A Food Lovers Dilemma

Fast food was a luxury but now its three square meals.  I'd like to change that. Sharing my passion for food with great recipes, articles on food policy, agriculture, books to read, docs on food and my favorite restaurants spots....

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What Ado About Dressings

Summer is upon us and what better way to enjoy the hot weather with a refreshing salad with the perfect notes of citrus, vinegar, strong taste of garlic or shallot, herbs, creamy cheese and hint of tangy. 

Can't remember that last time I bought it from the store and who would? With all the sodium and sugar I could build mountains. I'm happy to make it from scratch. I know it's another thing to remember to make while cooking dinner but do it ahead of time and you'll thank yourself later. 

My favorite recipes thanks to #Pinterest: 

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette: You’ll use this dressing with any greens, add some nuts, dried/fresh fruit and cheese of your choice. Then make it an actual meal and add protein. 

Citrus Vinaigrette: Another dressing that could be added to any salad mixture the difference with this is the citrus flavor vs only vinegar. 

Ranch Dressing: The ultimate creamy dressing is good for EVERYTHING, dip it in veggies, dip in buffalo wings oh and of course salad too. Dip it in pizza, french fries. It is the greatest invention since slice bread. Now you can make it at home!!!!

Asian Ginger Sesame Dressing: I usually use this if the theme of dinner is Asian, whether it’s thai noodles, beef and broccoli or spring rolls. I like themes.

Balsamic Vinaigrette: This recipe is helpful since it comes with the ingredients of a salad too. Balsamic vinegar is versatile just like any of the vinegar family. You can use it in a Greek salad instead of red wine vinegar and the taste of this dressing with some feta cheese is earth shattering.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing: It’s like taking ranch dressing and adding cilantro and lime. Really what else do you need in life? And another recipe with an ah-mazing salad recipe too. Damn Delicious recipes are some of my all-time favorites too. Check out her blog too.   

Basil Vinaigrette: This is the ultimate Italian inspired dressing and I’ve made this recipe with the pasta salad it’s out of this world. Again, another versatile dressing which could be used on a simple tomato and fresh mozzarella salad too. 

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What do you do with Cauliflower?

Cauliflower: that boring vegetable no one wants to admit that's been in their refrigerator and don't know what to do with it. Unless your a chef of course. And now, thanks to sites like Pinterest and foodies around the world I’ve picked out my favorite recipes:

Girl And The Goat Roasted Cauliflower

Skinny Taste Loaded Cauliflower “Mash” Bake

Cauliflower Poppers 

Damn Delicious Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Everyday Dishes & DIY: Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Emeril Lagasse: Oven-Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

Cauliflower is low in fat, low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber, folate, water, and vitamin C, possessing a high nutritional density.[1]

[1] http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2956?qlookup=11135&format=Full&max=25&man=&lfacet=&new=1

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Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Part One: The Ingredients: 

I made the enchilada sauce from scratch too but these are all the ingredients you'll need. 

Part Two: Preparation

Here's the recipe to the enchilada sauce: via @damndelicious 

http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/17/homemade-enchilada-sauce/ 

Finale: Chicken Enchiladas

And the actual Enchiladas: via @asweetpeachef and @pinterest

http://www.asweetpeachef.com/chicken/shredded-chicken-enchiladas/

Oh yeah and add a dollop or two of sour cream! 

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Homemade Mini Quiche Cups

This week's #breakfast quiche cups. I'm blown away at how good these are, made the night before and reheat in micro less than minute. Your palate will thank you. 

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Part Three: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte (Finished Product)

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Part Two: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Part One: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

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Sunday Dinner

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Recipe: 

• 1 bunch of kale, remove stems, chopped • 1 red pepper, thick slices • 1 yellow pepper, thick slices • 1 medium size zucchini, 1/2” thick sliced lengthwise • 1 medium size eggplant, 1/2” thick sliced lengthwise • 1 large red onion, cut into fours • 1 organic heirloom tomato (or any tomatoes will work), chopped • 2 Persian cucumbers (or any cucumber will work), chopped • 10 fresh basil, sliced thin • 1/2 cup of chopped parsley Grill all the veggies (except for kale, basil and parsley) but first marinate in some olive oil, salt and pepper, especially the eggplant because if you grill without anything it gets very dry. Grill for about 2 minutes each side until dark grill marks). Once grilled veggies have cooled down, chopped them up and add into salad with kale, then top with the basil and parsley.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing • 1 large garlic clove • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 1/4 cup of high quality olive oil (I love to use Sicilian Partanna Olive Oil) • 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar • salt and pepper First I add the garlic and olive oil and immerse using my hand blender, until I see it thickening then I add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and blend, then lastly I add the balsamic vinegar and blend for about 30 seconds to a minute. And that’s it.

If you are having a large group you can add all the dressing at once and mix but like myself it’s usually just my boyfriend and I eat so we add the dressing as we eat the salad. No joke this bowl of salad has lasted us four days. It’s so damn good and so damn easy.

Let me know if you've tried other veggies, dressings, etc. Enjoy!

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Dinner Tonight

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Every wonder why.....

we could have both an obesity problem as well as a hunger problem. Watch this video thanks to upworthy and you'll understand completely. 

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But first coffee.....

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Let the marinade.....

for the grilled #Thai chicken breasts begin!!!.

kefir lime leaves

garlic

lime juice

Yaaaaassss!!! 

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Happy (Belated) Guacamole Day!!! 

I forgot to share my favorite guacamole recipe. I'm a fraud, I copied Chipotle's recipe as best as I can and now I'm addicted. Aaaaahhh!!!

Anyone have any amazing recipes to share? 

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A love for food comes with a love for cooking.

One of my fall and winter rules is cooking at least 2 large meals on Sundays so I don't worry if I don't feel like cooking days throughout the week. 

The usually suspect is a soup, this time an ah-mazingly delicious Chicken and Rice Soup. 

My Recipe: 

Always and I mean ALWAYS make homemade chicken stock:

2 chicken quarters

8 cups of water

4 diced celery hearts (must be organic)

3 diced carrots

1 medium diced yellow onion

4 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoons of butter,

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tablespoon of peppercorns

1 teaspoon of salt

cook to boil then simmer for an hour. Then pull chicken quarters out of pot, set aside, add 1/2 cup of white jasmine rice (make sure you clean the rice before adding into pot) then cook until boil and al dente. As rice is cooking pull chicken apart and chop into cubes. Add back into pot and then add:

1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup of chopped scallions/green onions

1 fresh squeezed lime 

And you're done. You will be thanking me for the rest of your life. And you're welcome! 

[afoodloversdilemma]

The Greatest Turkey Burger Ever Told

The Greatest Turkey Burger Ever Told by skchgo via Polyvore 

via Instagram

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The Middle East: Tabouleh

As defined by wikipedia:  

(Arabic: تبولة‎ tabūlah; also tabouleh or tab(b)ouli) 

a Levantine vegetarian dish (sometimes considered a salad) traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Bulgur is often added to the dish; some variations add garlic or lettuce, or use couscous instead of bulgur.

To the Arabs, edible herbs known as qaḍb, formed an essential part of their diet in the Middle Ages, and dishes like tabbouleh attest to their continued popularity in Middle Eastern cuisine today. Originally from the mountains of Syria and Lebanon, tabouleh has become one of the most popular salads in the Middle East.

In my recipe of Tabouleh, quinoa is added instead of bulgar or couscous. For those with gluten sensitivity or full blown celiac disease this is the way to go. It tastes exactly the same and a great great source of protein with a whopping 24 grams in one cup of cooked quinoa ---- wtf?!?! 

Here's a glimpse into my dish: via Instagram

A breakdown of ingredients: via Pinterest 

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Oh no it's not the master cleanse just a sore throat but let's hope I lose weight throughout this moment #sucksbeingsick #humpday via Instagram http://ift.tt/1j31Gyp