Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

I have been off from school for three weeks.  I should have had two days last week, but those turned into snow days so I was productive and decided to have a friend over to celebrate my productiveness!  I made this hot cheesy corn dip and we didn't even let it go from the stove to a table, we ate it right there.  It was delish and a perfect compliment to the beef tenderloin and fennel tacos I made!

Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 Scallions, sliced (optional)

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the corn, onion, and red pepper.
Toss and let it sit until slightly charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
Mix the cheese, mayo, lime juice, salt and pepper, place back into the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the cheese has melted.
Top with cilantro and scallions.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

If you're like me, you buy apples hoping someone will eat them and then they just sit there.  (Okay, maybe you're not like me and eat a lot of fruit.)  Anyway, this small batch apple butter is perfect for those 4 or 5 apples that now no one will eat because they're a tiny bit mushy.  This makes about 1.5 cups and will last about 3 weeks in the fridge.
I added in some chai flavors to make this more wintry. 
Enjoy on an English muffin, in a cookie, or straight out of the jar!

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Ingredients:
5 medium apples (I used honeycrisp, use whatever you have!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 Chai tea bag
1/4 cup water

Preparation:
Boil 1/4 cup water and steep Chai tea while prepping the rest of your ingredients (at least 5 minutes).
Peel and chop apples.
Put apples, cinnamon, cardamom, and tea in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer until apples are soft and you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Place apple mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender off the heat to blend.
Return to sauce pan and simmer.  Stir every 10 minutes for about 1 hour, or until apple butter has grown darker and thicker.
Take off the heat and cool completely before placing in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Cornbread

Are you ready for the best cornbread?  This recipe is so good.  For real.  I feel like most cornbreads are really dry and crumbly but this is not at all. It's super moist from the creamed corn and it's healthy because there's real corn in there, right?  Right.
It goes perfectly with anyone of my chili recipes (including my sweet potato black bean chili) and any leftovers can go into some cornbread stuffing.  With only 4 ingredients, how can you go wrong?

Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread
2 Eggs
1 15 ounce can creamed corn
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients until combined in a medium bowl.
Scrape mixture into a 9x9 cake pan that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is done.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Pinning Mama

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Yum!  This chili is on point.  It's a bit spicy, but not in an overpowering way and it's so hearty you won't even miss the meat.  You get lots of vitamins by using sweet potatoes and it's full of vegetables and beans for protein.  Serve with a side of cornbread and scoop some sour cream (or Greek yogurt) on top.  Of course, if you're vegan, skip the sour cream and enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne, adjust to taste
2 10 ounce cans  diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
Optional toppings: sour cream (Greek yogurt), shredded cheese

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add sweet potato, onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth and stir until combined.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with any toppings you wish.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Alida's Kitchen

Sausage Ragu

Looking over my recent posts, I realized that they've all been vegetarian!  I often try to cook at least 2 meals a week that are vegetarian, but I've been adding in a few more vegetarin meals, I'm up to about 3 or 4 per week.  I find that fall and winter cooking lends itself to vegetarian meals much easier for me; I love fall vegetables and they feel heartier than spring and summer ones. 
That being said, this recipe does have meat, but there are plenty of carrots, onions, and tomato (sauce) to give you your veggie intake.  Yum!

Sausage Ragu

Sausage Ragu 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ounces bulk pork Italian sausage
2 medium onions, diced
1 1/2 cups carrot, diced 
3 garlic cloves, chopped
10 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine

Preparation: 
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.
Remove sausage mixture to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Remove pan from heat (do not wipe out pan).
Return pan to medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Add sausage mixture, water, wine, and tomato sauce to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Serve over cheesy polenta.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

If you read my blog a lot, you know about my love affair with enchiladas.  Vegetarian, meat, breakfast, homemade sauce, canned sauce, green sauce, avocado sauce... they're all delicious to me.  This recipe is actually a lot like my crockpot enchiladas, but in an even easier way.  Just cook a package of boca soy crumbles with some enchilada sauce and layer up tortillas in a pan with some cheese.  Delicious! 

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. red enchilada sauce cans
12 oz. frozen soy crumbles (I used Boca brand)
4 oz. frozen corn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
20 4-inch round corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 cups cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the crumbles to the pan.
Add 1 can of sauce to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes minutes.
Add corn and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
In a greased 9x13 pan, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.
Layer the tortillas, crumbles and corn mixture, sauce, and cheese (I did three layers, ending with cheese on top).
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned.
Add any toppings you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Fennel and Carrot Soup

This is not normally a recipe I would try on a weeknight, it takes about an hour and a half to complete and though it isn't super labor intensive, it does take time.  Tonight I got home super energized, went grocery shopping, and then changed my menu (this was going to be made on Sunday!) to make this tonight!
This turned out super yummy, I made a few changes to make it more affordable/so I was able to find all the ingredients in my grocery store.  This was more fennel-y than carrot-y, but still was very tasty and definitely was a perfect cool fall night dinner.  I accompanied my dinner with Nightmare Before Christmas and a nice blanket.  Perfect!

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 small russett potato, peeled, halved
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable if you're vegetarian)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped
¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Preparation:
Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium. Add fennel, onion, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until vegetables are soft but not browned and have released their moisture, 40-50 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until potato is falling apart, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Remove bay leaf.
Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Strain into a clean pot; season with salt and pepper.
Mix yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl. Serve soup topped with maple yogurt and almonds.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Chickpea Peanutbutter Curry

Fall is here!  It's finally time to start making soups and stews and curries are in the mix too!  If you read my blog a lot, you know that I try to include vegetarian or vegan meals several times a week into our diet.  I always want to make sure that the vegetarian and vegan recipes I pick are filling and not so so full of cheese.  This recipe is both!  The chickpeas and peanut butter add protein and it's vegan so no cheese!  

You can always use another nut butter if you're allergic to peanuts and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make to vegan or vegetarian; if you're not, feel free to use chicken stock.  Other great news is that this recipe is gluten free!

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coconut oil 

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne 

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. curry powder

3 Tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegan)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp. salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 lime, juiced 

Preparation:

Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and curry.  

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add in the nut butter, coconut milk and stir. Add broth. 

Add the veggies and chickpeas, salt, sugar. 

Mix, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.  

At this point, if you want a thinner curry, add more coconut milk or if you want it thicker, uncover and keep simmering. 

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Vegan Richa

Blueberry Margaritas

The heat is back in Philly so the only thing to do was make margaritas!  I had some blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used up AND didn't want to run to the store so this recipe was perfect!  My friend Rae came over for dinner so I thought I would make a pitcher of these to impress and they were a hit!
I was a bit skeptical at first about just putting sugar into water and not making a simple syrup, but I shouldn't have worried.  The sugar dissolved and I had one less step!  These were ready in about 5 minutes and made 8 drinks!
We served these with chips and salsa for a Mexican start to our meal... well we actually were supposed to also have tacos to continue that theme, but ended up getting takeout and having a Chinese feast.  The good news is that the margs were so good, you could serve them with almost anything and it would be a good meal!
Photo courtesy of my friend Rae who was much better at taking this picture than I was!

Blueberry Margaritas 

Blueberry Margaritas 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/5 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups silver tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt, optional

Preparation:
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a large pitcher.
Stir vigorously until sugar dissolves.
Muddle the blueberries in the pitcher. Add tequila and lime juice; stir.
If you wish, wet the rims of margarita glasses and dip in salt.
Pour over ice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Zucchini Rollups

Last time I went home my Mom gave me a pound of ground beef so I made meatballs with it and needed something to go with them.  I didn't want pasta because I just made pasta a few days earlier and decided to take advantage of zucchini being in season and made these.  They were much more time intensive than I had intended, but they were delicious!

If you're vegetarian, these would be great with veggie meatballs or some salad and Italian bread.

Zucchini Rollups

Zucchini Rollups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup ricotta

3/4 cup parmesan, divided (the kind in the green container)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

4 medium zucchinis, sliced thin, with a vegetable peeler or mandolin 

1 1/2 cup marinara

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

On a clean working surface, lay out four slices of zucchini so that they are slightly overlapping and place a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on top. Roll up and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini and ricotta mixture.

Spoon marinara on top of the zucchini, then sprinkle all over with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake until the zucchini is tender and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.

Let dish rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from delish. 

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

As I was planning out my menu this week, I realized I was meat-heavy, and thought I would give this recipe a whirl, taking advantage of all the yummy summer produce.  As you know, Matt is always weary of a dish without meat, but I didn't think this would be an issue because of the protein-packed black beans.  As an extra incentive, I promised we could walk to Rita's and get water ice after.
These turned out super yummy and definitely fulfilled my taco craving.  They were filling without being too heavy and there's even a little leftover, so I can have tacos for lunch tomorrow!  Yum!
Also, don't mind that the picture is basically entirely avocado, I promise there's some beans and corn in there too!

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
5 small round corn tortillas
1 large avocado, sliced into thin strips
Optional garnishes: pickled onions, hot sauce

Bean Filling
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. water
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Corn Salsa
1 cup corn (thawed if using frozen)
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 red radishes, sliced into thin strips
1/2 lime, juiced
1/8 tsp, salt
1/4 cup feta

Preparation:
Corn Salad: Place the corn into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the chopped cilantro, radishes, lime juice, and sea salt. Mix well. Stir in feta.  Set the bowl aside to marinate while your prepare the beans.
Black Beans: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened and turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and water. Stir and cover.   Cook for 5 more minutes, remove from heat and then remove the lid and use the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
To Serve: Spread black beans down the middle of each tortilla. Top the beans with corn salad. Place a slice of avocado in the taco and serve with optional pickled onions or hot sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

Chicken Enchilada Pie

With the weather cooling down, I can finally turn on my oven at dinner (though I did intend to make this yesterday when it was rainy and in the 60s, but Matt wanted to order pizza, so what can you do?).  This, with some tweaks from the original recipe, turned into a great meal... Matt even had thirds!
If you wanted to, you could make this vegetarian by using a can of black beans instead of the chicken on top and it would still be great!

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Ingredients:
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning, divided
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional Toppings: 
1 scallion, sliced
2 radishes, sliced thin
cilantro, to taste,
1/4 cotija or feta cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just 1/2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round, 9'' pie plate, coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning. When cornbread is done – it will be just barely set and golden brown – pierce entire surface liberally with a fork (it might stick a little bit to the fork).
Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with toppings.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Matt wanted muffins since Friday, so today I decided to bake some instead of buying them at the store.  I found this recipe for gluten free cinnamon muffins and I didn't need to buy any ingredients to make them (which is good, because it's Sunday and I didn't want to change out of my pajamas).  These were super easy to make and turned out very delicious!  Though the texture is changed from a regular muffin because of the almond flour, they are still yummy and I would definitely make them again.
Full disclaimer: I thought I had enough almond flour to make these, but I was short about 3 tablespoons, whoops!  So, there's about 1 tablespoon of regular flour in the muffins and the whole topping is regular flour.
These all happen to be dairy free, so all of you with lactose issues can eat them too!  Pair them with some cold brew coffee for a great breakfast!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

Batter
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon Swirl
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. almond flour

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, make the batter by whisking together the eggs, coconut oil, water, honey and vanilla.
Mix in the almond flour, salt and baking soda.
Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full.
Next make the Cinnamon Swirl by mixing the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and almond flour.
Spoon the topping on top of each muffin then use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the muffins.
Bake 15-20 minutes and let cool.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Almond Flour

Cold Brew Coffee

Though it's the end of summer, it's not cooling down enough for hot coffee yet, which means cold brew is my go-to in the morning.  Though I love Dunkin and Starbucks, I do not love the price tag that comes with cold brew there.  If you make your own, it's much more economical and just as delicious!
I think this is easiest in a French press, but if you don't have a French press you can strain the coffee grounds out using a coffee filter instead of plunging the press down.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground coffee
Water
Ice
Cream, optional
Sugar, optional

Preparation:
Put coffee in French press.
Fill with water to the bottom of where the lid would go, about 2 1/2 cups.
Stir. (DON'T press the coffee down yet).
Place in fridge and wait. (I usually do 8 hours, but you can go up to 24 if you like the strong stuff).
Pour into a cup with ice and add cream, sugar, or whatever you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Farm Fresh to You

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Salmon is my favorite fish and my favorite fish to cook.  I especially like it roasted.  It comes out perfect, every time.  (If you like roasted salmon, you could also try Cilantro Lime Salmon or Rosemary Roasted Salmon and Tomatoes).  The thing with roasted salmon however, is that you have to turn on the oven.  It's been so hot in Philly lately that I haven't wanted to turn on the oven, even with the air conditioning on.  Today it was much cooler and I thought I could afford to turn the oven on for a half hour.  It was worth it!
This salmon is simple with butter, garlic, and parsley and a touch of lemon.  How could you go wrong with those ingredients?  Yum!
I made tomato and arugula risotto as a side dish and it was a perfect meal!

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon

Ingredients:
10 oz salmon fillet, cut into two pieces
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place salmon on baking sheet.
Combine butter, garlic, parsley, salt, lemon, and pepper in a small bowl.
Use the back of a spatula and spread the butter mixture onto the salmon.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Phew!  What a long time since I've posted anything!  As I'm sure you know, I tend to start posting again in the summer when I'm not crazy with school; this summer has been nuts though!  Matt and I went back to upstate NY to work at the music camp we always work at and a week later left for our (very delayed) honeymoon.  We spent 10 days in Dublin and London and had a wonderful time.

Since I haven't really cooked in 2 months, I wanted to get back to my roots.  Last time I was in the grocery store I noticed that they started selling Swiss chard and was so excited to grab some!  I found sausage in the freezer and this recipe came right together.  It was super easy and very tasty!

This dish can easily be made gluten free by using GF pasta!
This dish only used 2 sausage links out of my package of 4, so I used the other 2 to make a half-batch of Zucchini Glop (don't let the name throw you off, it's really good).

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

8 ounces small shape pasta, I used rotini

2 hot or sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used sweet)

1 small onion, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped (stems and leaves separated) 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the label.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. (Don't worry if it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, when you add the chard and onions, you can scrape it off.)

Add the onion, garlic, and chard stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes start blistering, about 5 minutes.  

Add the chard leaves to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start wilting, about 2 minutes. Lightly mash the tomatoes with the back of your spoon to create more of a sauce.

Add the pasta and cheese; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Mashed Potatoes

These are the best mashed potatoes.  For real.  I make them all the time- if I'm not making Mashed Sweet Potatoes, I'm making these.  I topped my yummy mashed potatoes with the garlic gravy from Roasted Chicken Thighs and it was awesome.

These mashed potatoes are super creamy and delicious!  I have used both russet potatoes and yukon gold potatoes for these- I prefer yukon golds because of their inherit butteriness, but russets will work in a pinch or if they're on sale!

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1'' cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp lite cream
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp milk (or more)
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
Place potatoes in medium pot.  Cover with cold water, about an inch above the potatoes.  Salt with 1/2 tsp. salt.
Turn the heat on to high, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork.
Drain cooked potatoes, mash in a large bowl with a potato mashed.  Mix with butter, cream, milk.
Add milk and beat until the mashed potatoes are smooth. Don't over-beat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Simply Recipes

Skillet Cheesy Quinoa with Broccoli and Chicken

Tonight I really wanted to make a casserole, but the temperatures have skyrocketed again here in Philly, so that wasn't really an option.  However, I satisfied my craving by making this skillet cheesy quinoa with broccoli and chicken.
You may now be asking, "why isn't chicken the first ingredient?"  Well, I have had chicken take a back seat in this dish and amped up the healthy quinoa and broccoli, with less of a focus on the meat.  This way you get some protein, healthy grains, and your veggies.  The cheese adds a salty layer and really makes it feel like a casserole.  Delicious!

Skillet Cheesy Quinoa with Broccoli and Chicken

Skillet Cheesy Quinoa with Broccoli and Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 large head broccoli, chopped small
1 1/2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

Preparation:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add onions and saute for about 2 minutes.
Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute.
Add quinoa and toast for 1 minute, stirring a few times.
Add broth, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes.
Add broccoli on top of quinoa and cover back up.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Add chicken and cheese.
Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted and chicken is warmed through.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Shakshuka with Feta

So today is Labor Day, but we don't have a grill so shakshuka it is!  This recipe is super healthy, super flavorful, and filling.  Now, usually when I make vegetarian meals I douse it in cheese, but this one only used 3/4 cup of reduced-fat feta (of course you can use regular feta, I honestly couldn't reach the regular at the store... the woes of being 5 feet tall).  I actually also bought a rotisserie chicken because I was really worried this wouldn't be filling enough, but it was after I dunked Italian bread in all the juices.  (You can make your own bread too, but I ran out of time.)
As a side note when this comes out of the oven, don't touch the handle it's super hot.  Yikes.  My hand is is a little sore :(

Shakshuka with Feta

Shakshuka with Feta

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
¾ teaspoon salt, more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
3/4 cup feta cheese
4 large eggs
 Chopped cilantro, for serving
Challah, Italian Bread, or Pita, for serving

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add onion and red pepper, cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, cook for about 1 minute.
Add cumin, paprika, and cayenne.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring.
Add tomatoes, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
Cook for about 10 more minutes, until mixture thickens.
Stir in feta.
Crack eggs over the top of tomatoes and place in oven.
Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Take out of oven and sprinkle with cilantro.
Dip some bread in and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The NY Times

Creamy Italian Dip

We had so much time off for the Pope being in Philly that we decided to have a party... obviously!  Matt and I hosted an Italian themed party... with lots of Italian foods because that's probably what they eat at the Vatican, right?  Anyway, for an appetizer I served this dip with crackers as well as some olives.  It was the perfect start to our meal!

Creamy Italian Dip

Creamy Italian Dip

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
2 small tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. Italian Dressing
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. basil, chopped

Preparation:
Spread cream cheese onto bottom of pie plate.
Combine tomatoes and dressing; spoon over cream cheese.
Top with remaining ingredients.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Kraft