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Roasted Vegetable, Kale, and Quinoa Salad with Clementine Vinaigrette

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Happy New Year, friends!  How were your holidays?  Did you have an exciting New Year’s Eve and a wonderful New Year’s Day?  Did you have souerkraut, black eyed peas, and greens?  We did.  I do not love any of these things, but I’m not willing to take any chances, so I ate them all.  We need all the luck we can get around here!

 

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Surprisingly, we had just four experiences with stomach bugs, a bit of doggie drama with bathing and furniture eviction, and only one middle of the night holy crap I’m in trouble with the law and need a criminal defense attorney phone call.

I know.  Good times.

 

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And trust me.  I know that it’s totally cliche to start out my first post of 2016 with a salad.  I also know that cliche should have one of those sexy punctuation things over the top, but I’m not technologically savvy enough to figure out how to put one there.  Don’t judge me.

 

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Any-hoo, after all the indulgences I’ve been guilty of giving and receiving, it’s time to add some hearty, healthy detox food to my life.  I actually love the combo of kale and quinoa in a salad.  Throw in some roasted beets, carrots, and BS with a citrus-y dressing, and it’s totally my jam!

 

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We need to be in fighting condition here in the Carolianas anyway ’cause we are 15-1, yo!  Our Cats are headed to the playoffs starting out in our own house!  Woot!

I think we’re all singing Sweet Caroline down here at this point! #keeppounding

 

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It was a bummer to lose to Atlanta last week and kill our undefeated status, but I’m hopeful to see Cam, Greg, Luke, and the rest of my Cats in the playoffs and we’d love to move onto SUPERBOWL 50.  (I don’t understand the Roman numbers and didn’t want to get it wrong).

 

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And now my vacation is over and I’m back at work.  #partysover

 

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Roasted Vegetable, Kale, and Quinoa Salad with Clementine Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 3 beets
  • 2 dozen baby Brussels sprouts
  • 5-6 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon for massaging kale
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 ounces kale chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup roasted and chopped chestnuts

Clementine Dressing

  • 2 clementines juiced and zested
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed (via garlic press)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • pinch each of:
  • tarragon
  • basil
  • fennel pollen
  • salt white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. Make individual foil packets for beets, drizzle beets with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, seal the foil tightly, and transfer to a baking sheet
  3. Roast in oven for 60 - 75 minutes, depending on size
  4. Toss carrots and Brussels sprouts with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a baking dish, roast for the last 30-35 minutes of the roasting beets
  5. Times will vary according to the size of the vegetables, roast until fork tender or texture of preference
  6. While vegetables are roasting, prepare quinoa according to package directions, spread out on a baking sheet or parchment paper to cool
  7. Toss kale in a large salad bowl with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt, and massage into leaves for 5 minutes or so
  8. Combine clementine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously
  9. Add the quinoa to the kale and toss to combine
  10. When vegetables are done set carrots and Brussels sprouts aside to cool slightly
  11. Unwrap beets, peel with a paring knife and cut into 1 inch pieces
  12. Top kale and quinoa with all the roasted vegetables and either toss with dressing or serve with dressing on the side

Hearty Holiday Breakfast Frittata

by 30 Comments

 

Good Morning, Sunshine!

 

 

No joke.  I mean that in the most literal way.  While I adore each and every one of you and y’all are totally my sunshine, it got pretty dang gloomy around here. I don’t know what in tarnation happened, but thank goodness the sun has been returned after another two weeks of rain, darkness, and really bad hair days.

 

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The sun is back and has been in full force for a solid 4 days now and believe you me we are happy here in NC.

 

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Those dark days were a buzzkill to my motivation, but since I’m a glass half full kind of girl I’ve been busy focusing on the the bright side of my laziness.

 

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You are no doubt relieved to know that I am once again up to date on General Hospital and DWTS. And oh my are things heating up and getting interesting in Port Charles!  Oh – and that last elimination (no spoilers) was a total disappointment to me.  I didn’t see that one coming.

 

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Even though I sometimes need indulgent GH binge marathons when work is stressful or the weather is the pits, there is no rest for the wicked these days.  We’re full on in holiday mode over here!

 

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We’ve had some sides and desserts lately, but what about breakfast?  I don’t know how you do things, but in our family we never have Thanksgiving dinner before 2:00 and it’s usually closer too 3:00 or 4;00 before we sit down at the table. We need a heavy breakfast or brunch then some appetizers in the early afternoon to hold us for the big event or we are all just going to pass out from starvation and intoxication anticipation.

 

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A frittata is a perfect solution.  You can clean out your fridge, throw anything in, and make it ahead of time for an easy to reheat holiday morning breakfast or brunch.  After all, we don’t want to have Aunt Gloria passing out from too many cocktails falling out from lack of sustenance while waiting for her Turkey Day dinner!

 

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! (CLOSED)

 

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Hearty Frittata

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces thick cut applewood smoked bacon
  • 2 small red potatoes sliced thinly
  • 5 small precooked sausage links crumbled (thawed if packaged frozen)
  • 1 cup mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup kale roughly chopped
  • 1 cup rainbow chard
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup plus 1/4 coup shredded extra sharp cheddar
  • 1 jalapeno sliced - optional

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in cast iron or nonstick skillet until crispy, drain on paper towel lined plate, crumble
  2. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and discard the rest
  3. Heat reserved bacon drippings over medium, add potato slices in a medium layer, cook about 2 minutes or until browned on one side, the flip to brown the other side
  4. Add mushrooms and cook about another 2 minutes
  5. Stir potatoes and mushrooms
  6. Add kale and rainbow chard
  7. Stir and cook until greens are mostly wilted, 3-4 minutes
  8. While greens are wilting, whisk eggs together in a bowl
  9. Add 1 cup of the cheddar to the eggs and whisk to combine
  10. Stir the vegetables to be sure they are evenly distributed
  11. Pour eggs over the vegetables, add bacon and sausage, stir to combine
  12. Layer jalapeno (if using) over the top
  13. Cook 7-9 minutes or until sides are set
  14. Turn on oven broiler
  15. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top
  16. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until top is set and fluffy and cheese is melted and bubbly, about 4-6 minutes
  17. Remove from oven and let sit for 3-4 minutes
  18. Cut and serve

Note: We all know that I do not like the jalapeno, but Chris loves them, so I only added them to half of the frittata.

Note:  Because of the bacon and sausage going on in here, I chose not to add any salt, but feel free to add salt and pepper to your taste.

Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Chili

by 36 Comments

Happy Monday, Y’all!

 

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I’m keeping things short today.  It’s Monday, I have to go to work, and I had some fun distractions.

 

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Yesterday evening Lisa called because she was near my neighborhood.  We agreed that she should stop by and drink beer with us say hi.  Then my Carolina Panthers were playing on Sunday Night Football. Woot!

 

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Cam – if you are reading this I think you’re adorable, a fantastic QB, and I wish you were my son.

 

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I hope that wasn’t too creepy.

 

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In this house football season = chili season.  Normally I do a beef, bean, tomato sauce type chili, but I happened to have roasted a couple of chickens, so I used half of one for a spicy chicken, white bean, and kale chili for Chris.  I used the other half for a chicken, rice, and vegetable soup for me.

 

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FULL DISCLOSURE:  If you have been following this here website for more than 6.32 minutes, you know that I’m a complete weenie when it comes to spicy.  I made this spicy chicken, white bean, and kale chili for Chirs – not me.  I sacrificed myself and tasted this chili because I can’t in good conscience publish a recipe on this here website that I haven’t at least tasted.  It was way too spicy for me and had too many peppers – I know that isn’t a great endorsement for my creation.  Like I said, I made it for Chris and he absolutely LOVED it.  It peppers and spicy blow your dress up, this chili is for you!

 

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Chicken, Kale, and White Bean Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 white onion diced
  • 4-5 jalapeno peppers diced
  • 4-5 serrano peppers diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 of a whole cooked chicken shredded into large pieces
  • 3-4 cups kale roughly chopped, stems removed
  • 1-1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, combine butter and olive oil over medium heat
  2. When butter is melted and oil is hot add onions, jalapeno and serrano peppers, cook until onions are translucent and peppers are soft, 2-3 minutes
  3. Add garlic and cook 1 minute
  4. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook another 1 minute
  5. Add chicken stock, beans, chicken, and spices
  6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes
  7. Add kale and simmer until kale is tender, 10 -12 minutes
  8. Adjust seasonings and serve with crackers or crusty bread