Angel Hair tossed with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan

 If you are looking for an easy, light weeknight meal, add this one to your list. I have seen several different variations on Pinterest, and kind of made this one as a combo of a lot of the ideas I saw on there. You could adjust according to your taste. I pump up the garlic and herbs, but I have seen some recipes that throw in some red pepper flakes too.

 

 

Angel Hair tossed with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan

• 1 box angel hair (usually a pound)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes ( I use a mix of yellow and red)
• 1 cup loosely packed basil, roughly chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook into soft and golden but not brown, about two minutes.
3. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add tomatoes and garlic salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and just starting to burst.
4. Add pasta to skillet, cook another two minutes.
5. Turn the heat off, add basil and grated parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese on top. 

 

 

**Makes 4-5 servings 

**3 on Bryce's dish scale, a pot, a skillet, a colander and a small cutting board and knife for basil.

Homemade Creamy Mushroom Soup

 It's winter (and although it's unusually warm here) that means it's soup season! This is a recipe that's been a staple in my house during the winter for years. We have shared it with numerous co-workers, friends and it's in our shared family cookbook. I found it online a million years ago and it's supposed to be close to Woflgang Puck's version of Creamy Mushroom soup, but the original didn't have nearly enough mushrooms in it for me, and I have no idea where to find it online now. I still have the original I printed off 7 years ago! Serve it with crusty French bread.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

• 2 lbs mushrooms, coarsely chopped (I use a variety of shitake, button, and baby bellas, and regular portabellas)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , plus more to top
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbs water

1.  Sprinkle mushrooms with lemon juice.
2.  Melt butter in large heavy saucepan and saute shallots. 
3. Add mushrooms,thyme,and bay leaf, saute for 10 minutes.
4. Add salt,pepper,cream, nutmeg and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 
6. Add cornstarch and simmer another 10 minutes,stirring. 
7. Sprinkle with more time.

**makes 4-6 servings
**2 on Bryce's dish scale. Big pot, cutting board, knife.

Experimenting with Bucatini: ONE-POT Bucatini with Turkey Italian Sausage and Zucchini

This is one of those recipes I did backwards. I bought Bucatini because it was on sale and I had never seen it in my grocery store before. Then I went looking for a good way to cook it. I found a million great recipes, a lot of which included similar ingredients to this, but I picked this one because it was a ONE POT meal. That gets me every time when it comes to easy week night meals. The original recommended regular Italian Sausage but I used turkey to make it less greasy. I also changed up portions slightly based on what we had on hand.

 

One Pot Pasta Bucatini with Turkey Italian Sausage and Zucchini

 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
• 3 spicy turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, then thinly sliced (into 1/2 circles)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced thyme
• 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 12 ounces bucatini
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a duch oven. Sauté turkey sausage until browned and crumbled, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon, set aside and discard grease (there shouldn't be much).

2. Place pot back onto the stove and other tablespoon of oil. Sauté onions for 4 to 5 minutes. Add zucchini, garlic and  garlic salt. Continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in thyme and add sausage back into the pot and sauté for 1 minute.

4. Pour stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and lower heat to medium. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Add in parmesan and carefully toss until well combined. Sprinkle a little more parmesan on top before serving.


**Makes 4 servings
**2 on Bryce's dish scale. One pot. Cutting board, knife!

Light Main Dish Salad: Citrus Pomegranate Fennel Salad

This was so very very easy and a great fall salad. I was honestly surprised how much I liked it because of the simplicity but it was a perfect Monday night Main Meal salad after a weekend of eating unhealthy. It feel cleansing and filled me up! I found the original on Pinterest and added a few things to it. Pomegranates are in season so I thought that would add a nice crunch. Also, the original calls for a variety of different oranges, and my grocery store is not well-stocked with orange varieties. If you can find fun ones like blood oranges, and cara cara and Minneola, by all means - mix it up. I could only find Navel and Mandarin in the fresh section. I tried adding a little grapefruit too and it was very tart, I liked it, but my husband said he would pass on that the next time. So adjust as you wish to what you can find. Below is the recipe for how I made the salad pictured. It makes 2 main dishes and again my magic bullet came in handy for the dressing. 

Citrus Pomegranate Fennel Salad

• 2 navel oranges, separated into slices
• 4 mandarin orange, separated into slices
• 1/2 of one grapefruit, separated into slices, then cut slices in half
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 one fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• fennel fronds
• 1 avocado sliced
• 4 cups mixed salad greens, chopped up a little

Dressing

½ shallot, peeled and sliced

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (I had a hard time finding this, but Google told me white wine vinegar is a good substitute)

1 tablespoon honey

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

¼ cup mint leaves

Reserved fennel fronds

 

 

1. Split up all the salad ingredients between two bowls, starting with the greens. then layering oranges, fennel, pomegranate seeds.
2. Blend the dressing in a blender (I use my Magic bullet, perfect size)- and top the salad with the dressing. It's that easy.

**Makes 2 main dish salads

***2 on Bryce's dish scale, you eat in the bowls you make it in. Cutting board, knife and magic bullet.

 

 

Orzo Salad with Corn, Zucchini, Feta and Mint

This was my first time making Orzo at home, so I wanted to do something simple. I found the recipe on Pinterest - and made very few changes, and it was delicious. We did this as a main dish and it made plenty for us and leftovers. I knew we'd like it because of the meditereanian flavors.

 

One Pot Orzo Salad with Fresh Corn, Zucchini, Feta and Mint

 

• 3  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cobs
• 1 1/2 c. (about 8 oz.) orzo pasta
• 14 oz. can low-sodium chicken broth, plus enough water to equal 3 c. total liquid
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• 3/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
• the juice of one fresh lemon
• salt & pepper, to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and a pinch of garlic salt, and cook stirring occasionally until the zucchini is well-browned and just tender, about 3-4 minutes.Remove the zucchini and put aside on a plate.
2. Add a smidge more olive oil , the corn and a pinch of garlic salt to the pan. Cook until the corn is browned at the edges and just tender, another 3-4 minutes, add corn to the plate with the zucchini.
3. To the skillet, add the remaining another tablespoon of olive oil and the orzo. Cook stirring constantly until the orzo is toasty and browned, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the 3 cups of liquid and about 3/2 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once or twice throughout, until the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender, about 15-20 minutes
5. Off heat, add the sauteed veggies, scallions, mint, feta and lemon juice. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with a little more mint for serving.

**Makes 4 servings
**2 on Bryce's Dish scale. Cutting board and knife, one pot!

Soba Noodle Bowl with Brussels Sprouts, Kale and Mushrooms

 I had a package of soba noodles sitting in my pantry for months because I had no idea what to do with them. When I searched on Pinterest I found so many different ideas I didn't know where to start. Until one day I stumbled upon one that had a ton of my favorite foods so had to try it. Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and an Asian flair. It comes from Self magazine, and it is touted as a "slimming superfood" recipe. All I know is it's super good, makes great leftovers, and filled me up. I tweaked the portions based on the package of noodles I had and to make sure there were plenty of leftovers. I also added and left out a few things but am so grateful I found this idea. It's super quick and easy too, soba noodles only take a few minutes to cook!

 

 

 

Soba Noodle Bowl with Brussels Sprouts, Kale and Mushrooms

 

 

• 9.5 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles (I say 9.5 because that's the size of the package I found at my grocery store, Hakubaku is the brand and they were in the Asian foods section)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 cups trimmed and quartered mushrooms ( I used a combo of baby bella and white mushroom)
• 2 cups stemmed and chopped kale ( I bought the pre-washed and sliced kind to save time)
• 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon siracha, plus more for serving on top

1. Cook noodles as directed on package.
2. Heat a olive oil in large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add sprouts and 1 tbsp water; stir-fry 3 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms, kale, zucchini and 1 tbsp water; stir-fry 3 minutes.
4. In a small bowl combine sesame oil, soy sauce, siracha, garlic, ginger, vinegar and agave. Then add to skillet with veggies, toss to coat.
5. Add noodles to the pan. Cook, tossing, 2 minutes. Top with sesame seeds and more siracha.

*Makes 4 servings
*Its a 2 on Bryce's dish scale. A pa, a skillet, a cutting board and knife.

Fall Quinoa with Turkey Sausage and Kale cooked in Hard Cidar

This is a fantastically fall tasting quinoa dish. I actually found it on the Whole Foods website several years ago when I was learning to cook with quinoa. I made a few tweaks and it's become one of our favorite fall and winter quinoas. It's definitely a hearty main dish, and the ingredients are all pretty healthy AND YOU MAKE IT ONE POT.

 

Turkey Sausage and Kale Quinoa 

 

• 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage, cut into (1/2 inch) cubes (getting the fully cooked kind makes it cook quicker) 
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped  fresh sage
• 1 cup apple hard cider (the original says you can use pear too, but I never have)
• 1 cup quinoa , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• One garlic clove minced
• One teaspoon garlic salt
• 2  1/2 cups chopped kale leaves (I buy the bag of prewashed and chopped)

1. In a large pot, cook sausage, onions, garlic and sage over medium-high heat until just browned, about 10 minute s(no oil needed).
2. Add cider, quinoa, cranberries, salt and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil.
3. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is just absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Stir in kale, cover again  for a few minutes so the Kale softens. 

**Makes 4 servings (great as a leftover hot or cold)
***1 on Bryce's Dish Scale - ONE POT! And a cutting board.

Pan Seared, Carmelized Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes

 I never cooked with gnocchi until Pinterest came along and taught me how to use it. Im sure it's even better if you make it from scratch, but we know I'm all about fast weeknight meals, so I always use the boxed kind. When I started seeing ideas pop up to "brown" the gnocchi instead of boiling it the traditional way, I was intrigued.  This was my first experiment with it and we LOVED it. I used this recipe I found on Pinterest as a base, then tried to healthy it up a little bit and added a few things. It was delicious and filling. 

 

 

Caramelized Gnocchi With Pan-seared Cherry Tomatoes

• 16 ounces cherry tomatoes (2 pints), halved
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus extra basil for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 lb. gnocchi
• 1 12 or 16-oz tub marinated baby mozzarella, drained (but reserve one tablespoon of the marinated oil)
• fresh basil, to garnish
• shaved parmesan (about a tablespoon for each serving)
• (heads up you need 2 non stick skillets for this)

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté until it starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add the halved tomatoes  and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add basil, and salt and pepper.
3. Heat until its bubbly, then turn the heat all the way down to low and let simmer.
4. In another skillet,  heat butter and the oil reserved from your marinated mozzarella. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add all the gnocchi. Stir with a wooden spoon to cover them with oil, then spread them out evenly in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Let brown for 5 minutes and don't stir. You want the gnocchi to caramelize. After Use a wooden spoon or spatula to flip each gnocchi to brown the other side. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until browned. Remove from heat.
5. Turn off the burner with the tomatoes. Add the drained mozzarella balls and stir. You want to heat up the mozzarella without melting completely.
6. Add gnocchi to the pan with the tomatoes.
7. Serve with chopped basil and grated Parmesan on top.

**It's a 3 on Bryce's Dish scale. 2 skillets but only a cutting board an knife.
**Makes 4 servings.

 

A New Grain to Try: Bulgur with corn, tomatoes, basil and BACON

This was my first time using Bulgur. and I loved it. I found it in Cooking Light and it is a great grain to use as a base for a lot of different things. The texture is thicker than a Quinoa, but it's more substantial and has a flavor all it's own. This recipe below is the perfect end of summer meal to use the last of the good corn and tomatoes. It's simple, light and refreshing but good enough for a main dish. I beefed it up a little since I knew we would be doing it as a main.

Bulgur Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Bacon

 

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cracked bulgur wheat
• 3/4 cup basil leaves, Plus a few more torn for toppings
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz  halved cherry(or grape) tomatoes
• 2 ears fresh corn kernels, cut off the cobb
• 1/2 of one small red onion very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Combine the boiling water and bulgur in a mixing bowl. Let mixture stand, covered, 25 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
3. While that soaks - Soak your onions in cold water for 10 minutes, drain after
4. Place the basil, oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a blender (I use the magic bullet); process until pureed.
5. Use a fork to fluff the bulgur. Add the dressing, tomatoes, corn, onion, and pine nuts to the grains; toss to combine. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and more basil on top.

**Makes 4 main servings
**It's 3 on Bryce's dish scale. Magic Bullet, pan, bowl, cutting board/knife.

Lemony-Garlicky-Broccoli Caper Pasta

This is a great recipe I found in Cooking Light. They have it as one of their "Make once, eat three ways thing" but I couldn't eat any of the other 2 because of allergies, so I turned this into a "Make 4 servings" meal instead. I purposely didn't put what I think makes it so good in the title, because it might turn some people away, but trust me, the anchovy adds the perfect salty taste to this dish that I don't think you could get any other way. As the article said - they just melt right into the oil and make a delicious meal. And it's healthy too!

 

Whole Grain Spaghetti With Lemon Caper Broccoli

• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 16 ounces uncooked whole-grain spaghetti
• 5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided    
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 5 anchovy fillets, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside. Return water to a boil. Add pasta to pan; cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
2. Place 1/4 cup oil, garlic, and anchovies in a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown and anchovies have melted into the oil, stirring often. Add crushed red pepper to pan; cook 30 seconds. Carefully add reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid to pan. Add pasta; toss to coat. Stir in parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup of parmesan.
3. Combine remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining 2 tablespoon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, shallots, capers, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over broccoli florets. Serve with pasta mixture. Top with remaining parmesan.

***Serves 4

***3 on Bryce's dish scale. Pot, Skillet, bowl to mix, cutting board and knife.

Fun Baby Shower Theme: Baby Sized Food

I really love planning menus and throwing showers and parties to celebrate new things in friends and co-workers lives. I was recently able to team up with an awesome co-worker and throw a fun baby shower. I haven't done many baby showers and I saw so many fun themes online I got overwhelmed. We ended up picking a Baby theme, as in all the food I made was baby versions of things. Baby Chicken and waffles, baby pigs in a blanket (which we called baby blankets) baby quiches, baby pinwheels, and baby sandwiches! Some of the recipes for sandwiches you can find on my blog post I did for a Master's Golf party too. We have a weird tradition at all of our work events where someone HAS to bring buffalo chicken dip, so I had to find a way to incorporate that too. Answer: Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels. I also did a couple of colorful things like fresh fruit skewers and of course made Deviled Eggs. I made a punch but didn't love it, so I wont bother sharing. Another big hit was a giant water pitcher where we tossed in some limes, lemons and cucumber to give it flavor. I got most of the ideas from Pinterest and adapted.

 

 

Baby Quiche Bites

• 1 15 ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (2 crusts)
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (optional)
• 1/4- 1/2 cup finely grated or crumbled cheese of your choice
• 1/2 cup bell pepper finely chopped (I did a combo of a couple of small orange and yellow peppers)
•  1/2- 1 cup crumbled bacon

1. Let piecrust stand according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. In a large measuring cup  or bowl with a pouring spout, beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper chopped green onion.
4. If you have a 2 1/2- or 3-inch round cookie cutter, use it to cut circles from pie crust and place in ungreased 1 3/4-inch muffin cups. (I didn't have a cookie cutter because I don't bake and I used the top of a cup!)
5. Put a pinch of cheese, bacon, peppers, onions  meat or vegetable in each pastry shell. Pour egg mixture over filling.
6. Bake  for 13 to 15 minutes or until filling is puffed. Cool for a few minutes, then carefully remove each quiche.

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup Franks Red Hot sauce or
• ¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup colby-jack cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 12 oz can of chicken breast (break up well with a fork)
• 5 large flour tortillas (burrito sized)

1. In a big bowl use a mixer to beat together cream cheese, hot sauce, blue cheese, cheese, green onions and ranch. Fold in shredded chicken.
2. Spread a even layer of mixture over a tortilla. roll up tightly. Cut off ends, then cut into one inch pinwheels.

Turkey Pesto Pinwheels

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup pesto
• ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 5 large flour tortillas
• 1 pound thinly sliced turkey

1. Use a hand mixer to beat together cream cheese, pesto and parmesan cheese.
2. Spread a thin layer of pesto cheese mixture on the tortilla. Cover with a layer of turkey. Roll up tightly.
3. Discard ends, cut into one inch pinwheels.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pinwheels

• 2 packages 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 slices  cooked bacon, crumbled
• ½ teaspoon parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon dill weed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 large tortillas

1. Using a hand mixer, beat together all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Spread mixture in thin layer no tortilla, roll up tightly. This is one I liked to let sit in the fridge all rolled up for a little bit and then cut at the last minute
3. Do the same as with the other ones, cut off ends, discard, and cut into one inch pinwheels.

  

Pineapple Cream Sandwich (note I didn't love this one, but it was very popular and a nice sweet change up from all the savory)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 20 slices white bread
• 10 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped and drained
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts ( I used walnuts)

1. Beat together butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream cheese, pineapple and nuts.
2. Spread evenly on 10 slices of bread.
3. Top with other half of bread, cut off crusts and cut into finger sandwiches.

Baby Pigs in a Blanket

• one can crescent roll dough
• one package cocktail weenies (like lil' smokies)

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Unroll the dough; separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle in half in a way that it forms two triangles.
3. Place sausage on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up each, trying to make it where it looks like a baby in a blanket - so a head is poking out.
4. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes making sure not to bun the bottoms.

Chicken Salad on stuff

(note I buy premade chicken salad from Fresh Market because it's delicious, saved me some time on a complicated day and I don't see the need to make it from scratch)

• One quart of chicken salad
• 1/2 pound of fresh snow peas
• 3 granny smith apples
• 1 cup of walnuts, halved

1. Steam the snow peas just slightly, the bag I bought of peas at Kroger was a steamable bag so it was perfect. You want them to still be pretty raw, but cooked enough to make them easier to stuff and eat.
2. Use a sharp small knife, or even something as simple as a tooth pick to start opening up the pod on one side, then it should pop right open.
3. Use a small spoon or a teaspoon to stuff the peas.
4. Slice your granny smith apples thin, but not so thin that they will be flimsy, think of them as a cracker.
5. Put about a tablespoon of chicken salad on top of each slice of apple, then top with a walnut.

 

Chicken and Waffles

(I totally took the shortcut on this one too, and it was probably the most popular dish)

• One box of Eggo mini waffles, toasted in the toaster oven (this is 10 sets of 4, which is 40 waffles - which makes 20 bites)
• 2 12 packs of chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a
• maple syrup
• plastic shot glasses for the syrup

1. After you have toasted the waffles, place a chicken nugget in between 2 waffles and skewer it with a good thick toothpick.
2. Arrange on a tray
3. I placed tiny plastic shot glasses filled with syrup around the tray and let people pour their own syrup.

 

Deviled Eggs
(I can't eat eggs now, but people tell me these are delicious )

12 eggs hardboiled
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1 1⁄2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons well-drained pickle relish (I use dill)

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise, remove yolks, and reserve whites.
2. Mash yolks until smooth.
3. Combine yolks, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, garlic salt, pepper, and mix until smooth.
4. Stir in onion, and pickle relish.
5. Spoon mixture into center of egg whites.
6. Sprinkle tops with paprika.

Fruit Skewers
I seriously just layered strawberries pineapple, cantaloupe and grapes on skewers.

Lots of Quick Lunch Salad Ideas

 When you are trying to be healthy, having a lunch you actually look forward to at work, is key. Otherwise you end up succumbing to whatever co-worker is running to whatever fast food place that sounds way better than the frozen meal you have in the freezer. I know I'm unique in that I truly enjoy salads, but I think if you have a little fun you can really look forward to lunch salads too. I make them different almost every time, and my co-workers have fun asking me what I put in them each day! I keep a few select things on hand all the time that I can mix in, and then will use what I have leftover from other meals. So this post isn't so much a recipe as it is several suggestions of ingredients to try combing in a salad. The suggestions below are for one lunch salad. You'll notice I don't often use meat, but sometimes will throw on some leftover grilled chicken or steak, or even when I make my antipasti salad (recipe here) I use the leftover turkey pepperoni. Get Creative and enjoy healthy lunch again!

Chickpea Salad

• Base: Any lettuce of your choice, I usually buy a big thing of Mixed greens but have used leftover romaine, iceberg, arugula, and spinach as a base. About 2 cups of whatever.
• 1/3 of a can of chickpeas
•  Options for mix ins:
• Berries: raspberries, blueberries, blackberries (1/3 cup total, mix and match however you want)
• Fruit: if berries aren't your thing try an apple or a peach diced. Halved grapes can also be good
• Veggies: 1/4 of Avocado, chopped,  about 10 cherry tomatoes ( I slice in half), 1/4 cup cucumber (diced), sweet peppers sliced thin  
• Toppings: Sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews
• Random mix ins: I LOVE adding in a handful of dry roasted edamame for a crunch that's hearty at the same time
• From a jar: Sliced pepperoncini's, Giardiniera
• Meat: leftover grilled chicken, steak or turkey pepperoni
• Cheese options: reduced fat feta, goat cheese or sliced mozzarella
• Dressing: I think this is best with some sort of balsamic based dressing. Easy: Buy Kraft Lite Balsamic. Homemade: One tablespoon olive oil, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar, one teaspoon Dijon mustard 

 

Black Bean Salad

 

• Base: Shredded iceberg (my preference) or romaine diced
• 1/3 can of rinsed black beans
• 1/3 can of corn
• Other canned/jarred options: sliced black olives, jarred banana peppers
• Veggie options: thinly sliced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, halved, green onions sliced, diced avocado
• Cheese: I prefer reduced fat cheddar best
• Crunchy toppings: tortilla strips (again the bagged kind you find in either the salad section or produce section) or pepitas (toasted Pumpkin seeds) 
• Dressings: I prefer a red wine vinegar with this type. One and a half tablespoon red wine vinegar, one tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Favorite: Grilled Chicken and Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad

This is one of my absolute favorite meals to grill. If you are thinking grilled peaches sound weird,
I promise you should try it. Grilling gives the peaches an amazing flavor and it compliments grilled chicken or whatever you want to grill, very well. I found the original in Real Simple magazine several years ago, and have tweaked to make it work for 4 people better and added some notes about techniques for grilling.   We just buy a chicken marinade from the store to make it easy, but you could whip one up with a little olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper if you didn't want one. If you have grill like ours, the classic Webber, you are going to need to use foil like I do to keep the peaches and onions from falling through.


 




Grilled Chicken with Grilled Peach Salad

• 4 chicken breasts
• Good store bought marinade (we like the lemony herby ones)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rings
• 4 peaches cut into wedges
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
• 1/4 cup of blue cheese
• salt and pepper

1. Marinade your chicken.
2. In a bowl combine the onions, peaches, ONE tablespoon of the olive oil, salt and pepper (about a teaspoon each).
3. Spread out the peaches and onions as well as you can in one layer on a makeshift foil tray. It's basically 2 pieces of foil where I fold up the edges to keep the veggies from falling off (picture below).
4. Put the Chicken and onions on the grill at the same time.
5. Turn the chicken occasionally until it's cooked through.
6. I put most of my attention on flipping the peaches and onions and moving them around as much as I can. You want to make sure they get a little char on them. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
7. Just after you pull the chicken and peaches and onions off the grill - prepare the salad. Toss the arugula with olive oil, vinegar, peaches and onions. Top with the blue cheese.
8. Serve chicken alongside the salad and you have an awesome healthy meal.

***Makes 4 servings
***2 on Bryce's Dish Scale. Other than the bowl you mix stuff in and the cutting board, its all on the grill!

Crunchy Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad

GThis is just so good. We do it as a main dish, but you could easily make it a side. It is so good chilled as leftovers for lunch the next day. The quinoa picks up the flavor from the sauce so well, and the crunchy bites from the cashews and cabbage give it a great texture. If you are wanting a good way to try quinoa this is a great example of how versatile it can be. I stumbled upon it when I was searching for new ways to eat quinoa on Pinterest., and just adapted it slightly. We certainly don't try to eat vegetarian but often do during the week because of the ease, and in this dish, you don't miss meat.

 

Crunchy Asian Cashew Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, very finely diced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup cashew halves (broken up into pieces)  
• 8 oz frozen shelled edamame, cooked

 

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

 

1. Cook quinoa by bringing quinoa and 1 3/4 cup water to boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until all the water is gone, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork, remove from heat.
2. Use a microwave safe bowl to make the dressing. First combine peanut butter and honey; heat in microwave for 20 seconds to make it easier to stir. Add in ginger, soy sauce, both vinegars, lime juice, and both sesame and olive oil. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. You can adjust to your tastes here.
3. In a big bowl, toss the quinoa with about half the dressing.
4. Then add in the pepper, both onions, edamame, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa.
5. Add in more dressing and toss well.
6. Top with cashews before serving.

***Makes 4 servings
***This is 2 on Bryce's dish scale. Pot for quinoa, big bowl, small bowl, cutting board.

 

Greek 9 Layer Dip

I am always looking for new dips or things to bring to a party and I kept seeing recipes for Greek layer dips pop up on Pinterest. I combined about 5 different recipes and I came up with this.  I used a typical pie dish to create it so my portions are for that. A lot of recipes called for roasted red peppers to be included, but they cause major heartburn issues in my family so we skip them. Technically this has 9 layers if you count the parsley.- so that's why I call it a 9 layer dip. This is a great healthy spin on the typical 7 layer dip.

Greek 9 Layer Dip

• 1 3/4 cup Greek plain yogurt (I use non fat)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup and 1/4 hummus ( I used garlic flavored)
• 1 chopped cucumber
• 1 large fresh tomato, diced
•  2/3 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 12 oz jar or can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

 

 

1. In a bowl, Mix the yogurt, sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper, garlic salt, basil, and garlic.
2. In a pie pan start your layers. Layer yogurt mix spreading with a spatula. Next spread the hummus over that. Then top with cucumber, tomato, artichoke hearts, feta, olives, parsley and scallions.

Chopped Thai Salad with Kale and Edamame

 I was looking for some new salads to try on Pinterest the other day and this one was exactly the change of pace I was hoping to find. I loved the idea of shredding kale to take away some of the toughness. Plus the large amount of cilantro sounded awesome. I did make a few changes because we turned this into a main dish.  I also took a few shortcuts to make it a faster meal. Because I hate getting out major appliances for quick weeknight meals I once again use my awesome Magic Bullet Blender for the dressing.

 

 

 

Chopped Thai Salad with Kale and Edamame

 

 

 

• 6 cups baby kale (getting the baby kale is important, its more tender)
• 8 oz frozen shelled edamame (cooked according to package instructions)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots (I again buy them preshredded in the package)
• 6 mini sweet bell peppers (I prefer these because they are easier to slice into thin strips, if you can't find them an orange and yellow bell will do)
• 3/4 cup cilantro
• 3/4 cup of cashews (I buy the Kroger brand of Curry Cashews)
• 3 green onions

 

DRESSING:

 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass paste
• juice of one fresh lime

1. Firsh step is shredding/chopping all your veggies. Cut the kale into thin strips so it almost appears shredded. Do the same with the peppers. Cut into thin strips. Chop the cilantro. And slice the green onions very thin.
2. Toss the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro, edamame and green onions in a big bowl.
3. Combine all your dressing ingredients in the blender and pulse until you have a smooth dressing.
4. Toss the veggies with the dressing until it's coated.
5. Break the cashews up a little either with your hand or a knife so they aren't all whole. Top the salad with cashews and serve!

****Makes 2 salad servings
****It's a 2 on B's dish scale. Not too shabby. Big bowl, cutting board/knife and the magic bullet.



Quinoa Veggie Fried Rice

I spent a lot of time trying to find the right way to do quinoa fried rice. I love fried rice, but wanted to find a way to make it healthier. I looked at a million recipes online and used a few tricks and ideas from all of them. You will probably find you want to tweak this one too. I think the key to it is the combo of flavors that come out of the sauce. You might want to adjust the Siracha if you don't like spicy.  The first few times I tried this I found when cooking the veggies it got watery. So the key is when cooking the veggies to make sure all the water cooks out before adding everything else.

Quinoa Fried Rice

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 3/4 cup water to cook quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• olive oil cooking spray
• one teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• one head fresh broccoli cut into florets
• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup grated carrots (I shortcut and buy them pre shredded)
• one orange or yellow bell pepper chopped
• 4 green onions sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• one tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons Siracha divided, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce ( I use reduced sodium)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup frozen shelled Edamame
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• garlic salt and pepper (about a teaspoon each)

1. Cook quinoa using the standard method. Combine water and quinoa in a pan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to simmer and let cook until water is gone. about 15 minutes.
2. While that cooks, spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray. Over medium heat toss in your egg and fry until cooked. Cut into bite size pieces with your spatula and set aside.
3. I use a wok to cook the main part of this dish, but any large non stick will do. Heat olive oil and sesame oil. Toss in green onions and garlic. Cook until just soft.
4. Add in peppers. Cook for another couple minutes. Add your broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms. Season all with garlic salt and pepper. Let that mixture cook down until veggies are cooked.
5. While that cooks (reminder your goal here is to cook out the water the veggies release) in a small bowl combine soy sauce, Siracha and ginger. This will be your sauce for later.
6. Add in your quinoa to the veggies when it's cooked and the water has cooked out of the veggies. Then toss in the corn and edamame. Mix everything together well, then coat with your Siracha -soy sauce mix.
7. Cook until everything is heated through and crisps up, gently tossing every few minutes. Add in the egg at the last minute.
8. Serve with another drizzle of siracha on top.

**This is a 4 on Bryce's Dish scale. 3 pots. And I use a lot of bowls as I chop up my veggies.
**This makes about 6 servings depending on how many veggies you add in. 

A tradition unlike any other: Masters Golf Party

This is a first for me. Sharing a post of several recipes. But I just wanted to give you this all in one place. My husband loves golf. So I started to learn it since it's so important to him, and I fell in love. I like playing and I like watching. But my absolute favorite time of year, is Masters weekend. His family taught me this love from the moment we started dating. Masters weekend is an event  for them. 3 years ago, we started throwing a Master's party for our friends and I have tried to take it up a notch each year. 5 staples always on the party menu: a Bloody Mary Bar, pimento cheese sandwiches, Bourbon-soaked grapes on golf tees, Caprese salad on a golf tee, and hummus and broccoli shaped into a golf green complete with sand traps. This time I did a bunch of finger sandwiches and pinwheels (because I had stuff left from the cutest baby shower, I'll post that soon). I also did some quick pizzas and prosciutto wrapped melon . I have listed everything I did and how I did it below. These sandwiches are perfect for any party or shower and I would highly recommend them. I took some shortcuts to make life easier and everything was still a hit. The recipes for the pinwheels will come in the Baby Shower post.    

 

 

Easy Pimento Cheese Sandwich:

• 1/2 pound Deli made pimento Cheese (I buy this from the gourmet cheese section, or the from behind the deli counter. It's made with real shredded cheese, not the cheese spread thing)
• about a loaf of white bread

1. Spread about 1/3 cup of pimento on a piece of bread, not going all the way to the edges.
2. Top with another piece.
3. Cut off the crusts.
4. Cut down the middle on a diagonal to get triangles for easy finger sandwiches.

Ham Apple and Brie Sammies

• 1 French baguette
•  About 5 oz. crème de brie (this is the creamier, more spreadable brie)
• 1 granny smith apple thinly sliced
• about 9 oz. thinly sliced deli ham (I used honey ham from Hillshire Farms)

1. Spread a thin layer of brie on both top and bottom sliced of baguette.
2. Layer on apple slices and ham on bottom slice of bread.
3. Put sandwich back together and cut into mini sammies about 2 inches wide.

Cucumber Sandwiches

• One English cucumber thinly sliced
• 4 oz. spreadable garlic and herb flavored cheese (I used Alouette's)
• 6 slices white bread

1. Spread cheese on 2 bread slices. Layer cucumbers on one slice. Put together both slices.
2. Cut off  crusts of sandwiches and then slice into long finger sandwiches. Repeat. You'll get about three out of each sandwich.

Prosciutto Wrapped Melon

• One cantaloupe, cut into bite sized cubes (my Kroger sometimes has it already cut up, and it's amazing - I get about a pound worth)
• One package thinly sliced prosciutto (about 3 oz.)

1. Cut or tear prosciutto into pieces that will wrap just once around melon
2. Stick a toothpick through it to hold in place. Done.

Blue Cheese Pizza

• One thin pizza crust (pre-baked, I like Mama Mary's )
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 one red onion very thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup blue cheese

1. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add onions and sauté until caramelized
2. Brush the pizza crust with one tablespoon olive oil.
3. Sprinkle crust with onions and half the blue cheese.
4. Top with spinach and then other half of the blue cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese just starts to get gooey and spinach wilts.
6. Let cool for a couple minutes then slice into about 8 pieces, perfect size for snacking.

Margarita Pizza

• One thin pizza crust (pre-baked, I like Mama Mary's )
• One tablespoon olive oil
• one cup basil leaves, pull out 3 leaves and slice into thin strips
• one cup mozzarella cheese
• one large tomato sliced thin (or 2 mediums, or 3 Romas)

1. Brush crust with olive oil.
2. Layer tomato, basil leaves, and mozzarella.
3. Top with a sliced basil leaves.
4. Bake at 350 for about 15-18 minutes until cheese is melted
5. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice into 8 pieces for snack sizes.

Hummus Golf Green

• 3 crowns of broccoli broken up into various chunks to shape into a golf green
• One container of your favorite flavored hummus (I used Sabra garlic)
• Pita Chips for serving
• Tooth pick and yellow post it cut into triangle to make a flag for the green

1. On a long skinny platter first create two "sand traps" with your hummus.
2. Then shape the broccoli around those traps.
3. Place the flag in a broccoli crown towards the back
4. Serve pita chips in a bowl on the side.

Caprese Tees

• 8 oz package of Ciliegine: or "Cherry Size" Fresh Mozzarella balls
• One package (usually a pint) of grape tomatoes
• about a cup of fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• About 30 white golf tees

1. Reduce the vinegar to thicken it by heating on the stove on medium for about 6 minutes.
2. Assemble caprese skewers on golf tees by first putting a basil leaf (I fold in half if they are big) then a tomato, then a mozzarella ball.
3. Lay down on a plate and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

Bourbon-Soaked Grapes

• About a pound of green grapes, separated from their stems
• about 750 ml of your favorite bourbon
• about 30 white golf tees

1. Put the grapes in a sealable container.
2. Cover with bourbon until they are all covered and soaking.
3. Soak overnight
4. The next day skewer 2 grapes on each golf tee.
5. Serve in a bowl with a little of the bourbon they soaked in at the bottom.

Bloody Mary Bar

This one you can really do however you want based on your favorite Bloody Mary toppings. This combo always goes over well at our parties.

• Vodka
• Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix
• V8 juice (for those who want to spice themselves)
• Tobasco sauce
• Wochestershire Sauce
• Lime juice
• limes
• lemons
• salt
• pepper
• celery salt
• String Cheese Sticks
• Pickle spears
• Pickled Okra
• Slim Jims
• Garlic stuffed olives

Watermelon- Feta Salad

 It's watermelon season and this salad is a huge hit every time I make it. Its the perfect refreshing side for barbecue, burgers, steaks etc. It combines some of my favorite herbs and flavors. I have seen several spins on this, and I basically just combined them all! A lot of recipes I found on pinterest just had mint. But I recently had watermelon paired with basil and loved it - so I did both here. This is super easy.

Watermelon-Feta Salad

• 4 cups watermelon cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 one red onion very thinly sliced
• 1 cup feta cheese (I use reduced fat because it's healthier and I can't taste the difference)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon of each)
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Combine watermelon, onion, mint, basil, lime, olive oil, salt and pepper and lime in a big bowl.
2.  If you are making ahead and storing for a while. Stop here and either top each bowl with feta basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the last minute. 
3. If you are serving a big bowl for a buffet style - still add the basil, feta and balsamic towards the end.

**Makes about 4 servings depending on how many other sides you have

**This is a 2 on Bryce's dish scale. Cutting board and you can make it in the bowl you serve it in.

Spin on the brown bag lunch: Hummus Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

I wanted to share with you an easy, healthy lunch if you are looking for a new spin on the brown bag. I got the idea after picking up some hummus and other veggies from our Farmer's Market. If you are in Central Arkansas - you must check out Geek Eats hummus. They are usually at the Hillcrest farmer's market on Saturdays. Below is the recipe I came up with after looking for a new way to eat the Hummus. I tried the original with Lemon Hummus, and have since had it with Siracha and chipotle flavored hummus and it gave it a nice spicy kick.  You could use your favorite flavor and make it work. The below recipe makes one sandwich. There are also times when I can't find watercress or basil,  so I have been using basil from our garden and it's delicious! Another key to this being good, is using good bread. Don't skimp on the bread! (try multigrains and things like Quinoa bread to change it up)



Avocado-Tomato- Cucumber Hummus Sandwich

• 6 tablespoons flavored hummus (Lemon or Spicy or whatever!)
• 2 slices heirloom tomato
• 4 slices English cucumber
• 3 thin slices of avocado
• one tablespoon Watercress leaves or 3 basil leaves or micro greens
• salt and pepper
• 2 slices whole wheat or multigrain bread (the big sandwich slices)

1. Spread 3 tablespoons of hummus on each piece of bread. This helps hold the sandwich together better.
2. Top one side of the bread with the tomatoes. Then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
3. Layer with cucumber, avocado and watercress sprigs.
4. Top with other bread slice and done!

Avocado Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing

It's Strawberry season in Arkansas, so I just had to share this salad. You can easily do it as a main dish. Super easy and super packed with healthy foods and healthy fats. I have had it for dinner and lunch. And sometimes if other berries look good I throw them in too. This is a good one to keep in your "easy and healthy" pile.   The recipe below makes two dinner salads. You can adjust accordingly. We sometimes leave out the onion too.

Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing

• 6 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 4 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (again I cheat and buy these in the produce section, pre-sliced and pre-toasted)
• half a small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

For dressing:

• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• one tablespoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Wisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Layer two bowls splitting ingredients in half with spinach, strawberries, avocados, almonds and cheese.
3. Top with dressing and enjoy.

**Makes 2 servings
**2 on B's dish scale. Bowls you eat out of and a cutting board!