February 27, 2013

Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette


This is one of our favorite meals! We first had it last fall, and then I mentioned it briefly in December. At some point, we also made it for my parents, who loved it, too.

The original inspiration came from a newspaper clipping of a recipe for Roasted Broccoli. It was meant to be a side dish, but I thought it sounded like a great way to serve pasta.


I made a few changes (as usual!) & paired it with a bag of frozen gnocchi, making it a quick & flavorful dinner. It's filling but not heavy, which I think is often the problem with gnocchi. Most times, it's topped with a creamy sauce & the pasta itself is already so creamy that it really weighs you down.

The bright flavors of the red wine vinegar, the creamy gnocchi, & the earthy walnuts really come together well. It's a melt in your mouth flavor burst! :-)

I hope you try it out!


Gnocchi with Roasted Broccoli & Garlic Vinaigrette
Serves 2-4

4 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed into puree or microplaned
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, chopped
1/3 c walnuts, chopped
1 bag frozen gnocchi
2 oz. parmesan cheese, freshly grated + more for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread broccoli pieces on a large baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and roast for 20 minutes. Stir and return to oven for 20 minutes. Stir again, add walnuts, and roast another 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare gnocchi according to package directions.

Mix together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, both peppers, and salt. Set aside until broccoli and gnocchi are finished cooking.

Toss together roasted broccoli and walnuts, cooked gnocchi, and dressing in a large bowl. Top with cheese and stir briefly to combine. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

February 23, 2013

Tasty Tidbits

[If you look closely, you'll see Tink by his feet, helping as usual.]

Work on the living rooms continues, although this weekend not much will get done because the Bup has to work. :-( I'm hoping to get some decorating ideas going, & possibly make some decisions on curtains. I'd like to make a valence, but nothing too heavy.

I'm also feeling crafty & want to try something like this calligraphy wall art. What a great idea! I have lots of quotes & verses that would work perfectly like this.

Have a happy weekend & stay warm!


Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts
  • Maple yogurt with Sunflower Seed & Coconut Granola
  • Ashley's Zucchini Bread Buckwheat Bake topped with coconut butter & pb
  • Peach Banana Spinach Smoothies
  • Cinnamon quinoa with blueberries, topped with coconut butter
  • Omelets with broccoli, red pepper, onion & spinach - The Bup made me breakfast! I'm NOT an egg person, so this was a stretch for me. Mine was made with 2 eggs & a large amount of veggies. As you can see below, I like my eggs quite well-done. He did a great job!
  • Bananas & crunchy pb


Lunches

Dinners

Saturday:
Sunday: 
Monday:
  • Vegetable & Spelt Berry Soup
  • Green salad
Tuesday:
  • Taco Salad - lettuce & spinach topped with leftover burrito fixings
Wednesday:
  • Corn pancakes
  • Sauteed zucchini & onions
Thursday:  
  • Chickpea & Veggie Stir-fry over whole wheat couscous (in the mix: broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, & celery)
Friday:
Dinner with Mom &  Pops'  

Treats

February 20, 2013

Working on the Walls


Over the weekend, we started working on the living room walls! They were just paneling over the insulation, so we're tearing that off & putting up drywall.


In the process, we pulled back some of the carpet. Tink loved crawling under the fold. We had to watch out because we almost stepped on her several times.


We have a gas fireplace in the corner that our tv sits on. The Bup built a wall behind it that we're going to put up stone on (to look like a chimney) & he attached brackets & electrical so we can hang the tv. I'm excited about the open mantel! I'm thinking of decorating ideas already.


Zoomed out view.



The wall looks super bare! We're doing one side at a time so that we can still live in the space. This side is more labor intensive because of the fireplace.


He got it all in place & it's ready for the stones. I can't wait for the finished project!

It was my job to pull out the nails that were left behind & to do clean-up. In the process, I wound up with a black eye. I tried to pull out a nail and the force sent me back into the corner of the fireplace. (Smooth, right?) It hurts much worse than it looks. I must've done some internal bruising. Thankfully it was only this bad. When it happened, I was scared to open my eye because I thought I wouldn't be able to see.

Here's a somewhat awkward picture of me & my bruise/cuts.



In case you wanted a close up. :-)

February 16, 2013

Tasty Tidbits



I hope you all had a great week!

Since we got married, I've gotten a potted plant on Valentine's Day from the Bup. It suits me perfectly - I don't want the cut flowers because they die, which is a waste of money & pretty flowers. This year, I picked mine out because we were at Lowe's together. Every time I see this orchid it makes me happy all over again!


Tink's so dark that she's hard to catch on camera. I used this basket to carry some stuff up from our pantry in the basement & she found it. I heard rustling & turned around just in time to see her curling up in it. She napped there for awhile!



Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts
  • Maple yogurt with Sunflower Seed & Coconut Granola
  • Spelt Waffles
  • Bon Appetit's Hot Oat & Quinoa Cereal - This was quick & easy to make. I like the addition of cardamom - I never think to add that to my oats.
  • Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

Dinners

Saturday:
Out to dinner with friends at Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery
  • Hummus with pitas, carrots & celery
  • Tossed Salad
  • Peace Wrap (Hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, & house-roasted vegetables on a whole wheat tortilla.)
Sunday: 
Dinner with parents & grandparents
  • Cooking Light's Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion & Spinach Lasagna - This wasn't what I was expecting when I showed Mom the recipe, but it was definitely yummy. I'm a sucker for roasted squash, though, so that's what sold me. It was in the lasagna in chunks instead of mashed like squash in lasagnas often is.
  • Sauteed Brussels sprouts
  • Oatmeal Sourdough Bread
  • Green Salad
Monday:
Tuesday:
  • Veggie Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce - A favorite in our house! They take a little extra time for the rolling, but other than that, the ingredients are simple & quick.
Wednesday:
Date night at Lisa's Cafe  
A big thanks to the choir for the gift certificate for this dinner!
  • Me:
    • Side Salad with the house Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing
    • Vegetarian Grilled Reuben (portabello mushroom, sauerkraut & swiss cheese on rye bread) & Seasoned fries (me)
  • Bup:
    • Side Caesar Salad
    • Vegetarian Stromboli
Thursday:
Dinner at Mom &  Pops'  
Friday:

  • Homemade Pizza topped with bell peppers, onion, olives, artichokes

    Treats

    February 14, 2013

    Happy Valentine's Day!



    I hope you have a wonderful day full of love!

    Happy Valentine's Day!

    February 11, 2013

    Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce


    Last week, I had friends over for dinner. We all love pasta & one of them suggested we have a cheese sauce. Because cheese sauce can be very heavy & highly calorie, I decided to lighten it up.  

    As I was considering what to use for creamy texture, I thought of white beans. They provide such a creamy texture to bean dips (like white bean hummus) that I thought they'd be perfect. Since I had a feeling my friends would be skeptical (one of them doesn't like beans!), I made the sauce before they came & had them taste it. Both thought it was tasty & cheesy. They were surprised when I told them it didn't have any cheese in it at all. After that, I did add a bit of parmesan, but if you are dairy-free or vegan, this recipe doesn't need it. It's still cheese-like without it.

    I hope you'll think outside the box & try this recipe. It's full of flavor & much healthier than traditional cheese sauces. Beans not only add creaminess, but also fiber, protein, & numerous nutrients. It's win-win! Comfort food at its best.


    Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce
    Coats 1 lb. pasta

    1 tsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)
    1 small onion, chopped
    1.5 c cooked white beans (or 1 can, rinsed)
    4-5 cloves of roasted garlic*
    2 tsp. Dijon mustard
    1 c unsweetened original almond milk
    2 tsp. Italian seasoning
    1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (to taste)
    1/4 tsp. black pepper
    2-4 T freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit or use nutritional yeast to make vegan)

    In a medium saucepan, melt coconut oil & saute onion over medium heat. Once soft, about 3-5 minutes, add white beans, garlic, mustard & almond milk. Heat until it just starts to simmer. Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender, puree sauce until smooth. (Alternately, you can pour the sauce into a blender & blend. Allow to cool slightly before blending to prevent any explosions!) Turn burner back to low & gently heat sauce. Add Italian seasoning, salt to taste, black pepper, & parmesan cheese. Keep warm until ready to use. If your sauce cooks too long, it may get too thick. Add another 1/4-1/2 c almond milk to thin.

    *To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350*F. Slice off the top of the garlic heads, to expose the tops of the cloves. Wrap each head seperately in aluminum foil & drizzle each head with 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until garlic is soft. Squeeze cloves out of the husks. Roasted garlic can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Another great use for roasted garlic is my Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread. Roast several cloves at once to make sure you have plenty - it never seems to go to waste in our house!

    February 9, 2013

    Tasty Tidbits



    How can you resist that face??? Eeeek! This cat never ceases to amaze me. She's always up to something. Some of her favorite things right now include water (from anywhere but her bowl!), plants, window sills, & the strings from the window blinds. She still greets us at the door & follows us all around, but now she doesn't sit on our laps or want to be held as much. I can't believe how big she's getting. :-/

    We had a fairly uneventful week with lots of work & church meetings. I'm looking forward to a fun weekend with friends & family. Hope your weekend is great, too!

    Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

    Breakfasts

    Lunches
    • Leftovers
    • Jessica's Coconut Milk + Citrus White Bean Spread - I think we'd enjoy this more with lemon or lime than the orange, but it's very refreshing & a nice change from our normal bean dips.
    • Potato, Cauliflower, & Kale Soup
    • Mega Salads
    • Apples, oranges & clementines

    Dinners

    Saturday:
    Sunday: 
    • Baked Beans
    • Ashley's Polenta Dippers - If you've never tried polenta like this, you must! It gets nice & crispy on the outside, but soft/chewy on the inside. Perfect for dipping in baked beans or chili!
    • Sauteed Brussels sprouts
    Monday:
    Tuesday:
    Cooking night with friends
    • Tomato Spinach Shells with Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce
    Wednesday:
    • Leftover baked beans & polenta fries
    • Leftover cabbage slaw
    Thursday 
    • Leftover Tomato Spinach Shells with Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce
    • Green Salad with Roasted Beets & Avocado
    Friday:

    • Whole Wheat Couscous with Sauteed Mushrooms
    • Green Salad

      Treats

      February 7, 2013

      Ceiling Update


      Last weekend, we were under construction again! The last post I shared was before any of the insulation was really up, so this is much different than then!


      It took the Bup & his brother & dad to hang the big sheets overhead. There was a lot of lifting, shifting & grunting to get them into place, but they got them all up in one day.



      It looks so much brighter in there with the white ceiling! I can't wait for more progress. The walls are next & while that won't be as challenging as the ceiling, it'll still take a lot of time to tear out the wall boards & put in more insulation & drywall.


      We're fortunate to have family around that is willing to help! We couldn't have done this without them. I wouldn't have been able to hold that up for him!

      February 2, 2013

      Tasty Tidbits



      Last weekend I took a painting class with some friends at a nearby winery. It was lots of fun! There was an instructor who walked us through layering the paint on the canvas. Everyone was painting the same picture, but it was amazing how differently they all turned out!



      Here's my final product! We're going to hang it up (probably in the kitchen). I'd really like to do something like this again. I didn't realize I liked painting, but I do!



      We also got our first snack box from VeganCuts. It's a subscription program, but you can order one & then cancel, if you aren't happy. I think we'll get 1 or 2 more but then stop. It was fun to open & see all the goodies, plus it's a great selection of items! On top of the snacks, we got natural laundry detergent (the berryplus you see), a cuppow (for on top of jars, to make it easier to drink), a reusable straw & a $25 gift card to iTRAIN, an online workout site. We haven't tried it all yet, but I'm excited for each thing!

      Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

      Breakfasts

      Lunches



      Dinners

      Saturday:
      Sunday: 
      Monday:
      • Leftovers from Saturday night
      • Green Salad
      Tuesday:
      • Potato & Onion Perogies with sauteed Brussels sprouts, onions & mushrooms
      Wednesday:
      Game night with friends
      Thursday 
      Traditional choir night dinner at Mom & Pops'
      • Eggplant Parmesan
      • Green Salad
      Friday:

      • Pasta with white beans & roasted cherry tomatoes
      • Green Salad


        Treats
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