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Watermelon Feta Salad

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Kaitlin

This weekend, East Passyunk Avenue is hosting “Flavors of the Avenue” this Saturday, an event where 25 restaurants will be handing out samples from their menus. I was given the opportunity to go to a media tasting for this event a few weeks back and have been unable to think about anything else since! I am SO excited for this event! I must not be alone, pre-sale tickets are completely sold out, although some limited tickets will be available at the entrance to the tent on Saturday. During the media tasting, I was able to sample food from 7 of the participating restaurants.

Vegetable Couscous Salad

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Kaitlin

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you! Ingredients: Dressing: 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend Salad: 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup uncooked couscous 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers) 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Creamy Corn Risotto

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Kaitlin

I tend to make a lot of mistakes when cooking. I won’t read the directions entirely through or will completely forget to pick up an ingredient and then at the last minute need to improvise. This time around, I actually read through the directions beforehand and had everything I needed, except I waited to long to use the Lobster and it had already gone bad. What an expensive mistake! So this recipe was originally a Lobster Corn Risotto, sigh. Anyways, it was still delicious and worth sharing! Ingredients: 3 cups water 2 cups chopped onion 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice 1 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/4 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/3 cup chopped green onions 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Sweet Orange Salmon with Browned Butter-Orange Couscous

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Kaitlin

After all the pasta, meat, and desserts I’ve had over the past, oh, month, I think it’s about time to switch back to some seafood recipes. This is actually two different recipes from Cooking Light but I thought they’d be fantastic together. The Sweet Orange Salmon recipe is so easy and quick to make and the Browned-Butter Orange Couscous can be whipped up in no time as well! Ingredients Salmon: 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets Cooking spray Orange wedges Couscous: 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1 cup uncooked couscous 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup coarsely chopped orange sections 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon salt Orange wedges

Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts & a Giveaway!

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Kaitlin

I need more sides in my life. Couscous is a great weekday choice because it’s so quick to make, maybe 20 minutes in total. This recipe is from the Fresh & Healthy DASH Diet Cooking Cookbook which I absolutely love. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute a encourages increasing whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean proteins and minimizing processed gains, high-fat meats and dairy, sugars and sodium… which is basically more just eating healthy versus a diet. This couscous recipe is made with vegetable broth to give it some flavor with bites of pine nuts, dried cranberries, and scallions. Ingredients: 2 teaspoons canola oil 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup couscous (whole wheat if you can find it) 1/3 cup dried cranberries 2 scallions, coarsely chopped

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Kaitlin

It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking. Ingredients: 1 12 ounce package of cranberries 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup port wine 1/2 cup orange juice (or 3 oranges, squeezed) 1 tablespoon zest (also about 3 oranges) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger a dash (1/8 tsp or smaller) allspice

Horseradish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Apples

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Kaitlin

I love a good mashed potato recipe. They are definitely my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Classic mashed potatoes will always be a favorite of mine, but this recipe from Nigella Lawson that I found on The Chew sounded really fantastic. My aunt and uncle always use horseradish cheddar in their mashed potatoes and I love the tanginess that the horseradish brings. I thought it would be the perfect complement to the sweetness of the apples. Ingredients: 4 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes 1 cup whole milk 1 – 1 1/2 cup horseradish cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shallots, chopped 2 fuji apples 4 strips of bacon Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons butter You need a red apple that can stand up to being sauteed and maintain its shape. Look for Liberty, Fuji, Jonagold, or Pink Lady apples. Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Peel your potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces and add to the pot. Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until fork tender. While waiting for the potatoes to cook, add the bacon to a saute pan over medium heat. Heat until cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from … Continue reading →

Labor Day Round Up

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Kaitlin

Labor Day is only a week away, which means people around the country are in search of the best ways to celebrate the end of summer with their friends and family. I rounded up some of my past posts that would make any Labor Day celebration a delicious affair. When most think of Labor Day, they think of grilling. So here are some of my favorites, along with sides and small bites that would be perfect for a barbecue: Burgers: Goat Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers Southwest Burgers with Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries Gourmet Turkey Burger with Island Slaw Skewers: Spicy Moroccan Chicken Skewers Beef and Vegetable Shish Kebabs Salmon Skewers with Lemon-Parsley Pesto Mango Shrimp Kebabs Sides: Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad Grilled Marinated Asparagus Italian Pasta Salad Pesto Pasta Salad Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Grilled Corn with Chipotle Lime Butter Small bites (perfect if you are a guest and want to bring something): Sriracha Deviled Eggs Caprese Tomato Bites Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Italian Frying Pepper Bruschetta Fresh Salsa Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Summer Lemon-Vegetable Risotto

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Kaitlin

As I hear rumblings of all things pumpkin just around the corner (yay!), I realized that my days of beautiful, fresh vegetables are numbered (boo). Which means I needed a recipe that used some of summer’s best. This risotto recipe from Cooking Light fit the bill: Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash.. mmm. Ingredients: 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half 5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices 4 3/4 cups organic vegetable broth 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice 1/4 cup beer (I used a pilsner) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Prepare your veggies while waiting for a large pot of water to come to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan and … Continue reading →

Beet Risotto

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Kaitlin

I love the taste of beets, but preparing them is so time consuming that I tend to avoid buying them. Most recipes involving beets require you to roast the beets and then peel them. I came across a recipe for beet risotto in Food and Wine that just cooked the beets on the stove top in significantly less time. This risotto recipe is supposed to turn a beautiful red color from the beets. I didn’t get the same bright red color but I still love how it looks! Ingredients: 3 cups chicken stock or 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large shallot, finely chopped 2 large beets peeled and finely chopped, plus thinly sliced beets for garnish 1 cup arborio rice 2 ounces young pecorino cheese, freshly grated 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, plus more for garnish Prepare the beets. Peel and finely chop. In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Cover and keep warm. In another pot, melt the butter and olive oil. Add the chopped shallot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the beets and cook, stirring, for 12 minutes. (I cooked mine for 12 minutes as … Continue reading →