Take A Bite

Spring has sprung in Oklahoma. Besides today being the first day of spring, the temperatures are equally cooperating. We had a few chilly days last week followed by amazing warm temperatures. Trees are turning green and flowers are blooming.

In a sense of winter ending, a few other things ended for me last week. Well in terms of TV shows...I finished the 4th season of Scandal on Netflix and The Bachelor also came to a close. With a new season comes new things too! I've started Big Little Lies, anyone else? Spring cleaning has also been in order. I cleared out my winter sweaters, and brought in all my spring tops and dresses. My closet has a lot more color now. Nothing feels better than the arrival of spring after a long dead winter.

-Last week I read about all the benefits of rose for your body. Went to All About Cha and my eyes went straight to their rose tea.
-So I ate spaghetti squash for a solid three weeks straight. It's so satisfying, I just couldn't stop. Been adding nutritional yeast to give it that cheesy taste. So basically I'm faking spaghetti and cheese with squash and yeast...
-Perfect Bars, have your tried them? They are in the refrigerated section at your grocery store. The Blueberry Cashew is my favorite! And the new Turmeric Tantric GTS Kombucha is incredible. And the red buds blooming in OKC are equally incredible.
-Tip: Load all of your smoothie ingredients (minus the liquids) into your blender the night before, then the next morning you shaved a solid 2 minutes off your smoothie routine.
-Hooked on my Matcha Mint Smoothie last week.
-The hot bar at Provision Kitchen in Nichols Hills should be your healthy lunch go-to. P.S. Whitney, the owner, told me they are about to expand the hot bar to be bigger and better coming in the next month.
-Coffee Glazed Cashews (new) at Trader Joe's. Run don't walk to buy them.
-When it's the end of the week and your fridge is almost empty, turn your mis-matched food into an omelette!
-Felt like a frenchie with this quiche and arugula lunch. Pro tip, this is the spinach, mushroom frozen quiche from Trader Joe's. And it's delicious.
-St. Patrick's day got all it's deserved celebrations this weekend!
-So I started Whole 30 again...and my Crock-Pot Carnitas are about to rock dinner this week. Served in a lettuce wrap with pickled red onions and avocado!
-When your hanger color coordinates with your sweater. My inner OCDness loved this.

Annie

I know it's Tuesday, but we are talking Friday night dinners today. For all you Gilmore Girls watchers, you know how important "Friday Night Dinners" were. I got home last Friday and I was ready to hit the kitchen. My sister and I took over and made dinner for my mom and dad. We planned the meal and made sure we had all the ingredients. It ended up being a lot simpler than I thought it would be and came together really quick.

We decided on poached salmon with feta and pesto (original recipe here), honey and parmesan roasted brussels sprouts (original recipe here), pear and candied walnut salad and ginger cookies for a late night dessert!

I'm big on meals. I love reading blogs and getting new recipes, but I'm always left with well what am I supposed to serve with this cheesy caprese quinoa bake?? Help me out food bloggers and give me tips for side dishes.

I'm here to help out all you meal planners. I don't have the recipe for the salad because it is tucked away somewhere in the mass amount of recipes my mom keeps, but I can give you the salmon and brussels sprouts recipe!

Poached Salmon with Pesto and Feta
serves 4 people

Ingredients:
1 lb salmon filet
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh basil pesto
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Bring the chicken stock and wine to a gentle boil in a large dutch oven (any two inch deep pan with a tight fitting lid). Add the salmon filet and lay the garlic slices evenly over the top to coat the fish. Cover with the pan’s lid and let the fish simmer in the hot stock for about 10-15 minutes, or you’ll know it’s done when it flakes as you press the flesh with a fork (I cooked the whole pound of salmon at once so it took a little longer. Remove the fish from the pan immediately, discard garlic, and spread evenly with pesto while the fish is still hot. Sprinkle with feta and serve!

Honey and Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves about 4

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh brussels sprouts
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
pinch of pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 cup honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place brussels sprouts on prepared pan and spray with cooking spray (this helps seasonings to stick). Season with salt, pepper, and garlic and onion powder. Divide parmesan cheese evenly over brussels sprouts.

Roast brussels sprouts for 12-15 minutes, or until parmesan cheese becomes lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle honey evenly over brussels sprouts and enjoy!

The whole meal came together in about 25 minutes! It is simple to make, but very impressive! Since I don't have the pear salad recipe any side salad would be just as great!

The recipe for my ginger cookies we had for dessert will be coming soon!

Annie