Archive by Author

Green Onion and Dill Cream Cheese

23 Jun

I am definitely on a flavored cream cheese kick.  It’s just so easy and when it’s excruciatingly hot like its been here recently, it is hard to get motivated to have the hot stove and oven on.  So easy recipes like this one are welcomed in my home.

Green Onion and Dill Cream Cheese is a simple way to turn up the flavor on any sandwich, cracker or tortilla roll-up in my case.

And yes, the tortilla roll-up phenomena is NOT only for kids.  The roll-up has made several appearances in my household over the last couple years.  Even more so recently when I had this cream cheese hanging out in the fridge.

Do this, your kids/husband/boyfriend/you/whoever graces your kitchen will love it.

Green Onion and Dill Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

4 green onions (green parts only), finely chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped (I had dill leftover from this)

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

1.   In a medium bowl, place all ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Store in the refrigerator.

This is very hard to mess up ;)

Now make a tortilla roll-up.

Spread the deliciousness on to a tortilla.

I had some extra bacon from breakfast, so I added it.

Then add other toppings as you wish.  I added turkey and lettuce.  This is a GREAT time to sneak in some spinach.

Then, starting at one side, slowly and tightly roll up the tortilla.  This took me a couple roll-ups to get the technique exactly right. Practice makes perfect.  Then slice the tortilla log into 3/4 inch sections.

Yum!  This is the perfect finger food.

For the Green Onion and Dill Cream Cheese recipe, click here.

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Bring It On Summer

21 Jun

Summer has arrived.  Along with more sweat, sticky clothes and the constant need to always have your toenails looking somewhat neat.

Along with backyard barbecues, pool parties, cold drinks, fruity cocktails, peaches, long days, late nights, beach trips and…

WATERMELON

This baby was less than $3 at the commissary and we are enjoying every piece of it.  Watermelon always reminds me of summertime as a kid at the beach.

Happy Summer!

We hope everyone has a safe and fun summer!

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Mango Coconut Smoothie

19 Jun

Coconut water.  You’ve got to try it.  Capiche?

Until last December, I had never heard of coconut water.  I first tried it after running a race.  Coconut water is a natural drink chock full of electrolytes and potassium, while also having no fat, cholesterol or added sugar.  It is a great post-run or exercise drink and is also great for hangovers.  Just saying…

I love the stuff, so recently I thought of incorporating it into a smoothie.  Using coconut water in a smoothie makes for a thinner smoothie but a smoothie that I can feel really good about and is delicious.

Mango Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (use more if preferred)

3/4 cup coconut water

1 tablespoon honey

dash of nutmeg (I use a microplane grater to grate whole nutmeg right into the blender)

ice, slightly less than 1 cup

Instructions:

1.  Place all ingredients into a blender.  Puree until desired consistency.  Add more yogurt or coconut water, based on preferences. I make my smoothies in a Magic Bullet Blender which works nicely but a regular blender will work fine.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

14 Jun

Buffalo wing sauce should be its own food group.

Buffalo wing sauce makes everything better.  We like things spicy in our neck of The Triple Dish woods.

Ask my husband about his favorite food item that I make.  He will most likely say buffalo wing sauce.  It’s quite convenient that it has all of about three ingredients in it and takes all of about a minute to make.

I actually like to attribute our marriage to buffalo wing sauce.  In college my roomies and I had some friends over for dinner.  We made fried chicken and the biggest mess ever in our tiny apartment kitchen.  The chicken was served with buffalo wing sauce and my hubs was hooked.  I was only mildly embarrassed that I did not really do much to make it, but nonetheless I soaked up his praise every time he ever mentioned the buffalo wing sauce that he loved so much.

Nowadays, if I want to win big in the kitchen, I’ll just make something with buffalo wing sauce.

In walks the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.  I love this sandwich.  I dream about it.

I could have fried the chicken, but being the healthy chef that I am…just kidding.  Grilling makes less mess, lets face it.

You won’t miss the “fried” I promise.  This is just too good.  The spiciness of the chicken pairs beautifully with the tang of the blue cheese spread.  It’s a messy, wonderful, satisfying lunch or dinner.

In case you needed to see it again.

Serve with lots of napkins and an ice cold beverage.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 cup hot sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, at room temperature

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

dash of salt and pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thick throughout

4 whole wheat buns, toasted

4 large iceberg lettuce leaves

1 thinly sliced tomato

8 large white onion slices

Instructions:

1.   Make hot sauce.  Heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat.  Heat hot sauce, butter and garlic powder until combined.  Set aside.

2.  Make blue cheese spread.  In a small bowl, combine blue cheese crumbles, yogurt and salt and pepper.  Mix to combine, smashing blue cheese until mixture is mostly smooth.

3.  Prepare chicken.  Pat chicken dry and evenly sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Remove about 3 tablespoons hot sauce from the saucepan and put into a small bowl.  Paint chicken with hot sauce on both sides until evenly covered.  Heat a grill pan over medium high heat.  Cook chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side.  Before assembling each sandwich, place each chicken breast into the saucepan with the hot sauce.  Spoon hot sauce over the chicken to cover.

4.  Assemble sandwich.  On to the lower half of the bun, place a spoonful of blue cheese spread so the lettuce will not slide around.  On top of the blue cheese spread, layer a lettuce leaf, chicken breast that has been covered in hot sauce, tomato slice, and onion slices.  Spread more blue cheese spread onto the upper bun half and place bun on top of sandwich.

Voila!  Then you’re a hero in the kitchen.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Menu Plan #2

13 Jun

Every once in a while, we would like to share our menu plans with you.  Briana shared this menu plan a while ago.  We normally do this every week, so we thought it would be fun to show you and explain how we plan our weekly meals.  That’s your definition of fun too, right?

I like to plan about 4-5 meals per week.  My weeks always vary.  My hubs may be home for dinner one night but not the next, so I have to make sure my menu is flexible.

I also like to make at least 1 meal that will provide us leftovers for the next night.  Even though I am always in the kitchen and it is sadly the main room in which I truly care about its cleanliness (embarrassing, I know), I need a break sometimes.

I have also been known to throw a DiGiorno pizza into the oven.  (Scoff!)

So here is my lineup for this week:

  1. Grilled Mexican Chicken Salad with a Lime Vinaigrette: I top the salad with grilled corn that I cut off the cob, black beans, tomatoes and avocados.  Briana’s Cilantro Lime Rice will be a perfect side.
  2. Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (recipe coming tomorrow!):  This is a favorite in our house and I serve it with Lemon Roasted Broccoli and roasted red potatoes.  I top the sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce left over from the salad.  If eating chicken two days in a row freaks you out, then switch it up.
  3. Flank Steak and Tomato Kebobs: I marinate the steak at least a day in advance, but hopefully two days in advance as I like flank steak best when marinated for a while.  Serve with baked sweet potato.

4.  Grilled Pork Tenderloin:  Serve with grilled corn on the cob.  Our standby grill meal.

5.  Cuban Sandwiches:  Made with pork leftover from the day before, ham, swiss cheese, pickles and Dijon mustard.

6.  EXTRA MEAL Shrimp and Tomato Bake:  I have been wanting to make this ever since Briana posted it!  Serve with green beans and crusty bread.

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Layered Chorizo Mexican Dip

12 Jun

7 Layer Mexican Dips are the perfect party food.

Why 7 layers?

Why not 6?

Or 8?

Who picked 7?  I don’t get it.

I recently made a layered Mexican dip.  It was super tasty.  Layered dips have been popping up all over at parties and get togethers that I have been to and I have loved them all.  The beauty of a layered dip is you can have as many layers as you want.  If 4 is your lucky number or you really have a thing for 7, then you can do that. In my opinion, as long as you do not put olives in the mix, you can have as many layers as you wish.

I wanted 6 layers.  So I made a 6 layer dip.  With chorizo.  Chorizo, a seasoned Mexican ground sausage, makes everything better.  Everything.

Layered Chorizo Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1  large avocado, cut in half, pit removed and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

juice from 1 lime

6 ounces ground chorizo sausage

2 roma tomaotes, diced

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1.  Prepare ingredients.  Combine refried beans and green chiles in a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.  Evenly spread into a 9 inch pie plate.  Wipe out bowl.  (When I make refried beans, I always add a can of diced green chiles for some extra pizzazz).

2.  Combine avocado, cayenne pepper and salt into same medium bowl.  Mix to combine.  Feel free to use another avocado if you love them.  Spread avocado mixture on top of bean layer.  Wipe out bowl.

3.  Combine sour cream and lime juice into same medium bowl.  Stir to combine.  Spread sour cream mixture on top of avocado layer.

4.  Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Cook chorizo until done.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Spread chorizo evenly on top of sour cream layer.

5.  Top dish with a layer of chopped tomatoes then shredded cheddar cheese.  Broil under high heat (with oven door open) for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*The chorizo I bought was packaged in a 12 ounce log.  I cut the log in half, then a couple days later we ate chorizo and scrambled eggs.  So good.

Serve with tortilla chips, the best dipper known to mankind.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Honey Walnut Cream Cheese

9 Jun

I recently ate at Panera Bread.

I have fond memories of Panera.  In Chapel Hill, my parents would come visit me and we would always go to Panera.  In Grad school I would got there first thing in the morning to study for a test that I probably should have studied for weeks in advance.  The employees were always so nice at 7 o’clock in the morning.

I wanted to slap them.  You try studying for an impossible biomechanics test that early in the morning.  It’s hard to be nice in return.

I LOVE their blueberry bagels with honey walnut cream cheese.  These days I do not go to Panera Bread often, but when I do it is a real treat.  Recently, I went there with my sister-in-law and Briana.  It was delicious like always, but I left wondering if I could recreate the honey walnut cream cheese that I loved so much.

I was successful and will forever be hooked on homemade flavored cream cheese.

Honey Walnut Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, place cream cheese, honey and cinnamon.

2. Toast the walnuts. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add walnuts to pan and gently shake pan often to prevent burning. Toast walnuts until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add walnuts to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.

I slathered my cream cheese on a bagel thin, because let’s face it, I am not hurting for carbohydrates in my diet.  A bagel thin is a smarter option.  Store the cream cheese in the refrigerator.

In the morning, I like to have a bagel thin with honey walnut cream cheese, a banana and lots of coffee.  This cream cheese is also great spread on to a graham cracker.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Blueberry Cornmeal Crumble (for 2)

6 Jun

Us girls here at the Triple Dish, we love the Farmer’s Market in Hanford on Thursday nights.  Amelia made a delicious peach cobbler from peaches she found at the farmer’s market.

My latest purchase from the Farmer’s Market were beautiful, ripe blueberries.  Naturally, my first thought was to throw them into a sweet, warm, delectable dessert topped with vanilla ice cream.

(They were also great when eaten plain.)

I actually looked up the difference between a cobbler, a crisp and a crumble when writing this recipe.  Let me tell you, there are so many definitions for different baked fruit dishes.  There is a cobbler, crisp, crumble, brown betty, grunt (not sure how I feel about the name of this one?), buckle, pan dowdy and sonker.  All involving baked fruit and a topping or dough.

I was wowed by these facts.  When it comes to food, it obviously does not take much to excite me folks.

I made this dessert for two because, well if I made it for four I would have eaten half.  By making it for two, I still eat half (I am super nice and share with my husband).  See how this works?  I have tricked myself into eating less.

You of course can increase the amount and make this in an 8×8 baking dish.

So nice of you to share.

Oh, and I have a rule.  You have to serve this with vanilla ice cream.  Have to.  I said so.

Have to.

I made the crumble topping with cornmeal because I like the way it tastes with the sweet ingredients.  But if you do not have cornmeal you can also use old fashioned oats.  Also, if you do not have a 2 cup baking dish, you could use separate ramekins and have individual servings.

Enjoy!

For printable recipe, click here.

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Zesty Dill Dip

5 Jun

I need more veggies in my life.

I do not need more butter in my life.

This dip does not have butter in it (Cheers!).  Ignore the fact that it has mayo in it.

This dip does however allow my husband and I to eat raw carrots and broccoli and cauliflower.  That in itself is a victory.  Never mind that we are dipping them into a dip with mayo and sour cream.

You win some and lose some.  I am calling this a win.

This is a great dip to serve at a party and is a fun alternative to regular ol’ ranch dip.  I added horseradish which we adore  in our house.  Clears out your sinuses and adds a wonderful kick to your dishes.

Zesty Dill Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream (all great things start out with these two ingredients)

1 teaspoon bottled horseradish

1 teaspoon minced shallot (about 1/2 of a small shallot) or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Instructions:

1.  Combine all ingredients except for fresh dill into a small bowl.  Mix to combine.  Add dill and gently stir to combine.  Taste dip and tweak to preferences.

2.  Allow dip to rest in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Serve.

Fresh dill will actually keep for a while in the refrigerator.  Dill is a lovely herb that will brighten any dish into which it is added.  Dill pairs well with salmon, breads, carrots, cucumbers, or pickles. Excess dill can be used in this delicious looking Goat Cheese with Fresh Dill from The Pioneer Woman or in Mashed Cauliflower with Cheese and Dill from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Feel free to add more horseradish if you like to live life on the edge.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Peanut Butter Waffles

4 Jun

Martha has done it again.

I made these waffles over Memorial Day weekend.  They received four thumbs up from my husband and I.

I have an issue.  Well, some of you might think I have a couple issues, but right now I have one.

I like eggs for breakfast.  Eggs, toast, potatoes, omelets, frittatas, all those savory breakfast dishes.  I don’t make french toast, waffles, pancakes, all those goodies, but I do enjoy them.  I will just ALWAYS pick savory over sweet unless someone is cooking for me.  What is wrong with me?

Don’t answer that.

I know I am missing out on some crucial breakfast options.

So anywho, I decided to make waffles last weekend and take the plunge into sweet breakfast land.

We loved these waffles.  The recipe made way too many for just one meal, so we ate them the next morning for breakfast as well.  For complete bliss, add sliced bananas and pure maple syrup on top.  I had leftover buttermilk after making these, so I made ranch dressing this past week!

Check it out.

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine.  A great cooking magazine for the chef who is just learning to cook as well as the intermediate chef.

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