Taziki Sauce

Taziki sauce is a creamy, herby, fresh sauce. It's used in Mediterranean dishes. Have you ever tried it?

I love it! The Greek yogurt is super creamy. It's great for dipping veggies (or crudité if you're feeling a bit fancy). It pairs well with meat, rice, spanakopita (recipe to come) and pretty much anything Mediterranean.

Also, I'm definitely using the term "recipe" here lightly. It's such an easy "recipe" that I'm not sure if it qualifies as a "recipe." Anyway, you should definitely make it and enjoy it!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Serves: 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (I prefer 2% or whole yogurt here for a creamy dip)

¼ cup English cucumber, minced (~1.5 – 2 inches of cucumber)

1 teaspoon dill, minced

1 Tablespoon parsley, minced

The zest of one lemon (optional)

1 teaspoon Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Equipment
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Small mixing bowl
Microplane
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula

Instructions

Add Greek yogurt to small mixing bowl. Add cucumber, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

I like to make this at least 30 minutes before serving, so the flavors can mix and meld. This can be made ahead and refrigerated. So, it's great for entertaining or weeknight meals. Enjoy!

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Asian Slaw Salad

Easy Veggie Appetizer

Italian Cooking Class

It's time for back-to-school. Since, I've graduated traditional schooling. I opted for back-to-the-kitchen schooling, aka cooking classes!

Have you ever wanted to take a cooking class? I love it! Cooking classes are a fantastic way to learn new skills, try new recipes, and have fun! My motto is always keep learning!

The most recent cooking class that I took focused on Mediterranean food, specifically Italian flavor profiles. This menu was fun and super tasty. It would be a fantastic meal to make for company. You know those company meals that are just a little elevated from everyday weeknight meals. But, it's not too fancy, fussy, or stressful for company.

Here's the menu: homemade spinach and ricotta gnudi, steak and peppers, and peaches with cookies and cream. So delicious!

Let's get started.

We made the gnudi first because the dough will need to rest. Gnudi is a ricotta-based dumpling. It's similar to gnocchi, which is a potato-based dumpling. You can think of gnudi as gnocchi's less-fussy sister. To make gnocchi, you need to cook and cool potatoes. With gnudi, you mix the ingredients together. No extra cooking or cooling time needed. So it's quicker and easier!

We mixed together all the ingredients. Then, we added flour as needed and kneaded the dough. Add flour until the dough isn't sticky. The recipe called for the dough to be chilled for 24 hours, so this would be a great recipe to make on weekend to meal prep. Then, use during the week. During class, we chilled the dough for about 1 hour in the freezer. It worked great!

This was super tasty. The gnudi are pillow-y, cheesy dumplings that are fantastic vehicle to enjoy spinach. The gnudi were coated with sage-infused butter. Yes, please!

Next, we made dessert! We cut the peaches and removed the pit. Leaving half as an edible bowl, a vehicle for the delicious filling. I recommend using slightly firm peaches for the "bowl."

The filling was a combination of peaches, cookies and cream. So, we made peaches and cookies and cream! Such a delicious combination! Peaches and cream were made for each other. And cookies and cream is a classic, childhood favorite of mine.

In the future, I would work on the presentation. It was a delicious tasting, but a bit brown. Next time, I think I'll save some peach slices and add fresh mint to garnish. The whipped cream in the top picture did add a little something to the presentation.

Lastly, we made hanger steak with peppers and onions. 

The entrée was perfectly balanced and seasoned well. The steak was savory and meaty. The peppers added beautiful color and crunch. And, the sautéed onions added a hint of caramelized sweetness. A trifecta for the entrée.

Have you ever taken any cooking classes?
Is there anything you want to learn to cook.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to comment below.

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Asian Slaw Salad Recipe

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Asian Slaw Salad

I love when you get to share a meal. There's something extraordinary about a seemingly ordinary meal around a table. Sharing a meal seems to bring added intimacy and an opportunity for great conversation.

My friend, Claudette, invited my husband and I over to her lovely home and made a delicious meal. The stand-out dish for me was this amazing Asian slaw salad. It was salty, a little sweet, and had a ton of crunch. She served the meal on a variety of colorful Fiesta ware. It was casual and felt special without being precious. You know that feeling? When you know someone made an effort, but it's not too fancy that you're worried about breaking something or accidentally putting your elbows on the table.

This Asian slaw salad is my entrée version of the side that I had at my friend's house. I hope you enjoy it! Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup English cucumber, julienned (cut into long strips)
1 pack of ramen noodles
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
1 pound chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the salad dressing:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons granulate sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl or Mason jar
Whisk
Small sauté pan
Large, oven-safe sauté pan

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400*F. Preheat a large sauté pan. Add oil if pan is not non-stick. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken on both sides for 5-7 minutes until golden. Transfer chicken to oven and cook until 165*F internal temperature.

In a dry sauté pan, toast almond over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Shred purple and green cabbage. Place in a large bowl. Julienne cucumber. To julienne, cut the cucumber in long strips. Then, cut each strip into matchstick-size rectangles. Place in the large bowl.

To make the dressing, pour canola oil, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl or Mason jar. Whisk until combined.

About 30 minutes before serving, pour 4 Tablespoons of dressing onto salad mixture to lightly coat. Toss to distribute evenly. **If you're not eating all the salad, wait to dress the salads individually.

Divide the salad into four bowls. Top with sliced chicken. Add a tablespoon of broken, uncooked ramen and toasted almonds. This adds delicious crunch and texture, which is super important in salad.


I hope you enjoy this recipe! Make it and share it with a friend. If you want it to be a side salad, you're welcome to leave off the protein. Let me know if you make this recipe; tag me on social media!

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Vegetable and Cheese Board

When you think about entertaining, how do you feel? Are you excited, nervous, anxious, tired? Entertaining can be all of those things, but it doesn't have to be. Entertaining can be fun, easy, and enjoyable. To help make hosting easier, I'm sharing an easy appetizer. It's a vegetable tray with some cheese. It's friendly and not fussy.

 

I love having an appetizer ready for guests. It gives them something to munch on if they're hungry before dinner is ready. It also gives me a buffer if dinner is running late. It means that my guests aren't starving and smelling dinner.

This appetizer is super simple. It's 4 steps: wash, dry, chop, arrange. I like to include seasonal fruits and vegetables. For one, they are local, which means fresher because they weren't shipped far. Secondly, they tend to taste best in season. Fruit is sweeter, and veggies are crisp.

Adding fruits and vegetables to your cheese boards has several benefits. First, fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense. In other words, they have a ton of vitamins and minerals. So, they're super tasty and great for your health! Secondly, fruits and vegetables tend to be more economical (read less expensive) than cheese. So, you can make a huge fruit, veggie, and cheese board for a fraction of the cost of a cheese board. Third, I love the colors and textures that fruits and veggies add to a cheese board. Visually, there's more interest and I find it more aesthetically pleasing. So in summary, fruit and veggie cheese boards are good for you, good for your budge, and visually pleasing.

If you've ever felt nervous about hosting, here are a few tips.

5 Tips for Low-Stress Hosting 

1) You're hosting not entertaining.
These two terms, host versus entertain, make a world of difference. To me, an entertainer sets a stage and has a flawless performance. A host offers a place to come and gather. An entertainer has the focus on the performance. In contrast, a host gets to welcome and offer a safe space for people to gather, be themselves, and enjoy community.

2) Consider your guest's preferences.
Sometimes the barrier to having guests is the fear of not knowing what to make. So ask! I like to give 2-3 options that way guests have input on the meal.

Also, I think it's important to ask about food allergies. You can also ask if people have any foods they hate.

3) Prep ahead.
I am a planner, type A kind of person. I feel stressed when things are left to the last minute. I don't like to procrastinate. To help me keep my sanity, I like to prep ahead as much as possible. This looks like, menu planning. I try to clean a day or two before the party. I try to have some parts of the meal or appetizer ready to go.

4) Make easy meals.
I encourage you to make easy meals. Make familiar meals; make something you've cooked before. I wouldn't try a new recipe or challenging dish when I host. It just increases anxiety. What if the dish doesn't turn out right? What if it tastes bad? Instead of worrying, cook a go-to, tried and true, tasty meal.

5) Ask for help.
You don't need to be a one woman show. Ask guests to bring something. Or if you're the guest, ask if you can bring something.

What dinners work well? Try a pot luck. Host a taco night - make the entrée. Have a guest bring an appetizer - chips and dip. Encourage someone else to bring a side or dessert. In the Fall and Winter, I love a baked potato bar with fixings. Or, try soups and sandwiches. Also, there's no judgment here for ordering pizza. Who doesn't like pizza?

Try a cooking club. Have people over to cook and then eat together. That sounds so fun! Don't feel like you have to do everything.

Have you ever thought about hosting versus entertaining?
What keeps you from hosting more? 
What motivates you to host?
What are your go-to recipes to make for company?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Chicken Cordon Blue Sliders

aka Fancy Ham and Cheese

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I love the changing of the seasons There's beautiful weather, which provides amazing produce. You can dine outside. So, today I'm sharing one of my favorite Spring dinners that is great served warm or room temperature. It's my Spring Vegetable and Shrimp Pasta.

This dish takes advantage of seasonal produce - asparagus and mushrooms. And, shrimp are in season! This recipe celebrates all of these seasonal ingredients. It's a quick, easy and most importantly delicious meal. Here's the recipe.

Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 cup portabella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 bunch of asparagus
1 pound large (20/25 per pound) shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup pesto
2 Tablespoons olive oil

For the pesto:
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups basil
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of 1 lemon)
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Tools
Pairing knife for deveining shrimp
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Skillet
Medium-sized saucepan
Food processor

Instructions
In a dry pan, toast pine nuts for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and light brown.

To make the pesto, add basil, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, peeper and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Set aside.


Heat oven to 400*F. On a baking sheet, toss asparagus with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.


In a medium-sized sauce pan add 4 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain orzo, and set aside.


In a large skillet, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add shrimp. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until opaque and firm. Internal temperature should read 145* F. Set shrimp aside.


In a large mixing bowl, add orzo, pesto, shrimp, mushrooms and asparagus. Toss to combine. Plate and enjoy!

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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2018 Goals Update

Goals - I love them! I like resolutions. I like to plan, make lists, and work toward a goal. I set yearly goals, and I have monthly goals. These monthly goals help me break long-term, yearly goals into short-term, achievable goals.

Monthly goals help me reach my yearly goals by pacing myself. For example, I'm trying to cook 12 new recipes this year. This divides evenly into an average of 1 recipe per month. However, some months are super busy, and I rely on quick, family-favorite recipes. If I find that I'm not averaging 1 recipe per month, I can try to catch-up the following month. If you've ever had problems achieving long-term goals, I encourage you to set short-term goals that help you reach your long-term goals.

I also find that sharing my goals keeps me accountable. You can share your goals with a friend or post them below. Do you have any tips for achieving goals?

Let's dive into my first quarter 2018 goals update. 

1) Try 12 new recipes.

This goal is to challenge me to find new dinner inspiration, to try new cooking techniques, and taste new foods. So far, I've made the following recipes:

- Greek meatballs (keftedes) with taziki
- Roasted cauliflower with a tahini and lemon sauce
- Grilled shrimp with chermoula
- Avocado toast with a poached egg and everything bagel seasoning (so good!)
- Stove-top mac and cheese
- Blueberry honey scones

Do you have any favorite recipes? If so, share them below. I would love your recommendations!

2) Read 12 books.

So far, I've ready the following books in 2018:

- Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- Becoming Madeleine by Charlotte Voiklis

- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown 
- A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
- 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs

I'm trying to average about 1 book a month to reach my yearly goal. What books do you recommend?

3) Be physically active consistently. 

So far in 2018, I've been walking, jogging, and doing PT. The weather has been mostly fantastic, so it's a good way to enjoy the weather before the Summer heat.

I took try tennis lessons and plan to try some new exercise classes.  Do you have favorite exercise class?  What motivates you to be physically active? What keeps you consistent with physical activity?

4) Learn and improve a skill.

I've taken one cooking class this year. It was a Mediterranean class. You can read more about it here, and there are some tips to make cooking less stressful.

Do you have anything you want to learn to cook this year?
Do you recommend any particular cooking classes?

Also, remember your "why" behind the goals, and give yourself grace. Any progress is progress. If I don't challenge myself, I will never change or grow. That's my "why." I want to continue to learn and grow and become better. 

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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 Setting Healthy Goals

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