Cauliflower Wings

Good morning! Here we are, Wednesday. We're at the halfway point for the week (go us!). I wish I felt more chipper today. I am pretty sure I got about 3 hours of sleep last night. If I had been wearing my Fitbit, I'm sure it would've reported that I was awake a total of 4 hours and had fitful sleep for 3. It was awful. Maybe I'm just an anxious person (which I most certainly am) but I just kept thinking about what could possibly happen during my trip. Will someone break into my apartment? Will the cats be alright? What if I forget (insert insignificant item here), what will I do then?! Like I said, it was horrible.


However, before this I indulged in one of my favorite things: buffalo wings. Even before my recent acceptance of a plant-based diet, I never ate bone-in wings. I don't know why but meat on the bone makes me uncomfortable, always has. Therefore, the switch from boneless wings to cauliflower wings wasn't all that difficult. Plus for me it's always been about the tangy and spicy buffalo sauce and the cool and creamy blue cheese to dip in. Seriously, I will put wing sauce on ANYTHING. Potatoes? Yep. Eggs? Uh huh. Vegetables? Damn straight. You get the picture.


Cauliflower Wings

1 C skim milk
4 Tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Panko breadcrumbs
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Buffalo sauce


 Did you know if you don't have buttermilk on hand you can make it by combining milk and vinegar? Yeah, totally crazy, right?! So I used my stock of buttermilk creating my Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos but I needed to batter my cauliflower to get the correct crispy texture so I decided to give this a try and I have to say it worked really well!


In a large bowl, stir together milk and vinegar and allow to sit for 10 minutes. The milk will begin to thicken (cool, huh?) Add 4-6 dashes of buffalo sauce to the milk mixture; or if you're me about 10 dashes. Season with salt and pepper.


After your batter is created, dump in your cauliflower florets and stir to coat. Allow the florets to sit for 5 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Coat generously with cooking spray.


Now, super neat trick I came up with. Who here hates to coat things in breadcrumbs? Yeah, me too. Who likes to have club hands and a messy counter? Not I. So I decided "huh, Lindsey, you need to coat these florets in breadcrumbs and that's a pain. What if you try putting them in a big storage container and then just tossing them around?" By George, you're a genius, Lindsey! Yeah, I know I am. So I got my largest storage container, threw in about 1/2 C of Panko breadcrumbs, added in about a third of the cauliflower and shook like Hell! The cauliflower was perfected coated. Repeat this step until all cauliflower is coated, adding in more breadcrumbs as necessary. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.


Bake cauliflower for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.


Now, since I thought my breading idea was so brilliant, why not attribute that to my saucing? Again, Lindsey your intelligence knows no bounds. Toss in a portion of cauliflower, a few dashes (or half a cup) of buffalo wing sauce and "shake it like a Polaroid picture," (OutKast, "Hey Ya", Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 2003). The cauliflower was exactly what I was hoping! Frankly, I may like this more than actual boneless chicken wings. Goodness it was heavenly and paired perfectly with my sudden urge to listen to 1950s rock and roll music. Lucky for me I have more than half the portion in the freezer patiently waiting my return from my mystery trip.


Stay tuned for my travel blogs!

Black Bean Fajitas

Happy Tuesday, readers! Welcome to your short week! I hope your Memorial Day was spent with family, friends and remembrance. Mine was spent cleaning, packing and binge-watching Netflix. When 6:00 PM rolled around last night and I had already packed my lunch for today, packed up my gym bag and folded all my laundry I began playing the "should I just order a pizza" game but I challenged myself to just cook dammit! As previously mentioned, I will be going on a trip soon. To where? Well, you'll have to just wait until my first blog post when I get there. Ha! Gotta keep you on your toes. Anyway, I have all these beautiful vegetables that I'd prefer didn't spoil while I am away so that was also a motivator. But what could I make that would use a majority of them? Then I had a sudden spurt of inspiration: Fajitas! They're smoky, spicy, flavorful, filling and best of all - you can top them with guacamole and who doesn't love that?!


Black Bean Fajitas

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 sweet mini peppers, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
4 chipotle peppers, sliced
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 Tbsp adobo sauce
1/4 C vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Whole wheat tortillas (for serving)
Guacamole (for serving)


In a deep skillet over medium heat, sauté onion until translucent. Add in pepper slices and cook until tender, this whole process took roughly 15 minutes. Add in minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.


Turn up the heat to medium-high and add in the chipotle peppers, beans, adobo sauce and vegetable stock and allow to boil for 1-2 minutes until a thick sauce forms. Sounds delish, am I right? The smell of my kitchen was positively intoxicating. A mix of smoky, spicy and that oh-so-glorious onion-sautéing smell...mmmm. Season with salt and pepper.


Throw your delicious fajita filling in a whole wheat tortilla, top with guac and go to town on that bad boy! I had 2 fajitas with about a cup of yellow rice (my go-to side dish) and was absolutely stuffed. This recipe probably yielded between 6 and 8 fajitas depending on how much filling you use per fajita.


Enjoy your Tuesday, readers and hopefully you'll try out some of my recipes. Or at least consider trying them out. Check back to see how well I think Cauliflower Hot Wings actually are and to find out Where In The World is Lindsey?

Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos

Oy, enough with the broccoli already, am I right? Gilmore Girls reference? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Ok anywho, after a delightfully relaxing day at the pool with Natalie and Sharron (and one only slightly horrifying sunburn later) I came home and looked into my fridge and looked at all the beautiful vegetables in my fridge slowly decaying. Now, I suppose that's a little morbid and disgusting. The vegetables look fine and appetizing, I just don't want them to meet their produce god in vain. So, here's the scene: 9:30 PM, tummy rumbling, broccoli crowns on the top rack of the refrigerator, an avocado growing ever mushy in my fruit bowl and the delightful sounds of Kendrick Lamar's new album blasting through the speakers of my iPad. Nice picture, huh? So I was inspired to make Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos! I know what you're thinking, what the hell? Why did you decide to combine Bang Bang sauce and tacos? Because I'm brilliant. That's why.

Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos

1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 C buttermilk
2 Tbsp buffalo wing sauce
6 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chile paste (or Sriracha sauce)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tsp ground ginger
2 C panko breadcrumbs
3 corn tortillas
1/2 C chopped kale (for serving)
Guacamole (for serving)

The batter:

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, hot sauce, flour, corn starch and salt until a thick batter forms. Toss broccoli florets in batter and let sit for 5 minutes.

After marinating for 5 minutes, coat florets in panko breadcrumbs, arrange on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray, drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

The sauce:

In a bowl, combine mayo, chile paste, honey, ginger, salt and pepper until a delicious sauce forms. It should be light pink in color and taste smoky and magnificent. After your broccoli florets are crispy ad golden, coat in sauce.

The taco shells:

While your broccoli is cooking, make your own hard taco shells! Isn't that neat? Why would you go out and buy hard taco shells and soft corn tortillas when you can just make your own using soft corn tortillas?! Place corn tortillas on one wire of your oven rack and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. The tortillas magically maintain a hard taco shape and will have the perfect crunch. Great, right?

Line the taco shells with kale, top with your now sauced broccoli and top with guacamole and there you have it! A fantastic yummy dinner! I ate 3 tacos and still have about half the broccoli leftover! Enjoy and stay tuned for tonight's dinner: Black Bean Fajitas with yellow rice!

Protein Packed Breakfast Burritos

Good morning, readers! I hope your (hopefully) long weekend is going well and relaxing and you're remembering the reason for your long weekend. So I know I promised honey-lime cilantro salmon as my next post but I ended up becoming incredibly lazy Friday night and eating leftovers so I'm going to hit you with 3 recipes that I made this weekend instead!

Saturday morning I made some delicious Protein Packed Breakfast Burritos to begin my day and below is the fantastic recipe!

Protein Packed Breakfast Burritos

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 mini sweet peppers, seeded and diced
1 C kale
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
4 "bacon" slices (recipe here)
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp skim milk
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 whole wheat tortillas

Saute peppers in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat until blistered. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant and slightly browned. Cook the kale until tender.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs with milk. Pour the egg mixture over the peppers, garlic and kale and stir to combine. Cook until the eggs are fluffy, cooked and scrambled.

While the eggs are cooking, heat up the "bacon" in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until crisp and warm.  You could heat them in the microwave but it may result in soggy and limp "bacon".

Place 1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese in the center of each wheat tortilla and top with 2 slices of bacon. Spoon half of the egg mixture on top and roll into a burrito shape. Microwave whole burritos for 45 seconds to melt the cheese and enjoy your delicious burritos!

I ate 2 burritos at 9:00 AM and was completely satisfied until 6:00 PM! Isn't that crazy?

Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts

As promised, blog post 2 of 3! Since you're such a huge fan of mine, you know that Saturday morning I made myself a delicious and filling breakfast so I had no appetite until 6:00 PM which, coincidentally, is when I was making dinner for two of my good friends at their new place.

Since I was cooking for them as a housewarming gift, I let them pick the menu: Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Corn. I will begin by saying I've never made stuffed chicken breasts so everything I did was pure intuition. Isn't that neat? After 3 years I have cook's intuition! Anyway, Natalie and Sharron both said everything was delicious and they couldn't believe I'd never cooked for them before. I absolutely adore those compliments!

Broccoli-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts

3 chicken breasts, butterflied, halved and pounded thin
1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 C breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

Steam broccoli florets for 4-5 minutes and set aside.

Preheat oven for 350. After your chicken has been pounded thinly using a mallet, season both sides with salt and pepper. Line the center of the now thinner chicken breasts with 4-5 broccoli florets and top with shredded cheddar. Now here's where things get tricky, gently roll the chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks.

Using a basting brush, coat with beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Line a baking sheet with foil and liberally coat with cooking spray. Evenly place chicken breasts on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake the chicken breasts for 20 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear.

This recipe yielded 6 perfectly portioned stuffed chicken breasts that Natalie and Sharron both enjoyed! Now before you get your panties in a bunch, I made myself broccoli-cheddar stuffed portabella mushroom caps.

Portabella Mushroom Caps

3 Portabella Mushroom Caps, cleaned and stems removed
1/2 C broccoli crowns
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 C breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season mushroom caps with salt and pepper. Using any broccoli that hasn't been stuffed into chicken breasts, layer on top of the mushroom caps and top with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs.

I baked the mushrooms at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

The mushrooms were tender, flavorful and utterly delicious.

My mashed potato recipe you can find right here

Everything looked utterly fantastic (if I do say so myself). Enjoy the recipes and stay tuned for Bang Bang Broccoli Tacos (I'm about to write the recipe so it won't be like the promised salmon).

CKAT Wrap

Happy Friday, readers! We've made it to Friday morning, yay us! Now just a short 7 and a half hours stand between us and a (hopefully) 3-day weekend! Isn't that glorious? Now before I continue I'd like to take a moment to remind everyone that while Memorial Day often symbolizes the beginning of summer, National BBQ Day, and summer trips the holiday is to remember our veterans who fell during battle. On Monday take a moment and say a silent "thank you" to those who gave their lives so we could have the precious gift of freedom - something that seems more and more valuable in the current political and international scheme of things.




Now, I know what you're thinking "what the hell is a CKAT?" I trust you know what a BLT is, yeah? I love bacon. I love the salt, I love the crunch and the crisp, I love the smoky flavor it adds to anything it's combined with but even before I decided to embark on this vegetarian journey I felt guilty eating it. Why? One day I'd like to have a pet pig; Nate and I have discussed it, I've already picked out a name and can imagine our two cats "raising" a little piglet. Why on earth am I telling you this story? Because it seems awfully cruel to eat an animal you'd like to one day have apart of your family.




Anyway, back to the CKAT. Well, I read on a few vegetarian blogs that you can marinate and roast carrots and they will take on the texture/flavor of bacon so last night I decided to give it a try. And what's the "K" you ask? Kale. It's kale.




CKAT Wraps




3 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (thicker carrots will make this much easier)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp tahini sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tsp liquid smoke
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 avocado, sliced (for serving)
1/2 C chopped kale (for serving)
1/2 tomato, sliced (for serving)
1 Tbsp light mayonnaise (for serving)
Spinach wrap (for serving)


Using a mandolin: this not  that. Thinly slice your carrots to about 1/8 of an inch.






In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, tahini sauce, maple syrup and black pepper until it forms a thick marinade. Now coat the carrot slices in the marinade and allow to sit for 30 minutes. 30 very long, agonizing minutes.


Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or a silicone mat if you have one and spray liberally with cooking spray. Place marinated carrots in a single layer and coat with more delicious marinade. Season with black pepper and roast for 30-35 minutes depending on how crisp you'd like your "bacon".


I was impatient, it was 8:30 and I was ravenous so I roasted mine about 25 and had barely achieved the crunchy texture I was hoping for. I will remind myself next time that my patience will be rewarded.


Now assemble your wrap! Spread mayonnaise on your wrap, add in a handful of kale, some sliced tomato, delicious fresh avocado and a few large "bacon" slices and there you have a delicious wrap that almost makes you forget about the bacon. The flavors were definitely there, just missing the crunch (that my impatient butt wouldn't allow to develop). The kale added a bitterness that offset the slight sweetness of the carrots and the avocado gave everything a fresh and delightful flavor. Ahhhh I have the majority of the "bacon" in the fridge so you can bet that I'll be partaking in more CKATs this upcoming week.


Check back for tonight's dinner: Honey-Lime Cilantro Salmon!

Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks

Happy Wednesday, readers! I hope your week is going well and if it's not, well, remember today's the halfway mark and Monday is a holiday that you (hopefully) have off. I've just been plugging along in my new solo life (no, Nate and I didn't get divorced or separated so don't worry). In regard to my posting hiatus, I've been cooking, just nothing I haven't already posted on the blog so I felt no need to post again.


I'm back to my vegetarian ways and I have to say, I can definitely tell a difference in how my body feels. I feel like I run better, I function better and I'm just all around...better. Last night I decided to make something that will always hold some nostalgia for me: Philly Cheesesteaks. Now my dad may (or may not) remember this, but the first Philly I ever ate was one he cooked. We lived in this little rental house in Albuquerque and we would play "cooking show". I was about 8 at the time and big into make-believe and Food Network. He would cook these exotic dinners, well, exotic to an 8-year-old anyway and narrate everything he was doing and I would mock-interview him. I think I was going for an Emeril approach, anyway, one of the dishes was Philly Cheesesteaks.


I remember the skillet on the stove sizzling away with some beautiful thinly sliced steak, topped with some pickled jalapenos or chopped green chile and blanketed with gooey, melty cheese before being scooped into a bun. Is your mouth watering yet? Well, I wanted to reinvent this delicious-ness with a vegetarian substitute, so I chose mushrooms. They're meaty, they're delicious and can stand up to big flavors, it was a no-brainer.


Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
24 oz baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce  sauce
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
Fresh cracked black pepper
4-6 hoagie rolls
Pickled jalapenos or chopped green chile (optional)
1 C shredded cheddar cheese


In a deep skillet over medium heat, sauté onion rings in the olive oil until translucent. This took about 5 minutes for me. Add in the sliced mushrooms to sauté in batches. Remember, don't crowd the mushrooms or they won't brown properly (thanks, Julia). By the time all 24 glorious ounces of mushrooms were sautéed, it was about 15 minutes later. You will be rewarded for your efforts!


Season the mushrooms with the pepper, Worcestershire, and soy sauces and do a taste check. Remember, you can always add more if necessary. The mushrooms should be tender and flavorful.


While your mushrooms are achieving greatness, toast your hoagie rolls in the oven so they will hold up to all the 'shroom goodness.


After your buns are toasted and your mushrooms are sautéed and seasoned, load up your hoagie! Top your mushrooms with pickled jalapenos or chopped green chiles if you wish (and obviously I do) and top with some cheddar cheese (or spray cheese if you're going for authenticity) and place under the broiler for 5 minutes.


I served my cheesesteaks with roasted potatoes leftover from a lunch at work and a salad, also leftover from a lunch at work. Everything was superb and left me feeling happy and full. Two of the best feelings. Enjoy!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders with Baked Fries and Kale Chips

Good morning readers, happy Tuesday! It's starting to feel like summer here in Raleigh; whew! Today it's a bright and sunny 85 degrees and tomorrow is supposed to jump up to 90! Pool day, anyone (cough, cough, Abbey, cough cough)? Well, as you can probably tell by the title of this post, I ate meat last night. Nate made the excellent observation that it seems very silly to just let perfectly edible meat go to waste and I have to say I agree. I will be ridin' solo in a few short days and it's definitely unfair for me to 1) make Nate eat 2 whole packs of chicken breasts and 2) waste food. If there's one thing I despise it's wasting food. I saw a ton of perfectly good food go to waste at my fast-food restaurant jobs, working at the sushi bar and even working here at the law firm and I don't want to contribute to that waste if I can help it. However, as soon as I'm feeding only myself, it's back to all veggies all the time!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Tenders


2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1in wide strips)
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste


Season your chicken with about 1 Tbsp salt.


In a separate bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, some more salt and a lot of fresh cracked black pepper. Pour about half of this marinade over your chicken and let sit for 5 minutes.


While your chicken is marinating, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once your skillet is hot, carefully place the first batch of chicken tenders (2 pounds was about 3 batches of 5 strips each) in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side. After flipping the chicken, baste with some of the remaining marinade. Repeat these steps until all chicken is cooked.

I made an awesome discovery a few weeks ago regarding my office location - literally right outside the building door there is a beautiful farmer's market every Wednesday! Last week Nate and I checked it out after going to lunch and we bought some delicious arugula (peppery, fresh and slightly nutty), homemade roasted peanuts, and a huge bunch of Dino Kale! I used some of the kale to make a salad with the remaining arugula, hot and spicy roasted peanuts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled jalapenos and some Greek dressing...mmmmmm.


Kale Chips


1 large bunch Dino kale
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.


Remove stems from leaves and cut kale into chip-sized pieces. Toss kale in a bowl with olive oil and seasonings.


Arrange kale in a single layer with no overlaps and roast for 5 minutes. The kale should be crispy and crunchy.


Baked Fries


2 Russett potatoes, washed and cut into "fry shape"
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch garlic powder
Pinch seasoning salt


Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.


My "fries" were cut pretty thin, roughly "Golden-Arches" width. Toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil and seasonings. Much like the kale chips, arrange in single layer with no overlaps. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes flip the fries and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. These fries aren't going to have the "crunch" that fried potatoes have but they're still mighty delicious!


This dinner was delicious and frankly wasn't very hard to put together. I put the kale chips in the oven while I was chopping the fries, put the fries in the oven while I was getting the chicken marinated, and by the time the potatoes were finished the chicken was also done. Perfect, timing, right?


Hope your week is fantastic, readers! Check back to see what other fun recipes I have in store (frankly I don't know what they are yet).

Kentucky Derby Party

Happy Monday, readers! I hope your weekend was as phenomenal as mine was! Friday night I grabbed some margs and chips and guac with my ladies and Saturday afternoon Nate and I threw a party to celebrate "the most exciting 2 minutes in sports". Unfortunately neither Nate nor myself bet on the winning horse but with all the delicious food in our vicinity, we were all winners.


We all sipped Mint Juleps, white wine and beers and munched on everything from fruit trays and sausage dip to Kentucky Hot Browns and chocolate pie -- to say we were stuffed is quite the understatement.


Some of my favorites from the night were a 7-Layer Dip my friend Christine brought (seriously girl, I could eat that dip for days), guacamole and tortilla chips, Mornay Sauce on literally anything, and Kentucky Tea Sandwiches.


Kentucky Tea Sandwiches


12 slices whole wheat bread
12 oz softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp dried dill
2 Tbsp fresh chive, finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste


In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and mayo until smooth and well blended. Stir in the cucumbers and seasonings. Spoon a heaping portion of the mixture onto 6 slices of the wheat bread. Top the filled breads with the remaining slices and smoosh. I don't know why but smooshing a sandwich together is so satisfying, don't you think? Using a serrated knife, cut off the crusts and cut in half diagonally for 12 delicious tea sandwiches.


I think the only thing that could've made this recipe better was a squeeze of lemon juice or 1 Tsp lemon zest to bring out the refreshing cucumber flavor. Try it and let me know how it goes!


Guacamole


3 ripe avocadoes, diced
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 C hot salsa
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch garlic salt
Pinch red chile powder
Salt and pepper, to taste


I can't believe I've never given out my guacamole recipe before! I've been on this blog for two and a half years and making this guacamole on almost a weekly basis and I've never told you how to make it? I apologize readers, I've definitely let you down...


In a large bowl, mash diced avocado until smooth. I prefer a little texture in my guacamole so I leave a few chunks. Mix in tomato, salsa, lime juice and seasonings. Enjoy your new favorite guacamole recipe with chips, tacos, a spoon, your hand, you get the picture.


What's the Kentucky Derby without dressing dapper and sipping Juleps?

Mint Julep


1 C crushed ice
2 oz bourbon
1 oz mint simple syrup
Fresh mint, for garnish


Fill a glass (or blue plastic cup if your affair is as classy as ours was) with 1 C ice, 2 oz bourbon and 1 oz mint simple syrup. Stir together and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.


The Juleps are smooth and surprisingly refreshing.


Have a wonderful rest of your Monday! 

Green Chile Mac

When I say "comfort food" what comes to mind? Grilled cheese? Soup? Meatloaf? For me nothing says "comfort food" more than a big ole' bowl of macaroni and cheese. And since you can take the girl out of New Mexico but not the New Mexico out of the girl, adding green chile to literally anything automatically makes it comforting.


I typically don't stray away from my tried and true macaroni and cheese recipe, but I will say this recipe was truly fantastic and best part about it? IT IS ALL IN ONE POT! That's right, all in one pot and only took about 15 minutes to make a deliciously filling meal that frankly I'm drooling over as I type. Don't mind me.


Green Chile Mac

1 pound pasta (I used Pipe Rigate, it just looks fun)
2 C skim milk
1/3 C vegetable broth
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp butter
1 slice pepper jack cheese
8 oz block of extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans (or 1/2 C) chopped Hatch green chiles
Salt and pepper, to taste


In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, boil pasta in milk, broth, buttermilk and heavy whipping cream until pasta is just over al dente. This took about 8 minutes.


Turn the heat down to medium and carefully stir in the butter and cheeses until gooey and melty. Now stir in your chiles. If I had fresh Hatch green chiles at my disposal I would've definitely preferred to use a heaping 1/2 cup (or more) in place of the pathetic canned variety but beggars can't be choosers, right? Season with salt and pepper and there you have it! An absolutely delicious meal! Nate even had some for breakfast this morning. Happy Friday/Cinco de Mayo/Revenge of the Fifth, readers! Tune in tomorrow for some delicious Derby Day recipes!

Baja Burrito

One of my absolute favorite things is discovering new, delicious, and local restaurants! After living in Raleigh for a little under 2 years I've been privileged enough to eat at phenomenal Southeastern chains, Raleigh staples and found my own local haunts. During my daily commute to work, I pass by Baja Burrito and yesterday I finally stopped in and I am so thrilled that I did!


According to their website, Baja Burrito is a locally owned establishment that has been serving up California-style grub since 1995. They are located at 2109-108 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606.


Décor: On the outside, Baja Burrito looks just like any other quick-serve restaurant in a strip mall with a few plastic tables and chairs on the patio but the inside is brightly colored with their featured "Art Wall" showcasing local artists. It's a pop of Southern California right here in Raleigh, North Carolina.


Food appearance: Burritos are wrapped in foil sheets and served in plastic boats, quesadillas are served on paper plates, drinks are in paper cups and self-serve, cutlery is plastic.


Food taste: One of the features of this restaurant that drew me was the "healthier" options. The restaurant offers whole wheat tortillas and brown rice in addition to white rice and flour tortillas as well as vegetarian and in some cases vegan burrito and quesadilla options. Plus every order is accompanied with a side of freshly made tortilla chips! Their meats selection is varied as well, not just grilled chicken and ground beef here. I ordered a Mixed Vegetable Burrito with brown rice and whole wheat tortilla "deluxe style", meaning with guacamole and sour cream. The vegetables were not your garden variety (pardon the pun) sautéed peppers and onions but instead a seasoned mix of zucchini, squash, peppers and onions. The burrito itself was stuffed to the brim, which did not stop me at all from devouring the entire thing. Nate ordered a Shredded Beef Quesadilla which he said was flavorful and filling with the perfect crisp exterior.


Service: Employees were friendly, helpful and efficient. While we were waiting in line to order, an employee came out to expedite our ordering process so we wouldn't have to wait as long to get to the cashier. Food is self-pick up and the restaurant is self-buss.


Cleanliness: The restaurant was virtually spotless including the bathrooms.


I would definitely recommend a trip to Baja Burrito to anyone who loves overstuffed burritos for a reasonable price. Considering I visited Baja Burrito on my lunch break I did not partake in their selection of $2 Mexican cervezas but definitely plan to in the (hopefully) near future. My only knock would be they charge extra for salsa and jalapenos. To spice up my burrito and flavor my tortilla chips, I used their free hot sauce.

Sundried Tomato-Mozzarella Stromboli

Happy Tuesday, readers! One day down, four to go! Lots of fun events to look forward to this week: May the Fourth Be With You on Thursday (where my fellow Star Wars fans at?!), Cinco de Mayo on Friday, and Kentucky Derby on Saturday! All the fun things! As promised, below find the recipe for Sundried Tomato-Mozzarella Stromboli. I know I previously indicated that I was making a calzone but my 2 months' worth of working-in-a-pizzeria knowledge reminded me that calzones contain ricotta cheese and strombolis do not. There was no ricotta in my dinner last night.


Before I unceremoniously fell asleep on my couch whilst watching Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return, I munched on a deliciously good Stromboli.


Sundried Tomato-Mozzerella Stromboli

1 pound pizza dough (recipe here)
1/2 C marinara sauce (I used Aldi brand's tomato basil variety)
8 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
8-10 sundried tomatoes, drained (or more depending on how many sundried tomatoes you like)
2 Tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
Italian seasoning, to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Portion pizza dough into two roughly 1/2 lb portions, roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and stretch into 6 inch rounds. Spoon roughly 1/4 C of marinara sauce in the middle of the dough rounds. Top marinara sauce with sundried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and capers. Repeat this step for the remaining dough round(s).


Once your Stromboli is adequately filled, fold the dough to the middle and pinch together tightly to ensure your Stromboli doesn't break apart in the oven. Brush 1 Tbsp olive oil per Stromboli and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.


Bake your Stromboli for 15 minutes or until golden brown.


My portions gave me 2 large strombolis, which could've easily been cut in half and fed 2 additional people considering Nate and I both had leftovers.


The dough was chewy and perfectly baked, the mozzarella gooey and melty, the sundried tomatoes juicy and delicious and the capers adding the perfect bright briny bite to bring the flavor home. Goodness, my stomach is aching just thinking about it!


Stay tuned for some more delicious recipes! Hang in there, readers!

Corn Cakes with Taco Toppings

Second post of the morning, readers! Hopefully you just hopped on over from reading my Buttermilk Brownies with Chocolate Ganache blog and now you wanted to know what I had for dinner last night, I'm right, aren't I? Is the anticipation just killing you? Thought so, well last night for dinner I made Corn Cakes with Taco Toppings. Help me think of a better title, won't you?


I discovered the recipe that inspired this dish on Betty Crocker's website, which also has a plethora of wonderful vegetarian and non recipes. I say "inspired" because I put my own little twist on this recipe and hopefully you enjoy it!


Corn Cakes with Taco Toppings

1 C pancake mix
1/2 C cornmeal
3/4 C buttermilk
2 egg whites
1 C salsa verde
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 portabella mushroom cap, chopped
1/2 white onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained
1 small can chopped olives, drained
1/2 C frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)
Hot salsa, for serving (optional)
Guacamole (optional)


In a large, deep skillet, sauté onion and portabella mushroom in olive oil until translucent and soft. Add in drained black beans, corn, drained olives, salsa verde and jalapenos. Simmer mixture until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.


In a large mixing bowl, prepare the corn cake mix. Combine pancake mix, cornmeal, buttermilk and egg whites until mixture resembles a very thick pancake mix.


Spray a skillet or griddle with cooking spray and cook 1/4 C portions of the cake mix until fluffy and golden brown. The cakes will puff up and spread out so make sure you leave plenty of space between each scoop.


Spoon a heaping portion of the bean mixture onto the cake and top with cheese, salsa, guacamole and any other taco-style topping you wish! The cakes are dense enough to stand up to the hearty toppings and still retain a light and fluffy texture.


Originally I was going to make this recipe on Friday night but Nate made an unfortunate discovery: the original recipe (here) calls for refried beans. I adore refried black beans. I love to eat them with a few slices of pickled jalapenos! Give me a bowl of refried black beans and I'm happy as a clam! Do you know what refried black beans also contain? Lard. Do you know what lard contains? Animal products. I was crushed. I may or may not have thrown a toddler-like temper tantrum because I couldn't eat my beloved beans.


Nate is less-than impressed that since I'm the main cook our meals are now exclusively vegetarian but I'm trying my best to make delicious meals that we'll both enjoy. We'll see how long this keeps up.


Stay tuned for my recipe for Sundried Tomato-Mozzarella Calzones!

Buttermilk Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

Happy Monday, readers! I hope you had a relaxing and always-too-short weekend! Today is May 1, do you know what that means?

Last week was my company's staff appreciation week so as a "thank you" to the gentleman of the Service Center that assisted me with all the events last week, I decided to make brownies for them. I've never made brownies without a mix before so I will say this was a little bit of a challenge for me. After some Googling, I found a recipe for Buttermilk Brownies with Chocolate Genache which was honestly amazing. It was also dual serving because I have a half-gallon of buttermilk chillin' in my fridge and have nothing to use it for.


Buttermilk Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

For brownies:
1/2 C unsalted butter
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 C buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C flour
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1 C milk chocolate chips


Chocolate Ganache


1/2 C unsalted butter
1/2 C buttermilk
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
4 C powdered sugar
3/4 C milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 400 and spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with baking spray.


In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine butter, coca powder and oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.


In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add in the butter mixture and combine until smooth. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.


To make the ganache, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, buttermilk and cocoa powder. Heat until mixture boils. Remove from heat and mix with powdered sugar until smooth. Pour onto the brownies and top with chocolate chips. Place the brownies in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.


I hate to toot my own horn but...beep beep! These brownies were fudgy, oh-so chocolately and just downright delicious! Thank you Google!