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Shredded Chicken Tacos

April 30, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

I had some corn tortillas left from when I made Tequila-Lime Shrimp Tacos, so I figured I'd whip up some more tacos for dinner.

I always keep chicken in the freezer, so I figured I'd poach said chicken and shred it, throw some spices on it and make tacos two nights in a row.

We're on a Cinco de Mayo roll here, people! These were great. Not quite as good as the shrimp tacos, but really tasty nonetheless.

The mix of spices was great, and coating the shredded chicken with tomato paste really deepened the flavor.

Crunchy Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad

April 30, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Stop what you're doing and make this salad. Oh. My. Goodness. Let me warn you - this recipe needs a total of 1 hour of sitting time. I didn't realize that when I set out to make it, and I was super annoyed. I get cranky when I'm hungry, what can I say? But let me tell you, it is SO worth it. This salad has so many things that I love in it, and it's cool and refreshing and perfect for the warm weather that we're finally getting here in New York. It's crunchy, creamy, cool, salty and super satisfying. I will definitely be making this again. I love the author's suggestion of using a ring mold to make it look fancy, too. Great for dinner parties... although I'd have to quadruple the recipe if I was expected to share it ;).

Crunchy Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad
Deux Dilettantes via Food52

Author Notes: This salad is amazingly smooth and refreshing. You will feel clean after so much green, yet satisfied. The feta and avocado impart a velvety, almost buttery, texture. But, just before your palate gets too comfortable, the crunch of the cucumber reminds you that this salad has some character and won't give up without a fight! Finally, the sour lime and the crisp mint cut through it and provide unity. It's like an explosion of textures and flavors in the mouth, working a little like a cocktail, with flavors layered on top of one another. This is what I call summertime comfort food.

Serves 2 (main) or 4 (side)

2 large cucumbers
Salt
2 ripe avocados
½ cup chopped mint
Juice and zest of ½ lime
4 ounces feta cheese, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Pepper to taste (or lemon pepper)

Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut cucumbers into ½-inch pieces and put in a colander. Generously sprinkle with salt and let sit in the sink for 30 minutes to drain. This will prevent your salad from getting watery. Quickly rinse and blot dry with paper towel.

While cucumbers are draining, dice the avocados into ½-inch pieces and put into a salad bowl. Drizzle with lime juice and toss gently.

Wash and coarsely chop the mint. Chop the lime zest.

In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice and lime zest to make dressing.

Add drained cucumbers, mint, feta cheese and dressing to the avocados and gently combine. Add pepper (or lemon pepper) to taste. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

If you feel like impressing your guests (or just having a fancy meal), try to make domes using a ring mold. Fill the ring mold with the salad, and then remove the mold. It's a great way to structure your food and enhance the presentation of your plate!

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Tequila-Lime Shrimp Tacos

April 29, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

I'm pretty proud of myself right now. I managed to get a Cinco de Mayo recipe made and am actually posting it a few days early. It's even a recipe that I made up myself. Wow!

I love cooking for holidays, but usually do it on the actual holiday and then don't end up posting it until a day or three later.

Not that that's a bad thing, but I realize that some people like to see something new from me in time to actually make it for (insert holiday here).

I was working on a tight deadline for my part-time job, and waiting to hear back from my boss on something. We had been out-of-town all weekend, and I really wanted to make something homemade for dinner, but I needed to go to the grocery store.

I didn't have a ton of energy, so I started thinking about what I could make that would be easy enough for a crazy Monday night. I knew that I wanted to make something Mexican for the upcoming holiday, and I wanted to try something new.

I've never eaten a shrimp taco before, but I was inspired to try to come up with a way to make them. Shrimp cook up really quickly, and are a lot lighter than some of the other meaty Mexican dishes I've made.

So I put this together and it turned out awesome! Super simple and really flavorful. The only mistake I made at first was that I didn't warm the tortillas.

I don't use corn tortillas very often, and I forgot how brittle they are. So Dino had a great method to heat them up - put 2 corn tortillas on top of each other on a paper towel lined plate, then cover with a paper towel, stack 2 more tortillas, and cover with a paper towel.

Microwave for 30 seconds. Having a double layer of the warmed tortillas really makes these easier to eat.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp & Green Beans

April 23, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This is a super simple weeknight meal that turned out great! The only change I made was to use a little olive oil in the pan with the green beans. I love solid recipes like this that only call for a few ingredients and pack a lot of flavor. Of course, we really enjoy garlic, so I had a feeling this would hit the spot 🙂 My toddler really liked this, too!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp & Green Beans
Zahlmann Zoo Crew

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 6 oz shrimp & 1-½ cups green beans
Calories: 257.3 • Fat: 5.1g • Protein: 35.9 g • Carb: 17.4 g • Fiber: 4.1 g

Ingredients:
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 cloves garlic, crushed
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper
6 cups green beans

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when hot add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add garlic. Saute another minute or two until shrimp is cooked, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro. Serve hot.

In a separate pan, add 6 cups green beans, crushed garlic to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium high for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup water and cover, cook for an additional 8 minutes. Uncover and cook until water evaporates. Serve hot on the side of shrimp.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce

April 12, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

I really enjoy the depth of flavor that bourbon adds to recipes (like when I made Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Whiskey Cream Sauce, Bourbon Cranberry Sauce, or Bourbon-Mango Pulled Pork). I'm also a fan of BBQ sauces that aren't full of chemicals, which is why I buy Stubb's if I'm not making my own. But this was one of the occasions that I wanted to make my own BBQ sauce. When I came across this recipe, I was intrigued. It didn't take a lot of time, and the combination of ingredients was great. I cut it in half when I made it, because 4 cups of sauce is a lot, and I wasn't sure how long it would keep in the refrigerator. I used it on top of some pan-fried tempeh, and it was great! The author of the recipe says that it's even better after it's been in the fridge for a few days, so I'm excited to try it again! This sauce packs a punch, so be sure to taste it before you go pouring it all over things.

Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce
Allrecipes - Kevin

"This is a barbecue sauce recipe using Kentucky bourbon whiskey. For best results, refrigerate for a day or two, allowing the flavors to blend."

PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Makes 4 cups

½ onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup bourbon whiskey
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ tablespoon salt
2 cups ketchup
¼ cup tomato paste
⅓ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, and whiskey. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Mix in the ground black pepper, salt, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer a smooth sauce.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Smoked Paprika Oats with Peas

April 12, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

This dish goes to show that oats aren't just for breakfast - they can make a quick and tasty side dish for any meal. The flavors here are straightforward, and the finished dish is nice and fluffy. It's a great alternative to mashed potatoes. I really like peas, so I was glad to add them into this. I didn't bother toasting the walnuts (I assume it would only be better if they were nice and toasted, but they were just fine as is). There's a lot of potential here for mixing different flavors and veggies in with the oats to make a variety of tasty side dishes. You could also use vegetable broth if you wanted to make this vegetarian.

Smoked Paprika Oats with Peas
Whole Grains for Busy People: Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals and More for Everyone - Lorna Sass

I hope that this quick and savory preparation of rolled oats will convince you that it's a good idea to take oatmeal beyond the breakfast category. This recipe creates a soft and comforting side dish--a good choice to stand in for mashed potatoes. Or serve it with a savory omelet and salad for a light supper.

Smoked Spanish paprika, with its complex flavor and striking burnished color, is a great boon to busy cooks. Until recently it was not well known in America, but it's now widely available.

Serves 4

2 cups oatmeal (old-fashioned rolled oats)*
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
¾ to 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, to taste
Pinch of granulated garlic
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
½ cup frozen peas
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Set a heavy 3-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oatmeal and toast it, stirring frequently, until it becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Push the oats to one side of the pot and add the butter to the empty side. As the butter melts, stir in the paprika, garlic, and salt. Stir the seasoned butter into the oats.

Stir in the peas and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn off the heat, and let sit until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and serve.

Other ideas:
-Use fresh or frozen corn kernels instead of the peas.
-Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

National Grilled Cheese Day: Black Forest Ham, Apple & Thyme Grilled Cheese

April 12, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I knew that this month was National Grilled Cheese month, but on Wednesday, I was talking with a cheesemonger in Chelsea Market, and she told me that Friday was THE day. What perfect timing!

I bought a few things from Lucy's Whey, but wasn't able to get any cheese since I planned to be out for several hours still. I did get some goat milk caramels from Big Picture Farm (wow!!) and a new cheese knife (but this one is different from the ~~four~~ one I already have... don't judge).

They have a fantastic selection of artisanal cheeses and all sorts of goodies to serve with said cheeses - it's amazing how much they packed into such a tiny space!

They had grilled cheese sandwiches, too. Yum. This is just a little peek at the amazing assortment they had:

Anyway, let's talk about the awesome grilled cheese sandwich that I made for lunch to celebrate this wonderful holiday.

In a small, non-stick skillet, I fried 2 pieces of black forest ham. While they were browning, I lightly buttered the outside of 2 pieces of multigrain bread.

I flipped the bread over and spread a thin layer of coarse ground mustard on the insides. I grated a nice pile of gruyere cheese onto both sides, on top of the mustard.

I added some thinly sliced green apple on one side and sprinkled the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme over top. I put the fried ham on the other piece of bread, on top of the cheese.

I put the sandwich together and grilled it in the same skillet until the cheese was nice and melted and the bread was golden brown and crispy.

Pork Tenderloin Sliders

April 8, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

I'm originally from Indiana, and I remember my mom occasionally ordering one of the region's most well-known dishes: the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

I was never tempted to try one, because they were always these gigantic pieces of meat on top of a normal-sized hamburger bun. The bread was almost like a garnish.

I prefer my meat-to-bread-and-toppings ratio to be reversed. I had a pork tenderloin in the fridge, and I thought it would be fun to try to make a slider version of this Midwestern staple utilizing the 40-Minute Hamburger Buns that I made yesterday.

They turned out very nicely!

This is a much more manageable version of the classic over-the-top sandwich, and it was extra tasty on homemade buns. Pork tenderloin is nice and tender, and the crispy breading was a wonderful contrast to that.

These fried up really quickly for me - I didn't even need to flip them over to get them evenly browned. I'll definitely make this again!

Pork tenderloin is such a versatile ingredient! Some of our very favorite recipes utilize it, like this balsamic marinated pork tenderloin, this pan-roasted pork tenderloin with balsamic tomatoes, these peanut noodles with roasted pork tenderloin + honeyed oranges, and this breaded pork tenderloin with lemon caper sauce.

Mango, Apple, Carrot, Orange Coconut Smoothie

April 3, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

Vibrant orange fruits and veggies pair up with apple and coconut water for this refreshing smoothie recipe.

Mango, Apple, Carrot, Orange Coconut Smoothie

I finally made a smoothie that isn't loaded with kale. Ha!

Maybe I'm trying to will the warmer weather to come here and stay with the addition of a super ripe mango.

This one was really tasty, and since it was mostly fruit, it didn't need any additional sweetener. This made enough for 2 full glasses.

Still thirsty? Try this green smoothie with apple, cucumber, avocado, and kale or this green smoothie with mango, kale, avocado, and cucumber.

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Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Whiskey Cream Sauce

April 2, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

I had planned on making this recipe for Easter, but that morning, when I went to roast the squash, I noticed that it had a bunch of rotten spots on it.

On one hand, I was really bummed. I wanted to try this recipe out pretty badly (hellooooo, whiskey!) but I was also kind of glad to have the extra free time, since the Deviled Eggs, Golden Cornbread and Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests with Toasted Coconut were all pretty easy to prepare.

So I decided to just wait it out, buy another squash in the morning, and make this during the week.

Well...this week has been intense. My toddler has been waking up super early, which is not something that I'm ready to deal with yet!

I usually try to make things during the week that aren't too time consuming to prepare and clean up (especially since my husband does the dishes after a long day at work), but this was an exception.

I had cream that I needed to use up, and I didn't want a second squash suddenly going bad in my kitchen.

This recipe takes quite a bit of time to prepare. Thankfully, it's super tasty, so it's worth it. I just don't recommend making it on a day when you have a lot of other things going on.

The whiskey cream sauce is wonderful - but I think that you should have it almost finished before you start cooking the gnocchi.

I did it in the order listed in the recipe and found myself with half a batch of cooked gnocchi and a sauce that wasn't quite ready for them yet. It wasn't a huge deal, but I had to dirty yet another dish to hold them while the sauce reduced.

I used freshly grated nutmeg in the gnocchi, and it really added a lot of great flavor. My squash was about twice the size recommended in the recipe, so I roasted both halves and will use the other half later this week at some point.

All in all, this is a good recipe, just make sure you're prepared to deal with all of the preparation, cooking, and clean up time that is involved.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Whiskey Cream Sauce
A Spicy Perspective
YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS PREP TIME: 1 HOUR COOK TIME: 55 MINUTES

1 small butternut squash, about 1 lb.
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ tsp. nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
2 eggs
2+ cups flour
3 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
2 shallots, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup bourbon
⅓ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the squash in half. Remove the seeds and lay on a oiled, rimmed baking sheets. Roast the squash until soft—30-40 minutes.

Scoop the flesh of the squash out and place it in the food processor. Puree until completely smooth.

Mix the pureed squash with parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and eggs. Then add the flour into the mixture and work together by hand. It will be very sticky.

Once smooth, flour a work surface and a large piece of parchment paper. Flour your hands and grab a handful of dough. Roll into a long strip, about ½ inch wide. Cut the strip into ½ pieces.

~This is the tricky part~ Place each piece in the palm of your hand (or on the cutting board) and gently roll with a fork to create ridges. Place each piece on the floured parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil half the gnocchi, then remove and repeat. With each batch, boil until all the gnocchi floats—about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat another large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and flour, whisk until smooth. Then add the shallots and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. Then add the bourbon and chicken stock.

Whisk and raise heat. Bring the sauce to a boil. Allow the sauce to reduce down to a thin gravy-like consistency. Then lower the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste—usually about 1 tsp. of salt.

Once the gnocchi are finished cooking, remove them with a skimmer and place them directly into the cream sauce. Stir to coat.

Serve the gnocchi warm and garnish with fresh thyme leaves! *If the cream sauce thickens too much, add a little water from the gnocchi pot to thin it out!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Chilli-Spiced Tofu with Hummus

April 1, 2013 by Ashley 8 Comments

I was planning on making something kind of complicated for dinner tonight, but after an intense day, I decided that I needed something nice and easy instead. This tofu recipe packs a lot of flavor (and heat!), and is surprisingly filling. I had heated up some leftover veggies to serve on the side of this, but I found it substantial enough that they were unnecessary. I sliced a whole block of tofu into 4 slices, which is a little more than what the recipe calls for (according to my unit converter - ha!). The cilantro is the perfect pair for the heat of this dish.

Chilli-Spiced Tofu with Hummus
5 Ingredients 10 Minutes: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Tired and Hungry Cooks - Jules Clancy

Serves 2

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 slices firm tofu (about 300g)
6-8 tablespoons hummus
small bunch coriander, leaves picked

1. Combine chilli and paprika with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season and toss tofu slices in the spiced oil to coat.

2. Heat a medium frying pan or skillet on medium-high heat.

3. Cook tofu for a few minutes each side, until crisp on the outside and heated through the middle.

4. Smear hummus over 2 plates. Top with tofu and sprinkle over coriander leaves.

Variations:

Carnivore: replace tofu with steaks and adjust the cooking time so the steaks are cooked to your liking.

No smoked paprika? Just skip and replace with 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander.

Different herbs: use mint or flat-leaf parsley instead of the coriander.

More substantial: serve with pita bread.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Wine-Beyond-the-Wall (or, Wine-ter is Coming)

March 31, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Over at The Domestic Mixologist, we have been gearing up for the new season of Game of Thrones for quite some time. We had perfected this recipe a few weeks ago in anticipation for the premiere, so we whipped up another batch to enjoy in front of the TV. This stuff is deeply comforting, and it can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Now if someone can just supply us with a few drinking horns, we would be all set! 😉

Easter: Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests with Toasted Coconut

March 31, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I wanted to make something for Easter dessert, and this spin on the classic Peanut Butter Haystacks was a lot of fun.

I wanted to use some good chocolate, toasted coconut and peanut butter in addition to the chow mein noodles.

I wanted to use smaller malted eggs, but picking up Easter candy a couple days before Easter really limits your options.

Anyhow, these were a big hit. They got a big gasp and lots of comments on how cute they were when I brought them to the table - success!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Nests with Toasted Coconut
Ashley Covelli

10 ounce bag chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounce bag chow mein noodles
7 ounce bag sweetened coconut flakes
peanut oil or nonstick cooking spray
malted mini chocolate eggs or M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut flakes out on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until nicely toasted, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and set aside.

Prepare your muffin tins (I used one regular tin and about half of a mini-muffin tin): Pour a little peanut oil into a dish and dip a paper towel into it. Rub oil in each muffin cup. This will help the nests come out easier after they set.

In a large, microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the mixture is nice and smooth. Pour in chow mein noodles and toasted coconut flakes and stir gently until fully coated.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tins, pressing down slightly in the middle of each portion to help shape the nest. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

To assemble, remove from the refrigerator and let sit out for a few minutes. Gently twist the nests to release them from the pans. Place on a serving tray and top with candies.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Easter: Golden Cornbread

March 31, 2013 by Ashley 4 Comments

I haven't made this cornbread recipe in quite some time. It's super simple, moist and delicious! I like to cook this in a cast iron skillet. I want to try it out with corn kernels in it sometime for some added texture.

Easter: Deviled Eggs

March 31, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I will use just about any excuse to make a batch of deviled eggs, and Easter is no exception! I'm so glad I sat down with my grandma a few years ago to watch how she made these. And I love taking deviled eggs to go in the awesome Tupperware tray that she passed on to me when she moved to a smaller apartment. These things always disappear quickly, so make a bunch! I usually boil 9 eggs (since the tray holds 8 and one almost always breaks on me).

Deviled Eggs
Grandma

eggs, hard boiled
yellow mustard
white vinegar
sugar
miracle whip light
salt
black pepper
paprika, for garnish

This one you kind of have to do by taste – mash up the cooked egg yolks and mix with a big blob of Miracle Whip, a splash of white vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar, a squirt of yellow mustard, and salt & pepper. Mix it all in a bowl and put it back in the hollowed out eggs and top with paprika.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Since I don't have exact measurements, I snapped a photo of the bowl before I mixed everything together to give you a general idea of how much to add (for 9 egg yolks):

The Aztec

March 30, 2013 by Ashley 1 Comment

For the last round of cocktails, while the guys were enjoying their DM Old Fashioneds, I made a batch of Aztec martinis for the ladies. They're sweet, spicy and creamy...a perfect after dinner drink!

DM Old Fashioned

March 30, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

For our next round of libations, I made two different things. For the guys, I made these fragrant DM Old Fashioned cocktails, featuring homemade blood orange bitters. We do live in Ossining, so I half ~~hope~~ expect Don Draper to walk through the door whenever we make a few of these 😉

DM Espresso Martini

March 30, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

The next cocktail on the menu for our dinner party was this wonderful version of an espresso martini. I like infusing locally roasted coffee beans in the vodka for extra tasty results. This one was a BIG hit!

Bourbon Rouge

March 30, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

We had some friends over for dinner, and I was told that they would provide dinner as long as I made some cocktails. Woohoo!

First on the list was this one, the Bourbon Rouge. It's a great way to enjoy bourbon's sweeter side!

Wild Blueberry, Banana, Kiwi, Coconut and Kale Smoothie

March 30, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

When I went to make this smoothie, I realized that the avocado I had left had gone bad, so I used banana instead. It turned out really nicely.

It wasn't quite as thick and creamy as most of the smoothies that I've made, but the banana added a really nice flavor.

Wild Blueberry, Banana, Kiwi, Coconut and Kale Smoothie

Kiwi, Mango, Avocado, Kale, Celery Green Smoothie

March 24, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I've been wanting to try out agave, and I wanted to find one that was organic and GMO-free. I found some from Wholesome Sweeteners at my store, so I grabbed a bottle and used it for my afternoon smoothie. I'm trying to add more raw items to my food repertoire, and I like having vegan alternatives occasionally, too. So I used the agave instead of honey and bee pollen, which I've been using in the other smoothies I've been making lately. This one turned out really nice! I really liked the addition of celery this time around, too.

Kiwi, Mango, Avocado, Kale, Celery Green Smoothie
Ashley Covelli

1 cup ice
Cold water
1 mango, diced (about ½ cup)
2 cups kale, loosely packed
½ avocado
1 kiwi, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
small handful fresh parsley (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon raw blue agave

Put ice in a measuring cup. Pour in water until it reaches the 1 cup line. Pour into blender, along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Salami and Garlic Herb Cheese Roll-ups

March 22, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

We had some friends over for dinner tonight, and I wanted a simple and delicious appetizer that I could make ahead of time and have ready when they got here.

I remembered making these Salami and Garlic Herb Cheese Roll-ups and decided to make a batch. This time around, I used Boursin Spreadable Garlic & Herbs, and it was even better than before.

I didn't have to fuss with opening all of those little Laughing Cow packages, and it spread super easy. They were really tasty, as always!

Mango, Kale, Avocado, and Cucumber Green Smoothie

March 22, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Ripe mango adds sweetness and avocado adds creaminess to this veggie-packed green smoothie. A great way to start the day!

Mango, Kale, Avocado, and Cucumber Green Smoothie

I found some champagne mangos on sale at the store this week, and I thought they would be a great addition to a smoothie.

I loved using kale as a super hearty and healthy base for the smoothie I made yesterday, and I loved the creaminess that the avocado added, so I used those ingredients again, too.

This time, I also added some cooling cucumber and some parsley. The addition of ice made it much better this time around. I think I'll use this method from now on.

It was just cold enough without being too much like a shake. I really enjoyed this smoothie! It makes about a glass and a half for me, which is perfect since my son sucks down about ⅓ of it haha!

Still thirsty? Try this green smoothie with apple, cucumber, avocado, and kale or this kale, apple, and avocado green smoothie.

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Caper and Sun Dried Tomato Couscous with Parsley

March 21, 2013 by Ashley 4 Comments

This caper-studded couscous gets an extra flavor boost from the addition of oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh parsley for a quick & easy side dish!

I came up with this side dish because I wanted something quick and easy to go with the Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia that I made tonight.

Caper and Sun Dried Tomato Couscous with Parsley

I threw this together with ingredients that I had on hand, and it was a big hit! The combination of flavors was simple and delicious, and it was a nice, easy dish to make while the fish was in the oven.

I'll definitely make this again!

Robbi's M&M Cookies

March 21, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I had a bunch of M&Ms left from when I made Leprechaun Hugs a little while back, so I decided to look up a recipe for M&M cookies. These were wonderful! They're best straight out of the oven, so I recommend gently reheating them either in the oven or super quickly in the microwave when you go to enjoy the leftovers. This makes a lot of cookies, which was perfect, because I sent some in to work with Dino, and saved a bunch for some friends that were coming over for dinner on Friday.

Robbi's M&M Cookies
Allrecipes - Robbi Schultze

"Cookies using M&M candies, any variety. Old recipe-but ALWAYS a favorite!!"

Original recipe makes 5 - 6 dozen

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups candy-coated milk chocolate pieces

In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add ¾ cup of M&M candies.

Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 11 minutes, to your liking.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Kale, Apple, and Avocado Green Smoothie

March 21, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This green smoothie with kale, apple, and avocado blends up quickly and is a great way to drink your daily greens!

I've been wanting to try out making green smoothies for a while now, and it was super easy with my Vitamix.

This was a great combination of flavors, but next time, I think I'll add a little ice, too, because it wasn't cold at all really when I drank it.

My toddler saw me drinking it and came over and drank almost half of it in one giant gulp...so I guess it was a hit with him, too! Who knew? I'm looking forward to making variations on this in the future.

Still thirsty? Try this green smoothie with mango, kale, avocado, and cucumber or this mango, apple, carrot, orange coconut smoothie.

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St. Patrick's Day: Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake

March 17, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This year, we decided to go to visit some friends for St. Patrick's Day. I already made the obligatory annual Corned Beef and Cabbage, and I even made Irish Stew, Cheesy Soda Scones and Leprechaun Hugs this year, so I told them I'd bring dessert. I had one bottle of Guinness left in the fridge, and when Joanne mentioned that she was making a Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake...well, I knew that was what I wanted to bring.

Dino is lactose intolerant, so it's best for me to make stuff like cheesecake when we have somewhere else to bring it. I didn't have any Greek yogurt on hand, but I had some plain yogurt, so I strained some to thicken it up and used that instead. This cake made the house smell amazing while it was in the oven. And, there's even about half a beer leftover to enjoy while it's baking.

This cheesecake is ridiculously rich. It tastes like you're eating a giant dark chocolate truffle...which is never a bad thing! Make sure you use a quality brand of chocolate to make this really shine - I used Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Cacao Midnight Reverie. Each bar was labeled 3.17 ounces, so I bought 4 of them. I wanted to measure out the 12 ounces, so I got out my kitchen scale and noticed that each bar weighed exactly 2.5 ounces.

That put me under by 2 whole ounces - which I found really interesting. I wrote to Ghirardelli (after double-checking the package to make sure it didn't say that the weight included the packaging) and asked if they could explain this discrepancy to me. I'll definitely report back when they respond.

I highly recommend making this cheesecake. It's well worth the torture that smelling it while it bakes and sits in your house overnight causes. It was a huge hit at the dinner party I attended tonight, and I'll definitely make it again!

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake
Eats Well With Others, adapted from Closet Cooking

Makes 1 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon butter, melted
12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoon heavy cream
3 (8 oz) packages of lowfat cream cheese
1 cup sugar
½ cup greek yogurt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup Guinness

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, sugar and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Pour into the base on a 9-inch springform pan and press down into the bottom of it. Store in the freezer while you make the filling.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate and heavy cream, stirring together until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in the sugar, greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate/cream mixture, and guinness, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour this mixture into the springform pan.

Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven, with a wooden spoon in the oven door to hold it slightly ajar. Let sit for 60 minutes.

Allow cake to cool completely and then chill in the fridge overnight before serving.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Quinoa Kale Patties

March 15, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

When I saw this recipe, I was immediately intrigued. It looked like some sort of falafel made out of quinoa...stuffed with kale!

After making Tahini Kale Stuffed Belgian Waffles with Avocado Tomato Salad last month, I figured this sounded like another winner.

These patties were a little messy to put together, but well worth it. I loved her suggested toppings - the creamy avocado was great with it, and the tanginess from the lemon juice was great.

I think this type of patty would be great as a vegetarian burger, too. I'm definitely going to play around with this type of thing in the future.

The only drawback to this recipe really was that it didn't reheat too well for me, and it made a lot. I served this with Garlicky Lemon Dill Tilapia.

Quinoa Kale Patties
Yummy Supper (adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 eggs, whisked
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
3 spring onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup steamed kale, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (GF friends: be sure to use GF breadcrumbs. I always make my own.*)
1 teaspoon olive oil
optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, lemon juice, salsa verde, garlic oil

If you happen to already have leftover cooked grains on hand, this recipe calls for 2 ½ cups. Otherwise, whip up some quinoa from scratch... Rinse 1 cup of quinoa thoroughly and place the grains in a medium sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Allow quinoa to soak for 15 minutes. Then, with the lid on the pan, bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the liquid - about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temp.

In a large bowl, mix together cooked quinoa, eggs, Parm, spring onions, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs. Let everything sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. You want the batter to be moist, but not runny. Form patties and get your pan ready for cookin'.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook up to 6 patties at at time (don't overcrowd the pan). Cover the pan and let the cuties cook for 7-10 minutes until the underbellies are a deep rich brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 7-10 minutes until both sides are nice and brown. Let patties rest on a cooling rack while you finish the next batch.

I ate my patties topped with avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, a drizzle of really nice olive oil, and sea salt. If you want to pack your patties to eat for lunch at work and want an easy topping, just chop up some avocado and place it in a container with salsa verde and you're ready to go.

Note: If you don't want to eat all the patties right away, go ahead and refrigerate the batter and cook patties up to order at a later moment.

*A Note on gluten-free breadcrumbs... For my gluten-free friends who are new to making his/her own breadcrumbs, here's how you do it. Toast up a few slices of bread (or those lonely end-pieces) until they're dry. Tear the toasted bread up into chunks, toss them in the blender. Pulse a few times and you've got homemade breadcrumbs. So easy... and I love to put scraps to good use!

makes 12 small patties

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Pi Day: Bill Clinton's Lemon Chess Pie

March 14, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

For some reason, I got it in my head that this year for Pi Day (not to be confused with National Pie Day), I wanted to make a pie and I wanted to make a pi symbol out of powdered sugar on top of it.

I haven't done anything quite like that before, but it looked pretty cool in my head, so I set out to find a new pie recipe that looked like it would be relatively flat enough on top to look nice with that type of decoration.

Enter this Lemon Chess Pie. I had heard of chess pies before, but didn't really know what they were. Basically, it's a custard pie that has cornmeal added to the filling.

It turned out really well! One of my very favorite pies (and probably the one I've baked the most often) is a Rhubarb Custard Pie, but I don't recall making any other custard pies, so this was a nice treat.

This pie is silky and tangy and a really nice after-dinner treat. Be sure to bake it in either one deep dish pie crust or 2 standard ones, as it makes a LOT of filling.

I used a storebought deep dish pie crust and I still had a little filling leftover.

Bill Clinton's Lemon Chess Pie
Allrecipes.com

"Bill Clinton's favorite pie!!!" — Carolyn

Original recipe makes 1 - 9 inch pie

1 (9 inch) pie shell
2 cups white sugar
½ cup butter, softened
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter or margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and milk. Add flour, cornmeal, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture into pastry shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Pan-fried Tofu with Dark Sweet Soy Sauce

March 14, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

Wow! It' been almost 2 years since I've made this dish! It's one of our favorite tofu dishes. It packs a lot of flavor and isn't very time consuming, which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. I make this as a main course, served over rice, and it's perfect for me and my husband. Sometimes we have a couple pieces of tofu leftover...and sometimes, like tonight, we polish off the whole thing. Yum!! I like adding a squeeze of lemon juice over the top of this after plating it. If you're new to tofu (or afraid of it), this dish may be the one to convert you! Just make sure you let it get nice and brown on both sides so you really get to enjoy the contrast of crisp and smooth. If you substitute another sweetener for the honey, this would be a nice, vegan meal.

Pan-fried Tofu with Dark Sweet Soy Sauce
The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner - Jaden Hair

Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal

2 tablespoons Chinese dark soy sauce*
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or other chili garlic hot sauce)
1 14 oz. block firm tofu
2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 fresh chili of your choice, sliced (optional)
1 green onion (scallion), sliced or chopped

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar and sambal oelek. Mix and set aside.

2. Cut the block of tofu into ½ inch thick slices. Place 3 layers of paper towels on a clean, dry work surface. Arrange 3 of the tofu slices and fold the paper over, pressing down to squeeze out some water. Repeat with all remaining slices.

3. Set a large frying pan over high heat. Pour enough oil to coat the surface. Add the tofu slices into the pan but not touching each other. (You may have to fry in 2 batches.) Fry the tofu until the bottom is gold-brown, about 2-3 min. Tofu slices will release themselves from the pan when they are ready. Carefully flip the tofu, away from you (the tofu may splatter) to fry on the other side. Remove from the pan and drain on a rack or paper towel.

4. Drain all but 1 teaspoon of cooking oil from the pan and return to medium heat. When the pan is hot, add garlic and fry until fragrant, about 15-30 sec. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and let simmer for 30 seconds to thicken slightly. Pour the sauce over the tofu. Top with fresh chili and green onion.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

BigFlavors Rating: 5 Stars

In Honor of Pi Day: Favorite Pies - Recipe Roundup

March 14, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Yes, I am planning on making a pi(e) today for Pi Day. It's one that I haven't tried out before, and we won't be enjoying it until tonight, so I figured I'd give you all a roundup of some of our favorite pie recipes to hold you over. How are you celebrating?

1. Rhubarb Custard Pie

2. Spinach and Cheese Quiche

3. Baked Apple Pie Egg Rolls

4. Perfect Pumpkin Pie

5. Royal Hawaiian Pie

6. Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Enjoy!

Banana "Ice Cream" with Peanut Butter Sauce

March 13, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

After a long day, we put our son to bed for the night and decided to veg out and watch some TV. In between shows, Dino got up and I heard the sounds of something we haven't had in a long time - that magical one ingredient banana "ice cream" being whipped up in the blender. We keep a bag of peeled bananas, cut into chunks, in our freezer at all times. I may or may not have labeled said bag "crack".

Whenever we want a guilt-free frozen treat, we just pop a few chunks into the blender and in the blink of an eye - we have some fabulous ice cream without any added junk. This time around, Dino put some peanut butter with a little peanut oil in a bowl and heated it up in the microwave to drizzle on top of the "ice cream". Wow. It's great because it stays all nice and soft even though it's on top of something ice cold. This was awesome! Next time I may even crush some peanuts to throw on top, too.

Mexican Red Lentil Stew with Lime and Cilantro

March 12, 2013 by Ashley 5 Comments

I had some red lentils hanging around from when I made Red Lentil Dal with Charred Onions a few weeks ago, and I also had some cilantro to use up, so this soup looked perfect!

It's a vegan soup that is hearty and full of flavor. We really enjoyed it! It takes a little time to put it together, but it's really quite easy.

The flavor form the spices and the roasted tomatoes is smoky and wonderful. I'm a big fan of putting sour cream on a lot of foods, and I figured I'd want to add some, as recommended in the recipe, but I really felt it had plenty of flavor without it.

I was surprised that it didn't need any salt and pepper, either! I used Cholula Original Hot Sauce and it was great. We dunked some hearty multigrain bread into our bowls.

This was a really nice recipe, and I think next time, I'll definitely double it and freeze some. YUM!

Mexican Red Lentil Stew with Lime and Cilantro
Kalyn's Kitchen (Adapted from Mexican Lentil Stew at Budget Bytes and Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup at Andrea Meyers.)

Makes 4-6 servings, but this freezes well and can easily be doubled.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry red lentils
2 cups water
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 T minced garlic (or less, but I like a lot of garlic)
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chile powder
1 can roasted tomatoes (I like petite dice tomatoes for soup)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. green Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce of your choice. Green Tabasco is fairly mild, so you may want less if you use a stronger hot sauce.)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes, or less if you're not that into lime)
½ - 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Optional: cut limes and sour cream or vegan sour cream substitute for serving the soup

Instructions:
Put red lentils in a small pot, rinse and drain if needed, then add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and cover. Let lentils sit in the hot water 30 minutes.

While lentils are cooking in the water, finely chop onions and celery and mince garlic (or you can use minced garlic from a jar like I did.) Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add onion and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes, just long enough that vegetables are starting to soften. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add ground turmeric, ground cumin, and chile powder, stir, and cook 1-2 minutes more.

Add diced roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, and hot sauce. Add lentils after they have soaked for 30 minutes, then let soup simmer for 15-30 minutes (or until lentils are as soft as you'd like them. I simmered it about 25 minutes.)

While soup cooks, wash, dry and finely chop ½ - 1 cup fresh cilantro and squeeze limes to get ¼ cup fresh lime juice. When the lentils are softened as much as you'd like, stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice and cook 5 minutes more.

Serve hot, with additional cut limes to squeeze into the soup. Can top with sour cream or vegan substitute if desired.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Leprechaun Hugs (Pretzel Hugs)

March 10, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

For dessert, I wanted to make something simple but tasty. The idea of melting Hershey's Hugs onto square pretzels and pushing M&Ms down into them has been floating around the internet for a while now. Since I was making Irish Stew and Cheesy Soda Scones for dinner, I decided to make these vaguely Irish and use green M&Ms only.

And the name? Well, I'm just a dork. An actual leprechaun hug could quite possibly be the thing that nightmares are made of, but these leprechaun hugs are the perfect balance of sweet, salty and addicting. That's a good, albeit dangerous, thing.

These are very easy to make, but it takes a while to unwrap all of the hugs. I took them out of the oven after 4 minutes and they weren't quite melted enough, so I popped them back in for a few more minutes. They harden best with a quick blast in the fridge. These were a big hit, and would be great at any St. Patrick's Day party!

If you like desserts like this, you may also enjoy my recipe for butterscotch haystacks.

Help Keep Shells From Sticking To Hard Boiled Eggs

March 9, 2013 by Ashley 5 Comments

For some reason, lately I've been having trouble hard boiling eggs. I never used to have any issues with it. My old method was to add salt and white vinegar to the water. That's how my grandma did it. But last week, I ran into trouble a few separate times when trying to peel the eggs, so I decided to try out something that I had read online a while back - I added some baking soda. It worked out great! I had a little bit of stick-age still, but not bad at all. So my new method will be:

-Place eggs in the bottom of a saucepan and cover with cold water. Make sure the eggs are completely submerged.
-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda.
-Bring to a rolling boil.
-Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and turn off the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
-Run cold water over the eggs to cool them off.
-Peel, rinse, dry and enjoy!

This egg was destined for a salad that had baby arugula, sliced mushrooms, sliced red bell pepper, halved grape tomatoes, thinly sliced sweet onion and Homemade Ranch Dressing. I cracked some black pepper over top, added my sliced hard boiled eggs and enjoyed!

Thai Chicken Pizza

March 1, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

I haven't made this pizza in a long time (2008!?). It's a really great pizza, but I don't repeat recipes too often (there are just SO many out there to try out!!). So this one had been neglected for too long and it needed to be made again. It was even better than we remembered it! I love the combination of sweet, crunchy, salty, tangy...yum! I sautéed the chicken in a skillet instead of grilling it, and it worked out great!

Thai Chicken Pizza
Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 pizza dough, any brand*
½ cup duck sauce or plum sauce
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce*
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
4 chicken breast cutlets, ½ pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
¼ seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Greek Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

February 28, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

I made Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix a few weeks ago when I made Avocado Egg Rolls with Chipotle Ranch. I decided to try out making standard Ranch dressing with it today to go on top of a salad for lunch.

To make the dressing, combine 1 ½ tablespoons of mix with 1 cup of mayonnaise and ½ cup of milk. Whisk to combine, then chill 2 hours to let the flavors meld. I didn't let it chill first because I was ready for lunch when I thought to make it, and it still tasted great. I'm sure it will thicken in the fridge. Yum! I used this dressing on a Greek salad that I made with baby arugula, feta cheese, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, onions, cucumbers, avocado and mushrooms. It was a great lunch!

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Mustard Spiced Pork Chops and Pierogis with Brussels Sprouts

February 26, 2013 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I had a center cut pork loin in the freezer, and some Brussels sprouts in the fridge that I wanted to use up, so I put this meal together. It turned out really well! I heated about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet. I cut the pork into thick chops and patted them dry. I seasoned both sides with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, turmeric, paprika and dried thyme. I seared them really well on one side, flipped them over and put a lid on the skillet until they cooked through. I uncovered the pan and added ½ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of coarse ground mustard to the pan. I stirred it in, cranked up the heat and let it reduce.

While the pork was cooking, I heated a few tablespoons of oil in another large, nonstick skillet. I added a package of frozen onion and cheese pierogis, some chopped onion (about half of a large one), and some Brussels sprouts that I trimmed and halved. I seasoned it all with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and stirred it occasionally until the pierogis were cooked through. I served them with a dollop of sour crea, alongside the pork chops that I drizzled with the pan sauce. I sprinkled some freshly chopped parsley on top. It was a simple and tasty meal!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Red Lentil Dal with Charred Onions

February 21, 2013 by Ashley 3 Comments

I saw this over on Joanne's blog last week and knew that I wanted to make it. What a wonderful combination of flavors! I had to check a few different stores before I was able to track down red lentils, but now I know where to get them. This was really fragrant and comforting to eat. I served it over basmati and seasoned it with a decent amount of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as well as a few extra squeezes of lime juice at the end. Yum!

Red Lentil Dal with Charred Onions
Eats Well With Others (adapted from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light)

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 small dried hot red chile pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dried red lentils
14 oz canned diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and swirl it to coat. Add onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until charred. Carefully turn over the onion and cook 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Combine the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 1 ½ minutes or until fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Place these seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and the chile in a spice or coffee grinder and pulse until ground.

Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoon oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and saute 1 minute. Stir in the spice mixture and saute 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the broth, lentils, and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add onion. Cook 10 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Kale Ricotta Dip

February 17, 2013 by Ashley 2 Comments

This is a nice, healthy alternative to standard Spinach Dip. I made a batch of this and served it with some tortilla chips. It was light and creamy, and the lemon flavor was really nice. I only used the juice of half of my lemon, since I've found that recipes that call for a whole lemon get too lemony when I use my Lemon Squeezer. I love how much juice it gets out of lemons, but I tend to cut the amount called for in half if it's measured in number of lemons rather than something like teaspoons. This recipe was really nice, and it was a big hit with the friends that we had over for dinner. I'll definitely make it again!

Kale Ricotta Dip
Fitsugar (adapted from Whole Foods)

If you don't have a food processor, a blender works fine. Just make sure you slice the kale leaves into smaller pieces and take care to remove tough ribs for easier blending.

1 bunch green kale, stems and tough ribs stripped out and discarded, leaves sliced
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup water
¾ cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 ½ tablespoons parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Lemon zest to taste
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

In a large saucepan, combine kale, onion, garlic and ¼ cup water. Set over medium heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 12 minutes; add more water a tablespoon at a time if the pan dries out.

Transfer vegetables and any liquid in the pan to a food processor or blender and let cool a few minutes. Add ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars