Category Archives: Dinner

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Savory / Soup / Vegan / Vegetarian

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Butternut Squash

February 24, 2014

This soup doesn’t need much of an intro from me — it’s crazy easy to make (and quick), and sooo delicious.  It’s smoky, a little spicy, and it will use up an entire butternut squash (which, if you get a CSA box like I do, you probably have like 1,000 of those laying around right now).

Seriously, just take my word on this one and make this soup.

But maybe plan a little bit better than I did and have some ripe avocados on hand…

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Butternut Squash

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Butternut Squash

serves 3-4

  • 1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 3 cups)
  • 1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/8 tsp (a pinch, really) cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • corn tortillas (about 10)

Toppings (all are optional, but they all make this soup especially delicious):

  • crispy tortilla strips
  • minced cilantro
  • crumbled goat cheese (cotija cheese would also work well)
  • greek yogurt or sour cream
  • diced avocado
  • hot sauce (if you’re a spice fiend)
  1. Place a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add some olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until just softened and very fragrant.  Add squash, cabbage and vegetable stock (salt and pepper as you go).  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through and tender.
  2. Add black beans and spices, then pass a hand blender through the mix to thicken the broth (the soup should still be very chunky, you’re just looking to break it up a bit to thicken things — a couple passes should do it).  Return to heat and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not burn.
  3. Check for seasoning (add lots of black pepper to this!), then serve with any or all toppings.

Crispy Tortilla Strips

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Stack tortillas (I used half a pack — about 10 tortillas) and slice into quarters, then into strips.  Toss strips with olive oil, plenty of salt, and a bit of pepper.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake about 15 minutes (check these every couple minutes after 10 minutes — cooking time will vary based on your oven), until just browned and very crispy.

Date Night at Home / Dinner / Holidays / Meals for Two

Valentine's Ideas: Dinner for Two

February 10, 2014

Happy week of love, friends!  Are you all ready to celebrate the holiest of holidays?  Oh, what, you don’t think Valentine’s Day is an important holiday?  Well, you’re right.  It’s not.  But, whatever your relationship status, I think it’s nice to celebrate the ones you love, halfway through February.

And what better way to do it than with food!  Because you can’t spell “heart” without “eat.”  ← I totally just made that up.

I like to celebrate Valentine’s Day at home (because restaurants tend to be overcrowded, overpriced, and generally annoying on Valentine’s Day), by making a delicious meal for two.  But, y’know, nothing too time consuming because I don’t want to spend the day of love cooped up in the kitchen.  Also, nothing too complicated because I also like to cook cocktail-in-hand ifyaknowwhatimean.

I’ve got a whole series devoted to Valentine’s Day this week, starting off with dinner for two.  Coming up: cocktails (because, hello, I love you), and sweet treats for that special someone.  You’ll have everything you need to have an awesome date night at home!

Ready?  Let’s get started.

Dinner for Two

  1. Hawaiian-Style Salmon with baby bok choy and brown rice Hawaiian-Style Salmon with Brown Rice, Bok Choy, and Honey-Soy Glaze
  2. Appetizer Spread appetizer spread
  3. Caramelized Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese and Prosciuttocarmelized onion pizza with goat cheese and prosciutto 2
  4. Copycat Chipotle Burrito BowlsCopycat Chipotle Burrito Bowls
  5. Chili-Rubbed Salmon Tacos with Apple-Cucumber Salsa and Lime Cremataco
  6. Barbeque Chicken PizzaBarbeque Chicken Pizza by Go for 30
  7. Margherita PizzaMagherita Pizza by Go for 30
  8. Spicy Summer Vegetable FlatbreadIMG_4246
  9. Steak and Shrimp with Parsley-Smashed Potatoes and Caesar SaladIMG_3508

Dairy-Free / Date Night at Home / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Meals for Two / Savory / Stay Healthy

Meal for Two: Hawaiian-Style Salmon (with bok choy and brown rice)

February 3, 2014

In case you’re interested (you probably aren’t, it’s really not that interesting), but this recipe came from: 1. getting some baby bok choy in our CSA box, 2. my love of teriyaki salmon, and 3. a meal I had at Roy’s a few weeks ago.  I mean, did I say interesting or did I say interesting?

I know, completely boring.

Anyhoo, boring or not, this recipe is really easy, but looks like one of those sort of fancier-restaurant style meals.  (Or maybe I just think that since I’m constantly making one-pot or one-bowl meals…)  And, KC was super into this dish, so I think it’s safe to say that it’s pretty dang tasty.

He’s not one to just throw out compliments, y’know.

Also, this would be an awesome meal for a date night at home or a stay-in Valentine’s day.  It makes just the right amount of food, is really flavorful, and a lot of the work (steps 1-3) can be done ahead of time.  Although, even if you don’t do anything ahead, the recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish (assuming you’ve soaked your rice — step 1 — ahead of time).

Convinced yet?

(Oh, and in other “interesting” news: I’ve added a few new categories to the blog — “Date Night at Home,” “Cocktails,” and “Meals for Two.”  Blowing your mind right?  Totally.)

Let’s get cooking.

Hawaiian-Style Salmon with Brown Rice, Bok Choy, and Honey-Soy Glaze

Hawaiian-Style Salmon with Honey-Soy Glaze (plus bok choy and brown rice)

serves 2

  • 1/2 pound salmon filet (preferably wild-caught)

For the marinade:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or canola oil)
  • 1 tbsp each: rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

For the honey-soy glaze:

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive or canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • sesame seeds

Brown Rice:

  • 3/4 cups brown rice (I used brown jasmine rice)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • big pinch of salt

Bok Choy:

  • 2 heads baby bok choy, cleaned and cut in half
  • salt and pepper
  • pot with steamer basket
  1. First, place rice in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl.  Cover the rice with water and let soak for at least one hour (preferably longer).  You can do this overnight, or earlier in the day.
  2. Combine all ingredients for the marinade and pour over salmon.  Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Whisk together all ingredients for the glaze and set aside.
  4. When you’re ready to cook dinner, drain and rinse the rice, then add it to a saucepan with the 1 1/2 cups water and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes (without removing the lid — no peeking!)
  5. After the rice has come to a boil, bring your steamer pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, place bok choy into the steamer basket above the boiling water, replace the lid and steam for 5 minutes.  Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  6. While you’re waiting for your steaming water to boil, place a skillet over medium heat.  Add some oil to the pan, then cook the fish on both sides until just cooked through and the center is still just slightly raw-pink (about 4-5 minutes per side for 2-inch thick filet).
  7. Divide the fish, bok choy, and rice (you’ll have extra) onto two plates and serve with the honey-soy glaze.

*To make this recipe gluten-free, use Tamari in place of the soy sauce.

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Savory / Soup / Stay Healthy / Vegan / Vegetarian

Split Pea Soup

January 28, 2014

Ever since my beloved Bean Cuisine went out of business, I have been searching for a replacement for my favorite soup — the Thick As Fog Split Pea.  I’m happy to report that I think I have found my replacement.  A bit of tweaking on an old Ina Garten recipe, and this soup came to be.

This soup is super delicious (if you’re a split pea fan), and basically couldn’t be easier to make.  In case you need more convincing, here are some other pluses: it’s gluten free, dairy free, and it can be made to be vegan/vegetarian.  Plus, it makes a lot of soup, but not like the “OMG I’m eating the same soup for lunch and dinner for 4 days in a row because it makes 14 gallons” amount.  Because you best believe that KC and I do that on a semi-regular basis…

Winter Minestrone for dayyyysssss.

This recipe makes about 6 bowls; so, if you’re like KC and I, it will last you for 2 dinners and 1 lunch.

Only downside?  Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry split peas.

Rude.

Image

Split Pea Soup

serves 4-6

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 medium to large carrots, diced
  • 3 small red potatoes, diced
  • 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed (these can usually be found with other dried beans in the supermarket)
  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, add some olive oil to the bottom of the pan, then add in onions, garlic, spices, salt (start with 1/2 tsp) and pepper.  Saute until softened and very fragrant (5-10 minutes).
  2. Add in the carrots, potatoes, chicken stock, and half of the split peas.  Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
  3. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally (especially at the end, to keep the bottom from burning).
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Optional: I like my split pea less chunky, so I generally take a whisk to it at the end to help break up some of the bigger chunks of veggies and potatoes.  You could also take a hand blender to it if you like yours really smooth.  Totally not necessary, just personal preference!

Dairy-Free / Dinner / Gluten-Free / Savory / Soup / Stay Healthy / Vegan / Vegetarian

Not Your Mama's Chicken Soup

January 6, 2014

IMG_0885Ok, the holidays are officially over (sad face) and it’s time to get back to being healthy and not acting like gingerbread is a health food.  (I mean, it does have ginger in it…)

If you or a loved one is suffering from a cold or the flu, this is a nice twist on regular ol’ chicken soup.  Plus, everything is made from scratch (including the broth), so you really know what you’re putting in your belly.  Word of caution though — this soup is kind of time consuming (at least, for me it is) and I haven’t figured out how to make it without dirtying like, 1000 dishes, so… be warned.  It does make a whole mess of soup though, so at least there’s that.

Not Your Mama’s Chicken Soup

serves 6-8 (at least)

adapted from a Real Simple recipe

  • 1 3 1/2 – 4lb whole roasting chicken, rinsed with giblets removed**
  • 1 large bunch carrots (I used the whole bag of Trader Joe’s organic carrots)
  • 1 bunch celery
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt (I used coarse sea salt)
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 1/2 cups dry whole wheat cous cous*
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 bunch fresh, flat-leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1 jar kalamata olives (6.5 oz drained) drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • lemon wedges, for serving
  1. In a large stock pot, add whole chicken, 3 carrots + 2 celery ribs (rinsed and cut into large pieces), quartered onion, salt and peppercorns.  Cover fully with water (about 8 cups), then bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and simmer mixture until chicken is fully cooked (about 30 minutes).  Skim off any foam that collects on the surface.  While the chicken is cooking, rinse, trim and chop the remaining celery and carrots (large dice), and set aside.
  2. Once chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and set it aside to cool.  Strain out vegetables and peppercorns, then return the broth to the stock pot.
  3. Cook cous cous by adding 2 1/2 cups of water + 1 tsp salt to a pot and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat, add the cous cous, give it a good stir, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, remove lid, fluff with a fork and stir in chopped olives and parsley.
  4. Add chopped carrots and celery to the strained broth and bring it to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables have reached desired tenderness  (10-15 minutes).  While the vegetables are cooking, remove chicken from the bone, and shred with forks.  Add shredded chicken and garbanzo beans to the pot during the last 5 minutes of cooking time to heat through.

For serving, you can either just stir the cous cous into the soup pot, or spoon some of the cous cous mixture into bowls, then top with the soup.  Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and try not to burn the heck out of your mouth like I did.

*To make this gluten free, you can use quinoa instead of cous cous — just cook according to the package directions.

**To make this veg/vegan, omit the chicken entirely and in its place add: 1 bunch green onions (roughly chopped), 8 cloves garlic (roughly chopped), 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch thyme, and 2 bay leaves to the water to make vegetable stock.  For more flavor, saute the vegetables in some olive oil until just softened and fragrant before adding in the herbs and water.