Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

This is not a traditional recipe, but it sure is tasty! I’ve heard of people using sweet potatoes in a Shepherd’s Pie, but I had never tried it before. I decided to give it a whirl on my own and not really follow any recipes. It turned out pretty delicious. There are a couple things I might change next time but overall I was pretty happy. Using sweet potatoes adds so much flavor and nutrients. As I’ve mentioned before, Jason hates white potatoes, so I usually substitute sweet potatoes whenever I can. I also used ground bison instead of ground beef. There is less fat and you don’t comprise on flavor.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground bison
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 sprigs of chopped fresh savory
1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Boil sweet potatoes for approximately 20 minutes or until soft. Mash with butter and salt and pepper, set aside. Brown the ground bison in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for several minutes. Add garlic, savory, salt and pepper, and carrots. Sauté together for 1-3 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and let the ingredients cook together for an additional minute. Make sure to salt and pepper adequately as this will be your last chance! Pour the meat mixture in a large baking dish and cover with the sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. I recommend letting this sit for 10 minutes before digging in to avoid a terrible mouth burn. I speak from experience.

Yum! I love this dish. It’s so filling and actually not so bad for you. One tablespoon of butter is the only added fat and you could actually skip that. If I could do this again I would add more veggies. I think it would be delicious with peas and mushrooms in addition to the carrots.

Our three year wedding anniversary is tomorrow and I have a delicious dinner planned, Savory Lemon Butter Chicken. Stay tuned later this week for that recipe. I hope you all have a lovely Monday!

Cooking Light: Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

Autumn is here, finally!

This was taken at High Point State Park which is where Jason works, lucky duck!

However, it actually felt like the start of winter over the weekend, which I did not sign up for. It was cold and rainy. This Sausage, White Bean, and Kale soup from Cooking Light is exactly what we needed. Jason is also really sick so soup was a must. I made a couple changes to this recipe, as I usually do, and I think it greatly improved the flavor.

I used spicy pork sausage instead of Cajun sausage. I removed the casings and browned the sausage in a large cast iron Dutch oven. Once the sausage was fully cooked, I drained the fat and added 3 cups of chicken stock and the can of diced tomatoes, undrained. I let that simmer for several minutes while I added 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Then I added one can of white beans, drained. I let it all come to a boil and then reduced the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I added the kale and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Right before I served the soup I added ¼ cup of light cream. The below picture is the soup before I added the cream.

This turned out great. Granted I know I added some fat and calories with the cream but it was worth it! It was rich and silky without being heavy. The kale cooks down a lot which is great because I cannot eat raw kale. It’s just too coarse for me. However it’s wonderful in a soup. The sausage had so much flavor and the red pepper flakes added even more of kick which was delicious. I do think it’s important to add the garlic powder and onion powder. It just gives the soup an extra layer of flavor which it needs. I would even consider sautéing fresh onion with the sausage to start.

This soup is wonderful and filling on its own, but I did make Jason a grilled cheese to go along with it. I opted out but you can’t ever go wrong with a grilled cheese and soup.

NomNomNom

Hops Burger Bar

I recently realized that I never wrote a blog dedicated to my Hops Burger Bar adventure and quite frankly, that is a crime. I was down in North Carolina last month for a dear friend’s wedding. It was a wonderful weekend filled with lots of love and laughter. There was a minor injury to my knee. But that’s another story for another time and I blame the champagne.

The Sunday after the wedding a few of us were in need of some grease. Meaning, we needed some delicious burgers and greasy fries to combat our hangovers. It never works. The only cure is water and prayer. “Dear God, I will never drink again.”

Anyway, back to the burgers. Hops Burger Bar is currently very highly rated on Trip Advisor and it’s found in little ‘ol Greensboro, North Carolina. Naturally, they don’t take reservations, because why would they? They’re constantly packed. We waited close to an hour for a table which is something I NEVER do. I hate waiting for tables. I’m of the mindset that I can find something equally delicious somewhere else. However, I was assured that these burgers would be worth the wait.

We started with some sort of pimento cheese thing, I honestly don’t even remember what it was because I was starving. I remember enjoying it…if that helps. I’m sure you can find it on the menu below. By the way, how cute is that menu? I loved it! They also have a very large selection of beers. I’m sure I ordered a wheat beer and enjoyed it. I was clearly more focused on my burger.

Enter The Pickleback. A six ounce Certified Angus Beef burger topped with fried onion, spicy bbq sauce, and bourbon marinated pickles. Those pickles sealed the deal for me.

I also opted for a side of parmesan truffle fries. If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it might be truffle fries.

The burger was cooked perfectly. The pickles had so much flavor and the bbq sauce was perfectly spicy. I actually took the fried onion off. I have a limit, people. The fries were crunchy, warm, truffly, and wonderful. How do you describe truffles? I don’t think you can. It’s just something that has to be experienced.

The final verdict, worth the wait. If you find yourself in Greensboro, North Carolina, don’t miss this spot!

Farmer’s Market Finds

We stopped by the farmer’s market on Saturday to pick up a few items. I left with organic ground lamb, various produce items, two bottles of wine, and this adorable grey kitten.

Take Me Home!

Just kidding, but there was an animal adoption event happening beside the farmer’s market. I walked by twice to play with the kittens and Jason kept donating $ every time I walked over there. We are huge animal lovers and I was maybe 2 minutes away from adopting that cutie. But alas, I think three cats would be too much in one apartment…However, I believe she is still up for adoption and I would be happy to put people in contact with the animal shelter, if they want to giver her a forever home, just leave a comment below if you are interested.

Back to dinner. I originally envisioned the ground lamb being turned into Greek Burgers; however, I changed my mind last minute after a weekend filled with burgers. I went for a brown rice bowl filled with meatballs and broccoli and it turned out great.

Greek Rice Bowls: Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki, Brown Rice, and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground lamb
2 tablespoons of tzatziki (I used an organic one from Whole Foods)
¼ cup of crumbled feta
½ of a yellow onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup of seasoned panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mint, to taste
½ cup of brown rice, cooked
1 cup of broccoli, steamed

Directions:
In a large bowl mix together the ground lamb, half the feta, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and mint. Cook brown rice to package directions. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Form meat mixture into tablespoon sized meatballs. Brown meatballs in the pan on all sides, approximately 3-5 minutes per side, in two batches. It’s important not to crowd the pan so all the meatballs cook evenly. When your meatballs are almost finished cooking, steam the rice in the microwave, it should only take about 3 minutes. To plate, simply add half the rice into a bowl, top with 4-5 meatballs and half the broccoli. Top with tzatziki and the rest of the crumbled feta.

The lamb has such amazing flavor and the tzatziki adds a cool creamy texture that is to die for. An let’s be honest, feta is always a welcome addition. It’s salty and tangy and it pairs perfectly with the lamb. You might think that the broccoli is a little random, and it is, but it actually works. You could sub for any vegetable you have in the fridge. I had a head of broccoli that needed to be cooked, which is why it found it’s home in this recipe. I also think that a sprinkle of mint on top would have been delicious and possibly a scoop of hummus… feel free to make it your own!

I hope you all have a wonderful week 🙂

Slow Cooker Sunday: Blackberry Jalapeno Pulled Chicken

I found this delicious recipe on my friend Emily’s blog and I knew I had to make it immediately. We have a lovely house guest this week and I thought this would be the perfect Sunday dinner. I was right. As you all know, I’m a huge fan of my slow cooker and I love making pulled chicken. It’s so easy. This recipe brings so many fun flavors together and it works in a wonderful way.

All you have to do is salt and pepper your boneless skinless chicken thighs and throw them in the slow cooker, topped with sliced onion, minced garlic, and thinly sliced jalapeno. Then mix together your sauce (blackberry jam, ketchup, molasses, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and salt) and pour over the chicken and veggies and mix it all up! Be sure that everything is fully coated. Cook on low for 6 hours and then shred your chicken and put back into the yummy sauce to coat all the pieces. To plate, pile chicken high on pretzel buns and top with a slice of pepper jack cheese and a sprinkle of jalapenos. The recipe also calls for a sprinkling of bacon, but I skipped that in an effort to make it slightly healthier. It would have been a great addition but I didn’t miss it. I also halved the recipe as it makes A LOT.

The result is AMAZING. The sauce was sweet and slightly spicy. The pretzel buns soaked up all that yummy sauce and the pepper jack cheese was a fantastic addition. It added flavor and cheesy goodness. I served these with a small side of yellow rice and black beans. A simple salad would have also been a great side. Don’t think twice, just make these.

Thanks for sharing on your blog, Emily! 🙂

Recipe Review: Grits ‘N Greens Casserole

I was browsing blogs on WordPress one day and I came across this particularly interesting recipe, Grits ‘N Greens Casserole, on Stalking Celery. I love Cheesy Grits and Collard Greens and having them in a casserole topped with bacon sealed the deal. Luckily my husband was leaving for the weekend because he absolutely refuses to eat collards, which makes me sad. Not only are collards delicious but they are also very healthy.

This recipe boasts only 260 calories per serving, but I think mine might pack a little more because I made a pretty big change. I use bacon instead of Canadian bacon and the rendered bacon fat instead of olive oil to saute the onion, garlic, and greens. I just couldn’t toss away that skillet full of flavor. Obviously I didn’t use ALL of the bacon fat, just a tablespoon. That being said, I still think overall this casserole wasn’t too caloric. Just minimize the frequency of your bacon consumption and you’re all good. It’s all about moderation!

I also added a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to my greens while they were wilting. The recipe suggest adding some water if they look dry but I added vinegar and it was a fantastic flavor addition. At first I though the addition of salsa to the grits was a bit strange but I went with it and I’m super glad I did. It added so much flavor without actually tasting like salsa.

The cheesy grits, tangy collards, and salty bacon were the perfect combination. I would definitely make this again. I brought a little southern flare to New Jersey, y’all!

Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps

I’m always looking for new twists on old recipes. These Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps are just that. I love a good meatball! Almost as much as I love a good taco. It’s really hard to choose a favorite. Meatballs are also just oh so easy to prepare. Simply prep your ingredients and then mix them all together in a bowl. What could be easier? Also, the vehicle by which we eat these tasty treats is wonderfully simple, lettuce. Not only are we cutting down on calories but we’re also making life much easier.

I made these a few weeks ago when I had a friend in town who particularly loves Asian flavors. We all thoroughly enjoyed them. Be prepared to get a little messy, but it’s totally worth it. These meatballs are made with ground pork which adds a wonderful flavor dimension; however, you can easily substitute beef, chicken, or turkey.

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the pork, scallions, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, siracha, salt, and lime juice in a large bowl and mix to combine. Form into small meatballs and place on a greased baking sheet. Cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. While the meatballs cook, pull your dressing together for the slaw. I did not follow the recipe for this and used 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper and drizzled over pre-cut coleslaw. Seriously couldn’t be easier. Once the meatballs are done cooking, toss them in the sweet chili sauce. To plate, simply put 2-3 meatballs in a leaf of lettuce and top with the tangy slaw.

I challenge you to eat these without a napkin.

Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

It has been unseasonably cool for the past couple days which has been wonderful. It has given us a break from the oppressive heat that had descended upon the NY Metro area. We slept with our windows wide open and in the middle of the night I had to pull on a sweatshirt! What a great feeling. I love summer, but I’m ready for crisp air and autumn leaves. A chilly day deserves a delicious chili recipe. I decided that Monday was the perfect day to try this Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili that I saw on Skinnytaste.com. The recipe calls for the slow cooker, but I woke up around 5:15 am and just didn’t have the energy or the time to put anything in the slow cooker, so I decided to just make it like I would a regular chili recipe. Stove-top!

This recipe comes together pretty fast. First you brown the chicken and beef in a large dutch oven. Then you pretty much add all the ingredients into the pot followed by the spices and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes so flavors come together. Ladle into separate bowls and top with chopped chives, fresh avocado, and goat cheese. Yes, goat cheese.

I was very surprised by how much I loved this non-traditional chili recipe. It has goat cheese and sweet potatoes which are two ingredients I wouldn’t think to use. However, the end result is amazing. The creamy tangy goat cheese cools down the spice from the jalapenos and it all comes together wonderfully. This recipe doesn’t use beans, but I personally think you could cut back on the meat and add a can of black beans. But I guess it wouldn’t be paleo then…

This is the perfect chili to serve during football season or really anytime you’re craving chili. Enjoy!

Blue Apron: Mushroom and Ricotta Calzones

Dough stresses me out. Baking stresses me out. I can never roll out dough the way I want to, especially sticky pizza dough. It always ends up misshapen and I inevitably snap at Jason and blame him for everything that went wrong, even when he’s not anywhere near the kitchen. It’s my process.

This dinner was no different. These Mushroom and Ricotta Calzones, however, turned out delicious albeit imperfectly shaped. And my husband was amazingly patient with me and we somehow made it through without an argument. Shocking.

This dinner really requires minimal effort after tackling the dough. My best advice is to make sure the dough is truly at room temperature before trying to roll it out. I also just used my hands, I didn’t even both with a rolling pin. I would also suggest lining the baking sheet with parchment paper and then spreading the flour over the top. Our calzones tried to stick to the pan which resulted in a minor tantrum before Jason rescued them. It was a rough day.

The end result is a fluffy delicious dough filled with earthy mushrooms and creamy ricotta. We had some left over filling so I just threw it in the sauce. There is no need to waste that delicious mixture. I would highly recommend trying this recipe. It’s worth the struggle and oh so comforting.

What do you struggle with in the kitchen? I can’t be alone, right?!

Blackened Chicken topped with Avocado and Fresh Tomato

Le sigh. I have been a horrible blogger lately and for that, I apologize. I started a new and exciting job and have had zero time to update. I am back in action and bring you Blackened Chicken Topped with Tomato and Avocado. This dinner is so fast, delicious, and healthy. Tomatoes are barely still in season but still soooo delicious. I cannot get enough of them.

Ingredients
1 package of organic skinless boneless chicken thighs
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, dried thyme, and dried oregano
1 ripe organic tomato, sliced
1 ripe organic avocado, sliced

Directions:
Mix together all the spices and liberally rub over the chicken thighs. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken on both sides for about 7 minutes each. Add chicken to a pan and broil on high until cooked through. Usually around 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness. While the chicken is in the broiler, slice your tomato and avocado. To plate, simply top each chicken thigh with a tomato and avocado slice.

The chicken came out perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The spice mix adds tons of flavor to the chicken. It’s pretty spicy, so if you’re sensitive, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper you add. However, the fresh tomato and creamy avocado balance the dish well. I served with a side of simple steamed green beans to add just a few more veggies. I hope you enjoy! I promise to be back soon with more recipes and fun restaurants to try. 🙂