Monthly Archives: April 2014

So Kale and Quinoa Walk in to a Bar…

Posted on by

…a salad bar! Get it? Yeah, yeah I know, stick to my day job…

Anyway, the other day I whipped up our fruit parfait for breakfast and made way too much quinoa. I couldn’t just throw it out so I got to experimenting. This is how it went down: Quinoa’s healthy, so what else is healthy? Hmm, throw in some cucumbers, beets for some color, kale of course, and fresh dill! (Only because I’ve acquired an obsession with it since the flies and swims recipe). Top it all off with the quinoa and you actually get a pretty filling salad. I also paired it with our homemade dill dressing (I told you, obsessed) and it was damned refreshing, perfect for spring.

*Makes 1 personal sized salad.

  • 2 cups fresh baby kale
  • 1 cup of sliced cucumbers
  • 1 small can of beets
  • 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 cup of homemade dill dressing
  • 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa

Toss together everything but the quinoa (I mean you can if you want to, but I prefer not to). Once the dressing is evenly coated on the salad, top with the quinoa and garnish with a bit of dill.

Kale & Quinoa saladHappy Eating, XO.

 

Grilled Artichokes

Posted on by

If you’re an East coaster like we are, I’m sure you headed outside last Sunday and stuck your face to the sun to soak up the warmest day we’ve had all year! I didn’t throw on my bathing suit just yet, but I did break out the flip flops and fired up the grill. (And popped open a bottle of Pinot Grigio, of course…).

Grilled veggies are one of my favorite sides, so I took advantage of the beautiful sunny day and grilled some artichokes. If it’s still too cold where you are (I heard Michigan got 8″ of snow last week?! Our condolences…) you can also roast them like we mention in our Eat Your Vegetables post.

  • 2 artichokes, cut in half down the middle
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil (enough for coating the artichokes)
  • 2 tsp of garlic salt or Adobo
  • 1 tsp of  parsley (dried or fresh)

Fill a pot with enough water to cover the artichokes, or use with a steamer. While the water is boiling, drop in the garlic cloves to infuse the artichokes with a bit of the flavor. Boil or steam for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the olive oil, 1 tsp of the garlic salt and parsley.

When the artichokes are done, coat them well with the olive oil mixture. Place them on a hot grill flat side down and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp of garlic salt. Grill each side for 8-10 minutes. They go great with our Sherry Vinegar Hanger Steak or Omega 3.

Grilled artichokes

 

Happy Eating, XO.

You like us! You really really like us!

Posted on by

In honor of our 100th damn post (can you believe it?!) we want to dedicate this to all of you, our followers!

Time to get a little mushy here kids. When Sonia and I started this blog, we did it because we know how hard it is to work a full day and have to make dinner when you come home (we’re groaning right along with you). We know it’s hard to find simple recipes that taste good and don’t require too much effort. We hope we have delivered and would love some feedback on this important milestone for the blog. Trust us, we get giddy over the comments section and love trying new recipes, restaurants, and food.

Anyway, we can’t believe we are at the big HUNDO. Especially since this little pet project was culminated from a simple Saturday afternoon chat that took flight, with a hope and a dream.

We’ve really had the best time, not only testing and creating recipes, but connecting with all of you!

Thanks again for being our followers and cheers to at least 100 more delish posts! (and maybe 500 followers by June? C’mon guys Jess & I have a little bet going, help us do it! Spread the word.)

photo (4)

Happy Eating, XO.

Squash It

Posted on by

I have a fellow foodie that is just my spirit animal when it comes to trying new dishes and eating out together. Not only is she just as adventurous as me, but she is a phenomenal cook. One day when we were discussing different recipes we both came to the conclusion that we are obsessed with autumn vegetables and summer fruits. Those are the best seasons for the respective produce and you should go crazy making dishes that incorporate those seasonal ingredients. Now I know I am a long shot away from Fall, but with the recent flurries we experienced in the Philadelphia area, it sure feels more like autumn than spring. Check out this lovely butternut squash (one of the shining stars of the Fall veggie scene) recipe, it even re-uses the maple syrup you bought for this chicken recipe and the squash from the Fall Stew. Plus, eating it should help me “squash” my feelings of missing Fall. Oh what a wordsmith I can be.

  • 1 package of the pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash from Trader Joes (I am obsessed with TJ and lazy, perfect combo).
  • 1 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. of the maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. of cayenne (although I did equal parts of cinnamon & cayenne, since I like the heat)
  • 1 tsp. of course sea salt
  • Optional: 2 tbsp. low fat sour cream & 1 tsp. chopped fresh chives.

Set the oven at 400 degrees and toss the ingredients with the squash. Spread out on baking sheet and cook for 20-30 minutes. I do the fork test and prick the larger piece to check for done-ness. If it slides out and the squash is soft, you can shut off the oven & let it cool. I also serve this with a dollop of cold low fat sour cream which I sprinkle with chopped chives. I adore the yummy mild onion flavor it adds to the dish. Plus any potato chip lover knows that sour cream can’t breath without onion/chives.

Happy Eating, XO.

Date Night Dinner

Posted on by

We all need a lil night to indulge. Some yummy food, a good bottle of wine, and a night in to cozy up with your hunny. This is the ideal dinner for a candle lit night at home. So get the DVD ready, grab some fresh flowers and get this meal on the table. Lucky for you, there is wine in this recipe so the bottle will be open before your significant other even comes over. I restrained and didn’t use garlic in this dish (for the obvious reasons involving kissing & bad breath), but most certainly will next time. Anyway, Serves 3-4 so you will have left overs unless you double-date it..

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 Tablespoon of olive oil (I cut down to 1 tbsp. because I figured there was enough butter)
  • 2 Tablespoon of butter
  • 2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves (you know if you have a herb garden or if you are normal and want to use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream (subbed for the half & half I had in the fridge for coffee)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In a skillet over medium – medium/high heat melt butter and combine with olive oil. Prepare chicken breasts by sprinkling both sides with a little sea salt.
Saute the chicken breasts until golden and cooked through; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms until soft and starting to brown (5 minutes). Add the thyme, wine, and vinegar. Let the wine reduce, then add 2-3 Tablespoons of the half & half, and heat until warmed through. You can serve with a vegetable and some rice.

Chicken Marsala

Happy Eating, XO.