Meatless Monday: Greek Quinoa

R has just a few more days of school left, so we're counting the days until summer officially begins.  4...3...2...1...it's coming fast.

In the summer, I love whipping up main dish salads early in the day that we can have for dinner.  That way, dinner is done and ready to go, if we choose to head to the park, playground or pool.  Also, who wants to cook in the heat of the afternoon?

For this coming week's Meatless Monday, try Greek Quinoa, the perfect make-ahead dinner salad.  This quinoa dish is fresh like early summer.  Bright, tart lemon flavors combine with the earthy Greek seasonings to create a beautiful marriage of tastes.

It looks beautiful, too:

Here's this week's Meatless Monday Grocery List:

Produce:
1/2 cup packed fresh baby spinach
1 small cucumber
1 small red onion
1 bell pepper
1 lemon
1 clove garlic

Grocery:
1/2 cup pitted olives
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
quinoa (you will need about 3/4 cup to yield 2 cups cooked)

Pantry:
olive oil
dried oregano
salt
pepper

Have a great rest of your weekend,
SPC

Homemade Earth-Friendly Insecticidal Soap (Repels Deer and Bunnies too)

This is my favorite time of the year to cook:  our garden is growing and often I find myself walking outside to grab something for dinner from our garden.  Trouble is, some critters, bugs and worms are having their dinner from our garden too!

If you're growing your garden organically, one of the most effective way to control pests is to use insecticidal soap.  You can purchase insecticidal soap at the store, but it is super easy to make at home and will save you from having to run an extra errand.

For the most simple insecticidal soap, you can dilute 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to 1 quart of water.  My version incorporates garlic and red pepper flakes to also deter bunnies and deer.

All you need:

Homemade Insecticidal Soap

Make the base:
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 cup water

Make a batch of insecticidal soap:
2 tablespoons base mixture (above recipe)
1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap
2 cups water

Make the base:

Remove the garlic cloves (you don't need to peel them though) from the head of garlic. 

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 cup water to a blender and process until it forms a runny paste.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any small chunks of garlic or pepper flakes.  The remaining water is your "base."

Yields about 1 cup of base.


Make a batch of insecticidal soap:

Mix 2 tablespoons of the base mixture, with 1/2 teaspoon liquid dish soap and 2 cups water.  Combine in a squirt bottle and spray away!

A couple important notes:

*Insecticidal soap works best when done on a day without rain.  Rain will wash it away, and you want to keep the mixture on the leaves as long as possible to deter pests.

*Be sure to spray the backs and fronts of the leaves of the plants.  Many pests hide on the underside of the leaves.

*You may respray daily, as needed.

*This insecticidal soap can be used even if you are about to harvest your vegetables. 

Our poor collards were attacked over the weekend.  Insecticidal soap to the rescue!

Happy gardening!
SPC

Frozen Grape Snowmen

One of the simplest and most refreshing healthy summer snacks are frozen grapes.  But recently I tried a new twist on frozen grapes, grape snowmen.  It couldn't be easier!

First, place fresh, clean grapes on a toothpick:

  Add three to give the grapes a "snowman" look:

Freeze for several hours on a tray in your freezer.  Once frozen, you can eat them as is, or wait until the warm air causes a bit of frost on your grapes and use your finger to draw a snowman!:

Please make sure any kiddos that try this snack are older, so the frozen grapes don't present a choking hazard!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Sesame Ginger Chicken Burgers

Are you looking for a different type of burger for your grill this weekend?  These chicken burgers might be right up your alley! 

They are a spin on Asian barbecue, with lots of rich and bold flavors. If you assemble the mixture in the morning during breakfast time, the flavors of the burger come alive as they marinate within the ground chicken. The result? Burger heaven.

Sesame Ginger Chicken Burgers

1 pound ground chicken
¼ cup minced chives (or use very finely minced green onions)
½ cup panko or regular breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Sliced dill pickles (optional)
Radish or carrot slices (optional)
Fresh cilantro (optional)
Hamburger Buns (preferably whole wheat)

Place the ground chicken in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the chives, panko, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, pepper and sesame seeds. Add the mixture to the chicken and mix well (hands work best, just wash them well after you are done!).

If the mixture seems too “wet,” add a few more tablespoons of panko/breadcrumbs.

Form into 6 patties.  May be made up to a day in advance to allow flavors to marinate.

Grill over medium high heat, about 5-6 minutes a side.  Serve with any toppings you wish.



Serves 6.


The whole family loved these, including the two Sweet Pea boys. A definite "make-again."

Life is sweet,
SPC

Summer Vegetable Salad with Fresh Basil and Balsamic Drizzle

This is my new go-to salad for a quick and delicious side dish.  In fact, if your weekend plans include a potluck, grill out or picnic, you must try this salad.

The best part of this crisp and fresh salad is that it takes less than 10 minutes to make.  Really.

A mere 10 minutes until you're able to enjoy this:

 

Summer Vegetable Salad with Fresh Basil and Balsamic Drizzle

2 cups fresh corn (about 4 ears of corn), uncooked

1 medium zucchini, diced

2-3 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the corn, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Toss well to combine.

Serve and drizzle with a touch of balsamic.

Serves 4, but can easily be doubled for a larger group.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Pickled Radishes

As the only female in our home, there aren’t a whole lot of pink things floating around the house. Pink isn’t even one of my favorite colors (despite the fact that G insists that as a girl, I am required to have pink or purple as my favorite color), in fact, it is noticeably absent in most rooms, especially when compared to my friends with daughters.

Even in cooking, aside from artificially dyed foods, pink is rare.  Other than certain fish and meat, pink is not a common food color.  But it was with delight that I made pink pickles last week.  Let me explain...

One of my good friends has a sweet little girl.  Her older brother is good friends with R, and recently she tagged along with her big brother for a play date.  I was in heaven:  I was able to do all sorts of girlie-girl play, stickers, coloring (my boys like to draw, but coloring, not so much) and the like.

Inspired by having a girl with which to create in the kitchen, I had her help me make something new:  pink pickles.  Not actually cucumbers, these pickles are made out of radishes.

We cleaned up some radishes, sliced them and added them to a jar I had on hand, and mixed them with the simple pickling recipe below.  Oh.  my.  goodness.  These pickled radishes exceeded any expectation of good.  They are crazy good.  

I know, it's a tough sell:  picked radishes=crazy good?  It's true.  I dare you to try them!

Pickled Pink Radishes

2 bunches radishes
½ cup rice vinegar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
⅓ cup white sugar

Rinse and dry the radishes.  Slice them into quarter-inch slices.  Place them into a jar or bowl.

In a microwave safe dish or glass pyrex measuring cup, pour the vinegar and water together.  Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Add the salt and sugar, and stir until they are dissolved.  Pour over the radishes.




Stir.  Cover and refrigerate, at least one hour, or until they begin to turn pink.

Eat.  Oooh and ahhh.  Repeat.

Makes about 2-3 cups pickled radish.

Will keep in your refrigerator for 3-4 weeks, but ours were gone in mere days.

Something pink!
SPC

Where's the "pause" button?

(Today, a break in the normal food routine to pause and share something that has been on my heart a lot this last week)

An Open Letter to R and G:

My sweet, sweet boys,

Ok.  You boys are usually great listeners, but I need you to listen to me a little better on this:

please, please stop growing up so fast.

G, last week you went to your last preschool class.  Ever.  The sweet, protective, innocent walls of your preschool opened up so you may march forth to kindergarten.  You couldn't be more ready, but I am not.

I love the preschool years.  All the questions, "whys?" and milestones of learning.  Learning life skills like making friends, pouring drinks, using scissors and taking turns.  These lessons are tender and your curious mind loved learning each one.

Soon you will take a bus, drive to R's school and discover all sorts of new things; many will be wonderful and exciting, some will not.  It is the "not" that I don't relish.

Boys, if you could see my perspective, you would look back on the last several years and feel a little shell-shocked by two truths:

*how fast the years pass
*how time seems to be going ever faster

Just look at you, R!  You are about to reach the "half-way-through-elementary-school point."  Your world is growing ever-bigger and I feel a strain between wanting so much to hold on tight, and knowing, deep down, that you will thrive with each new level of independence.  You need to grow, spread and seek...


So boys, if there was a "pause" button, it would be pressed.  You both are still so sweet in so many ways.  You get along and play so well together.  You still have wonder in your eyes. 

I hope I can breathe in and focus on the look of wonder in your eyes and call upon it when, one day too soon, you'll be all grown up and far from anything little anymore.

I love you forever,
Mom

Meatless Monday: Thai Veggie Peanut Wraps

This recipe is from one of my favorite (sadly former) food bloggers, Rookie Cookie.  If you love her recipes as much as I do, you'll be happy to know she is working away on a new cookbook.  You can read about her progress on The Family Flavor:  Practical Recipes for the Simple and Delicious.

These Thai Veggie Wraps are a quick, simple and delicious dinner.  If tofu isn't your thing, you can try tempeh or use, in a pinch, veggie burgers as a substitute.  The real star of this recipe is the peanut sauce, which is a perfect blend of savory with a touch of sweetness.

Click here for the recipe.

I know, I usually type out the grocery list here.  But it's a busy day and honestly, I am amazed I was able to sit down and type up this post.  So...a little tough love, I know you can do it yourself!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Grilled Chicken, Corn & Avocado Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

We ate dinner on the back patio last night. It's a beautiful thing to leave the confines of our kitchen and house and eat amongst nature.  Bring on al fresco dining season!

This salad stirs up images of outdoor dining, even if the weather doesn't cooperate.  Grilled chicken, fresh corn, tomatoes and avocado, all tied together with the creamy and zesty Chipotle Ranch Dressing recipe I shared in my last post:

Grilled Chicken, Corn & Avocado Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

1/2 pound chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
6 ounces spring greens or other lettuce
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 tomatoes, cut into 1/8s (we used roma tomatoes)
1 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 avocado
1 lime
Homemade Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through and no longer pink inside.  (Alternatively this salad is a great use for leftover grilled or even rotisserie chicken).

Divide the greens among 4 bowls.  Sprinkle each salad with the corn and tomato.  Add the shredded cheese to each bowl.

Slice the avocado and sprinkle with a bit of lime juice to keep it from browning too quickly.  Place the avocado on top of each salad.  

Drizzle with the Chipotle Ranch Dressing.

Serves 4.

Ahh...a great salad for dining al fresco!

Life is sweet,
SPC

Homemade Ranch and Chipotle Ranch Dressing

One of the easiest ways to save money, reduce the "gunk" in your food, avoid gluten (yes, many store-bought ranch mix packs contain gluten) and save yourself an extra trip to the grocery store, is to have a recipe or two up your sleeve to use in a pinch.

We already use our Homemade Taco Mix regularly.  But now with the season of salads upon us, we've been whipping up both regular Ranch Dressing and Chipotle Ranch Dressing too!

Here is the easy recipe, all you do is add chipotle pepper powder and paprika to the base Ranch Dressing mix to spice it up a bit.  Mix with Greek Yogurt and you have a super-healthy dressing that is just as rich and creamy as the original.

Homemade Ranch Dressing (with Chipotle Ranch Dressing* option)

1 tablespoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾  teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup non-fat or low fat Greek Yogurt
 

Combine all ingredients except yogurt and stir well.  Add to the yogurt and mix well.  Tastes best if allowed to sit 1 hour before using.


*To make Chipotle Ranch Dressing:  add 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika to the mix.

Makes 1 cup dressing.

The finished product on a wonderful summer salad.

Side note:  Dry mix (everything but the yogurt) can be mixed and stored in a sealed container for future use.  Additionally, you can make a double, triple or quadruple batch and store it in a container.  To use with the yogurt, use a scant 2 tablespoons of the mix per 1 cup of yogurt.

Life is sweet,
SPC

My, how you've grown!

Back in early March, the boys and I spent some time planting vegetable seeds.  Weeks of gently misting the dirt with water and providing enough sunlight has produced:

Real, live vegetable plants!

Two weeks ago I started hardening these little plants to prepare them for the big planting day.  You see, seeds grown indoors have it easy...no big temperature variances, no wind, no pests (other than the occasional poke and prod from young, curious fingers), no real weather changes.

To harden seedlings, begin about two weeks prior to planting and give them short exposures to the elements.  Don't put the coddled plants outside when it is 90 degrees and brutally hot or in the 40s and raining.  Pick times of the day, as much as possible, that are similar to your indoor conditions.

Slowly lengthen the amount of time your seeds are outside and give them more exposure to the elements, until you are finally ready to:

Plant the plants in your garden.  They look so small and slight in our garden, but I know before long they'll look like our sweet pea plants:

These plants have literally dozens of pea pods growing and swelling with tender sweet peas inside.  I can't wait to start harvesting them soon and using them in our kitchen.

Speaking of our kitchen, here's our meals for the week:

Grilled Portabella Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Green Beans
Summer Rolls, Asian Quinoa
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas, Mango, 5-minute Corn Salad (recipe coming soon)
Lemon Dill Couscous with Cashews
Gnocchi with Zucchini and Roasted Peppers in a Goat Cheese Sauce

Have a sweet week,
SPC

Meatless Monday: Northstar Burgers

These burgers rock. 

Even avowed carnivores love the taste, and perhaps the look, of these black bean and rice veggie burgers.  While they aren't the exact same as a Northstar Cafe Burger (that recipe is the most closely guarded secret of Columbus), it is my best attempt at mimicking the best veggie burger in town.

Here's this week's Meatless Monday recipe and here is your grocery list:

Produce:
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
fresh beets (or buy jarred/canned)
lettuce

Grocery:
jarred/canned beets (or buy fresh)
brown rice
1 -15oz can black beans -OR- 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
buns

Pantry:
olive oil/vegetable oil
soy sauce
balsamic vinegar
dried parsley
dried thyme
salt
pepper
flour

Lastly, Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!  Enjoy your day and know that YOU are very special to your sweet peas.

Life is sweet,
SPC

Lemony Almond Israeli Couscous

This recipe flat-out surprised me.

When I create recipes, I often have a goal in mind.  It might be "a busy night dinner," or "a fun dish the boys will love," but there is often a driving goal.

My goal for this recipe?  Something *I* would love.  I'd been wanting to play around with some yummy flavors and Israeli Couscous, and when I found whole wheat Israeli Couscous, I picked it up for me, me, me.

Little did I know that both the boys would gobble up this recipe.  Not sure why, maybe it was the unique and fun texture of the larger couscous.  Perhaps it was that they were learning about Israel in Sunday School so they loved having something with "Israeli" in the title.  I'm not going to over think it though, because bottom line:  they ate it!

Lemony Almond Isreaeli Couscous

Couscous Mixture:
1 cup uncooked Israeli Couscous
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups green beans (either use frozen or already steamed green beans)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about the amount from one medium lemon)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

Optional Toppings:
feta cheese
steamed or sauteed shrimp

Cook the Israeli Couscous according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and add the pepper and garlic.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Add the green beans and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the peppers and green beans reach your desired consistency (tender, but not mushy is a good bet).  Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients of the dressing in a bowl or lidded container.  Stir or shake well to combine.

Add the couscous to the green bean mixture, and top with the dressing.  Toss well and sprinkle with the almonds and feta and/or shrimp if using.

Serves 4-6.

Life is sweet (and full of surprises),
SPC

Easy Breezy Carolina Sweet Tea

My man is from the South.  He's taught me lots of great Southern culinary lessons like how to fry okra, what good grits taste like and perhaps one of the most often repeated recipes in our home: 

How to make a crazy good glass of sweet tea.

Being a mom (aka, always looking for ways to streamline things), I've come up with a way to make sweet tea in about 9 minutes flat.  No special tools needed, no special skills, just easy peasy lemon squeezy, extra breezy sweet tea.

Easy Breezy Carolina Sweet Tea

3-4 cups water
4-6 black tea bags (Luzianne and Lipton are the two we use)
1/2 - 1 cup white sugar, to your taste
ice

First, boil the water in a microwave safe container, about 5 minutes. Remove the water from the microwave and add the tea bags.  I usually use 4-5, but if you want the tea stronger, add 1 extra tea bag.  Let steep 3-4 minutes, or longer if you desire.

Remove the tea bags and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves (since the water is still very hot, the sugar will dissolve quickly).

 

Add some ice to cool the tea down before pouring it into a pitcher (this is especially important if you are using a glass pitcher):

Now pour into a pitcher and add about 4 cups ice:

 Pour into a glass (are you thirsty yet?):

 

Once you know how easy it is to make Sweet Tea, you can alter the method to your heart's content.  Here are some of my favorite variations:

*Decaffeinated Sweet Tea:  Save your tea bags after they steep for your first batch of sweet tea, and make some decaf for your kiddos to enjoy.  Once tea bags have steeped 1 minute, 95 of their caffeine has been removed.  Or, duh, use decaffeinated tea bags.

*Sweet Green (or White) Tea:  Simply use green tea (or white tea) bags instead of the black tea.

*Herbed Sweet Tea:  Add a few sprigs of rosemary, lavender, mint, thyme or basil to your tea as it steeps. 

 

*Agave Sweet Tea:  Use agave syrup instead of sugar.

Life is Sweet,

SPC