Creole Black-Eyed Peas

As we have done many times before, we started out this new year with Black-Eyed peas. I strayed from the traditional ham hock in favor of something a little bit different (and healthier). The result was fantastic and I'm excited to share it with you.

Tabbouleh Salad

I love the simplicity of a basic tabbouleh, especially with some hummus and fresh pita, but as I continue on my quest to fill my arsenal with fresh tasting whole grain salads I wanted to come up with something that could stand alone. This is nothing more than a dressed up tabbouleh, great as a side dish yet also good enough to stand alone as a meal.

Cranberry Currant Granola

Granola.

Not just for hippies anymore.

Brown Rice Salad With Soy Ginger Dressing

I thought this would be another delightful cold salad I could keep in the refrigerator and pack for lunch several days in a row. Then I put it out onto the dinner table to see if I could get the family to try it. Well, let's just say this was a definite success in our new foray into a plant based whole foods diet. Most of it was gone the first night and what was left disappeared sometime in the early morning hours the following day. I'm not complaining.

Sundried Tomato Polenta (Slow Cooker)

I certainly do love me some polenta. This is super easy and uses the slow cooker (a.k.a my new best kitchen friend) so I'm extra excited about it. I made this quite awhile ago so it's veggie, not vegan, I'll update you when I have a dairy free alternative.

 

 

Curried Quinoa Salad

I've been working so much lately that keeping these grain salads in the refrigerator has been more helpful than I ever would have thought! This is a simple Quinoa salad, the first of many I'm sure. I enjoyed this over a bed of baby spinach for dinner every night this week!

Breakfast Baguettes

I saw a picture of something like these on Pinterest one day and decided I needed to give it a go, I never looked at the original recipe, but these turned out great! And they're like choose your own adventure food.. the filling options are endless! We had them for breakfast on Valentine's Day :)

Wannabe Chicken Tagine

Tagines originated in North Africa and are named for the special pot in which they are made. The Moroccan Tagines (or more correctly Tajines) are slow cooked stews. Also typically made in the tagine pot, they often use less desireable pieces of meat because the process makes them so tender. This version is not made in a special pot, nor does it take long at all to cook, but it sure is delicious. As my first journey into the world of tagines I'm happy with it, and now I'm quite interested in exploring a more traditional version.

Farfalle with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

This roasted red pepper sauce is simple and subtle with plenty of flavor. It comes together really fast and would make an excellent weeknight meal.

Farro's Garden

Farro is a pretty cool grain, This was my first time using it and I'm very excited about the results and the possibilities. It cooks up to a great size for a cold salad and has a subtle nutty flavor. This salad is really just a bunch of things I like thrown into a bowl, but it's definitely something I'm happy to eat several days in a row.

Crowd Pleasing Chili (Slow Cooker, or not)

For some reason I always associate the Super Bowl with a bunch of junk food and a pot of chili. Since we're all quite capable of finding our own junk food, and I'm anxious to try more things in the slow cooker, I thought I'd try a simple chili. This is mild enough for everyone yet full of flavor, I'll go ahead and call it a home run.

Greek Rice Salad

In an effort to stick stick to my guns about  keeping quick healthy meals in the refrigerator this awesome brown rice salad was born.

Curried Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Apparently I needed a reminder about how freaking awesome the slow cooker can be. This curried chicken is not only easy and delicious, but it's really beautiful as well.

Asian Style Barley Salad

In an effort to keep quick healthy meals readily available I'm trying to build up my arsenal of cold salads. This was my first attempt with barley and I'm really happy with it. This will definitely be a recurring item.

Tequila Lime Chicken

I came up with this for a late summer camping trip, but we were so busy playing in the sun, and already had so much good food, that I never got around to making it.  In what might be an attempt to beat the gray winter days we've been keeping it light and fresh around our house lately and this certainly fit the bill. Pair it up with some Cilantro-Lime Rice or throw it in a tortilla with some grilled onions and peppers for fajitas, either way this is a keeper. It's good out of a pan and it will be spectacular on the grill.

Slow Cooker Lentils with Poached Egg

Ahhh.. Lentils. So good for you and so filling. This is a simple dish that lends itself to a nice warm breakfast or dinner. This isn't the most flattering picture, but it's really beautiful in person.

Turkey (or Chicken) Pot Pie

That's right. Throw on your cleanest wife-beater, hike up those Daisy Duke's and slip off your shoes, it's time to make a pot pie!

Crab Risotto

So what do you do when a super hot guy calls and says, "Hey, I'm coming over... and I've got crabs"? Well obviously you take the crab, clean it up, and take him out for a couple of beers to show your gratitude. If all goes well the risotto can be date number two. Or three. I'm just saying it's possible. It may have even happened to me.

Killer Burgers

You can live believing that a burger is a burger, but it's only going to leave you sad and lonely. That's not a threat, it's a fact. But don't despair, I'm here to help. And as always, you'll be a hero with a minimal amount of work. Win.

Sweet Chili Chicken

I honestly don't really know where this one came from.  I remember seeing something like it sometime in the last year, but with the way my memory seems to work this is either an exact replica or it's a combination of about four things that I somehow merged together.  Anyway, It's good.  It's not spicy yet still has good flavor.  Put it over some rice and you've got yourself a meal.