Pinterest Win: Tomato Mozarella Salad

Thursday night we celebrated my twin nephews' birthday at my Aunt's house. I was in charge of bringing the salad. I, of course, cannot make just one salad. Yup, I made two.

My Aunt was making chicken parmesan with homemade tomato sauce. Mom was in charge of bringing the dessert. Mom brought two... this runs in the family.

One of my favorite dishes is caprese salad. I especially love it when you can eat it in different ways. I didn't have enough sticks to serve it that way, so I decided to go another route. I remember that back in the day I pinned a caprese salad on Pinterest.

Photo from www.savorysweetlife.com

This recipe comes from a blog called Savory Sweet Life, which is quite the celebrated blog. Alice, who writes the blog, has been featured in the press including Forbes. She makes her kids some awesome cakes. You definitely need to check out her work. Keep in mind that Alice is also a photographer, so once again... her pictures are WAY better than mine. ;)

I did make one change to the salad, and added balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is similar to bacon in the fact that it makes everything better. Plus, it is always a great addition to caprese salad... especially if it has mini mozzarella balls in it. Calm down, I didn't say that balsamic vinegar is better than bacon... just versatile like bacon. Geesh, tough crowd.

As with many things, this salad is good the day you make it but it is great a day or two later. The longer the basil, olive oil & balsamic vinegar (in my case) marinate they really make the flavor of the tomatoes and mozzarella better.

From the picture you can tell that Alice has some different types of cherry tomatoes in her salad. At my local store I found red and yellow cherry tomatoes. Good enough or me! It really made the salad look more appetizing, and the yellow cherry tomatoes taste sweeter in my world. I like the play on flavors.

 

Go visit my Hungry Hungry Hippo board on Pinterest for this recipe. Or better yet, throw some tomatoes, cheese, olive oil & whatever herbs and other flavors you like together.

 

 



Pinterest Win: Vegetable Lime Chickpea Chili

Guess what day it is... MEATLESS MONDAY! Ok fine, so my play on the camel with Hump Day didn't go over well. Just cuz you don't think I am funny doesn't mean I don't think I am funny.

This is my third Meatless Monday post, and I have to say that I am really enjoying these recipes. One of my besties, Bambi, is vegan so I invited her over tonight to try my new dish. Bambi said she liked it, and Bambi doesn't lie. I mean, hello, she is vegan... people who don't eat meat can't lie. They don't have enough energy to do that. tee hee hee

I have said in earlier posts that participating in Meatless Mondays is healthier and saves you money. Pretty sure my clothes aren't fitting looser, but I can say my grocery bill isn't as high. In addition, it is interesting and challenging to find recipes not based on meat. Most my meal planning started with what meat I had in the fridge or freezer, and then building the meal around that. On Meatless Mondays, it is what vegetables and alternative protein choices I have on hand. Basically, it is similar to switching from building an outfit off what shoes I have, and starting to build outfits from the jewelry on hand instead. I might have lost some men on that analogy, but pretty sure I got my point across.

Back to Bambi's and my dinner date. To be clear, a bottle of wine was involved. I know some of you were worried.

I pinned a recipe on Pinterest over a year ago, and am glad that I found it again. This is posted on my Gluten Free board. The recipe comes from a blog called Two Peas & Their Pod. Maria and Josh are a married couple who love cooking & entertaining and created a blog around it. Their blog literally puts mine to shame, it is good stuff. They have great recipes, and pictures of/references about their son Caleb who is a cutie. You should definitely check out their blog, and their stories.  You will feel like you are a part of their inner circle. :)

Maria and Josh have a recipe for Vegetable Lime Chickpea Chili. It comes from a friend of theirs cookbook. I agree with Maria that the recipe just looks great with all the fresh ingredients.

Photo from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com
 

For me, one of the best parts is how quickly you can make this chili. The longest part is chopping up the vegetables. This is such an easy meal. The flavor is simple but so good at the same time. Not complex, not over done, just perfect. It is not a "heavy" chili, definitely one you can have in the summer or spring and still feel you have warm, comfort food.

I started sautéing the zucchini and squash first, then added the mushrooms & onion. I made sure the vegetables were cut around the same size so that they will cook evenly. Then all the other ingredients came in and it made a great meal. This literally took about 30 minutes and was very flavorful. This recipe is a go-to for the crazy busy SAHM's and those of us who spend our days behind the desk. Easy, simple, full of flavor ~ definitely will be loved by all.

If you don't believe me, then just ask Bambi. She had two bowls... fine, we both did. And we finished off the bottle of wine. I call that a great Monday night!

I know many of you have rolled your eyes at me trying this Meatless Monday thing, but I encourage you to try some of these meals. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.... and more importantly, full!

Go make you some Vegetable Lime Chickpea Chili!

Pinterest Win: Bruschetta Quinoa Casserole

You know from last week that I am trying the whole Meatless Monday thing. No, I am not becoming a vegetarian. But I hear on The Chew that trying this out can save you $4,000 a year. That is over $300 a month, people! Now, if you are single like me and cooking for only one or two people then it probably isn't that much money. But saving money is saving money, I don't care how much it is. {PS: Yes, I know today is Tuesday. Like I said, yesterday was a recovery day. Quit judging me!}

My friend, Carrie, and I discussed over the weekend to start eating clean this week (after the Monday recovery day, of course). I am not really sure that she and I meant literally eating clean, but at least healthy. Either way, I found a clean recipe on Pinterest a couple months ago that I have been dying to try.

Not only do I like trying healthy dishes, which I inevitably make a little less healthy. (Dude, I am human...) I have been dying to try cooking quinoa. For some reason I have found it to be quite intimidating. The main ingredient of tonight's recipe is quinoa. There are so many health benefits for quinoa, but the one I care about most is the amount of protein it has. I am always trying to find different ways to incorporate protein to my diet. This might sound crazy, but sometimes I am just tired of eating meat. Yes, you read that right... I am a meatatarian, from Texas who just said she is sometimes tired of meat. I would agree that hell has frozen over but it is hotter than (enter explicit here) in Houston. So, that can't be true.

The recipe takes one of the ingredients I am scared of, quinoa, with one of my favorites: bruschetta. How could this go wrong??? Notice how I ask that question long after I made the dish. We both know that would have totally jinxed it. Speaking of the dish, let me get to it.

The Bruschetta Quinoa Casserole comes from a blog called The Iron You. It is written by a gentleman named Mike who is a triathlete and who likes to eat healthy. We obviously aren't dating. However, I am willing to try some other of his healthy recipes. I mean, if the picture of his Bruschetta Quinoa Casserole is any indication... I am eating his recipes all...the...time!

Photo from http://www.theironyou.com

This one is a bit more labor intensive than the last few, but don't let me saying that turn you off. The recipe is not difficult, and I promise that the end product is totally worth it. I swear to you, you must make it.

I followed this recipe pretty closely, except adding more cheese of course. I also added more red pepper flakes. I like things cheesy and spicy... kinda like me!

My version of this came out very well. So well that I ate about 3 portions, rather than one. I don't think this is what The Iron You guy meant when he called it healthy. Don't worry, I did leave some for leftovers for the rest of this week.

Sorry for the portion missing in the picture. It smelled so good that I got too excited to try it and forgot to take the picture first. Rookie move, but I am kinda a rookie so I say it's ok!

If you aren't ready to participate in Meatless Monday fully, try this as a side dish along some grilled chicken or maybe even shrimp. I even think adding mushrooms could make this a little "meatier".

Please visit my Clean Eating Pinterest board for the recipe. I promise you will not regret it! This is absolutely delish!

Pinterest Win: Creamy Chicken Soup!

As you all know, I love soup. Like crazy love soup. It could be 110 degrees in Houston, with 100% humidity and I still want soup. Not that cold soup crap, but yummy warm soup. {Remind me one day to tell you about the one and only time I tried gazpacho, or how I like to refer to it: salsa.} 

I decided to act like I was in my twenties again on Sunday night, and today was definitely a much needed recovery day. There are few things more comforting to me than soup. I knew I had to have it today. I perused my 'Soups' Pinterest Board and found this enticing pin. This is my first cream soup to make, so I was a bit nervous. But, more importantly I was hungry. Very hungry... not quite hangry, but I could see that development. It was on the horizon.

The blog that the recipe is featured on is called The Cookie Rookie. This young woman, Becky, who writes the blog says that she loves to cook and enjoys easy recipes. I am thinking Becky and I could be friends. We seem to like the same things. It's a great blog, you should definitely check it out. Also, check out her picture of the soup.

Photo from http://www.thecookierookie.com

Looks good, huh? The recipe seems a bit overwhelming but it actually was really easy. I used Half & Half instead of heavy cream or regular milk. I had almond milk in the fridge but wasn't in the mood to experiment too much. I mean, I was hungry and I needed to be able to eat what I make. Ya know? I got priorities...

 

The flavor of this soup is amazing! I had two bowls. Yup, fatty had two bowls. I would have had three but I got full. That is right kids, Momma is no longer hungry. You can imagine me doing the Happy Lee dance. It's a fun dance. You should try it. Though, it might not be called the Happy "Lee" dance when you do it. Anyway, I digress...

 

This recipe literally makes about 10-12 servings. I have so much to eat all week, and probably another week or two after that. I am a big fan of leftovers, so this recipe works well for me. If you are cooking this for a family then you'll obviously not have as much leftovers as me. Seeing as I made the soup for one, this girl is going to be eating soup for a while. Again, cue the Happy Lee dance. Check out my version of the soup (as usual, not professionally taken...)

 

 

 Now get off the internet and go make yourself some soup!

Mmmmmm...

Pinterest Win: Dynamite Tofu

I have seen a lot of postings on Pinterest about "Meatless Monday". I know that I surely could eat healthier so I figure "why not"? Of course, I launch this tonight... the same day that I meet my friend Felicia for lunch downtown at III Forks for Houston Restaurant Weeks. That's right, Momma had a steak - medium rare - for lunch. It kicked butt. So, going meatless tonight probably was a really good idea. Look at me! Woot woot!

Over a year ago I pinned a tofu recipe called Dynamite Tofu. Hello... it has the word dynamite in it. The dish has to be good!

The recipe looked crazy easy so I obviously had to make it. Granted, the actual recipe calls for it to be served with broccoli and rice. I skipped the rice trying to be healthy, but still steamed some broccoli to eat with the "dynamite" tofu.

I went to the store on the way home to pick up the tofu and broccoli. I had all the other ingredients on the website. Conveniently I love making Asian food, so that is helpful when I find new recipes.

Yes I have said this before, but the dynamite tofu recipe is literally one of the easiest ones to make. I believe it was written so that you can easily change the recipe for your personal liking. I prefer spicy food so I added more Sriracha than the recipe calls for and I added red pepper flakes. Yes, it was hot... and yes, it was SOOOOO good.

Including the prep time of cutting the tofu (which literally takes less than a minute), the total cook time for me was 24 minutes. That, ladies & gentlemen, makes me happy after a day at work - especially a Monday.

To get to the part you have been waiting for, the recipe can be found on my Hungry Hungry Hippo board on Pinterest. Since I have so many recipes on that board, I recommend you fun a search for "tofu". It will show up much easier. Doesn't the pic look yummy?



Photo from http://www.peta.org

Now, I have to be honest that I didn't realize the above beautiful picture would take me to the PETA website when I clicked on it. If you have met me then you know I heart animals, maybe not roaches or spiders, but definitely animals. However, I also think fur coats are soft & comfy. Man, did I just set myself up to get harassed by a hippie? Dangit.

In all seriousness, the PETA website actually has some awesome recipes on there. I definitely recommend you checking it out. Don't worry all my Oil & Gas working friends, I think your company will allow you on the PETA site. At least I think so. I dunno.

Back to me... I mean the recipe. So easy. So tasty. So awesome. Definitely will make this again. Now, my picture doesn't look at yummy as PETA's but pictures can be deceiving. This dish was delish, or shall I say DYNAMITE! (Below is my sad, pathetic picture...)

Maybe next time I should use a smaller plate...

Now go out there and try some tofu. I swear you won't notice a difference from chicken. That's right, I am not gonna lie - you'll know the difference from steak. Definitely will know the difference between tofu and steak. Give me a break, I am a true Texas girl... through & through.

Hope you join me for Meatless Monday!

Pinterest Win: Salisbury Steak Meatballs!

I remember growing up and loving Salisbury Steak at school. Those cute trays where each food had its own assigned spots, the "steak", the mashed potatoes, the corn, my milk... Ahhh, memories.

Playing on Pinterest one day and found a picture of Salisbury Steak Meatballs, served over egg noodles. I was beside myself, it looked so good. Of course, I had to make it. This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman blog. Yes, people, I was channeling Ree Drummond this evening. I hope she would be proud, but I am also sure she would laugh at me a little bit at the small mistake I made. If you are not familiar with this fabulous woman then you are missing out! She has an awesome cooking show on cable, her blog and her Facebook page rock. Start following her... NOW! Check out her version of this dish:

Photo from http://thepioneerwoman.com

John is introducing me to a new-to-me movie, The Big Lebowski. I figured it was a great night to try a little flashback for dinner! (Ok before you think your eyes have deceived you... yes, I have never seen The Big Lebowski, or as John refers to it "The Dude".)

Now that you are done laughing at me and my lack of movie knowledge, let's get to this tasty dish!

I've always thought of Salisbury steak as a "poor man's meal", not because of the frozen versions from the freezer section of your local grocer. More for the fact that it has always reminded me of meatloaf. I can say that after buying all the ingredients at the store today, it definitely is a great meal for those who are trying to save your pennies. But in addition to that, it has awesome flavor. I am on Cloud 9 after making this. John even asked that I make it again. I swear!

I eluded to a mistake earlier. This recipe from the Pioneer Woman blog makes enough for 12 people. Since we don't include the three dogs in our meal plans, I cut the recipe in half. I made the meatballs too moist. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that they were too moist until the very end. When you see the picture of my final product you will see that the meatballs didn't turn into mush, they just weren't as defined as I would have liked. Yes... I referred to "defined balls", top that!  

This was an easy dish to make, and does not take too long. The last part makes me happy because the last thing I want to do after work is to spend too much time in the kitchen. I want a good meal that is quick and easy, but most importantly delicious. This is it!

I am very happy with this dish. Please visit my Hungry Hungry Hippo Board on Pinterest to grab the recipe. Get off your tush and make it tomorrow for your Sunday night meal!

Enjoy!!! :)

~ Lee

Pinterest Win???? Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts

We just got back from a fun trip to Lafayette and Avery Island (Louisiana), where we ate like a King & Queen. I hella ate, so figured we needed something easy to make and a little lighter for dinner. (Basically, no gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, beignets, etc.)

I found a recipe a couple weeks ago on Pinterest that I really wanted to try. Figured tonight is the best night to do it. We stopped by the store to get fresh ingredients because I've watch too much Food Network and Cooking Channel, so I prefer the fresher ingredients rather than the pre-packaged.

These Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts can be found on my Hungry Hungry Hippo Pinterest board. The pin will link you to a Better Homes & Garden recipe. The picture looks fantastic, and yes - I am aware that BHG has people (probably paid well) to stage & take these pictures. But, still... YUM!

Photo from http://www.bhg.com

This was really an easy and quick recipe. The fresh ingredients really did help. John said he would eat it again. So, I can totally see you sitting there wondering why this was a questionable Win. Well... I failed to give the second part of John's comment. Of course there was a second part!

I wish you could have been there when John took his first bite. I was plating my dinner and looked up as he did it. I was torn... cry at another failure or laugh at his expression. It looked like he might choke if he had to swallow it.

I asked him what was wrong, and then he laughed and said that he needs to quit teasing me because I take him so seriously. Don't worry ladies, I didn't fall for it. And, men, we aren't stupid. Geesh!

I sit down next to John (we ate on the couch to watch the Bar Rescue marathon). I took my first bite, and coincidentally made the same face John did. Once I swallowed it, the taste wasn't too bad. It was actually good. Makes you wonder what was wrong with it, huh?

First, let me tell you some of the "enhancements" I made to the recipe. I added two cloves of freshly minced garlic. Totally a good idea. I also added some lemon zest to the flour. Not sure, but thinking that was the problem.

Overall, this was a good dinner. John is traveling this week, so I am eating the leftovers and I want to. I will be happy doing it. I swear!

Ok, fine... I'll get to the point (aka the problem). The lemon flavor tasted bitter. It's weird. It wasn't too lemony, but it was a bittery lemon. I can't pinpoint what went wrong, but think it is the lemon zest. Maybe I should not have put it in the flour? I don't know. If you have any ideas, let me know.

I'm definitely making it again. But might just do the one enhancement: fresh garlic. Recipes that don't ask for garlic confuse me. Not trifle, cheesecake or a garden salad... but any entrée. We need garlic in our lives. Garlic is a godsend.

I'm sorry, I totally digressed here with the garlic. Basically, this dish is good. I'd make it again and John said he wants me to. It even looked really good (proof below), I just need to figure out why it's so bitter?

You can check out the recipe here: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/poultry/lemon-butter-chicken-breasts/

Ok, bitter detectives... help me figure this out!