I bought a bag of pitas from the store with the intent of using them as wraps for lunch and whatnot, but rather than them being pliable, doughy and delicious they were dry and broke when I tried to roll them into a wrap. So here I was, stuck with a bag of pitas, not wanting to eat them and definitely not wanting to throw them out. Ah hah! Pita chips had to be easy, right? Right! Armed with a sharp knife, olive oil, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese I set out to not waste an entire bag of perfectly, albeit dry, pitas. Success!

Garlic-Parmesan Pita Chips

• 6-8 whole pitas
• extra virgin olive oil
• block of Parmesan cheese
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pitas into wedges, like you would a pizza, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of each wedge with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper on the brushed sides of each pita wedge and arrange on a cookie sheet, seasoned size up. Bake for 20 minutes, until crispy.

Quinoa (keen-wa) is an ancient grain-like seed that originated in South America over five thousand years ago. This tiny seed is chock full of tons of valuable nutrients, including all eight essential amino acids. Add in lots of other highly beneficial attributes, vitamins and minerals, plus the fact that it’s gluten-free and easy to digest and it’s pretty easy to understand it’s recent rise in popularity.

However, quinoa is still a bit new to my diet. Mostly because I don’t know what to make with it. Slowly I’m learning how to incorporate this versatile seed into my everyday meals. This salad is bright, fresh and easy. And did I mention that it’s also tasty and healthy? Say hello bikini body!

Quinoa Salad with Baby Spinach

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• generous handful of baby spinach
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• handful of pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Following the directions on the package, cook quinoa in the chicken broth. The quinoa should come to a boil, then cover it and put it on a low simmer and let cook for 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is cooked it will absorb all the broth. Add remaining ingredients to a large resealable bowl and shake until contents are well incorporated. Serve cold.

the menu

the spread

plate full of yummies!

japanese fried rice

obligatory (asian??) monkey bread

cards against humanity, iphones and drinks around the table

March’s theme was Oriental Delights. Each of us went out of our comfort zone and picked dishes that we hadn’t made before. The host had pillows set up on the floor and we dined in a laid back Asian fashion. There were spring rolls, a crunchy Asian salad that consisted of broken, uncooked ramen noodles, broccoli and slivered almonds, Thai chicken satay served with cucumbers and peanut dipping sauce, Shu Mai (steamed Asian dumplings), chicken pad Thai and slow cooker Asian beef tacos. I took the easy route and made Japanese fried rice. Although it required minimal effort, it was still pretty tasty. It serves A LOT so my hubby ended up with a ton of leftovers which he didn’t complain about.

Japanese Fried Rice

• 4 cups white or brown rice
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 eggs, scrambled and diced
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

First, go to Wegmans or similar and buy two large containers of precooked white rice from the Asian food station. Then stop at a Chinese restaurant and asked for takeout containers and chopsticks for serving. Next, in a large wok add butter, onions, peas and carrots and stir over high heat until cooked. Add rice and remaining ingredients and continue stirring for about 20-30 minutes until all ingredients are cooked. Season to taste and serve warm.

Just in time for St. Patty’s Day, I present to you with this lovely green monster smoothie. While I don’t intend on drinking these this Sunday (hey, I *am* Irish after all!), these smoothies have been my go-to for breakfast or lunch on most other weekends. They make a great, nutrient-packed meal replacer, as you are pretty stuffed after drinking one. I like them because they’re easy and quick to make when I don’t have much in the fridge or I’m nursing a hangover, much like I will be this Sunday. As always, ingredients are easily customizable to what you have available. I’ve subbed frozen spinach for fresh, greek yogurt for milk and so on. One thing to note from my experiments though, whether it’s fresh or frozen, you always need a banana. That’s what she said. HA! I just said what you were thinking. But seriously, you need a banana to help “overpower” the flavors of the other ingredients. I’ve tried it without banana and it just tastes like a weird milk and spinach smoothie. Gross.

Green Monster Smoothie

• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 banana, cut in thirds
• 6 frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Add ingredients to a blender and blend, blend, BLEND! Depending on your blender, it may take a few minutes to get everything smooth or you may need to stir the mixture up halfway through. I like my smoothies to be drinkable through a straw so you may need to add or subtract liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

the tablescape

February’s theme was Reinvented Take-out and we know just how much take-out food is all our guilty pleasures. Each of us picked our favorite fast food option and made it ourselves. They even got a tiny bit healthier, but only by a little. From burgers to fries, to salads to tacos, fast food was well represented in this spread. I made mini Baileys Irish Cream-glazed chocolate doughnuts with Baileys-coffee shooters for which I had to buy special pans and stockpile a collection of shot glasses (which really wasn’t all that hard). The original recipe came with the special doughnut pans I purchased and then I adapted to add some Baileys into the mix.

Baked Mini Baileys Irish Cream-glazed Chocolate Doughnuts

For the Chocolate Mini Doughnuts

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter, melted

For the Baileys Irish Cream Glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur (I used Hazelnut flavored)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray mini doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk, egg and butter and stir until just combined. To fill the donut pan, scoop batter into a large ziplock bag and snip off the tip. Fill each doughnut cup approximately 1/3- 1/2 full. The batter will rise quite a bit during baking. Bake 4-6 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When doughnuts are cooled, stir together sugar, Baileys and vanilla extract. Dip each doughnut in glaze, then set on a plate or baking sheet. Allow to dry for a few minutes and then dip each doughnut in glaze again. Serve with coffee and more Baileys!

Baby Oscar wishes you all a Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope it’s filled with lots of Frenchie kisses.

xo

The inspiration for this meal came from the one poor little butternut squash that’s been sitting on my counter since November, just begging me to be cooked. The truth is, I’m so squashed-out from all that we got from our farm share that I just couldn’t bear to eat anymore for at least a month. I knew I probably only had a few weeks left before my squash started to go bad so I searched my cupboards (AKA Pinterest) for a dish that wasn’t overly squashy. The original recipe calls for adding bulgar to add bulk and to replace the beef, but I chose not to add it. I love chili, so I knew I’d only be kidding myself into thinking it was something that it’s not. That being said, this soup definitely stacks up against the competition. It makes a hearty weeknight meal or reheats easily for lunch. Bonus: It’s 100% vegetarian/vegan if you use vegetable broth and omit the optional greek yogurt topping.

Spicy Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
adapted from The Bitten Word

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
• 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 cups frozen fire roasted poblano peppers
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, depending on desired thickness
• juice of half a lime
• coarse kosher salt
• greek yogurt (optional)
• sliced avocado (optional)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle chili powder and coriander over; stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, poblanos, squash and oregano. Add broth and lime juice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with greek yogurt and avocado slices.

Having a Super Bowl party or going to one, but don’t have a dish figured out yet? Any of these crowd-pleasing recipes will work in a pinch!

Soups & Chili/Snacks

Cook-off Chili

Quick Turkey Chili

Cheeseburger Soup

Mini Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

Dips

Roasted Red Pepper and Gorgonzola Dip

Fresh Salsa

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

Guacamole

Main Dishes

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

Tex-Mex Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Penne

Grilled Margherita Pizza

Meatball Subs

Desserts

No-Bake Nutella and Strawberry Cheesecake

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Brownie-Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

Apple Crisp

Monster Cookies

What’s super easy to make, healthy and also makes a really tasty snack? GRANOLA!

I really can’t understand why I ever spent money on granola in the past. I guess just always assumed I couldn’t make it at home. Well, you already know what happens when you assume. That’s right. I’m a total ass for never making this before. There’s a whole heck of a lot less sugar in my version then there is in the store bought stuff. Plus, you know all the ingredients that are going into it and it’s totally customizable. Oh AND it’s WAY cheaper! My grocery store charges almost $7 per pound for the pre-made stuff. My version probably costs around $2! It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1/2 cups nuts or seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the oats and nuts or seeds. Add in all ingredients except dried fruit or chocolate chips. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 15 to make sure all pieces bake evenly. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before adding dried fruit or chocolate chips.

This dish is a bright and colorful take on the traditional breakfast staple. Plus, sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E and potassium. Bonus! Tastes great and healthy! I wish I could say that about everything.

Here I used some frozen leftover honey baked ham that I defrosted the night before. I also used frozen poblano peppers from my farm share from over the summer. Sigh. I really miss our weekly bag of fresh veggies. I also miss those long summer days. This whole dark-when-I-go-into-work-dark-when-I-get-home thing is really cramping my style. First world problems. I know, I know. That’s what lack of sunshine will do to you!

Spicy Sweet Potato and Ham Hash

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread mixture onto a large rimmed cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with an over easy egg or, since I was out of eggs, a sprinkle of feta cheese.