FoodFash

FoodFash is a food and travel blog based in Austin, TX.

Organic Veggie Potstickers

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Thank you Bibigo for sponsoring this post. Visit your local market to enjoy the flavors of Bibigo any day of the week!

{Click on the tags in the image above to shop directly!}

Oh how I love veggie potstickers! I could eat more than a dozen of these savory pockets of deliciousness in one sitting. Bibigo organic veggie potstickers are one of my ultimate comfort foods. And they’re a comfort food that I don’t feel guilty keeping in the freezer to have on hand after a busy or stressful day. Why? Because they are jam packed with a ton of veggies like organic cabbage, organic shiitake mushrooms, and organic carrots. Yum!

Bibigo’s frozen potstickers are quick and easy to prepare. If you’re especially hangry after a long day at work, you can have a boiled potsticker meal in less than five minutes {including bringing water to a boil!}. And if you have an ounce of patience left to spare, pan frying potstickers takes less than 10 minutes.

To distract yourself while you’re waiting, I highly recommend preparing the dipping sauce recipe that’s conveniently written on the back of the Bibigo bag. This dipping sauce is still delicious even if you only have soy sauce and vinegar on hand. I prefer making ours without the optional sugar. And sometimes I use chile oil in lieu of sesame oil for a little extra kick!

If you want to take your potstickers up a notch when serving to friends or family, top pan fried potstickers with a generous amount of sliced green onions. Green onions make every dish look a little more special and they’re so darn delicious. Pan fried potstickers topped with green onions are also the perfect hors d’oeuvre to make when you’re having friends over for dinner or just to hang out.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Loaded Nachos with Avocado Cream

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This avocado cream loaded nacho post is sponsored by FAGE Total Greek yogurt. All opinions included within this post are my own and based on my own experience.

Ever since Greek yogurt made an appearance on grocery store shelves, I’ve been a fan. Seriously, who can turn down thick, creamy, low-sugar yogurt? And it wasn’t much long after discovering Greek yogurt that I began using it as a substitution everywhere and anywhere. FAGE Total Greek yogurt was and is my go-to brand. The texture and flavor of FAGE is top notch and, beyond that, you can’t beat the simple, non-GMO ingredient list.

One of the easiest substitutions to make is replacing traditional sour cream withFAGE Total Greek yogurt. I’ve always used FAGE Total 2%, but love that FAGE Total comes in 5% {I’m all about good fat!}. It’s such a simple switch and, I find that, Greek yogurt has many more uses than sour cream so it’s always in my fridge. Nachos tonight, breakfast parfait tomorrow morning!

After years of sour cream swapping, I decided to get even more creative with Greek yogurt for savory dishes. Remember how I love good fat? Well I decided to add even more good fat to FAGE Total 2% by mixing it with avocados to create avocado cream {recipe below}. Avocado cream can be enjoyed solo as a chip or veggie dip or used to make nachos and quesadillas extra special.

My husband and daughter are now the biggest avocado cream fans. And my husband was super impressed with a dip/topping having so much protein and probiotics from the live active yogurt cultures. By the end of our loaded nacho dinner, he was already thinking of what we could make to incorporate avocado cream again.

I also enjoy getting our entire family’s input on ingredients for loaded nachos because they come out so much more impressive than when I make them on my own. My husband loves black olives and green onions and my step-daughter loves tomatoes – I’m typically a nacho purist and would have totally skipped over these ingredients!

Our loaded nachos ended up including: tortilla chips, Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, black beans, black olives, tomatoes, green onions, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, and avocado cream. My biggest nacho tip is to take the extra time to create one layer of chips, add layers of all of your toppings, and repeat until you reach your desired quantity/height. I layered all of the ingredients except for the cilantro and avocado cream and put the nachos in a 400 degree oven for approximately five minutes, until the cheese was melted and the chips were warm.

 

Memorial Day Hot Dogs

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This Memorial Day hot dog post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market 365.

I wish I could say that I have years and years of grilling experience. But the truth is, I’m fairly new at grilling. And that means I typically learn a new trick each time I’m manning the grill, which has made grilling over the past year extra exciting. When making these BLT and BBQ hot dogs for Memorial Day, I used a combo of both new and tried and true tricks. If you’re already a grilling expert, scroll on down to the bottom of this post for your new favorite hot dog recipes.

One of the things I’ve gotten exponentially better at is packing our “grill bag”. If you live in an apartment or condo building, I’m certain you’re familiar with the frustration of forgetting that thing back in your kitchen. Below is my go-to list of stuff to bring with you to the grill.

  • Baking sheet with seasoned/prepped raw meat
  • Clean baking sheet for cooked meat
  • Metal tongs
  • Oven mit
  • Reusable plastic plates, cups, and utensils
  • Cloth napkins or paper towels
  • Large reusable water bottle {filled}
  • Condiments {ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq sauce, steak sauce}
  • Seasoning {if needed}
  • Steak knife {if needed}
  • Spray oil {if needed}

A new trick I tested out and will always take the time to do in the future is making small slices across each hot dog {see above}. The tiny slices not only create dozens of crispy edges and spaces for condiments to fill, but they make for a picture perfect hot dog {see below}.

 

And something else I will definitely do when grilling hot dogs in the future is purchase quality hot dog buns. I’ve never paid much attention to hot dog buns {gasp!} and have typically purchased what seemed like the only hot dog bun available. But after trying Whole Foods Market 365’s Euro Classic Brioche Hot Dog Buns, I’m a believer that a hot dog bun can make all the difference in the world. I loved how soft and buttery these brioche hot dog buns were. And they were flavorful enough to make a traditional ketchup and mustard hot dog taste extra special.

BBQ Hot Dog

Grilled Hot Dog

Warmed Euro Classic Hot Dog Bun

Your Favorite Coleslaw

Whole Foods Market 365 BBQ Sauce

Directions: Place hot dog in hot dog bun, top with coleslaw, and drizzle with bbq sauce.

 

BLT Hot Dog

Hot Dog

Slice of Bacon

Warmed Euro Classic Brioche Hot Dog Bun

Green Leaf Lettuce

Chopped Tomato

Whole Foods Market 365 Mayonnaise

Directions: Wrap uncooked hot dog with slice of bacon, securing at each end with a toothpick {bacon will shrink}. Grill until bacon is cooked through. Place hot dog in green leaf lettuce and then place both into the warmed bun. Top with chopped tomatoes and drizzle with mayonnaise.

Once again, I was super impressed with how many Whole Foods Market 365 brand items were available and how affordable they were. It’s been a year since the Cedar Park store opened and it’s still super clean, super tidy, and a super pleasant shopping experience. And for those of you that haven’t been, the Whole Foods Market 365 in Cedar Park collaborates with local companies like Juiceland {cold pressed juice to order}, Easy Tiger {freshly baked breads}, and Snap Kitchen {healthy eats to go}. I highly recommend checking this store out!

This Memorial Day hot dog post is sponsored by Whole Foods Market 365.

 

Patio Gardening With Harvest Organics

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This patio gardening post is sponsored by Harvest Organics in an effort to reduce waste and replenish the earth by creating gardening products that are better for plants, pets, people, and the planet!

When we moved into a new apartment with a patio last summer, I was determined to be a plant lady. I bought a couple planters, a couple plants, and learned a couple dozen lessons along the way. Fast forward to today and I have a bustling patio garden filled with herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Listed below are my six biggest tips for starting and maintaining a patio garden of your own.

  1. Shopping – Stick to the areas of the store that are most similar to where you’re going to be keeping your plants. Is your patio fairly shaded? Look for the section in the outdoor gardening department that has similar shade conditions. Does your patio get pounded with direct light? Look at the plants that the store keeps outside with no cover {typically by the entrance}.

2. Water – Watch your plants and understand the surface of your patio as well as the material of the planter. I couldn’t understand why my plant leaves looked so sad. After all, I was watering them per the instructions. What I failed to figure was that concrete reflects a lot of heat and clay planters leak a lot of water. If your plants look dry or wilted, listen to them and water more frequently.

3. Sun – Too much sun can be a bad thing {even for plants that require “full sun”}. If you’re watering your plants enough and they’re still getting crispy, get creative about ways to provide plants with relief. I keep my herbs behind a stone wall most of the time and let them hang out on the top of the wall on weekends when I can closely monitor. You can also place sensitive plants next to or behind a larger, leafier plant.

 

4. Soil – Use a good quality soil. You know that saying, “you are what you eat.”? Well that applies to plants, too {especially edible plants}! A good quality soil like Harvest Organics Potting Mix  provides your plants with a ton of nutrients to keep your plants thriving, Harvest is also the largest processor of yard and food waste in North America, Harvest manages to keep nearly 2,000,000 tons of waste from ending up in landfills.

 

5. Food – It’s so rewarding to grow your own food, especially your own organic food. I suggest starting with herbs {like basil, mint, and cilantro} and tomatoes as they’re super easy to keep alive. This year, I’ve added four varieties of peppers, okra, and eggplant. Even if the food plants don’t take off, they’re still a beautiful addition to your patio. In addition to being rewarding, growing your own food cuts down on direct waste {plastic tags, ties, stickers, and bags} and indirect waste {fuel for transporting food to the grocery store and for transporting you to the grocery store}.

#TheHarvestEffect is the idea that the food that you throw away today could become the dirt that you produce tomorrow; or can help power your community and by fueling your family with an everlasting cycle of goodness and renewal.

6. Design – With plants, it’s true that more is more. Flowers and plants look so stunning in a cluster. But it’s easy to spend a fortune on planters. I highly recommend spending money on a couple planters that you love and supplementing with terracotta planters. The non-terracotta planters below range from $12 to $40, while the terracotta planters range from $2 to $4. Terracotta planters are also safer for growing food since they are made from natural materials.

By using Harvest Organics products, consumers become part of the Harvest Effect TM, a movement to reduce waste and replenish the earth. Grow something amazing with Harvest Organics potting mix! Harvest provides educational tips/tools to encourage their consumers to live a cleaner and greener lives.

Don’t just garden – Harvest!

This patio gardening post is sponsored by Harvest Organics in an effort to reduce waste and replenish the earth.