dinner - Laundry In Louboutins

Tasty

Presto Pesto!

September 8, 2014

In college one of the only tolerable foods in the cafeteria was pesto pasta. Therefore I overdid it a bit and haven’t really touched it since. I figured 7 years was a good enough time to give it a try again and I’m happy to say I’m fully on the pesto bandwagon again (hopefully sans the Freshman 15 this time around).

My mom’s garden had an abundance of basil, so a collected as much as I could and got to work! Pesto is so amazing because it’s so easy to make, freezes really well and tastes SO GOOD. My Sundays lately have been devoted to making seasonal food for this winter (tomato sauce, tomato soup, frozen fresh fruit) and figured why not add pesto to the list? It easily sells for $7+ for a small bottle, and ingredients are relatively cheap and easy to come across… so grab your blender, Tupperwares and get to work!

Basil Pesto

4 cups packed basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/3 cup olive oil
salt/pepper
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Combine basil, pine nuts and basil in a blender or food processor (depending on how good your blender is, you may want to mince garlic first and pulse with nuts, then add basil).
Slowly drizzle in 1 cup olive oil until full combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately mix in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and cheese and enjoy!
If freezing, transfer to a Tupperware and cover with remaining oil. When ready to enjoy thaw and stir in cheese.

*This recipe is great to use half now and freeze half for later. I highly recommend using scotch tape and a Sharpie to mark what it is in the Tupperware plus any directions you’ll need when consuming (ex: Pesto: Add in 1/2 cup Pecorino Cheese – 9/7/14). Also don’t forget the date!

Looking for some yummy ways to use pesto? Check out some ideas below:

Mix into hummus for a fun twist!
Add chopped veggies (zucchini, cherry tomatoes, etc.) to pesto pasta
Brush rustic bread with pesto and top with provolone or white cheddar for a gourmet grilled cheese!
Use lemon juice and pesto as a marinade for chicken
Top your morning eggs with a dollop of pesto and roasted tomatoes
Replace pizza sauce with pesto (top with pancetta and mozzarella)

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Tasty

Zucchini Patty Pita

July 28, 2014

As I wrote the title of this post I realized that while it may be catchy, it may not be the most appetizing option. But if you make this dish, I promise you, it will more than make up for it…

Zucchini Patty Pita

Patty:

1 zucchini, grated
1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 small red onion, grated
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/4 cup EVOO
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Fillings:

Whole wheat pitas
Tzatziki or Greek yogurt
Hummus
Chopped heirloom tomatoes
Cucumber slices
Lettuce leaves
Mint leaves
anything else you can think of!

Mash chickpeas in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth.
Stir in zucchini, red onion, breadcrumbs, egg and salt.
Form mixture into patties (the sized of a hamburger patty)
Saute patties in olive oil until golden and crispy (about 3 minutes a side)
Serve patties in pitas filled/topped with whatever your heart desires (I love lemon hummus, cucumber slices, chopped tomato, torn mint and a dollop of tzatziki -yum!)

My favorite thing about this dish (aside from the taste) is how easy it is! It’s turned into my go-to meal option for those nights where I just don’t feel like cooking (and don’t feel like figuring out takeout options).

This fun spin on the Falafel helps to get your veggie intake in and use up your farmer’s market produce! The perfect option for your next Meatless Monday!

Tasty

Taylor’s Tomato Salad

July 23, 2014

I’m always looking for easy, healthy meal options (even better if I like them enough for leftovers the next day) and this salad fits the bill. My sister whipped it up for lunch one day and now I make sure to have it a couple times a week for dinner (and a couple lunches)… it’s SO GOOD.

Salad:

1 head of red leaf/butter lettuce (hand torn is best)
1 ear of fresh corn (corn cut from core, not cooked)
1-2 heirloom tomatoes or 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (chopped)
1 avocado (diced)
10-15 basil leaves (sliced into strips)

Dressing:

1 small shallot (minced)
~1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
Salt/pepper

Make the dressing by combing shallot, Dijon, red wine vinegar and salt in a jar. Shake until well combined and drizzle in olive oil and mix until combined.
Combine salad ingredients – if you aren’t enjoying it right away, put basil aside and put it atop your salad right before
Toss with dressing and enjoy!

This would also be great with grilled chicken breast for a dinner salad!

Tasty

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

July 21, 2014

I love the foodie blog – How Sweet It Is… the majority of my recipe pins are from her site and I honestly have never been disappointed with her creations. When I came across her Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls, I knew I HAD to give them a try. While the original is DELICIOUS, I wanted to put my own spin on it… so here is what I did:

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 large handful of fresh chopped cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper chicken and transfer to a Ziplock bag or baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients (oil, adobo sauce, honey, mustards, cilantro and garlic) in a jar and shake until mixed.
Pour over chicken and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2-12 hours.
Preheat oven to 425.
Transfer chicken to a baking dish (if you haven’t already) and let chicken sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then flip chicken breasts and bake for 20 more minutes.
Top with salsa and serve with lime quinoa.

*I love to prep the chicken in the morning and let marinate for the day, for an easy dinner to whip up dinner!

Salsa:

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, leaves torn from stem
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Combine tomatoes, avocado, green onion and cilantro in a bowl.
Add lime juice, olive oil and honey to a jar and shake until combined.
Pour over salsa and toss before serving.

*I make the salsa ahead of time (and depending on how early just let sit out at room temperature) and toss with the dressing 30 minutes before serving.

Quinoa:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon coconut oil
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime

Rinse quinoa and combine with chicken stock in a medium sized saucepan.
Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Make sure most of the liquid has evaporated and then stir in coconut oil, lime juice and lime zest.

Party

4th of July BBQ Menu

June 30, 2014

Summer is in full swing and 4th of July is always one of my favorite holidays – the celebration of America’s birthday, the weather… the FOOD. I wanted to share one of my favorite BBQ menus for you to enjoy over 4th of July weekend!