Tuscan Style Garlic Spinach

I was never one of those kids that hated spinach. I watched a lot of Popeye, so maybe that had something to do with it, but spinach has always been one of my favorite vegetables. I'm also quite partial to broccoli.

I also love the combination of spinach and garlic, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It combines the two perfectly, and would make the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Jicama Salad with Cucumber and Lime

Happy September and happy Labor Day! I am excited to say that I moved this weekend and my sanity remained in tact. I haven't yet slept in the apartment yet because we haven't had Internet in the apartment, but that is getting installed tomorrow. We've decided to go without cable for the time being, so that should be interesting! The past few days have been spent cleaning and organizing - the previous tenants left the place a complete wreck. It's coming along nicely and I'll probably be settled in completely by the end of the week.

This salad does not look like much, but it is really tasty. It is also incredibly easy to throw together and really low in Points+ value. It is packed with fiber to keep you full. I had it along side a rotisserie chicken leg and was actually kept full all night.

Get ready for a whole slew of pumpkin and apple recipes in the next few weeks. Fall is my favorite season and I've got some really great recipes planned!

Grilled Green Beans with Feta

When I first saw this recipe, I was a little skeptical. But I thought that it sounded pretty cool, so I went ahead, and I am so glad that I did. I mentioned before that I am terrified of using the gas grill so I bought myself an indoor grill. This recipe came with the instruction booklet for the grill. I did it on the contact grill feature, which works exactly like a George Foreman.

 I'm not sure how this would translate onto a real grill, although I am sure it would be fine. If anyone tries, please let me know how it goes!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved feta cheese. I can't remember the first time I had it, but I'm sure there was no "getting used to it". It was love at first bite. The tanginess and sharpness of the cheese is what I love, and the pairing with lemon is so classic. I always use full fat feta. I think the reduced fat is decent and the fat free is completely inedible. I literally couldn't even swallow it when I tried.

Green beans and I have not always had the best relationship. Normally, I can take or leave green beans, but I loved them this way. I think it is because they are grilled and maintain some crispness. I love some crunch to my veggies which is why I prefer to roast (and now grill) them.

I served this with a bunless spiced turkey burger (don't let the picture fool you, these are SO GOOD) and some perfectly sweet corn from Boston Organics. It was an all around delicious meal!

Beet and "Fried" Goat Cheese Salad

I've never been one to crave beets. I've never even been one to particularly like beets. I just kind of tolerated them. But now this has totally changed.

Every other week, I get a delivery of organic fruits and veggies from a company called Boston Organics. It is a great way for me to get more fruit and veggies in my diet. One week, in the delivery, we got a delivery of beets and beet greens. I really had no clue what to do with them. I never made beets myself before and didn't even know what my preferred method for eating them was. I decided I would try to roast them. While it took way longer than I was expecting, I really enjoyed putting them on my salads.

Then a couple days later, my dad came home with something called Love Beets, and I really did fall in love. They were the perfect size for snacking, and that's what I did. I also used them in this recipe, but you can also roast your own beets or prepare them in any other way. To roast, just rub the scrubbed clean beets with some olive oil and salt and place in a foil packet in a 375 degree F oven. When the beets are done roasting, you should be able to pierce them with a fork. I would start checking for doneness around 30 minutes, but it can take upwards of about an hour. The skin should come off easily when done.

 I found this dish to be filling enough for a main meal, but you can also make it smaller for a side dish.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Happy Monday!

During the week, I generally like to eat healthy and then splurge on the weekends. One of my favorite splurges is Chinese food, but I have not had it in a long time. I guess about a year and a half ago, my favorite Chinese restaurant closed down. Since then, I haven't really wanted to get it any other place.

If you look at the back of the restaurant, the sign is still there. As I drove by this weekend, I realized that I wanted to recreate one of my favorite dishes.

This isn't Ocean East's vegetable fried rice, but it will do. I'm sure there are more authentic ways of cooking this dish, but when I wanted it, this satisfied the craving.

Quinoa Pilaf

I finally learned how to pronounce quinoa correctly so I figured I should now try to cook with it! I had been pronouncing it kee-no-wa for the longest time until someone looked at me funny and said "you mean kee-nwa?" Oops. I found this recipe on Family Circle and thought it would be the perfect way to introduce quinoa into my diet.

I'm not really one to make new year resolutions, but one of my goals this year is to incorporate more vegetables into my diet (along with drink more water). This recipe is packed with veggies and is perfect for vegetarians and vegans.

Dijon and Herb Roasted Potatoes

As I was thinking about what recipes I should try out over the next few weeks, I realized that I have very few side dish recipes. I had the idea for this recipe a while ago, but for some reason, I almost never work with potatoes. A goal of mine with this blog is to try out new things, so I thought this was the perfect dish to both cook with something new and boost my side dish recipes. I definitely like potatoes, but for whatever reason they were never cooked very much when I was growing up. However, after this dish, I think they will be making more of an appearance.

The herbs I used are ones that I personally enjoy. Feel free to switch it up however you like.

Orzo and Spinach Salad

I bet you thought that I had forgotten about this post! I didn't, it is just the end of the semester and that really easy assignment that I thought would take only an hour ended up taking, like, seven. Oh well. That's what I get for procrastinating.

This salad is so simple to make and incredibly tasty! When I have dinner, I am often not satisfied with just a vegetable on the side. I also want a carb, even if I am running low on points and carbs are some of the most point-y things. Well, this salad is low in cards, points and suited my needs quite well. It is definitely an addition to my normal repertoire.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Biscuits

My first experience with cheddar biscuits came from Red Lobster. I don't live near one and I don't even remember where the Red Lobster I went to was. I remember sitting there with my uncle and dad and wolfing down the biscuits before I even got to the meal.

I have never looked up the nutrition information on Red Lobster's biscuits, but I can only imagine. This version is surprisingly guiltless and absolutely delicious.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli and Garlic

Does anything smell better than garlic roasting in an oven? I'm having a hard time coming up of what that might be. Needless to say this recipe smells delicious while it is cooking and tastes the exact same way. Roasting broccoli gives it a completely different taste than steaming it - it is almost nutty. Paired with the mild taste of parmesan and olive oil, this makes a great side dish. I like a little heat to most of my foods, so feel free to adjust the red pepper flakes to your liking, or omit it altogether.

Something about this picture reminds me of the snow. I normally don't complain about not having snow, but this year I would really appreciate having some of the fluffy white stuff for the holidays. It seems like that's not going to happen though. Sigh. Maybe next year...

Pumpkin Cornbread

More pumpkin?? I mentioned in another post that I stocked up on canned pumpkin when I heard that there might be a shortage. So I'm not quite done with the pumpkin yet! Since the weather is almost seasonable (I should not be able to get away with just a sweater in December in New England) I have been wanting a lot of soup and chili. What a better accompaniment than cornbread? Add pumpkin to that and it's almost perfect.

Another suggestion for this cornbread is to serve it with honey or maple syrup drizzled on top. A deliciously sweet end to a dinner. Or as a quick, on the go breakfast.