Sweet Love and Ginger

Vegetarian

Cherry Arugula & Wild Rice Salad

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Cherry Arugula & Wild Rice Salad 

Summer is the glorious season of fresh fruit in the northeast. The strawberries have come, with blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries quick on their heels. Evidence of which you might have seen if you happen to follow SL&G on Instagram.

When fruit is in season, it is at its height of flavor and freshness. There is no other time of year when you will get the voluptuous flavor than when a piece of fruit is newly ripe.

Yeah, you totally loved that description right?

Voluptuous flavor.

We are talking sweet, tangy, juicy, and delectable. I mean all the flavors here.

Fresh Cherries

But, I digress to the topic at hand; mixing fresh fruit into our daily meals.

I’m a huge proponent of this; mainly because fresh fruit is delicious, but also because it adds a ton of extra vitamins, antioxidants, and all the other stuff that we never seem to get enough of.

A lot of people choose to add fruit to their meals with pie.

This is not my go to. Don’t get me wrong I like pie as much as the next person, but really its summer I don’t want to be inside baking away, trying to roll out a finicky crust when I could be outside. I prefer to use seasonal fruit in jams, sauces for meat dishes, or simply adding it to salads like we have done here.

Cherry Arugula & Wild Rice Salad

This salad is hefty enough to be a main dish, but would also go wonderfully with a side of grilled salmon or chicken. The tart cherries combine with the peppery arugula and sweet lemon honey vinaigrette to create a wonderful sensation of flavors. The addition of wild rice, as well as walnuts, adds a lot of texture and some crunch as well as some bulk to an otherwise light feeling dish.

Altogether, this dish is the perfect compromise for a hot summer day. It is light enough to prevent you from feeling sluggish and bogged down, while still being filling and healthy. It goes especially well with a glass of chilled white wine, so really there’s nothing more you could ask for.

Cherry Arugula & Wild Rice Salad

Cherry Arugula & Wild Rice Salad
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ tablespoon honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 16 cherries, washed, halved and pitted
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup wild rice, cooked according package instructions & cooled
Instructions
  1. Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside
  2. In a large bowl toss together the arugula, walnuts, and rice.
  3. Drizzle the lemon-honey mixture over the top and serve immediately.

 

Confetti Bean Salad

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So meal prep; do you do it?

I’ve never been that good at doing too much of it beyond meal planning and grocery shopping. I have friends who actually spend a few hours each week preparing their meals in individual containers, including snacks so they don’t even have to think about it. Personally I don’t think that is a system that works for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fabulous idea if that’s what works for you.

Confetti Bean Salad

Even though I don’t do a full on meal prep each week I like to make sure that we have some stuff ready to toss onto a salad for lunches or snack really for convenience sake, and because every now and then we end up without leftovers for lunch.

Whether you call it confetti salad, cowboy caviar or just bean salad this little dish is a great addition to your meal prep plans. I love it because it’s easy to toss together, made with unprocessed food and so good! It’s also one of the most versatile recipes in my arsenal lending itself to so many applications. I try to make this every couple of weeks just to have around the house. It’s so convenient to pull this salad out for a snack, a lunch or an addition to a meal. Knowing that it’s totally healthy is just an added bonus.

To date we have used this mixture in stuffed peppers, as a dip with chips, over French fries with cheese, to top a salad, in enchiladas or wraps or just on its own. It’s pretty easy to see how this one dish can quickly become a meal prep staple.

Confetti Bean Salad

Confetti Bean Salad
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (11 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 jalapenos, ribs, seeds removed and chopped fine
  • Pinch salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until well combined. Serve immediately.

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Spring is finally showing its face around here and while I’m excited to see the flowers poking their heads out and to hear the birds singing, I’m also pretty damn exhausted. Just being honest.

Getting garden beds prepped, spring time household chores, work and a hectic social life have been taking their toll on me. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot of good happening here it’s just a lot and all at once.

While I love being busy and social at the core I am an introvert. I need some quiet time alone once in a while to recharge my batteries so to speak and this is one of those seasons where it does not happen often.

There was one night last week that I did, by some random miracle, get an entire evening on my own. What did I do with this evening you ask? I made Eggplant Parmesan with homemade sauce.

There is something so relaxing to me about making a meal that takes a little more time and effort than the usual week night dish that just seems so healing to me. It’s like I am saying to myself and to my body that yes you are worth it. You are worth the time to prepare this meal, this nourishing homemade meal from scratch. You are worth it.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

In today’s society we are all about convenience and food that is quick and easy, while not necessarily being nourishing. With this behavior I have to ask what is it that we are telling our bodies? What are we telling ourselves with this kind of mentality? In my mind we are telling ourselves that we are not worth much if we can take 10 minutes to eat something more than what we can get from a drive through window. We get one shot on this earth with one body and I don’t want to cram it full of sub-par fuel.

Despite this hectic time of life I’m going to take a moment a little more often to cook more food that nourishes not only my body but my soul. I want to cook the types of food that remind me that I am worth the time and effort to make something not only delicious but healthy. I’m going to cook more recipes like Eggplant Parmesan.

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
  • 2 cups tomato sauce of choice
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup fine grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a shallow bowl toss the bread crumbs with the basil, garlic and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and water until well blended.
  3. Place an eggplant round into the egg mixture, ensuring that both sides are evenly coated. Next place the egg coated round into the panko mixture and again coat it evenly. Place the round onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until all the rounds are coated.
  4. Place the sheets in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the rounds and place them back in the oven for another 10 minutes. When done the rounds should be golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  5. Using an 8×11 baking dish spread about 1 cup of tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place the baked rounds in an even layer on top of this. Spread another ½ cup of tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with roughly half of the mozzarella cheese. Place the remaining eggplant in another layer and repeat the process of adding sauce and cheese.
  6. When complete sprinkle the Parmesan on top and place in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The cheese should be melted and beginning to crisp. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Mustard Pork Chops with Beans & Greens

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Having the motivation to come home and cook dinner every night is not always easy. More often than not I really just don’t feel like it. Thankfully meal planning really helps me stay motivated, since I hate to see things go to waste and I don’t have to make a last minute decision on what to make for dinner. But even when I have my week planned to a T there are times where I just don’t have the motivation. Work is draining, especially when you spend an entire day or 3 just crunching numbers in spreadsheets.

Mustard Pork Chops with Beans & Greens

These are the days that I fall back to the simple recipes, the ones that take minutes to slap together, and while they don’t feel very exciting they get the job done. On one particular occasion last week I totally threw out my initial dinner plan and just went with a simple 2 part meal and less than 10 ingredients total. It turned out to be a big hit with both Chuck and Lady A (did I mention one of my best friend sis living with us for a while? It’s been a lot of fun having her around). I was totally surprised by this because I never expected beans and greens to really be something that was requested, like ever.

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones most well received.

While I know I’ve said this before it continues to surprise me that these simple, rustic, homey recipes are the ones that people really actually want to eat. These are the things that people are craving. Sure complicated and fancy can be fun, but the grass roots simple stuff is what reminds us of home.

So I guess what I’m saying is to not forget those simple recipes that your parents or grandparents made you, sometimes those are the best.

 

Easy Mustard Pork Chops
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon water or broth
Instructions
  1. Pound pork chops between 2 layers of platic wrap to 1/2″ – 3/4” thickness. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork chops to the pan and cook for until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes before flipping. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. In the same pan reduce the heat to medium low. Add the mustard, vinegar, water and broth to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The sauce should be well blended and thickened. Remove the pan from heat.
  4. Serve pork chops with sauce drizzled on top.

 

Greens & Beans

About 10 cups packed greens (such as spinach, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe; about 1 pound), thick stems removed, cut into 1-inch strips

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained

Salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add greens to the pot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted slightly (sturdier greens will need 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper and saute for 1 minutes, until the garlic begins to turn golden. Add the greens, tossing with tongs to coat with oil.

Add the reserved cooking liquid and beans. Simmer, stirring reqularly until beans are heated through and liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Mustard Pork Chops with Beans & Greens

Easy Curried Lentils

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Easy Curried Lentils

Indian cuisine and I are not really friends. Aside from a few select recipes (that really resemble the worst of Americanized regional food) I cannot for the life of me make an Indian style dish that actually tastes good.

When Royal contacted me about their Basmati Rice I knew I had to give it another shot. I’m really excited to announce that I was finally about to concoct a pretty delicious Indian style dish. I think keeping it fairly simple was the key here, just basic ingredients and a focus on flavor.

I’m really proud to say that this dish will probably make it into our routine fairly regularly. Since it’s delicious, easy and totally different from my usual meals.

Easy Curried Lentils

Easy Curried Lentils
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed and cleaned
  • ½ a large onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons curry paste
  • ½ tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 cup broth or water
  • ¼ cup coconut milk or cream
  • cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Cook the lentils according to directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large sauce pan melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until it becomes translucent.
  3. Add the curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, honey, garlic, ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes while stirring. The paste should be well blended and begin to brown. Stir in the broth until well blended.
  5. Stir in the lentils and milk or cream and simmer for another 15 minutes, allowing the flavor to deepen.
  6. Garnish and serve.

 

Royal® Basmati Rice

This post was sponsored by Royal® Basmati Rice.