Because we still had some of the Creamy Horseradish Dijon sauce from the Corned Beef and Cabbage, I substituted that for thousand island dressing. Past that, this recipe is pretty traditional.
I still had half a cabbage left so I decided to make my own sauerkraut using a “fast” method so I could enjoy a Reuben with Homemade Sauerkraut today instead of waiting days for the sauerkraut to be ready.
Ingredients:
Sauerkraut:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 a small onion, chopped
1/2 a head of cabbage, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
Reuben:
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Left over corned beef, thinly sliced
Sauerkraut (recipe above)
Rye bread
Swiss cheese
Creamy Horseradish Dijion (recipe here), or thousand island dressing
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which means Americans nationwide are gearing up for a corned beef and cabbage feast. Despite being Irish-American myself, I’ve never eaten this St. Patrick’s Day staple before. My boyfriend, a huge corned beef fan, was really looking forward to having some, so I finally decided it was time to try to make it. I choose to adapt this recipe from Food Network for Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage so that I could use my slow cooker and not have to watch over it for hours.
Ingredients:
4 pounds raw corned beef brisket
Pickling Spice (included with brisket)
1 medium rutabaga, halved, peeled and cut into wedges
I really don’t like winter. I know we are having quite a mild winter in Philly this year but it goes past the cold and snow. I miss sunlight. And sitting outdoors. And most of all, I miss summer foods. So I decided it was time for a little peek into summer: Mango Couscous with Salmon. (I found the recipe on Taste of Home).
Ingredients:
Salmon:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, divided
2 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
Couscous:
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup couscous (I used tricolor, because it’s so darn pretty)
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 medium mango, peeled and chopped
Mango Sauce:
1 medium mango, peeled and cut into chunks
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
2 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
In a pot, bring the broth and butter to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, mango, and 1 tablespoon parsley.
Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a bowl.
Rub on the salmon.
Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Add the salmon to the pan skin side up. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for 4 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
While the salmon is cooking, combine the mango, lemon, honey, basil, parsley, water, and mustard in a blender.
Puree for 1-2 minutes.
To serve, add the salmon and couscous to a plate. Spoon the sauce over the salmon.
Look at those colors!
What I love most about this dish is you get to enjoy mango two ways: sweet within the couscous and tangy within the sauce.
I made this for my boyfriend and he loved it! He was all but licking his plate clean. He even started trying to eat off of mine!
My little sister loves deviled eggs. She loves them to such an extreme, that we chose a restaurant (Supper in Philadelphia) during Restaurant Week solely because they were known for their amazing deviled eggs of the day. (The rest of their food is awesome too, definitely worth checking out). During Restaurant Week, they were offering their Sriracha Deviled Eggs, which my sister devoured. So when I was offered to try Land O’Lakes eggs through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I knew I wanted to make them for her. Luckily, Supper took the guesswork out for me and shared their recipe with Meal Ticket a few years back.
Land O’Lakes eggs come from hens that are fed an all-vegetable, whole-grain diet with no animal by-products.
Courtesy of Land O’Lakes
Although I primarily use eggs for baking or as an ingredient in a larger dish, I wanted to highlight the eggs for this recipe.
Ingredients:
6 Land O’Lakes eggs, hard boiled and halved
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon
2 teaspoons Sriracha
The juice from 1/2 a lime
The zest from 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
Fill a large bowl with ice water. To hard-boil the eggs, add 6 eggs to a large pasta pot. Cover with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes uncovered. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the iced water for 30 seconds and remove. To crack the eggs, roll back and forth on the counter and peel the shell off of the egg.
Halve the eggs.
Scoop out the yolks and transfer them to a bowl. I used a half teaspoon so that the spoon was smaller than the yolks. They are pretty easy to kind of pop out.
Use a fork to mash the yolks. Add the mayo, Dijon, Sriracha, lime juice, zest, and cilantro to the yolks.
Mix to combine, try to work out any chunks that may remain, you want it as smooth as possible. Add the mixture to a ziplock bag. If you have a pastry tip, feel free to use it. If not, just cut off one of the corners and squeeze the mixture into each egg white.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of paprika.
I’m not a huge fan of hard-boiled eggs, so I let my sister and friends be the judge of these eggs. When I asked my sister what needed to be changed, she told me nothing, she loved them just the way they were.
My friends managed to eat a dozen deviled eggs within minutes! Some even said they were some of the best deviled eggs they’ve had –they clearly haven’t been to Supper yet. 🙂
The Sriracha adds some heat to the eggs but is not too spicy. The lime flavor does shine through, so if you are not a fan of lime, cut out the zest (the original recipe did not have zest in it).
Fill a large bowl with ice water. To hard-boil the eggs, add 6 eggs to a large pasta pot. Cover with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes uncovered. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the iced water for 30 seconds and remove. To crack the eggs, roll back and forth on the counter and peel the shell off of the egg.
Halve the eggs.
Scoop out the yolks and transfer them to a bowl. I used a half teaspoon so that the spoon was smaller than the yolks. They are pretty easy to kind of pop out.
Use a fork to mash the yolks. Add the mayo, Dijon, Sriracha, lime juice, zest, and cilantro to the yolks.
Mix to combine, try to work out any chunks that may remain, you want it as smooth as possible. Add the mixture to a ziplock bag. If you have a pastry tip, feel free to use it. If not, just cut off one of the corners and squeeze the mixture into each egg white.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of paprika.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a craving for meatloaf. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’ve only had meatloaf once. So I never actively seek out making meatloaf, much to my boyfriend’s disappointment. However, we both had long, exhausting work weeks, so I thought he deserved a comfort-food meal. Cooking light had a recipe for Meatloaf Muffins that I thought would work great; he could eat as much as he wanted and then have perfectly portioned “muffins” that I could freeze.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
3 bell peppers (I used one orange, yellow & red), chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut out of its casing (I used 2 sausages)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your onion, carrot, garlic, and peppers. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, basil, parsley, garlic and peppers. (Note: I completely forgot about the peppers and had to go back and saute them on their own. Just pretend they are in the photos. Shh.)
Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the sausage, cut out of the casing, beef, 1/2 ketchup, sriracha, panko, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper, eggs, and the cooled onion mixture in a large bowl.
Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Add the mixture to the muffin tins. (I used large muffin tins so there were only 6. This recipe also works with the standard size 12. For the large, 1 muffin is a serving. For the standard, 2 muffins are a serving.)
Top each with two teaspoons ketchup. (I got bored/creative)
Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. (The larger muffins ended up taking about 35 minutes total).
Serve with sauteed green beans and baked potato wedges if desired.
So what’s the review from my boyfriend? Very good! There was a slight hint of sriracha without making the meatloaf spicy. The sausage added a smoky taste to the meatloaf, and the peppers added a slight crunch to the meal. He ate the meatloaf with a side of ketchup mixed with hot sauce and seemed to really enjoy it.
The best part of this dish is the remaining “muffins” can be frozen for future meals.
3 bell peppers (I used one orange, yellow & red), chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut out of its casing (I used 2 sausages)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your onion, carrot, garlic, and peppers. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, basil, parsley, garlic and peppers.
Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the sausage, cut out of the casing, beef, ½ ketchup, sriracha, panko, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper, eggs, and the cooled onion mixture in a large bowl.
Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Add the mixture to the muffin tins. (I used large muffin tins so there were only 6. This recipe also works with the standard size 12. For the large, 1 muffin is a serving. For the standard, 2 muffins are a serving.)
Top each with two teaspoons ketchup.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. (The larger muffins ended up taking about 35 minutes total).
With a fridge full of beautiful ears of bi-sweet corn, I am on a bit of a corn kick. I am always in search of meals that I think can be made the night ahead and eaten for lunch the next day, and this one fit the bill. I modified the original recipe for this Crab Corn and Tomato Salad (from Cooking Light of course) to work as a lunch meal.
Ingredients:
Grated lemon rind from 2 lemons
Lemon juice from 2 lemons
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ears)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1/2 pound lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
To make the dressing, combine the zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well with a whisk until the olive oil is incorporated. To make the Crab Corn and Tomato Salad, add the corn, basil, bell pepper, red onion, crab meat, and tomatoes to the dressing. Toss gently to coat.
I love citrus with any kind of seafood. Lemon brightens the dish overall and works so well with the crab and tomatoes. Because I let it sit overnight, the citrus flavor really had time to soak in. This is really a great make-ahead meal!
My fridge looks like a forest. I kid you not. I have two of my three shelves of my refrigerator filled with leafy greens. I didn’t want to have just a plain old boring salad, so I decided to try this recipe from Cooking Light (April 2006).
Ingredients for chicken:
1/2 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken breast tenders
Cooking spray
Ingredients for salad:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 spring garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1/4 bunch of romaine lettuce
1/4 bunch of red leafy lettuce
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To cook chicken, add first 4 ingredients (panko through pepper) to a bowl.
Mix to combine. Add chicken one at a time, tossing to coat. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is done and lightly browned.
To prepare salad, combine vinegar and next 7 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a bowl.
Prepare your lettuce by washing and rinsing the Romaine and red leafy lettuce. Tear with your hands and add to a bowl.
Add halved tomatoes and green onions.
Add vinegar mixture, tossing to coat. Transfer to individual plates and top with the chicken.
Wow. This dressing was fantastic. It has a bit of spice to it without any heat. The chicken was crispy on the outside but really tender on the inside. The original recipe used a clove of garlic instead of spring garlic, but I think the raw mature garlic would be too overpowering. It also called for white wine vinegar, but for some reason I had rice vinegar on hand instead. I will most certainly use this recipe in the future!
My parents graciously gifted me with an order of Omaha Steaks. My only issue is that I rarely make steak (chicken and veggies are my staples) so I went in search of something other than just grilled steak and potatoes. Food and Wine had a recipe that not only sounded delicious, but also included steak and one of my CSA ingredients of the week: arugula. Double win.
Tell me you don’t want to eat that.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
2 generous handfuls of arugula, leaves washed and torn in half
1 container of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red- or white-wine vinegar (I used red)
2 tablespoons drained capers
If you have an outdoor grill, light the grill before prepping your ingredients to allow it time to heat up. I used my nifty little indoor grill. You could also use the broiler in your oven. Coat the steak with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
Add the steak to the grill or to the broiler and cook for 5 minutes.
Flip the steak and cook for another 5 minutes for medium rare (adjust to your taste). Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes in half. I ended up using the whole plastic container (I really like tomatoes).
Place the arugula on two individual plates. Top the arugula with the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with some salt.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, capers and season with salt and pepper.
This looks disgusting. I swear it tastes good!
Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil slowly, whisking to combine.
Still a horrific photo. I apologize.
After the steak has had time to rest, slice the steak on the diagonal.
Place the steak on top of the salad.
Fancy.
Drizzle with vinaigrette.
What a tasty dish. The original recipe called for anchovy paste for the vinaigrette but I didn’t have any so I omitted it. I honestly don’t think it’s necessary; there was enough salt and tangy-ness from the capers. Spinach can be used instead of arugula, but I think the spiciness of arugula goes really well with this dish. The steak on its own was simple and tasty, and with the vinaigrette it was absolutely fantastic. I will most certainly make this recipe again!
I really don’t like a cold lunch, especially sandwiches. There is something about a plain sandwich that makes me so unexcited to eat it. But a panini makes me happy: toasted bread, melty cheese… yum! So I was glad to try out this Smoked Salmon Panini.
Note: I have a panini press, but if you don’t, just use a saute pan and spatula to flip half way through the cooking.
The original recipe is linked above. I made a few substitutions, which are listed below.
Ingredients: (this makes one sandwich, multiply as needed)
2 slices ciabatta
Dijon mustard, for spreading
thin slices of Gruyère cheese
2 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
Finely grated zest of 1/4 of a lemon
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat the panini press or saute pan.
Spread 1 slice of ciabatta bread with some Dijon mustard, as little or as much as you’d like. Top with some Gruyere cheese.
Top with smoked salmon and lemon zest.
Season lightly with salt and pepper and cover with more Gruyere cheese. Top with other piece of bread.
Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until toasted and the cheese is melted.
I was a little wary about the Dijon mustard; I thought it would overwhelm the sandwich. But it added a nice punch of flavor. The lemon zest really enhanced the dish and brightened up the smoked salmon. This could easily be made ahead and popped in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it back up. I’m so glad to have a new alternative to the boring and cold meat and cheese sandwiches usually eaten at lunch!
Most sides are a bit of an afterthought. I tend to just whip something up really quick to give my dish more color, or to make me feel like I’m being healthy because there is some green on my plate. But this Wilted Spinach with Garlic Vinaigrette side dish is so good, I’d be happy to have just this for dinner. I am not the biggest fan of mustard in general, but the small amount of Dijon mustard really ups this side from good to great.
Ingredients
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced (or thinly sliced, whatever makes you happy)
6 cups baby spinach leaves
¼ cup sliced red onion
To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl (up to salt) combining with a whisk. Heat the vinaigrette in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the spinach (it will shrink up a lot!) and toss to combine. Remove from heat when wilted (1-2 minutes).
The spinach ended up stealing the show when I made it (I had a pasta/chicken dish along with it). It was a very quick and easy side; I cannot wait to make this again!
