The pandemic has made screen time super popular and nothing more than the sharing of recipes! Tik Tok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and a plethora of Food Bloggers. I have to confess I have tried several of these, some healthy and some maybe not so much, but many are definitely keepers. Thought I would share some of the most popular recipes from favorite bloggers, and some of my favorites.

Baked Feta Pasta

This is my favorite so far, it has appeared on Tik Tok and Instagram and was shared by Finnish food blogger, Jenni Hayrinen.

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 20 ounces)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) block of feta cheese, drained
• 10 ounces rigatoni, whole grain if you can find it
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, grated
• Flaky sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Toss the cherry tomatoes and olive oil with ¼ teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into a 2 ½ – 3-quart baking dish. Place the feta in the center of the tomatoes, then season with a pinch of black pepper. Bake until the tomatoes have burst and the feta has softened, about 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 450 degrees, then continue to cook until the tomatoes and are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. A dd the pasta and cook until al dente, about 13 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water, then drain well.
4. Right as the tomatoes and feta come out of the oven, stir in the garlic. Use the back of a spoon to smash the tomatoes and feta into a smooth creamy sauce, (it is okay if the olive oil isn’t fully integrated and combined). Toss the pasta and half of the basil until evenly coasted. Add some pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, if the sauce becomes too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining basil and a pinch of flaky sea salt for serving.

Some notes, mine and hers,

• I sprinkled a little red pepper flakes on the tomatoes when I put them in the oven
• I used a good crumbled Feta because I could not locate a block, it was still yummy
• Don’t add additional pasta, it can get dry if you add additional pasta
• Don’t be afraid of the amount of olive oil, it will keep the tomatoes from burning
•  Fresh basil is important; I froze my fresh basil this past summer in ice cubes and that works great
• The balance of salt is important don’t leave it out

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Chowder

Damn Delicious a very successful Blog by developer Chungah Rhee is one of my favorites. Here are a couple of her fan favorites and mine too.

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 leeks (whites only), thoroughly washed and sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
• ½ cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add heat and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, set aside.
2. Place cauliflower, leeks, onion, celery, and garlic into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, and 2 cups water, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours, or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, puree with an immersion blender.
4. Stir in cheese and half and half.
5. Serve immediately, garnish with additional cheese, bacon, and chives, if desired.

Lasagna Soup

Also, a Damn Delicious favorite

Ingredients

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-pound Italian sausage, casing removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• ½ teaspoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
• 8 ounces ricotta
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper, to taste, set aside.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions, drain well.
3. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks, drain excess fat. Add garlic, onion oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in pasta.
5. Serve immediately with a heaping spoonful of the ricotta mixture, sprinkled with mozzarella and basil.

Chicken Parmesan Wraps

From food blogger, andiemitchell

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast
• 2 cups marinara sauce plus more for serving
• 12 egg roll wrappers
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place the chicken breast in a large saucepan and fill with enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool before shredding with two forks. Put the meat in a medium bowl and pour the marinara over it, stirring to coat the chicken with sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a wire a rack with cooking spray and set it on top of baking sheet. Lay the egg roll wrappers on a clean work surface. Layer each with a few leaves of spinach, then chicken, followed by mozzarella and parmesan.
3. Lightly brush the sides of each wrapper with water and fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle. Press to seal each of the sides and set the wrap on the prepared rack. Repeat with remaining wraps. Lightly spray the wraps with cooking spray. Bake until the edges golden and crisp, 12 -15 minutes.
4. Serve with additional warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Summer Vegetarian Tacos with Avocado Cream

From blogger naturallyella this is a great recipe for using summer produce!

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 small summer squash, diced
• ½ medium red onion, diced
• 1 ear sweet corn, removed from cob
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Avocado Cream

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/3 cup full fat, plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup minced cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Fixings

• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 ounces Feta or goat cheese
• Extra Cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare all the vegetables as described and toss with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and cumin. Roast until tender and lightly brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. While vegetables are roasting, whip together avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice by hand or in a blender.
3. To assemble tacos, warm up tortillas over an open flame or on a heated griddle. Assemble with roasted veggies, avocado cream, a sprinkle of feta or goat cheese, and cilantro.
4. If you want to add some additional protein, black beans or chickpeas would make an excellent addition to this recipe.