Momofuku's Ginger Scallion Noodles

If it's got Momofuku's name on it, I want it.  I've only been to Milk Bar, but I know that David Chang has the Midas touch with food so when I stumbled upon this recipe I knew I needed to try it.  Also, it is very simple and you probably have most the ingredients on hand already.

Ginger Scallion Noodles
Adapted from David Chang

Ingredients
2 bunches of scallions, chopped
1/2 cup minced ginger
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp rice vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
2 packages of ramen noodles

David's recommended additions:
pan roasted cauliflower
quick pickled cucumbers
bamboo shoots

1. Mix all ingredients together and let sit while you boil the water and cook the noodles.
2. Boil water for ramen noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and toss with sauce and any toppings you decide on.

Oh sweet deliciousness! These were really perfection and I could have eaten the entire pot by myself Hey, I'm 9 months pregnant I can do stuff like that, ok?  I pan roasted some cauliflower florets in sesame oil with a bit of salt and pepper to add some nutrients. So easy, so fast, so good. Make it.

Banh Mi Pizza

I am not a fan of salad pizza.  I wish I was one of those people who loved salad so much that it would be my choice of pizza topping, but alas then this blog probably wouldn't exist.  This banh mi pizza however, gives traditional salad pizza a run for its money.

It's a totally refreshing dinner for the summer and if you are bold enough to cook it on the grill, you don't have to heat the house up!

Banh Mi Pizza
Adapted From Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup water

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup matchstick carrots
1/2 English cucumber, sliced
1 jalapeno, sliced and seeded
1 pizza dough
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbps sesame oil, divided
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp Sriracha
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 500. In a small sauce pan bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer.  Stir until salt and sugar dissolve.  Remove from heat and add carrots, cucumber, and jalapeno. Set aside.
2. Stretch out your pizza dough and pierce with a fork all over to prevent bubbles. Brush with soy sauce and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle dough with grated cheese and cook 5 minutes more.
4. Remove pizza from oven an top with drained pickled vegetables. Mix sour cream and sriracha together, drizzle on pizza. Top with cilantro. Slice and serve.

Don't be alarmed by the fact that it's from Cooking Light.  If it makes you feel any better, they said it serves 4 and the 2 of us at the whole darn thing.

Zucchini Pizza

Zucchini is probably my favorite vegetable of summer.  As I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my garden zucchini, this recipe from Smitten Kitchen caught my eye.

It is perfect for summer not only because it showcases the zucchini front and center, but it also requires so few ingredients and comes together in a flash.  No time standing over a hot stove! Yes!

Zucchini Pizza
Adapted From Smitten Kitchen

1 pizza dough, store bought or homemade, you decide
1.5 lb zucchini
1 tsp salt
1 cup grated gruyere, or mozzarella, or a combination (I didn't have enough gruyere so I mixed it and everything was magical.  I imagine you can mix up the cheese any way you see fit)
red pepper, to taste
2 tbsp bread crumbs

1.  Grate your zucchini in a food processor or box grater.  Then place in a large bowl with salt.  Let stand 30 minutes or more if you have the time.
2. Preheat oven to 500. Drain zucchini over a colander, squeezing the water out with your hands.  Try to get as much water out as possible.  Wipe out bowl from before and mix cheese, drained zucchini, a few dashes of red pepper flakes and some more salt if you'd like.
3. Stretch your pizza dough on to an oiled 13x9 sheet pan. Spread zucchini mixture evenly over dough. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Oh goodness I hope I can make this again with some garden zucchini.

2 Ingredient Watermelon Sherbet

Sometimes you buy an entire watermelon for just 2 people and the watermelon is not so great and you just don't know what to do with a fridge filled with bowls of this not so great watermelon.  And so I give you watermelon sherbet!

Watermelon Sherbet
From Five Heart Home

Ingredients
3 cups watermelon, cut up and frozen
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1. Pulse watermelon and yogurt in a food processor until smooth. Serve immediately or put in a container in the freezer for later.

*Note: I added a few dashes of lime juice and doubled the recipe which you are definitely going to want to do.

I added some chocolate chips so I could pretend I was eating this latest creation from Dominique Ansel.

This recipe is just too easy not to try.  Also, it really is summer time dessert perfection.

Garlic Scape Pesto

I finally made it to a farmer's market!  What took me so long?  I have no idea.  I was on the hunt for some sort of random produce item that I'd either never had or just don't see at the supermarket.  That's why I was drawn to this container filled with curly green garlic scapes.

What does a scape taste like? What the heck do you make with it?  These were questions I was willing to discover later.

Garlic Scape Pesto
From Food52

Ingredients
1 cup garlic scapes, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional, I didn't use any nuts)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Take your scapes and nuts if using and pulse in a food processor until things are broken up a bit.  Then drizzle in your olive oil slowly while the food processor is running.
2. Pulse in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I made a grilled cheese with scape pesto and mozzarella cheese on proscuitto bread (which was also purchased at the farmer's market 😊).

Bailey wanted in on the action, but unfortunately this is not on his low fat diet.  

What else can I make with garlic scapes?! What should I do with the rest of the pesto?  Big decisions coming up this week.

Good Food Made Simple

I'm excited to share with you my tasting of Good Food Made Simple frozen meals.  I was given the opportunity to try them for free, but the opinions I share are my own.

I purchased these at my local Target store. They don't seem to be available at my Stop and Shop, but I'm not sure if that is the case across the country.

We tried 4 of them so far and they did not disappoint.  The hatch chile mc, seen below, we just what I was looking for in a mac and cheese.  The chiles definitely bring the heat so be prepared!

We also sampled the Thai style chicken and the chicken pad thai.  Below is a photo of the pad thai after it was microwaved.

It was great to be able to read the nutrition label and see ingredients that were natural and organic.

The nice part about the good food made simple brand is that each meal comes in its own bowl or plate.  That means your meal is ready in moments and there's nothing to clean up!  I currently have a baby on the way so I will definitely be stocking my freezer with these fast, simple, good for you meals.

Luvo Frozen Meals

Below you can see my latest package from Mom's Meet.  There are few things more exciting than seeing a Mom's Meet package waiting for me on my front steps.

I was chosen to sample Luvo frozen meals and boy was I glad I was picked!  I am currently pregnant and will be giving birth to a little boy in September.  As a home cook, I have grand ideas of stocking my freezer with home cooked meals in preparation for when the baby gets here and the house is turned upside-down.  But now that I know that Luvo's healthy and delicious frozen meals exist, I might not have to do all the cooking!

In this post I'll show you my first Luvo taste test: orange mango chicken with whole grains, broccoli and kale.  Would it look as good as it was pictured?  Would it taste as good as it sounded? I was skeptical....

The answers? Yes and yes!  I was so happy with this dinner.  It fit all my needs: nutritious. convenient, and delicious.

I will definitely be stocking my freezer with Luvo meals and you should too!

Shrimp Burgers

If you don't mind busting out the food processor, these shrimp burgers are super simple, come together in a flash, and require little in regards to your shopping list.

Shrimp Burgers

Adapted from Cooks Country Magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream (or mayo)

1/2 tsp Old Bay

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

a few dashes of lemon or lime juice

1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp sour cream (or mayo if it doesn't repulse you)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Old Bay

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

vegetable oil for cooking, about 3 tbsp

4 burger buns

lettuce

1. Mix first set of ingredients in a small bowl for saucing up the burgers after they are cooked.
2. Place 1/3 of shrimp, sour cream, pepper, salt, cayenne, Old Bay, and celery in the food processor.  Pulse until shrimp are finely chopped. Add remaining shrimp and pulse until coarsely chopped.
3. Divide mixture into 4 patties.  Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish.  Working with 1 patty at a time coat with bread crumbs.  When all patties are coated heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side.
4.  Serve on toasted buns with lettuce and prepared sauce.



How did I only take 1 picture!? Sorry readers, I have failed you.

Macarons

YES! Homemade macarons! I was so ridiculously excited about the mere idea of baking these that when they came out perfectly I was beside myself.

Use this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction.  She has great step-by-step photos to guide you along.  I followed her recipe as it is written.  We added almond extract and a little red food coloring.

I was intimidated by the process of baking macarons, but really there wasn't much that was actually challenging.  It is no doubt time consuming, but a lot of that time is waiting for things to sit. Probably the most difficult part was piping and making it so the cookies were an even size.



These are filled with strawberry preserves, but I am definitely itching to try it with some chocolate ganache. Next time....

Chicken Pot Pie Pizza

Two comfort foods come together to make one delicious dinner. The magical creamy filling of a pot pie on top of a pizza crust, covered in cheese.  Since winter doesn't seem to want to quit anytime soon, this will surely warm up your kitchen and your belly.

Chicken Pot Pie Pizza
From i am a food blog

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar
1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/4 of a small onion, diced
1 smallish potato, diced and cooked
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 pizza dough

1. Preheat oven to 500. In a small pan melt butter, then whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in chicken stock. Stir until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stretch out your pizza dough. Spread on the sauce, then top with onion, potato, carrot, celery, chicken, and cheese.
3. Cook about 15 minutes until crust has browned and cheese has melted.

Yes. Yes. Yes. This is absolutely as good as it sounds. Make it to celebrate Pi Day!

Banh Mi Bowls

All the goodness of a banh mi sandwich, captured in some easy to make rice bowls.

Banh Mi Bowls

From Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
6-8 carrots, peeled into ribbons or cut into matchsticks

1 lb ground pork
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (it's with the herbs in the produce section)
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp salt

cooked rice
scallions
sesame seeds
tzatziki sauce, or a spicy mayo, or nothing...

1. Preheat oven to 475. Combine the first set of ingredients in a bowl and set aside for the carrots to pickle.
2. Mix second set of ingredients in a bowl.  Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 15-20 minutes.
3. Build your bowls with some rice, meatballs, scallions, sesame seeds, and sauce of your choosing.

These are so damn good I cannot wait to make them again!

Yes! I really love dinner in a bowl.  It is quite glorious.

Loaded Mediterranean Fries

It's french fries. It's a salad. It's dinner and it's delicious!

Loaded Mediterranean Fries
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients
1 bag sweet potato fries
tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced cucumbers
1/2 cup sliced olives
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
fresh or ground parsley, to taste
a dash of salt
a splash of lemon juice
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
pita chips, make your own or purchase a bag

1. Bake your sweet potato fries according to package directions.
2. Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives with oil, garlic, parsley, salt, and lemon juice.
3. When fries are done assemble your bowl: fries down first tops with vegetable mixture, lettuce, pita chips, and tzatziki.

*I had a chicken cutlet sitting in the fridge that I diced up.  It can be seen in the pictures, but it not an essential ingredient to this dish.

I'd say this is a pretty acceptable way to eat fries for dinner.

I am going to need to come up with more french fry/salad combinations for the future.

Mushroom Marsala Pasta

I don't particularly care for mushrooms, but sometimes I like to do nice things for my husband who is a mushroom lover.  Considering there is a long list of things I refuse to use in recipes (ground beef laden items, beans, raw tomatoes...) I shouldn't really brag about this act of kindness.

Mushroom Marsala Pasta

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

8 oz pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 lb slice mushrooms

1 small onion, sliced thin

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup marsala wine

3 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 oz mozzarella, cut into cubes

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Pro tip: Boil your pasta in an oven safe skillet to make this a one pot meal!

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400.

3. Heat oil in pasta skillet, add mushrooms and cook until they start to glisten.  Add onions, salt, and pepper.  Cook until mushrooms liquid has evaporated. Add marsala wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in butter until melted. Add flour and stir until it is absorbed. Add broth, a little at a time, making sure it is incorporated before adding more. Let mixture simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

4. Stir in pasta, mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, and 2 tbsp of parsley. Top with remaining Parmesan and parsley. Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Wow, I am a serious martyr eating this cheesy pasta dish dotted with dreaded mushrooms. KTC, a true American hero!

Wonton Soup

This is not too hard and too complicated for you.  Really, believe me, it isn't.  Plus, when it comes time to eat, you will be so incredibly impressed with yourself.

Wonton Soup
From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
3/4 lb ground chicken
1 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp chopped scallions
pepper, to taste
50 wonton wrappers
cornstarch, to prevent sticking

8 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
soy sauce or salt to taste
another dash of ginger
3 oz baby spinach, a few handfuls

1. To make the wontons: Mix chicken, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, ginger, scallions, and pepper. Place 6 wonton wrappers on a cutting board and fill a small bowl with water. Drop teaspoons of chicken filling into the middle of each wonton wrapper. Use your fingers to dampen the edges of the wrapper. Seal edges in a triangle, pushing out all the air. Then pull the 2 corners on the wide side together. Place on a plate dusted with cornstarch. Do this 50 times!
2. Let your broth come to a boil with the garlic, soy sauce/salt, and ginger. Gently drop in your completed wontons and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cool until the leaves soften. All done!

The whole time I was preparing this meal I just kept thinking I needed a backup food plan.  What was I going to make when this was a total failure? What if all the wontons opened up in the soup?

But guess what!? It just worked. This soup is perfection.

I could really use a bowl of wonton soup on this blizzard day.

Super Bowl Recipe Roundup

Clockwise from the left:

Sliders

Mac and Cheese Bar

Broccoli Cheese Pizza Roll

Cheesy Corn Dip

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Chicken Wings

Vegetable Dip

French Onion Dip

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

Hummus 5 Layer Dip

Triple Cheese Popcorn

Zucchini Parmesan Sliders

Happy snacking today everyone!

Greek Pan Pizza

You have to make this! Skip straight to the ingredients list and get right to it.  As soon as I took a bite I was already dreaming of the next time I would make this and what topping combinations I could mess around with.

Greek Pan Pizza
Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 envelopes rapid rise yeast
3/4 cup milk, 120-130 degrees
1/4 cup olive oil

4 oz feta cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning, or a dash of each: oregano, parsley, basil

1. Grease an 8x8 pan. Mix first set of ingredients (flour-olive oil) in the greased pan. Yes! In the pan! Press dough evenly in pan.
2. Top dough with feta, spinach, and tomatoes. Then top with mozzarella and herbs.
3. Bake by placing in a cold oven set to 350.  Cook 30-35 minutes until cheese is melty and begins to brown at the edges.

Hello sweet delicious one pan pizza. I love you and can't wait to see you again.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodles

Hi, confession: the first time I set out to make this it was a complete failure.  I busted out 2 different spiralizers to noodle a sweet potato.  One just cut the potato to slivers and the other just mushed up the potato and then cut my finger.  In a fit of rage, I regrettably tossed them both 😬😠 .

Then, I remembered that Stop and Shop sells pre-noodled vegetables in the produce aisle. So here I am today, sharing with you part 2 of this recipe.  Was it worth it? Yes.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodles
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients
12 oz sweet potato noodles
olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
a tablespoon or 2 of fresh or ground cilantro
1 cup or so of fresh spinach

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp water
a tablespoon or so of chipotle juice from the can, or you can dice up a pepper you decide how much spice you can handle
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp honey
a couple tbsp of orange juice
the juice of a lime
a solid pinch of salt

1. Mix 1/3 cup olive oil through pinch of salt from ingredients list in a large measuring cup.  If you love cleaning stuff, you can use a food processor or immersion blender.
2.. Heat oil in large skillet.  Add corn, and cook until slightly browned.  Add sweet potato noodles and cook 5 minutes or so, until you see them soften. Toss in the spinach and wilt slightly.
3. Mix in the dressing and enjoy!



This is definitely a strange sell, I understand that, but it really was delicious.  I served this as a side to some turkey cutlets and it was really exquisite.

Foodie Dice

Sorry I seem to have taken a bit of a leave of absence from the blog so far this year, but I promise new recipes are in the works as you read this very post!

FYI: This is not a sponsored post.  It's just me showing off a fun gift I got for Christmas.  I present to you, foodie dice!  The idea is you roll the dice to decide what ingredients get included in a recipe.  This version has a different vegetable die for each season.

Above you can see what I rolled, below you can see what the end result looked like. I roasted a rosemary and garlic covered pork loin along with potatoes and carrots.  I tossed in some shredded purple cabbage for the last few minutes of cooking.

This was just the inspiration I needed to come up with something different to cook for dinner. Can't wait to see what the dice have in store for me next time!