Let me introduce you to something amazing. Perfectly roasted sweet potatoes with savory cider caramel. There’s butternut squash in there, too. You probably haven’t had sweet potatoes or butternut squash like this. I’ve never been a fan of overly-candied sweet potatoes (or candied yams) because I’ve always found them to be too sweet! I never…
vegetables
Ultimate Green Bean Casserole
If you think I’m gonna make a green bean casserole that isn’t bomb AF and worthy of being on my blog, you’ve got me f’d up. For years, I avoided any kind of green bean casserole because it’s notoriously made with canned soup. No shade, but yuck. Then I realized, “Wait a minute…this can be…
“Miso-Honey” Brown Butter Brussel Sprouts
I’m giggling at the title of this recipe, don’t mind me. Anyway, if you want to amp up your brussel game, try these miso-honey brown butter brussel sprouts. Salty umami-packed miso paste is melted down with brown butter, thin slices of garlic and shallot, and whisked with sweet honey. Such a simple way to boost…
Southern-Style Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
I’ve been eating southern-style collard greens for as long as I can remember. My grandmother on my dad’s side (may she rest), used to whip them up special for me pretty much any time I wanted them. And I wanted them a lot. Both of my grandma’s killed it in the kitchen, and their knowledge…
Honey-Roasted Carrots
Hello! Greetings and such 🙂 Before I get into this recipe, I wanted to share with you all some exciting news. I’ll be on the Dr. Oz show January, 19th (today)! They’re doing a little segment on food bloggers, weight management, and all that jazz..and I was honored to be a part of it. I had a blast, despite being nervous to the highest of hells lol. I’ve never done TV before, so it was pretty jarring for me. I didn’t have much time to process it either. I received an email the day of my 34th birthday (Nov. 12, 2014) asking if I wanted to be on the show, and I thought it was a joke. Turns out it wasn’t. They had me on my way to New York just a few days later and the preparation for it all was nuts! It went by so fast, I’m just now able to process what happened. Dr. Oz and his amazing staff were extremely kind and accommodating, I’d definitely do this all over again if asked. If you’d like to read a little more about my weight-loss journey, please click here!
Garlic & Herb Duck Fat Baby Potatoes
“Duck fat” just sounds sexy. Say it out loud, in your lowest bedroom voice — I’ll wait…see?? Doesn’t it sound naughty 🙂 It’s a wonderful fat. Bacon fat and duck fat are the yin to the potatoes yang. You can’t go wrong with either of them. I have to buy my duck fat because I don’t cook down enough ducks on the regular to make my own. This deliciously sinful tub of bird fat cost me about $6 from Wegmans and a little goes a long way. You only need about 2 tablespoons of it for all of these potatoes. They soak up the duck fat and get amazingly crisp and super golden brown.
White Wine Braised Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Cranberries
These are the brussel sprouts for those who hate brussel sprouts, or think they hate brussel sprouts. My dad absolutely hates brussel sprouts, and he destroyed these. My mom shook her head and raved, “I eat brussels all the time, but those are the best I’ve ever had. Makes no sense. They’re even good cold”. Well, neither party is lying here. These are just damn good brussel sprouts. Bacon and brussels go together like eggs and avocado. They’re just a match made in mouth heaven. Throw in a few dried cranberries to soak up some of that white wine and we’ve got ourselves a party. The brussels cook up tender and caramelized, full of delicious flavor, sure to please any skeptic. They aren’t the least bit bitter, and sure to be a great addition to your holiday table.
Clean Eating: Quick & Easy Sauteed Tuscan Kale
Kale is another one of those “super amazing superfoods” that helped me shed the pounds this year. You can really customize this quick and easy recipe to your personal needs. Here is one of my favorite ways to cook this bitter green down to deliciousness. I’m cheating by using pre-washed kale in a bag, purchased from Wegmans. It’s absolutely delicious. Although I’m not a fan of stems, and there are a few in here…it’s still a great dish. You can pick them out if you want — I usually do because I’m petty. Adding just a touch of honey at the end really mutes the bitterness associated with this vitamin-packed dark leafy green. You can use this recipe for any “tough” green vegetable, it works great with swiss or rainbow chard.
Clean Eating: Quick & Easy Skillet Sweet Potatoes
Since January 1, 2014, I’ve been focusing on my health and losing weight. I’ve lived off an 80% clean diet with plenty of exercise, and had to part delicious ways with my beloved heavy cream pastas, super cheesy yeast breads, and sugar-laden bowls of dairy. I mean, we still hook up from time to time — but those days of eating them frequently WHILE sitting on my ass in front of a computer for 40 hours a week are long gone. I had to really focus on this. The hard work is continuing to pay off, as I’m down 40lbs and a crazy number of inches and still going strong. Don’t get things twisted, I am still about the comfort foods — I’ve just learned how to keep it cute.
Quick and Easy Asparagus
Spinach, broccoli, hericot verts, kale, brussels, and asparagus are our most frequently eaten green vegetables in this house. I realize I haven’t posted any vegetable recipes, and there’s a reason for that — I honestly thought no one cared lol. I treat veggies with respect most times, and keep them rather simple for our quick weeknight noms. Sometimes I’ll do something fancy with them, but not frequently. I didn’t think anyone wanted to know how I did this, but I guess I can post my quick and easy vegetable recipes as well as the more involved versions too, right? Wouldn’t hurt…