Cassie DeNisco

New Posts Weekly

My Italian Pasta Salad Recipe!

It wouldn’t be summer without a pasta salad recipe on the blog! Last year I shared a super easy recipe for a light, refreshing pasta salad here. This year I have a revamped, Italian pasta salad. This recipe is fresh but also has that anti pasta feel.

Pasta salads are great at a barbecue but also a great lunch for the week. It’s super easy to meal prep and stores so well in the fridge. This recipe is easily my go to when I have guests or just need a quick lunch idea for the week!

italian pasta salad

Ingredients:

1 box cavatapi pasta

Container of grape tomatoes

1 medium red onion

Log of salami

Half an english cucumber

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

Directions:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package. Let the pasta cool completely! This is essential.
  2. Finely dice your tomato, onion, cucumber and salami. This is up to you but I like mine about half an each chunks.
  3. Mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and all spices.
  4. Once pasta is completely cooled, mix in veggies, salami and dressing! Enjoy 🙂

Pasta salads are seriously my favorite meal of summer! They’re easy to bring to an event or just great to store in the fridge! Let me know some of your favorite recipes below!

This Italian pasta salad seriously is my go to. It’s so fresh and refreshing but filling! This is great as a meal or just on the side! I love the protein from the salami and the freshness of the veggies. It’s truly a great recipe that everyone will love!

Be sure to subscribe here to the blog so you don’t miss a post!

Green Juice Recipe You Need to Try

I have been on my fresh green juice game these past few weeks so I am so excited to share my recipe with you. This green juice recipe is so good and just leaves you feeling great. There are so many health benefits to getting your greens in everyday and the perfect way to do that is through this green juice recipe. To create these juices, I use my NutriBullet. I don’t have a juicer and just found that even though it takes a little longer because of straining, this works just as well as a juicer would’ve.

Ingredients:

1 Celery Stalk

Handful of Greens

1/2 a lemon

1 inch chunk of ginger

1/2 a cucumber

Handful of Carrots

Directions:

This is seriously so simple! Just add everything into your NutriBullet and blend. Depending on the day, sometimes I add a little water just to thin it out if it’s too thick. Next comes the straining. I just take very fine holed strainer and start to pour the juice through it into another container. I do this again, but this time straining it into whatever I plan to drink it out of. I love these reusable cups from Amazon!

I’ve been really working hard to get my greens in everyday during quarantine and making a juice has seriously helped. When I started making juices, I literally almost couldn’t drink them because I thought they were so gross. I would add apple or watermelon to them to sweeten them up and make them interesting to eat. Now, I am literally obsessed! I have this juice every. single. day!

Let me know in the comments below if you try this and be sure to follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco!

My Vegan Apple Crisp

Chef Cass is back with a yummy fall dessert: vegan apple crisp. This dessert is perfect for a post apple picking treat and its vegan. I love vegan apple crisp and when I found this recipe, I fell in love. Add a little bit of vanilla ice cream or whip cream (vegan or non) to this you will be in vegan apple crisp heaven.

Ingredients:

Filling

4 Peeled Apples

1/2 c Brown Sugar

1/4 c Flour

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1tsp Vanilla Extract

Topping

1 c Flour

1 1/2 c Oats

1 c Brown Sugar

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

3/4 c Vegan Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

  1. Cube the apples and add to mixing bowl with all of the other filling ingredients. Be sure to mix the apples so that they are properly coated and add to a 9 x 13 in greased pan.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a separate bowl, prepare the topping by adding all of the dry ingredients first then add the melted butter and vanilla.
  4. Use your fingers to crumble the toping over the filling so that it is evenly spread across.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the inside is all gooey and yummy.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes and then add whatever toppings you’d like.

I’m literally so obsessed with fall and eating yummy desserts like this really help me get into the fall mood. I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you try it out let me know!

How to Make the Best Cake Pops

My absolute favorite 4th of July dessert is a cake pop. Why? I have no idea how but I love making . Every time I make them though, I’m surprised at how many people either don’t know how to make them or think that they’re so difficult to make. I’m here to tell you today that they are actually so easy to make, as long as you leave yourself plenty of time to make them. Also, patience is key and feel free to use whatever flavors and colors you want to customize this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Box Cake Mix
  • 1 16oz Can of Frosting
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cake Pop Sticks
  • Melting Chocolate
  • Sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Following the directions on the box of cake mix to make the cake.
  2. Let cool and then take a fork and start to break up the cake so that it ends up being in little pieces. Place those pieces in a bag and stick it in the freezer for at least 4 hours. (This is my secret step)
  3. Once the cake mix is frozen, mix in the frosting. Add only a little at a time until the combination is sticky.
  4. Melt a little of the melting chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. If it doesn’t all melt, stir it and then put on again for 20 seconds.
  5. Begin to make the cake into small balls, about 1 inch in size.
  6. Take a cake pop stick and put it in the melted chocolate and then directly into the cake pop ball. This will help to make sure it won’t fall off when its up right.
  7. Stick the pops, cake side down, onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. I like to freeze for at least a day but as long as the frosting and chocolate is frozen it should be okay.
  8. Once the pops are frozen, melt 2 cups of the chocolate and begin to cover the pop with it. I like to use a spoon and gently glide the chocolate over the pop as opposed to just sticky it in the chocolate and turning it. This step is going to be the most tricky so be sure to stay patient.
  9. Before the chocolate hardens, this is the time to put your sprinkles or decorations on the pops.
  10. Put the pops back in the fridge until you are ready to serve them!

As you can see, it really isn’t that hard to make cake pops, it just takes a lot of time to make sure that they don’t fall apart. Cake pops are so yummy and really a great dessert for any party. There’s so many ways to decorate them that they can fit any occasion.

For the full video of how to make cake pops, check out my IGTV video on Instagram!

My Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

My oatmeal cookie recipe is probably the best that you’ll ever have. I personally hate raisins but this cookie has so many other flavors that you don’t even realize the raisins are in it. It’s also vegan but you can of course substitute the vegan butter with regular butter in order for it to not be but I highly suggest trying these cookies vegan before you judge them. These cookies are awesome because most of us have these simple ingredients at home already. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 c Vegan Butter/Margarine (make sure it’s softened)
  • 1/4 c Sugar
  • 1/2 c Brown Sugar
  • 1 mini unsweetened apple sauce cup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 -1/2 c Oats
  • 3 mini Boxes of raisins (1 c Raisins)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or an electric mixer until everything is well combined
  3. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, applesauce, & vanilla
  4. Add the oats and raisins last, mixing until everything is well combined and the dough is kind of sticky
  5. Use a spoon and place the cookies on to a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper
  6. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden on the edges

As you can see, these cookies are soooo easy to make. I usually make about 32 each time with this batter and they’re perfect to bring to any party or barbecue this summer. The best part is that they’re vegan so you can enjoy the dough guilt free. If these cookies aren’t sweet enough for you, I highly suggest adding a little maple syrup to the batter. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and use the hashtag #cassiescookie if you try them out!

C