Makeover your Supermarket Veggie Tray

We all lead busy lives and sometimes (or most of the time) when we entertain we just do not have time to prepare each dish with Martha Stewart level precision. Why not fake it instead of make it?!

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, here is a great way to "soop up" a regular supermarket veggie display!

The beautiful display you see in the photo below is a standard large vegetable tray (photo above) without dip from Ralphs grocery store. I used a large, wide bowl with low sides and arranged the veggies by type/shape while also creating an attractive color story. I utilized a small condiment dish with three separate containers to offer a variety of dips. Dips included are: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Reduced Guilt Spinach and Kale Dip (both from Trader Joe's), and Opa Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing.

This display could easily be replicated with just one smaller dish in the center. This would make it easy should you use the dip that comes with many trays. Have a chip and dip bowl? That would be perfect for this too!

Just because you didn't make it from scratch doesn't mean your guests have to know!

The Bachlor Pad Dinner - Parts 2, 3, & 4

So I am a crazy recipe hoarder. If you follow me on Pinterest or have seen my collection of cookbooks, this is not new news. However I've been hoarding several recipes from all of you for nearly two years! So cruel as they were all delicious!

They are from back when Amie and I did our Monday night dinners while watching any number of shows from The Bachelor family. These three meals were from Bachelor Pad from 2011. I promise they will be just as delicious this summer as they were then. I apologize in advance if some of the recipes are a little vague - if you have questions I will do my best to recall the missing details! I promise that these were all very simple to assemble while delivering maximum taste!

Unfortunately you won't be able to enjoy them during Bachelor Pad this year as they decided not to have a fourth season. We can only hope that the train wreck is back summer of 2014.

Dinner #1 - Arctic Char with Miso Glaze, Ginger Cilantro Rice & Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

Arctic Char with Miso Glaze
2 servings of Artic Char
1 tablespoon red miso
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grain mustard

1. Mix all ingredients together with the exception of the Arctic Char to create the miso glaze.
2. Top Arctic Char with miso glaze and bake. Unfortunately I don't have the temperature or time but I would recommend using a 400 degree oven for 12-15 min. The fish should flake easily with a fork.

Ginger Cilantro Rice
2 cups white rice (brown can be substituted)
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup onions (we used a combo of brown & red but any would be fine), chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil (approx)
Trader Joe's Smoked Sea Salt

1. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. While rice is cooking, you will "sweat" the onions in the olive oil. Place the olive oil in a non-stick pan with a tight fitting lid. Cook the onions in the olive oil (add a turn of the Smoked Sea Salt for added flavor) over low heat until they become translucent and have a soft texture. It's important to stir occasionally and keep the lid on when not stirring.
3. Combine rice, onions, cilantro and ginger.

Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry
Trader Joe's Asian Stir Fry (You can find this in the refrigerated fresh vegetable section. If you do not have access to a Trader Joe's, the ingredients were onion, bamboo, carrot, broccoli, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and snow peas.)
1/2 - 1 cup edamame, shelled (adjust to your tastes)
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt, to taste

1. Stir fry the vegetables until nearly cooked.
2. Add edamame to heat through.
3. Dress with remaining ingredients.

Dinner #2 - Marinated Albacore Steaks, Curried Cauliflower & Broccoli; Garlicky Kale & Tomatoes, & Faux Lemon Tarts with Gold Kiwi

Marinated Albacore Steaks
2 servings albacore steak
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil (approx)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together with the exception of the albacore to create marinade.
2. Pour marinate over albacore and set in the refrigerator for 30 min.
3. Unfortunately I don't have the temperature or time but I would recommend using a 350 degree oven for 20 min. The fish should flake easily with a fork.

Curried Cauliflower & Broccoli
(This recipe is one of the most vague I have so you will need to experiment on proportions! It was really delicious though so I had to share!)
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Olive oil
Turmeric
Yellow ginger
Curry
Shallot
salt & pepper

1. Combine all ingredients and bake.

Garlicky Kale & Tomatoes
(This recipe actually appeared in an earlier post served over pasta. I felt like it would also make a great side dish if you left out the pasta! Thanks to Real Simple for this great recipe!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon jarred crushed garlic
4 large handfuls kale, washed & torn
2 handfuls grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3. Top the kale mixture with almonds and parmesan.

 

Faux Lemon Tarts with Gold Kiwi

8 Trader Joe's Lemon Cookie Thins

1/2 - 3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon

1 package of Equal (or your favorite artificial sweetener - or you can always use real sugar!)

1 gold kiwi, peeled & sliced

16 raspberries

mint, for garnish

 

1. Mix yogurt and lemon juice. The consistency will thin out but should not be runny. Add sweetener and mix well.

2. Top each cookie with yogurt topping, a slice of the kiwi and a couple of raspberries.

3. Arrange on a plate with mint as the garnish.

 

Very important to note - the cookies get soggy fast so you will want to assemble just before serving.

 

 

Dinner #3 - Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps & Modified Caprese Salad

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Amie found this great recipe on Epicurious and we basically made it as is with only a few minor adjustments. This was a wonderfully refreshing summer meal!

1. Cucumber was added as a garnish afterwards instead of being mixed in with meat. Same for mint.
2. We also added cilantro as a garnish and I think some sweet chili sauce.

Modified Caprese Salad
3 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fat free feta cheese
4 basil leaves, chiffonade
olive oil
fresh ground sea salt

1. Combine tomatoes, feta and basil in a bowl.
2. Dress with a couple splashes of olive oil and dashes of salt.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we did! They are all very quick to assemble and perfect for summer!

 

Farmers Market + Pantry = Dinner

A couple weeks ago Katie and I decided to throw some dinner together based on what I had in my fridge/pantry and what she had leftover from a farmers market cooking demonstration. The result was a delicious, healthy summer pasta dish! We enjoyed the recipe below with veggie sausage (her) and turkey meatballs (me) but it would also be wonderful on its own or with chicken.

Fresh Vegetable Pasta

1 cup whole wheat pasta (we used rotelle but you can use whichever you prefer) - This amount is approximate as you may prefer a higher pasta to topping ratio or like me you like a little leftover pasta to enjoy later in the week.

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 white squash, chopped

3 artichoke hearts, chopped

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes

15 kalamata olives, pitted

6 large basil leaves, chiffionade

1/3 cup fat free feta

garlic olive oil (We used Trader Joe's)

fresh ground sea salt

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Saute garlic, zucchini, and white squash.

3. When pasta and vegetables are almost ready, add artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and basil to the sauteed vegetables. Heat through.

4. Top pasta with vegetable mixture and sprinkle with fat free feta and drizzle with garlic olive oil.

5. Add a protein if desired.

Serves 2

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, dinner for our weekly viewing of The Bachelorette had a theme that many of you are probably familiar with - leftovers! Amie and I both surveyed our kitchens and ended up with an amazing meal that required only the purchase of crackers.

Stuffed Yellow Squash

1 large yellow squash

1/4 tomato, diced

1/4 red onion

8 oz ground beef (we used the frozen Kobe burger from Trader Joe's but you can use any you like)

1/4 cup feta cheese (light or fat free is fine)

butter

1. Cut yellow squash in half and hollow out each side. Discard inside of squash or save for another recipe.

2. Cook ground beef as desired. We were using a burger patty that had been cooked the day before so the only prep was to crumble.

3. Caramelize the onion using butter in a skillet.

4. Combine ground beef, tomato, and caramelized onion.

5. Stuff squash with beef and vegetable mixture.

6. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

7. Warm through in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Serves 2

The stuffed squash could easily be made vegetarian by substituting a vegetable protein or even just additional vegetables.

Orzo and Vegetable Salad with Lemon Yogurt Vinaigrette

Please Note: Measurements are approximate.

1 cup orzo

1/3 cup carrots, diced

1/3 cup asparagus, chopped

1/3 cup green beans, chopped

1/3 cup English peas

1/8 cup pistachios, shelled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

herbs de provence

1/2 lemon, juice only

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1. Prepare orzo according to package instructions.

2. Blanch carrots, asparagus, green beans & peas.

3. To make vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, and herbs de provence. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine orzo, vegetables, pistachios, and vinaigrette.

Serves A LOT. Can be kept refrigerated for several days.

We enjoyed our meal with an appetizer plate of leftover salami, sausage and cheese from Trader Joe's. This was accompanied by gherkins and Rosemary Raisin crackers also from Trader Joe's.

It's Picnic Season!!!! - Part 2

As I mentioned last month, Cinespia was showing one of my favorite films of all time - Heathers!

For this screening, the food was done potluck style (well, organized potluck) with everyone bringing an item to share. Items included a gorgeous salad, many cheeses, fresh fruit, gourmet cupcakes in addition to the items below. We shared a picnic area with another group of friends who also brought a fabulous picnic so really we had more options than we knew what to do with!

Antipasto & Caprese Skewers

(Note: All ingredients are from Trader Joe's but similar items can be found at any market.)

1 8oz container ciliegine mozzarella, each piece cut in half (or fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 cherry tomato sized pieces)

24 pieces of salami

1/2 roasted red pepper, approximate

24 kalamata olives, pitted

48 sugar plum (grape) tomatoes

4 basil leaves, approximate

balsamic reduction

Antipasto Skewers

1. Cut red pepper in to bite sized pieces large enough for your skewer.

2. Spear kalamata olive, folded piece of salami, red pepper and mozzarella onto skewer. Repeat for all 24 skewers.

Caprese Skewers

1. Tear or cut basil into appropriate sized pieces for skewers.

2. Spear tomato, basil and mozzarella onto skewer. Repeat for all 24 skewers.

Serve with balsamic reduction (click here for instructions).

Makes 48 skewers

Before

After

Lentil Cashew Pate

(Note: This is a recipe created by my friend Katie. She can be quite the culinary wizard and just made this recipe up as she went. Heathers is known for such lines as "Great pate but I've got to motor if I'm going to be ready for that funeral." so pate was a must have for this event. With a lot of vegetarians in the house, this was an ideal option!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup cashews

1 cup lentils

1 tablespoon lemon juice

rosemary, salt, & pepper, to taste

crackers

apples, sliced

1. Heat olive oil in skillet and saute garlic and onions until lightly browned.

2. Place garlic and onion mixture, cashews, lentils and lemon juice into a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth yet is still retaining texture.

3. Add rosemary, salt & pepper to taste and lightly pulse to mix.

4. Serve with crackers and apple slices.

This event was perfect to use the Steady Sticks! Here is a (slightly overblown) action shot.

We still don't have the Table in a Bag but I am hoping to acquire one soon since they are currently on sale! This is the perfect picnic item for cemetery screenings.

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 1

As you may recall, Amie and I love our Bachelor Monday dinners! Past dinners can be found here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, & Week 8. With the new season of The Bachelorette in full and very annoying swing, we are back to our whipping up our weekly dinner delights! Due to schedule conflicts, we did not cook for a few of the first episodes and I am a week behind in posting as well. So without further ado, enjoy our most recent "recipes"!

A couple of notes about this week's dinner:

1. It it by far one of the easiest dinners we have made and it was so delicious!

2. It includes another great use for Greek yogurt as previously discussed.

Roasted Chicken Greek Pitas

1 package/2 patties Trader Joe's Roasted Chicken Patties (8oz of cooked chicken or other chicken patties can be substituted)

1 dozen cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1 whole wheat pita

Homemade Tzatziki (recipe below)

1. Heat chicken patties per their instructions (I use the microwave) or prepare chicken as desired. Dice into cubes.

2. Slice whole wheat pita in half in order to make two "pockets".

3. Fill pita pockets with chicken, tomato and mint.

4. Serve with homemade tzatziki.

Homemade Tzatziki

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small cucumber, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

chopped mint, salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Salad

2-3 handfuls Trader Joe's Wasabi Arugula

1/3 cup fat free feta

Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (regular champagne vinegar with a little orange juice would probably be a fine substitution)

Olive Oil

Salt

1. Combine wasabi arugula and feta in a bowl.

2. Whisk together vinegar, olive oil and a dash of salt.

3. Toss and serve.

We enjoyed our meal with an appetizer platter of meats, cheese, etc from Trader Joe's and The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Even though these blog entries are not specifically about The Bachelorette, is it just us or do you all want to throttle Ashley too?

The Bachelor Dinner, Part 7

The Bachelor may be over for the season but that doesn't mean that the fabulous and easy meals need to stop! I have a few menus from earlier in the season to share until The Bachelorette starts in May.

Open Face Chicken BLT

Ciabatta Rolls

Chicken Breast

Bacon

Arugula

Tomato

Olive Oil

Garlic Spread (This was from the farmers market so if not available use a garlic aioli instead.)

1. Cook chicken and bacon in your preferred style. We cooked the chicken in a grill pan and the bacon on a baking sheet in the oven.

2. As the meats finish cooking, place ciabatta rolls in the oven to warm and lightly toast. Note: You are only using half a roll per person as this is an open face sandwich.

3. Spread rolls with garlic spread and begin assembling the sandwich. Chicken, bacon, tomato, and arugula.

4. Top with a drizzle of olive oil.

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups Chicken Broth (Vegetable Broth or Water can be substituted)

1/2 Container Bruschetta Sauce from Trader Joe's (Diced tomatoes, garlic, basil & olive oil can be substituted)

Mini Sweet Bell Peppers

Cucumber

1. Prepare quinoa with chicken broth in either a rice cooker or on the stove according to package directions. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Dice mini sweet bell peppers and cucumber. Quantities will vary based on size and desired taste. It is better to start out with less and add more to taste. We used approximately 3 peppers and 2/3 a cucumber. Add to cooled quinoa.

3. Using a slotted spoon, add bruschetta sauce to cooled quinoa. Stir.

4. Taste and adjust quantities of add-ins as needed.

Makes approximately 8 side servings.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of these dishes but they are pretty simple. The great thing about the quinoa salad is that it keeps for days. You can make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy it as a side with a variety of other meals.