April 27, 2012

and we're off

photo credit: amanda pham 

it's a big weekend for Drake University (my alma mater). J and I headed to Des Moines last night to celebrate my best friend's birthday and to kick off this delightful weekend. I've had a long list of must-visit places and while I doubt I'll be checking many of them off, I'm looking forward to seeing many of my lovelies! best time of the year! 

happy weekend! 

April 26, 2012

Chipotle Chicken + Quinoa


If Joe could go to Chipotle every day, he definitely would. So instead of visiting the delicious mexican restaurant each and every day, I thought it would be smart to try and recreate what he loves the most -- the grilled chicken. Now, Chipotle uses chicken thighs and I opted to use chicken breast, but the marinade turns any chicken smokey and spicy. I paired it with quinoa that had a chipotle honey-lime dressing that added to its deliciousness!

Chipotle Chicken
2 oz dried ancho chiles
1 can of chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, just the liquid (save 1-2 peppers for the quinoa recipe) 
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin powder 
1 tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
4 chicken breasts 

Soak ancho chilies overnight in water. Remove seeds.
Add all ingredients except for chicken into food processor. Puree until smooth. 
Rub the marinade all over the chicken and marinate for at least one hour, up to 24 hours.
Grill chicken on medium high heat, about 5 minutes per side. 

Quinoa with Chipotle Honey-Lime Dressing
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cilantro, chopped

Chipotle Honey-Lime Dressing
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp seeded and minced chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 olive oil

Combine quinoa and water in medium saucepan over high heat
Once water boils, cover and reduce heat to low, cook until all water is absorbed (15-20 minutes)
Stir in black beans and then fluff with fork
In a separate bowl, whisk together all ingredients for Chipotle Honey-Lime Dressing and set aside
Add dressing to quinoa and gently toss to combine
Stir in cilantro and enjoy!

you could probably eat this quinoa dish on its own. over and over again. it was just that good. 

April 25, 2012

lately

sick days. no fun. 

springtime outfit. 

blooming tulips.

a new hiding spot. she is always there.

rooftop patio + wine + spring sun = glorious

April 20, 2012

a little refresh


some changes happenin' over hurr! made the switch from wordpress to blogspot and feeling really good about this refresh. happy happy friday and upcoming weekend!
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April 19, 2012

kale with white beans


last week I bought a bag of kale with plans to make kale chips but that didn't end up happening. instead, i found this recipe and decided to give it a go. it was a great healthy meal for dinner and I even used the leftovers for lunch. yum!

Kale with White Beans

4 slices of bacon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup uncooked onion, diced
1 pound of kale, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

cook bacon over medium heat to desired crispness.
remove back from pot/skillet and set aside.
add onions and red pepper flake to bacon drippings, cook until soft (about 10 mins)
add garlic and kale, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes
pour chicken broth into pot, cover and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes
add beans and simmer uncovered until liquid evaporates
stir in salt, vinegar and sugar.
sprinkle with bacon and serve.


April 18, 2012

trying...

... to get this little diddy over here. stay tuned.

April 2, 2012

Egg White Breakfast Frittatas To Go!


ingredients
  • 9 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup of diced onion
  • 2 jimmy dean turkey sausage patties, diced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup of spinach, roughly chopped up
  • 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
directions

preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  1. Spray a muffin tin (12 muffins) with non-stick spray
  2. Beat egg whites and milk in a bowl until they are almost double the amount
  3. Mix together onions, tomatoes, spinach, cheese, salt and pepper in the egg mixture
  4. In each muffin tin, place a few pieces of diced turkey sausage
  5. Pour egg mixture into each muffin tin, spread evenly
  6. Bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are set

  7. ** Frittatas can be plastic wrapped and frozen. Just let it thaw overnight and nuke it in the microwave for 1 min and enjoy!


--

I have been on a weird breakfast sandwich kick for the maybe two months (whole wheat english muffins, egg whites, turkey sausage and american cheese). We had a lot of extra eggs this week and I didn't want them to go to waste so I thought I'd try and make some breakfast frittatas for the week. Maybe these frittatas will become my new breakfast obsession.