Chicken Fajita Bowls

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! I enjoyed time with my family and am feeling refreshed. However, the last thing I feel like doing after a holiday weekend is make a fancy weeknight meal. This recipe for chicken fajita bowls is so easy, healthy and yummy!

When I say this recipe is easy, I am not joking. You literally put all of the below ingredients into the slow cooker and voila, dinner practically makes itself! This is a great one to add to your weeknight meals or it is also a great meal to serve for a big crowd. 

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Chicken Fajita Bowls

Serves: 4-6

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 packet of your favorite fajita seasoning 
• Juice of 1 lime 
• 3/4 cup of fresh salsa (plus more for serving)
• *1 cup cooked rice or quinoa 
• *1 can of black beans rinsed and drained 
• Toppings: grated cheese, dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream, salsa, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro

Thinly slice the bell peppers and onions and add them to the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the chicken breasts on top of the peppers, sprinkle the fajita seasonings, lime juice and add the salsa on top. Turn the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours. Before serving, cook the rice or quinoa separately and set aside. Warm the black beans and set aside. Once everything has cooked through, in a bowl layer the rice or quinoa on the bottom, add the black beans, chicken fajita mix and all your toppings. Enjoy!  

* If you would like to cook the rice and beans in the slow cooker, add to the slow cooker on top of the chicken and add 1 1/2 cups water. I personally like to cooke them separately in case I want to use the mix in tortillas or on top of a salad. 

Pound Cake & Meyer Lemon Curd Dessert

Whenever we have friends or family over for dinner, I either decide to cut corners somewhere in the meal or with dessert. Since I love to bake, it's usually somewhere in the meal. But this time, I decided to cut corners on dessert and no one would have known if I didn't tell them! This dessert is so simple to make, I almost can't believe I'm writing a blog post about it. 

I took my Meyer lemon curd that I made and spooned it over the top of a pound cake I bought at the store and really good vanilla bean ice cream. The richness from the buttery pound cake was balanced out with the tang from the lemon curd and the creaminess of the ice cream. The best part about this dessert is that it is really simple to assemble so you don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen after dinner which allows you to spend more time with your guests :)

Homemade Almond Milk

A few years ago I would never have guessed I would be drinking almond milk. I used to drink fat free or 1% milk. Until the craze of almond milk hit and I jumped on the bandwagon and haven't looked back. 

I had been wanting to try my hand at homemade almond milk because I heard how much healthier it was and how much better it tasted than store bought. I used this almond milk recipe, and it turned out amazing! It was so easy to make and it is so creamy. 

I like to add a splash of almond milk in my morning tea or coffee, blend it in smoothies, add to baked goods, and in countless other recipes. Although it took more effort than pulling it off the grocery store shelf, I plan to keep a jar of almond milk in the fridge. Have you jumped on the almond milk bandwagon or is regular milk still your muse?

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Homemade Almond Milk, Against All Grain

Serving Size: 1 Quart

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 8 cups filtered water, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 small date, pitted

Instructions:

1. Place almonds in a bowl with 4 cups of filtered water and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and soak for 10 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the nuts and rinse well. Transfer them to a blender and fill with 4 cups filtered water. Add the date and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth.
3. Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve, a nut milk bag, or doubled cheesecloth. Squeeze to remove all of the liquid. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Introducing Taylor's Corner & Cedar Plank Salmon

I am so excited to introduce a new section on the blog called Taylor’s Corner! Taylor is my husband’s best friend who also shares an extreme passion for cooking, more specifically anything he can grill or smoke. Tyler and Taylor (it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) went to high school together, lived together for 5 years post college, allowed me to be a “third roommate” while my husband and I were dating, and most recently were in each other’s weddings. 

Our dinner parties have gotten an upgrade over the years and have become a big part of our friendship. My favorite kind of dinner parties are the ones where your guests come over wanting to try out new recipes and end up in the kitchen or by the grill with you. And, that is exactly what happens when Taylor and his wife Ashley come over for dinner. 

Recently they came over to kick off the 2015 BBQ season and Taylor pulled out all the stops with this amazing cedar plank salmon recipe.  It was seasoned perfectly and had a hint of smokiness on the finish from the cedar. We had never made cedar plank salmon and were surprised at how easy and tasty it was. We paired it with alfresco sides like caprese, a spring salad, a loaf of rustic bread and a very yummy dessert that I will be sharing next week.   

Whenever Taylor and Ashley come over for dinner, one thing is for sure…there is always plenty of good food, laughter and wine! I hope you enjoy this recipe and many more to come in...Taylor’s corner!

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Cedar Plank Salmon

• Salmon (we used two large fillets- skin on)
• Grainy Mustard
• Sprinkle of brown sugar
• 1-2 large lemons, sliced
• 1 bundle of green onions, diced
• Cedar planks (we used 2 from here), soaked for 2+ hours prior to cooking 

Preheat the grill to medium- high heat. Place the salmon skin side down on the cedar planks. Salt and pepper the salmon. Spoon the grainy mustard all over the top of the salmon and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Slice the lemons and place the slices on top of the salmon.  Grill for 20-25 minutes, until flakey. Top with green onions and serve on the cedar planks. Enjoy! 

Meyer Lemon Curd

Happy first day of Spring! I am welcoming this new season with open arms and some delicious Meyer lemon curd. The color alone screams Spring and the taste magically transports you to a sunny day. 

As I was squeezing the lemons that I had received in my Farm Fresh to You shipment, the smell brought me back to my childhood playing in the sandbox next to our huge lemon tree. I was either picking lemons to make lemonade for our lemonade stand or making "creations" with them in the sandbox. I guess you could say I had a thing for lemons early on.

Given that it is Meyer lemon season and I had a bunch on hand,  I wanted to try something new this year. This lemon curd recipe will knock your winter socks off! It is rich and creamy without being overly sweet or tart. It is a perfect breakfast condiment, in between cake layers or to sneak by the spoonful! It also makes for a great hostess gift for Easter, which I will be sharing on the blog next week :)

I hope you enjoy this recipe this Spring! 

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Meyer Lemon Curd, Recipe from The Galley Gourmet

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed tart lemon juice (from ordinary lemons)
• Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 extra large eggs
• 3 extra large egg yolks

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the lemon juices, zest, sugar, butter and salt. Stir gently over low heat until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks. Whisking constantly, gradually add half the hot lemon mixture into the eggs, then slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining lemon mixture. Cook over low heat, scraping the bottom constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes (mine took about 10 minutes). Do not allow to boil. Pour the curd through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. Curd can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes about 2 cups. Enjoy!

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Turkey and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

It was close to 90 degrees this weekend in Southern California! Between all the ice cream eating to stay cool, it has me wanting to cook lighter meals. I love mixing up our week night meals from the ordinary lean protein, vegetables and healthy carbs on the plate. Although this recipe contains those main food groups, let's face it, they are way more fun to eat!

I have made a lot of variations of lettuce wraps over the years but this recipe is currently our favorite. It is loaded with protein and has a ton of flavor! The best part about this recipe, is that it is extremely versatile and honestly anything goes! It also makes for great leftovers to have for lunch the next day :)

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Turkey Quinoa Lettuce Wraps 

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking
• 1 shallot 
• 1 clove crush garlic (I omitted this since my husband is allergic)
• 1 lb. ground turkey (I use 99% Lean but you can use any ground meat)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 red bell peppers (can also use yellow)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried yields 4 cups cooked) 
• 1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts 
• 1 small bunch green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1 head of lettuce, washed and drained with the leaves pulled off (ice berg, bib or butter lettuce)
• sesame seeds for garnish

The Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. hoison sauce 
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce (I use tamari lite gluten free) 
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• freshly grated ginger (1 in. piece of ginger)

Additional toppings might include: chopped roasted peanuts, crispy rice noodles, cilantro, etc.

1. In a medium skillet on medium-high, warm the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic and shallot. Cook until translucent but not burnt. Add the ground turkey meat and cook until it is cooked through. Using a spatula, break up the pieces as it cooks to resemble ground beef. 

2. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and cook through. Turn to low and fold in the cooked quinoa.

3. In the meantime, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl with the freshly grated ginger. Add the sauce to the cooked mixture once all ingredients have cooked through. 

4. Fold in the water chestnuts and green onions. 

5. Serve in lettuce cups garnished with sesame seeds and additional green onions sprinkled on top

Banana Bread

Do you ever "accidentally" buy a larger bunch of banana's at the store, secretly hoping that some of them will go bad before you can eat them all so you can bake something with them? Yeah, me too. In this instance, my husband, actually bought too many banana's, so I blame the urge to bake banana bread on him! 

I am not a very picky person, until it comes to banana bread (and peanut butter cookies). It needs to contain the right amount of banana flavor, be moist and leave you wanting another slice (or the whole loaf). Well, my friends, after trying a ton of banana bread recipes over the years and wishing each one would be my "go-to" recipe, I think I have finally found "the one". Let me tell you, this banana bread recipe did NOT dissapoint! It checked all the boxes of being the perfect balance of banana flavor without being overbearing, very moist and definitely left me wanting to eat the whole loaf! 

The next time your banana's just happen to get a little too brown, you must try this bread! Oh, and it's extra yummy with a little (or a lot) of cream cheese on it. Enjoy! 

*A little side note: I always leave out nuts from my banana bread if I'm baking it for someone, in case of allergy restrictions.  

Greek Kale Salad

The end of Winter has me craving a warm, breezy day where I can kick off my flip flops and enjoy the sunshine. To cure that craving, I made a light yet filling greek kale salad. It is full of nutrients and protein and the dressing takes this kale salad to the next level. 

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Greek Kale Salad 

Salad:

• 1-2 bunches of Kale
• Cheery tomatoes
•  1 ripe avocado
•  Feta Cheese (full fat)

Dressing:

• 1/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar (white wine, red wine or champagne vinegar would work)
• ¼ C. Olive oil
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• 1 shallot (small to medium in size)
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Remove ribs from kale and chop in 1-2” squares and put into a non-reactive bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Pour dressing onto kale and massage with hands for 1-2 minutes. Cover the bowel and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight. Add the tomatoes, avocado and feta cheese (and any other toppings of your choice). Toss and enjoy!