Happy Friday, Eaters!
My sister and I tried this earlier this week, and it was quiiiiite delish. Careful with that thyme - it will start popping once it hits that hot oil. But totally worth it!
Have a great weekend,
Kale pesto pasta. Heavy cream optional (but not really).
A short while back, I shared a recipe for salmon and kale quinoa and we learned all about those three fantastic superfoods with some fun videos!
But I found myself with half a bag of kale left, that needed tending to before it wilted/rotted in my fridge. I can't believe how fast it goes bad once you open that bag. So, I'm here to share with you a super recipe for using up all that leftover kale!
I took a recipe I found here and I've tweaked it (aka added heavy cream) into the deliciousness I share with you today.
Okay, that's actually a pretty glorified way of putting it. What really happened was that I made the pesto, but didn't make enough pasta, so it was a thick pesto mess. A couple days later I made more pasta to thin out the pesto, and went crazy and added a cup-ish of heavy cream. Then I felt guilty, so I diced up a tomato and threw that in there too. Never apologize for anything that happens in the kitchen, Eaters.
Pasta with kale pesto cream sauce. and tomatoes.
2 lbs of pasta (yes, I realize that's a lot. I was going off of my leftover kale situation! i used whole wheat spirals.)
1/2 lb of kale, chopped and destemmed and all that jazz
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup deshelled pistachios
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 cup(ish) heavy cream
1 tomato, diced
Salt a pot of water and bring to boil. Add kale and blanch for 2-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it out and onto some paper towels. Let em cool a sec then use more paper towels to pat/squeeze dry.
Toast the pistachios in a small saucepan/skillet situation over medium-low for a couple minutes, stirring to toast evenly.
Cook your pasta somewhere around here-ish.
Grab your food processor, and add the garlic and toasted pistachios. Pulse until coarse. Add the kale and lemon juice and pulse until mixture is nearly smooth (but still has that pesto-y bits to it). Scrape the sides and add the parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Pulse again, and while the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
At this point, you can put it in a tupperware with a little olive oil to save, or spoon it over your pasta and give it a good stir.
To make it a pesto cream sauce, heat 1 cup or so (depending on how liquid-y you want it) of heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium. Bring almost to a boil, then pour over your pasta along with the pesto. Chop up a tomato and toss that in there too.
Happy eating!
But I found myself with half a bag of kale left, that needed tending to before it wilted/rotted in my fridge. I can't believe how fast it goes bad once you open that bag. So, I'm here to share with you a super recipe for using up all that leftover kale!
I took a recipe I found here and I've tweaked it (aka added heavy cream) into the deliciousness I share with you today.
Okay, that's actually a pretty glorified way of putting it. What really happened was that I made the pesto, but didn't make enough pasta, so it was a thick pesto mess. A couple days later I made more pasta to thin out the pesto, and went crazy and added a cup-ish of heavy cream. Then I felt guilty, so I diced up a tomato and threw that in there too. Never apologize for anything that happens in the kitchen, Eaters.
[pre-heavy cream and tomato additions. bad pesto-to-pasta ratio.]
Pasta with kale pesto cream sauce. and tomatoes.
2 lbs of pasta (yes, I realize that's a lot. I was going off of my leftover kale situation! i used whole wheat spirals.)
1/2 lb of kale, chopped and destemmed and all that jazz
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup deshelled pistachios
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 cup(ish) heavy cream
1 tomato, diced
Salt a pot of water and bring to boil. Add kale and blanch for 2-4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it out and onto some paper towels. Let em cool a sec then use more paper towels to pat/squeeze dry.
Toast the pistachios in a small saucepan/skillet situation over medium-low for a couple minutes, stirring to toast evenly.
Cook your pasta somewhere around here-ish.
Grab your food processor, and add the garlic and toasted pistachios. Pulse until coarse. Add the kale and lemon juice and pulse until mixture is nearly smooth (but still has that pesto-y bits to it). Scrape the sides and add the parmesan, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Pulse again, and while the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
At this point, you can put it in a tupperware with a little olive oil to save, or spoon it over your pasta and give it a good stir.
To make it a pesto cream sauce, heat 1 cup or so (depending on how liquid-y you want it) of heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium. Bring almost to a boil, then pour over your pasta along with the pesto. Chop up a tomato and toss that in there too.
Happy eating!
You put the lime in the coconut... olive oil greek yogurt cake.
Happy Monday, eaters!
I'm really excited about this cake. Like, really, really excited.
I'm one of those strange birds who doesn't really like icing on cakes. It actually really used to stress me out when I was younger. My mom was typically a no-to-light-froster on birthday cakes and when I found myself at a friend's birthday party with a store-bought, icing covered cake, I would get really stressed out... What if some poor soul handed me an end piece? It doesn't sound like such a dilemma now, but when you're 8 years old and the highlight of the party is the cake, and you've been waiting for it the whole party... waiting for a middle, only-on-the-top frosting piece feels like eternity.
As it turns out when you are 26 years old, waiting for this cake to bake feels like an eternity. Don't get me started on how long it takes for it to cool...
Anyways!
This cake is first and foremost delicious, without any frosting. And secondly, it's quite lovely without any frosting.
I combined two recipes (found here and here) to make this one. I'm a big fan of using both Greek yogurt and olive oil in cakes- the Greek yogurt keeps things light but the olive oil adds a certain je ne sais quoi. This cake turned out incredibly moist, light and super fresh- perfect for the end of a Memorial Day cook out.
Slowly add your flour mixture to your wet ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until there are no clumps (you'll be able to see the coconut, but no lumps aside from that).
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Combine sugar and lime zest in one bowl and mix together with a fork. Keep your sugar zest separate from your coconut for the topping. Mixing together just creates for a soggy mess.
Once the cake is done and cooled, sprinkle the sugar zest and coconut on top of the cake and garnish with lime wedges.
I'm really excited about this cake. Like, really, really excited.
I'm one of those strange birds who doesn't really like icing on cakes. It actually really used to stress me out when I was younger. My mom was typically a no-to-light-froster on birthday cakes and when I found myself at a friend's birthday party with a store-bought, icing covered cake, I would get really stressed out... What if some poor soul handed me an end piece? It doesn't sound like such a dilemma now, but when you're 8 years old and the highlight of the party is the cake, and you've been waiting for it the whole party... waiting for a middle, only-on-the-top frosting piece feels like eternity.
As it turns out when you are 26 years old, waiting for this cake to bake feels like an eternity. Don't get me started on how long it takes for it to cool...
Anyways!
This cake is first and foremost delicious, without any frosting. And secondly, it's quite lovely without any frosting.
I combined two recipes (found here and here) to make this one. I'm a big fan of using both Greek yogurt and olive oil in cakes- the Greek yogurt keeps things light but the olive oil adds a certain je ne sais quoi. This cake turned out incredibly moist, light and super fresh- perfect for the end of a Memorial Day cook out.
Coconut Lime Greek Olive Oil Cake
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
Zest of one lime
1-2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease an 8-9" round pan.
In one bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Add olive oil, yogurt, milk, zest and lime juice. It'll look like you're making a key lime pie at this point. Really pretty and really great smelling. Add your coconut and whisk gently or use a spatula to fold gently into the mix.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your flours, baking powder and salt.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Combine sugar and lime zest in one bowl and mix together with a fork. Keep your sugar zest separate from your coconut for the topping. Mixing together just creates for a soggy mess.
Once the cake is done and cooled, sprinkle the sugar zest and coconut on top of the cake and garnish with lime wedges.
Until next time,
Friday Funnies
How Animals Eat Their Food
Which is your favorite?
I think mine might be the T-Rex aaand the fact they're drinking out of pink sippy cups.
Happy weekend, Eaters!
How to dice a tomato (without the watery seedy stuff)
Some of you may already know how to do this, but it changed my life (and my pico de gallo) back in college, so I thought I'd share it with you all just in case.
When I first learned this trick, I was participating in a chili cook-off with my friend Emily, and we wanted to add diced tomatoes to our chili--but we didn't know how to leave all out the watery seedy stuff*. So we did what all people do when they don't know how to do something: we searched for it on youtube. It was a while ago, but I'm pretty sure this is the original video.
Feel free to watch that, but here are some step-by-step photos to walk you through it.
When I first learned this trick, I was participating in a chili cook-off with my friend Emily, and we wanted to add diced tomatoes to our chili--but we didn't know how to leave all out the watery seedy stuff*. So we did what all people do when they don't know how to do something: we searched for it on youtube. It was a while ago, but I'm pretty sure this is the original video.
*definitely the scientific term
Feel free to watch that, but here are some step-by-step photos to walk you through it.
Supplies: you'll need a tomato and a knife. and a cutting board. your counter tops will thank you.
Step one: use the point of the knife to wedge out the stem of the tomato.
Step two: cut around the inner "seed ball" of the tomato by cutting a C shape from the top of the de-stemmed tomato to the bottom. Do that a few times all the way around the tomato. If you're me, you'll do a hack-job of it and still have some watery seedy stuff, so just use your thumb to scoop it out.
Step three: throw away the "seed ball" and stem and chop up the remaining parts. Voila, you have beautiful, watery-seedy-stuff-free diced tomatoes.
Happy chopping!
Eat your greens: Brussels Sprouts
We had dinner at Hearth in Sandy Springs a few weeks ago. My friends wanted to order Brussels sprouts for an appetizer. I was so confused. I couldn't believe a person under the age of 85 would order Brussels sprouts on purpose.
Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I [Ina-G. speaking] like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.
[Katie now]: Alternative ending: instead of more salt, drizzle a little Balsamic on those little babies.
The waiter brought them out and they didn't look like I expected. Apparently, they had been roasted. And they were also delicious. We polished off that plate before anyone could decide how to spell Brussels sprouts. (Brussle? Brussel? Brussles Griffon?)
I decided I had to attempt this.
I gathered the ridiculously easy ingredients: fresh Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic.
According to Ina Garten, you need:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.*
Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35-40 mins, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.
Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.
Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I [Ina-G. speaking] like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.
[Katie now]: Alternative ending: instead of more salt, drizzle a little Balsamic on those little babies.
*I'd also add that these should be cut in at least halves. Mine cooked real fast on the outside and the insides still tasted pretty... earthy.
Fair warning: your house will smell like Brussels sprouts, and your dog might pass out, but I'd say it's worth it.
Happy Friday
Have a great weekend! And don't be afraid to try something new :)
A slow-mo video of kids trying different foods for the first time. I think I make some very similar faces...
A slow-mo video of kids trying different foods for the first time. I think I make some very similar faces...
24 Hour Bookclub & Lemon Cake
I stumbled upon these folks a few weeks ago -- 24-Hour Bookclub. They announce what book to read, when to read it, and everyone (well, everyone that joins in) reads the book and tweets up a storm about it!
I love Twitter and books, wasn't too busy last Sunday, so I jumped on the band wagon.
We read Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. It was a fantastically interesting read about a girl who can taste what people are feeling in the food they prepare. Among many things, she tasted sadness in a lemon cake (didn't see that coming), anger in a sandwich and care and devotion in a quiche. To cope with this, Rose often ran to the "safety" of processed foods -- she particularly appreciated foods that a human hadn't touched so she didn't have to experience anyone else's emotions. It was very interesting.
And, to make a day of reading even better, Laura made lemon cake!
She took my favorite blogger, Cup of Jo's "Best Lemon Cake You'll Ever Have" recipe, and it was, quite possibly, the best.
For the cake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
2⅓ cups sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1 stick, plus 7 tbsp unsalted butter (15 tbsp total), melted and cooled
For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of two lemons
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F. Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl. Working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist, flecked with zest, and smells wonderfully lemony.
Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then whisk in the cream. Use a large rubber spatula to gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions until combined. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula. (Now’s the time to lick the bowl:)
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color. If they seem to be browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Once the cake is in the oven, make the syrup: Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and set it aside to cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for five minutes before removing them from their pans and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer or cake tester, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Be sure to use all the syrup—it will seem like a lot but it’s worth it! Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.
Yum!
Happy eating. Or reading. Or whatever joys this weekend holds for you.
I love Twitter and books, wasn't too busy last Sunday, so I jumped on the band wagon.
We read Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. It was a fantastically interesting read about a girl who can taste what people are feeling in the food they prepare. Among many things, she tasted sadness in a lemon cake (didn't see that coming), anger in a sandwich and care and devotion in a quiche. To cope with this, Rose often ran to the "safety" of processed foods -- she particularly appreciated foods that a human hadn't touched so she didn't have to experience anyone else's emotions. It was very interesting.
And, to make a day of reading even better, Laura made lemon cake!
She took my favorite blogger, Cup of Jo's "Best Lemon Cake You'll Ever Have" recipe, and it was, quite possibly, the best.
For the cake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
2⅓ cups sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream
Zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1 stick, plus 7 tbsp unsalted butter (15 tbsp total), melted and cooled
For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of two lemons
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F. Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl. Working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist, flecked with zest, and smells wonderfully lemony.
Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then whisk in the cream. Use a large rubber spatula to gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions until combined. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula. (Now’s the time to lick the bowl:)
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color. If they seem to be browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Once the cake is in the oven, make the syrup: Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and set it aside to cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for five minutes before removing them from their pans and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer or cake tester, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Be sure to use all the syrup—it will seem like a lot but it’s worth it! Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.
Yum!
Happy eating. Or reading. Or whatever joys this weekend holds for you.
Supersupersuperfood dinner: salmon and kale quinoa
I can't remember how I first stumbled upon this recipe. I was probably in ESTJ-mode (as referenced in my veggie curry post)
and wanting to really really get some good nutrition in my belly. This
dish does exactly that, with three of the most healthy, whole foods you
can get your hands on.
I should say upfront that this dish is not pleasing to the eye, hence the lack of photos in this post. But it is truly delicious, and it's a great way to get three superfoods into one meal. To make up for the lack of photos, I've included a video on each of the three--salmon, kale and quinoa--from the watchsuperfoods youtube channel. These videos are short, fun ways to learn about the major health benefits of certain foods!
First up, omega3-rich salmon:
Next, the vitamin-rich kale:
and finally, protein-rich quinoa:
Now that you know more than you ever could imagine about salmon, kale and quinoa, let me share the recipe with you!
Salmon and kale quinoa
recipe originally found here
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 medium onion, diced
7-8 leaves of kale, chopped (I can only ever find kale in bags, so I used half a bag, about 8oz)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (again, no shame in the jarred pre-minced stuff!)
3 Tbs olive oil (divided)
10oz poached salmon, flaked (see below for poaching directions)
32oz vegetable stock (or chicken, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
First up, you need your salmon to be cooked. I poached mine--put in saucepan and fill with water over high heat until it boils. Then remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 mins. Remove fish and check to make sure it's done, especially with thicker filets. Then flake and set aside!
Next, start preparing the quinoa. This takes some time because (similar to a risotto) you add the liquid in small increments, letting it absorb each time. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until transparent. Add quinoa and stir to toast, about 2 minutes (it'll start to smell nutty, don't let it burn!). Add 1 cup vegetable stock, stirring until stock is absorbed (this takes longer than you'd think, but be patient!). Once that is absorbed, add another 1 cup of stock. Continue stirring until absorbed. Add the rest of the stock in 1/2 cup intervals, letting the stock absorb each time. Remove from heat.
While the quinoa is taking its sweet time to absorb, work on the kale. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan with the garlic over medium high heat. Once it's sizzling, add the kale, turning to coat. It'll cook down a lot, so don't worry if it seems like too much. Keep stirring while the kale sautes, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Once each part is ready, stir quinoa, kale and salmon to combine and add salt and pepper to taste!
Like I said, it is not much to look at, but the salmon combined with the kale really helps take out the bitterness that turns a lot of people away from kale. It makes a bunch, so feel free to halve the recipe, or just eat it for a whole week like I did!
I should say upfront that this dish is not pleasing to the eye, hence the lack of photos in this post. But it is truly delicious, and it's a great way to get three superfoods into one meal. To make up for the lack of photos, I've included a video on each of the three--salmon, kale and quinoa--from the watchsuperfoods youtube channel. These videos are short, fun ways to learn about the major health benefits of certain foods!
First up, omega3-rich salmon:
Next, the vitamin-rich kale:
and finally, protein-rich quinoa:
Now that you know more than you ever could imagine about salmon, kale and quinoa, let me share the recipe with you!
Salmon and kale quinoa
recipe originally found here
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 medium onion, diced
7-8 leaves of kale, chopped (I can only ever find kale in bags, so I used half a bag, about 8oz)
4 cloves garlic, chopped (again, no shame in the jarred pre-minced stuff!)
3 Tbs olive oil (divided)
10oz poached salmon, flaked (see below for poaching directions)
32oz vegetable stock (or chicken, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
First up, you need your salmon to be cooked. I poached mine--put in saucepan and fill with water over high heat until it boils. Then remove pan from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 mins. Remove fish and check to make sure it's done, especially with thicker filets. Then flake and set aside!
Next, start preparing the quinoa. This takes some time because (similar to a risotto) you add the liquid in small increments, letting it absorb each time. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until transparent. Add quinoa and stir to toast, about 2 minutes (it'll start to smell nutty, don't let it burn!). Add 1 cup vegetable stock, stirring until stock is absorbed (this takes longer than you'd think, but be patient!). Once that is absorbed, add another 1 cup of stock. Continue stirring until absorbed. Add the rest of the stock in 1/2 cup intervals, letting the stock absorb each time. Remove from heat.
While the quinoa is taking its sweet time to absorb, work on the kale. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan with the garlic over medium high heat. Once it's sizzling, add the kale, turning to coat. It'll cook down a lot, so don't worry if it seems like too much. Keep stirring while the kale sautes, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Once each part is ready, stir quinoa, kale and salmon to combine and add salt and pepper to taste!
[Kale. and wine, of course.]
Like I said, it is not much to look at, but the salmon combined with the kale really helps take out the bitterness that turns a lot of people away from kale. It makes a bunch, so feel free to halve the recipe, or just eat it for a whole week like I did!
Eat your veggies, kids!
[so many veggies. these, plus spinach, too!]
I've been eating pretty terribly lately. Lots of empty carbs and too much dairy and I was starting to feel it in my all-around well-being. Time to eat some veggies. Now, being an ESTJ, I'm a go big or go home kind of person, so I went all out. This recipe has sooooo many veggies in it. and lots of spices (which are good for your heart). So if you're feeling a little sluggish and gross from all that sugarrrrrr, make this tonight! Sidenote: it makes a TON, so it's perfect for a week (or month...) of leftovers!
Oh! and it's vegetarian AND vegan friendly!
Fun fact: Marrakesh is a major city in Morocco, so this is a Moroccan-style dish. Another fun fact: Morocco is at the top of my list of places to visit. It looks so beautiful!
[Saute away, little babies.]
Marrakesh Vegetable Curry
originally found here
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 eggplant, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 Tbs olive oil, divided (3 for the veggies, 3 for the spices)
3 cloves garlic, minced (get you that canned stuff, it is magical. no shame)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbs curry powder (I used two)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1 zucchini, sliced
2 Tbs raisins
1 cup orange juice (I used the Naked carrot orange, it's perfect)
10 oz spinach
In a large Dutch oven place sweet potato, eggplant, peppers, carrots, onion, and 3 tablespoons olive oil (don't accidentally add your zucchini yet, it will be mush!). Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
In a medium saucepan or skillet, place the other 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Saute over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir often so it doesn't burn!
Pour the spice mixture into the Dutch oven with the veggies. Add the garbanzo beans, almonds, zucchini, raisins, and orange juice. Simmer 20 minutes, covered.
Add spinach to pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice or couscous!
Facebook celebration giveaway!
[Remember this guy from Katie's links post?]
Over on The Three Happy Eaters Facebook page, we've almost got 100 likes! To celebrate and thank you guys for following, we are giving away this beautiful Measuring Guide by our friends over at 9th Letter Press!
To enter, pop on over to our Facebook page and leave a comment on the giveaway post telling us your favorite thing that you've learned from the blog! Once we hit 100 likes, we'll randomly select a winner from the comments on that post.
So head over to Facebook and tell your friends to give us a 'like' and leave us a comment on the giveaway post! Oh, and give 9th Letter Press a 'like' while you're at it and check out their other beautiful things on their website.
Happy eating and see you at 100!
In a pinch: Southern Fried Chicken Salad
Another week-night dinner dilemma was upon us. Empty fridge, empty bellies, approaching hanger... And the I remembered one of my favorite things my mom would make for us:
Salad with fried chicken on top! ('Merica.)
All you need is some leafy greens (I prefer green leaf lettuce), shredded carrots, shredded cheese, other veggies you want on the salad, and of course- fried chicken. I grabbed some tenders from Publix, but it really doesn't matter. Just choose your favorite / closest fried chicken joint and grab you some.
I also really like making homemade honey mustard dressing. Do it. Then you can say you made the dressing yourself and everyone will think you're a classically trained gourmet chef.
For the dressing:
Equal parts mayo and yellow mustard and then add honey to taste. (I usually go for about twice as much honey as the mayo) and then go from there.
And, voila!
Dinner with time to spare to make those carrot cupcakes AND watch Life of Pi. For the win.
Salad with fried chicken on top! ('Merica.)
All you need is some leafy greens (I prefer green leaf lettuce), shredded carrots, shredded cheese, other veggies you want on the salad, and of course- fried chicken. I grabbed some tenders from Publix, but it really doesn't matter. Just choose your favorite / closest fried chicken joint and grab you some.
I also really like making homemade honey mustard dressing. Do it. Then you can say you made the dressing yourself and everyone will think you're a classically trained gourmet chef.
For the dressing:
Equal parts mayo and yellow mustard and then add honey to taste. (I usually go for about twice as much honey as the mayo) and then go from there.
And, voila!
Dinner with time to spare to make those carrot cupcakes AND watch Life of Pi. For the win.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)