Risotto Primavera with Shrimp

Oh, hello there. I thought I’d share a favorite recipe with you just in time for spring. I added cooked shrimp to this at the end, but feel free to omit for a vegetarian option. Or, swap it out for some cooked lobster or crab, if you like – would be yum. This risotto comes together in about 30 minutes start to finish, and oddly enough, I find it to be a relaxing dish to make after a long day.

Three Bean Minestrone with Pesto

I realize I have been MIA from this blog for a long while, but this soup was too good not to document. This is truly a ‘meal soup’, especially when served with a simple prosciutto, baby arugula & provolone panini like we did. So, so good.

Dallas’s Grilled Balsamic Eggplant

This recipe hails from my mom, Dallas. This recipe makes for a great, easy summer side dish and it is my absolute favorite way of cooking eggplant. Enjoy!

Egg, Kale, and Hummus Breakfast Wraps

I’m always looking for breakfast recipes that incorporate veggies – especially greens because they’re my favorite and super healthy.

This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis’s book, Feel Good Food, which I totally love and have been cooking from a lot lately.

For this recipe you can use any type of whole grain tortilla you like. I found some low-carb whole grain roll-ups at Costco (Damascus brand) that are perfect for this. 

Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

This was one of the first recipes I ever made when I was first learning how to cook and I’m so happy I rediscovered it.

Is it bad to say that the only reason I’m blogging is because I don’t want to forget about this recipe again? It’s not like I haven’t missed blogging over the last few months…(I didn’t really miss it, sorry), but I am reminded of why I actually started to blog to begin with – to keep track of my tried and trues.

This recipe made me and a few of my girlfriends very happy this past week. I even used low-carb pasta and none of them were the wiser. Dreamfields spaghetti and linguine tastes exactly like regular pasta and I love it. Enjoy! xo

Eggs with Pesto, Tomato, and Avocado

This isn’t exactly a “recipe”, it’s really just cooking some eggs and assembly. This was my favorite breakfast over the summer when I had tomatoes coming out of my ears. These days, when tomatoes are mostly sad and flavorless, I make this whenever I can find some good looking ones. It’s quick, super flavorful, and pretty darn healthy.

Cauliflower Soup with Crème Fraîche

Who knew you could make crème fraîche at home? Seriously, who did and didn’t tell me?? I went to a cooking class at Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine not too long ago and my brain exploded when I learned about this. I love crème fraîche so so so much (here’s another good application for it), but I rarely buy it because it is kind of expensive. It’s super easy to make, as is this soup, and it’s wicked delicious together. This might make a cauliflower lover out of haters – it has with us!

Mediterranean Rice Salad

This is a great summer dish to feed a crowd. Bring it to your next BBQ or potluck – people will love it!

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal

This is one of my favorite breakfasts. I usually make a big batch (double this recipe) on Sunday to put into 8 individual containers for Brian and I to take to work with us for breakfast. Reheating for a couple of minutes in the microwave makes the blueberries warm and sweet and tasting exactly like blueberry pie.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Herb Frittata

I suck at making omelets. They inevitably always end up as a “scramble” because I can’t flip an omelet to save my life.  A frittata is basically the answer to that because it requires NO FLIPPING. And, it will serve as a fantastic breakfast on the go for me all week long.

Grilled Veggie Pesto Panini

This sandwich is a favorite in our house. It’s a great option for a vegetarian meal that still feels substantial. Just grill up your veggies of choice (I did zucchini, onions, and roasted red pepper, but eggplant would be a great addition/ substitution), layer on some pesto and provolone cheese. Use a panini press (I used my beloved Griddler) or a pan with heavy pan on top of the sandwich to press down until the sandwich is pressed and crispy and the cheese has melted.

Spinach and Artichoke Quinoa

I’ve really been enjoying quinoa lately – sometimes as a salad for lunch, sometimes as a side. This side-dish recipe was was quick, healthy, and yummy.

Mashed Unpotatoes / Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

Soooo, I’ve been taking a little break from the blog, if you haven’t noticed. And I’m sure you’re thrilled that in my reappearance I give you cauliflower. It’s not the most popular vegetable, I know, but I’ve been making this a ton and it’s awesome! Considering cauliflower is among Brian’s top 3 hated foods (along with mushrooms and olives – he doesn’t know what he’s missing!), that’s saying a lot. I’ve tried my hand at faux mashed potatoes before, and those are good, but there’s just something about the consistency which screams I’M NOT A POTATO. This recipe, however, only whispers “I’m not a potato, but I’m the next closest thing if not better!” For real. It’s amazing what a little cheese does to making the cauliflower thick and creamy. Make this, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Thai Butternut Soup

I whipped this soup up in about 15-20 minutes and it has so. much. flavor. The original recipe (cooking light) called for red curry paste, but I since I have a big tub of a green curry paste in the fridge that I love, I used that instead – use whatever you like.

Another note about the curry paste. I have to insist that it really is worth seeking out an asian market for some authentic stuff. That little jar of thai kitchen curry paste isn’t doing you any favors in the flavor department. I really love the tub of curry I found at my local Super 88 which is Maesri brand, but I’ve also heard that Mae Ploy is really good too.

Creamy Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese inspired by Panera. Actually, it’s inspired by Pinterest since I’ve never even had Panera’s mac and cheese. When I do indulge in mac and cheese, I tend to prefer it to come from my kitchen and to be of the baked variety. I am a sucker for those crispy ever-so-slightly burnt edges. That said, I’ve been (always am…) craving Panera’s lethally delicious Broccoli Cheddar Soup, so I decided to meld the two. So, while I can’t say that I know this to be an exact replica of Panera’s popular mac & cheese, it was yummy, easy, and decadent, and the original recipe is said to come from Panera itself. AND, it included one of my very favorite, and very under-rated cheeses, the American Cheese, white, thinly sliced from the deli. Yum.

Lighter Chili Rellenos

So you’re probably thinking, “this thing is covered in cheese, how is it ‘lighter’?” Well, friends, this thing is usually sans veggies, deep-fried AND covered in cheese. This is actually a vegetarian meal you can feel pretty good about. Yes, there’s cheese. But cheese makes the world go ’round. And it’s covering loads of corn and veg. Now, I will warn you, poblano peppers can be a little inconsistent in their heat levels. I’ve had them when they’re very spicy or very mild – tonight we sure got some spicy ones! But just dollop some greek yogurt or sour cream on top and all is mellowed out.

Artichoke Bars

I’m a little obsessed with this dish. I’ve made it a handful of times over the summer for parties and it’s always a big hit. Besides the cheese, it’s a total pantry dish, too. But really, who doesn’t always have cheese? I know I always do. 🙂

Middle-Eastern Spiced Beans (Fasoulia)

I love eating beans with eggs for breakfast, so now that the temps are dipping a little lower, I thought now would be a good time to make a big pot of these Middle Eastern-spiced beans to eat throughout the work week for breakfast. Topped with a fried egg, of course.

The recipe calls for kidney beans, but I used a mixture of kidney beans, chick peas, and black beans to use up what I had on hand.

Lentil Soup in August

It’s the end of August and I made the best veggie lentil soup for you. Actually, I made the best veggie lentil soup for you and ten of your friends. This recipe makes a TON of soup. I plan on eating it everyday for lunch this week and freezing the other half. I love Ina, but I did change the recipe a wee bit. I added some curry powder and chopped kale to the recipe to veg it up a bit – other than that, it’s pretty close to the original. And it’s awesome.

Three Bean Salad

This recipe jumped off the page of my latest Cooking Light mag and I will be making it a lot. We’ve been buying big bags of trimmed haricot verts from Costco and I always have these other ingredients on-hand. Side dish no-brainer.