When you work in an office and bring your lunch every single day to stay on your personal nutritional path it can be easy to fall into a “Lunch Rut”! I know I am guilty of bringing that same old salad to work every day making sure that there is some protein thrown in there as well. While salads can be very diverse sometimes you just need a break from the monotony.
While on a recent trip to Toronto for work I discovered this delicious bowl concoction. While walking through the streets of downtown trying to soak in the views of a city I had never visited before I stumbled upon this little mom and pop restaurant, one of several small Asian restaurants in the area. The flavor combination was simply amazing! It was one of those dining experiences where you keep thinking of the meal for weeks after you have eaten it, almost obsessing over it! So I challenged myself to remake it with my own Mediterranean twist using Farro as a whole grain instead of Ramen noodles. I know it sounds weird trying to give an Asian dish Mediterranean flare, but hey it worked and is amazing too!
Hence my Farro Chicken Bowl recipe. The perfect bowl filled with whole grain, veggies and chicken for protein. Plus the leftovers are fantastic for lunch the following day!
Super simple to throw together and healthy. Now that is my kind of meal!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 Cup cooked Farro
1 Grilled boneless and skinless chicken breast
1 Avocado sliced
1/2 Cup Corn (Fresh off the cob or canned)
1 Tomato Diced (or ½ Cup cherry tomatoes halved)
1 Ounce Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Your favorite hot sauce for finishing the bowl (I used Kilauea Fire Hot Sauce)
Directions:
Cook the farro according to package directions and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the chicken on the prepared grill 10 to 15 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Let chicken rest for about 10 minutes then slice. This will ensure that the chicken retains its juices and doesn’t dry out.
Slice the avocado and dice the tomato while you are waiting for the chicken to grill.
In an individual serving bowl place ½ a Cup of the cooked Farro.
Top with sliced chicken, Avocado, Tomato, Corn and feta.
Drizzle your preferred hot sauce over the bowl and enjoy!
Who doesn’t love a good avocado toast? I mean it is all the rage and hype right now to eat an avocado on either a carb or veggie base such as a thinly sliced sweet potato. I like the avocado toast concept because it is light, crisp and refreshing, with the dreaded days of 100 degree and above weather hitting Phoenix on a regular basis right now you tend to lose your appetite for heavy foods.
There are so many different types of herbs growing in my little garden that I decided to try a herbaceous spread for my little avocado concoction. The sauce that immediately popped into my mind was green goddess, it is creamy, citrusy and full of delicious herbs. Now if you have read my previous posts especially the Caesar Salad Dressing recipe you know I am definitely not a fan of anchovies. Traditional Green Goddess salad dressing typically has anchovie paste as an ingredient, well not my rendition. Tangy feta cheese gives this spread a nice balance of salty flavor with the herbs.
Now it took me a while to master the avocado rose, but once you do as you can see the results are beautiful and almost too pretty to eat. There are several you tube tutorials on how to create food flowers if you are interested in learning. Until then sliced avocado will suit this recipe just fine, after all it tastes the same rose shaped or not!
Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
2 Cloves garlic
4 oz Feta cheese
1 Cup Basil
1/4 Cup chopped chives
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, plus more for serving
4 Toasted mini naans
1 Avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced thin
Olive oil, for drizzling over naan
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, process the garlic until minced. Add the feta cheese, basil, chives, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Process until well combined and pretty smooth. If you feel as though it could use a little more creaminess, feel free to add a bit of Greek yogurt.
Toast the mini naan.
Spread the feta green goddess spread over the naan. Top with slices of cucumber, followed by avocado. Now it took me a while to master the avocado rose, but once you do as you can see the results are beautiful and almost too pretty to eat.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Chocolate! I have to say I am completely and utterly addicted to chocolate. I mean who doesn’t love it? I have to indulge in some form of chocolate at least once a day, usually in the form of dark chocolate. But recently I have been getting my fix in a super healthy way packed with protein. This smoothie is so good you think you are eating the actual Almond Joy candy bar. Not only does it provide you with protein and nutrients it satisfies your sweet tooth cravings too. Nutritious and chocolate, I must be dreaming!
With the temps hitting close to 120 degrees here in Phoenix this coming weekend (which is pure torture by the way), I am thinking of ways to keep the family cool with frosty treats. My kids literally inhale the chocolate smoothies I make. It is a nutritious substitution for a milkshake or ice cream treat for them.
This smoothie is super creamy and dreamy. Coconut oil lends that subtle taste of coconut while the almond milk provides the nuttiness. Top it off with some toasted coconut chips and cacao nibs and you get a slight texture crunch that is divine.
Ingredients:
1-2 scoops Chocolate Protein Powder (find a top quality undenatured whey one- I can recommend the one I use just message me)
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 Cup Almond Milk
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
Coconut Chips for garnish (I use Dang coconut chips)
Cacao Nibs for garnish
Ice as necessary to thicken up the smoothie
Directions:
Place Ice, Almond Milk, Sinnamon and chocolate protein powder in blender and blend until smooth.
It’s officially BBQ season! Woo Hoo!! Well technically we have been BBQ’ing here in PHX since April but that’s ok! There is one thing for certain my family loves BBQ. My finicky daughter is always asking my hubby to smoke up some ribs or Tri Tip in our smoker, she just can’t get enough, and neither can I! We literally fire up our smoker every weekend and try timing variations on different cuts of meat to perfect the level of fall off the bone goodness.
With all of the fun summer activities going on, pool parties, picnics and backyard BBQ’s I wanted to try some new side dishes to go along with all of that fantastic grilled and smoked meat. We typically opt for a maple bourbon baked bean recipe but I saw this and just had to try it out. These Santa Maria baked beans looked so fresh with the pico piled on top and seemed to be pretty simple too from the write up. We had some family in town from the Midwest for Memorial Day weekend so we decided to have a little pool/BBQ soiree. It was the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe.
The smell of the spices and simmering beans permeated throughout the house, it was hard to contain ourselves. I caught the hubby several times sneaking spoon fulls of goodness from the pot! The recipe calls for bacon but I thought hey, let’s try to add some smokiness to the mix and cut up some rib meat to simmer in the mixture. Holy cannoli, was that the best substitution ever!!!! That little change in ingredients just upped the deliciousness factor of these beans.
These bakes beans certainly were a hit with the family and I will definitely be making these again very soon!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 Slices of bacon, chopped
6 Cloves of Garlic, minced
4 15oz Cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Salsa
½ Cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
4 tsp finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 tsp Dry Mustard
1 Tomato, diced
¼ Red onion, diced
Cilantro for garnish
Directions:
In a large saucepan cook bacon over medium heat 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add in next 7 ingredients through Mustard.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until desired thickness.
Panna Cotta, this deliciously creamy Italian dessert that is extremely underrated in my opinion. It is much easier to make than you might think and it is the perfect summer dessert as you can dress it up with fresh seasonal fruit. Plus, it is a no bake dessert which is amazing since it is hotter than Hades here in Phoenix lately. Panna Cotta means cooked cream in Italian and while it sounds super fancy it is super easy to make with just a few ingredients.
Using fresh vanilla bean to flavor this Panna Cotta is a must, if you have never tried cooking with a fresh vanilla bean pod you are completely missing out! The flavor is completely different from vanilla extract. I am trying to think of a way to describe it other than it is simply amazing and reminds me of sitting on a tropical beach.
You can be completely creative with Panna Cotta presentation, maybe serve it in wine glasses or cute little weck jars like I did and garnish with fresh berries or even a berry puree. Since it has a basic cream base you can add any flavor to it and it will still taste divine. I like to use fresh berries in my preparation but I have seen variations that use Lavender, liquors like Baileys and even Saffron!
Place the cream in a saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise; scrape out the seeds with a knife, then add the seeds and pod to the saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the vanilla pod.
In a separate bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.
Stir the gelatin mixture into the hot cream mixture until dissolved, then stir in the yogurt.
Divide among six to eight 4-ounce ramekins, weck jars or wine glasses.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Let me just start off this post by confessing something. Yes, I did indeed eat the whole bowl of this salad!! I just could not help myself it was so crisp and refreshing. With summer in full swing the heat really gets to you and appetites (well at least mine) shrinks to nothing. Nothing sounds good besides a nice cold refreshing bevvie! ; )
Now I love a traditional Greek salad, but I wanted to bust out the spiralizer and try something different. Cucumber is so light and refreshing in summer that replacing lettuce with spiralized cucumber really transformed this dish. It’s like eating a cool crisp noodle salad but made out of cucumber! The saltiness of the Kalamata olives and feta cheese mixed with the cool creaminess of the sourcream and dill, uggh yummm I might have to make another batch this weekend….
This is the perfect side for your summer meals or add some grilled chicken to it to add some protein to the mix. But be careful or you might find yourself eating the entire batch like I did! ; )
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 English cucumber
1/3 cup grape tomatoes, halved
10 pitted kalamata olives, halved
¼ Cup red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp light Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Fresh Dill Chopped or 2 tsp dried dill
2 oz Feta, crumbled
½ tsp sea salt or more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
Directions:
Spiralize the cucumber using the chipper blade on the Paderno spiralizer. Cut the strands into smaller pieces, about 5 inches long so it’s easier to eat, unless you would like to slurp it up like spaghetti (which is totally normal in my book! : )). If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can just dice the cucumbers with a knife into small cubes. Place cucumber on a paper towel to soak up some extra moisture for about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumber in a large bowl along with the tomatoes, olives and red onion.
In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
Pour over the cucumber mixture and gently fold in the dressing.
Plate the salad and sprinkle crumbled feta on top of salad.
Crisp spiralized cucumber is paired with a creamy dill sauce and feta cheese in this Greek inspired salad.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 English cucumber
⅓ cup grape tomatoes, halved
10 pitted kalamata olives, halved
¼ Cup red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
4 Tbsp light Sour Cream
⅓ Cup Fresh Dill Chopped or 2 tsp dried dill
2 oz Feta, crumbled
½ tsp sea salt or more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
Instructions
Spiralize the cucumber using the chipper blade on the Paderno spiralizer.
Cut the strands into smaller pieces, about 5-6 inches long so it’s easier to eat. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can just dice the cucumbers with a knife into small cubes.
Place cucumber on a paper towel to soak up some extra moisture for about 10 minutes.
Place the cucumber in a large work bowl along with the tomatoes, olives and red onion.
In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper.
Pour over the cucumber mixture and gently fold in the dressing.
Plate the salad and sprinkle crumbled feta on top of salad.
Mmmmm shrimp and coconut, coconut and shrimp. Either way you say it, it is simply delicious. I very rarely make seafood for dinner during the week, which I have no idea why!!!!! It is light and perfect for summer meals and who wouldn’t like to add some tropical flavor flair to their weeknight routine.
Typically to get that nice brown crispy texture you have to fry food in oil which packs on the calories. Well I am here to say that is a fallacy. You can get that same great crunch and texture with baking and cut the calories at the same time!! Fantastic news for staying on track with your nutrition plan. The trick is to spray a bit of cooking spray onto the shrimp just before placing into the oven and voila you have super crispy baked shrimp!
These crunchy little bites of heaven can be paired with lemongrass rice as I did for this post, or place on top of a crisp summer salad. Better yet, coconut shrimp tacos! Hmm… I am gonna have to try that one for sure and soon.
I can tell you that every sweet and crunchy bite is divine of these baked coconut shrimp.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Japanese panko bread crumbs
1/2 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 lb. Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, but leave tails intact
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Cooking oil spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Pulse the bread crumbs and coconut flakes in a food processor slightly to make a finer crumble. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
Dip each shrimp individually into the egg, then coat thoroughly with the breading mix and repeat once more. Shake off the excess.
Place the shrimp on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat spray lightly with cooking spray and bake in the middle rack for about 15 minutes, or until they turn light to golden brown.
Serve shrimp and garnish with sliced green onion or cilantro. I also like to serve with a sriracha aoli. Which is super simple to make. ¼ Cup Olive Oil Mayo mixed with ½-1 Tablespoon Sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it!
1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, but leave tails intact
1 large egg, slightly beaten
cooking oil spray
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Pulse the bread crumbs and coconut flakes in a food processor slightly to make a finer crumble. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
Dip each shrimp individually into the egg, then coat thoroughly with the breading mix and repeat once more. Shake off the excess.
Place the shrimp on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat and bake in the middle rack for about 15 minutes, or until they turn light to golden brown.
Serve shrimp and garnish with sliced green onion or cilantro. I also like to serve with a sriracha aoli. Which is super simple to make. ¼ Cup Olive Oil Mayo mixed with ½-1 Tablespoon Sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it!
What can I say I am on a seafood kick lately. I am not one to eat a lot of fish unless it is light well let’s just say not so fishy tasting. Some people love salmon, I am definitely not one of those people. I do love halibut, tilapia and cod though because of their light buttery flavor and since we had some cod in our freezer I decided to get creative with what produce we had in our refrigerator. At the end of the week it gets a bit scarce since I do all of my grocery shopping over the weekend so it is a fun little experiment.
Cod en papillote is a fancy French way of saying that you are cooking your cod in a parchment paper packet. I don’t know about you but it just sounds better in French to me. ; ) While it has a fancy name it is super simple to prepare. Place the fish and veggies on a piece of parchment paper and fold all the edges together to create a seal and voila! The cod steams perfectly inside the little paper pouch and flavors are sealed into the fish. How simple is that!!
It always amazes me that by using just a few simple fresh ingredients you can create outstanding dishes. That is one of the reasons why I am drawn to the cuisine of southern France and the Mediterranean.
I drizzled a chardonnay garlic grapeseed oil over the cod after seasoning with salt and pepper. The flavor is ever so slight and delicious in the finished dish. Being a Brand Ambassador for Oil & Vinegar I get to try out so many amazing flavored oils, and BONUS for my followers they are offering 20% off your online order. Use code Simple20 at checkout!
You can substitute different veggies in this recipe get creative use asparagus, bell pepper or green beans. The combinations are endless. This is a high protein low calorie meal that is packed with fresh flavor.
So get Francy and enjoy!
Bon Appetite!
Ingredients:
4 4oz cod fillets
1 zucchini, sliced extremely thin with a mandolin or knife
8oz small cherry or heirloom tomatoes sliced in half
Chardonnay Garlic Grapeseed Oil can be purchased from Oil and Vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pat dry the cod fillets and place onto a plate or cutting board.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Have 4 pieces of parchment paper lying flat on the counter. Please one piece of cod on each piece, drizzle with chardonnay garlic oil the layer the thinly sliced zucchini on top so it resembles fish scales and place the tomatoes around the cod fillet.
Fold the parchment paper around the edges tightly in 1/4-inch folds to create a half moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well, otherwise the steam will escape.
Arrange the packets on a baking sheet.
Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. I had to cook mine for about 18 minutes.
Cut open the packets and serve directly in the parchment on a plate or remove the fish to the plate using a spatula.
Light and flaky cod baked with zucchini and tomatoes in parchment paper.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 4oz cod fillets
1 zucchini, sliced extremely thin with a mandolin or knife
8oz small cherry or heirloom tomatoes sliced in half
Chardonnay Garlic Grapeseed Oil can be purchased from Oil & Vinegar https://www.oilvinegar.com/en-us/products/chardonnay-garlic-grapeseed-oil/
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pat dry the cod fillets and place onto a plate or cutting board.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Have 4 pieces of parchment paper lying flat on the counter. Please one piece of cod on each piece, drizzle with chardonnay garlic oil the layer the thinly sliced zucchini on top so it resembles fish scales and place the tomatoes around the cod fillet.
Fold the parchment paper around the edges tightly in ¼-inch folds to create a half moon shape. Make sure you press as you crimp and fold to seal the packets well, otherwise the steam will escape.
Arrange the packets on a baking sheet.
Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. I had to cook mine for about 18 minutes.
Cut open the packets and serve directly in the parchment on a plate or remove the fish to the plate using a spatula.
Now I wholly admit that I am not a big breakfast person. I am perfectly content with my protein smoothie every morning. I know completely BORING, right!!! Plus my kids complain all the time how there is never anything to eat for breakfast even though there is yogurt, fruit and cereal galore in our household. But life is all about balance and sometimes a little decadent start to your day!
So I take on their challenge during the weekends and try out new pancake and other baked goods recipes. All while sneaking in some healthy aspect into the recipe. I recently started using white whole wheat flour in my baking. I’m all about sneaking the whole grains into my breads and muffins with whole wheat flour. They aren’t quite as fluffy and decadent, but you know all the good stuff that comes along with it, fiber, protein, etc. And to be honest my kids do not notice the difference.
This bread is like a decadent treat with added cocoa and dark chocolate chips in the mix. I literally can’t even handle the smell as it is baking, it is divine! When you are slicing the bread as it is still warm and the melty gooey chocolate chips reveal themselves you just know this will satisfy even the toughest chocolate craving!
Serve this bread with some fresh berries to break up the richness or heck if you like it super decadent drizzle some caramel or fudge sauce over the top and dig in!
Ingredients:
1½ cups white whole wheat flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark-chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, to garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Measure the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt and vanilla, then mix with a whisk until well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes to one hour until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove it from the pan while it is still warm by inverting it onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving. Finish the loaf with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and serve with fresh berries.
You guys!!!! These little bites of heaven are amazing. I have been seeing these pop up on my Pinterest feed and I thought to myself “I have to try making these little decadent frosty delights!” Everyone has their own version and this is my adaptation.
These are perfect for summer treats, a little bit of fruit, a dab of protein from peanut butter and sweetness from dark chocolate. Plus they are frosty and cool because they are frozen. Since it has been in the 110’s here in PHX for the past couple of weeks (which is pure torture) who couldn’t use a nice frosty treat to help cool them off.
Now these treats are by no means a clean cooking affair. You get messy, I mean peanut butter all over your hands messy. And don’t even get me started about all the chocolate drips on my counter. That is ok because the end result is soooo worth it.
Just a few tips I learned from making these. Number one, make sure you use Bananas that are not too soft as it will be hard to slice them. Number two, use a quality melting chocolate. I used dark chocolate chips with a dash of coconut oil. Oohhh and make sure you eat these frozen. I made the mistake of taking some to work for a snack and left them in my lunch bag in the fridge. They were a bit mushy inside the gorgeous chocolate shell, but still tasted fantastic.
Have fun with these, these are simple enough to get your kids involved and introduce them to the fun of cooking.
What a fun treat to make before the rush of back to school!
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 bananas, sliced
¼ Cup Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
6 oz Dark Chocolate Chips
¼ tsp Coconut Oil
Directions:
In a small saucepan melt the chocolate chips on low heat with the coconut oil. Be sure to stir and not have the heat too high or your chocolate will burn and clump up.
Peel and slice the bananas.
On a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper start assembling the Banana Peanut Butter Treats.
Take one slice of banana, spread some peanut butter on it and cover with another slice of banana making a little sandwich.
Place the Banana Peanut Butter Bite on a fork and hold over the saucepan. Take a spoon and start spooning the chocolate over the bite until it is covered.
Place bite on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat process until all banana slices are used up and place pan in freezer.
Freeze for 1 hour then place bites in a re-sealable Ziploc baggie and store in the freezer for up to one week.
Simple is always better when it comes to preparing desserts, especially when it is hotter than hades outside and you do not want to use your oven for too long! I always enjoy baking with puff pastry, it is easy to manipulate and bakes up so light and airy. It is great for quick savory appetizers and elegant desserts. I literally keep two packages of puff pastry in my freezer at all times just in case.
These Strawberry Almond puff pastries are a simple summer dessert that you can make in a snap and will wow your family and friends at those BBQ and Summer get togethers.
Now typically you will see these puff pastries with a cream cheese base. I of course wanted to add a little Italian flare to it by using Almond Cream or Crema di Mandorle which I get from Oil & Vinegar. It is like a Nutella but with Almonds instead of Hazelnuts. Not only does it cut down on the ingredient list but it has such an amazing flavor to it. I am a big fan of Torrone, a traditional Italian nougat treat made with almonds or pistachios. Which is probably why I immediately gravitated towards this little jar of heaven in the first place.
Alright back to these little airy bites of deliciousness. They taste like summer with the fresh strawberries perfectly layered on top. Not only are they great for dessert but my hubby liked reheating them in the morning for breakfast, like a little gourmet toaster pastry.
So the next time you get invited to a summer get together whip up some of these delicious treats to wow your friends and family. Keep the fact that they are super easy to prepare to yourself. It will be our little secret! ; )
Ingredients:
1 sheet of Puff Pastry
1 jar of Oil & Vinegar Crema di Mandorle
8 oz Fresh Strawberries sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Thaw puff pastry and unfold onto a cutting board.
Cut into 6 equal rectangles
Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Gently poke holes down the middle of the puff pastry rectangle with a fork
Spread Crema di Mandorle in the middle of the puff pastry piece leaving about a half an inch from the edge
I love that summer yields such great varieties of veggies. It reminds me of summers in Lake Geneva Wisconsin when I was a kid. We used to spend all summer up there, it was the best summer vacation a kid could get! We would go to this little farm stand on the side of the road amidst fields as far as you could see of corn and buy sweet corn ears by the dozen! They had other produce as well but sweet corn was always my families favorite. I don’t know about you, but I can literally eat corn with everything in summer, in salads, on flatbreads, in appetizer dips, you name it! Maybe nostalgia is a part of it, or maybe it is because it is so dang good!
This flatbread is loaded full of summer veggie goodness and is bursting with flavor. The vibrant colors of the vegetables and the smell while it is cooking, ugghh just glorious! I think I even ate half of this flatbread by myself it is so addicting. To me flatbreads with fresh vegetables just represent a perfect light summer meal, the word Pizza just sounds too heavy right now. Especially since it is still in the 100 degree plus zone here in AZ. I know I mention the heat a lot recently, at least it is almost September which means only 8 more weeks until the heat subsides! Woo hoo!!
Anyway back to this amazing flatbread, it is super simple and quick to make. In a total of 30 minutes you have an amazing meal bursting with summer veggie goodness. So with all the craziness of back to school and homework whip up one of these delicious flatbreads and save yourself some time without scrimping on nutrition and flavor!
Ingredients:
Naan bread (either a large one like I used from Stonefire or individual ones)
4 oz whipped cream cheese
2 oz Basil Pesto
Half of a Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
3 oz sweet corn, from a can drained or cut fresh from the cob (cooked of course!)
1 Tomato, sliced thin
3 Green Onions, sliced
4 oz Shredded Mozzarella
2 oz Shredded Smoked Gouda
Fresh Basil to garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place flatbread on baking sheet and spread the whipped cream cheese on top. Layer the pesto on top of the cream cheese. Start arranging the veggies on top of the pesto cream cheese. I start with the tomatoes, then Yellow Bell pepper then green onion and corn. Ensure that all veggies are spread out evenly.
Top veggies with shredded mozzarella and gouda cheese
Bake for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting
A flatbread loaded with summer vegetable goodness.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Pizza or Flatbreads
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Naan bread (either a large one like I used from Stonefire or 4 individual ones)
4 oz whipped cream cheese
2 oz Basil Pesto
Half of a Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
3 oz sweet corn, from a can drained or cut fresh from the cob (cooked of course!)
1 Tomato, sliced thin
3 Green Onions, sliced
4 oz shredded Mozzarella
2 oz shredded smoked gouda
Fresh Basil to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place flatbread on baking sheet and spread the whipped cream cheese on top. Layer the pesto on top of the cream cheese. Start arranging the veggies on top of the pesto cream cheese. I start with the tomatoes, then Yellow Bell pepper then green onion. Ensure that all veggies are spread out evenly.
Top veggies with shredded mozzarella and gouda cheese
Bake for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting
With Labor Day fast approaching and the summer camping season coming to an end I wanted to recreate one of my kids favorite camping foods, S’mores! They just love sitting around the campfire roasting the marshmallows and sandwiching them in between graham cracker layers with Hershey’s chocolate nestled in between, slowly melting from the heat of the marshmallow. I think that is the favorite part for any kid of a camping trip.
I wanted to give these S’mores a bit of an adult twist with the addition of Godiva Chocolate Liquor should you choose to do so. They are just as delicious without it though. The soft cakey texture of the grilled pound cake adds some depth to this old camping favorite.
This is camping comfort food at its best but the great thing about this recipe is you do not have to spend hours packing/unpacking and setting up a big fire to enjoy them. You can literally make these on your grill at home with much less hassle and mess.
Ingredients:
1 loaf of Pound Cake, sliced
15-20 large Marshmallows
8oz Dark Chocolate Chips
1Tb Godiva Chocolate Liquor (optional)
2 Tb Heavy Cream
Caramel Sauce
Directions:
Heat a grill pan to medium high heat.
Slice the pound cake into 1-inch-thick slices, you should get about 12 slices out of the loaf.
Once the pan is hot grill the pound cake slices until lightly browned.
To prepare the chocolate sauce set a burner on very low and place a small saucepan on the burner. Add in the dark chocolate chips, Heavy Cream and Godiva Liquor (if using). Carefully melt the mixture stirring constantly until nice and creamy.
Roast the marshmallows to taste over an open flame or grill.
Spread the chocolate mixture over each piece of grilled pound cake and top with a roasted marshmallow.
Drizzle Caramel sauce over the pound cake s’mores just before serving.
Rich and decadent Pound Cake S'Mores. Grilled pound cake topped with godiva chocolate ganache topped with a roasted marshmallow and drizzled with caramel sauce.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 loaf of Pound Cake, sliced
15-20 large Marshmallows
8oz Dark Chocolate Chips
1Tb Godiva Chocolate Liquor (optional)
1 Tb Heavy Cream
Carmel Sauce
Instructions
Heat a grill pan to medium high heat.
Slice the pound cake into 1-inch-thick slices, you should get about 12 slices out of the loaf.
Once the pan is hot grill the pound cake slices until lightly browned.
To prepare the chocolate sauce set a burner on very low and place a small saucepan on the burner. Add in the dark chocolate chips, Heavy Cream and Godiva Liquor (if using). Carefully melt the mixture stirring constantly until nice and creamy.
Roast the marshmallows to taste over an open flame or grill.
Spread the chocolate mixture over each piece of grilled pound cake and top with a roasted marshmallow.
Drizzle Caramel sauce over the pound cake s’mores just before serving.
I am so excited to share this recipe with you all! This is a very special recipe as it was introduced to me by my sister and her hubby that live in the south of France. They were here in Phoenix visiting for two weeks this summer and it was the best time EVER!!!!!!
After a fun weekend in the Grand Canyon we were contemplating what to eat and they immediately recommended this recipe. I love trying out new recipes and watching other people cook. Especially when it is a family recipe where nothing is written down it is all done by sight, smell and taste. Those are the most cherished recipes to me. This pasta dish translates from Italian to mean Fruits of the Sea. It is bursting with fresh varieties of shellfish and Mediterranean flavor.
This recipe instantly took me back to my visits in Marseille France and Italy, predominantly the seaside town of Cinque Terre. Both are amazing locations right on the Mediterranean Sea. The cuisine of the region is super fresh and light. With every amazing bite I imagined sitting in a quaint little beachside bistro smelling sea salt in the air and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.
Now I am not a big fan of clams or mussels, it is a texture thing with me. However, I think that I have never tasted a properly cooked clam or mussel and I am sure I am not the only person out there with this perception. This pasta dish completely changed my mind, from the first hesitant bite to devouring my entire plate! The clams and mussels in this recipe are steamed in white wine and timed precisely as not to overcook them and give them that chewy texture that many people cannot stand.
There are quite a bit of steps in this recipe because of the different types of seafood that are incorporated but let me tell you it is so worth it!
Buon Appetito!
Ingredients:
1 lb Linguini Fine (thin linguini)
1lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail on
1lb littleneck clams
1lb Mussels
1 lb Scallops
½ bottle of dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
12 ounces’ cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of Italian Parsley chopped
2 threads of Saffron
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ Cup Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese shaved
Directions:
Rinse under cold water the shrimp and scallops. Place shrimp and scallops on a paper towel and pat dry. In a bowl of cold water soak the clams and mussels for about 10 minutes. This will ensure that any sand trapped in the shell is released. Discard any with broken shells.
Heat ¼ cup of the white wine in a medium sized stockpot. Add the mussels and clams, give them a good toss. Cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels and clams open. Reserve the steaming liquid. Discard any that do not open. Set aside.
Over high heat in a large sauté pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil and sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
Sautee the shrimp in the same pan as the scallops. Cook the shrimp just until it starts to become pink around the edges and it no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan. Then, flip the shrimp and continue cooking just until it’s cooked through. Set aside.
Cook linguini according to package directions reserving a cup of the cooking water.
In a large stockpot combine the olive oil, half of the bottle of white wine, chopped parsley, saffron, garlic and cherry tomatoes. (I used my roasting pan because it has a nice flat surface for evenly heating the sauce and gently distributing the seafood with the pasta). Heat over medium high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to simmer about 5 minutes. Add the cup of reserved pasta water, shellfish cooking liquid and the seafood to the pan. Continue to simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta to the seafood mixture and stir gently to combine. The pasta will soak up all of the liquid from the pan. Plate pasta in a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with leftover chopped parsley and shaved parmesan.
1lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail on
1lb littleneck clams
1lb Mussels
1 lb Scallops
½ bottle of dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
12 ounces’ cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch of Italian Parsley chopped
2 threads of Saffron
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ Cup Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese shaved
Instructions
Rinse under cold water the shrimp and scallops. Place shrimp and scallops on a paper towel and pat dry. In a bowl of cold water soak the clams and mussels for about 10 minutes. This will ensure that any sand trapped in the shell is released. Discard any with broken shells.
Heat ¼ cup of the white wine in a medium sized stockpot. Add the mussels and clams, give them a good toss. Cover the pot and steam over medium-high for 5 minutes until the mussels and clams open. Reserve the steaming liquid. Discard any that do not open. Set aside.
Over high heat in a large sauté pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil and sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. Set aside.
Sautee the shrimp in the same pan as the scallops. Cook the shrimp just until it starts to become pink around the edges and it no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan. Then, flip the shrimp and continue cooking just until it’s cooked through. Set aside.
Cook linguini according to package directions reserving a cup of the cooking water.
In a large stockpot combine the olive oil, half of the bottle of white wine, chopped parsley, saffron, garlic and cherry tomatoes. (I used my roasting pan because it has a nice flat surface for evenly heating the sauce and gently distributing the seafood with the pasta). Heat over medium high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to simmer about 5 minutes. Add the cup of reserved pasta water, shellfish cooking liquid and the seafood to the pan. Continue to simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta to the seafood mixture and stir gently to combine. The pasta will soak up all of the liquid from the pan. Plate pasta in a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with leftover chopped parsley and shaved parmesan.
Yes, I am one of those people that brings their lunch to work everyday to stay on track with their nutrition. Ohh believe me it is hard saying no to your co workers that go out and have delicious lunches for Taco Tuesday or Pizza Fridays. I know that I am sticking to my health goals though, which makes splurging on the weekends a bit easier.
When you bring your lunch everyday it gets very monotonous, so in my search for some lunchtime excitement I stumbled upon these amazing Ramen Jars. These super convenient little jars of goodness not only are packed full of amazing ingredients that you choose they are nutritious as well! I know, I know when you think of Ramen you probably think of those blocks of dried noodles with the overly salty seasoning packets you used to down in your college days. These amazing jars definitely are not that!
Mason jar salads have increased in popularity over the past year or so for an easily packable lunch option. Well, ramen jars are just as convenient and delicious, just make up a few at the beginning of the week, store in your fridge and pop one in your lunch bag in the morning. All you need to do is add hot water, wait about 5 minutes and voila you have amazing Ramen soup at your desk.
I tried these jars several different ways, the two that I have highlighted here are Zoodle Ramen jars made with zucchini noodles and regular ramen noodle jars. I like them both equally but if you are trying to cut carbs then definitely go for the Zoodle Ramen jar option.
These mason jars are stuffed with layers of super healthy, tasty veggies that will cook gently and still retain almost all of their nutritional value! Add in some protein rich chicken and you have a tasty balanced, low calorie meal.
Ingredients:
1Tb Miso paste, per jar
¼ tsp Sriracha, per jar
4 ounces Ramen noodles uncooked
2 Zucchini, spiralized
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (you can also use rotisserie chicken that is shredded)
2 Carrots, shredded
6 Sugar snap peas, sliced
4 Green Onions, sliced
Handful of Cilantro, chopped
4 ounces Shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
Hot water to fill jar
6 pint sized wide mouth Mason Jars (Make sure they are wide mouth otherwise it is difficult to get the soup out)
Directions to assemble the Ramen Jars:
Add Miso and Sriracha to the mason jars, then add either your ramen noodles or zoodles to fill the jars 1/3 full. Start layering the other ingredients starting with the shredded chicken divided evenly among the jars.
Then add equal amounts of carrot, mushroom, green onion, snap peas and cilantro to each mason jar.
The Ramen jars will keep up to one week in the fridge.
To Serve the Ramen jars:
When you’re ready for a meal, boil one cup of water on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Pour the hot water over the contents of your mason jar and seal tightly.
Let the sealed jar sit for no less than 5 minutes, then empty the ramen soup into a bowl or just enjoy from the jar!
Delicious and convenient Ramen noodle or Zoodle Jars.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1Tb Miso paste, per jar
¼ tsp Sriracha, per jar
4 ounces Ramen noodles uncooked
2 Zucchini, spiralized
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (you can also use rotisserie chicken that is shredded)
2 Carrots, shredded
6 Sugar snap peas, sliced
4 Green Onions, sliced
Handful of Cilantro, chopped
4 ounces Shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
Hot water to fill jar
6 pint sized wide mouth Mason Jars (Make sure they are wide mouth otherwise it is difficult to get the soup out)
Instructions
Directions to assemble the Ramen Jars:
Add Miso and Sriracha to the mason jars, then add either your ramen noodles or zoodles to fill the jars ⅓ full. Start layering the other ingredients starting with the shredded chicken divided evenly among the jars.
Then add equal amounts of carrot, mushroom, green onion and cilantro to each mason jar.
The Ramen jars will keep up to one week in the fridge.
To serve the Ramen jars:
When you're ready for a meal, boil one cup of water on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Pour the hot water over the contents of your mason jar and seal tightly.
Let the sealed jar sit for no less than 5 minutes, then empty the ramen soup into a bowl or just enjoy from the jar!
A perfectly grilled steak, what can be better for a lazy Saturday dinner than that! Well let me tell you, a garlic marinated steak grilled to perfection with an amazing Chimichurri sauce, that’s what. For those of you that are not familiar with Chimichurri please let me introduce you to this simple, fresh sauce that pairs perfectly with grilled steak, chicken, or even seafood. Chimichurri is an Argentinian herb sauce that can go on just about anything, literally. I tried it on eggs the next morning and it was just as fantastic!
Now I am a dipper, I love dipping sauces. For some it is sacrilege to put any sauce on a gorgeous piece of grilled steak but let me tell you Chimichurri has a fresh, herby flavor that makes anything you put it on just POP with flavor. So those last few steaks you’ll grill for summer… make this sauce and slather it all over!
This sauce is super easy to make, you literally throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and BOOM flavor galore. 5 minutes and you are done!
Now you can’t have a delicious grilled steak without pairing it with a fantastic wine. Since it was time for another collaborative post with our friends (well really family!) from Paradigm Winery we decided to pair a Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon with this meal. Paradigm’s Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep ruby red color with aromas of plum and black cherry, some spice, hints of cedar, and a light touch of French Oak, this wine is smooth as silk and ready to drink. Perfect to accompany a nice grilled steak on these somewhat cooler summer nights.
INGREDIENTS:
4 NY Strip Steaks
Salt, to taste
Coarse black pepper, to taste
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped into small pieces
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 Tablespoons fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper on each side. Sprinkle chopped garlic on top of steaks and drizzle olive oil over the steaks. Let rest for 20 minutes.
Heat grill to medium high heat. Place steaks on grill and cook until brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare, 5 to 7 minutes for medium or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well.
While the steaks cook, add all Chimichurri ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor or blender, and pulse a few times until chopped.
Slowly stream in the olive oil, while pulsing the mixture a few more times until the olive oil is combined, and stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor if needed. The sauce will look a bit opaque at first from pulsing the olive oil after a few minutes it will settle and clear up.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I use weck jars to store my sauce in the refrigerator.
Tender and flavorful garlic marinated NY Strip steak grill with Chimichurri Sauce.
Author: Jillian
Recipe type: Grilled Steak
Cuisine: Amerian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 NY Strip Steaks
Salt, to taste
Coarse black pepper, to taste
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped into small pieces
4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chimichurri Sauce:
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
½ cup diced red onion
3 Tablespoons fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper on each side. Sprinkle chopped garlic on top of steaks and drizzle olive oil over the steaks. Let rest for 20 minutes.
Heat grill to medium high heat. Place steaks on grill and cook until brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare, 5 to 7 minutes for medium or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well.
While the steaks cook, add all Chimichurri ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor or blender, and pulse a few times until chopped.
Slowly stream in the olive oil, while pulsing the mixture a few more times until the olive oil is combined, and stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor if needed. The sauce will look a bit opaque at first from pulsing the olive oil after a few minutes it will settle and clear up.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I use weck jars to store my sauce in the refrigerator.
Ahhhh yes Fall baking has officially started! Fall has to be my favorite season for baking! The change in the weather, well slight here in PHX but hey at least it is below 100 degrees now! The beautiful fall harvest fruits coming out at the farmers markets like pears and apples, how can that not inspire you to bake?
My go to recipe that I always bake first are my Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins, but since I have already posted those I decided to try another recipe and of course it had to involve pumpkin! I am literally obsessed with pumpkin in my fall baking!
This pumpkin swirl bread caught my eye because it was just so darn pretty! I mean look at the beautiful swirly braid effect going on there! I just had to try it, even if it did look a bit intimidating and if it did not turn out well, hey at least I tried something new. This bread turned out beautiful, I was surprised that the steps are not that hard to get the beautiful braid effect. So please do not be intimidated by this recipe, You can do it!!!!
The slight taste of pumpkin in the dough mixed with the brown sugar and pecan filling makes for such a delicious treat that is more reminiscent of a cinnamon roll than bread.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Dough:
½ Cup warm water
½ Cup Pureed Canned Pumpkin
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 ½ Cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Filling:
½ Cup unsalted butter, softened
½ Cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ Cup finely ground pecans
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
Glaze:
1 ½ Cups powdered sugar
¼ Cup water
Directions:
Prepare the master dough first. In a medium bowl, stir together the warm water, canned pumpkin, sugar and yeast. Let stand until bubbling, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. With mixer on low speed add the yeast mixture and melted butter, stirring until combined. Switch from a paddle to dough hook on the mixer. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Wet a hand towel with water and squeeze all water out. Cover bowl with towel and place bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
While the dough is rising spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet or pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, ground pecans, Cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Lightly punch down the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out to a 16×12 inch rectangle.
Spread softened butter over dough leaving a half inch border. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
Start rolling the dough from one side (lengthwise), into a log. Pinch seams to seal ends.
Cut the roll in half, lengthwise leaving 2 inches at one end. Turn the two halves cut side up.
Twist the halves around each other, making sure that the cut side stays up. Pinch ends together to seal.
Carefully take one end of the dough and start spiraling the dough around itself. (Picture the curve of a snail shell.)
Place dough in prepared skillet. Cover with damp hand towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for 15 minutes.
While bread is cooling prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until combined.
A delicious pumpkin bread swirled with brown sugar and pecans.
Author: Jillian
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Dough:
½ Cup warm water
½ Cup Pureed Canned Pumpkin
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 ½ Cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Filling:
½ Cup unsalted butter, softened
½ Cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ Cup finely ground pecans
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
Glaze:
1 ½ Cups powdered sugar
¼ Cup water
Instructions
Prepare the master dough first. In a medium bowl, stir together the warm water, canned pumpkin, sugar and yeast. Let stand until bubbling, about 5 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt. With mixer on low speed add the yeast mixture and melted butter, stirring until combined. Switch from a paddle to dough hook on the mixer. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Wet a hand towel with water and squeeze all water out. Cover bowl with towel and place bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
While the dough is rising spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet or pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, ground pecans, Cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Lightly punch down the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out to a 16x12 inch rectangle.
Spread softened butter over dough leaving a half inch border. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
Start rolling the dough from one side (lengthwise), into a log. Pinch seams to seal ends.
Cut the roll in half, lengthwise leaving 2 inches at one end. Turn the two halves cut side up.
Twist the halves around each other, making sure that the cut side stays up. Pinch ends together to seal.
Carefully take one end of the dough and start spiraling the dough around itself. (Picture the curve of a snail shell.)
Place dough in prepared skillet. Cover with damp hand towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for 15 minutes.
While bread is cooling prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar and water in a small bowl until combined.
Hellooo from Miami! This week I am on the conference circuit for my day job and what better place to visit than Miami! I have never been to Miami before and am loving the fresh seafood and international food scene here. So what better recipe to share this week than a fresh Spicy Ahi Tuna Sushi Stack.
Now I actually created this dish last weekend to cure an intense sushi craving I was having. Have I mentioned that I have an obsession with sushi, predominantly sushi made with tuna. I know, I have a variety of obsessions and loves when it comes to food, but really who doesn’t?? I have always wanted to try one of these little sushi stacks. I have seen them made with shrimp or crab meat but I figured I would incorporate my love of Ahi into the dish to make it my own. Make sure that you procure your Ahi tuna fresh and ensure that it is sushi grade since you will be consuming it raw.
After neatly layering all the ingredients, I was a bit nervous pulling that first ramekin away I thought for sure that it was just going to end up a big pile of rice and tuna. To my surprise as the ramekin lifted it retained its shape beautifully. I attribute this to gently pushing the rice down to compact the ingredients, but do not push down too hard or it will be so packed in there you will have to dig it out with a spoon. Which would be just as delicious, but not as pretty!
The various layers and color combinations just pull you into this dish even before you take that first bite. But ohh once you do take that first bite, heaven! The crispness of the cucumber, creaminess of the avocado and spicy delicateness of the tuna are an amazing combination. The basmati rice adds an ever so slight floral flavor to round out this combination.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Avocado, smashed up
1 Cucumber, diced into small pieces
1 8oz Ahi Tuna steak (sushi grade), diced small
2 green onions, chopped fine
3 Tablespoons Sriracha
½ Cup Mayonnaise
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Black sesame seeds for garnish
Chives, shopped for garnish
Directions:
Cook basmati rice per package directions and let cool.
Dice cucumber and set aside. Place the peeled avocado in a small bowl and smash, remove the seed.
Dice Ahi Tuna into small pieces and place in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha. Set 3 tablespoons aside and mix the rest of the sriracha aioli with the finely diced ahi tuna. Add green onion to the tuna mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a ceramic ramekin start layering the ingredients. Start with a thin layer of diced cucumber, then mashed avocado, ahi tuna and rice as the final (top) layer. Push down on the rice to pack it in but not too much otherwise it will not slide out of the ramekin.
Place a slam plate over the ramekin and turn upside down. Gently tap on the bottom of the ramekin to release the sushi stack. Gently pull up the ramekin until entire sushi stack is free.
Spread a bit of leftover Sriracha aioli on top of each sushi stack. Sprinkle black sesame seeds and chives over the top to garnish.
Spicy Ahi Tuna layered with crisp cucumber, smashed avocado and Basmati rice.
Author: Jillian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Avocado, smashed up
1 Cucumber, diced into small pieces
1 8oz Ahi Tuna steak (sushi grade), diced small
2 green onions, chopped fine
3 Tablespoons Sriracha
½ Cup Mayonnaise
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Black sesame seeds for garnish
Chives, shopped for garnish
Instructions
Cook basmati rice per package directions and let cool.
Dice cucumber and set aside. Place the peeled avocado in a small bowl and smash, remove the seed.
Dice Ahi Tuna and place in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha. Set 3 tablespoons aside and mix the rest of the sriracha aioli with the finely diced ahi tuna. Add green onion to the tuna mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a ceramic ramekin start layering the ingredients. Start with a thin layer of diced cucumber, then mashed avocado, ahi tuna and rice as the final (top) layer. Push down on the rice to pack it in but not too much otherwise it will not slide out of the ramekin.
Place a slam plate over the ramekin and turn upside down. Gently tap on the bottom of the ramekin to release the sushi stack. Gently pull up the ramekin until entire sushi stack is free.
Spread 1 tablespoon of leftover Sriracha aioli on top of cucumber and sprinkle black sesame seeds over the top to garnish.
Well it has been quite some time since I have posted a salad recipe. Which if you think about it is ironic, seeing as I eat salad practically every day! Crazy talk right! Since we are into October already I wanted to create a salad that uses one of my favorite fall orchard fruits, pears! My daughter loves pears as well, and since she is my little grocery helper she picked out some beautiful pears for her school lunches and this salad. I love the fact that she wants to help me pick out produce and make smart food choices.
This salad is simply fantastic! Super simple to make, you can literally throw it together in about five minutes. Have last minute dinner guests, perfect you have the salad covered with no stress!
I decided to use Kale as the greens base for this salad because it holds up so well and does not wilt shortly after adding an oil based dressing to it. Some might say that kale is to bitter and that the taste is too intense for their liking. To those anti kale eaters out there, you must try this salad it will change your relationship with kale forever!
The fig balsamic vinaigrette I created for this salad adds a slight fruity sweetness to help round out the bitter kale. The candied pecans add a bit of crunch with a brown sugar undertone that just screams fall. And what salad would be complete without some sort of delicious cheese added to it, none I tell you! Crumbled gorgonzola was the perfect choice to pair with the sweetness of the pecans and the crisp pear.
Here’s to the start of the fall season!
Salad Ingredients:
1 bunch of Kale, chopped
¼ Cup Candied Pecans, chopped
1 pear, diced
2 ounces Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Fig Balsamic Vinegar (I use Oil & Vinegar Fig Balsamic Vinegar )
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
Hi all! I have some exciting news, I am now a Brand Ambassador for Oil & Vinegar. Fun for me and for you, just keep reading to see what I mean! ; )
If you have yet to venture into this store go find one immediately or shop online if one is not near you! From the moment you walk into an Oil & Vinegar store you are overwhelmed by the vibrant fragrances of infused oils and vinegars from the Mediterranean region. It is sensory overload and I love every minute of being in that store. While this is a sponsored post written by me for Oil & Vinegar all opinions are entirely my own.
For my first collaboration I decided to use a variety of products to create a Truffle and Goat Cheese Pizza. It is the perfect pizza for these cooler fall nights!
The flavors of this pizza are truly reminiscent of my time in Tuscany. I can still remember the first time I tasted a black truffle. My husband and I visited very close family friends in southern France for our honeymoon. Every year they rent a villa in the Tuscan countryside for two weeks and they graciously let us come along on their vacation. It was a time for relaxing, touring the various little hillside villages and of course drinking lots of amazing wine! One morning my friends mother was preparing eggs and she topped them with shaved black truffle. It was one of those food experiences where you do not know if you like it at first because it is a very different flavor.
Black Truffle has a vibrant earthy flavor and is simply divine. I was hooked after that morning and now use black truffle in a variety of dishes like eggs, pasta and pizzas.
All right enough reminiscing and back to this amazing pizza. Rosemary gives the crust a fresh herbaceous flavor while the creaminess of the ricotta and goat cheese pairs well with the earthy mushroom mixture.
Remember I said this is fun for me and you!! Well here it is. Oil & Vinegar is offering my followers a 20% discount on your online purchase by using code Simple20. How amazing is that!!! So go get some delicious ingredients and start cooking!
Buon Appetito!
Ingredients:
One package Pizza Flour from Oil & Vinegar- Prepare as directed on package Pizza Flour
Mix Rosemary Dipper into Pizza Flour and prepare dough according to package directions.
While the pizza dough rises, sauté the mushrooms.
In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 Tablespoons of the white Truffle Olive Oil. Once hot add the mushrooms, garlic and salt/pepper to taste. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, mix in the Truffle Carpaccio. I used the entire jar because I love the flavor of Truffles. If you like a milder flavor only use half of the jar. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta and the rest of the Truffle Olive Oil.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone preheat that in the oven as well, if not no worries you can use a cookie sheet. No need to preheat the cookie sheet, though.
Once pizza dough has risen divide into 2 equal parts. On a floured surface roll out one of the dough balls to desired circumference and thickness.
Spread out the cornmeal on cookie sheet or pizza peel.
Place dough on pizza peel or cookie sheet and top with the ricotta mixture. Be sure to spread evenly over the dough.
Top with sautéed mushrooms and Truffle Carpaccio mixture.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and goat cheese over entire pizza.
Top with the chopped rosemary and transfer to pizza stone or put into the oven on cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 min depending on how crispy you like your crust.
1 Jar Truffle Carpaccio from Oil & Vinegar Truffle Carpaccio
3 Tablespoons White Truffle Olive Oil from Oil & Vinegar White Truffle Olive Oil
6 oz ricotta
6 oz Goat cheese crumbled
4 oz shredded mozzarella
½ tsp fresh rosemary chopped
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
Italian parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Mix Rosemary Dipper into Pizza Flour and prepare dough according to package directions.
While the pizza dough rises, sauté the mushrooms.
In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 Tablespoons of the white Truffle Olive Oil. Once hot add the mushrooms, garlic and salt/pepper to taste. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, mix in the Truffle Carpaccio. I used the entire jar because I love the flavor of Truffles. If you like a milder flavor only use half of the jar. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta and the rest of the Truffle Olive Oil.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you have a pizza stone preheat that in the oven as well, if not no worries you can use a cookie sheet. No need to preheat the cookie sheet, though.
Once pizza dough has risen divide into 2 equal parts. On a floured surface roll out one of the dough balls to desired circumference and thickness.
Spread out the cornmeal on cookie sheet or pizza peel.
Place dough on pizza peel or cookie sheet and top with the ricotta mixture. Be sure to spread evenly over the dough.
Top with sautéed mushrooms and Truffle Carpaccio mixture.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and goat cheese over entire pizza.
Top with the chopped rosemary and transfer to pizza stone or put into the oven on cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 min depending on how crispy you like your crust.