Un-Recipe Files - Mango with Lime and Chile Salt

Perfect Pairing: Vegetable Peeler

So there have been a few changes recently in the Lam fam!  At the end of July we moved into our new home in Bettendorf, Iowa.   We were in transition for a few months until we closed on our new home.  We absolutely loved living with my parents at the lake (AKA: my favorite place on earth).  It was great to have time to relax after moving from Chicago and before moving into a new home.  Friends, moving is stressful!  Fortunately we had an army of helpers that actually made moving fun!

Chris and I are loving our new home and neighborhood.  I miss Chicago restaurants and our friends there, but that is about it!  Moving into a new state/home may not be the biggest news for us…. We are expecting a little one in January!

We are both over the moon excited to grow our family and become parents.  Fortunately I have felt great and have really enjoyed pregnancy.  Now that we are moved in and the final box has been emptied we can focus on all things baby!  I am truly pinching myself over all our blessings.  God is good!

One of the most common questions I get is if I am having any odd food cravings or aversions.  While I haven’t been dipping pickles in Nutella there are some foods that speak to me.  In fact, they call out to me.  I am loving cereal, fruit, anything pickled and carbs in general.  The only aversion so far has been certain vegetables.  I will love them one day and detest them the next day.  The pregnant body/mind is a fascinating thing. 

In addition to green grapes and blueberries I have been eating a lot of mangos.  Fortunately they have been on sale at our local grocery store so I can feel good about adding them to the cart every trip.  My mango obsession actually started before I was pregnant.  During our vacation to Cabo this year I discovered the Mango Man.  I kept seeing people eating mangos on a stick or in a bowl with something red sprinkled on top.  My curiosity got the best of me one day when he was on the beach in front of our hotel and I ponied up the cash to try one.  

Holy smokes.  Game changer.  Mango Man would peel the mango with lightning speed, chop it with a machete, squeeze fresh lime juice on top and sprinkle with chile lime salt.  The whole thing happened in about 15 seconds.  I quite literally chased him down the beach the rest of the trip. 

I started doing my own version of this once I was back home.  Sometimes I use a chile lime salt (like this) and sometimes I use my wedding Sriracha Salt.  You can also just use a sprinkle of good kosher.  The combination of the sweet ripe mango, tangy lime and spicy salt is perfection.  The perfect pairing, my friends!  I had always scored and peeled the skin off mango in sections but after seeing Mango Man’s methods I started using my trusty veggie peeler and was amazed with the results.

Eat and enjoy!!

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Spaghetti Squash Frittata

Perfect Pairing:  Leftover spaghetti squash

One food trend I am totally on board with is spaghetti squash.  My first post of 2015 was this Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole recipe.  I froze half of the recipe and was thrilled to have it on hand when I was in the midst of wedding planning and needed a healthy and filling meal. 

Next time you have leftover spaghetti squash try this frittata recipes.  Actually, just cook up some spaghetti squash so you can make this!  It was such a great breakfast, served up beautifully, and was delicious reheated. 

There are a few different ways of cooking a spaghetti squash.  I definitely prefer roasting them and will usually do two at once to make sure I have plenty on hand.  To roast it, poke the spaghetti squash with a fork 10 times.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes (this softens the squash and makes it easier to cut in half).  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees, or until completely tender, then you can shred it with a fork.  You can also cook it in the microwave.  I use this method if I just don’t have the time for roasting. 

Cooked spaghetti squash acts as the crust of the frittata.  Try to remove any excess moisture in the squash, this is especially important if you cooked it in the microwave.  You can either squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel, pat with paper towels, or press into the bottom of a strainer.

The filling is a mixture of sautéed vegetables, eggs, egg whites, chicken sausage, and cheese.  This recipe is totally customizable so if you don’t like mushrooms, leave them out.  If you have kale on hand, throw it in.  Would rather use swiss cheese than shredded cheddar?  Brilliant.  Do it.  I think I used a roasted red pepper chicken sausage, like this.   

I have an exorbitant amount of spices in my kitchen, and I love all of them.  I used some crazy combination of Italian/Za’atar/Berbere/Jamaican Jerk in this (not really, but also not far off) but you could use whatever you have on hand, whether it is Mrs. Dash or Cajun.  Just be sure to check if it has salt so you can adjust that accordingly.

One other thing to note…. Yes, this does have cottage cheese in it.  No, you cannot tell there is cottage cheese in it.  It just adds a little creaminess and bulk, but won’t freak out cottage cheese haters.  They’re out there.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Chocolate and Banana Overnight French Toast

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Raisin Bran Muffins

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Garlic and Herb Cheese Crostini with Summer Tomato Sauce

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Creole Jicama Hash with a Sunny Side Up Egg

Perfect Pairing:  Box shredder

I am so excited about this dish!  It will come as no surprise that since I have a big day (MY WEDDING!!!!!) coming up soon I am doing my best to eat healthy, workout, and tone up.  I am always searching for healthy recipes that are still delicious.  I have a fiancé to feed!

I love jicama but had only eaten it as a raw crudite, how it is served here.  In this breakfast (or any other meal) the jicama is shredded and cooked like a hash with onion and creole seasoning.  A simple box shredder is the perfect tool here.  No need to drag out the food processor. Just watch your fingers.

Jicama has a slightly sweet flavor which is great in this, especially if you balance it with a hefty pinch of salt.  

Top it all off with a sprinkle of green onions, sriracha, and an egg.  I like (love) a runny egg, but cook according to your preference.  

It is such a satisfying meal.  If you are familiar with the diet that uses “points” this is only 3 points!!!  You can’t beat that.  It is also paleo friendly for my paleo friends out there!  

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Southwestern Chicken Slow Cooker Soup

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Healthified Cookie Pie

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Pumpkin Cranberry Petite Scones with Orange Glaze

Perfect Pairing: Tea and coffee

My love of scones came from having high tea with my mom on girls trips to Chicago.  We would wind down from our shopping/sightseeing weekends with a truly luxurious and relaxing high tea at a fancy hotel.  I was thrilled to have my very own teapot and delicate china.  Everything felt so feminine and grown up.  Tea always included dainty sandwiches, like these cucumber sandwiches, pastries, and of course, scones with clotted cream and jam. 

I have tried a few different scone recipes through the years.  These Pumpkin Cranberry Petite Scones with Orange Glaze are one of my favorites.  

The pumpkin is not overpowering and the cranberries add a little tang.  I also used a small amount of cinnamon chips.  If you cannot find cinnamon chips it would be ok without them.  The sweet orange glaze is the proverbial icing on the cake.  Don’t skip that!

Often scones are quite large so I took a cue from Starbucks and made these “petite”.  

One is perfect as an afternoon snack with tea and two are perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee.   

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Grandma Rosie's Applesauce

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Caramelized Onion Dip

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Un-Recipe Files – Avocado and Strawberry Toast with Feta and Honey

This spring I was lucky enough to go on a girl’s trip to Nashville to celebrate two very special birthdays with 11 other lovely ladies.  We. Had. A. Blast.   I had no idea Nashville was such a fun city!  Of course, this particular group of girls made Nashville extra fun that weekend.  We knew we were off to a good start when we walked into our hotel room and saw the incredible balcony.  It got a lot of use that weekend.

 

If there was a theme to the weekend it was probably something like, look ridiculous and be proud of it.  What started off as a denim only event quickly morphed into creating ridiculous outfits in general.

 

This one had a practical purpose as well.

 

 

You didn’t want to get caught walking alone in case someone thought that is actually how you dressed.  We were much better as an entire unit.

 

Nashville was hopping that weekend because of the Rock n’ Roll marathon and incredible weather.  The bars were all pretty much at capacity!

 

The weekend was in no way gourmet.  There was a lot of junk food consumed.  A lot.  Even though it was 99% bad, there was one meal that shined for me.  The first morning I walked to a nearby coffee shop with some girls to pick up breakfast and iced coffee.  The coffee shop specialized in healthy, local, organic ingredients.  I ordered avocado toast since that is one of my favorite things. They suggested adding strawberries, feta, and honey.  Why not?

 

Oh my goodness, I could not believe how delicious this combination was!  I was immediately obsessed.  It wasn’t long before I tried it at home.

 

There is no real recipe here.  Just mash up a ripe avocado with a pinch of salt, spread on some good quality toast, top with sliced strawberries, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of feta.  Perfect for breakfast, a light lunch, or a snack.  It is crazy good.  Thank you Nashville for giving me this great idea and a ridiculously (emphasis on ridiculous) fun weekend.

 

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Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Perfect Pairing:  Food processor

 

About five or six years ago (it could have been more) my mom called me one morning to ask if I was watching GMA.  They were doing a segment on a new fitness craze called Zumba.  It was a high energy cardio class that was mainly composed of Latin music and Latin dancing.  I was immediately intrigued.  I started in dance class when I was 3 years old, and continued to dance through high school on the dance team.  I was also a huge fan of Latin music and Latin dancing, so Zumba seemed like a great fit for me.  I did some research and found a Zumba class in Chicago and tried it out one Saturday morning. I was completely hooked.  It was such a great workout (you can burn up to 700 calories in a class) and it was truly fun. 

Through the years I visited many many many Zumba classes in Chicago.  When I say many, I mean in the 100s.  I kept trying new instructors until I found one that was a good fit, which meant I liked their music, energy, and style.  Even though there were free Zumba classes offered at my gym I was still paying a hefty amount to take classes from my favorite instructors.  Somewhere along the way I started thinking maybe I could be an instructor. 

Last November I became official.  I was a certified Zumba instructor!  I spent the next few months coming up with routines and practicing.  I practiced a lot in my living room, which was definitely not as fun as a class environment!  I finally worked up the nerve to apply at a gym in March. Within one week I had an audition, and later that day I was offered a teaching job teaching two classes a week!  I was going to start the following week!  I was pumped!  And terrified!

It was so surreal to walk into the class as the instructor and not the student.  After that first class I knew I had made the right decision, and all the hard work was totally worth it.  I loved it.  If you’re interested you can find out more about my classes at http://lindsayrodgers.zumba.com/. 

 

After my mom took one of my classes in Chicago (see above) her wheels started spinning on how to have me teach where she lives.  So she organized a class for some of our family friends on her dock.  One morning a few weeks ago we had 9 lovely ladies down on the dock at 8 AM for a Zumba class!  It was a blast.  It was definitely the best view I have ever had during a class!  I think there were a few boaters passing by that had a hard time not staring at this strange occurrence. 

 

I am pretty sure everyone had a great time, and I have received requests for another dock Zumba class later this summer.  To thank everyone for coming, and to reward them for the great workout, I made this Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake. 

 

I followed this recipe.  The only changes I made were to use the food processor to make the crumb topping and the cake.  It was so much easier than cutting in the butter manually.  I would suggest using up the last of the season’s rhubarb with this recipe.  It was amazing.  Seriously. 

As long as we’re talking about rhubarb, you could also make this super simple, super yummy, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  Why not have the perfect combination strawberry and rhubarb for breakfast (coffee cake) and dessert (crisp)!?

 

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Shrimp and Arugula Pesto Grilled Pizza

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Corn and Avocado Salsa

 

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Chocolate and Banana Overnight French Toast

Perfect Pairing:  Overnight softened butter

I must have a thing for overnight breakfast items.  Let me demonstrate.

Overnight Muesli (fun fact, I don’t think I have EVER spelled muesli correctly on the first attempt)

Overnight French Toast

Overnight Cornbread Strata

Overnight All Purpose Breakfast Casserole

I love being able to get the prep work done the night before, and breakfast is ready for the oven the next morning.  Often, I will prepare breakfast while I am making dinner and enlist family and friends to do the cleanup.  It is a good system.

I needed to add one more overnight recipe to the breakfast lineup, Chocolate and Banana French Toast.  It is as good as it sounds.

It is made of layers of cinnamon raisin bread, bananas, chocolate chips, and is topped with an oatmeal streusel (also never get the spelling of that right on the first try).  How can you go wrong with those ingredients? 

You could easily swap out the cinnamon raisin bread for just cinnamon if you don’t like raisins in your breakfast.  I know that is pretty common.  I personally really liked it with the raisins.  You can top with syrup, but it hardly needs it.  Gilding the lily?

The oatmeal streusel is made with oatmeal, brown sugar, and softened butter.  It is really important for the butter to be soft when you mix this up.  I would suggest putting the butter on the counter the night before when you are prepping.  It will be the perfect consistency in the morning.  There have been many times I have tried to speed up the process by using the microwave, but I inevitably forget and end up with half melted, half softened butter.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Raisin Bran Muffins

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

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