Thai Inspired Turkey Stir Fry

Thursday is usually about the time of the week where I'm feeling about as productive as possible, and I don't care what my bank account or the scale reads. All I want is to order take out and veg. But then I do think about said bank account and scale (damn scales), and I convert my local pad thai dreams into DIY homemade take-out. Ground beef, sautéed vegetables, fresh basil. What's there not to love? So go ahead, get "take-out" tonight!

Thai Inspired Turkey Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tbsp. high heat oil (such as peanut or avocado)
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small onion, finely sliced
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup jasmine rice, cooked

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce (or soy sauce alternative such as coconut aminos)
• 1 tbsp. honey or agave nectar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. 

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat for a minute before you add in 1 tbsp. of oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic before it burns. Lower the heat slightly (medium-high) and add in the peppers and onion. 

Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and starting to brown, remove from the hot pan and set aside. Add in the remaining oil and add the ground turkey to the hot oiled pan. Break the turkey up with a spoon as it cooks, you want there to be no pink remaining and the turkey to be slightly browned. 

At this point, add the peppers and onions back in as well as 1 cup of the chopped basil, stir to combine, then add in the sauce that you prepared earlier. Cook for 1 more minute to incorporate the sauce. Serve hot over jasmine rice, and garnish with lots of fresh basil.

Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles

Is t weird that I have breakfast for dinner like once a week? And by breakfast, I mean I make a savory dish and throw an egg on top of it and call it a day. A little look into my life, as a creature of habit, I have the same thing for breakfast every single day. A hard-boiled eg and coffee. But I have been trying to mix it up as of late, and even had oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon this week (I basically don't recognize myself). But I have to have at least an egg a day. So if it isn't what starts my day, it's what I end my day with. Eggs for dinner. That's my new habit. And coming from a girl who refused to eat eggs in any way, shape, or form as a kid, that's saying a lot. 

These sweet potato waffles are delicious on their own, but adding a sunny-side up egg (or a fried would be just as yummy!), you add some creaminess and added protein to the dish. Plus you can never go wrong with guac and hot sauce. Because guac is life, obvi. Feel free to make the paleo version, or use whatever flour and/or seasonings you prefer if you are not following the paleo lifestyle. 

Paleo Sweet Potato Waffles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded sweet potato
• 2 tbsp. coconut flour (can use all-purpose of whole wheat for non-paleo)
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 batch homemade guacamole
• 4 eggs
• hot sauce (optional)

Preheat a waffle maker while you prepare the "batter".

In a medium bowl, mix together the sweet potato, almond flour, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. 

Fill the waffle maker with the mixture and press down firmly, and cook until crispy and browned. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 waffles. Place in the oven to keep warm.

Fry up your eggs any way you like them, I prefer sunny side up, and serve atop hot waffles and a side of guacamole and hot sauce. 

Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

Have I mentioned this week that I love Easter? Yes, I know, we've already established that I am a sinner when it comes to refusing to eat Easter ham, but what about all of the other yummy Easter foods that I love? Deviled eggs, carrot cake, and fresh vegetable quiche just to name a few. Another favorite of mine is a freshly baked filet of salmon. The tanginess of the whole grain mustard sauce and the buttery crunchy topping is just about as damn good as it gets. Plus, crispy roasted asparagus is a side-ass side kick. Happy Easter all! Hope your wine glasses are as full as your baskets.

Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. salmon filet, skin on
• 2 tsp. honey
• 3 tbsp. whole grain mustard
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, minced
• 8 butter crackers (such as Ritz)
• 1 lc. fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk together the honey, mustard, sour cream, and dill. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and lower heat to 400 degrees F.

Carefully place the salmon in the middle of the baking sheet, skin-side down and spread the top of the salmon with mustard sauce. Top with the crumbled crackers and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until just cooked through. 

Serve warm with roasted asparagus on the side. 

Chipotle Pineapple Chicken Lettuce Cups

It's my final recipe of the week and with that I am sharing with you a recipe that can be made smaller as an appetizer (you know some big sports game is coming up in a few weeks), or made large enough to be a main course entrée for lunch or dinner! I love the combination of spicy and sweet. Probably because it reminds me of myself. I won't ramble on too much today because A) it's Friday, and B) you should be making these ASAP.

Chipotle Pineapple Chicken Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. raw chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 head romaine or butter lettuce
• 1 egg, scrambled and chopped
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 3 tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce

In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.

Add chopped chicken, chipotle sauce, in the same pan and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes.

Add bell pepper and fresh pineapple. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add in the cooked bacon, chopped egg and cilantro. Stir and serve in lettuce cups.

Pumpkin Pie Date Bars

Remember when I revealed to you the secret to homemade Lara Bars? Well, take that recipe and make it so basic that you are so consumed by pumpkin spice that you can't remember life before it. A simple list of ingredients, when whirled together in a food processor, creates the most flavorful, filling, and healthy to boot, breakfast or snack on the go!

 Pumpkin Pie Date Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• pinch of sea salt

Add the dates, almonds, and pepitas to a food processor and whirl until broken up into small pieces. Add in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whirl again until the mixture is well combined and sticks together.

Pour the mixture out on to a sheet of parchment paper, form into a ball, then flatten into a 4x8-inch rectangle. Place into the fridge for 30 minutes, then remove, cut into rectangles and wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap. 

Roasted Poblano Pico de Gallo

I. Can't. Get. Enough. Poblanos. It's like every time I see them, I have to buy at least 3 or 4. Then I rush straight home and throw them on the grill to roast. Meanwhile, brainstorming anything and everything that I can make with them once they are shed of their charred skin, leaving behind the most savory roasted pepper ever! Last weekend we had the best man in our {future} wedding and his fiance over for dinner, and we made a simple spread of guac and chips with carne asada tacos, complete with this roasted poblano pico. And man, it did not disappoint. What would you pair this homemade poblano pico with?

Roasted Poblano Pico de Gallo

Ingredients :

• 2 large poblano peppers
• 3 tomatoes, finely diced 
• 1 garlic clove,  minced 
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion 
• 1/2 lime, juiced 
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat grill to high or turn on your broiler. Roast the poblano peppers until charred black on all sides. Remove the poblanos from the heat and put into a ziplock bag. Close and let steam for 20 minutes. Once they have steamed, the charred skin will easily peel off. Discard the charred skin, stem, and seeds. Chop the roasted peppers.

In a medium bowl add together the tomatoes, garlic, onion, lime juice, and chopped poblanos. Season with salt and pepper and place in the fridge to chill. Just before serving, stir in the chopped cilantro.

Serve it upon tacos, eggs, chips, you name it!

Rainbow Veggie Noodle Bowls

If you haven't joined in on the spiralizer bandwagon yet, I suggest you do so before attempting tonight's meal. I'm officially a veggie "noodle" fanatic, and have even gotten my fiance to join in on the fun. He went from, "That's it? Where's the rest of the meal?" to "Mmmmmmm, delicious". I love being able to use all different kinds of vegetables to bring out different colors and flavors. The vitamins and slimmer waistline are just an added bonus. The fact that our wedding in only 5 months away is sneaking up on us surprisingly fast. So anything I can do to feel confident in that dress is what I am willing to do. And eating veggie noodles is not a sacrifice to me, but a win-win. I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times; You have to eat, so why not eat good food, right?!

Rainbow Veggie Noodle Bowls

Ingredients:

• 1 red beet, ends trimmed and peeled
• 1 sweet potato, ends trimmed and peeled
• 1 zucchini, ends trimmed
• 3 large carrots, ends trimmed and peeled
• 1 tbsp. bacon fat*
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• basil for garnish

Run the beet, sweet potato, zucchini, and carrots through a vegetable spiralizer to create noodles.

Heat the bacon fat and olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the "noodles" to the hot pan and cook, tossing often, until the veggies have softened slightly, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with torn basil as garnish.

*I use bacon fat for added flavor, but feel free to substitute it out for any type of oil you prefer.

Sweet Potato Noodles with Corn, Black Beans & Chipotle Crema

I have a new obsession. My spiralizer. I will admit that I almost accepted defeat with it the first couple of times I tried to use it (cucumber bits EVERYWHERE), but once I got the hang of it I fell in looooooove. There's no way that vegetable noodles will ever be able to replace classic pasta noodles in my mind, but I love the flexibility and the numerous options that my spiralizer gives me. Especially since I plan on looking svelte in my wedding dres,s and pasta and cheese don't really go hand in hand with that plan. I got this recipe from the Inspiralized website, which features more recipe ideas than I could ever imagine, making eating your veggies ridiculously easy, and delicious to boot!

Sweet Potato Noodles with Corn, Black Beans, and Chipotle Crema
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 ears of corn, shucked
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, separated
• 3/4 tsp. paprika
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
• 1-2 tbsp. mayo or sour cream
• 2 limes, 1 juiced, 1 cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your grill over medium-high heat. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and grill on all sides, until slightly charred. Remove from the grill, cut the kernels from the cobb and toss the cooked kernels with the black beans, paprika, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. 

Meanwhile, run the sweet potatoes, 1 at a time, through your vegetable spiralizer. Heat the remaining tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the sweet potato noodles and toss with the garlic and oil, cooking the noodles for 8-10 minutes, until softened.

To make the chipotle crema, blend the avocado, chipotle, mayo/sour cream, and 1 juiced lime in a food processor until smooth.

To plate, add the noodles to 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with the  black bean/corn mixture, then drizzle the chipotle crema over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced jalapenos. Serve with lime quarters.

This recipe post was not sponsored, all opinions are my own. 

Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Lemonade. While the concept is so simple, I feel like we don't see this option enough. It's summertime, the official season of lemonade, yet we almost only ever see the classic lemon rendition, but what about all of the other flavors in the world? Peach, blueberry, and today's twist, watermelon all come to mind when I think of flavored lemonade. So today I'm bringing you my simple no-fuss version, feel free to serve as is, or spiked with a little vodka when you're feeling extra dangerous! Cheers.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 4 lemons, juiced
• 3 cups watermelon juice (I used my juicer, or you can use your blender and then pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve)
• 1/3 cup find granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• ice
• fresh mint leaves for garnish

 

In a large pitcher, mix together the lemon juice, watermelon juice, sugar and water. Stir, allowing the sugar to dissolve into the liquid.

Fill glassware with ice and top with lemonade. Garnish with mint leaves. 

Kiwi Lime Sorbet Pops

Something about sorbet is just the ultimate summer treat. Other than pina coladas, obvi. But what about sorbet in the form of a popsicle? It's basically mobile sorbet. Take it with you to the park. To the beach. To the couch. At least that's where all of the popsicles are devoured in my household. A nice 'Friends" marathon and popsicles. Just a little sneak peak into our home life. Thrilling, I know. But I knew that since I shared with you my newest favorite kitchen gadgets, you would be dying for another popsicle recipe to make in those amazing molds, so here ya go!

Kiwi Lime Sorbet Pops

Ingredients:

• 10 kiwis, peeled then chopped
• 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

In a blender, puree the kiwis, sugar, and lime juice. Pour into popsicle molds, place popsicle sticks in the center and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

Ahi Tuna Cakes with Avocado Aioli

They say that the best things in life are free. And in this case, I would have to agree. My mom text me one day letting me know that her co-worker had just got back a from a fishing trip and had freshly caught ahi tuna and was looking for people to take it off of their hands, and she asked me if I would like some. Like, duh! Would I like some fresh, wild-caught, seafood gold? Obvi! So about a week later I was handed a gallon freezer bag full of sushi grade tuna (I think I heard the food angels sing), and I immediately got to work coming up with recipe ideas. First up are these tuna cakes, a fresh take on crab cakes, full of clean and bright flavors, and filling to boot. Plus, these would be super fun to make miniature versions as a party appetizer. Do it, do it! 

Ahi Tuna Cakes with Avocado Aioli

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sushi grade ahi tuna, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. mayo
• 2 green onions, greens sliced
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tsp. freshly minced ginger
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• 1-2 tsp. freshly minced jalapeno
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and spiralized or sliced thin

Avocado Aioli:

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 tbsp. mayo
• 1/2 lime, juiced

In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mayo, onions,  garlic, ginger, cilantro, jalapeno, oil, lime juice, and egg. Form into 4 equal-sized patties, then place into the fridge for 10-20 minutes to set.

Meanwhile, add the avocado, mayo, and lime juice to a food processor and process until thin and creamy. Place into a small ziplock bag and place into the fridge.

Preheat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once hot, cook the ahi cakes for 2 minutes on each side, then remove and plate atop the cucumber. Cut a small end off of the ziplock bag with the aioli in it, drizzle with the avocado aioli and serve.

Thai Turkey Meatballs over Creamy Cabbage Slaw

Obviously I love to cook (otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this here blog), but sometimes dinner can be a hassle. Just a straight pain in the ass. But I would pick cooking a homemade meal with my fiance any night over dining out. So to keep things fresh in the kitchen, I am constantly trying to re-create or add a little twist to some of my kitchen staples. Food blogging is hard these days when everywhere you turn someone has already one-upped your last idea. Like, "oh yeah, you made homemade pasta noodles? That's cute, but check out these homemade-hands-free-basil-diamond-encrusted noodles". It's exhausting. Like I said, just get creative. If your favorite meal is grilled chicken and kale, You go Glen Coco! Just mix it up once in awhile with a new seasoning or marinade. That's how these meatballs came along. When in doubt, we cook up some turkey meatballs with a chipotle honey glaze. 3 ingredients, no fuss. But that gets old for the 3rd time in a week, so I took everything from my fridge and turned it into a meatball. Super flavorful, no wasted groceries. All the wins for me!

Thai Turkey Meatballs over Creamy Cabbage Slaw

Meatballs:

• 1.5 lbs. ground turkey
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tsp. freshly chopped jalapeno
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• pinch crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/5 tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. high heat oil such as canola or avocado

Slaw:

• 1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. freshly chopped jalapeno
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• peanuts and green onion for garnish

To make the slaw, whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, and vinegar in a small bowl. In a large bowl, pour the yogurt mixture over the cabbage, then toss in the jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. 

To make the meatballs, add all of the listed ingredients (except for the high-heat oil) into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to roughly combine the mixture. Cover the turkey and allow to rest in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate. 

Once the turkey has rested in the fridge, use your hands to form gold ball sized meatballs. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs to the pan, one at a time. Occasionally turning them to brown them on all sides. Lower the heat to medium, cover with a sheet of tin foil and allow the meatballs to cook through, about 10-15 minutes, until no longer ink inside.

Serve the hot meatballs over the creamy cabbage slaw. Garnish with peanuts and sliced green onions.

Roasted Poblano Hummus

 Have you ever roasted poblano peppers on the grill? If you have, then you know the delicious smell that comes with it. If you haven't, isn't it about time that you did? Roasting them makes your backyard smell like your favorite Mexican food restaurant, rich with flavor and fresh peppers. Usually when I roast then I will stuff them with shredded pork, or chop them up into some tacos. But this time I am pureeing them into some homemade hummus. Hands down, this is better than any store bought hummus you will ever buy, and worth the labor of love.

Roasted Poblano Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 large poblano pepper
• 1 14.5-oz. can chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the poblano on the grill, over a gas burner, or in the oven until the outside are charred black. Place the pepper into a plastic bag and allow it to steam for 20 minutes. This makes it easy to remove the skin. Once it has steamed and cooled a bit, use your hands or a paper towel to remove the charred outer layer of the pepper. Then discard the stem and the seeds inside the pepper.

Drain the chickpeas and reserve the drained liquid. Begin to lightly squeeze each individual bean, until the clear outer skin slides off. Discard the skins and keep the beans in a separate bowl. Continue to do this until all of the beans have been shed of their grainy shell.

In a food processor, add the tahini and whip for 2 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the roasted poblano, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined.

Add in the shelled garbanzo beans 1/3 cup at a time, pulsing until smooth between each addition. Once all have been added, turn the food processor on and add in the olive oil in a steady stream.

Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to one week.

Make Your Own Apple Pie Lara Bars at Home

I've developed a new obsession with Lara Bars. After trying out their cashew cookie and apple pie flavored bars, I looked at the ingredient list, and knew that this was something that I could easily make at home, and for a fraction of the cost. The minimal ingredients and the short time to it takes make these leaves little room for excuses why you shouldn't try them yourself. I have made 2 batches in the past week, making it a great snack for us to bring on the plane to JFK tomorrow, as well as on our drive to Vermont this weekend for my sorority sister's wedding! So long vending machine snacks and processed junk! Hello homemade health food that actually tastes good! Better yet, these bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free, and soy free!

Apple Pie Lara Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 cup organic raisins
• 3/4 cup dried apple slices
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• pinch of sea salt
• water (if needed)

Add the dates, raisins, and apple slices to your food processor and pulse until the ingredients turn into a sticky ball. Add in the almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Pulse until the the nuts are finely chopped and the mixture is sticky when you press your finger to it. If needed, add water 1 tsp. at a time, until you reach the consistency you need.

Add the mixture to a parchment paper lined baking dish and press down firmly with your fingers. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Lift the parchment paper out of the dish and cut into 6 evenly sized bars. Wrap each one individually in cling wrap.

Keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

Baked Vegetable Frittata

The local Farmer's Markets here in AZ are really creating a healthy habit here in my kitchen. I just can't seem to get enough veggies in my diet as of late. And surprisingly my fiance hasn't been asking for meat either. We are by NO means vegetarians. We are quite carnivorous, but with the fresh summertime produce, we are getting our fill of them since we are basically forced to go from our air conditioned house, to our air conditioned cars, to our air conditioned offices, and back again, so going outside to turn the grill on is a major task right now. I have a feeling that 4th of July will put us in the mood to grill, so for now we are just hiding out indoors. For this recipe I sautéed all of those yummy local veggies and baked them into a crustless frittata, perfect for that bikini bod that we are all striving for right now, am I right?

Baked Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
•  1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, mined
• 1/4 cup fresh pesto
• 8 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a pie or quiche dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet or cast-iron, preheat oil over medium-high heat. Add in the broccoli, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook, tossing until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add the sauteed veggies to the whisked eggs and toss to mix.

Pour the eggs and veggies into the prepared baking dish and drizzle the pesto over the top. Bake in the oven until the eggs are set, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on top before serving.