mint

What a wild last 2 1/2 months I have had… I think my last recipe post was back during spring break, which is pathetic considering that was back in mid-March. Although I had every intention to continue blogging through the end of the school year, as it seems to happen, school, work, golf and whatever small social life I had got in the way of cooking and writing. As soon as my finals were over, I took off to Madagascar for almost a month! You can read all about my trip here.

I came back from Madagascar, packed up my apartment in St. Louis and moved to DC! I’m interning for Senator Maria Cantwell this summer and am so thrilled to have the opportunity to experience the ins and outs of politics, the bustle of DC in the summer, and have some time to myself to read, write and cook!. I’m living in a house near the Capitol with several other young adults and am looking forward to everything this summer will bring.

Although I have a big kitchen, it’s not exactly fully-stocked with my usual cooking gadgets. Yes, I know I’m spoiled in St. Louis to have an ice cream maker, a crock-pot, a waffle maker, a food processor, and the likes… But this kitchen doesn’t even have a cheese grater! (Found that out while I was in the middle of making this recipe ha!) I also don’t want to buy too many ingredients – spices, oils and such – because I’m only here for ten weeks and will have to fly everything back home. So my recipes are going to be simple this summer. Easy, simple, healthy recipes are what you’ll see in the coming weeks!

And to start – I’m sharing this simple, fresh summer pasta. I made it last week after work – and find it perfect for the hot summer days out here. The lemon juice serves as the main punch of flavor and also as any semblence of a sauce (lemon juice, water and some butter serve as the sauce – so it’s light, fresh, flavorful and incredibly easy to make!) I’ve enjoyed it both hot and cold – hope you enjoy!

Fresh Summer Pasta with Lemon, Chicken and Peas
Recipe adapted from PureWow
Serves 6

1 lb spaghetti noodles
2-3 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 bag fully-cooked chicken strips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + more to serve
Juice of one lemon
Salt
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped mint
Zest of one lemon

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. About a minute or two before the pasta is done, add the peas. While pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and a few pinches of italian seasoning spice and saute for 4-5 minutes.

2. When the pasta is done, ladle out one cup of the liquid and set aside. Drain the remaining liqud through a colander and return the pasta to the pot. Add the heated chicken, butter, grated cheese, and salt to taste. Toss to combine and then add the reserved liquid and the lemon juice. Toss to coat. Add the mint and lemon zest, toss it to combine one last time and serve immediately.

Leftovers can be eaten hot or cold – it’s delicious both ways!

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.

Summer in DC and Fresh Summer Pasta with Lemon, Chicken and Peas

Turkey and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad

Mackenzie

A Look Back