It's Trendy, Here's how to make it Yummy: Zucchini Noodles

I'm sure you have seen them in the stores. SPIRALIZERS. The promise is they can turn vegetables into noodles and it's delicious and healthy. Sounds crazy right?Well, I like it. This isn't so much a recipe, as an encouragement to try this and know you can make it good and hearty.


We used zucchini - it took two BIG ONES for two servings. The spiralizer works better with bigger zucchinis.

We served the noodles cold. No heating or anything.

You could easily toss with any sauce - we liked it with red sauce best.

We have used leftover spaghetti sauce that were froze last time we made a big batch and  this locally made sauce that you can pick up at our farmer's market and IT IS AMAZING. I don't do a thing to it but heat it up!

Some day I'll post my family's spaghetti recipe. The only reason I haven't is because it isn't written down and changes a little each time!

I would think it would be good with any garilicky- tomato sauce.

I like this because it so very easy and quick for a weeknight meal.

Go forth and use zucchini for noodles and be healthy.

Linguini with Asparagus and Pine Nuts

 I love simple pastas. And it doesn't get much easier than throwing in some veggies and cheese to make an easy healthy meal. We love this basic idea we got from Real Simple forever ago, we just lightened it up a little bit to make it a little healthier. Asparagus gives it a fresh bite and the pine nuts add a good nutty crunch.

 Linguini with Asparagus and Pine Nuts

• 1 box linguini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 5  cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2  pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 
• about a teaspoon kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 cup  shaved Parmesan

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. While the pasta cooks,  heat one tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes, do not overcook.
3. Add the asparagus, about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of lemon pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the asparagus mixture to the pasta along with a little more salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and the other and toss to combine.
5. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

**Makes 4 servings
**It's a 3 on Bryce's dish scale, a pot, a skillet, a cutting board and knife.

Quick Pad Thai

If you like pad thai, and making things easy, this recipe is for you. No it's not a traditional pad thai, and it's certainly nothing fancy. But it's so easy and yummy that it can help satisfy that craving for pad thai.  I found the recipe on Pinterest from someone who tried to recreate Pad Thai that was more like what she found in Thailand. I only made small changes to make it work more for our taste, and make leftovers. I tweak the ratios in the sauce a little bit each time, but this is pretty close to what seems to work. It's a perfect weeknight meal after a long day. 

Easy Pad Thai

• 16 oz rice noodles (we use brown rice noodles)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 green onions, white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1. Depending on what type of noodles you buy you will either soak them in boiling water or boil them for a few minutes to cook. I like the texture and flavor better when you boil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add egg and cook, scraping skillet with spatula like you would for scrambled eggs (about a minute). Set egg aside.
5. Add noodles, scallion greens, and sauce to skillet. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft (about 1 minute). Add egg mixture and toss to coat.
6. Serve noodles with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts.

**Makes 4 servings
**This is a 3 on Bryce's dish scale.

Y'all This is the BEST Chili Ever

I know, I know everyone thinks they have the best chili recipe. But trust me, you want to give this a try. It's the best chili I have ever had. I think it's the combo of coffee, cocoa, beer and veggies. My parents found it on a massive recipe website forever ago, and I have tweaked it over the years. It makes a huge batch (we use our biggest pot) so it's perfect for a big group, leftovers and freezing some for later. I only do two cans of beans, because I don't think it needs more, but if you are a big fan of beans, you could certainly add more. It does take a while to make so it's one of those we classify as a weekend meal. 

MMMMMMMmmmm CHILI

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3⁄4lb sirloin beef, cubed
• 4 large carrots chopped
• 4 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 zucchini chopped into slightly bigger than bite sized pieces
• 1(14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 can dark beer (we switch up what we have used but like 1554 from New Belgium)
• 1 cup strong coffee
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 1 can beef broth
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons chili sauce (you find this in the Ketchup/hot sauce aisle, it's literally called "chili sauce)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon  oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 4 chili peppers, chopped (we grab whatever looks good, but always include a poblano as one of them, and maybe go a little spicier on the others) 

1. Heat oil. Cook onions, garlic, and beef until brown, seasoning with a little bit of salt and pepper. Drain off the excess fat if there is a lot of it. 
2. Add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth - stir well. 
3. Add spices, beans, and peppers. 
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for an hour and a half. 
6. We serve with a little cheese on top. 

**On Bryce's dish scale its a 2. BIG pot, cutting board, knife!

**Makes 6-8 servings. 

Roasted Winter Veggies with Wild Rice

 This recipe is in the January 2015 Real Simple magazine. It immediately jumped out at me as something that appeared to be an easy weeknight meal. I was happy that it actually turned out as easy as it looked and, wow,  the flavors were awesome. It's a perfect winter meal, highlighting veggies that are in season and easy to find. We had a hard time finding plain wild rice without seasoning in our grocery store and ended up buying a rice blend (wild and red).  I think the finely chopped Manchego in the parsley sauce is what makes this so good, adds a nice bite and a little cheesy flavor without being heavy. I love the crunch from the almonds too. It reheated nicely for lunch the next day.  I tweaked a few things from the original and included directions I had to look up, like what types of winter veggies need to be peeled and which you can leave the skin on! 

Roasted Winter Vegetables over Wild Rice with Almond-Parsley Sauce

• 1 cup wild rice 
• 1 acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1 inch thick wedges (yes, you can leave the skin on, I learned that you don't have to peel acorn squash)
• 2 turnips, quartered (you do need to peel turnips, just like you would a carrot or potato)
• 1 apple cut into wedges (about 6)
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges (6-8)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 cup fresh parsley (flat-leaf if you can find it) chopped
• 1/3 cup roasted (unsalted) almonds, chopped
• 2 ounces Manchego cheese, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (cut the lemon into wedges to use for serving later)

1. Heat oven to 450. While that preheats, cook the rice according to the package instructions. Our rice blend wanted us to put butter in the water as it boiled, we did a dash of olive oil instead and the texture was great. 
2. Toss the squash, turnips, apple and onion with a tablespoon of the oil and a little salt and lemon pepper. Put the veggies on a baking sheet.
3. Roast the veggies, turning once, until they brown and get tender. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the parsley, almonds, Manchego, lemon zest, a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of each)
5. To serve, put down some rice in a bowl, top with the veggies (make sure to split up evenly) and top with some sauce. Squirt a lemon wedge on top. 

***Makes 4 servings

***This is a 3 on Bryce's dish scale. More than your average meal, but not bad. 

Cheesy, yummy baked Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

This is so very easy to make. If you are craving enchiladas and their cheesy goodness, this is a way to make it a little healthier. This is a perfect weeknight meal. A co-worker who has the same love for quinoa as I do shared this with me, she found it on someone else's blog. I don't have that original link, so thank you to whoever came up with this idea! I think the original recipe had some chopped cilantro mixed in, I accidentally left it out the first time, and didn't miss it, but you could try adding that if you wanted to. I also think the original had you adding some toppings after you baked like tomato and avocado. You could totally do that too, but honestly it's yummy just plain!
 

Baked Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can mild red enchilada sauce
• 1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 can corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Garlic salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

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.
2. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray a baking dish with nonstick spray (I use Pam with Olive Oil)
3. In a big bowl combine your quinoa, enchilada sauce, chiles, corn, beans,  cumin, chili powder, garlic salt and pepper. 
4. Still in half a cup of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. 
5. Spread the mixture in the baking dish and top with the remaining cheese 
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

*Makes 4-6 servings depending on how hungry you are. 

**It's a 2 on Bryce's Dish scale. 

Grilled Pork Chops and Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic-Thyme Butter

This is a classic meal in our house. We make it for guests all the time and it's one of my favorite things to grill. We found it in an old Real Simple magazine and have tweaked it a bit over time. The key is to use really good thick bone-in pork chops. I didn't even know I liked pork chops until we found this recipe. It's good with just a simple salad as a side or something lighter because the tomatoes on top act as a nice vegetable too. 

GRILLED PORKCHOPS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES & GARLIC-THYME BUTTER

• 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (divided) 
• 4 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Garlic salt and lemon pepper seasoning 
• 2 pounds cherry tomatoes

1. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, and 1 tablespoon thyme. Set aside.
2. Season the pork with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Just a little on each side. 
3. Put tomatoes in foil that you will make into foil pouch. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and one tablespoon thyme leaves. Close foil to make sealed pouch. 
4. Grill the pouch alongside the pork, gently shaking occasionally. 
5. Pork chops and tomatoes will take 15-20 minutes. 
6. When you pull the pork chops off the grill, top with about a tablespoon of the garlic-thyme butter and some cherry tomatoes. Add just a smidge more butter on top of the tomatoes.

**Serves 4

**On Bryces dish scale its a 1. Other than the cutting board and the bowl you make the butter in, it's done on the grill and is an easy clean up!