3.11.14

Soba Noodle Slaw with Peanut-Sesame sauce

This weekend was filled with a lot of bad eating. As a result, we were on the search for something veggie packed yet flavorful. This recipe via Cookie and Kate was just what we needed. I took a few short cuts with the recipe which made it super easy and quick to whip up. Whether you stick to the original or make it your own, you won't be sorry.

Slaw Ingredients:

• 4 oz. soba noodles (I found them at Whole foods)
• 1 small purple or green cabbage (I got a pre-shredded bag from Trader Joe's)
• 4 carrots, peeled (again, I got a pre-shredded bag from TJ's)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 chicken breast, cooked however you like & chopped up
• * Optional: Cilantro, chopped peanuts, lime wedges for garnish

Peanut-Sesame Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. agave nectar or honey
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Run under cold water after.
• Prepare vegetables if you didn't buy them pre-shredded, a food processor will help you out here.
• For the sauce, toss everything in a Nutribullet or mince garlic and ginger and whisk with the rest.
• In a large bowl, combine noodles and veggies with the sauce. Cover and let sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
• Add chicken and garnish right before serving.

***** Serves 6-8

2.21.14

This Weekend, Why Don't You ... 

Celebrate National Margarita Day!

I just found out about this (thank you, Vmac + Cheese) and I strongly support it. Mexican cuisine ranks high on my list, so naturally margaritas are right up there too. Lately, I have been experimenting with blood orange flavored everything. So far my favorite (and very easy concoction) has been tequila with San Pelligrino Aranciata Rossa. Oh, my yum. Since National Margarita Day should probably be shared with friends, here is a recipe that will make a pitcher of Blood Orange Margaritas. Now who wants to come over and share said pitcher with me?

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PS. If you are in the Boston area, I highly suggest you make your way to the 

Painted Burro in Somerville and order their cucumber margarita. It is the bomb. 

2.7.14

This Weekend, Why Don't You ... 

Make Mulled Wine

All this snow is making me want to stay inside, watch movies, and drink something warm. While tea and coffee are very good choices, wine is my buddy. I have tried many a wine (I did live less than an hour away from wine country for most of my life) but not until this December did I try mulled wine. What a delicious surprise! As with most new culinary adventures, I depend on my good friend Ina Garten to guide me. Her mulled wine recipe was very easy and perfect for these cold temperatures.

Mulled wine makings - doesn't it look pretty?

Happy Friday!

PS. Don't forget to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony tonight!

1.20.14

Roasted Brussels Sprouts That Will Make You Forget They're Vegetables

I don't know about you, but for me the New Year brings the opportunity to start anew. It's almost like setting the refresh button. For my body, this means making smarter choices about what I put in it. Let's be honest, the holidays can really make us feel sluggish after all the food & drinks & merriment. To help myself out, I decided to look for a recipe that would taste great, be appropriate for football sunday, and wouldn't make me feel guilty. This one was awesome and so easy! Colin and I were pretty much fighting over who got the last sprout. I'd like to thank Anna for this recipe, I will be making it frequently. Enjoy!

Brussels Ingredients:

• 20 brussel sprouts, cut into wedges (I used a bag from Trader Joe's)
• EVOO (the original called for canola but I didn't have any on hand, I think it's really your preference)
• S & P

Aioli Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. mayonnaise (I did half mayo, half greek yogurt)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1tbsp. parsley

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400° F
• Place brussels on a baking sheet, drizzle them with EVOO
• Add S&P to taste
• Mix well
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on one side
• While they bake, blend aioli ingredients - this can be done by hand, I used my NutriBullet

Make it, I promise you won't regret it!

11.15.13

Cheesy Pasta Bake.

You know those days when all you want is some warm, gooey, cheesy, comfort food? For the last three days, that is all I have wanted. Probably because it's about 32 degrees outside and I'm cold! To fulfill my need I went back to my trusty "favorites" file (aka Pinterest board) to look for inspiration. This Creamy Caprese Pasta dish jumped out at me. I headed to Trader Joe's and realized two things: 1. I really needed some more veggies in my life, and 2. I didn't really have the time to stay completely true to the recipe. I re-worked it and ... oh. my. god. It completely hit the spot and the left-overs are even better! I promise you will love it.

Note: I didn't actually make this because homework took over 

but Colin jumped right in and followed my directions to a T. 

(Love him)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat pasta (I used fusilli but penne is great too)
• 1 jar of your favorite vodka sauce
• 6 oz. fresh mozzarella cut into cubes
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved 
• 10 oz. mushrooms (I used baby bella)
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
• Parmesan cheese

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Boil water and cook pasta according to directions
• When pasta is done cooking, drain and keep in pot
• Add in mozzarella, veggies, and basil
• Add vodka sauce to your liking (we used the entire jar but you can use less)
• Mix everything and pour mixture into a large pre-sprayed baking dish
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly - 5 minutes before it is done, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top

*** Serves 6

10.25.13

Not Your Nonna's Spaghetti and Meatballs.

The other day I was in the mood for a "light" meal but had no desire for a salad. Don't get me wrong, I love salads but sometimes they just don't cut it as a dinner. Per usual, I referred back to Pinterest for some inspiration. Looking through my boards, I came across one of my favorite recipes. I realize turkey and spinach meatballs don't sound amazing, but they are! Since I was not feeling like pasta, I began scouring for alternatives. I thought about the whole spaghetti squash situation but I didn't feel like putting in the work in addition to the meatball making (so lazy!). That's when I came across zoodles. Zucchini Noodles. I was SOLD. Most of the recipes I saw seemed fairly simple so I went rogue and decided to make them the way that seemed right to me. Topped off with some good ole Trader Joe's pasta sauce, the meal turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey meat
• 5 oz. fresh spinach (the original recipe called for frozen but I prefer fresh)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• S & P

Zoodle Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 1 tbsp. EVOO
• Your favorite pasta sauce

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients using your hands.
• Roll meatballs (about the size of golf balls) and put them onto a parchment lined baking pan.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes (mine usually take 40).
• While the meatballs are baking, wash your zucchini.
• Using a vegetable peeler, peel your zucchini to make the "pasta." Stop when you hit the seeds!
• In a medium pan, heat the EVOO over medium high heat.
• Add zucchini ... Only cook it until it becomes slightly tender - about 3-5 minutes. Just like pasta, you don't want it to get mushy.
• To serve, put about 3/4 cup warmed pasta sauce in a bowl, add zoodles, and meatballs! YUM.

10.16.13

Stuffed Sweet Potato

Lately, my cooking has been reduced to throwing a sandwich together or boiling some pasta. Luckily, I came across an extra couple of hours last week and was able to experiment a little. Using some left over onions, peppers, chicken, and sweet potato, I came up with a pretty delicious and healthy meal. Plus, I used some Mexican seasoning, which always puts a smile on my face. Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 3 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• S&P 
• Sour cream (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400° F. 
• Place potatoes on the rack and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender
• Meanwhile, chop your veggies (and cook your chicken if needed)
• Heat canola oil in medium sized skillet 
• Season veggies with taco seasoning and S&P
• Cook onions for about 10 minutes, then add peppers and garlic
• Lastly, add chicken to to veggie mixture
• When potatoes are ready, let them cool for about 5 minutes before slicing them down the middle
• Scoop mixture into potatoes
• Top with sour cream and cilantro

8.29.13

Pesto Pasta Salad

Now that things have started to come together in my home, I've finally been able to get back to cooking. Don't get me wrong, eating out is fun but there really is nothing like a home cooked meal. Since Patty isn't around to do that for me anymore, I have to depend on myself (the downsides of growing up). As I mentioned earlier in the week, I made a pasta salad for my friend's BBQ. I have to say it was pretty delicious and have been munching on left overs for the last few days. Here is the pretty easy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 box Gemelli pasta (or any other small pasta; * I used a 16 oz box)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• your favorite pesto sauce
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to instructions on box, drain, and run under cold water
• Put pasta, tomatoes, olives, and cheese in a large bowl
• Add pesto sauce to taste ( I used about a 3/4 of a cup)
• Sprinkle pine nuts on top
• Refrigerate for at least an hour (or eat right away if you prefer)
• Makes about 12 servings as a side

Finished product! 

* I had to use 2 containers to hold all the yummy goodness

7.23.13

One of the reason's I started looking at blogs is because of Pinterest. This website has stolen multiple hours of my life and you know what? I'm not even angry about it. It is my go-to place to find new recipes, inspiration for home decor, gift ideas, DIY ideas, etc. Sometimes the ideas turn out great and sometimes not so much. Last night was one of those great ones. Using this recipe as my inspiration, I turned to Trader Joe's to help me out. I have to say it was pretty delicious. Here is my similar (and a bit easier) version of a Mango Strawberry Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 bag TJ's Les Salades du Midi Sorrento mix
• 2 cups cubed mango (about 1 container TJ's fresh Mango Slices)
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 chicken breast, cooked & chopped into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios
• 1/4 cup TJ's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• S&P

Steps:

• Put the salad, fruit, nuts, and chicken in a large bowl
• In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake the vinegar and EVOO with S&P until well mixed
• Poor dressing over salad and mix!
• Makes about 4 servings
• * If you want to save some salad for the next day, don't add the dressing! Put just the salad in a container with a napkin or piece of paper towel on top (it will absorb any extra moisture & keep your salad from wilting). I promise it really works!

Beautiful flowers, another reason to love Trader Joe's.

Fresh ingredients.

I love when salads are colorful.

This vinegar is delicious and apparently, has many uses. 

I can't wait to see what else I can use it for.

Let me know if you end up using this recipe!

7.16.2013

Time for another recipe.

Boston is currently in the midst of a heat wave. We have cracked into the 90's people, and it is HOT! Which means that using anything such as a stove or oven is out of the question. Therefore, dinner needs to be something light & easy to make. I threw this salad together the other day and it definitely hit the spot. I'm thinking of making it again this week because it was that good and quick to make. I've dubbed it my Almost Greek Salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 stocks of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 1 cucumber, peeled & cut into quarters
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (if you're using grape sized tomatoes, just cut them in half)
• 1 avocado
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 2 tbsp. EVOO
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• S&P to taste

Steps:

• Put beans, veggies, and cheese into a bowl
• Whisk the EVOO, balsamic vinegar, and S&P in a small bowl
• Pour dressing over & voila! Easy summer salad!

7.1.13

Happy Monday! And happy first day of July!

Now that the temperature is heating up everywhere, I have been craving cold, fruity drinks. Growing up, Patty made me a variety of cold fruit juices and would deliver them to my bedroom so that I could start my day off right. Freshly squeezed OJ, papaya juice, strawberry banana smoothies, the woman did it all! And she still does it for my brother back in California ... one of the downsides of living on the opposite coast. Therefore, I have been left to my own devices if I want a cold fruit drink, especially if I don't want to leave my wonderful air-conditioned apartment. So here is a recipe for a yummy Mango Banana Smoothie I threw together this weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a large banana, diced
• 1 cup chopped up mango (equal to half a mango)
• 3/4 cup almond milk (or whichever type you prefer)
• 1 cup ice
• *Optional: 1 tbsp. Chia seeds (I've been adding these to my smoothies for a while, they are flavorless but nutritional. Also, they're apparently the 'It' food of 2013)

Steps:

• Throw all ingredients into your blender and press the smoothie button! 
• ** Makes about 1 large smoothie or 2 small servings.

I got these at Trader Joe's but they are available at most health food stores 

and even some of your regular grocery stores.

* I didn't want the fruit to spoil so I pre-cut the banana & mango, put 1 serving's worth in individual bags, and threw it in the freezer for future smoothies without the mess!