Category Archives: Food

Grilled Orange Chicken with Onions and Quinoa

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Last week I posted a recipe for a easy, refreshing, delicious Clementine Goat Cheese Salad.  I mentioned in that post, that I made this dish to go with it, and here it is!

I rarely use recipes (ironic, no?!), but one thing I love doing, is repeating flavors in the different dishes of the meal.  I used the same flavors in the chicken, the quinoa, and also the salad.  It cuts down on needing a bunch of different ingredients, and makes everything go so well together!

blog-orange-onion-chicken-and-quinioa-1This tastes great on it’s own, but even better when paired with the salad… blog-orange-onion-chicken-and-quinioa-2

What You Need… (feeds 4)

  • 4  Chicken Breasts
  • 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 Sprig of Rosemary or 1 Tablespoon
  • 1 Medium sized Orange
  • 1 medium sized onion
  • 1 Cup uncooked Quinoa (Omit or sub out with cauliflower rice for Paleo/Whole 30 option)
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to taste.

What You Do…

  • Pour Olive Oil, Garlic, Rosemary, and juice from half the orange, into a small bowl and stir.
  • Take 2/3rds of the liquid and pour over chicken breasts in a large bowl or zip lock bag.  Slice the other half of the orange and place inside bag/in bowl.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Let that all marinate for 30+ minutes.  If you want to do this in the morning and let it marinate in the refrigerator all day…even better!
  • Slice Onion in 1/2 inch slices and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Light your grill to medium heat and let it get hot.
  • Take quinoa and either place in a rice cooker (what I did) and add left over 1/3rd mixture from above and cook.  It’s usually done in 20 minutes.
  • Or, if you don’t have a rice cooker, cook on stove top with 2 cups water plus added 1/3rd left over mixture.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and let it cook covered for another 15 minutes.  Let it sit for another 5 minutes covered but with the heat turned off.  Fluff it up.
  • While Quinoa is cooking place chicken, onions, and orange slices on the grill.  Cook on each side for 7-8 minutes (depending on breast size).
  • Layer quinoa in a serving dish (I drizzled a little of the salad dressing over the top, but you could just drizzle with a little olive oil), then top with chicken, onions, and oranges.

Enjoy!!

dit-elle-Lauren

Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Red Onions

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This is a great raw broccoli salad recipe!

broccoli-bacon-red-onion-salad

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 lbs broccoli
  • 10 strips crisp bacon
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1/3 c raisins
  • 2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 c toasted sunflower seeds

Directions

  • Cut broccoli and stems into bit sized pieces
  • Fry bacon until crisp and set aside. Crumble.
  • In large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, raisins and bacon
  • Add vinegar pepper and sunflower seeds and toss well to combine

The original recipe which I got from my Grandma, included a 1/4 cup sugar (most recipes from the 50’s era seem to have a lot of sugar :)). I omitted all sugar to make this a paleo salad, and it tasted great!

Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Clementine Goat Cheese Salad

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Every night I try and make a big salad to go with dinner.  I like to throw in a lot of good veggies and or fruits to pack in the nutrients and vitamins in one yummy bowl.

Lately, I’ve been making my own dressing too.  I keep it pretty simple, but throw in fun things that compliment what’s in the salad every once in a while.

All in all it takes only a few minutes to throw this together, and it tastes light and delicious, yet packs in the flavor!

Next week I’ll post the Orange Chicken with Grilled Onions and Quinoa that I made to go along with this.  It all went so well together-YUM!

Blog Clementine Goat Cheese Salad-1 Blog Clementine Goat Cheese Salad2(I’ll be honest, I don’t measure, so the below are approximates to feed 3-4 people)

Dressing

  •  2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Juice from one crushed clementine
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Drizzle all over the salad with Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glaze

Salad

  • One large handful of greens per person that you want to feed
  • 1-2 clementines quartered and sliced in half
  • 1 oz goat cheese crumbled (omit for Paleo or Whole 30 option)
  • Additional toppings that I frequently use (crushed almonds, or walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds)

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Watermelon Granita Cocktail

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We’ve been having some 90+ degree days here in Seattle and for us.. well, that’s pretty hot. We start melting. Especially since no one has air conditioning. Anyway, we put on fans, eat icy treats and pretend we can deal with the heat.

I plant myself in the shade while the kids splash and run around.. I like to think we look like we’re in the serene setting a Pottery Barn summer catalog.. you know the double fold showing a gorgeous patio with a large glassy pool and beautiful outdoor furniture with lush greenery in the background? But really it’s just the blue plastic kiddie pool and my chaise lounger on the yellow straw that is Seattle grass in summer.

Anyway, if you have some leftover Watermelon Granita, add some vodka or tequila, shake it up and call it a summer frozen refresher. The natural watermelon flavor says summer!

watermelon granita cocktail blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen Watermelon Granita
  • 1 shot Triple Sec
  • 1 or 2 shots vodka or tequila
  • Mint for garnish

Directions

  • Shake everything up well and pour in two glasses
  • Garnish with mint
  • Serve immediately
  • Happy summer! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Watermelon Granita

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This is quite the simple summer treat! Love watermelon? You’ll love watermelon granita!

watermelon granita blog (2)watermelon granita blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups roughly chopped watermelon
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 6-8 mint leaves and more for garnish
  • 1 Tbsp honey

Directions

  • Freeze a glass baking dish for an hour
  • In a blender, puree watermelon, lime juice, mint leaves and honey until smooth
  • Pour through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids
  • Pour juice into chilled baking dish and freeze until slushy, ~45 minutes
  • Rake surface with a fork to break up ice crystals
  • Freeze 30 minutes
  • Repeat until frozen
  • Scoop into bowls, garnish with mint and serve

dit-elle-Esther

Blackberry Lemon Pudding Cakes

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I made Lemon Pudding Cakes for dessert on Easter, and they were DELICIOUS!!

SO…I decided to make them again the other night when we had some friends over.  I shook it up a little and incorporate some blackberries that Maya and I picked earlier that day.Blog Blackberry lemon pudding cakes-1 Blog Blackberry lemon pudding cakes-2 Blog Blackberry lemon pudding cakes-3

What you need…

  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 large eggs (separated)
  • 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (room temp)
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Finely Grated Lemon Zest
  • 1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice and Blackberry Juice ( just strained a handful of berries and then filled the rest of the 1/3 Cup with lemon juice 🙂
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 3 Teaspoons Turbinado or Some Other Coarse Sugar

What to do…

  • Heat oven to 350° F.
  • Place six 4-ounce ramekins into a 9×13 Pyrex dish.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour; set aside.
  • In a second medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and butter until combined.
  • Whisk in the milk and lemon zest and juice. Add the lemon mixture to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • In 3 additions, gently fold the egg whites into the lemon-sugar mixture.
  • Divide the pudding mixture among the ramekins (about 3/4 of a cup each). Dividing evenly, sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
  • Refrigerate for a couple of hours if you have the time.
  • To the roasting pan, add just enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  • Bake until the tops are golden brown.  I accidentally undercooked mine at 35 minutes, and honestly the general consensus was that was a happy accident.  Original recipe says to cook for 40-45.
  • Take out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
  • Here’s what I would do again, but didn’t have time to do this time, which is why the pudding and cake aren’t as separately defined.  I refrigerated the cakes for a few hours before cooking and the pudding was creamy and the top cake was solid but moist.  Also, you can eat them right away, and it will be more like a lemon molten cake.  To each his own, but cold lemon sounded better to me. 🙂
  • Can make one large cake (probably best in an 8×8 pan).  If you do that cook for 30-35 minutes.

For reference, here’s what the original lemon cakes looked like that I refrigerated for a few hours before baking.  A definite distinction between the pudding and the cake.  Blog Real Simple Lemon Pudding Cakes-3Either way…still so good!

Enjoy!!  We did! 🙂dit-elle-Lauren

Balsamic Strawberries

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I discovered strawberries with balsamic recently – wow – yum! Strawberry goodness with a pop from the vinegar and pepper. Try it!

balsamic strawberries blog

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries, rinsed and sliced
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar (optional, omit for paleo version)
  • Pepper to taste
  • Mint for garnish

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients and let marinade for at least an hour or up to four
  • Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Zucchini Mini Pizzas

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zucchini mini pizzas blog (2)zucchini mini pizzas blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Zucchini, sliced 1/2″ thick
  • Tomato or meat sauce
  • Cheese
  • Fresh or dried spices like basil, oregano, thyme
  • Any other favorite pizza toppings

Directions

  • Heat oven to 35o*
  • Set zucchini slices on parchment paper on a baking sheet
  • Top with sauce, spices and cheese
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and toasty
  • Cool a bit and enjoy!

Inspired by http://www.howsweeteats.com/2016/07/mini-zucchini-pizzas-3-ways/

dit-elle-Esther

Watermelon Bites with Fresh Basil and Halloumi Cheese

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These are ridiculously easy to make and a delightful combination!

Watermelon, grilled or fried Halloumi (Greek cheese) and fresh basil on a skewer makes for a lovely appetizer.

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (2)

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (3)

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Watermelon
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Halloumi (Greek cheese)

Directions

  • Fry or grill the Halloumi for a minute or two, then slice it into small <1″ cubes
  • Slice watermelon in cubes
  • Layer watermelon, Halloumi and basil on skewers
  • Serve and enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Oat Waffles with Cream and Berries

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This might be the fastest waffle batter ever! You put five ingredients in a blender until smooth and then start filling your waffle iron! The waffles are moist, high in protein, and the perfect base for any topping. We like whipped cream and fresh or frozen berries! Power breakfast for everyone! Enjoy! 🙂

protein waffles with berries cream blog

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups cottage cheese (I did not have this, so used 1 cup milk – it worked GREAT!)
  • 2 cups quick cook oats
  • 1/4 cup golden flax seed (ground)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  • Combine eggs, cottage cheese (or milk), oats, flax seed and vanilla in blender until smooth
  • Pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown
  • Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther