If you are looking for Super Bowl ideas, check out last week’s dinner planner. I am going pretty traditional with a lot of appetizers like spinach-artichoke dip, guacamole, salsa and chips, vegan queso, carrot dogs in a blanket and friends are bringing stuff too. Then I’m doing two types of chili, a topping bar, corn muffins, a big salad with slow cooker chicken taco meat on the side and my friends are bringing desserts! I have Valentine’s Day ideas for you and then maybe you get to relax next weekend for the holiday weekend! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
Vodka Sauce Chicken Parmesan Sliders with Mozzarella and Pesto Recipe
I started a slider series on Instagram in anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday and I am loving all the recipes! They were so fun to make and even more fun to eat! I love planning menus for entertaining and these sliders could not be more perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or any game day or movie night or whatever. Check out my Instagram for the other recipes and I have an epic breakfast sliders recipe in my newsletter!
Sour Cherry Almond Cake Recipe
This is a beautiful and easy olive oil cake that can be enhanced with sour cherries, blueberries, or no fruit at all. If you want a very tall cake, use an 8-inch round, but make sure it is a deep cake pan. Otherwise, use a 9-inch round. If you don’t have a 9-inch springform pan, it is worth the investment. I’ve made it with both sizes and I would use a 9-inch if your 8-inch is not very deep. If you want to do something special for Valentine’s Day, you can use the stencil idea for any baked goods or just the pink powdered sugar idea without a stencil. It’s easy and fun!
Collard Wraps with Peanut Sauce Recipe
If you haven’t tried collard greens as a wrap, this is my encouragement to do so! Collard greens are softer and milder than kale or cabbage, but just as nutritious and make a perfect vessel for all sorts of fillings. Whatever you would wrap in a tortilla or lavash, you can put in a collard leaf. This is not really a recipe as much as a technique so you can increase or decrease the quantities accordingly. I always love a spread, dressing, sauce or something juicy to go IN the wrap or be available for dipping. See some suggestions below and you do you!Continue reading
Broccolini with Garlic, Chili Flakes, and Vinegar Recipe
Broccolini is actually a hybrid vegetable, a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli that was invented in 1993. It was first grown under the name “Asparation” because of its asparagus-flavor undertones, and then later it was renamed “broccolini” in the United States instead. Broccolini/Asparation has a long, leggy stem, small florets, and small, if any, leaves, and is more tender and sweeter than either of its parents. On the other hand, broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is not a broccoli derivative at all and is instead more closely related to the turnip. It’s a bitter green, similar to a mustard green, with thin stalks, little buds, and lots and lots of leaves. It’s particularly popular in Italian cooking, where it’s often sautéed in garlic and/or used in pasta dishes. You can do this recipe with broccolini, broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower or any cruciferous vegetable. You can even roast the vegetables in a cast iron skillet at 400 degrees F without the garlic and chili flakes and then bring the skillet to the stove and add the garlic and chili flakes to cook those for a few seconds and then add the vinegar. As I always say, there’s not one way to cook something!Continue reading
Carrot Ginger Soup with Miso and Tahini Chickpeas Recipe
Give me all the warm and cozy soups right now! I am living on this exact soup right now and I have eaten it almost every day for the last week. It is so delicious and EASY. Miso gives a great savory flavor boost here. Low-sodium miso is a little less flavorful. Lighter misos are a bit sweeter than darker, more aged misos (e.g. red and brown.) Honestly, the tahini chickpeas take this soup from good to amazing. If your tahini is very thick and dry, you can thin it out with water. For those of you who like a little heat, feel free to add a little sriracha or a pinch of cayenne with the ginger.Continue reading
Spicy Salmon Sushi Bake Recipe
This is a viral trend I am LOVING! It’s fun, easy, adaptable and so much cheaper than going out for sushi! Not only is this a great dinner paired with a simple salad (I would do one with a miso dressing), but it’s also fabulous for serving to friends. I use canned wild salmon which I always keep in the pantry. But you can use canned tuna or even boneless, skinless sardines. If you can get sushi-grade fish like tuna or salmon, go ahead and use that if you like, or leftover cooked salmon from last night’s dinner. Furikake is a savory Japanese condiment sprinkled on rice, fish, and vegetables. While there are many different types of furikake available, typical blends include ingredients like dried nori (seaweed), toasted sesame seeds, dried fish, dried egg, dried herbs, salt, and sugar. I love it just to add extra flavor to simple baked fish or a rice bowl.Continue reading
Lasagne Soup Recipe
I made this lasagne soup on a whim a few years ago and it was an instant family favorite. Then I taught it in one of my bootcamps and I am still getting rave reviews! It’s so easy and you can make it with meat or veggies or both. I honestly use whatever I have in the fridge/pantry, but you know I love to add lots of veggies to everything! The soup will taste as good as the marinara sauce you use since that is the flavor base. Enjoy!
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