Skinnytaste One and Done Cookbook (and Recent Eats)

My cookbook posts are few and far between, I know. But I'm rather picky about finding something with fun NEW ideas without being overly fussy. Skinnytaste One and Done by Gina Homolka totally hit that sweet spot! I also must confess that I am always reluctant to get her books because I find the blog name 'Skinnytaste' off putting. I do not want to be skinny. Skinny doesn't equal healthy. However, I understand the naming of blogs can be a tricky business and I hope that in her heart she's just sticking with the moniker for brand recognition at this point. IN ANY EVENT, there are many tantalizing recipes and I flagged at least a half dozen, which is a lot for me. And of the three we've tried, they've been tasty to boot! Like this slow cooker black bean soup.

The chicken Salimbocca with proscuitto, spinach and fresh mozzarella was also a hit. I think I'd throw the pan under the broiler next time to brown the cheese a little on top, though.

And my favorite discovery, Bibimbap bowls with ground beef. Gochujang is also my new favorite condiment.

I'm looking forward to trying even more recipes, and we'll probably do the chicken souvlaki or the sheet pan chicken schnitzel soon.

Another great dish we made recently that I really enjoyed (not from this cookbook) is Magic Garlicky Tofu - an adaptation from an Ottolenghi recipe by Gimme Some Oven. The amount of garlic seems a little scary, but it totally works.

And in the random Trader Joe's category, this is the first year I've tried the Winter Wake Up tea and I've stockpiled a half dozen boxes to get me through until next winter. I'm not usually a tea drinker, but this stuff is delightful. Like a slightly less intense, and more gingery version of Harney and Son's Hot Cinnamon Sunset.

Cook it in Cast Iron by Cook's Country and Recent Eats

In my most recent meal wrap up post, I put out a call for good cookbook suggestions. I feel like most of the ones I've flipped through lately are the same ol' thing and that nothing has come close to the unique options of Healthyish. And, boy, y'all delivered! I have a stack of at least five from the library and we started experimenting with some dishes from Cook It in Cast Iron (thanks to a suggestion from my friend Lauren, who is the friend from this fun book story).

Funny thing, though - we don't actually own a cast iron skillet! I know. We do however have a Le Creuset Dutch oven and I figured that would work fine for the time being. The first dish we tried was Curried Chicken and Rice which was pretty easy and tasty. WIN!

I'm a little wary of one pot pasta dishes. Getting the pasta to water ratio juuuuuust right is kind of a pain and you have to babysit the pot. I did have to do a lot of stirring for this Baked Ziti with Charred Tomatoes, but the water to pasta measurements were perfect and it was quite tasty, if a little sweet. I might add some spicy turkey sausage to balance it out next time. I also kicked it up with fresh mozzarella instead of shredded. 

We're looking forward to trying a few more recipes from this one, perhaps even a DEEP DISH PIZZA. Will report back.

I also whipped up this Ceasar Chicken recipe from The Cookie Rookie and is was really easy and tasty. 

It seemed rather rich, with just Ceasar dressing, sour cream and Parmesan cheese. But it cooked down quite nicely and was perfect with some rice and veggies.

Oh, and last but not least - new favorite Trader Joe's finds:

This is now one of my go-to lunches. Just heat up some olive oil, toss it in the pan, and once it's mostly cooked through, add an egg and you have cauliflower fried rice! And these ABC bars are SO GOOD. 

Something about the almond butter filling gives them a marzipan like taste. They're also pretty low in sugar - the perfect sweet, but not too sweet snack. 

Summer Recipe Roundup

It's been quite awhile since I did any kind of recipe roundup - since JUNE! The cookbooks I've been perusing over the last few months just haven't wowed me like Healthyish. Most of the recipes seem to be ones we already have in a regular rotation or a variation on the same old stuff. Any suggestions are appreciated, please and thank you. 
I did try a smattering of cooking blog recipes, only to have most of them come up short, too. This Veggie Packed Buddha Bowl from Tasty looks so lovely, right?

Alas, it wasn't to my liking. The dressing was too mustard-y and I didn't enjoy the clash of cold uncooked vegetables with warm chicken. Since I do enjoy a good Buddha bowl recipe, I moved on to try these Beef and Broccoli Buddha Bowls from The Kitchn. I love a good miso dressing, but this was a weird tasting combo...

Not bad, but not so great we'd cook it again. 
There was one hit with the whole family, this Pasta with No-Cook Tomato Sauce from Erica Julson was a perfect meal in the summer months, easy, and tasty!

And I have been loving this Curried Tofu Salad from Budget Bytes that has been an easy and filling lunch staple.

We did fair amount of dining out over the summer, especially with our fun family Fridays and road tripping, so I have to give a shout out to the best fish n' chips I've ever had at Front Street Grill in Coupeville.

And the Mac n' Cheese Logs (YES) with spicy ketchup from Aslan Brewery in Bellingham. Drool.

I have a few cookbooks on hold at the library, so hopefully I'll have one worth reviewing soon! 

Healthyish by Lindsay Maitland Hunt (A new favorite cookbook, and recent eats!)

If I make at least one recipe from a cookbook, I consider it a success. So far I've made two dinners and one breakfast from Healthyish and we're still going strong. First up, remember those Trader Joe's Bahn Mi Bowls that I'm addicted to? Well Hunt has a DELICIOUS Bahn Mi dinner recipe!

We used ground chicken in the recipe for Bahn Mi Rice Bowls with Spicy Pork and Sriracha Mayo and it turned out fantastic. Also, I'm not a huge fan of cucumber, so I subbed half with julienned red pepper. Definitely going into regular rotation.
The Brown Rice and Adzuki Bean Bowl was also a success, and I subbed tofu for the beans. I love both of these recipes for the summer because the veggies are no-cook and I always use Trader Joe's microwaveable brown rice, not the stovetop.

Lastly, I tried the 'Why Didn't I Think of That' breakfast bowl with brown rice, almond milk, diced apple, peanut butter, honey and a sprinkling of hemp hearts. 

The flavors are super tasty, but my brain is confused about my savory dinner staple in my breakfast, so I may try the combo with another grain like bulgur.
My dependence on the Trader Joe's microwaveable brown rice factored heavily in our menu planning with this book. It just makes the weekday crazy so much easier! I do plan to try a few more recipes, for sure.
We also tried Pinch of Yum's Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette last month and subbed cherry tomatoes for the strawberries. 

I'd definitely recommend!
And lastly, I had a Starbucks reward to try one of their new Mercato lunch items for 50% off and the Za'atar Chicken Salad was SO GOOD!

There was so much going on in this salad (grains, tzatziki, cauliflower, golden raisins) and it all comes together really well, and I love a tahini dressing. It's a little pricey for Starbucks, around $10, but it's comparable to something I'd get at a sit down restaurant. At the very least it'll be well worth a free reward redemption!

Monthly Meal Wrap Up for April

I checked out a bunch of cookbooks from the library again and this month I made a couple things from Katie Lee's Endless Summer Cookbook. The biggest success were these healthy banana oat muffins!

Who knew that spelt flour bakes so nicely? I'm super glad this recipe gave me the excuse to buy some, and now I'm going to use it instead of whole wheat. We also made her recipe for a creamy chipotle sauce to use in lieu of our usual cilantro lime sauce on fish tacos and is was delicious. 
We also tried this Mexican Lasagna recipe from The Kitchn. It was tasty, but I'd use almost half the suggested noodles next time.

I happened to catch Trisha Yearwood's show on Food Network and decided to try her Pork Medallions recipe which we'd definitely make again! 

I didn't catch what the 'ginger sauce' was or where to find it, so I used Trader Joe's Soyaki for both the Teriyaki and ginger sauce the recipe calls for and it turned out great.
Speaking of Trader Joe's... ZOMG, the cauliflower gnocchi is TO DIE FOR - that is, if you are a fan of gnocchi. 

I do enjoy cauliflower, but if it's not your thing, I'd still try them. They taste like perfect pillowy gnocchi, with the added bonus of more fiber and veggies! As per the advice from the peeps at Trader Joe's List, I just sauteed them from frozen instead of steaming them in water per the package directions and they come out great. I've been heating them up with some sauteed onion, garlic and butternut squash.
And last, but not least, we went on our first Spring Break family vacation in April! Since this focus of this trip was sightseeing and family fun, I didn't delve too deep into foodie mode like our previous trips. However, we did enjoy some fun local eats. On advice from a San Diegan friend, we hit up Mona Lisa Pizza in Little Italy which was so adorable, so reminiscent of little family owned Chicago eateries, and delicious comfort food: chicken Parmesan, stuffed shells, lasagna, garlic bread and of course, the kids (and adults) loved the pizza!

Another recommendation that was a hit for brunch: Breakfast Republic. My kids were over the moon for the pancake trio with choices like cinnamon roll, Oreo cookie and strawberry cheesecake.

I cannot resist eggs Benedict and their mushroom and pesto version with SPINACH HOLLANDAISE was to die for. Plus you can upgrade your potatoes with Brussels sprouts!

At the end of our trip, we decided to take the kids out for a 'fancy' dinner. Since they both eat steak at home, we decided on Ruth's Chris as they actually have a kid size steak on the kid's menu. Although, in the future we'll probably have to order the eleven year old the adult size portion! They were so adorably striving to act like grownups in the 'fancy' restaurant, and the looks on their faces when their virgin daiquiris arrived were priceless. Of course, that's a picture I didn't take! They discovered the allure of virgin drinks at the pool and asked if they could order one at the restaurant. Ruth's Chris has a slightly elevated presentation compared to the pool bar, and I think my kids now have slightly elevated expectations for our next restaurant adventures!

Monthly Meal Wrap Up - February and March (with lots of love for new Trader Joe's products)

It has been quite awhile since I checked in on the meal front! Y'all, I'm just having a hard time finding stuff worth writing home about. I've tried a few new cookbooks and one or two new recipes in the last two months, but nothing that we'll be adding to the regular rotation. With the exception of this recipe I found from Delish for Goddess Bowls - SO GOOD. 

I was getting real tired of stir fry sauces for chicken/veggies/rice and this was a perfect way to change things up. However... 

This new product from Trader Joe's is deeeeelicious and perfect to throw over rice with some snow peas and chicken for an easy and tasty dinner.
They are on FIRE with awesome new products right now. Seriously, it's not just my bias of having a big brother who is a longtime TJ's Captain. (Related: my favorite TJs items can be found here and here.) They have really stepped up with healthier options for the grab and go salads. I mean, they are usually tasty - but often have a leeeetle too much saturated fat in the dressings and such for my liking. This corn and quinoa salad is light, refreshing AND satisfying.

But the new Banh Mi noodle bowl has MY WHOLE HEART. I literally texted my brother pleading with him to make sure they never ever discontinue it - I limit myself to two a week for lunch, for now...

Oh, hey, yeah - I had that trip to Nashville for some girl time last month!

Not too many pictures of my food were taken, but I can vouch for the lovely cocktails and gnocchi at Jonathan Waxman's Adele's 

and the best thing I ate in Nashville was the whipped feta with honey and pita bread at Butcher and Bee.

ZOMG. It tasted heavenly. I might try and replicate - will report back.
Locally, I had a few fun coffee adventures: finally checking out the Starbucks Roastery, where I tried the tasty Shakerato Bianco (which was basically espresso on ice served with a wee pitcher of sweet cream) 

and the 85 Degree Bakery's sea salt coffee. Drooooool. 

I'm really thankful that cold coffee season is almost in full swing, since I think that's my preferred delivery method. Also coming up in soon? The first family spring break vacation! Hopefully will have some fun new food finds to share from sunny San Diego.

December Monthly Meal Wrap Up

Yep, I've been MIA around these parts for a bit. For me, this is the best time of year to unwind, enjoy time with my family and time on the couch with a book! I only perused one new cookbook this month, but I've copied down a bunch of recipes from Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor of Cookie and Kate.

Lots of yummy salads I can't wait to try, as well as a number of sweet treats. So far I've made the Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies (because I have a thing for breakfast cookies) and they were tasty, but mine came out a little crumbly.

I may adjust the wet ingredients or add an egg in my next attempt... Most of the month's notable eats revolved around favorite holiday foods like my family's famous Salami Stacks for appetizer night on Christmas Eve, my favorite Linzer Muffins recipe from Cooking Light (which I tried with Trader Joe's Sugar Plum Jam this year - DELICIOUS)

plus Reindeer Chow and sugar cookies for decorating, of course.

We also enjoyed a few meals out and I tried the Breakfast Burrito Bowl at The Commons before we went to see Start Wars and it was as tasty as it was HUGE.

I also took my seven year old out for sushi, which usually means chicken katsu, sesame balls and fruit for her. But, this time she ate up her crab salad and tried a bite of salmon and tuna sashimi - which is heads and tails above my experimentation level at her age, so I'll take it!

And I tried a couple of new whisky cocktails this month: the Food Network show The Kitchen continues to kill it with easy and delicious bourbon recipes. This Gobble Gobble Punch is soooo good and worth purchasing the St. Elizabeth allspice dram. I also finally tried a Paper Plane when we went out for my husband's birthday, and now I must add Amaro and Aperol to our liquor cabinet...

We did try a rather decadent Chicken Tortilla Casserole I found on Pinterest, I guess my first clue should have been that the recipe was from a site called The Chunky Chef.

It will definitely be a 'once in awhile' meal, as it was rather rich, but tasty! I'm feeling like I need to reset after all the (totally worth it) holiday indulgences, perhaps with some of those yummy looking salads from Love Real Food...