Broccoli Pesto

Broccoli and Cheese Frittata

The ease with which you can mix only a few ingredients with eggs and bake it into a light and fluffy delicious frittata has been one of the greatest discoveries in my college cooking journey. It's affordable, hearty, and quite nutritious. I am a firm believer that all foods are versatile but you can really put anything into a dish like this, add a crust and you have a quiche, or fold it in half and you've made an omelet! Eggs get me excited, what can I say...

Pumpkin Butter

Nothing brings out the pumpkin hoarder in me more than cold weather. With the average temperature hovering around 40 degrees we haven't even begun to see winter but that didn't stop me from stocking my pantry with 5 industrial sized cans of pumpkin. I can't help it, I discovered what Fall was like without pumpkin last year and I'm determined to never have that happen again.

I think my skin has started to take on a semi-permanent fake-tan orange hue due to the copious amounts of pumpkin I have consumed in the past couple of months. So if that makes you jealous, which it totally should, make this and enjoy spreading it on toast, dipping cookies into it, and my favorite, stirring it into oatmeal. 

Grilled Corn: Mexican & Jamaican Style

 

This post seems silly with the weather we've been having lately (low 50s and rain) but I know most people still have the warmth of the summer months hanging on longer than we did! With that said I hope everyone is still enjoying the fantastic bounty of corn that hot weather brings. We've been eating it like it's going out of style over here, probably because its seemingly short-lived season ends in October. Through the many ways I've prepared it I found that grilling it and dusting it with spice mixes perfectly compliments the corn's natural sweetness.

Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese

Keeping life simple...that's what is most important to me right now. I just finished an incredibly difficult semester and am about to begin my summer classes, which will undoubtedly be hard. I'm not going to complain because I am excited to get a certain Anatomy and Physiology class over with, but it means I won't have a lot of free time on my hands (again). Recipes that take almost no time at all, but are delicious nonetheless, are ranking pretty high on my list of favorites and this is definitely one of them. Creamy goat cheese is a perfect addition to crisp caramelized Brussels sprouts. The two combine to create a dish that is great for an appetizer or a side.

Roasted Asparagus

Sometimes I wonder what the people at our apartment complex think about Brad and me. When they see us carrying multiple armloads of groceries upstairs do they think I have some sort of insatiable food addiction? Do they ever catch a glimpse of us through our open windows, bent over a plate full of food, camera in hand, holding a reflector at odd angles to catch the light? Most importantly do our neighbors ever walk through the hall, smell what I'm cooking, and wish they were inside our apartment? I hope so!

Muffin Bread Pudding

Have you ever been really excited about a recipe, whipped it up, waited anxiously for it to bake in the oven, pulled it out, waited for it to cool (or not) and taken that first bite only to find out it is dry, flavorless, or just kinda sucks? I definitely did this last night when I made some very dry banana muffins. The greatest disappointment came when I realized that I was probably going to just throw them away because no amount of peanut butter could save them. Then I had a moment of genius (if I can be so bold). I decided these muffins had to be made into bread pudding and what emerged from the oven after baking this treat did not disappoint in anyway. 

Honey & Thyme Glazed Acorn Squash

A very similar dish was the star of my Thanksgiving so I decided to deconstruct it and make it a bit simpler for a more everyday approach. The combination of caramelized honey, savory thyme, toasted walnuts, and sweet acorn squash is a blend of flavors that is difficult to describe. It's wonderful. An extremely easy yet fantastically elegant meal.

Cheesy Broccoli and Pasta Casserole

This weekend it rained/snowed a little bit so a warm comforting dish was much needed. Toothsome pasta that's crunchy on top, smooth and cheesy on the inside, all studded with broccoli...honestly what could be better? It's perfect to serve as a side dish but also delicious enough to have as the main course.

Crunchy Baked Tofu

I can honestly say this is not only one of my favorite tofu meals but it is now just one my favorite meals period. I was in the mood for something "fried" and this flavor and texture combination was just right. 

Black Bean Brownies

Black bean brownies have been around for awhile but I had never made them (I was rather skeptical that beans could be made into dessert). Let me tell you, I wish I had been making these forever. I got this recipe from Busy But Healthy and added flax seeds for some crunch. These are seriously delicious straight out of the oven but the flavor and fudge-y texture improve everyday, if there are any leftover! To make a perfect snack spread peanut butter on top or serve with fresh berries for dessert. 

Chickpea Burgers

I was seriously tired of black bean burgers and decided I had to change things up a bit. I loved this combination of mexican and mediterranean flavors. The outside of these burgers gets nice and crispy while the inside stays smooth and creamy but definitely does not get gummy. I ate the leftovers for a week and never got tired of them!

Chocolate and Almond Mini Bananas

Look at these bananas, how could I not buy them?! I assumed these miniature versions would be exactly the same as every other banana I had ever eaten, let me tell you...I was happily mistaken

Roasted Golden Vegetables with Salted Walnuts

Inspired by a "small plate" my family and I shared at Barolo Grill in Denver (one of my favorite restaurants) I decided to roast golden beets but found a few more vegetables destined for my roasting pan than I planned...

BBQ Tofu

So you bought tofu for that one special recipe and now looming in a tupperware container in your fridge is the rest of that brick and you have nowhere for it to go...

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew with Lemon Parsley Couscous

This easy to prepare, hearty stew is a great meal to make when you are low on time and in the mood for a big bowl of something warm and comforting.

Pizza

Happy Vegetarian Day!!!

Start off October (which just so happens to be Vegetarian Awareness Month) with an easy to make veggie pizza. 

During my lengthy quest for the ideal combination of a perfectly chewy, crispy-on-the-edges light crust, tangy but not too sweet tomato sauce, melty cheese, and just the right medley of vegetables to top it all off I found these specific products fit my bill for a "perfect pizza" quite well. So next time you take a trip to your local WalMart pick these ingredients up and discover why Domino's won't be getting a call from you anytime soon.

Quinoa Chili

Summer is officially over so I welcomed Fall by making a pot of chili.  This wonderful comfort food is given a nutritional boost with the addition of quinoa. Finely chopped mushrooms stand in for ground meat and beautiful yellow corn lends a perfect amount of sweetness to balance the spice.

Cajun Veggie Pot

I am having a lot of fun taking recipes I originally made with meat (i.e. Cajun Shrimp Boil) and turning them into vegetarian meals. So far I have prevailed and I hope for the success to continue!  Serve with crusty french bread to soak up the broth and you have a perfect summer or winter meal.

Vegetarian Pot Pie

This pot pie alternative is sure to become a new favorite in your recipe repertoire. Using fresh vegetables instead of canned takes the flavor to a whole new level. Preparing this meal is incredibly easy and requires only one pot! It may not be your grandma's chicken pot pie but it doesn't get much healthier, easier, or delicious than this when it comes to this down home favorite.