Honey Crisp Brussels Sprouts

Jan 25

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | No Comments

honey crisp and spicy brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts used to be a vegetable with a bad reputation that everyone ignored. It should be noted that when cooked a certain way, I find them borderline revolting. However, if you add a little olive oil to the mix and caramelize them, they become an impressive delicacy that most people will enjoy (perhaps even my father). Just combine the ingredients below in a bowl and coat your sprouts in them. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until bubbling.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp srirarcha
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • bit of salt and pepperspicy sprouts and eggplant stirfry

 

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Zucchini Parmesan

Dec 3

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | 1 Comment

I had heard people make zucchini parmesan when its in season, but I’d never eaten it myself or tried to make it. After stumbling upon sale zucchini, I promptly decided it was time to try it. This is one of those dishes where if you want it during the week, I recommend prepping it ahead of time. Baking the zucchini takes about 25 minutes per sheet of zucchini. You can layer the baked zucchini, sauce, and cheese a day or two beforehand, put it covered in your refrigerator, and then bake it later in the week. If you do this, be sure to take the dish out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes before placing it in the hot oven. The leftovers also freeze up really well!

zucchini parmesan

  • 4 zucchini, sliced thinly
  • 2 cups of breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp oregano
  • 4 eggs, scrambled
  • 1.5 cups parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 container of pasta sauce or homemade sauce (if you have the time!)

baked zucchini parmesanBegin by thinly slicing the zucchini width-wise. Heat the oven to 450 as you dip each slice of zucchini into the eggs. Take the zucchini and then dip them in a combination of breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, and a half cup of parmesan cheese. Place these flat in one layer on a baking sheet and into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Flip the zucchini over halfway through each baking cycle. If you have multiple cookie sheets, you’re in luck! That will make this process go much faster. Once all the zucchini is baked, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 in dish. Follow that with a layer of cooked zucchini, sauce, and a sprinkling of both parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Continue this process, ending with the sauce and cheeses. I had 3 layers of zucchini in my dish. Bake this for 20 minutes at 350

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Mushroom & Poblano Pepper Tacos

Dec 2

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | No Comments

Taco night doesn’t always have to mean a packet of taco seasoning and ground meat topped with sour cream, lettuce, and cheese. Take taco night up a notch with mushrooms, poblano peppers, and cojita cheese. Poblano peppers (once you remove the seeds) are a mild pepper full of great flavor. With the addition of cojita cheese and tomato after the cooking, the meal really fills you up.

 

mushroom and poblano pepper taco

Ingredients:

  • Package of baby bella mushrooms
  • 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • cojita cheese, crumbled
  • taco-sized tortillas
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • olive oil

Begin by placing the diced onion in some olive oil on a pan on the stove. Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. After that, put in the peppers, mushrooms, and cumin and cook until mushrooms are tender. Be sure to dice the tomatoes while all this is cooking so that everything is ready at once. Once the mixture is ready, spoon some of the mixture onto a tortilla and top with tomato and cojita cheese. Wrap them up and serve immediately.

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Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas

Nov 30

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As you have probably figured out by now, Mexican food- any variation of it- is my favorite type of cuisine. I also love to make vegetarian versions of dishes I regularly eat. We loved this sweet potato and black bean version of enchiladas and found it both filling and delicious. The leftover enchilada filling was even my lunch the next day! I decided to prep the dinner by roasting the sweet potatoes the night before.

Ingredients:

  • 10-12 corn tortillas
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 1 can of low-sodium black beans
  • the juice of half a lime
  • 2 cans of diced green chiles
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • monterey jack cheese
  • tomatillo salsa
  • olive oil

sweet potato and black bean enchiladasPeel the sweet potatoes and dice them. Cover them lightly in olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes on each side. As I mentioned previously, I did this ahead of time and placed them in a tupperware overnight. If you do this the day of the enchilada-making, be sure to dice the onion up while the potatoes are baking and cook it in olive oil. Once the onions are brown, add in 1 can of drained green chiles and cook for a minute or two before adding the lime, cumin, chili powder, potatoes, and black beans (drain and rinse them beforehand). Place a bit of the tomatillo salsa in the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and warm the oven to 350 degrees. Once this is all cooked and combined, start filing the tortillas. It is often helpful to lightly steam or microwave the tortillas before rolling them into enchiladas so they don’t crack. Spoon filling into the tortillas, roll them up, and then place them into the dish. I fit about 12 in my dish. Top the enchiladas with the rest of the salsa, a sprinkling of cheese, and the second can of diced chiles. Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes and serve immediately. As I said before, if you have leftover filling, it goes great by itself, atop a salad, or even made as tacos for lunch the next day.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas

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Pumpkin Gnocchi

Nov 15

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | 1 Comment

  • 1 cup of pureed pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup flour
  • 3 tbsp butter (browned)
  • grated parmesan cheese (to top)
  • fresh thyme or sage

pumpkin gnocchiCombine egg, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Slowly add in flour a bit at a time until dough is not sticky anymore. Roll the dough into ropes and cut the dough with a form into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces. Place gnocchi into boiling water for about five minutes or until floating and serve topped with browned butter, Parmesan, some light sea salt, and either thyme or sage you’ve cooked in the butter. Serve this with a salad or vegetable on the side to make it a full meal.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Nov 15

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Eat a latte in cupcake form with this simple combination of pumpkin, spices, espresso powder, and whipped cream topping. I used this recipe at Annie’s Eats! Mine came out looking like this…
pumpkin spice latte cupcakes

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Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Nov 2

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chicken parmesan sandwich

Chicken Parmesan is pretty much amazing… so why not pair it with focaccia bread? The key to getting the cheese to bubble is putting the sandwich open-faced in the broiler for 2 minutes.

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup pasta sauce
  • Olive oil
  • Bread

chicken parm sandwichDip the two chicken breasts into egg and then into a mixture of breadcrumbs and a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Fry the chicken in a frying pan until it’s totally cooked. Slice the bread into halves and place sauce on each layer. Prep the oven for broiling. Place the pieces of bread onto a cookie sheet. Top the bread with the pieces of chicken, then top the pieces of chicken with sauce, the rest of the Parmesan, and split the mozzarella on top of the chicken breasts also. Place the top layer of the bread on the cookie sheet also beside it. Broil the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Cut in half and serve immediately.

 

 

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Pumpkin Pancakes & Pumpkin Pie

Oct 31

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Pumpkin Pancakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

pumpkin pancakesMix all the wet ingredients together in one bowl and then mix the other stuff together in a separate bowl. Combine the ingredients together and pour onto a griddle in about 1/4 cup portions.

Pumpkin Pie:

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Black Bean, Avocado, & Feta Arepas

Oct 26

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | 1 Comment

We enjoyed the caprese arepas I made so much that I decided to add a different filling with a bit more Latin influence (and protein).

Arepas:

  • 2 cups of masa (pre-cooked cornmeal)
  • 2 cups of warm water
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • dash of salt

Filling:

  • 1 can of low-sodium black beans, drained
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 cup of crumbled feta

bean, avocado, feta arepasCombine the arepa ingredients together and mix well. Let it sit for five minutes with a damp towel over it. Roll dough into a golf-sized ball, then flatten into an oval, and cook in a pan for four minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place arepas onto a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on each side. Bring the arepas out of the oven and let them cool enough so that you can hold them. Using a butter knife, create a slit in the side of the arepa and lightly scrape the insides to remove the doughy part. Fill the arepa with black beans, avocado, and a dash of crumbled feta. Microwave for 10 seconds to melt the feta and warm the beans. Serve immediately.

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Pumpkins for Breakfast

Oct 25

Posted by Whitney J. Manson in Recipes | No Comments

I’ve decided that October is the month of pumpkin in my house. So far, I’ve made something with pumpkin each Sunday… because I’m obsessed with it. Anyway, here are some more pumpkin recipes for the perfect breakfast! Use the season’s best squash to add some great flavor to the most important meal of the day. You can top your bagel with homemade pumpkin cream cheese, add pumpkin spice syrup to your latte, or eat pancakes fit for any time of day!

low fat pumpkin spice cream cheese

Pumpkin Cream Cheese:

  • 8 oz low-fat cream cheese
  • 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Whip ingredients together with a mixer.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

  •  1.5 cup water
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin puree

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