Category: Recipes

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Greek Salad

Posted on by jplatt27

I love Greek salad.  It’s one of my favorite salads and a salad that Mike believes is a meal. Our last apartment had a rooftop deck with a pool and views of the Capitol, the Nationals Stadium, and on clear days the National Cathedral.  It also had two grills. We love Mike loves to grill and I love to eat food off the grill.  I imagine that when we buy a house someday a grill will be one of our first purchases. But back to the deck and Greek salad.  One Sunday afternoon, we made a Greek salad, took it to the roof, grilled some chicken, topped our salad with it, and sat and ate outside, eating right out of the bowl after our first servings. It was so relaxing, the meal was so fresh and just one of those moments that makes you think “life is good.”

Because I almost always cook from a recipe, the first few times we made Greek salad we used a recipe.  This recipe from Pioneer Woman. Now I can whip one up from memory.  Love that feeling.  (Another recipe I know by heart.)

There’s a Greek deli/bakery across the street from my office and when I was in there a few weeks ago they had a beautiful salad in the case that was all veggies.  It looked amazing. And so easy.

Does anyone else ever feel like lettuce gets in the way of the good stuff?  Sometimes I just want to get the salty olives, feta cheese, the juicy tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers.

So while Mike was away I made this Greek salad without lettuce. It’s super easy, quick, and can make as little or as much as you want. It’s vegetarian and could easily be vegan if you held the cheese and honey. Not only is this salad good and good for you (in the words of Rachel Ray) but I believe that this salad is good for your soul.  Chopping vegetables, and ones in a variety of colors, can really wake you up, ground you in the moment, and make you come alive a little bit.  At least it does for me.

This is not an exact recipe. Just eyeball things as you see fit. (If you’re like me and feel a recipe is a must, just relax and have fun with this. It will be good. Trust me and trust yourself. Oh, and taste the dressing before you put it on the salad 😉 Here it is.

In the mix:

cucumber
red bell pepper
green bell pepper
can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
red onion
Kalamata olives
feta cheese (I think it’s better when you buy a brick and crumble off some )
tomato
red wine vinegar
honey
olive oil
spices to taste (optional but I like oregano and garlic)
salt and pepper

Chop veggies so they’re all around the same size. Think big cubes. Put in a big bowl with chickpeas and feta.

In a smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine red wine vinegar, honey, spices and then whisk in olive oil. Taste. When it’s good, pour over veggies and stir to coat.

Enjoy!

(I used 1/2 cucumber, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, can of chickpeas, and red onion. For the tomato I used about 10 grape tomatoes cut in half. This made 2 meal sized portions and two side-sized portions.)

The other meal I made while Mike was away. What I usually eat when Mike is away.

I’d love to know:

What’s your favorite salad?

What do you eat when you’re solo?

 

What's for Dinner? Vegetarian {Giveaway}

Posted on by jplatt27

While Mike was away, I had to fend for myself when it came to meals.  (I realized how much I rely on Mike for things like meal planning, grocery shopping, and laundry. Boy, I am grateful.) Without meaning to I ate vegetarian for Monday through Wednesday lunch.

Instead of eating pancakes for every meal like I usually do when Mike’s out of town, I took this opportunity to make a meal that Mike doesn’t really care for: black bean soup in the crock pot.

This soup is super easy, super cheap, delicious, and filling. It makes a ton and yields leftovers. (Believe me, it’s better than it looks in the picture!)

Enjoy!

—————————–

Crock Pot Black Bean Soup

4 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 14.5 oz cans of vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup of salsa (not pico de gallo)

optional toppings: monterey jack cheese, cilantro, lime

Combine beans, brother, and salsa in crock pot. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or low 4-8 hours. Puree with an immersion blender. Top with cheese, cilantro, lime juice.

——————————

My First Giveaway!

In honor of my vegetarian meals, I’m giving away the cookbook How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.  I’m giving away my copy so it’s slightly used (slightly just because we don’t often cook vegetarian) but it’s in very good condition and is a great resource for people looking to make vegetarian meals on a more regular basis.

There are three ways to enter:

1) leave a comment telling me your favorite vegetarian meal

2) Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment telling me you did “@thingsafterings is giving away a vegetarian cookbook. I want to cook vege!”

3) like Things After the Rings on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did

I’ll pick a random winner on Sunday at 6pm.

What's for Dinner Wednesday: Pistachio Chicken

Posted on by jplatt27

It’s been a while since my last What’s for Dinner Wednesday post. That’s because we haven’t really been eating anything interesting lately.  I was away last week, and the two weeks before that Mike was super busy with work and then recovering for a week.  Needless to say we’ve been off our game a little bit.

But Mike is awesome and planned our meals for the week and went to the grocery store on Saturday (before I got home so we didn’t have to go on Sunday, bonus!). So, What’s for Dinner Wednesday is back!

Last night we had pistachio chicken, one of our favorite Abs Diet recipes.

 

This recipe is easy, filling, serves 4 so yields leftovers for lunch, and delicious.

Enjoy!

Baked pistachio chicken

from The Abs Diet Cookbook, commentary/notes by me

Prep time: 15-20 mins depending on how fast you can shell pistachios and beat some chicken
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup chopped pistachios (hint: use food processor)
  • 1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs (I used some italian seasoned ones we had in the cabinet and couldn’t taste the difference)
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. Preheat oven to 500°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the mustard, oil, and honey in a shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper. Mix the pistachios and bread crumbs on a plate.
3. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet to 1/2-inch thick. (A hammer or frying pan will work if you don’t have a meat mallet. Trust me, I tried both of these before registering for a meat mallet.)
4. Dip the chicken in the mustard mixture to coat and then in the crumbs. Place the chicken on the baking sheet.
5. Put the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down to 375°F. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Serves 4.

I’d love to know:

What recipes have you tried and enjoyed lately? Link up in the comments below! Mike and I love to make risotto and it’s a great meal to catch up over.  Mike found this asparagus risotto recipe and got the ingredients for us to make it on Sunday when I got home. It was delicious.

Simple delights

Posted on by jplatt27

Happy Valentine’s Day!

My day started off on the right foot after wobbling on the wrong foot momentarily.  Mike had to leave early for work this morning so we set our alarm for 5 am to go to the gym. It went off and Mike decided that he wasn’t going to make it and I was laying there debating about whether to go or not.  I got out of bed to get ready and got kind of annoyed that we set the alarm so early and Mike didn’t even end up going to the gym.  Washing my face I realized that I was still really tired and could use like another half hour of sleep, wishing that we had just set the alarm for 5:25 or 5:30.  Though it’s just a half hour, there is a big difference between 5 am, 5:30 am, and 6 am. I got back in bed and said to Mike “I wish we would’ve set the alarm later, I could use another half hour of sleep” and then turned to see the time was 5:28.  I could still get a half hour of sleep and then get up and go to the gym. So that’s what I did.  And the extra half hour was amazing. I felt very different when I woke up. I love when things like this happen.  I would’ve hated to start my Valentine’s Day (and Mike’s) on the wrong foot.

But that’s actually not why I’m writing this morning.  I’m writing to share some simple, delicious foods I’ve been eating lately.

First, last night’s dinner and this morning’s breakfast.

 While I was making a smoothie yesterday morning, I noticed a recipe on the side of the Chobani container for gorgonzola and yogurt crostini. Gorgonzola is my favorite cheese and we just happened to have some in the fridge from a gorgonzola cream sauce we made a few weeks ago. We also had this delicious loaf of bread I bought at Trader Joe’s to go with dinner on Sunday night. So I thought, yep, this is what I’ll have for dinner tonight. (Mike has class on Monday nights so we do our own thing for dinner.)

I whipped it up pretty quickly: toast some bread, mix yogurt and gorgonzola in a 2:1 ratio in a bowl with a fork and spoon to mash the cheese and spread the yogurt mixture on the toasted bread.  I topped mine with fresh blackberries (BOGO this week and we needed some for tonight’s dessert) and a drizzle of honey.  Delicious!

Another simple, tasty breakfast I’m in love with is this apple cinnamon oatmeal (in the crock pot, no less!) from Cooking with Jax.  My boss shared this recipe and I tried it late last week.  I made a batch on Thursday night, brought it for breakfast on Friday morning and shared with two co-workers, had more Friday afternoon, and finished it up for yesterday’s 10 o’clock snack. Clearly it made a ton, and it stayed perfectly fine in the refrigerator.  I topped mine with some brown sugar.  Mmm, Mmm, Mmm.

And last but not least, my go-to snack this week is chocolate pudding with crunchy peanut butter.  I mentioned this here before but haven’t had it in quite some time. I take a Jello pudding cup, pour the pudding in a larger dish and add about a tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter (for some texture, crunch and protein). So quick, so easy, so delicious.

I have some more delicious food coming my way today and I can’t wait to share our Valentine’s Day date here later this week. Until then, Happy Valentine’s Day!

I’d love to know:

What delicious things are you eating lately? 

A Valentine Treat

Posted on by jplatt27

I had big plans yesterday to make these beautiful Valentine’s Day cake balls and share them and clear instructions with you here today so that you could make them for your loved ones tonight just in time for the big day tomorrow. I thought it would be super cute to do strawberry cake with chocolate coating and then chocolate cake with pink coating.

Well, I made them and they didn’t turn out great even though I “perfected” the method two weeks ago. But this is real life and I want my blog to reflect that so instead of scrapping the whole post, I’ll guide you through the process–it’s actually pretty easy–and where I went wrong.

You’ll need:

  • 1 box of cake mix (and whatever ingredients it calls for)
  • 1 container of frosting
  • bag of chocolate chips
  • vegetable oil
  • food coloring (optional)
  • decoration of your choice (sprinkles, nonpareils, M&Ms, whatever)

Directions:

  1. Prepare cakes according to package directions.  Let cool completely. [The cooling is important.  The first time I didn’t let them cool enough and it didn’t turn out great.]
  2. In a large bowl, crumble cake until fine. 
  3. Add frosting and mix to combine well.  [Usually the ratio is one container frosting to one box of cake mix. However, with the strawberry cake I made one container was too much. So I recommend starting with about half the frosting and going from there.]
  4. Roll the cake mixture into balls and set on cookie sheet. [I like to use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to help here.] Update: you can use a small cookie scoop for this step, my friend Amanda did and it saved her a ton of time.  I’ve thought about buying one but didn’t want to part with precious “household/personal items” money.  But I think I might have to invest.  Considering I’ve made about 4 batches of cake-balls and see many more in my future, it will be worth the six bucks.
  5. Put in freezer for 30 minutes or more.
  6. Melt chocolate chips and mix in vegetable oil (and food coloring if desired) in a double boiler. Use 1 tbsp vegetable oil for 1 cup of chocolate chips. [Double boiler: heat pot of water on stove and put a glass bowl on top.  The steam will heat the glass and the chips will melt.] Update: What does the vegetable oil do, you ask? It thins out the melted chocolate to make it easier to work with.
  7. Once chips are melted, pull cake balls out of freezer and dip each one in chocolate until fully coated. (I use a combination of spatula and fork to assist here.) Put back on sheet and sprinkle with decoration of your choice.
  8. Pop back in freezer about 15 minutes to harden chocolate.
  9. Enjoy!

Notes/Advice:

  • Leave enough time to complete this project.  Maybe like an afternoon or spread it out over an evening. Update: I’ve crunched the numbers and you probably need about 4 hours total for this project.  I’d say only an hour/an hour and a half is work time.
  • You can also use almond bark or the melting chocolates that they sell at craft stores.
  • Be sure to chill the balls before dipping them in the chocolate.  If you don’t the cake can start to crumble off into the chocolate and it’s just messy and difficult.
  • My love for cake balls started when my co-worker brought them in. He is engaged to Miki from Miki’s Kitchen and my team often gets to taste Miki’s latest creations. Miki has a great tutorial for how to make cake balls and cake pops.
  • Have fun with this and don’t get frustrated. Even if they don’t look that great, they’ll taste delicious.  And sprinkles make everything prettier!

I’d love to know:

Have you made cake balls or cake pops before?  How did they turn out?  Do you have any tips to share?

These days

Posted on by jplatt27

Today’s post is a list of random things I’m doing/thinking about/loving right now.  Thanks to Heather and Clare for the inspiration!

1. I can be found mouthing the lyrics to these songs at the gym.  Though they make me want to sing out loud, I reign in my excitement at the gym.

      It’s My Turn Now, Keke Palmer

Favorite lines: “I’m strong, yeah I’m steady” and “In my heart I’m believing that I can see how I can live what I’m dreaming” Perfect mantras for the gym, and for life.

      Somebody to Love, Glee Cast

(I love the Justin Beiber version too.)

Favorite lines: “Step to the beat of my heart” and “Smile for me.” Make my heart melt. And great for the gym.

2. I’m loving smoothies right now.  In November one of my goals was to eat one fruit and one veggie per day. Check off that fruit!

Favorite recipes:

  • Mixed berry–1 cup low fat plain yogurt, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 tbsp sugar (though add to your taste) in the blender.
  • Strawberry Peach–1 cup low fat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup frozen peaches, 1/4 cup milk, and honey to taste (my taste is 1 tbsp) in the blender. Each of these makes one.

3. Inspired by Jess‘ post about writing a letter to herself, I’m working on my intentions for 2012, thinking about where I want to be come January 1, 2013, and what I want my life to look like.  I’m really enjoying this exercise; it makes me hopeful for what 2012 will bring.

4. I’m looking forward to driving home with Mike today and belting singing Christmas songs.

5. I really want to make this pomegranate vanilla sangria.  I’m brainstorming events I could make this for. Any ideas?

6. One of your intentions for 2012 should be to make some of Jessica’s recipes.  I’m not kidding.

7. I’m about halfway through The Hunger Games and I’m really enjoying it so far. I just got to the part where the games begin.

8. This tea is my go-to when I feel like I’m getting sick.  It’s like a miracle worker. Knocks a cold right out.

9. I’m loving all of my readers.  Thank you for reading and commenting!

10. Speaking of my readers: Before we knew that our bites were coming from bed bugs, I wanted to post a picture of the bites and see if any of you knew what they might be. Mike said that was gross and unless I could prove there were some doctors in my readership, he wouldn’t let me post pictures of his bites. So, who are you? What do you do? Any doctors out there?

I’d love to know:

What are you up to? What are you excited about these days?

 

What's for dinner?

Posted on by jplatt27

What’s for dinner? must be one of the most frequently asked questions between a married couple.  It’s definitely one of Mike’s favorite questions.  During high school, he’d call his dad at work almost every day after school to ask him what was for dinner.

What’s for dinner is also the title of a new series here on Things After the Rings where I’ll share what we’re having. And you’re in luck, today I have two meals to share.

Tuesday night we had grilled cheese and tomato soup, a quick, easy, comforting meal that is perfect for a chilly fall night.

Must use Land O’Lakes American Cheese, the taste is just so much creamier than other American cheeses. [Please do me a favor and give up on Kraft singles.  They’re not even real cheese and they taste terrible.  Believe me, you’ll thank me for it.]

I like mustard on the inside of one slice of bread.  Real butter is a must too.

Last night we had curried chicken and rice.

I was tutoring one night and this dish was cooking on the stove as worked.  It smelled amazing so I asked the mom for the recipe. Here it is:

Fast Curried Turkey with Rice serves 4-6, total time about 30 mins

  • 2 T butter, margarine or oil – your choice [of course I vote butter]
  • 2 tsp curry + ½ tsp cinnamon + pinch cloves
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 1 lb. boneless turkey or chicken breast meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 apple, peeled and diced (or use a green apple & don’t bother peeling)
  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup long grain or Basmati rice
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water, or combination
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then add the curry mixture.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, until spices become fragrant. Add the diced onion and sauté until soft and golden.  Add the turkey, apples and raisins and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the rice and stir. Add the stock/water, bring to a boil and cover. Cook on medium-low heat until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes.  Add the peas during the last few minutes to heat through, then toss and serve.

Notes from the recipe I received:

You can eat the peas separately if you prefer. Another tip: if you cook it too long with the peas, they’ll get dull green and mushy. If you prefer green and crisp, add them right before you’re going to eat.  If you are a fan of Indian food, this dish goes well with yogurt and cucumber raita, or Greek tzatziki.

My notes:

Though it’s not spicy, it has a nice heat to it. I would definitely recommend serving it with raita or tzatziki on the side as suggested above. The first time I made this I let it simmer too long and it was a bit dry.  Last night I let it simmer for 15 mins plus a few more mins for the peas and it turned out better.

Enjoy!

I’d love to know:

What else would make the list of Most Frequently Asked Questions Between a Married Couple?

What are you having for dinner this week?