup crumbled feta cheese (see Note)
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⅔ cup dried cherries
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4 cup baby spinach
Directions:
1. Prepare the cauliflower and orzo: Preheat the oven to 400 ° F.
2. In a bowl, toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until softened and the edges are charred, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the orzo according to the package directions, but for 1 to 2 minutes less than called for (so it's just a little underdone). Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, drain well, and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil right in the colander.
4. Make the dressing and toss the salad: In a big bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked orzo, roasted cauliflower, onion, feta, and cherries and toss until coated with the dressing. Throw the spinach on top and toss one more time. Taste, and add more salt if you'd like.
Note: The French kind of feta cheese is a little creamier and milder, the Greek is a little saltier. Take your pick.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Chicken
Photo by @semi_gourmet on Instagram
This is hands down one of my favorite Cravings recipes EVER. Not only does it make for a beautifully presented dish, but the combination of tender, juicy chicken and salty, thinly-sliced prosciutto is amazing. There is nothing I love more than putting the roasted tomatoes and extra cheesy chicken sauce on some toasted sourdough, especially when John brings it to me in bed. Recently he added broccoli and we love how much it soaked up the sauce and got crispy on top!
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Serves: 4
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Prep Time: 35 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
For the Garlic Herb Cheese:
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2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
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2 ounces fresh goat cheese
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1 ½ cloves garlic, finely minced
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½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
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½ tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
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Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
For the Chicken:
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2 slices bacon
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2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (½ pound each)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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6 slices prosciutto (2 ounces)
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 cup cherry tomatoes
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Fresh thyme and oregano sprigs (if you have them)
Directions:
1. Make the garlic herb cheese: In a food processor (or in a bowl, by hand), combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The garlic will be strong, but will mellow out when you cook it.)
2. Make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 ° F.
3. In a medium cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to cool. Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving enough to coat the pan. Let the skillet cool.
4. Place one piece of chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, then use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet to pound the chicken into an even ½-inch thickness (it won't be perfect, and if the edges get raggedy you can trim them). Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
5. Spread each breast with half of the herbed cheese. Crumble the bacon over the cheese and roll up each chicken breast, starting from the short side. Wrap each roll into 3 pieces of prosciutto. Brush each roll with the olive oil and season lightly with pepper.
6. Place the chicken in the cast-iron skillet, seam-side down, then scatter the tomatoes around the chicken. Throw in the herb sprigs (if using) and bake until the chicken is cooked and some edges of the prosciutto are a little crispy, about 30 minutes.
7. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, then slice each roll in half and serve that chicken with the tomatoes and oozy cheesy juices.
Sesame Chicken Noodles
Photo by @chrissyandchristina on Instagram
These spicy sesame chilled noodles with chicken need to be brought back to your kitchen! They’re the perfect blend of spicy and sweet flavors, and the texture is fantastic—think chewy, slippery, and crunchy all in one. The nutty dressing is irresistibly delicious and makes the dish.
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Serves: 4 to 6
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
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Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
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Kosher Salt
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1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast
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8 ounces dried fettuccine
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2 teaspoons sesame oil
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¼ cup peanut oil
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¼ cup tahini
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3 tablespoons soy sauce
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2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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2 teaspoons chili oil
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1 teaspoon honey
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½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 garlic clove, minced
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2 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt it so that it tastes good, add the chicken breast, and remove the pot from the heat. Cover and let the chicken sit until cooked but very tender, about 15 minutes. (If you’re using to smaller chicken breasts, decrease the time by about 3 minutes.) Remove the chicken from the water (don’t throw the water away! You’ll see why in a minute) and cut into it to check its doneness; if it’s still a little pink, return it to the water for another minute or two. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it rest while you cook the noodles.
2. Bring the water the chicken was cooked in back to a boil over high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain, rinse the pasta in cold water until cool, then shake it dry in a colander.
3. While the pasta cooks, in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, the peanut oil, tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, honey, cayenne, and garlic until smooth.
4. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and use a clean paper towel to gently pat the noodles as dry as is actually reasonable. Toss the noodles with the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
5. Shred the chicken with your hands or chop it into bite-size pieces and add it to the noddles. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with the scallions.
