Quick Bbq pulled-pork empanadas

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What’s cooking :

We are almost half-way through the summer and I have no idea where it has gone. Not that I am not enjoy it, quite the opposite; this season has already been filled with many trips, outdoors activities and good times with friends. But when you live in a northern country it often feels like summer is slipping through your fingers. I guess this is why coming back to Singly Scrumptious took longer than planned. There was always another rock to climb, a bbq to attend or a new city to visit. But I’m now back and ready to share delectable recipes with all of you solo cooks.

Some of you might have already seen this post due to a small glitch on the blog but I hope you’ll be happy to see it again, fully finish and ready to be read. Here is what I had to say about these smokey munchies.

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Short Hiatus – Japan trip

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As some of you already know, from following me on Facebook or Instagram, I have just come back from an amazing 2 weeks holiday in Japan and my head is still buzzing from all I’ve seen, tasted and heard. I planned on getting back on the blogging horse right away and share with you my discoveries but naively neglected the excruciating 9 hours jet-lag tiredness I’d be feeling and I haven’t been able to work as hard as I wanted to. With the visit of some family members in the next 2 weeks, I unfortunately won’t be able to do it all.

Not wanting to share rushed off recipes and post, I’ll be taking a short hiatus to give me time to reorganize myself and work on quality content. I should come back with inspiring food in early July.

In the meantime here are some of my holiday pictures and follow me on Instagram @aa_singlyscrumptious for some future updates.

Enjoy the start of the summer and see you in 2 weeks.

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Crispy yet creamy Orzo arancini

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What’s cooking :

For a year I was lucky to call Montreal’s little Italy my home. I lived 2 minutes away for the best food market of the island and delis selling fresh pasta, ravioli, antipasti and Prosciutto di Parma were my regular grocery shops. I was often tempted to opt for their ready meals instead of preparing something myself and I indulged in “Melanzane alla Parmigiana”, lasagna or arancini. I have a soft spot for the latter, having discovered these crispy stuffed balls on a school trip to Rome in my teens. I remember the thrill of biting into something I had no clue about, not being able to share more than a few English words with my hosts, and how excited I got when the crunchy, yet creamy balls fell apart in my mouth. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before.

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Cheat lemon and asparagus orzo risotto

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What’s cooking :

I’m always reluctant to order risotto at a restaurant. It’s an unforgiving dish that is either served at its best or at its worse without much lenience. Requiring experience, time and attention it’s hard to pull off if food reaching your table in 5 minutes is the policy. So I tend to order it only from renown places or I indulge at home when I feel like treating others.

Although I’m very fond of risotto I never make it for myself for more than one reason. Taking the time to cook is obviously a struggle. Furthermore, without the reward of amazing leftovers for the next few days it’s hard to have the discipline to prepare a meal that requires my constant attention for a long period of time. It’s indeed not a dish that gets better overtime. So, after some research and testing I have found something to satisfy my cravings. I’ve come up with a great recipe that still have the creaminess of risotto without requiring hours of preparation and I’m happy to share it with you.

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Pesto mozzarella tart three ways

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What’s cooking :

This recipe is for those nights when you come back from work with your head still buzzing. Nothing good seems to come out of your pit stop at the grocery store and you risk coming out empty-handed with a serious case of the “I-can’t-do-this-let’s-order-Chinese” syndrome. The problem might not be the lack of motivation to cook, a glass of wine while stirring a pot might relax you, but more the lack of concentration needed to come up with a meal plan while shopping.

So if you are ever in this situation pick up a roll of puff pastry. I have already expressed my love for its buttery and flaky crust, it’s simply the ideal canvas for endless combinations of flavors. Even if you think you have nothing at home you’ll be surprised by what you can create with cupboard ingredients. You know, these things you always have around, sitting patiently in your fridge or pantry until you notice them.

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