Tag Archives: vegetables

Easy Swai Fish Salad

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20170220_172121As I was doing my weekly grocery shopping last week, I began to realize that I eat a whole lot of meat! Not much of beef, but mostly chicken and pork. I have not eaten salmon in a long time, and the last time I can remember having a nice home-cooked seafood meal was during Christmas.

I picked up a package of chicken drumsticks, but after this realization, I walked to the seafood section and decided to pick up frozen Swai Fish fillets. They looked easy to bake and were even on sale! When I got home, I quickly went to work preparing the fillets, and dinner was ready in under 15 minutes. Continue reading →

Spinach and Basil Pesto

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Spinach & Basil Pesto w/ Bow Tie Pasta

If you ever find yourself in the mood for a quick, easy, and healthy lunch, Spinach & Basil Pesto just might be the meal for you. After visiting our sister for the holidays, and indulging in her amazing pesto pasta, we set out to make our own creation, which we have cooked many times since then. After learning that the integral ingredient of pesto was pine nuts, we set out on a neighborhood journey to find these nuts. We went to every grocery store and food-mart within walking distance. We first checked out our local organic and natural food store, but was disappointed with the price of the pine nuts (roughly 4 ounces for more than $14- it felt like a ripe off!). Continue reading →

Every Day Vegetable Stir Fry

Posted in Health & Fitness, Lunch/Dinner by
Keepin' it low carb

Keepin’ it low carb

Despite all of the fried, sweet, or cheesy recipes on this blog, we tend to eat healthy most of the time. How? Our 5-Day Grub Plan really helps to alleviate the guesswork involved in figuring out what to eat every day. But in addition to that, we have some tried and true, go-to foods that we almost-always incorporate into our daily diet. For example, I eat an apple every singe day. It’s like brushing my teeth first thing in the morning.

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Pork Spring Rolls

Posted in Appetizers by
Fried Spring Rolls

Fried Spring Rolls

Every time my family goes to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn, we always order spring rolls. It’s become a tradition-the fried spring rolls filled with pork that comes on a bed of lettuce and dipping sauce on the side. I never knew the name of the sauce, but it tastes like a lighter version of duck sauce. It’s sweet and almost clear. When the waiter brings the dish to the table, immediately all conversation stops and hands begin to move towards the hot plate. It’s a perfect amount for sharing-8 rolls for our four person family, 2 per person. We each take one and grab a lettuce leaf, wrap it quickly around the crispy roll and then dip the product into the sweet sauce. It’s a great combination. Continue reading →

Primavera Pasta Salad

Posted in Appetizers, Lunch/Dinner by

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Have you ever had to decide on what to bring to a potluck? We were in this situation a few weeks ago. Even though we’re both avid cooks, we still went through what I’ll call a ‘Potluck Decision-Making Checklist‘: easy to make (because we were short on time), easy to carry (the NYC Subway system is not conducive for carrying delicate dishes, especially when dodging aggressive straphangers), easy to serve, does not have to be heated, won’t break the bank, and still tastes good?

In that decision-making moment, we had a ‘ah-ha’ moment: A Primavera Pasta Salad! How could you go wrong with pasta, flavorful pepperoni, fresh cheese, juicy tomatoes, and crisp veggies, all tossed in a herb infused oil based dressing? And it could not be easier to make, did not take long to prepare, could be carried through a crowded, rough, or jerky 45 minute subway ride, tastes best at room temperature, is wallet-friendly, and tastes delicious. We had a winner!

So, for your next potluck, don’t despair. We have a go-to recipe for you.

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Garlic & Herb Chicken and Broccoli with Gnocchi

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Aaaah, Sunday afternoons. Perfect for reading, napping, brunching with friends and family, and, of course, creating new recipes!

On this particular Sunday summery afternoon, I had chicken breast and broccoli on hand, as well as a package of gnocchi I picked up the day before while grocery shopping at my favorite supermarket, Aldi’s. Side note: if you’ve never been to Aldi’s, you need to find the closest one and make a trip over there! They have rock-bottom prices for excellent quality.

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