Tag: sweet potatoes

Make This Now: Summer Time Recipes!

Lauren1 Comment

It’s summer and every meal must be eaten outdoors!  Okay, not every meal (sometimes something really good is on TV!), but as many as possible.  Mainly to escape the heat of our house, but also because sitting at an actual table without our distraction, surrounded by natural light and the lovely sounds of summer — aka, the kids next door setting off fireworks, but also birds chirping and a slight sweet breeze through the trees — is the epitome of happiness.

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Simple Flaky Crab Cakes + Roasted Carrots and Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk Herb Dressing

Two recipe repeats that I had been dying to make again since last spring!  They were every bit as delicious as I remembered them being.  Get that good crab from Slidell, LA and maybe put some of that buttermilk dressing on the crab cakes too then let that wave of euphoria wash right over you.  Because Katie Lee is my food spirit animal, she is a trusted salad recipe resource!

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BBQ Chicken Burgers

I’ve had these burgers pinned for SO LONG and we just finally made them.  What a mistake that was!  I should have made them so so long ago and I could have been enjoying them for so much longer.  DO NOT MAKE THIS LIFE MISTAKE.  They could not have been fatter or juicier or more BBQ flavor-packed.  We loved them SO MUCH!

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Sesame Soba Noodles + Ginger-Miso Grilled Asparagus 

I’ve made about 50 iterations of sesame soba noodles in my life but I really and truly loved this version!  The ingredient list was short and I had it all on hand, plus the noodles were perfectly coated.  Also, soba noodles only need to cook for something like 3 minutes, which is key if you’ve yet to install your window A/C unit and are looking for things that minimally heat your kitchen.  All sesame soba noodles aside, THESE ASPARAGUS!  I love a ginger-miso situation and I’d never grilled asparagus before so it felt life-changing.

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Summer Bliss Bowls with Sweet Potato Falafel

I’ll be upfront and tell you this recipe does not provide clear falafel frying instructions.  Is it a pan-fry?  A deep-fry?  How hot does the oil need to be??  Ahh!  But relax, because I’m here to guide you to sweet potato falafel success.  Put a 1/2″ of vegetable oil in your cast iron skillet, turn that heat HIGH, then fry each falafel for 3-4 minutes, flip to the other side and repeat.  But these babies are just half the fun because jalapeño ranch, grilled corn, goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh dill = a bowl of pure summer… uh bliss.  Okay, this recipe is aptly named!

Curried Grilled Chicken Thighs + Curried Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt

Remember when I came home from a weekend facial and Joey was in the kitchen, making yellow curry paste from scratch and I was like “who are you and what have you done with my husband?!”  This is where that curry paste went and HOLY MOLY so worth making from scratch and so very delicious.  Chicken thighs for president!  It’s maybe not cauliflower season but whatever because these two recipes went together so well.  We were both so delighted by this dinner.

In conclusion, Summer ’17 is off to a delicious start.  Where can we go from here?!

Make This Now (+ Recipes)

Lauren8 Comments

I posted two pictures last week that got recipe or at least “tell me more” requests.  Ask and you shall receive!  Plus a few recently made things that maybe didn’t get recipe requests but deserve to be shared anyway.  Enjoy!

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Veggie Shepherd’s Pie (adapted from a Insta story I saw two weeks ago)

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup lentils, dry
  • 2T olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 large carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1/2T fresh thyme
  • 8 oz. sliced baby bellas
  • 2T chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • 2T balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup veggie broth
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • 4 oz. goat cheese
  • cumin, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Wash and prick sweet potatoes, then place in the oven to bake until soft, 50-60 minutes. Cut open and allow to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, cook lentils according to package directions. Strain and set aside.
  4. Chop onion, carrots, garlic, celery and thyme.
  5. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, then add onion, carrots, garlic, celery and thyme. Sauté until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
  6. Add mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and oil, and vinegar, then continue cooking, stirring occasionally, another 10 minutes.
  7. Add stock, lentils and chickpeas then turn up heat and simmer until liquid has evaporated and veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, add sweet potato flesh (skins removed) to a food processor with salt, pepper and goat cheese. Puree until smooth.
  9. Season veggie mixture with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder to taste then spread sweet potato mixture over top and bake 15 minutes.

The veggie mixture is 100% GOOD, but that sweet potato-goat cheese purée is one of the best things I’ve eaten in my 27 years on this Earth.  PLEASE MAKE IT AND EAT IT AND ENJOY IT NOW.

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Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions + Lime, Soy & Maple Drizzle

Joey freaked over this meal when I served it to him last Monday night and get this, THEY WERE LEFTOVERS of the dinner I cooked myself two days before.  So just imagine how good it is when you cook and eat it in the same night.  Also, please please please do not overcook the pork.  Pork can totally be pink and it SHOULD be.  So trust the timing detailed in the recipe.  That drizzle only takes a few minutes and it really takes this meal above and beyond.

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A California Caesar

I’ve eaten A LOT of vegan Caesars in this life so I’m going to go ahead and declare myself an expert on the matter.  This one right here is my favorite though, because the dressing always turns out perfect (none of that tasting and tweaking business), it involves avocado (it’s spring and we deserve to live our best avocado lives!) and my FAVORITE vegan Parmesan.  In addition to eating a lot of vegan Caesars I have also made A LOT of nut Parmesans and this one is undoubtedly the best.  I use cashews instead of Brazil nuts because Joey is convinced he’s allergic but you could go either way (or even use almonds!).  Sure, there’s a few components to make but it’s 100% worth it in the end.

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Golden Milk Coffee Creamer (recipe from a Faring Well video I saw on Nom)

First, I should probably tell  you about the health claims of Golden Milk but actually all I really know is that turmeric is supposed to help with inflammation and my interest in it has less to do with inflammation and more to do with how pretty it looks.  Help, I’m a hack!  But I’m here to tell you, even if you’re not in in for the health benefits, you can be in it for the luxurious taste.  Because it’s silky smooth and just barely sweet with a slight hint of spice.

  • 2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • scant 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 crack black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or 2 teaspoons honey)
  1. Warm almond milk over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add remaining ingredients, increase heat slightly and simmer 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add to a blender with middle piece removed to release steam and blend 30 seconds to froth.
  4. Add to coffee or let cool completely and refrigerate.

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Crispy Baked Asian Salmon

I’ve loved this recipe since Kristen posted it all the way back in 2013!  Whoa!  It’s just the best combination of tender juicy salmon, an umami almond butter sauce and that crunch of toasty panko.  Help, it is 10 AM as I’m writing this and I am straight salivating over the thought of this salmon.

Well this post went ranged from vegan to cheesy to meaty so I think I almost covered all our bases.  I just needed to have a dessert recipe!  I’ll work on that for next time 🙂