If you were looking for us on Saturday, you would have found us sitting on the deck at some of our nearest and dearest’s house…kids playing, adults baby-gushing, wine in hands and the darling hosts feeding us some of the best guacamole on the planet and an awesome burger bar, to boot. Pretty sure it doesn’t get much better than that. This salad was my dish to share and it received pretty darn great reviews. Continue reading
So I sit here at my keyboard wondering how I can explain to you in words what the 4 o’clock hour is like in our house. How can I put it eloquently? What sort of words can I use to give you a visual in your head? But I’m blank. You want to know the only thing that comes to my mind? That old game show, Supermarket Sweep. No, I have not been using illegal drugs. Seriously, do you remember that show? The one where the people go absolutely insane running through the grocery store filling their carts with nonsense because they are running out of time. They look ridiculous…panicked and yelling running down the aisles grabbing food off the shelves. That’s EXACTLY how I feel inside during the 4 o’clock hour. Minus the chance to win $5000. Huge bummer.
The kids are awake from naps…and getting hungry. Nick is close to heading home. I’m getting snacks, cleaning up drool, folding laundry, changing diapers, making dinner, taking photos and writing recipes as I go all while hearing “Mommy, watch this” over. And over. And over. Love it, but I gotta tell you…sometimes I need a break from our typical 4 o clock hour. Which is when I go right to this recipe. Easy peasy. I make the vinaigrette while the kids are napping-which takes approximately 34 seconds-so all there is to do is grill the pork for a whopping ten minutes when Nick gets home. It’s super fresh tasting and the vinaigrette tastes wonderful on any grilled meat, fish or veggies…or tossed with mixed greens. But these grilled pork chops are our favorite way to enjoy it. So give this one a shot on your next hectic afternoon…it beats playing make-believe ’90’s game shows any day.
Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette
adapted from Gourmet, July 2007
Ingredients
4 Boneless Pork Chops, about 1 inch thick
1/3 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Course Black Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
3 Garlic Cloves
3 Tablespoons Cilantro Leaves
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Directions
Place 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cilantro, dijon and crushed red pepper flakes in a small blender. Process until combined and garlic is completely blended. Set aside.
Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Rub 2 tablespoons olive oil over the pork chops and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chops for ten minutes, or until cooked through, flipping once in the middle of cooking. Serve pork chops with vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Serves 4
I have been playing around with stuffed peppers forever. Quite honestly, I don’t love them. I’m not sure what exactly it is about them but the flavor has just never knocked my socks off; and the rice has always thrown me off a bit. Which is why I took them on a little trip down Mexico road 😉 And now? A taco in a pepper bowl…with all the goods piled right on top. I’m sold.
I’ve tested them all sorts of ways: precooking the meat before stuffing them, with rice, without, tomato sauce, or not, different cheeses and spices…but this is my favorite version. Easy peasy and delicious!
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
3 Bell Peppers, seeded, cored and halved
1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
1 Cup Pinto or Black Beans
1 (15 Ounce) Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3/4 Cup Frozen Corn
3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
1 Avocado, diced
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Salsa
Directions
Preheat oven 350. In a large bowl mix together beef, beans, tomato sauce, 3/4 cup cheese, corn and taco seasoning. Stuff the mixture into the pepper halves and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is cooked through and peppers are beginning to soften.
While peppers are cooking, whisk together the greek yogurt, sour cream and salsa. Top cooked peppers with diced avocado and yogurt sauce. Serves 4-6.
My darling friend, Jackie, came over for a visit yesterday. It was a perfect rainy day date that involved some much needed catching up and a little yoga for Jackie and Georgia (Jax-her cobra pose is looking amazing today 😉 ) She was planning to be here over lunch and being the procrastinator that I am I had nothing planned to serve. I had all of the fixings for a salad but needed something to add to make it special and not so “thrown together”. These maple walnuts were just the perfect touch. They are such an awesome addition to any salad but my favorite way to serve them is with mixed greens, bleu cheese, sliced apple and balsamic vinaigrette. They literally take less than five minutes to make and turn a pretty simple salad into an exceptional one. On another note, if you are looking for the perfect homemade hostess gift these are the perfect fit. They are so versatile; add some cinnamon or cayenne pepper for a different twist. Top them on a salad, nosh on them alone for a sweet treat…or dare I say it? On top of vanilla ice cream. Mouth officially watering.
Maple Walnuts
barely adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
2 Cups Walnuts
1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Directions
Grease a piece of parchment paper with cooking spray or coconut oil; set aside. Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add all ingredients and cook, stirring frequently until syrup is caramelized, about three minutes. Spread on to prepared parchment to cool completely. Makes 2 cups
If you are looking for the perfect dish to serve for Easter brunch, here you go. We love to have this on our “breakfast-for-dinner” nights paired with a green salad and it’s also a great one to make on Sundays and reheat for quick breakfasts throughout the week. This is my go-to when we have overnight guests in town or when I am hosting a brunch…the meat mixture can be cooked, assembled and chilled the day before so all you need to do is whisk the eggs/cheese/milk and pour it on top right before baking. This savory, gooey goodie is always a hit around here.
Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Egg Bake
adapted from this recipe
Note: If you are making the meat mixture a day ahead of time just store it in the fridge in the buttered dish…that way all you have to do is pour the egg mixture over it before baking. This may require a few additional minutes of baking as the meat has been chilled.
Ingredients
1 Pound Ground Breakfast Sausage
1/3 Cup Chopped Onion
1/3 Cup Chopped Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spinach, optional
6 Large Eggs
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 Cup Half and Half
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
1 Cup Shredded Parmesan
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9×13 baking dish. In a large skillet cook the sausage over medium high heat until beginning to brown, breaking up with the back of the spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 additional minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for one minute, stirring often. Stir in the parsley and spinach, if using, and remove from heat. Pour in the bottom of the buttered dish.
In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, half and half, cream, cheeses and salt. Pour over the meat mixture and give it a stir. Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 6-8
If you have ever eaten at a Lebanese restaurant or been blessed enough to experience schwarma I’m sure you’ll catch my drift here. That garlic sauce? Obsessed. Like, eat-it-with-a-spoon-obsessed. It’s tart and bold
and has the perfect bite to it…and quite frankly you could put it on top of anything and it would be delicious. But over this grilled chicken? Accompanied by this juicy, simple tomato salad? My gosh, people, it’s almost unacceptable it tastes so good.
Traditional Lebanese garlic sauce is made with vegetable oil, garlic and lemon….but emulsifying the oil and lemon juice can get a bit tedious and the results are so inconsistent; not to mention that vegetable oil isn’t necessarily the most healthy. So, in an effort to simplify the process, health it up and make it no-fail each and every time I came up with my own non traditional recipe that truly tastes just as good. We use this sauce for so many different things. It’s fabulous with any grilled meat or fish, works beautifully as a dressing for green salads and makes a great dip for veggies, pizza, anything, really. Now I must warn you…it is spicy. Not burn-your-mouth spicy but it has a strong bite to it from the garlic. Feel free to use 2-3 garlic cloves instead of 4 if you are afraid it will be too much bite for you..4 is great for us, even my 2 year old loves it.
This is such a simple, quick meal and pairs beautifully with rice or roasted potatoes…perfect for welcoming the spring sunshine.
Mediterranean Chicken with Garlic Sauce
Note: four cloves of garlic will give you a pretty big bite in this sauce..i stick with 3 for my family and it’s still very garlicky..but if you’re feeling edgy, use four;)
Ingredients
For the Garlic Sauce
3-4 Cloves Garlic, see note above
1 Cup Whole Fat Greek Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoons Mayonaise
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
For the Tomato Salad
1/2 Cup Chopped Cucumber
1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
3/4 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley or 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
For the Chicken
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Greek Seasoning
1 Pound Chicken Breast Filets
Directions
For the Garlic Sauce
Place garlic in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until the garlic is finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl to get the garlic pieces to the bottom and add the yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and process until combined, 30 seconds. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil slowly and process until completely combined, about 1 minute.
For the Tomato Salad
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
For the Chicken
Preheat the grill over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with Greek seasoning, drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Grill the filets for 8 minutes or until cooked through, flipping once after 4 minutes. Remove from heat, top with tomato salad and drizzle with garlic sauce. Serves 2-3.
I have a VERY large proclamation to make. These are THE best gluten free muffins I have ever had. Ever. It was a fun saturday experiment for Georgia and I. Jude was napping and Nick was over at the pond playing boot hockey so we played around in the kitchen for a bit….attempting to concoct a late morning snack. After lots of measuring and scooping and spilling and getting our hands messy (I say this as if I was partaking in all of these things when, in all actuality it was mostly just G…I was the person in the background whispering to myself “Miss, she’s only two…be patient…its good for her brain…you can clean up later…no, you can’t have a glass of wine at 10:30 AM”) we had the batter ready and popped them in the oven. We tasted them immediately…all warm, sweet and crumbly with that oh so crunchy topping…we gave ourselves two thumbs up for sure. And then Nick came home and polished off the entire rest of the pan in approximately 7 minutes. Catch my drift? You’ll love them.
Berry Streusel Muffins
Notes: If you do not have or prefer to use coconut sugar you can use half brown sugar and half white granulated sugar instead. I prefer the taste of coconut sugar along with the fact that it is a more nutritious option. Whole wheat flour can be substituted for the buckwheat flour as well…although it would not be wheat free. Also, it is extremely simple to make oat flour yourself instead of buying it already packaged: just place old fashioned or rolled oats in a food processor and process until it becomes the texture of a flour…it will look like this…
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
1/4 Cup Gluten Free Oats
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
3 Tablespoons Gluten Free Oat Flour
3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Butter, melted
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
For the Muffins
1 Cup Gluten Free Oat Flour
3/4 Cup Buckwheat Flour
1/2 Cup Almond Meal
2 Tablespoons Flax Meal (optional)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
1 Cup Milk (preferably 2% or whole)
1/3 Cup Honey
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Butter or Coconut Oil, melted
1 1/4 Cup Berries (fresh or frozen-I prefer a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries but any will do)
Directions
For the Streusel Topping
Mix all ingredients together with your hands until a crumble is formed. Set aside.
For the Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 and grease or line 12 muffin cups. In a medium bowl whisk together oat flour, buckwheat flour, almond meal, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, milk, honey, vanilla and coconut sugar or butter. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well until just combined. Stir in berries. Fill the muffin cups up about 2/3 of the way full and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly among the tops of the muffins. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the muffin. Makes 12 muffins.
This post is silly. Its hardly a recipe….but I think I owe it to you to share such an outstanding trick if you aren’t aware already. Parmesan crisps. Have you had them? Most of the foodie joints out there have had them on their menu at one time or another. They look so darn fancy..and they taste divine. Best part about them? They are easy enough for your children to make. Or dog. Or cat. No joke.
They’re perfect for healthy snacking and put any store bought chip or cracker to shame. But our favorite way to eat them? Just lightly broken up on top of a salad. The absolute perfect crunch and sharpness. You are very welcome, my dear friends.
Parmesan Crisps
Ingredients
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil and preheat oven to 350. Drop cookie scoop sized mounds (about 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and pat the mound out slightly with your fingers. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until crisps are browned and just beginning to harden. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
I’ve missed you my dear friends. How goes it? It’s been both exhausting and great around here as I learn to manage life with two littles. You see, I’ve been feeling pulled in so many different directions. My two year old has officially learned the phrase “I want my mommy” and it seems as though her new little brother has caused her to use this phrase until she is blue in the face these days, bless her heart. And her little brother? That precious little punkin that has officially been named “moose” in our household (we mean it as endearing, I swear)? Well, he finds it necessary to eat like its nobodies business. This kid could drink any of you fools under the table. His cheeks will prove it (and those cheeks taste as delicious as any dish I have EVER prepared). It’s amazing how these two things alone can take up the majority of the day. And while I have continued to cook on a regular basis..and take photos here and there…I have not had too much of an opportunity to write. Until now.
Guess what is happening this very moment? My house is quiet. The laundry is folded. The toys are picked up. The play dough is scraped off the kitchen floor. The dishwasher is emptied. Jude’s tummy is full. Georgia had 45 minutes of “Georgia and mommy time” with not a single interruption. Dinner is made and sitting on the stove. And both kids are sleeping. And to top it all off..I didn’t even drink an extra-shot latte today. As Matthew Wilder would say, can’t nobody break my stride….feeling good, folks, feeling pretty darn good.
And now I need to make the rest of this post the absolute fastest written content of all times…because Im pretty sure this quiet, still moment will only last for approximately 37 more seconds. I can assure you this will most likely be the best tomato soup you’ve ever eaten….no joke. You simply must try it. And I kid you not…I now hear a crying baby…
Winter Tomato Soup
Ingredients
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Large Carrots, chopped
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
2 15 Ounce Cans Diced Tomatoes
2 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Half and Half
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
Directions
Heat olive oil in soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add carrots, onion, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper and sauté for 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add red wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once at a boil cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, place the soup into a blender or food processor and puree until the mixture is a very smooth consistency (make sure blender or processor is covered…mixture will be very hot). Transfer soup back into the pot and turn heat to medium low. Stir in honey, balsamic and half and half and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 2-4
It is freeeeeeeeezing outside. Like the -17 wind chill kind of freezing. So cold that I nearly grew frost on my eyebrows this morning just going from my car into the grocery store. It makes me want to do a whole lot of absolutely nothing except for stay in my cozy house and whip up a pot of cozy, warm, comforting soup; this chicken wild rice wonder is perfect for just that, so rich and just plain delicious. It’s considered a Minnesota staple and I tell you what…it’s one of the only things that makes this states winter weather bearable for me. Warming at its best!
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Adapted from Lunds and Byerlys
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Cup Diced Onion
1 Cup Diced Carrot
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Cooked Wild Rice
2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken (rotisserie chicken is fast and a great time saver for this recipe)
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
3-4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Sliced or Slivered Almonds
Directions
Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion, carrot and thyme and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, chicken, salt and pepper and enough chicken stock to cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream, vinegar and almonds, return to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.
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