Blueberry Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich

July 5, 2014 by Mackenzie

I met somebody. Someone inspiring, someone encouraging…

Okay, I’m being dramatic. But I did meet a few people who inspired me to return to my blogging despite the challenges of few ingredients and little time or desire to cook.

See, Washington DC is just an awesome place. Especially for a foodie. There are hole-in-the-wall restaurants everywhere, new chains, and so many different neighborhoods to explore, each with its own plethora of unique restaurants! And that has unfortunately had a negative effect on both my blog and my wallet.

It’s been a lot easier to go out or just just come home to a bowl of cereal after a long day of work and a sticky walk home. But – last week I read about a food bloggers happy hour meet-up and though I would give it a shot! Despite my nervousness about talking to “real” bloggers, I had a blast! And they inspired me to get back in the kitchen and create some tasty, simple recipes.

Well this might just be the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had. And let me tell you, I have eaten a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches.

I could live off of grilled cheese. Actually, in the last three years I pretty much have. Freshman year and sophomore year, when I was living in the dorms, I ate the pepper jack sandwich with sweet jalapeño jelly for at least half my meals. No kidding. Then this past year, I always had bread and cheese on hand and made grilled cheese for lunch far too often.

Well, this version takes the cake. Crushed blueberries in a balsamic reduction spread over sandwich bread and topped with a sprinkling of basil and thick slices of fontina cheese. I needn’t say anything more… You better run to your kitchen and try this.

Blueberry Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Recipe adapted from Amandakbythebay
Makes 1 grilled cheese sandwich

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 basil leaf
2 slices of your favorite bread
Cheese, whichever kind you prefer on your grilled cheese and enough slices to melt nice and thick (need to offset the sweetness of the blueberries)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar and vinegar. Crush the blueberries with a spatula and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low, keeping a slow boil. Let boil down for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Butter one side of each bread slice. Pour the blueberry mixture into a strainer set over a bowl to catch the juice. Strain out all the juice and spread the blueberry mixture on one (unbuttered-side) slice of bread. (The remaining syrup can be kept for something else!) Sprinkle the basil over the blueberry spread and top with cheese and the remaining slice of bread (keep buttered sides on outside!).

3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook the sandwich for a few minutes on each side, checking to make sure it doesn’t burn, and then enjoy the sweet goodness!

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Lemon-Parsley Gremolata

March 29, 2014 by Mackenzie

Sometimes, it’s the accidents that turn out the best.

I was making Sweet Potato Gremolata from the Cook Fresh magazine but I wasn’t paying super close attention and I was cooking these brussels sprouts at the same time. It got to the point where I had totally lost track of how long I had been sauteing the sweet potatoes, I had no idea what quantities I was adding and I was just doing my own thing at that point. I was annoyed because I had been looking forward to makign this recipe but alas, it was not meant to be.

Well – lo and behold. Whatever I ended up with turned out fantastic! The sweet potato skins caramelized making them crunchy and sweet, the pine nuts became fragrant and intense because they had been in there for so long and the sweet potatoes themselves were punctuated with flavor! They were sweet without adding any brown sugar or honey and a bit tangy with the lemon zest! Wow – slight crunch on the outside but soft and savory on the inside.

When I sat down to eat it I quickly wrote out what I remembered doing differently and then made it again last week with those changes – again, fantastic! This is something super easy, yet super flavorful that I’ll be making all the time!

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Lemon-Parsley Gremolata
Recipe adapted from Cook Fresh Winter 2014 Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about five cups)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, chopped
Zest of one lemon

Directions:

1. Heat oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When butter has melted, add the potatoes in an even layer, stirring so all sides are coated in oil mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until the potatoes just start to brown underneath. Toss the potatoes gently, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft, easily pierced with a fork and slightly crispy (this is the key part of my “genius accident”!)

2. With five minutes or so left for the potatoes to cook, add the pine nuts to the skillet and toss gently.

3. Mince the parsley and garlic and zest the lemon. Add to the fully cooked sweet potatoes, toss for a moment or two and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

(I let them cook too long on some sides so those caramelized while the insides just cooked. Feel free to make that genius mixtake!)

Turkey and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad

March 16, 2014 by Mackenzie

There’s so many things I love about this dish – the sweet taste of the ground turkey, with the cinnamon, is so unique but it pairs excellently with the citrusy tang of the orange-cucumber salad. It’s healthy, with all the ingredients (except the pita) complying to the “real foods” challenge that I did last summer. One day this week I just mixed the salad into the meat and ate it without a pita – I also thought about making it into an omelete… Once it’s prepared it’s so versatile!

It’s also fast and easy to prepare and keeps well if you want to have an easily prepared meal on hand all week. I put the turkey/onion mixture in one tupperware and the salad in another and then just toasted a pita and warmed up the meat everytime I was ready to have it again. I also threw the salad on top of some spinach and served it with some sweet potatoes (next post!) for another meal. That was excellent as well – all in all, I know I will be making this often!

Comment below if you try it! I would love to hear what you think!

Turkey and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad
Recipe adapted from Cook Fresh Winter 2014 Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large oranges
1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped mint
4 pita pockets, halved and lightly toasted (if you have big pita pockets than you’ll just need 2)
Plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add three quarters of the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onion to a small bowl and set aside.

2. Add the turkey, cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the skillet, and cook, breaking up the meat and stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. Drain well. Add the onions back in, tossing to combine.

3. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining raw onion and transfer to a large bowl. Peel the oranges and cut the slices into bite-sized chunks, making sure to catch the juice. Add the oranges, orange juice, cucumber, vinegar, mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the large bowl; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Fill the pitas with the turkey/onion mixture and add some of the orange-cucumber salad. Finish it off with a dollop of Greek yogurt and serve with the remaining salad on the side.

Superfood Fall Salad

December 31, 2013 by Mackenzie

I know it’s not really fall anymore, but this salad just looked too good to wait until next fall to make! The foods in it are some of my favorites: sweet potatoes, butternut squash and dates. They also happen to be “superfoods,” full of nutrition and good for your body. This salad was part of our big meal on New Year’s Eve – we served it with salmon (and the apple tart in the background of this photo) and it was delicious!

Superfood Fall Salad
Recipe from Del Sole
Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more
1/2 cup dried cranberries
12 pitted dates, sliced
1/2 cup basil, chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, divided

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut into one-inch pieces, or however big/small you want them for the salad. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg into the cubed squash. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Start checking it after 25 minutes or so, so that it does not cook too much and get mushy. When finished roasting, set aside, keeping any juices to add to the salad later for additional flavor.

2. While squash is cooking, boil water in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook rice for 30 minutes or until cooked. Drain and mix in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, then set aside.

3. Peel and chop the sweet potato into small chunks, like the squash. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of olive oil with 1/4 cup of maple syrup and mix well. Pour over the sweet potatoes and add some salt and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, stirring to coat. Roast at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Keep any juices.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, roasted squash, roasted sweet potato, flaxseeds, cranberries, dates and any juices from the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle basil over the top. You can serve it slightly warm or cold – we liked it both ways!

Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios

December 31, 2013 by Mackenzie

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to the new year – I know I am! We cooked a multi-course meal on New Year’s Eve and every recipe was worthy of 10 stars so I look forward to sharing the recipes with you! This pizza was our appetizer for the evening – and it was fantastic! Blackberries, goat cheese, honey, pistachios… It’s so unique and so delicious!

Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios
Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five
Makes one pizza, serving 2-3

Ingredients:
1 recipe for pizza dough
Olive oil
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Directions:
1. Prepare crust according to recipe instructions. Roll out to a 12-inch circle and brush with olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until it is golden brown and no longer soft on top.

2. While crust is baking, mix the goat cheese and honey in a small bowl. The cheese will kind of dissolve into the honey and it will look slightly creamy. Halve the blackberries and chop the pistachios. When the crust has baked, pull it out, brush it with the goat cheese/honey mixture and top it with the blackberries. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the blackberries are warm. When it is done baking, sprinkle with the pistachios, drizzle with more honey and enjoy!

Crockpot Sweet Potato Basil Soup

December 22, 2013 by Mackenzie

Is there anything better than soup on a cold winter day? It was really cold back in St. Louis and this soup was the best remedy to warm up after a cold walk home from class. It’s also incredibly easy to make – just throw everything in the crockpot and let it go! Serve with a hearty bread and enjoy!

Crockpot Sweet Potato Basil Soup
Serves 3-4
Recipe from PaleoOMG

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 (14oz) can of coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and pepper
Pumpkin seeds, optional garnish

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on high and let it cook for three hours.

2. I used a potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes and mix it all up every hour or so, but you can also leave it until it is finished cooking and pour it all in a blender and purée it until smooth. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, if desired!

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