dinner recipes Archives

Zucchini Ribbons With Almond Pesto

September 10, 2013 by Kristin

I’m years past the point of full-price Anthro shopping. Unless I’m in the market for a Volcano candle, I B-line it to the sale rack. I sift through too long skirts and too warm coats, but occasionally find the find of all finds. Like the time I stumbled upon a $630 pair of Joie boots for $139 or the time I found the most perfectly fitting pair of shorts and bought them in every color. Last weekend I found a different kind of a find. A food blogger kind of find. A slightly torn, heavily discounted Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

When I brought the book home, I flipped through it page by page. And as I flipped each page and read each description aloud, my eyes grew wide and my voice… little kid excited. So excited that a friend may have suggested I re-read all of these recipe descriptions in front of the camera so everyone else could be as entertained by me as he was.

I must have tabbed a gazillion recipes – there were so many that appealed to both my healthified side and my butter-baking side. I saved the butter-baking kind for later and started with the Zucchini Ribbons with Almond Pesto. The almond pesto was one of the most wonderfully flavored things that’s ever come out of my kitchen. Smoky almonds, tangy lemon, salty parm – serious goodness! Topped with this pesto, I could eat zucchini ribbons for hours. And I just might have done that.

Squash Inspiration

February 21, 2013 by Kristin

Spaghetti squash is one of those things that I only bake every third time I buy. As in, two out of every three squash functions more like a countertop prop that ends up in the trash. It’s a sad statistic, but I’m hoping that finding a little squash inspiration on the world wide web will help.

Martha Stewart’s Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Family Fresh Cooking’s Spaghetti Squash with Thai Peanut Sauce

Green Lite Bites’ Zucchini & Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Shutterbean’s Roasted Squash with Mushrooms

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew

November 9, 2012 by Kristin

How is it November already? Better yet, how did November sneak up so quickly yet it takes forever for weekends to arrive? I suppose we’ll never know the answer to that. But in the meantime, we can certainly make cozy soup, slurp it slowly, and pretend that the weekend is already here.

Dinosaur Kale & White Bean Stew (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 bunch dinosaur kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped (no need to remove the ribs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, ends removed and chopped
5 shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup sauvignon blanc
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups mushroom broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Stir in wine and cook for 10 minutes. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add kale and cook for 5 minutes more.

After eating the first bite this soup, it became apparent that tart wine, crunchy greens, a mushroom/tomato base, and soft white beans are an amazing combination. And then I made it a little more amazing by topping with a few giant shrimp.