FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Cookie Butter Mousse

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Vegan Peanut Butter Mousse

As soon as I read this Minimalist Baker post, I knew what I had to do. And it went something like run straight to Trader Joe’s, pick up coconut cream and cookie butter, then make the most addictive peanut butter mousse ever.  Ever, ever. 

Trader Joe's Coconut Cream

Because cookie butter is already pretty sweet, additional sweetener wasn’t necessary.  Eliminating one ingredient turned this already super simple three ingredient mousse into an even more simple two ingredient mousse.

Peanut Butter Mousse

You just put a can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight, scoop the solid cream out of the can and into the bowl of a mixer, beat until smooth, and then add cookie butter {2 tablespoons at a time} until the mousse is as peanut-buttery as you like.

Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup

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Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup 2

Noodle-less soup was a tough concept for me to grasp tonight.  Austin is rainy and rain totally calls for noodles.  But I’ve been trying to do this bootcamp, green smoothie, minimal dairy, minimal grain thing – so I got creative.  And by getting creative, I mean getting simple.  Super simple.

Shredded Chicken Breast

The shredded chicken and spinach gave this soup enough heartiness that your mind didn’t wander towards thoughts of noodles.  And adding egg to the chicken broth made this soup nice and creamy, giving the illusion that dairy was invited.  Dee-lish!

Chicken Spinach Lemon Soup

Array

The Gameday Breakfast

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Game Day Breakfast

As a second generation Florida Gator, I learned the importance of a substantial gameday breakfast early on.  And since I’m a savory breakfast kind of gal, egg sandwiches have always been my gameday go-to.

HEB Spicy Corn Relish

When I opened my September HEB Primo Picks box, visions of spicy egg goodness immediately popped into my head.  I toasted up some sprouted wheat bread, topped with sliced avocados, an over-medium egg, and HEB‘s Spicy Relish that Corn.  I dove in with a fork and knife (which were oh so necessary) and immediately wished I had more avocado so I could treat myself to seconds – it was SO wonderful.

Texas Tea and Vodka

Wonderful and… hot!  I dug through the box to see what I could snack on to calm the burn, when I found the perfect thing: Peach Texas Tea.  And then I thought “if this is a gameday breakfast, then surely this tea should be turned into a cocktail”.  So there ya have it!  As I cheer on the Gators in Austin this season, I’ll be enjoying a Texa-fied start to my gameday with a spicy corn relish egg sammie and a Texas Tea with a splash of Tito’s.

Zucchini & Tomato “Lasagna”

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Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna

Purchasing a mandolin slicer and making zucchini lasagna are two things that have been on my list for an unbelievable length of time.  And I’d like to say that I purchased a mandolin slicer this weekend which allowed me to finally whip up zucchini lasagna, but that’s totally not the case.  In reality, I bought the slicer about five months ago and it took five months to remember to put these five ingredients on my grocery list.  I used to be much better at lists…

Mandolin Sliced Zucchini

My intention for this recipe was something extra simple that involved lots of fresh stuff and minimal packaged stuff.  Oh!  And to make something that sorta kinda resembled lasagna.  My intention was not slicing off the top of my middle finger, which most definitely happened.

Zucchini Lasagna 1

FoodFash Zucchini Lasagna (Yields 4 servings)

3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise on a mandolin slicer

3 large tomatoes, sliced

15 ounces part skim ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup fresh, chopped basil

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and basil.  Add the garlic salt and pepper, to taste if you prefer.  Once the seasoning is added, mix in the beaten egg.  In an 11-ish-inch round pan (I used this one), layer the bottom of the pan with sliced zucchini.  Gently spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini and then top with 2 layers of sliced tomatoes.  Spread the remaining ricotta over the tomatoes and then top with a final layer of sliced zucchini.  Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.  Let cool for about 15 minutes (until liquid sets) before serving.

Zucchini Lasagna 2

I was a little nervous when I pulled the super bubbly pan out of the oven, but once the cheese cooled everything held together quite nicely.  And as far as the taste, I couldn’t believe how much this dish satisfied my lasagna craving.  I’ve been eating the leftovers this entire week and my only complaint is that it only made four servings!