Arugula Pistachio Pesto
Inspiration: Brandon and I love arugula. It’s Brandon’s favorite salad green, and even though we’re not huge salad eaters (mainly because we both prefer our side dishes at supper to be warm), we can both get behind a good arugula salad. So when I was at the grocery store and needed a tiny bit of arugula for one recipe, of course it only made sense to buy the largest package available even though I had no plans for using the rest of it. Hey, it was on sale. We could just have some salads with dinner throughout the week, right? Nope.
What We Loved: This pesto has an earthy, rich flavor that is really different and unique. It’s very much characterized by that defining peppery taste of arugula, and without knowing the ingredients, Brandon noted right away that he could taste the flavor of pistachios. So far, we’ve eaten this stuffed into chicken breasts, mixed into scrambled eggs, and dolloped atop a cheese pizza, and I imagine that it’d be good in any number of applications. I always love a sauce that is so versatile.
Tips; This one is pretty simple, but I do want to caution that it is very different in taste from regular basil pesto. If you’re like me, your mind hears the word pesto and automatically associates it with that rich basil flavor that is so prominent in pesto, but this one is a completely different story in flavor. It sounds silly to even mention it, since the taste will obviously be different as the basil and pine nuts have been completely replaced with arugula and pistachios, but I thought it was worth a quick caution. If you love arugula, though, I’m pretty sure that you’ll love this, too.
Arugula Pistachio Pesto
Source: Inspired from Love and Olive Oil
4 cups packed baby arugula
1/3 cup shelled pistachios
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1. Combine the arugula, pistachios, Parmesan, and garlic in a food processor. Process until finely minced.
2. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Broccoli, Cheddar, and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Inspiration: Week day breakfasts can be challenging for us in the mornings because there just isn’t an overload of extra time. I’m truly a breakfast lover, so I’d love to whip up individual omelets, sweet potato hash browns, and a fruit salad every day, but it’s just not feasible (not to mention that we really don’t need nearly that much food in the way of breakfast on the week day mornings). I like to bake a breakfast casserole every now and then on a Sunday afternoon as a great solution. They’re dead simple to make, and then we have breakfast for most of the week. We just cut out a couple of pieces in the morning, throw them into the microwave, and end up with a great and nutritious breakfast.
What We Loved: I really enjoyed this nice and fluffy breakfast casserole because it has a couple of the main components of what I consider a classic breakfast when it comes to eggs – sausage and cheese. To me, those ingredients are just so rich and comforting. Broccoli is also a great complement to cheddar, so adding that to the mix really worked out beautifully. I always love being able to have a good serving of vegetables or fruits with each meal, so throwing that broccoli in there made me a happy girl.
Tips: This recipe was adapted from a recipe that I first found years ago on Closet Cooking. I’ve found over the years that the base of the recipe – 10 eggs, a splash of milk, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and salt and pepper – is fantastic and very versatile for whatever kind of breakfast casserole that you’d like to make. Just use that base, and then throw in whatever meats and vegetables that you’d like.
Broccoli, Cheddar, and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Source: Inspired from Closet Cooking
About 3/4 lb pork sausage
1/2 small onion, diced
10 eggs
Splash milk or cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
About 3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli (I used broccolini)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1. Crumble the sausage into a saute pan, and add the onion. Cook until the meat is completely cooked through and the onions are softened and beginning to brown.
2. Crack the 10 eggs into a mixing bowl. Add a splash of milk, and whisk together. Add the sausage mixture, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, broccoli, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together well.
3. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter. Pour in the egg mixture.
3. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the eggs are completely set.
Armadillo Eggs
Inspiration: I just had to check out a recipe entitled armadillo eggs. I don’t know if these are a common thing to most people, but for us, they were completely unheard of and intriguing. One of my favorite things about cooking has always been discovering new dishes – I just love that there is an endless variety out there of new and exciting foods to try. This little recipe fit right into that category and had the added bonus of being full of Mexican flavors. Yes.
What We Loved: To be honest, there aren’t a whole lot of things here not to love. A cream cheese and cheddar mixture stuffed into jalapenos, wrapped in sausage, and dipped in salsa? I think that about covers it. We loved the rich and savory flavors of the sausage paired with the gooey cheese center and the crisp crunch of the jalapeno. Topping these little bites off with a great salsa (we used Frontera Guajillo salsa, which we really love) and some fresh cilantro was the finishing touch. So many great Mexican flavors all wrapped up together.
Tips: These are meant to be an appetizer, but we actually ate them as our main dish for Cinco de Mayo this year served alongside homemade guacamole and homemade refried beans. They worked wonderfully that way, but I also think that they would be great on a big party tray with a variety of salsas for serving.
Armadillo Eggs
Source: Homesick Texan
This recipe will make 24 armadillo eggs.
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
Handful chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt, to taste
6 medium-sized jalapeños
2 pounds sausage
1. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar, garlic, cilantro, and cumin together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.
2. Remove the stems from the jalapenos. Cut each jalapeno in half lengthwise, and scoop out the ribs and seeds. Cut each jalapeno half in half again horizontally, resulting in each full jalapeno being cut into quarters.
3. Stuff each jalapeno piece with a spoonful of the cheese mixture.
4. Flatten a circle of sausage in the palm of your hand, and place a stuffed jalapeno piece in the center (it’s easiest to place it cheese-side down). Fold the sausage up and around the jalapeno, forming an egg shape.
5. Bake the eggs at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through.
6. Serve with salsa.
Pork Loin Baked with Green Onions, Jalapeno, and Ginger
Inspiration: I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my word to Brandon and include more meals on our menu with Chinese-inspired ingredients. This recipe struck me as particularly interesting because it deviates from what we usually eat when it comes to Chinese food – stir fries, lettuce wraps, and hot pots, namely – and instead presents in a rather fancy way as a cut of meat with a lovely sauce. To me, it had all of the markings of a Sunday night dinner made especially with Brandon in mind.
What We Loved: Brandon told me that he knew that dinner was going to be good as soon as he smelled it cooking in the oven (and in fact, he came downstairs while it was cooking away just to tell me as much). As it turned out, he was right – we both loved this recipe. The sauce that the pork was marinated in, baked in, and topped with was just wonderful and filled with flavors that were very true to classic Chinese-style dishes. I was struck with how perfectly balanced the sauce was – there was a nice bite from the green onions, a richness on your palate from the sesame oil and soy, just a touch of heat from the jalapeno, and a great lemony freshness from the ginger. We enjoyed this dish alongside some green beans that I seasoned with sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, garlic, and soy sauce for a meal that really surprised and delighted us both.
Tips: This recipe comes from a grilling cookbook, and the pork is intended to be grilled after it is marinated. I have a feeling that cooking the pork this way would be fantastic (particularly using a charcoal grill), and we’ll certainly be trying out that method when the weather warms up a bit more and we are grilling regularly.
Pork Loin Baked with Green Onions, Jalapeno, and Ginger
Source: Adapted from Bobby Flay, Grilling for Life
3 green onions, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lime juice
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb pork loin
1. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and ginger to a food processor, and process to a fine mince.
2. Pour the onion mixture into a bowl, and add the olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix to combine.
3. Place the pork loin in a baking dish. Pour half of the marinade over the pork, and use your hands to turn and coat the pork in the marinade. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to 4 hours. Cover and reserve the other half of the marinade at room temperature.
4. Remove the pork loin from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking and allow it to come to room temperature. Bake at 400 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, about 25 minutes.
5. Let the pork rest for ten to fifteen minutes before slicing. Serve topped with the reserved marinade.
Baked Fish with Pesto and Prosciutto
Inspiration: Ahhh, pesto and prosciutto. It’s one of those food pairings that’s just perfect, isn’t it? Peanut butter and jelly fancified. I never tire of the combination, and we just love it in this baked fish recipe, which I first made years ago and sort of forgot about. It’s always nice to rediscover old favorites.
What We Loved: There are a lot of things to appreciate about this meal. First and foremost, the flavor combination is just lovely. The light and flaky fish, rich and garlicky pesto, and salty prosciutto all meld together perfectly in each bite. Secondly, this meal is a snap to throw together, especially if you already have some homemade pesto on hand (I like to make a batch and freeze it in ice cube trays, giving me tablespoon-sized cubes of pesto whenever I need them). I also think that this dish really presents just beautifully, making it perfect for company or for a fancy weeknight supper after a long day.
Tips: I used sole filets when making the recipe this time (two 2-3 ounce filets for each of us), but you can really use any kind of fish that you prefer (I usually choose whatever looks good/is in season and/or is on sale at the grocery store). My favorite kind of fish to use with this recipe is mahi-mahi, though, because I really like the hearty, meaty texture of that fish paired with the bold flavors of the pesto and prosciutto.
Baked Fish with Pesto and Prosciutto
Source: Original Recipe
Fish filets (sole, flounder, tilapia, mahi-mahi – whatever you’d like)
Black pepper
Basil pesto
Prosciutto slices
Basil leaves
1. Season the fish filets with black pepper (no salt is necessary, as prosciutto is very salty).
2. Spread a good dollop of pesto across the top of each filet.
3. Wrap each filet in a slice of prosciutto.
4. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Serve topped with basil leaves for garnish.
Pork and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Inspiration: When Brandon and I go to our favorite Chinese restaurant in town, we usually share an order of lettuce wraps for an appetizer and then split an entree. There’s just something so refreshing about lettuce wraps – a rich and savory filling paired with crisp and cool lettuce always just hits the spot. And lettuce wraps are really great because they can be served as an appetizer or light meal, on their own for a main course, or paired with a quick side like edamame salad for a more rounded meal.
What We Loved: Brandon and I absolutely adore the filling to these lettuce wraps and the super spicy sauce. We’ve been making them both for years, and in our opinion, they’re both perfect. The pork and vegetables are thrown into the food processor so that they have a really nice, minced texture, and the entire filling is characterized by a great soy and ginger flavor. The sauce has an intense heat to it that we just love, and it also has a delicious garlicky flavor. We could probably eat these once a week and never tire of them. Plus, bibb lettuce is just so fantastic for lettuce wraps. It has the perfect cup shape and is really pliable for wrapping into little parcels.
Tips: I sometimes add a good handful of bean sprouts to the mixture before placing it in the food processor – those are a great addition, too. This recipe is nice because you can really throw whatever vegetables that you want into the mix. Ground chicken or turkey is also a good alternative to the pork.
Pork and Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Source: Original Recipe
1 lb ground pork
10 baby bella mushrooms, roughly diced
3 small sweet red peppers, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, roughly diced
About 1 teaspoon minced ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Boston bibb lettuce leaves
Spicy dipping sauce, recipe follows
1. Add the ground pork, mushrooms, and red peppers to a saute pan over medium heat. Cook until the pork is cooked through and the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic, and cook for a minute more.
2. Place the pork mixture in a food processor with the green onions, ginger, and soy sauce. Pulse until the mixture is finely minced.
3. Serve the pork filling with lettuce leaves and dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha, or more to taste
Sesame oil, to taste
1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add more sriracha if you’d like more spice.
Spinach Gratin
Inspiration: As you may be able to tell from some of our previous posts (zucchini, spaghetti squash, butternut squash and poblano), we love a good vegetable gratin. Our suppers are always vegetable-heavy in the side dish department, and it’s always nice to mix it up sometimes and make a side that’s a little more interesting (and a little more cheesy, of course) than simply sauteed vegetables, which is what we normally tend to do.
What we Loved: This is a lovely gratin with a nice Italian flair and plenty of spinach flavor. All of the different cheeses add their own great flavors, with a subtle freshness and creaminess from the ricotta; a nutty sharpness from the Parmesan; and a gooey, slightly browned richness from the havarti. Even with all of these cheeses, though, the vegetable goodness of the spinach really shines through and is the dominant flavor. And we really loved the hint of nutmeg in every bite, too. For whatever reason, nutmeg is just such an awesome complement to gratins and always provides that extra little something that really makes the dish shine.
Tips: Make sure to squeeze out all of the excess water from your spinach before adding it to the mix. There’s a lot of water in there, and leaving it in might cause the gratin to be watery. I dumped the bag into a colander and squeezed the water out with my hands.
Zucchini Gratin
Source: Adapted from Linden Tea
Butter
1 small onion, diced
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
2 eggs
About 2/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese
About 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Ground nutmeg
About 1/2 cup grated cheese for topping (I used Havarti, but I think additional Parmesan or Gruyere would be great)
1. Heat a pat of butter in a small saute pan. Add the onions, and saute until softened and beginning to brown.
2. Place the sauteed onions, spinach, eggs, ricotta, and Parmesan in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. Stir well to combine.
3. Place the spinach mixture in a baking dish, and top with the additional grated cheese. Cook at 400 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes at the end to brown the cheese to your liking.
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Simple Shredded Chicken and White Beans
Inspiration: A one-pot dish with Mexican flair and lots of pepper jack cheese? I’m in. I sometimes think that Brandon and I could eat this style of food every day (Mexican, Tex-Mex, Mexican-inspired, basically anything topped off with plenty of cilantro) and be happy campers. It’s also my favorite kind of food to cook – it’s fun and creative, with recipes fitting for an involved Saturday night supper (like a really great mole, which is on my to-make list) or a quick weekday meal, like this one.
What We Loved: What’s great about this recipe and what drew me to it in the first place is that it’s so simple. There are only four main ingredients – chicken, beans, salsa, and cheese – that are thrown into the crock pot and cook away on their own all day. Sometimes there’s just nothing better than that. The resulting flavors are simple and tasty, too – moist, fall-apart chicken and creamy white beans with a nice kick of Mexican-style flavor from the peppery salsa and cheese. For supper on a busy evening or as leftovers for a quick and hearty lunch, this recipe is perfect.
Tips: Brandon and I thought of this dish as more of a shredded chicken dish than as a chili (as it’s called in the original recipe), since we normally consider chili to have much more sauce to it. Most of the liquid from the salsa was absorbed into the chicken in this dish (making the chicken super moist, which was awesome). As such, we thought that it would work great if you wanted to make Mexican-style shredded chicken sandwiches. Or, come to think of it, this would also work really well atop of a bed of greens for a salad. It really was wonderful and perfect for us eaten just on its own out of the bowl, though.
Simple Shredded Chicken and White Beans
Source: Slightly adapted from Pink Parsley
4 chicken breasts
4 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into 2 inch cubes
3 cups salsa
Additional pepper jack cheese, shredded
Grape tomtatoes, diced
Fresh cilantro, minced
1. Place the navy beans, pepper jack cheese cubes, and salsa in a crock pot.
2. Nestle the chicken breasts into the crock pot.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Remove the chicken, shred, and return it to the pot. Stir to combine.
5. Serve topped with additional pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro.
Mushroom-Crusted Chicken Burgers
Inspiration: When I’m reading through blogs or cookbooks, it’s usually my style to bookmark a recipe that I love, then proceed to leave it there in my “to-make” queue for about one to two years before I finally get around to having just the right time/craving/ingredients necessary/etc. to make it. For better or for worse, my meal plan is usually a pretty complicated thing (…..I really don’t feel like making a burger in the winter….I already have another burger on the menu this week….I can’t buy havarti when I already have about 30 other cheeses in the fridge to use….). Anyway, I happened to be making my grocery list when I ran across this recipe, and it immediately went onto the list. Don’t you just love when something is so inspiring?
What We Loved: I love cheeseburgers. Always have. And while in my opinion nothing can quite beat a plain old beef burger grilled on a charcoal grill and topped with plenty of cheese (I always wanted to live off of those as a kid), I also love experimenting with some more unique ingredients when cooking burgers. And I really think that I’d list this as one of the best burgers that I’ve ever made (up there with prosciutto-wrapped lamb burgers, which I also adore). The rich and earthy mushroom flavor that dominates these burgers is just so unique and fantastic, and the chicken itself stays super moist beneath that mushroom crust. And to top things off, the gooey, somewhat lemony havarti and the peppery arugula (with just a touch of crunch) are the perfect complements.
Tips: Forming ground chicken thigh into burgers is not a pretty thing. It’s really not anything like using ground beef – it’s much stickier/messier and is a general pain. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, though – as long as you end up with a somewhat spherical looking patty, it’ll work out just fine.
Mushroom-Crusted Chicken Burgers
Source: Adapted from Elly Says Opa to serve two, originally from Pink Parsley
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
Kosher salt and black pepper
About 3/4 lb ground chicken thigh
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 slice onion, finely diced
Handful fresh parsley, minced
Butter
Havarti cheese, freshly grated
Arugula
1. Grind the porcini mushrooms to a powder in a food processor. Reserve about 2 teaspoons of the mushroom powder in a bowl. Place the rest on a plate, mixing with salt and pepper.
2. In the bowl with the reserved mushroom powder, add the ground chicken, Worcestershire, Dijon, onion, parsley, and a good bit of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
3. Form the chicken mixture into two burgers. Dip the burgers into the mushroom powder on the plate, coating each burger completely.
4. Heat a pat of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the burgers until they are cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Add the havarti cheese to each burger about a minute before you are done cooking.
5. Serve topped with fresh arugula.
