Tag Archives: quick recipes

Squash + Corn + Onion Cabbage Wraps

I’ve got another little cabbage wrap recipe to share with you!

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These shrimp + veggie cabbage wraps were so delicious, but they do involve a bit of work to prepare. These ones, just as good, require less work. They come together easily but still have amazing flavor.

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Let me tell yow how easy these are.

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Make some quinoa. Quinoa is so simple. It’s like rice, but takes less time. Rinse quinoa, boil quinoa, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. That’s it for the quinoa.

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While that’s happening, if you have a grill, grill the corn. If you don’t, like me, broil or roast the corn in the oven. If you broil it, it doesn’t take long at all.

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Chop the squash. I cut each of mine in half, long-ways, and then chopped it from there. Also, slice the onions and peel the garlic. Into a pan: olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook and then add the squash. Cook some more, add the corn and then taste-test one of the best veggie dishes ever.

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Blanch the cabbage. It’s simple, really. Don’t be afraid to do this.

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Pile ingredients onto cabbage, roll, then dig in. Eat, then repeat. It’s that simple!

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This simple summery meal is delicious, healthy and takes no time at all. Enjoy!

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Ingredients
2 cups water (or stock of your choice)
1 cup quinoa
Olive oil
1 large garlic clove
4 large spring onions
2-3 cups chopped squash
2 ears of corn
Cabbage leaves, one per wrap
Soy sauce, optional

Start with the quinoa. Rinse one cup of quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Add the rinsed quinoa and water (or stock) to a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and turn heat to low. Let quinoa simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy.

While quinoa is cooking, brush two ears of corn with olive oil. Place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Alternatively, grill the corn. Once the corn is down, let cool then remove the kernels from the cob.

Also while quinoa is cooking, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until onions start to get soft. Add the squash and cook for about 10 minutes, or until squash is soft or at the tenderness you prefer. Once done, add corn and remove from heat.

To blanch the cabbage: Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute. Remove the leaves and place into the ice water. I did two leaves at a time, but you may do more depending on the size of your pot. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.

To assemble the wraps, place a blanched cabbage leaf on a plate. Top with quinoa, a drizzle of soy sauce, if preferred, and the veggies. Fold over the bottom edge of the leaf and then fold in one of the sides. Begin rolling and tucking in the other side as you roll. It may be messy while eating.

Enjoy!

Asparagus + Red Onion + Pesto Creamy Quesadilla

This is my new favorite meal.

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My new favorite lunch. It requires very little cooking (I love cooking, but for now, the less heat, the better). It really requires very little work at all.

And this quesadilla tastes special. It’s like I’m eating something from an exciting, new restaurant. I can’t explain it, it just feels special.

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Even though I was a bit afraid to, I made this for Greg two nights ago. You see, he is not the biggest fan of cream cheese, sour cream and “other white stuff like that.”

I love cream cheese on a bagel, him not so much. A dollop of sour cream on a fajita? I love it, but not him. When I thought of this quesadilla using cream cheese, I knew I would love it. But I was worried about him.

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I decided to give it a try anyway. I didn’t tell him what was in it. I told him to try one bite — if he didn’t like it, I would make him another one, differently.

I watched nervously, as he took that first bite.

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He loved it! I could barely believe it.

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And then. “Is that sour cream?”

Great..I was hoping he wasn’t going to ask. I should have known better.

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“No,” I said.

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“What is it?” he asked.

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My first response? “I don’t want to tell you!”

But, after a few tries with that answer, and his plea of “C’mon tell me, I said that I like it!” I gave in and told the truth.

I put cream cheese in his quesadilla.

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Luckily, it turned out well for both of us. I get to make quesadillas with cream cheese, and we both like eating them.

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It does sound like cream cheese in a quesadilla could be overwhelming. But, it is the only cheese I put in this one. It actually feels light compared to other cheese-packed quesadillas you can get at restaurants.

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The flavor of this is unbelievable. Crispy asparagus and red onion + the creamy cheese + the flavor punch from the pesto = a tasty combination that will leave you wanting more.

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And, I used my cast iron skillet to make these — it was perfect!

Ingredients
*This is what I used to make one quesadilla. It can be very easily doubled, tripled, etc.
1 soft tortilla
5 asparagus stalks
1/4 of a medium red onion
8 chive sprigs
1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons of pesto
Olive oil

Chop the asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Thinly slice the onion. In a pan over medium-high heat, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus, give it a good toss, and cook the veggies for another 5 minutes. While cooking, the pan should be very hot. This way, the veggies get crisp and cook quickly. Once the veggies are done, set them aside.

Place a skillet over medium heat (I used my cast iron and it worked perfectly). Place a tortilla into the hot skillet. Carefully spread the cream cheese on one side of the tortilla. Tear the chives into small pieces and place on top of the cream cheese. Next, spoon the veggies onto the tortilla followed by the pesto.

At this point, your tortilla should be crisp but not burnt. If it is still soft, turn the heat up a bit and let it cook longer. Once done, it should be slightly crispy and crunchy, but able to fold over nicely.

Fold the tortilla in half, making a quesadilla.

Cut in half, and enjoy!

Notes:
– For dinner, I made three of these for Greg and I. I did make them one at a time. Unless you feel confident having several skillets going at once, it is definitely okay to do one at a time.

Portobello Sandwiches + Oven Fries

I’ve got something a little different for you today.

I have two things for you. And I’m going to show you how I made them.

Balsamic portobello mushroom sandwiches with crispy onion, melty cheese and fresh tomato. Yes. And, baked french fries.

This super simple, quick and easy meal will amaze you!

I would say that neither of these are exactly recipes. They are ideas, really. Simple ideas. And two things that can become a regular weeknight meal.

For the easy oven fries, start with a potato (or two or three — this is very easily doubled, tripled, etc. for how many you need!)

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Cut the potato in half.

And then cut the halves in half to make quarters.

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And then again, cut the quarters in half.

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Take the quarters, and slice them into fries.

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Put the fries into a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil.

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And then season those fries. I used salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika and garlic salt. Look below for specific amounts.

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Toss those fries up so that they all get evenly coated.

And then, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper is not completely necessary, but will make cleaning up easier!

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While the fries are baking away in the oven, it’s on to the sandwich!

Start by prepping the ingredients. Slice a tomato, onion and some cheese.

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Then take care of the onions. You are going to cook them in very hot oil to sort of flash fry them. Read below for detailed instructions. Here is what they will look like once they are done.

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Then, take a nice, big portobello mushroom.

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Pull off the stem and using a spoon, scrape out the black insides.

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Heat a pan over medium heat with about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place the mushroom in the pan.

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Let the mushroom cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. When it’s done, it should be soft and will have shrunk in size.

Once the ‘shroom is soft, turn up the heat to medium high. Pour some balsamic vinegar into the pan. And stand back. It may splash everywhere. You will have some cleaning up to do!

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Let the mushroom cook in the balsamic for an additional 3-4 minutes and then turn off heat and place the sliced cheese on the mushroom.

To assemble, first, take a bun. Any bun. One that will make you happy!

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Place the tomatoes on that bun. Some fresh, ripe, juicy, red tomatoes. I used two, sliced thick.

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Then, the balsamic ‘shroom that now has melty delicious cheese on it.

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Top that mushroom with crispy pan fried onion rings.

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And there you have it, a portobello sandwich!

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Smash down, cut in half, dig right in. However you prefer. Go for it.

It will be good. And it will be messy!

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This is one of my favorite quick and easy meals. It takes no time at all and has few, simple ingredients that make for a not-messy kitchen after.

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I hope that you will enjoy this meal as much as I do!

Ingredients
*For one. This recipe is very easily multiplied.
1 potato
Olive Oil
Salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic salt
1 portobello mushroom
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Sliced tomato
Sliced red onion
Cheese (I used fontina)

Preheat oven to 400*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Start with the potato. Slice it in half. Slice the halves in half to make quarters. Slice the quarters in half. Then slice into fries. Add the fries to a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the seasoning. I used 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, a pinch of paprika and a pinch of garlic salt. Toss well to evenly coat the fries. Place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, flip and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Clean the mushroom. Remove the stem and using a spoon, scrape out the black insides.

Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions. The key here is to make sure the oil is very hot before you add them. They will sort of flash fry and get caramelized and crispy, quickly. Once they are done (mine took about 5 minutes), remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to the same pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the mushroom and let cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. When it’s done, the mushroom should be soft and have shrunk in size. Turn the heat to medium-high and then add the balsamic vinegar. Let the mushroom cook and additional 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cheese slices to the mushroom.

Assemble the sandwich by placing the sliced tomato on a bun. Top with the mushroom that now has melted cheese on it, and then the red onions.

Take the fries out of the oven and enjoy the meal!

Peach + Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal, again.

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This is the 63rd post on this little blog and the third time I made baked oatmeal for you. That’s one baked oatmeal every 21 days. Except that my first two baked oatmeal recipes were posted just 10 days apart.

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I was going to take a break from making baked oatmeal until this past weekend. I ate it at a restaurant. And after the first bite, I knew I’d be making it for you soon.

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This combo of peaches + cranberries was inspired by what I ate at Cafe 101. I’ve had the idea of peach baked oatmeal in the back of my mind for a while, but have been waiting for fresh peaches. Cafe 101’s baked oatmeal was so good though, and I’m pretty certain the peaches weren’t fresh, so I decided to go for it. What made my decision even easier was the can of Three Springs Fruit Farm peaches I had in my cupboard. With that, I had no doubt that canned peaches would suffice.

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Even though this is the third time I made you baked oatmeal, this is the first time it doesn’t contain nuts. Or golden raisins. But it does have dried cranberries. Those are close to raisins. I really wanted to use fresh cranberries, but could not find them! I don’t think I realized fresh cranberries were a seasonal purchase. Definitely wrong about that.

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And! I baked this in my cast iron skillet. Yes, I am obsessed. It’s the best.

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This oatmeal is delicious. Not overly sweet, but for me, just the right amount. The cranberries get plump and the juicy peaches break right apart after they are baked. Sweet cinnamon and vanilla compliment the fruit perfectly.

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Ingredients
2 cups oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1  1/2 cups milk (I used almond)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted + cooled
5 canned peach halves, diced

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a cast iron skillet or a baking pan with butter or coconut oil.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and dried cranberries.

In another bowl, mix together the milk, egg, vanilla extract and melted butter or coconut oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix well. Fold in the diced peaches.

Transfer batter to the greased skillet or pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until oatmeal is set and slightly golden brown.

Enjoy!

Fresh Veggie + Cabbage Slaw

I’ve made you some slaw!

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And I’ve got a couple of things to say about it.

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1. This would be a great side dish (or topping!) for these veggie burgers. Great combo + so delicious!

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2. I’ve done quite a few strange things since I’ve started this blog, but I’ve got to say that photographing a large pile of raw chopped cabbage at 9 a.m. has got to be the strangest. 🙂

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3. I’m calling this slaw (and any other slaw I may someday make) just slaw instead of coleslaw. What does coleslaw even mean? The only thing I think of when I think of coleslaw is what I was served in my elementary school cafeteria. Trying not to compare the two.

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4. This recipe is brought to you by Cabo Fish Taco. Cabo Fish Taco is an amazing restaurant that Greg and I discovered a couple of summers ago in Charlotte, NC after seeing it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (love that show!). We went once and luckily have made it back a couple of times since and each time was just as good as the last. We always get the BBQ mahi fish tacos that taste like a plate full of fresh. The tacos come topped with this amazing slaw and the recipe is available on food network! The recipe is for the entire taco, and for this post, I just made the slaw. The only changes I made were adding more veggies and less mayo.

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5. As I mentioned above, I never really liked slaw (coleslaw). But this is different.  This tastes so fresh and light! And so flavorful. If you haven’t had a great past with coleslaw, you should definitely try this!

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6. Mayo. Another thing I’ve had a rough past with. I’ve never liked it. And if it is in something I’m eating, I try to forget about it. Like this dip. The dip is soo good, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. So, if I can forget there is mayo in it, it’s all okay. Does anyone else do this? But now, I’ve discovered something that I can come close to saying I sort of like! This. Has anyone else tried this and/or had this experience?

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7. This slaw is so good. It’s a summer recipe. Light, fresh, bright, delicious. It has a lovely kick with the chili powder and cayenne but is balanced with the cilantro and all of the cool, refreshing fresh veggies. It also isn’t overly creamy like traditional coleslaw, especially if you leave out some of the mayo. I hope you get to try it and love it too!

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Find the recipe here. Enjoy!