Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Italian Orange Salad

Reagan and I used to have this tradition where we ate pizza every Sunday night. Be it frozen, homemade, carryout - we ate pizza. After I had to go gluten free, I spent my Sunday nights pretending to like the flatbread(ish) pizza that I had to eat while Reagan ate something delicious.

The other day I remembered this Italian Orange Salad recipe and decided to "surprise" (ha!) Reagan with it on a Sunday night. (My reasoning is that it has pepperonis. That's pretty solid, right?)

Italian Orange Salad
serves 4

For salad:
1 small head of lettuce (or a bagged lettuce of your choice)
1/2 head curly lettuce
1 large can mandarin oranges
1/2 red onion, sliced
Pepperonis
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1/3 cup walnut halves
1/4 tsp. salt

For dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seeds

To make walnut croutons, melt 1 1/2 tsp. butter in skillet.  Add 1/4 tsp. salt. Add 1/3 cup walnut halves and brown over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well.  Assemble the salad and enjoy!

After this dinner, Reagan suggested we change our tradition to salads on Sunday night. I think that was the I'm-taking-three-finals-in-three-days-and-I'm-delirious-from-studying voice talking!

P.S. If you are ever in the mood for whipping up a homemade pizza, I highly recommend this recipe. Or, if you are really brave and want to try a creative salad, give this Southwestern Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Salad recipe a try! Pin It

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Green Chile Stew

Hello there! It has been forever since I last blogged! My lack of time is due to many projects at work, a busy law student husband, and the holidays being right around the corner (ahhhhh!!)

It's officially December, and it's still 75 degrees outside. However, as previously stated, that doesn't stop me from making cold weather foods. Enter - green chile stew. I grew up in New Mexico where green chile is put on everything. Cheeseburgers. Casseroles. Soup. You name it. I went to college and realized that is not the case in central Texas. "What do you mean you don't have a green chile cheeseburger??"

Moving on.

This recipe came from none other than my mom (don't most good recipes start that way?), and it's a favorite in our house.

Green Chile Stew
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. sirloin steak, cubed
2 onions, chopped
1 cup red wine
8 cups water
2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1/2 cup green chile (or more if you prefer)
1 can beef stock
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander
2 cups salsa

Saute steak and onions in oil for 5 minutes.  Add wine and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, green chile, beef stock, cumin, coriander, and salsa. Simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and tortillas.

Also, the countdown to Christmas is on! Does anybody else feel like the fall flew by? Reagan informed me this afternoon it was incredibly slooooow for him. That's the life of a law student, I suppose.

P.S. Can I get a sic 'em for the awesome way Baylor ended the season?? Pin It

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Snack Problems

The other day at work someone told me, "I feel like we're a lot alike in that we both eat all day. Every time I walk by your office, you're eating!" Thanks?

We both  had a good laugh, but really it's true.  This is where meal planning for Reagan and I is a challenge. He eats three big meals a day and nothing else; I graze all day and don't like "big meals." Such is life. 

I've been researching gluten free and lactose free snack ideas because I'm almost burned out on almonds. Blah. I've found a couple of recipes like baked apples and s'mores pudding, but my first endeavor was the 5 Minute No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. Let me tell you - these were SO easy to make and could easily be customized to your liking.

5 Minue No Bake Peanut Butter Bars (adapted from fANNEtastic food)
makes 12 bars

Dry ingredients:
1 & 3/4 cups oatmeal
1 cup crisp puffed brown rice cereal
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup coconut

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. In a smaller, microwave safe bowl, combine the wet ingredients.  Microwave for 20-30 seconds. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir until everything is combined. Pour mixture into a shallow pan and press down. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before cutting.




I cut ours and wrapped them individually in plastic wrap so we can grab and go. Also, Reagan said, "Even though they look like bird food, they actually taste delicious." Pin It