Tag: delicious

Simple “Clean out the Fridge” Tacos

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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Summer is a beautiful time that I absolutely cherish, especially living in Northern Michigan. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and there is plenty of fresh produce to be found. My summer weekends are often packed with activity on the water and in the sun. Its the simple things that make my weekend special. A 9 Bean Rows croissant and Higher Grounds Coffee while at the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. An early morning run with my dog when the weather is still cool and the sun is rising. The calm, fresh water on my skin… simple, yet it means everything.

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Wild Leek Foraging and Pasta Primavera

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Foraging the Wild, Grow, Recipes.

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’tis the sweet spring season for Wild Leeks! Their garlic scent and spring onion flavor are a true sign of the season, and I’ve been really looking forward to foraging some of my own now that the weather is beautiful. It truly takes every ounce of self-discipline I have, on days like these, to keep myself indoors and productive during the 9-5 work day. Luckily for me, my boss is a sweet, kind 70 year-old active man who loves and encourages an afternoon walk through the forests in our “backyard.” So on Monday afternoon during my beautiful afternoon excursion, I brought along a butterknife & went foraging.

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Book Club and a Carrot, Red Lentil Soup

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Community, Food, Friends & Family, Recipes.

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I love books, and book clubs are a great place to gather for book lovers. Throughout my life I’ve always made time for reading and I truly enjoy fantastical and fiction-themed stories that take me away to another world. When a new friend suggested a Book Club with a gathering of like-minds and plenty of food and drinks, there was no way I could miss it.  I couldn’t think of a better way to explore stories with engaging conversation. Plus, the opportunity to get to know new friends who clearly share my interests was an opportunity worth taking. We’ve since filled the cold months with warm fires, four great reads and plenty of conversation on and off the topics of the books themselves.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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Banana bread rocks because when bananas are too ripe to eat right out of the peel, they’re the PERFECT consistency for banana bread and you won’t have to throw away your uneaten bananas.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread rocks because, well.. lets face it, chocolate is delicious. And chocolate added to good banana bread, makes GREAT banana bread.

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Banana bread may seem like a general bare bones recipe that’s hard to mess up and while that’s true, there are a variety of recipes that will produce very different breads. I prefer a banana bread that is moist, and this recipe from Joy of Cooking is the most basic, moist, delicious banana bread I’ve ever tasted.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Adopted from Joy of Cooking

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees

grease a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan

Whisk together thoroughly:

1 1/3 cups of flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

In large bowl stir together

5 1/3 teaspoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

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Beat in flour mixture until blended and the consistency of brown sugar then, gradually beat in:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

combine 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 whole bananas)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on rack.

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I received this super cute loaf pan from my boyfriend’s brother for Christmas. He obviously knows me quite well, because this exact green is one of my absolute favorite colors, plus when you add a golden loaf of warm chocolate chip banana bread its about the prettiest thing in my kitchen!

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A piece of this bread is the perfect solution for breakfast, a snack or even to manage your sweet tooth.

Just slice, serve and enjoy!

love,

tricia

The Pizza Crust Chronicles: Cauliflower Crust

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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I love Pizza, I mean who doesn’t. Its certainly delicious, but its also diverse and I love that in any mood, I can usually find the right combination of toppings to satisfy my cravings (and lift my spirits!).  A dear friend of my mom’s asked me recently to seek out a top-notch pizza crust recipe. Obviously, I was immediately excited and ready to take on the task. After searching through recipes and experimenting with the options however, I really couldn’t settle on ONE. And so, the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ were born. From Yeast to No Yeast, Gluten-Free, Veggie, or Vegan I plan to organize this ode’ to the pizza pie as an easy reference for your next homemade ‘za.

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First up, is The Cauliflower Crust. Unorthodox I know, but I’ve seen a rise in recipes touting the veggie and couldn’t help but experiment with it myself. Cauliflower is low in fat and low in carbohydrates but high in fiber which make it the perfect healthy alternative to your typical greasy pizza crust. Not only is it healthy, but truly easy to make. Bonus!
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust:

Preheat Oven: 400 degrees

2 cups cauliflower, grated or food processed into rice size pieces

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. oregano

1. Coat a cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

2. Spread grated cauliflower across oil-glazed cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

3. In a bowl, mix cauliflower, cheese, egg, garlic and oregano until well combined and dough-like in texture.

4. Spread mixture onto a parchment paper-covered pizza pan and create a circular crust. Bake  for 25 minutes.

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I topped my Cauliflower crust with Sweet potato mash, feta cheese, caramelized onion and collard greens. It was both savory and a little sweet, but all together delicious. I love reminding myself that this pizza is “healthy” and therefore eating 6 pieces is totally acceptable.

Sweet Potato, Feta Cheese and Collard Green Pizza:

1 sweet potato, medium-sized

2 cups collard greens, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbs feta cheese, crumbled

2 garlic cloves, minced or smashed and chopped

pinch of salt

1. Bake sweet potato in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or until well done.

2. Heat 1 tbs. of olive oil in frying pan and saute onion until tender

3. Add collard greens and lemon juice into pan and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

4. Remove sweet potato from skin and mix in a bowl with salt.

5. Spread sweet potato mash onto pizza crust and top with garlic.

6. Sprinkle feta cheese and greens on top of potato layer.

7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

8. Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy.

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I’ll be posting periodically in the ‘Pizza Crust Chronicles’ as I come across delicious crusts and experiment with new recipes . I hope you’ll stay tuned and feel free to share any “must-try” crusted creations you can’t live without.

Hail to the ‘za, in every top and crusted form

love,

tricia

Carrot and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Community, Food, Friends & Family, Recipes.

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If you’ve been to a Northern Michigan Farmers Market lately, you’re likely to see fewer greens. There will be plenty of baked goods, jelly & jams, meats & cheeses, but greens are harder to come by in February. Even with advancements in farming infrastructure like hoophouses and greenhouses, the beautiful and at times frustrating reality about growing food from the earth is that mother nature makes the rules.

At the farmers market I attend every Saturday, the majority of fresh produce you’ll find this time of year is carrots. You’ll see me walking through the market selecting my goods from the stalls and chomping on these fresh, local deliciously sweet carrots. Other than the raw form, carrots can be made into incredible soups, heart-warming roasted side dishes and salads. Recently however, I was curious to find a recipe that used carrots in a way I’d never used them before. As soon as I saw the color of this rich & flavorful carrot hummus I knew I had to try it, so I brought it along with me to a friends house last night for dinner.

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Let me just say,  I LOVE having friends that enjoy cooking and food as much as I do. Last night, was an incredible feast with three women I really enjoy spending time with. Our objective was simply to gather together around food and so we did, lots of food I might add. The carrot hummus turned out smashingly with cucumber slices and pita bread for dipping. My main dish on the other hand, a concoction of beet gnocchi with lemon pesto, while equally delicious was far less ‘picture perfect.’ It was my first time making both dishes and while putting them together I realized I had created a theme unknowingly of colorful and hearty root vegetables in an uncommon form.  Perhaps its because of this long cold winter,  stirring up a desire for change and the color that arrives with spring.

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Our collection of small plate dishes for the night included:

The ‘Life-Changing Loaf of Bread’  from Sarah B at My New Roots! (pictured above)

Beet Gnocchi with Lemon Pesto

Jeweled Rice Salad with Red Grapes, Scallions & Pecans

Guacamole with Sweet Potato Chips

Butternut Squash & Roasted Apple Quinoa

Homemade “Fig Newtons”

Carrot & Roasted Garlic Hummus with sliced cucumber and pita

Citrus Salad

Raw Cocoa Walnut Bars

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The dishes paired together incredibly and though I packed my plate full of the colorful food, there was nothing but a gleaming white plate left when I had finished.

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Carrot and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Makes 1 cup of hummus

Prep time: 25 minutes

Preheat: 400 degrees

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup roughly chopped carrots
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbls lemon juice

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Directions:

Line baking sheet with foil or parchment, then place chopped carrots in a bowl and coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Spread them in one layer on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven.

Wrap the cloves of garlic in foil and place in the oven as well.

Roast for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender with a fork. Remove from the oven, unwrap garlic and let cool.

In your food processor combine all ingredients including extra salt or lemon juice to your taste.

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Dinner with family and friends or Potlucks of any kind are some of my favorite gatherings. I love having small ‘tastes’ of everything dish and I often find myself experimenting with recipes in these occasions, enjoying the immediate honest feedback from the people closest to me. The dishes I made last night really made me realize how much I’m looking forward to warmer weather and all that comes with spring. The change is in the air and March is just around the corner!

What are some of your favorite, colorful springtime dishes?

love,

tricia

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Written by Tricia on . Posted in Food, Recipes.

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There is nothing that heals a cold, chills, or the winter blues better than homemade chicken noodle soup. The first time I tasted a cup of homemade chicken noodle, I couldn’t believe I’d ever eaten it out of a can. However, I also assumed that my boyfriend’s mother has slaved over the stove for days to prepare something so delicious. The secret?… Homemade chicken noodle soup is both supremely delicious AND easy.
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ingredients:
8 cups Chicken broth
Bite-sized, cooked Chicken (breasts or shredded rotisserie)
Uncooked Egg Noodles (any noodle works, these are just traditional)
2 Medium Carrots, diced
Diced Mushrooms
Chopped Medium Onion
3 cloves Garlic
2-3 tsp Salt, additional to taste
Pepper
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Rosemary
Chopped Swiss Chard (any green, spinach, kale)- optional
The measurements here are lacking, because the contents of this soup are up to you. If you like a soup with lots of broth then don’t use as many veggies. If you prefer a hearty, thick soup then amp up the number of vegetables you include. Its all up to you!
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directions:
First, throw a tab of butter or a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of your soup pot, saute garlic on low-medium heat (don’t let it burn) and then add chopped onion and cook until tender. Next, Add in the diced carrots and mushrooms and season with a little salt and pepper.
Pour in the Chicken Broth on top of the veggies. *Note: The carrots and mushrooms do not need to be tender, they will cook in the broth and soak up that delicious flavor!
Add in rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and then bring soup to a boil. Once boiling bring heat back down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
If the chicken is cooked already then after the 20 minutes are up you can toss in the chicken and the “uncooked” noodles. If chicken is not cooked, just saute diced chicken breast in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Simmer soup for another 15-20 minutes until noodles are tender. Throw in greens at the last minute and let them soak in the flavor for another 3-5 minutes. Then serve!
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It’s February and if you’re like me, winter blues can be a bit overwhelming this time of year. The excitement of that first snowfall back in December is lost in February compared with the intense desire for sunshine and warmer temperatures. Just remember, Homemade Chicken Noodle is soup for the soul. Make a pot of this soup, smile and soak in its warmth and soon.. the sunshine will find you.
love,
tricia

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