Sweet Love and Ginger

Quick & Easy

Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle

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A recipe for Pear & Brie Toasts with a simple honey balsamic drizzle. Perfect for a fall or winter pot luck.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

As the cooler temperatures start to take their toll a simple bowl of chips and guac is not cutting it anymore as an appetizer amongst our group of friends. We are all craving something warm and comforting, but we also don’t want something super heavy such as meatballs or cheese dip. We just aren’t there yet.

In our house we are still holding out on turning on the heat, and most weekends are still spent outside, albeit on house projects as opposed to camping of hiking as I would like. While we aren’t jumping in pools anymore we are not ready to give up our outdoor time to the impending northeast winter. It’s still fall and we plan on living it up regardless of how cold it might be when we get up in the morning.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

That’s what’s nice about these little toasts. The warm crunchy bread is covered in buttery, melty cheese and topped with a single slice of fresh cool pear, and a nice balsamic honey drizzle to add some sweetness. Now that is balance people. You’ve got a little bit of everything there to please everyone as well as give a nice little nod to the season’s flavors. This is an appetizer that would be great to serve throughout fall and winter since pears tend to be in season well into the cool months.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 baguette, sliced at an angle
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 large triangle of brie cheese, rind removed & sliced to fit the toast
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large pear, sliced
  • Baby arugula for garnish (opitional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine the oil and thyme in a small bowl. Lay the baguette slices on a sheet tray and brush with the oil mixture.
  3. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bread begins to turn golden. Add a slice of cheese to each toast and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove from heat and move to a serving tray.
  4. Meanwhile combine honey, and balsamic vinegar until well blended.
  5. Place a pear slice on each toast and drizzle with honey balsamic mixture, garnish and serve.
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Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

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This is a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Leftover Chicken and fresh peppers. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and please the whole family.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

Sometimes when you stumble on fresh vegetable bounty you just have to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of your pants.

That’s been the thing lately.

Despite not having a successful garden of our own right now we are still full of fresh veggies thanks to our family and friends. I’m so thankful that so many of them love to garden as much as I do, it has been awesome.

Zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans seem to be the big stars at the moment, though as summer winds down I’m looking forward to more tomatoes, peppers, squash, and root veggies.

Recently I walked into the store for some pantry staples and my jaw dropped when I saw the abundance of red, green, and yellow peppers lining the produce section shelves. I tossed my original dinner plan and decided to make something with these beautiful little babies instead.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

I decided on a variation of Chuck’s favorite Garlic Parmesan Pasta, needless to say this recipe got a double thumbs up. I just like that it’s a different way to use up cooked chicken, which we always seem to have hanging around our house. The peppers wilt just a little and add a wonderfully sweet flavor to the dish balancing out the salty and creamy nature of the parmesan.

If you were interested in leaving the chicken out it would also make a really great side dish to go with a number of summer meals.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Peppers Pasta

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1/3 package whole wheat pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced thin
  • 1 yellow pepper sliced thin
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta water.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers and cook for another minute.
  3. Stir in broth, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.
  4. Add the red pepper flakes chicken, pasta and reserved liquid tossing to combine.
  5. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and toss gently.
  6. Adjust seasonings and serve with garnish.

 

Ground Turkey Fried Rice

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Ground Turkey Fried Rice

Making the time to do the things that fill you up sounds way easier than it is. In the midst of buying a house, renovating said house, planning a wedding, and maintaining a career it seems like it is impossible for me to simply make time. The result is a grumpy, overworked, frustrated, selfish blob of ginger mess….

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Grilled Lemon Herb Wild Turkey

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This is a simple recipe for Grilled Lemon Herb Wild Turkey  that can be made with wild caught turkey or store bought. 

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As you probably know Chuck is something of a hunter, well so is his father (I’m sure this is a surprise). A few weeks ago (maybe months now- the house put me behind on posting) Poppa Chuck got himself a turkey, and was sweet enough to give us a breast. Turkey is a great protein because it’s so lean and has a mild flavor that lends itself well to many recipes, including this one….

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No Boil Taco Ravioli Casserole (Vegetarian)

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 This is a quick and easy recipe for No Boil Taco Ravioli Casserole that will feed a crowd, with less than 5 minutes of prep time the whole thing comes together easily in 30 minutes. IMAG0068

Sometimes you just need a casserole.

And you guys this was that time.

You know that we have been trying out damndest to eat good, and plan ahead , but sometimes life just happens. We found out on a Monday that we were closing on our house on Friday, and realized that because it had been pushed back so far (sigh) we needed to get started on the floors immediately and work our butts off to get them done in a week.

But people still need to eat.

Leave it to me to constantly be thinking of food first however.

I decided to make a casserole that could get us through the weekend. And it did, in a wonderful fashion. I was able to through it together in one pan, with hardly any prep time and it was delicious, as well as filling and satisfying. I did use all prepackaged ingredients, which kind of goes against my base food philosophy, but desperate times man.

This recipe was a hit! Chuck loved it and said I should make it again sometime. Despite it not having meat! I was totally impressed and probably will make it again, since it was seriously so easy. This recipe is also super filling so we were able to eat it for several lunches and dinners before it was all gone.

IMAG0061

I want to mention that you can totally add cooked ground beef, or turkey to this if you want, just brown the meat with some taco seasoning and add it in with or instead of the beans and corn. I chose not to for this recipe because 1)we are trying to eat less processed meat and 2) that was another step in the process I was not willing to add 3)the recipe without meat is way cheaper. I have made this same recipe with meat before and it was just as well received as this particular time.

Also don’t mind the last minute smart phone photos, and gross 80s counters, this is what the first days of home ownership looks like kids. It’s not as glamorous as you originally thought now is it?

No Boil Taco Ravioli Casserole (Vegetarian)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 5-6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 jar of salsa
  • 1 (20 ounce) package of frozen cheese ravioli
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained & rinced
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, drained & rinced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cut corn in water, drained
  • 1 jar of taco sauce
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a 9×13 baking pan spread the jar of salsa, covering the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add about half the package of ravioli in one layer on top of the salsa, do the same with the black beans, pinto beans and corn.
  4. Add another layer of ravioli, and then beans and corn.
  5. Top with an even layer of taco sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the ravioli is cooked through and cheese melted.
  7. Serve immediately.