Zippy Zucchini Bites

I made these zippy zucchini bites for my coworker's birthday (along with these). I call them zippy zucchini bites because I couldn’t remember the name from the original recipe I found on Pinterest when my coworkers asked me what they were. I called them zippy because they have sweet mint, spicy harissa, zesty lime & tangy goat cheese all rolled up into one little tasty bite, hence the original name. To me that warrants the name zippy, which is also just fun to say & who doesn’t love some alliteration(? <— nerd alert).

I’d make these again. You can make them ahead of time. I chilled mine overnight & then served them at room temperature. I think they’d be a perfect fresh bite for pre-Thanksgiving appetizers because they’re not heavy & really easy to eat! They're also gluten-free & a great non-carb to have on the table. Plus, any kind of rolled appetizer always looks super pretty & fancy, so your guests will be super impressed.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with a Creamy & Spicy Dipping Sauce

Chris doesn’t like sweet potatoes but he liked these! (Tiny win!!) I found these purple & white sweet potatoes in my regular super market. Maybe it was mind over matter that made Chris enjoy these more than he usually does or maybe it was the addictive dipping sauce that we ate along with them. Or maybe it was because I called them “fries”.  Whatever it was I’ll take it & will be making these again (similar to the method I used to make these home fries).

Thirsty Thursday: Sweet Heat Juice

Back to detoxing with Irena from Zen Blendz for this Thirsty Thursday post. Irena says this sweet treat is a good way to ease into juicing, without feeling like you're drinking a salad! (Sign me up!)

The sweet pineapple (please use a ripe one) is cut with tart apple. The lemon (or in my case lime - because I ran out of lemons!) balances these flavors. Romaine lettuce is hardly noticeable in juicing but has lots of benefits & makes your juice last longer with added water! (This is true this recipe makes a bunch of juice).

The cayenne pepper rounds out this juice by giving your tastebuds some heat, a great sweet treat for the summer an equally as warming for winter months when juicing may be difficult.

Give it a try & let us know what you think! I really enjoyed it.

Thirsty Thursday: Summer (Detox) Mojito

This week’s Thirsty Thursday installment is at the other end of the spectrum from last week’s boozy brunch post - we’re talking detoxing today. My cousin - who is really more of a little sister to me, Irena Lambrou, is embarking on a new endeavor in juicing, keep an eye out for Zen Blendz Juice (!!!).  Irena desires to help others be the healthiest they can be through movement & nutrition.  This passion stems from her life as a yoga teacher (practice with her here if you're in Bellingham, Washington) & her grad school studies in Anthropology. 

One of Irena’s favorite juicing recipes comes from Choosing Raw. Since Irena knows I love a good mojito she thought this one would be right up my alley & it was. I will definitely make it again & maybe if I’m feeling less detox-y I’ll spike it with some rum! Plus, it's really pretty! Just look at that green frothy juice. Yum!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #19 Roll Citrus Fruit on a Hard Surface Before Squeezing Them for the Most Juice

I use a lot of citrus - mainly lemons & sometimes limes when I cook. In order to get the most juice out of them I do a quick roll on the counter (or whatever hard surface is around) before I juice them - which is sometimes with one of those clamp like hand-held squeezing gadgets, a manual wooden reamer or sometimes just my hands.

Check out more better home cooking basic tips here.

Strawberry-Basil-Lime Vinaigrette

I usually try to make my own salad dressing because if you've looked at the ingredients on a bottle of dressing lately you'll probably see words that don't even look like they would be food, most likely because they're chemicals (yuck!).  So I opt to keep it fresh with homemade dressings that will dress up even just simple mixed greens.

Ingredients

• 4 strawberries, roughly chopped with stems removed
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• 5 basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
• 1 lime, juice & zest
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Make it!

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Store in an air tight bottle like this one I found at Fish's Eddy.

Spinach Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Hoboken is only a mile square but it has a ton of great restaurants.  Among them are some tasty Cuban spots like La Isla.  It's a casual little place with rarely an empty seat with tons of tasty dishes on it's menu. One of my favorites is the spinach salad. It's just fresh with a combination of sweet and savory flavors as well as creamy and crunchy textures.  It's not a terribly complicated salad it's just the care they take to pile it on the plate.  It's really a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds too.  It's great on it's own or you can add shrimp or chicken to if if you want to "beef" it up. If you're ever in Hoboken, NJ I definitely recommend stopping by La Isla for a meal, if you aren't you can make a salad inspired by this great spot right in your own kitchen!

Simple Herb & Lime Farro

Farro is a new whole grain to me. After hearing my gal Alice talk about how good it is I thought I should at least try it. I found it in the bulk grain aisle at FairWay & filled up a bag to go.  I have to admit it sat in my pantry for a week or two before I tried it.  I wasn't sure exactly how to cook it & I wanted to give myself ample time to prepare it, which is usually rare on "school nights." I finally had time on my side & gave it a try.  Turns out this is an Italian grain. It looks & tastes more like rice (to me) but you cook it like pasta - go figure.  It's surprisingly easy to make & Chris likes it.  So we'll be having it again soon.

PS: HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of the best people of all time,  Maggie! Love ya girl!

Wholefoods California Quinoa Salad

This weekend Chris & I stopped at Wholefoods for lunch. I got a small container of what Wholefoods called California Quinoa Salad.  It was just what I wanted, light but satisfying & most importantly not greasy making it the perfect salad during a heat wave. Upon finishing my tasty choice, I peeled the sticker from the container -like any rational gal that blogs about food- & stowed it safely in my purse so I could recreate it when I got home.

I made a huge batch (my recipe is very generous) that I plan on eating for lunch for several days.  The best part is there's no mayo in the salad so even if you don't have a fridge nearby it's great for summer lunch or a picnic outside.

Fresh Guacamole

Everything I learned about guacamole roots back to Trader Joe's & table side restaurant guac prep.  Trader Joe's sells a great little kit with everything you need to make your very own fresh guacamole at home.  After you've used that kit enough you don't even need a recipe & you're able to fly on your own at other grocery stores to buy the ingredients for fresh guacamole all by yourself.

The one & only ingredient that can really make or break your guac is (clearly) the avocados.  Avocados need to be firm yet impressionable (so when you press your thumb into the side of it it should have a little give -not be rock hard or super mushy but just right).  So if your avocados are too hard no amount of mashing is going to make a great guacamole, post pone it or go on a hunt for some more avocados & in the mean time leave your avocados to ripen in a brown paper bag. If they're the other end of the spectrum & are super mushy use them fast before they brown.

Ingredients:

• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado(s)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (ribs & seeds removed, chopped finely)
• 1 lime (zest & juice)
• 2 tomatoes (or 1 large) (seeded & chopped)
• salt & pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Make it!

1. Cut the avocado(s) in half & scoop out the yummy goodness, discard the seed & shell/skin.
2. Mash avocado, garlic, shallot, jalepeno, lime zest & juice together (use whatever works for you, I used a fork, but a spoon for muddler will work too).
3. Stir in the tomatoes.
4. Season with salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.
5. Eat this with everything & on anything. Store in an airtight container (if there is any left).

Peaches with Basil Sugar

I love the flavors of a mojito, sweet, citrus-y & refreshing.  But why should mojitos have all the fun? Theses peaches with basil sugar taste like a virgin mojito that you can actually sink your teeth into.  Take advantage of your local farmers market & pick up what ever fruit is in season, sprinkle some of this basil sugar on top with a squeeze of citrus & you've got yourself a fresh desert in no time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tightly packed fresh herbs (try basil or mint)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 lime or lemon
• fresh fruit 

Make it:

1. In a food processor combine herbs & sugar until it looks like green sugar.
2. Slice fruit & place on dessert dishes.
3. Sprinkle fruit with herb sugar & squeeze a lime/lemon on top of each pile of fruit.

Grilled Corn & Lime Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grilled corn
  (approx 2 ears)
• 1 lime (juice & zest)
• 7 fresh basil leaves
  (cut into ribbons or tear)
• 1 clove garlic
  (grated into super fine pieces)
• 1/2 red onion (finely chop)
• 3 plum tomatoes
  (seed & chop into small pieces) 
• 2 big handfuls arugula
• salt
• pepper

Nothing is better than grilled Jersey corn in the summer (yes, NJ has more to offer than MTV's diluted & polluted view of the people that supposedly reside here, there' actually farms, food & other fun things).

To make this salad,  grill up some corn & cut it off the cob (no corn stuck in your teeth now - you're welcome) & toss it with all the other ingredients!  You may have noticed this salad has no oil so yeah it's light & delicious perfect for hot summer nights or an outdoor lunch. Bon appetit!

What do you eat when it's super hot out? 

Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp

When it's as hot as it's been the only way to cook is on the grill & then run back inside to the air conditioning to eat.  Shrimp is so quick to make I feel I could make it every day, Chris wouldn't mind, believe me.  I served up this shrimp along side a tomato panzanella salad for a fresh summer dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp  (peeled, deveined, with tails on)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic (minced)
• salt & pepper
• 3 limes (cut into wedges)

Make it!

1. Add shrimp, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper to an air tight container (use a plastic food storage bag or container) & chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (over night will work too & it will definitely keep the vampires away when all of the garlic flavor is absorbed).
2. Skewer shrimp & lime wedges.  I used metal skewers but if you have the wooden ones just be sure to soak them in some water for at least 15-20 minutes so they'll burn less.
3. Grill over medium-high heat, for about 7-10 minutes.  Be sure to flip the skewers with tongs at least half way through so they cook evenly on both sides.
4. Shrimp are cooked when they turn opaque (white) & slightly pink.
5. Remove from grill & skewers. Squeeze the grilled limes over the shrimp & enjoy.

 

Fresh Herb & Fruit Chicken Salad

 

Chicken can get kind of monotonous so I'm always looking for new ways to make it.  I had some leftover grilled chicken in the fridge, so on a whim I chopped it up & added a bunch of fresh ingredients for a fresh & simple dinner.  How do you make your chicken without getting bored of it? Please share!

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups grilled chicken (cut into cubes)
• 1/2 english cucumber (cut into cubes)
• 1 carrot (shred with a box grater or make curls with a veggie peeler)
• 1 clove garlic (mince)
• 1 mango (cut into cubes)
• 5 mint leaves (chiffonade) 
• 5 basil leaves (chiffonade)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 cups baby arugula

Dressing Ingredients:

• juice of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Make it:

1. Toss all salad ingredient together in a bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup mix all dressing ingredients together.
3. Toss salad with dressing & serve immediately.

Mangoes-Well-With-Everything Salsa

mouse over to see what's inside :)

One of the first things I found out about Chris was that he loves mangos!  I too love mangos so it was obvious we needed to get married.

Mangos never last long at our house. I like making them with savory things for dinner. This is a quick easy recipe for making mango salsa that you can serve up on tacos or add some leafy greens and call it a salad! Hope you have fun making this and even more fun eating it!