Grilled Brussels sprouts

The weather is just perfect for me to share my new favorite grilled side dish with you. When my husband and I grill we hate it when the sides have to be done inside, so one of us is outside at the grill and the other is inside. SO, we try to grill our side dishes so we can both enjoy the time outdoors. We were looking for something different the other day, and have been on a Brussels sprouts kick lately and decided to try this. It's a little bit of work - but totally worth it.
Grilled Brussels Sprouts

• One pound Brussels sprouts
• skewers (if you use wooden be sure to soak them in water.
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 minced garlic clove
• salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanche the Brussels sprouts (this means to basically cook them for about 3-4 minutes but not any longer). Then remove them from the boiling water and put them in a bowl full of ice water.
2. after about 5 minutes remove them from the ice water and pat dry.
3. Trim the bottoms of the sprouts and remove the outer leaves
4. Mix together the mustard, oil, garlic and salt and pepper
5. Toss the sprouts with your mustard dressing.
6. Let marinate in fridge for about 30 minutes.
7. Once marinated, put 4-5 on skewers.
8. Grill for about 5 minutes each side.

*Makes enough for 4 side servings

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

    This is such a fun take on salad. It dresses it up a bit and while these are the ingredients I use, you could pretty much toss it with whatever for a change of pace. The zucchini ribbons make it look pretty and add some interesting texture. I got the idea from a Pinterest recipe but changed it to make it easier and added elements I love in a salad. The original recipe called for you to grill the zucchini ribbons but that seemed like way too much work so I just toss them in a non-stick pan to cook them a little. We use Arugula for the actual salad base because it has a nice bite but you could use any lettuce or mixed greens.

 

 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad 

 

• 3 small zucchini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 cups arugula
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
• salt and pepper
• one garlic glove crushed
• 1 cup feta
• 1/4 cup of toasted almonds (I buy them in the package pre sliced and toasted)
• 1 can chickpeas

1. Using a normal vegetable peeler - peel the zucchini into strips that will appear like ribbons. Peel down until you get to the seeds and throw out the very middle part of the zucchini.
2. In a non-stick skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Throw in the zucchini. Season with salt and one teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Toss until warmed and tender.
3. Optional: before tossing everything together, toast your chickpeas. I do this by tossing them with some lemon pepper seasoning and putting them on a baking sheet in my toaster oven for about 15 minutes at 350. I shake them halfway through to make sure they are equally toasted.
4. To make the dressing, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon red wine vinegar, garlic clove, salt and pepper.
5. Before serving, layer arugula, zucchini, chickpeas and almonds- toss with dressing and top with feta.

** Makes right at 2 big servings for a main meal.

**On Bryce's dish scale it's a 2. Not too bad. Big bowl. Pan. Cutting board and knife and peeler!



Moroccan Quinoa Salad

This is another great Quinoa Salad that can serve as a main dish. I found it in a cookbook my parents got me for Christmas and only made very few tweaks. It's from the Looneyspoons Collection, which is both awesome and funny to read. It's Called the "Moroccan and Rollin Quinoa Salad" in there. While the list of ingredients may look daunting  - there's not a whole lot of work involved.


Moroccan Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (don't forget to rinse in a fine mesh strainer)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ cup dried currants (I often can't find currants unless it's Thanksgiving, so we use golden raisins)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp  honey
• 1 can chickpeas, drained 
• ½ cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
• 1/2 cup grated carrots ( I buy the shredded to save prep time) 
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• ¹⁄³ cup chopped green onions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp minced fresh mint leaves
• freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt

1. Again I say, don't forget to rinse your quinoa. Then combine quinoa, broth, currants, curry, cumin, coriander, and some salt in a pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until liquid is gone - about 20-25 minutes.
2. Once cooled add in the rest of the ingredients and toss. The original recipe says to let it chill in the fridge for 2 hours. But honestly it's great as is if you don't have time for that. And the leftovers get plenty chilled and are perfect for lunch.

**Makes 4 servings as a meal
**1 on Bryce's dish scale. Pot, cutting board. Yum.

Zucchini and chickpea linguini

I'm ready for spring and all the wonderful fresh veggies that come with it. We aren't quite there yet though. So I'm settling for whatever looks good each week at the grocery store. Lately  it's been Zucchini. So there are a lot of Zucchini recipes coming your way. They are all delicious and awesome if I do say so myself. What makes this one so great, is how easy it is. So perfect for a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time. It's from Real Simple and I kept it real close to the original other than changing amounts of ingredients.

 

Zucchini and Chickpea Linguini

• 1 box linguini ( if you can't find, fettuccine works too, you just need something heartier than spaghetti)
• 3 medium zucchini sliced into thin half moons
• 1 can chickpeas
• 4 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan

1. Cook linguini according to package instructions
2.  While pasta cooks, heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add Zucchini salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add to zucchini the chickpeas, garlic and red pepper. Cook until heated, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Toss pasta with vegetable mix, and top with parmesan.

**makes 4 servings
**This is a 2 on Bryce's dish scale.  Pot, Pan, cutting board and knife. Easy.

Lamb and Lentil Chili

Yes it's March, but it was weirdly cold here last week, and this is a great way to beat that spring cold with a different spin on chili. Ground Lamb can be hard to find in my grocery store, and I love this recipe, so when I see lamb,  I buy it and know I will be making this soon. It's a little spicy so be prepared for that. You could add a little sour cream or Greek yogurt to the top to cool off the heat if you want. I found this online a while back, and of course have added and subtracted here and there. If you have never tried ground lamb in anything, this is a good way to try it. 

Lamb and Lentil Chili

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 carrots chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 2 cups beef broth
• 14 (ish) oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• salt and pepper (about a teaspoon each)
• Cilantro to put on top

1. In a large pot, heat one tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are transparent- about 4-5 minutes
2. Add spices (chili powder, paprika, pepper flakes, cayenne, cumin and coriander). Sauté until mixed well, about 2-3 minutes more.
3. Add carrots and lamb. Stirring to mash up lamb, brown for about 10 minutes, until the lamb is cooked.
4. Stir in lentils, broth, tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, simmer for about 30 minutes
5. Top with cilantro before serving.

Amazing Healthy and Delicious Zucchini Lasagna

Pictures do not do this meal justice. It is so good and so healthy. I have seen lots of recipes for Zucchini Lasagna floating around on Pinterest and blogs, but I didn't want any meat in mine - so I combined about 10 of these I saw online. And it was good. I love that it makes so many portions too. However, it is A LOT of work, so it's a good Sunday meal.  The lasagna will get really soupy if you don't take all the steps to draw some of the liquid out. Trust me, don't skip those steps. I use mushrooms and spinach for my sauce/veggie mixture, but you could use any of your favorite veggies or add some bell pepper in that too. 

Zucchini Lasagna 

• 3 good sized zucchinis sliced into about 1/8 inch strips (if you have a mandolin slicer it will come in handy - but I did just find with a good sharp knife too)
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 package (1 lb usually) sliced mushrooms 
• about 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• small can tomato paste (6 oz) 
• 16 oz can tomato sauce
• about 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• 15 oz part skim ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (yes I know that's a lot of cheese) 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Some olive oil pam to spray your baking pan

1. These first steps are very important for keeping the zucchini less liquidy. After you have sliced your zucchini put it in a colander with paper towels under it and sprinkle with salt. The salt will draw out the liquid. Set this aside for about 30 minutes. I tossed it around every 10 minutes and shook the liquid off and resalted it a little. 
2. After setting this aside - preheat your oven to 375. 
3. After 30 minutes of the salt doing it's work pat the zucchini strips dry, place on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil and bake for about 10-15 minutes until they start to cook. Let cool.
4. In a pot heat a little olive oil. Then add onions. Allow to start to brown then add in your mushrooms, spinach, garlic. Allow to start to cook down just about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, sauce, paste, basil. oregano, fennel, rosemary and salt and pepper to your veggie mix. Stir well, bring to a boil. After it's at a boil, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes so it thickens. 
6. In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg and parmesan.
7. Start layering your lasagna in a 9 x13 pan sprayed with Olive Oil Pam. It took me a while to get the layers right in this, but I like this combo. Tomato sauce, zucchini strips (they act as your noodles so layer them close together), ricotta mix, then sprinkle a layer of mozzarella. Then repeat, sauce, zucchini, ricotta, parmesan. 
8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350. Watch for cheese to melt and start to brown on the edges, then you are good!

**Makes 6-8 servings.

**This is a 5 on Bryce's dish scale. A LOT OF DISHES. Pan, baking sheet, baking pan, cutting board, knife, colander, and a bowl to put stuff in as I chop. Lot of work, but worth it. 

Super Simple Roasted Cauliflower gnocchi

Gnocchi is something new to me. And thanks to this really simple recipe from guess where - Real Simple it's something easy to make on a week night. We used whole wheat gnocchi because we are trying to be healthier and it happened to be on sale. I have made this before with regular gnocchi and it's good either way. Another note, if the store is out of fresh sage, it's good with fresh thyme too. The key is fresh herbs. 

Roasted Cauliflower Gnocchi 

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces 
• 1 pound gnocchi
• 12 fresh sage leaves (or the leaves of several sticks of thyme)
• 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 350.
2. Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste and your fresh herbs. 
3. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes or unit it starts to brown and is soft
4. While that's baking, cook the gnocchi according to the package
5. Toss it all together and top with parmesan

**Makes about 4 servings

**This is a 2 on Bryce's dish scale. Baking sheet, pan, cutting board and knife.