Tasty Tuesdays : Smorgasbord

Hey all! I thought I keep this Tasty Tuesdays post short and very sweet, and also savory. I'm going to share a few dishes I've made lately, all of which can be found on my pinterest.

Double Broccoli Quinoa from 101 Cookbooks. - Or Q-noa for you Bachelorette-watching folk ;) This has become a staple for me.

Recipe (and Photo)

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Aioli from Savoring Life with Anna Costa. This aioli is delish, but for a healthier dipping sauce, I've mixed some thick greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice and a healthy sprinkling of celery salt and garlic powder. 

Recipe (and Photo)

BBQ chicken burgers AND sweet potato fries from How Sweet It Is. So good!

Burger recipe (and Photo)   French fry recipe

Grilled Corn Orzo Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette from Iowa Girl Eats

Recipe (and Photo)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake from Tasty Kitchen

Recipe (and Photo)

And last but not least, Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries with Sriracha Lime Mayo from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Recipe (and Photo)

it's getting hot in here..

See? Proof via the iPhone

That is my fav weather app, swackett. If not for this app, I would forget my dog needs water in 101 degree weather.

Also, I meant to blog about this after Father's Day, but I forgot because I suck. The title was going to be "I accidentally got drunk on Father's Day" or maybe "I accidentally got my mom drunk on Father's Day." Either way, the point is this champagne cocktail and the fact that it's stronger than I thought and my mom and I were the only ones enjoying it.

via

So, anyway, I do recommend it. I omitted the vodka for my second drink and quite liked it. You could scale back or take out the vodka if you don't want to accidentally get drunk at 2pm. Or maybe you do. I won't judge. Drink it this weekend.

Finally, do somma this this weekend.

images: mine and Fresh 365

Tasty Tuesdays : Butter Beans with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

Yum! This was delic. I'm still feeling quite under the weather (worse??) and made this for dinner yesterday. I feel blah and still loved this, so it must be a winner! In an effort to give myself some rest, I'm going to keep it short and sweet. We're going to my fav restaurant for my littlest sister's birthday dinner Thursday and I. MUST. FEEL. BETTER.

Butter Beans with Olives & Roasted Tomatoes

*slightly adapted from Fresh 365
serves 4

 
INGREDIENTS
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise (apx 2 c)

* I added 7-8 cloves whole garlic with skin in tact, then peeled before adding to salad *
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste *I didn't use pepper, and used sea salt*

*I added a sprinkling of Italian seasonings: dried basil, oregano, thyme*
1 shallot, sliced thin
2 15-oz cans butter beans, drained and rinsed *I used 2.5, as I already had one open in the fridge*
1 t fresh thyme leaves, plus additional for garnish *I used ground thyme because I forgot fresh at the store!*
2 c arugula *I used Romaine, which is what I had on hand*

dressing
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1 T red wine vinegar
1/8 c olive oil

YOUR TASK
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 T olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and Italian seasonings, then add unpeeled garlic. Transfer to oven and roast 1 hour. Allow to cool, and slice larger tomatoes into thin strips. (I didn't slice any of them.)

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 T olive oil, over medium heat. Add shallot, and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep brown and caramelized. Gently stir in butter beans, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook 8-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, allowing beans to form a crust.

In a small bowl, combine kalamata olives, lemon juice, mustard, salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Stir well.

Separate arugula/lettuce among 4 plates. Top with bean and tomato mixture, and olive dressing. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme, to taste.

Image from and recipe adapted from: Fresh 365

Halloween recipes

Hi all! So, I'm going to make this short and sweet. I've been busy cleaning this mess of a house and now feel like I'm combating a cold. However, I did tell you that I would share if I found any good recipes, and I haven't found anything that's blown my socks off... But I did find a couple that are cute and deliciously unhealthy. 

For something sweet, I'm going to make these yummy-looking cookies that have a lovely hint of festivity.

And for an app, I'm going to make some sort of a combo of these two dishes:

They're really quite similar, so it might be as easy as adding sour cream to the first one! Hopefully my concoction turns out!

images and recipes: The Faux Martha, Divine Dinner Party, and Skinny Taste

Tasty Tuesdays : Potato, Bacon, and Brussels Sprouts Hash

This hash was DELICIOUS! Being a brussels sprouts lover, I indeed did love it. My relationship with this green veggie wasn't always so positive. I remember being young and having to clean my plate of them in a rather disgruntled state. I've since changed my tune and would be willing to bet this dish could make a brussels sprouts lover out of anyone.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes
5 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon, nearly frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Lots of freshly cracked pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup MSG free chicken broth
A few shakes of Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce, or hot sauce of choice
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
 

YOUR TASK:
1. Scrub potatoes and stab all over with a fork. Place on a paper towel lined plate and microwave on high until pierced easily with a knife. Cool a bit, peel off skins and cut into large dice. Set aside.
2. Clean and peel outer leaves from Brussels sprouts. Cut off stems and cut into quarters. Set aside.
3. Cut nearly frozen bacon into small strips. (Bacon cuts easier frozen). Place bacon in a very large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cook until crispy. Turn off heat and remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and strain on paper towels. Leave bacon grease in the pan.
4. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Turn heat to medium high and add diced onion, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until translucent and add Brussels sprouts. Cook until softened.
5. Clear a small area of the skillet and add minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or just until fragrant then mix into the sprouts. Add potatoes and warm through. Add chicken broth and hot sauce and stir.
6. Let potato mixture brown and crisp with chicken broth, folding the mixture occasionally. This may take awhile. Hash will be done when there are some crispy parts, the broth is absorbed, and everything is heated through. Stir bacon and Parmesan cheese into hash, taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if needed. I cooked until everything was caramelized a bit.

Enjoy!!

Recipe and photo: The Cooking Photographer

Tasty Tuesdays : Tortellini and Spinach Soup

I'm going to make this one short and sweet. We loved this soup. I made it with homemade vegetable broth, so I'm interested to see how it compares when I use store-bought. Because I'd made the broth in a large batch ahead of time, this recipe really took no time at all. 

Simple Tortellini & Spinach Soup 

INGREDIENTS:
2 T olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 c vegetable broth
2 c water
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 c coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
2 bags frozen cheese tortellini (apx 25 oz)

YOUR TASK:

In a large pot, heat oil on medium-high and add garlic. Stir 2 minutes until golden brown. Add vegetable broth, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in parmesan cheese, basil, spinach and tortellini. Cook 5-8 minutes, until tortellini is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to individual serving bowls. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.

recipe and image: Fresh 365

Tasty Tuesdays : Morning Routine

You might remember that I mentioned Linda Wagner in my last Tasty Tuesdays post. I would not do two food posts in a row about beverages unless I truly thought they could CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Okay, maybe not completely, but definitely lend a huge helping hand to the outlook on your day and your health. Every day, for the past 12 days (with the exception of one - I may have had one too many beers at Oktoberfest the night before and didn't make it to the grocery in the morning, let alone off the couch. Don't hate me, self. Don't hate me!) So every day I have started the morning with hot lemon ginger water.

I switched from my daily coffee to tea a year or two ago, so this wasn't a hard adjustment for me. I haven't had any caffeine for the past 12 days, as my hot drink in the morning is a hot lemon ginger water. Shall we call it HLGW? Oh, no, it doesn't exactly roll of the tongue? Okay, fine. So I enjoy gulp this while doing my makeup and hair in the morning.

Then, a mere thirty minutes later, I'm walking out the door with a smoothie for breakfast that keeps me full until lunch. I feel so much better about drinking a hearty helping of fruits and veggies versus some bread or a big doughy bagel. This green smoothie makes my day!

The only challenging part of the green smoothie has been preparing the fruits and veggies. I know you can buy prewashed spinach, but it did make the dirty dozen list, so I figure that while I'm at it, I might as well go all the way. I buy organic spinach bunches, dirt and all, to de-stem and wash a couple times a week. Hopefully it will become a habit before I know it! Now, if only I could wake up 15 minutes early to enjoy my nice cup o' HLGW.

Here, you are, both courtesy of my new fav, Linda Wagner:

Morning Digestif (aka HLGW)

Be sure to check out the link to see all of the health benefits of both lemon and ginger. It'll make you much more likely to go through with it!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 inch knob of ginger sliced thinly or grated

fresh lemon

Stevia to taste (I omit this, but the original recipe calls for it - I don't think it has any health benefits - just makes the drink sweeter)

YOUR TASK:

Pour boiling water over the ginger, let steep for about 5 mins then add lemon juice (and stevia, if desired) to taste.

Green Smoothie

INGREDIENTS 

2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup fresh cut pineapple

2 handfuls of baby spinach

water

ice (if desired)

YOUR TASK

Add enough water to blend and enjoy, that’s it! Forget the dehydrating morning latte and get the glow with a Green Smoothie instead. This recipe tastes like a dream come true and will make about 32oz.

recipes and images: Linda Wagner

Tasty Tuesdays : The Intensi-Toddy!

Hello all! Sorry for my absence! (I know, you're all like, what absence? You haven't blogged regularly in forevs.) Anyway, I'm still sorry. Last week we went to Tennessee somewhat unexpectedly for Chris's grandfather's funeral. Right before that, I picked up a darn cold! The weather changed very quickly here. The weekend before I spent a decent amount of Sunday lounging around with the french doors and windows open, enjoying the chill and the breeze. Apparently my immune system did not take such delight in the sudden change. Well, it was certainly convenient that around the same time, I discovered Linda Wagner and her healthy ways. I stumbled upon (ie: read her blog for hours and dug this up beauty) this post featuring a cold-kicking hot toddy!

If you've never had a hot toddy, it's a must-try. I suppose that before, I never really thought too much about what was in it. I have ordered them on a night out occasionally, and little did I know, this is one bit of drinking (alcohol) that does a body good! I'll be honest though, they recommend to drink 4 cups a day and I don't know about you, but I would feel some side-effects of the rum, so 4 cups on a weekday was a no-go. We did have a night in on Friday with some chicken enchilada soup, homemade hot toddy's and Love, and Other Drugs, which was quite enjoyable - tissues and all. Anyway, I still haven't completely kicked my cold (maybe due in part to the fact that it's against my make-up to go to bed early,) but this sure did make me feel better!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

pinch of cayenne

2 ginger slices

2 Constant Comment tea bags

1/2 lemon, squeezed

3 oz. spiced rum

2 tbsp. honey

YOUR TASK:

In a medium pot, place water, spices and ginger together and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Enjoy while hot!

images and recipe: Linda Wagner (originally from Joylicious)

Tasty Tuesdays : Triple Chocolate Cookies

I took a half day off work last week to spend time with some college girlfriends. I drove about an hour east to join six ladies for Girls' Weekend at the Lake. It. was. heavenly. Water skiing on the lake, lounging on the dock, nighttime boat rides to star gaze. Corn on the cob, cheeseburgers, summer beer, guacamole, s'mores, taco dip, Texas caviar ... and triple chocolate cookies. To die for. And just perfect to grab on the way out the door to the dock. Your cookie will be gone by the time your feet hit the warm wood.

I discovered this recipe on a dangerously delicious blog, Cookies and Cups, and knew I would have to try it out. I couldn't find white chocolate bars when I made these, but I did have bars for the milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Definitely worth it - I'll search a little harder next time for chocolate bars, rather than chips.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup softened butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt

6 oz. chopped semi sweet chocolate

4 oz. chopped milk chocolate

4 oz chopped white chocolate

YOUR TASK:

1. Cream your butter and sugars together until fluffy.

2. Add in eggs plus yolk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until incorporated.

3. Turn speed to low and add your baking soda, salt and flour. Mix until just combined.

4. Fold in your chopped chocolate.

5. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours over overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F

7. On a parchment lined baking sheet scoop dough by the rounded tablespoon, placing 2 inches apart.

8. Bake 9 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

9. Transfer to cooling rack.

Warning: If you make these cookies and eat one every time you go from the lake house to the dock, you will feel very compelled to wake up early to do pilates and some cardio!

images and recipe: Cookies and Cups

Tasty Tuesdays : Two-Cheese Pasta

Nom nom nom. Can you hear my stomach growling at the sound of the name? Oh, wait, I just made the sound of eating. It's actually gggrrrrr I'm hooongggrrreeee. Okay, anyway, I made this cheese linguine a couple weeks ago for a weeknight dinner. I was so glad it didn't take a long time. I've been known to over-extend and not get dinner on the table until 9 or 10 (once even 11, eek!) Chris will surely remember that dinner, as it was by far the worst meatloaf we've ever eaten.

Back to it. I found this Linguine with Two-Cheese Sauce from Tracey's Culinary Adventures. Tracey originally found this recipe in Cooking Light.

Linguine with Two-Cheese Sauce
from Cooking Light, July 2011

INGREDIENTS
8 oz linguine
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 oz shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

YOUR TASK
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat.  Add the flour to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes (or until the mixture darkens slightly), whisking constantly.  Whisk in the milk, 2 teaspoons of the basil, the salt, and the pepper.  Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes, whisking frequently.  Turn off the heat under the pot and add 1 1/2 oz of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the mascarpone cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss to coat.  Garnish with the remaining basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving. 

Enjoy!

recipe and images: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Tasty Tuesdays : Greek Dip!

Hello all! I thought I might start sharing some of my fav recipes with you on a more regular basis. I will come across certain food blogs and get sucked in for hours. After all that time, I usually do end up making a dish or two. Anyway, this first one is an original recipe, as in, I got it from my momma and I don't know it's lineage.

GREEK DIP

You start out by chopping one avocado (sometimes I use two), two plum tomatoes, 1/2 small (3.8 oz.) jar of black olives and 1/2 c. red onion. DON'T CHOP YOUR FINGER! (slight hint, of course, I've never done this myself.)

Put all dat in a bowl.

Then, you whisk together 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Once that is combined, add it to the bowl o' veggies (aka, the tomato mixture - wait, if tomato is a fruit, is it the bowl o' fruit and veggies?) Stir/mix gently to combine. You don't want to make the avocado a mushy mess.

After that, you will want to mince some garlic. The recipe calls for one clove, but, really, I scoff at that. To me, one means three! But, maybe you and your guests don't agree - up to you! Chop some fresh herbs : 1 tbsp. fresh parsley and 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano.

Add the garlic and herbs to the dressed vegetables. Finally, add 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Yum! Is it lunchtime yet?

Here is the recipe in a more condensed version:

GREEK DIP

INGREDIENTS:

one avocado, chopped

two plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 of a 3.8 oz jar of black olives, chopped

1/2 c. red onion, chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

YOUR TASK:

Combine chopped tomatoes, onions, olives, and avocado, in that order.

Whisk vinegar and olive oil until combined. Then add to the tomato mixture.

Add herbs, garlic, and feta to the tomato mixture.

Mix very gently to combine.

Enjoy!

Recipe: my momma

good 'n' healthy

As I mentioned before, I'm doing Whole Living's 28-day cleansing. I'm currently on week 4 and things have definitely been much easier since I last mentioned it. I've felt my absolute best during the second week, in part because I was getting lots of good sleep! So far we've found quite a few recipes that I'll make once the diet is complete. If you're looking for some good, healthy recipes, these are definitely worth checking out.

Almond Chicken Soup

Two Bean Vegetarian Chili

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Grilled Salmon with Spicy Honey-Basil Sauce

Creamy Kale Salad

Spiced Nuts and Seeds

Barley Fried Rice

Chipotle Avocado Sandwich

Linguine with Almonds

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs

There's lots to choose from and even more at Whole Living. Enjoy!

images: Whole Living

Capital "C" is for Craving.

So. I started my detox diet last Monday. And I am so craving EVERYTHING right now. I've definitely made a few delicious dishes on this diet, but, who am I kidding? I'm not a dieter. This is really the first time I've ever carried out a diet, as I've only tried once before.

In particular, I'd love to eat...

A Terry's Turf Club Burger with duck fat fries. If you're in the Cincinnati area and haven't yet been, you must! My favorite... standard burger with Burgundy Wine Mushroom Sauce, extra mushrooms (can't remember if I got portabella or shitake,) Gouda cheese and caramelized onions. YUM.

A jelly-filled donut, fine with me if it's by Emeril!

Accompanied by a Starbucks Caramel Brulee Latte ...

Chicken Pot Pie. I'd love to try this recipe by Sweet Paul ...

Followed by a Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cake (whaaat?)

And finally, a nice glass of red wine ...

And now, as they just aired a Share our Strength: end childhood hunger in America commercial on Food Network, I'm feeling a little guilty for this post. I have it pretty good, I know. Eat something delicious. Tell me about it. And help out a good cause if you can.

Images: Terry's Turf Club, Food Network, Starbucks, Sweet Paul, Sunday Suppers