easy winter dinner

I think it is great to have go-to recipes. I love coming home to cook dinner, but the hardest part is that after a long day, all I want is a delicious meal but sometimes I just don't have the energy (and if you've learned anything from my blog, its that I likely don't have a lot of frozen meals hanging out in my freezer). I love cooking all of the time, but sometimes at the end of the day I need to make something quick and easy. My best go-to recipes involve a lot of produce (duh), and a lot of flavor. I love making brown rice bowls filled with greens and feta or quinoa pasta topped with a ton of veggies. Usually I start with veggies and a grain, and go from there. I always have a ton of grains in my apartment, since they stay very well and are perfect in a pinch. Having dried goods in my pantry make weeknight dinners a snap to throw together.

The other night I was in the mood for something just a little different. These days, the farmers market definitely has slim pickins. While you can still find apples and a lot of root vegetables, there is little else available this time of year. One thing that I've been buying on a regular basis is cabbage. Cabbage is so delicious and amazing in salads. It is incredibly fresh right now, despite the incredible cold! Something else that I have been finding are brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts remind me of little mini-cabbages, and a totally underrated vegetable. Everyone as a child hates them, but I honestly think that its because people don't cook them the right way. This is a brussels sprout recipe that proves the stereotype wrong. It is a great quick recipe to whip up on a cold winter night, and incredibly filling. The ingredient combo is amazing, and I definitely recommend making it. It will take no time to put together after a long day, and is delicious!


Quinoa with Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Almonds, and Parmesan

1/4 cup dry quinoa
1 1/2 cup shaved brussels sprouts (if you can't find shaved brussels sprouts in a bag, you can buy regular sprouts and cut them into thin strips)
1 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)

quick, easy, delicious!

Bring quinoa and 1/2 cup water to boil, bring down to a simmer, season with salt, pepper, and garlic, and cover
Cook quinoa for 15 minutes on low or until fluffy
In a pan cook brussels sprouts with olive oil for about 6 minutes or until they just begin to crisp
Toss quinoa with brussels sprouts and almonds, and top with cheese
enjoy!!

give brussels a try<3

shortbread!

Just a quick post to keep your belly's full and happy during this snowy weekend! I really find nothing better over a cold snowy weekend than cooking. Friday night, as the snow fell, my boyfriend and cooking partner in crime made us a phenomenal dinner. While I whipped up a quick cabbage salad (cabbage is in season and really delicious- try it in your next salad!), he was hard at work over the stove and oven. He oven roasted a whole head of garlic until the garlic was soft, sweet, and delicious, roasted a roasted red pepper over an open flame, and pitted and chopped some amazing cured olives. In the end, our dinner was warm and delicious. Finished off with white wine, fresh grated cheese, and a little lemon, the pasta was amazing. I also baked an amazing birthday cake, but look for that in a post to come!

A few weeks ago, my friends at work were celebrating a co-workers birthday. I work in a small enough office that we all like to do something special for each other when birthdays roll around. We often bring in each others favorite snacks and find the time to leave our desks for 15 minutes to celebrate (crazy!) I also love taking birthdays as an opportunity to try and bake something new. I've had a lot of success with my peanut butter recipes in the past with my friends at work, so I figured I'd give it a whirl again. I've also been dying to make a shortbread. If you can remember back, I attempted a shortbread at the very beginning of my blogging extravaganza, and it did not turn out so well. That being said, my gf baking skills have grown since then, and this shortbread came out amazingly well. I would definitely try the recipe, and feel free to take your own spin on it (you don't need all of the fancy stuff on top)! I am definitely looking forward to making another shortbread soon!

Peanut Butter Shortbread with Chocolate and Honey Roasted Peanuts

1 stick of room temp butter (8 oz)
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla 
1 cup gf flour mix (ap flour would work well here too)
3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
3 tbsp honey roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

pre-baking

toppings, part1

toppings, part 2

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, mix together butter, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until well combined
Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix to combine
Spread the dough into a greased 9x9 baking dish
Top the dough with 3/4 cup chocolate chips, spreading evenly and pressing lightly into the dough, and place in the oven for 15 minutes
Once the dough begins to brown, remove the shortbread, top with peanuts and extra chocolate chips, and allow to cool before cutting and serving!
Enjoy!!

yum!