Category: Quick

Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

Last weekend, we were invited to a potluck brunch for a friend’s birthday. I wanted to bring a savory breakfast dish that would work well for a crowd.

Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

With the big game this weekend, my mind went to making a breakfast version of spinach artichoke dip. I live in Philadelphia, so I clearly had to make a green dish too!

Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

This Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Casserole is packed with spinach, artichokes, bell peppers, onions and cheese. The result is a flavorful dish that can feed up to 12.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 (14 oz) can artichokes hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 12 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1  teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Continue reading Spinach and Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

Lemony Red Lentil Soup

Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone. 

Lentils are one of those foods that I wish I had experimented with earlier in my cooking. They are easy to cook, really tasty, and packed with nutritional goodness. Just one serving (1/4 cup) of red lentils has 14g of fiber and 13g of protein. Red lentils in particular are great for soups and stews because they cook really quickly and break down when heated, making for a nice thickened base.

This Lemony Red Lentil Soup is adapted from a New York Times Cooking recipe. I mostly kept to the original recipe, but increased the spice and lemon and added in another carrot.

The half chunky half smooth soup is super comforting and makes for a really satisfying lunch or dinner.

My friend and I made this during our cooking day and froze it for future meals.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •  1/4 teaspoon ground chile powder, plus more for garnish
  • 1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Red Lentils
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  •  The juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

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Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

It’s no secret that I love dessert, especially ice cream. And I love toppings on my ice cream: sprinkles, chocolate chips, and most of all, hot fudge!

When I was young, my family and I would vacation in Vermont. There is a confectionary store (Mother Myrick’s) in Manchester, VT that makes THE BEST hot fudge. I love it so much that from time to time, my family will still buy it for me when they visit Vermont. Last time they brought me some, I dropped it and the jar broke into a million pieces. Sigh.

So. I’ve been craving their fantastic hot fudge sauce for a while now. I didn’t necessarily try to recreate Mother Myrick’s, but this Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce is pret-ty darn good. Best part? It only takes 15 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk)
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon coffee grounds
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup heavy cream, or to taste

Continue reading Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Shaved Cucumber Greek Salad

Excuse the lack of posts, my husband and I went to Montreal and Quebec City last week, so no cooking for me! Both Montreal and Quebec City are pretty amazing food cities, and I definitely made to eat my way through both. (And yes, we somehow managed to have poutine four times!)

Needless to say, when we returned to Philly, we both were looking to eat a bit… lighter.

This recipe adapted from Cooking Light for Shaved Cucumber Greek Salad is a simple but different take on a traditional Greek salad. It looks fancier than it really is, the only special tool needed is a veggie peeler.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1 large heirloom tomato, cut into wedges
  • 2/3 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (I suggest using French feta)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Continue reading Shaved Cucumber Greek Salad

Peach and Tomato Salad

We were recently heading to a friends house for dinner and were asked to bring a salad.

I didn’t necessarily want to bring a traditional lettuce-based salad, so I went in search of something that made the most of what’s in season at the moment, like this Peach and Tomato Salad.

I came across this yummy sounding Summer Peach and Tomato Salad, and made a few adjustments.

I used frozen sliced peaches, mainly because I’m a bit lazy, but also because I didn’t want overly ripe peaches in the salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
  • 1 pound frozen sliced peaches, thawed
  • 1/2 pound Campari tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 pound heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons agave
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

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Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad

I have been thinking about this Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad since I made it.

This recipe for Warm Buttered Radish and Edamame Salad is so unbelievably good!

This recipe pairs perfectly with Dijon-Herb Crusted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce, and only takes a few minutes to make. I already have this back on the menu for this week!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup radishes, quartered
  • 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Dijon Herb Crusted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

I am not shy about my love of Cooking Light magazine. Their recipes are what got me started on my cooking journey. Not only are their recipes on the healthier side, but most are also great for weeknight meals. This recipe for Dijon Herb Crusted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce is no different.

Seafood in general is a great weeknight option because it tends to take less time to cook. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of seafood, particularly salmon; I have almost 40 recipes for salmon alone on this blog!

So when I spotted a new salmon recipe in my most recent Cooking Light, well, I had to make it.

Ingredients:

  • 2 (6-oz.) salmon fillets
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
  • 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Continue reading Dijon Herb Crusted Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

NOTE: I was sent some blood oranges and cara cara oranges from  The Limoneira Company to use in a recipe. All opinions are mine.

It’s pretty obvious that I love citrus, I use the juice and zest of lemons, limes, and oranges in most of my recipes, so I’m excited to share this recipe for Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas.

So when The Limoneira Company contacted me to help spread the word about their new offerings, I jumped at the chance. Limoneira is traditionally known for its lemons, but recently began expanding their orchards to include more specialty citrus, including Cara Cara and Blood Oranges.

Blood Oranges have a slightly less acidic taste than regular oranges, and their bright red color makes for some really beautiful dishes. I wanted to showcase their color, so I decided to make blood orange margaritas.

As much as I am trying to will it to be spring, it is still pretty cold in Philadelphia, so this version has a bit of cinnamon to add a bit of warmth to the flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup blood orange juice (about 6 blood oranges)
  • the juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup triple sec
  • 1/2  cup tequila
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • sugar, for rimming glasses (optional)
  • lime wedge, for rimming glasses (optional)
  • rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Continue reading Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

Note: I was sent a Breakfast kit from Krusteaz in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

For the last couple of years, I have had the opportunity to work with Krusteaz to bring attention to a fun way to switch up your dinner routine in February.

February is National Hot Breakfast Month, so to celebrate, Krusteaz encourages you to have breakfast for dinner once a week. As someone who never gets a hot breakfast on weekdays, I’m all for this idea, and have made a couple of yummy breakfast-for-dinner recipes in the past, including Cheesy Corn Pancakes and Frog in a Hole.

To help you celebrate National Hot Breakfast Month, Krusteaz is giving away a Breakfast Night Kit to one reader!

The kit includes:

  • two boxes of the following breakfast mixes: Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Belgian Waffle Mix, Blueberry Pancake Mix, Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix, and Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake and Muffin Mix
  • Kitchen items including a whisk, a tote bag, and pancake batter pen
  • A selfie stick, to help capture the fun!

Further details will be after the recipe.

This year, I decided to have a sweeter breakfast for dinner option, in honor of upcoming Valentine’s Day: Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup.

This recipe uses Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix with a few additions to make Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes. I served them with a simple Strawberry Maple Syrup to top them off!

Ingredients (makes 6 4-inch pancakes):

Strawberry-maple syrup:

  • 3/4 cup chopped strawberries
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup

Continue reading Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Syrup

Pomegranate Margaritas

You can never have too many festive cocktails to help you celebrate this time of year, don’t you think, especially one that uses in season fruit, like these Pomegranate Margaritas!

This recipe for Pomegranate Margaritas makes a beautiful drink, perfect for small gatherings!

I made my own juice for this recipe (instructions below) but you can just purchase pomegranate juice at your grocery store to make this a super quick recipe.

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

  • Lime wedge, plus more for garnish
  • Coarse Kosher Salt
  • Ice
  • 4 ounces white tequila
  • 2 ounces Triple Sec or Cointreau
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • Club soda, to taste

Continue reading Pomegranate Margaritas

Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs

My goodness the holidays are approaching quickly. What happened to 2016?!

This is the time of year for parties and of course party appetizers. This party appetizer for Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs is so simple to make, but it is fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.

I found this recipe in New York Times’ cooking section and just had to try it out. Lamb meatballs with a pomegranate molasses glaze? Sign me up!

I served the Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs with some plain Greek yogurt with mint leaves mixed in, simple but a great complement!

Ingredients:

Lamb Meatballs:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • the zest of 1 orange
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish
  • Chopped fresh mint, for garnish

Pomegranate Molasses:

  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Continue reading Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Meatballs

Linguine with Lemon Sauce

I recently received a nice email from Deiss Kitchenware, a German-based company that makes some snazzy kitchen products. They were kind enough to send me their Citrus Zester and Cheese Grater. I knew I had to make a dish that let me zest and grate my little heart out to try their product, like this recipe for Linguine with Lemon Sauce!

This recipe for Linguine with Lemon Sauce is so simple, and uses mostly ingredients you probably already have on hand. (What? I’m the only person with some Parmigiano Reggiano on hand at all times?)

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 (16 oz ) box dried linguine
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side
  • parsley, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Linguine with Lemon Sauce

Tapenade

Last weekend, friends of mine invited us to an awesome Scotch tasting. They had recently visited Islay and brought back some for us to try as well! Each Scotch was paired with a bite of food to bring out some of the flavors, including oysters, lamb kofta, pheasant sausage and so much more.

I naturally didn’t want to come empty handed so I brought this simple olive tapenade along with me.

Tapenade is a pureed mixture of olives, anchovies, capers and olive oil. Salty foods always pair nicely with spirits, so this recipe was an easy choice to bring to the party.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (9 oz) jar pitted kalamata olives, drained
  • 1 (9 oz) jar pitted green olives, drained
  • 3 anchovy fillets, patted dry
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • crusty bread or raw vegetables

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Blueberry Pie Sundaes

I have a pretty intense sweet tooth; in my mind, dinner isn’t finished until I’ve had dessert! I do try to limit how many times a week I actually do have dessert after dinner, but sometimes you just need some!

This recipe from Cooking Light caught my eye because it involves two of my favorite things: ice cream and blueberries.

This fun little dessert takes very little time to make, and the blueberry sauce can even be made ahead of time!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
  • 2 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt (I used French Vanilla)
  • 4 shortbread cookies, coarsely crumbled

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Grilled Camembert Cheese Plate

Note: I was sent a jar of Maille Rosemary Honey Mustard to try. Opinions are my own.

I’m kind of obsessed with my new Coyote Outdoor Grill. I’ve basically made a game out of finding things I can grill that are a bit outside of the box. (To see some of my other recipes I’ve made using my beloved grill, check them out here.) So, today, I bring you a grilled cheese plate, specifically a Grilled Camembert Cheese Plate.

Cheese with a thick outer rind, like a Camembert or Brie, are perfect for grilling. The inside becomes this beautiful gooey dip that I just cannot get enough of.

Just sticking a round of cheese on a grill honestly wouldn’t make for much of a recipe, so I decided to grill the whole cheese plate! I paired my lovely cheese with Grilled Rosemary Cashews and Brandied Rosemary Cherries. To finish off the plate, I included honey for drizzling as well as Maille’s Rosemary Honey Mustard that comes in the most beautiful green sandstone jar.

I was sent a jar of the Honey Mustard and I knew it would be the perfect addition to this cheese plate!

Ingredients:

For Grilled Rosemary Cashews:

  • 1/2 cup roasted cashews
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon butter

For Brandied Rosemary Cherries:

  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 4 tablespoons Brandy
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • the zest from 1 orange

For Grilled Camembert:

  • 1 Camembert round, at room temperature
  • Olive oil, for brushing

Other Cheese Plate Ingredients:

  • local honey
  • Maille Rosemary Honey Mustard
  • French bread, cut into 1 inch slices and grilled

Continue reading Grilled Camembert Cheese Plate

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