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Lynsey Lou's

Enjoying Life One Bite at a Time!

Quick and Easy

Autumn Chopped Salad

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This salad has quickly become a favorite in our house.  I’m not sure if it’s the list of ingredients that comes on this salad or if it’s the vinaigrette that makes is so good, or maybe it’s a combination of both.  Whatever it is, I’m glad I made it. 

It is no surprise that I love salads.  Even more, I love salads with fruit on them.  I guess it’s the whole sweet and savory thing that reals me in.  This particular salad has it all; sweet, salty, smokey and tangy.  I love it.  This salad is the epitomy of easy and delicious.  What more coud you want in a meal, especially one for the weeknight? 

The combination of apples, cranberries, and almonds just screams fall to me.  Take all of those things and sprinkle them on top of a bed of baby spinach and you have the perfect salald that is not only quick and healthy but delicious too.  To take it one step further and to make it that much more filling, top it with a warm, pan seared chicken breast.  Then to top it all off and bring all the flavors together it’s drizzled with a fresh apple cider vinagrette that is truly out of this world! 

This salad was amazing, filling and incredibly simple to put together.  It’s perfect for a quick meal yet fitting for entertaining guests, as well.   

Autumn Chopped Salad

Ingredients:

For the salad-
2 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 Honeycrisp apple
1/3 Cup dried cranberries
1/3 Cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 Cup smoked blue cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the apple cider vinaigrette-
1 Shallot (or 1/4 cup sweet white onion) roughly chopped
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp apple cider (or apple juice)
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper and salt, to taste

Directions:

Place a large saute pan over medium heat.  Slightly pound chicken until it’s 1/2 inch in thickness.  Season chicken, on both sides, with salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil in the hot pan then place chicken in the pan.  Cook chicken on one side for about 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.  Flip chicken over and cook an additional 6-8 minutes, until golden brown and cooked thoroughly.  Remove from pan, place on plate and tent with foil.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  Combine shallot, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, mustard, lemon juice and honey in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine and to mince the shallot.  With food processor running, slowly stream in olive oil and continue to process until mixture is combined.  Taste, adjust seasonings and set aside.

To assemble-
Cut the apple in half and thinly slice.  Thickly slice the chicken breasts, on a biased.  Place 2 cups baby spinach on 2 plates.  Divide the apples, cranberries, almonds and blue cheese evenly between the two plates.  Place chicken on top of each salad.  Pulse the vinaigrette once more to combine all ingredients, if they separated.  Drizzle over the salad.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original 

 

Creamy Spinach and Arugula Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

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Here we are in the midst of fall, part of the country is being slammed with rain and snow but here in Arkansas we’ve had no such weather.  We’ve had some chilly days but no frosts or severe weather, yet.  So, unlike a lot of people, our garden is still in full bloom and we are still picking bell peppers, tomatoes, and jalapenos by the buckets.  Believe it or not, my herbs are still in full bloom too; parsley, basil and even some cilantro.  Wild, right?  I plan to utilize every piece of fresh produce possible while I still have access to it.


When I first saw this recipe on Josie’s blog it wasn’t a matter of wanting to make it, I knew I had to make it.  And make it soon.  I decided to change it up a tad, since it is fall and there’s so much wonderful fall and winter produce available.  I substituted spaghetti squash in place of the pasta and it was delicious.  But if you are not a big fan of spaghetti squash you could easily use your favorite type of pasta.  I also used a combination of spinach and arugula for the sauce.  The arugula added a nice, peppery flavor that complimented the butteriness of the avocado and spaghetti squash perfectly. 

I loved everything about this dish.  The sauce was creamy and bursting with tons of flavor. But I think my favorite part of this dish was the roasted tomatoes.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Delicious!  Slightly sweet, incredibly fresh and perfect.  I even stole one, or two…or three or four, but who is counting, before I even put them on the pasta.  I served this with a side of crusty bread and it make for a perfeclty satisfying meal that the entire family enjoyed.     

Creamy Spinach and Arugula Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 Tsp sugar
1 Baked spaghetti squash*
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Small white onion, diced
2 Cloves minced garlic
6 Oz baby spinach, washed
6 Oz arugula, washed
1/4 Cup Greek yogurt
1/4 Cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 Avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 Cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet and toss with olive oil, slat and sugar.  Spread tomatoes evenly onto baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.  Roast the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, tossing once half way through. 

While the tomatoes are roasting, place butter in a large saute pan and allow to melt.  Once the butter has melted place onions in the pan and saute until softened and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragarent, another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the spinach and arugula, a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add the yogurt and stir to combine.  Remove pan from heat and carefully transfer ingredients to a food processor (an immersion blender may be used instead), pulse the ingredients until smooth, adding stock 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.  Transfer the puree back to the pan and add basil and cheese and stir to combine.  Add the spaghetti squash and toss to coat. 

Divide the “pasta” among plates, top with roasted tomatoes and additional cheese, if desired.

*The baked spaghetti squash can be made a day or two in advance and placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Recipe source: adapted from Pink-Parsley originally from Perry’s Plate

WC: Roasted Tomato, Mozzerella, and Spinach Sandwiches

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Caprese salad is one of my all time favorites.  It’s such a simple salad with simple ingredients; spinach (or basil), tomatoes, mozzerella and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, but it’s so delicious, flavorful and refreshing.  So needless to say, when summer rolls around and we have tons of ripe, red tomatoes on the vine I am one happy girl!  Although it’s not summer anymore we still have tons of tomatoes in our garden.  Not sure if we have magic dirt or if it’s just a benefit of living in Arkansas and having ever changing weather; from day to day!  Either way, I will take it because it’s that much longer I can enjoy my beloved caprese salad.

While caprese salad is amazing on it’s own, over the past few months I’ve seen these simple ingredients incorporated into recipes and they all look amazing.  This sandwich is one of those recipes I’ve been eyeing and wanting to try for quite some time.  And now I’m finally getting to!  For this round of the What’s Cooking recipes swap it was blogger’s choice.  What that means is we get to choose the recipe we make from our assigned blog.  It didn’t take me long to figure out what I was going to make from Kate’s blog, that’s right this roasted tomato, mozzerella and spinach sandwich!

Boy, did this sandwich ever live upto my expectations.  It was incredible!  My only issue is why I waited so long to make this.  I loved every single thing about this sandwich, even better is it’s a sinch to throw together.  The roasted tomatoes added so much flavor.  You could give me a fork and pan of roasted tomatoes and I would gladly eat them. All.  Don’t worry, I didn’t, I saved them for the sandwiches.  Okay, back to the sandwich.  The roasted tomatoes are stacked on top of the fresh mozzerella, and the heat from tomatoes slighlty melts the mozzerella and that makes the sandwich that much better.  A drizzle of that candy-like balsamic, a little spinach and another piece of toasted bread.  Oh my gosh, it’s so good and it doesn’t get much better than this sandwich!  I served this on whole clove garlic bread from a local bakery, and it just added that much more flavor to the meal.  Serve this sandwich with your favorite soup and you’ve got a light, tasty and flavorful meal in no time!

Roasted Tomato, Mozzerella, and Spinach Sandwich

 Ingredients:

1 Large tomato
1/2 Cup baby spinach
5 Oz fresh mozzerella, sliced slighlty thin
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
4 Thick slices crusty bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

Thickly slice the tomato, slices should be about 1/4 inch thick.  Place tomatoes on prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over low-medium heat and allow to preheat.  Once skillet is warm, drizzle one side of each piece of bread with olive oil and place oiled side down in the preheated pan.  Allow to toast until golden, about 2-3 minutes.  Drizzle the tops with olive oil and flip each piece, allow to toast an additional 2-3 minutes, until golden.  Remove from heat. 

To assemble-
Place equal amounts of mozzerella on 2 pieces of toasted bread.  Top the mozzerella with tomoatoes.  Place the spinach on the empty pieces of bread.  Drizzle the tomatoes, to taste, with balsamic vinegar.  Place the spinach and bread on top of the tomatoe and mozzerella topped bread.  Serve.

Recipe source: adapted from Kate’s Recipe Box, originally from BBC Good Food

Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes

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Lately we have been on a big salad kick.  Typically, when we have salads I offer to make chicken or some other protien to ensure Spencer gets enough.  While I could fill up on salad alone, he sometimes needs a little bit more substinance to fill him up.  So when I came across this recipe on Skinny Taste I had no doubt that this would be a winner; it has a salad which we’ve been enjoying a lot of lately and it has chicken so I knew it would be filling enough for Spencer.

Unlike most salads with meat in them, the chicken is actually the base of this dish.  The chicken is cut in half, then lighty pounded to create an even thinner palate, and then it’s breaded.  The breading of this chicken is different than others; instead of milk or eggs, a combination of olive oil and lemon juice is used to dip the chicken in.  Once the chicken is dipped in the lemon juice mixture, it’s coated in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and then baked.  While the chicken is baking a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar (I LOVE this stuff), tomatoes, basil and onions is put together and allowed to marinate to allow all the flavors to combine.  Once the chicken is baked it’s removed from the oven, topped with fresh, peppery arugula and then finished with the balsamic marinated tomatoes and onions. 

The end result is nothing less than amazing.  The chicken is full of flavor; slighlty crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.  The arugula salad it’s incredible; peppery, earthy, slighty tart with a little tang and sweet.  All of these elements combined make for a very satisfying meal; that’s not only a pleasure to eat but a pleasure to look at, as well.  This meal is perfect for a quick, weeknight meal and impressive enough to serve for guests.  This was definitely a pleasing meal for our entire house; even Tucker thoroughly enjoyed it!

Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes

 Ingredients:

For the salad-
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 Medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 Small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Salt and fresh gound pepper, to taste
6 Cups baby arugula

For the chicken-
24 Oz (about 3) boneless, skinless chicken breast
3/4 Cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/3 Cup grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

For the salad-
In a medium bowl combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar, whisk to combine.  Add the diced tomatoes, red onion, basil and salt and pepper.  Toss, or stir, to coat.  Set aside and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes.

For the chicken-
Preheat oven to 450.  Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Carefully slice the chicken breast in half, lengthwise.  Place 1 piece of chicken at at time between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound the cutlets to about an 1/8 of an inch in thickness.  Repeat process with remaining cutlets.  Gently pat the chicken with a paper towel to get rid of any excess moisture, season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

In a shallow bowl, or dish, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and stir to combine.  In a separate shallow bowl, or dish, combine lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper and stir to combine. 

Place one chicken cutlet in the lemon-olive oil mixture, and coat each side with the mixture.  Then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to ensure the breadcrumbs adhere, lift and gently shake to remove any excess crumbs and place on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining chicken cutlets.  Once all the chicken is coated, drizzle with olive oil and place in oven.  Bake for 15 minutes, turning once half way through.  Bake until chicken is cooked thoroughly and golden-brown, being sure not to overcook the chicken. 

Remove the cooked chicken from the baking pan, and place on dinner plates.  Top each piece of chicken, evenly, with arugula and the marinated tomatoes and onions.  Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Skinny Taste

Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

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A few months ago I posted a recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks, ATK Best Simple Recipes and since then I have made several other recipes from this wonderful cookbook.  Just when I think I can’t be any more impressed by all of these simple, yet mouthwatering recipes I make another and I am impressed all over again.  America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) never ceases to present amazing recipes as well as the information as to what makes these recipes work.  I love, love, love this cookbook and ATK.  This cookbook helps me make tasty and nutritious meals for my family even on those hectic weeknights.  This is definitely one of those tools that all you busy people want to have in your survival toolbox.


Initially this was one of those recipes that I wasn’t very sure about.  I had it on the menu for a few weeks before I finally decided to make it, and boy am I glad I finally got around to this recipe.  I love chickpeas and I love hummus, but that was about the extent of my cooking with chickpeas, until now.  These chickpea cakes are tasty, with a light and breaded filling and a crispy outer shell.  They are packed full of flavor, slighlty earthy from the cilantro and onions and a hint of spice from the cayenne and garam masala.  The cake is then pan fried until crispy and golden brown and topped with the cucumber yogurt sauce which lends a light and fresh flavor to the dish.  I served these cakes with a green salad, and it made for a wonderfully light and filling meal perfect for weeknight. 

Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1 Cucumber, peeled, halved lenthwise, seeded and shredded
1 1/4 Cups Greek yogurt
6 Scallions thinly sliced on the biased
1/3 Cup cilantro, roughly chopped
2 Large eggs
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 (16 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Medium shallot, minced
1 Lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 350. 

Place bread pieces into a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs begin to form.  Spread crumbs onto a rimmed baking sheet.  Place crumbs in oven and bake 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once crumbs are dry and golden remove from oven and set aside allowing to cool.

While the crumbs are baking, combine the shredded cucumber and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to combine.  Place salted cucumber in a colander and allow to drain for 15 minutes.  In a small bowl combine drained cucumber, 3/4 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons scallions, and 1 tablespoon cilantro and stir to incorporate.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, 2 tablespoons oil, garam masala, cayanne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Place chickpeas in the food processor and pulse until mostly smooth, making sure the mixture is not pureed.  Transfer to a large bowl, add bread crumbs, egg mixture, shallot, and remaining yogurt, scallions and cilantro and stir to combine.  Form the mixture into six 1-inch thick patties.

Place a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and allow skillet and oil to heat.  Place part of the patties in the pan, being sure not to overcrowd, and cook until well browned, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Transfer cooked patties to a plate and loosely tent with foil.  Repeat process with remaining oil and patties.  Serve with cucumber-yogurt sauce and lime wedges.

Recipe source: Barely adapted from America’s Test Kitchen,  The Best Simple Recipes

Avocado Enchiladas

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A lot of people tend to have weekly richuals as far as food goes; tonight is Mexican night, tomorrow is burger night and so on.  I’ve never really thought of myself as being one of those people, but the more I start to look at our weekly meal plans the more I start to see particular types of food appear on there on a weekly basis.  Although we don’t have some type of Mexican inspired meal every. single. week, we come close to it.  I’ve said before that I could honestly live on Mexican food, and I truly mean it.  What’s not to love about some fresh, cold and spicy salsa, hot cheese dip and chips?  I could honestly make a meal of that alone, but I make myself save room for the entree…most of the time!


I love enchiladas, and I believe we’ve been enjoying a vareity of enchiladas as of lately.  For our latest Mexican night, I decided to try something completely new (to us) and make avocado enchiladas.  I love avocado, I could honestly eat it by itself, but instead I try to find or creat different recipes that utilize it!

These burritios are fairly quick to put together and surprisingly filling.  The avocado flavor really shines and is complimented by the addition of garlic, onions and cilantro really help to enhance the flavor and bring this dish to life.  It starts by sauteing onions, garlic and various seasonings.  That mixture is then combined with the avocados, cilantro and lime juice.  Fill the tortillas with the mixture, then lay them in a nice little bath of salsa verde.  A quick topping of salsa verde and cheese and then they are ready to be popped in the oven.  After a quick bake, the enchiladas are given an additional drizzle of salsa verde, cilantro and tomatoes.  The end result is simply amazing.

Avocado Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 avocados
Juice of 1 lime
½ Cup cilantro, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ Tsp cumin
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Cups Colby jack cheese, shredded
1 ½ Cups salsa verde
5 Flour tortillas
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place skillet over medium heat, allow to heat up. Pour 1 tbsp of oil in the skillet and add onions, garlic, and cumin. Saute the ingredients until onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine, add another ½ to 1 tbsp oil and cook until brown sugar has dissolved.

Remove the avocados from the skin and roughly chop. Place chopped avocado in a bowl, add cilantro and lime juice and toss to combine. Add the onion mixture and stir.

Pour ½ cup salsa verde in the bottom of a casserole/baking dish and spread over the dish evenly. Spoon 2-3 tbsp of the avocado mixture in the tortilla, sprinkle with 1 tbsp shredded cheese and roll up, place seem side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Top the enchiladas with an additional ½-3/4 cup salsa verde, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until tortilla edges begin to turn golden and cheese is melted.

Top with additional cilantro, salsa verde, and ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, if desired.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Lou’s Original

Strawberry, Spinach, and Blue Cheese Salad

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Salads are one of my “go to” meals.  It’s one of those things that I can always eat, even when nothing sounds good.  Salads are light, refrsing, full of flavor and filling without leaving you weighed down.  Another wonderful thing about salads is they are easily customizable for any taste. 

Since salads are one of my staples, it’s surprising to me that I don’t share more recipes with you here on the blog.  I guess I don’t really think they have enough “wow” factor to constitute having their own post.  But, since they are a staple in our house I decided it would be nice to share some of the salads with you that are common in our house. 

This salad has to be one of my all-time-favorites.  I love the combination of spinach, strawberries, and blue cheese.  It’s such simple combination of ingredients but it’s so good.  In this salad there’s a combination of sweet, tart, tangy, and crunchy.  The sweet strawberries are like candy, the tart dried cranberries add a nice punch of flavor, following by the tangy, smooth and creamy blue cheese (I think I could eat blue cheese, alone, by the handfuls…but I didn’t!), and a nice crunch from toasted walnuts make for a perfect and flavorful salad.  It’s incredibly simple to put together, and perfect for quick weeknight meals when you just don’t have time to cook, yet impressive enough to serve to guests as an appetizer or meal.  And, if you’re like me, and have someone in your house that insists on having a more hearty meal, simply grill some chicken, slice it and lay the sliced chicken on top of the salad.  However you decide to serve this salad, with or without chicken, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Strawberry, Spinach, and Blue Cheese Salad

Serving size: 2 salads
Ingredients:

4 Cups loosely-packed baby spinach
1 1/2 Cups sliced strawberries 
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1 Small tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 Small red onion, sliced
1/4 Cup blue cheese, crumbled
3/4 Cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Directions:

Place 2 cups baby spinach on a plate.  Top with 3/4 cup sliced strawberries, 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, half of the diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons blue cheese (more if desired), 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts and half of the red onion slices.  If you are serving chicken, slice the chicken and place on top of the salad.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Drizzle with your favorite dressing or vinaigrette.  I love this salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Recipe source: A Lynsey Original

Goat Cheese and Avocado Grilled Cheese

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Grilled cheese sandwiches are an all time classic, they were a staple in my childhood and still are to this day.  There is just something so comforting about the classic grilled cheese sandwich.  It truly is the “original” comfort food.  Plus, let’s not forget that all time classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup.  That combination is most popular during the winter months but does make appearances on our menu from time to time during the summer months as well. 

The grilled cheese sandwich is one of those things that is so versatile and is open to various types of interpretation.  While the classic grilled cheese with American or cheddar cheese is probably the most popular, there are various other combinations of cheeses and other additions that have made appearances on the grilled cheese from time to time.  And people aren’t done trying to “amp up” the grilled cheese just yet. 

This goat cheese and avocado grilled cheese is yet another example of how the “basic” grilled cheese can be taken to the next level.  Layers of provolone cheese, topped by buttery avocado, sharp and tangy goat cheese, baby spinach and then topped with another layer of provolone.  Wow!  This is probably one of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches to date.  The avocado adds so much flavor to the sandwich, but it’s not out done by the goat cheese.  Boy, I LOVE goat cheese and it really does add so much flavor to this sandwich.  Not only does it add a sharp tang, but it compliments the avocado, provolone and spinach at the same time.  This really is the ultimate comford food with bold, amped up flavors. 

Goat Cheese and Avocado Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

4 Slices bread
1 Avocado, sliced
4 Slices provolone cheese
5 Tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
1 Cup baby spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter

Directions:

Place frying pan over low heat. 

Meanwhile, place 1 slice provolone cheese on a slice of bread.  Top cheese with 1/2 cup spinach, half of the avocado slices, and 2 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles.  Season with salt and pepper, top with another slice of provolone then a slice of bread.  Spread butter on top of the slice of bread.

Place 1 tablespoon butter into the preheated pan and allow to melt.  Place the sandwich in the pan, with the non-buttered piece of bread in the pan.  Cook until bread is golden and cheese is beginning to melt, then flip sandwich and allow to cook until the cheese is completely melted and other slice of bread is golden brown, and slightly crunchy.  Repeat with remaining ingredients and enjoy hot.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Tastespotting

Beef and Vegetable Fajitas

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So the newest addition to my cookbook repertoire is a fabulous book from America’s Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes.  This cookbook promises over 200 delicious recipes that can be prepared and cooked in about 30 minutes, making this a perfect “go to” resource for weeknight meal planning.  This book not only promises quick and delicious meals, but it delivers!  I have tried a few recipes from this particular book that I’ve seen on various blogs and I’ve enjoyed them immensely.  First and foremost they are delicious, my entire family enjoys them and it takes very little time to get a healthy and tasty meal on the table.  I finally decided it was time to add this book to my ever growing collection.

I was so excited when I finally brought this book home.  I immediately sat down and started reading; page after page is filled with recipes that sound amazing and the pictures are even more captivating.  I believe I’ve marked 99% of the recipes in this cookbook and I can’t wait to make them.  If only there were more weeknights in the week…ha.  The hardest part about reading this book is choosing which recipe I want to make first!  If you’re anything like me, then your weeknights are hurried and your time is precious and any cookbook that offers tasty and healthy meals is welcomed.

Since I love Mexican food, one of the first recipes I made from this cookbook (once I bought it) was the fajitas.  I am a sucker for fajitas.  Juicy, tender meat that is cooked perfectly and accompanied by those tender and flavorful vegetables.  Wrapping all that goodness up in a fresh flour tortilla is pure goodness.  I loved this particular recipe because it’s incredibly simple to prepare plus full of flavor, veggies and packed full of fun colors.  The vegetables in this meal were not only the traditional bell peppers and onions; but corn, tomatoes and lime.  Oh my goodness, it was so good and added so much to this meal.  This meal captured all of the goodness we enjoy at the restaurant but in the comforts of home.  We will definitely be enjoying this recipe over and over again!     

Beef and Vegetable Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2 pound) flank steak
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 Tsp lime zest
1 Small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 Cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp taco seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Cup frozen corn, thawed
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Using a paper towel, pat the steak dry and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Place the steak in the heated pan and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes per side.  Once cooked to desired wellness, transfer to a plate and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the freshly squeezed lime juice.  Place a piece of tented foil over the steak and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile place the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, taco seasoning and chili powder and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes.  Add corn and stir to combine, add the remaining lime juice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a shallow bowl and top with lime zest.

Remove foil from steak and slice thinly on bias, against the grain.   

To assemble:
place sliced steak and vegetable mixture on a warmed tortilla and top with cilantro and enjoy!

Recipe source: slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

Mushroom-Sausage Ragu

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It’s not surprising that I love being in the kitchen.  Some people have their retail therapy, others get massages and manicures, but I cook and bake.  The entire process; preparation, cooking and decorating and plating is my therapy.  As much as I enjoy preparing meals that are packed full of different steps and processes, during the week I just don’t have that kind of time.  I need to be able to get a well balanced meal on the table in a short period of time so we can eat at a decent hour.

I know this isn’t the typical recipe for ragu, but this is the perfect version for a quick weeknight meal.  This was a dish that was incredibly easy to assemble, and took practically no time to get on the table.  It’s packed full of so many flavors and textures; from the sweet sausage, meaty mushrooms to the robust tomato sauce.  Can we all just agree here that mushrooms and sweet Italian sausage were made for one another?  I don’t know what it is, but it’s a magical combination.  The tomatoes not only added a slight sweetness to the sauce, but a slightly smokey undertone, as well.  All of the flavors combined made the perfect topping to spoon over starchy rice or buttery polenta.  I’ve enjoyed this dish using both the rice and polenta and each were equally delicious and satisfying.
Mushroom-Sausage Ragu

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (14.5oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
2 Cups baby bella mushrooms
1 Garlic clove, mined
1 Small onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Place a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil and allow to heat.  Once the oil is warm add the sausage and allow to cook until cooked through.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. 

Return pan to medium heat, add butter along with mushrooms and onions.  Allow to cook until tender, and onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.  Onces the vegetables are almost cooked through add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.  Return the sausage to the pan, and stir to combine with onions and mushrooms.  Add the fire roasted tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until mixture has thickened slightly.

To serve-
Spoon ragu over prepared rice or polenta, sprinkle with fresh parsley.   

Recipe source: adapted from Food and Wine via Delish

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