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weekly specialsAuthor Archives: Laura Youngquist
May 2, 2022
Cheese Ravioli with Sage & Walnuts
Do you ever order ravioli at a restaurant and wonder why it doesn’t taste the same when you make it at home? Or you think you need to make homemade ravioli for it to taste as good as at a restaurant? Well…you don’t! You just need to find a premade, store-bought ravioli that you like, and jazz it up! My preference is to buy fresh. This is what you can find in the refrigerator section, often by the lunch meats or deli items. These “fresh” pastas usually have a shorter shelf life and only take a few minutes to boil. You can also go the frozen ravioli route if you have a brand or flavor in mind. These options make cooking ravioli SO MUCH EASIER at home because the bulk of the work is already done for you. All you must do is add sauce and toppings and you have a wonderful meal! The recipe I want to share … Continue reading
April 27, 2022
Ham & Gruyere Quiche
A simple Ham & Gruyere Quiche is sure to please your taste buds so look no further for a quick and easy (yet delicious) breakfast that is perfect for a weekday morning or weekend brunch! If you are unfamiliar with gruyere cheese, it’s a traditional Swiss cheese that is semi-hard and has a rich, creamy, salty, and nutty flavor. It works well as a substitute for Swiss cheese in recipes but also tastes great on its own with some crackers or bread. In this quiche recipe, the gruyere cheese pairs well with the tender and salty ham and the soft and creamy eggs. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Next prepare the pie crust. If you are using frozen pie crust, make sure it has time to fully thaw before you start. If you are using refrigerated pie crust, let it sit on the counter … Continue reading
April 23, 2022
Vegan Beyond Meat Thai Lettuce Wraps
Vegan Beyond Meat Thai Lettuce Wraps are a great recipe when you are looking for something healthy or are trying to “eat clean”. They are simple to make, scrumptious, and packed with flavor. I like how customizable they are because you can add any toppings of your choosing when creating your lettuce wraps. If you are unfamiliar with lettuce wraps, think of them as a taco but with a lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla or taco shell. The recipe can be found here. Start by preparing the Beyond Meat. I personally like to use Beyond Meat in a lot of recipes and think it fits well with the flavors in this recipe. It also makes this recipe vegan if you follow a vegan lifestyle. If you don’t, feel free to substitute the Beyond Meat with ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Beyond Meat, onion, and garlic. Cook for about … Continue reading
April 18, 2022
Mediterranean Turkey Bowls with Lemon Rice
Mediterranean Turkey Bowls with Lemon Rice are my new favorite “bowls” to eat and quite honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever make regular rice again – lemon rice is where it’s at! These bowls are FULL of flavor. You have a tomato salad that is incredibly fresh, a Tzatziki sauce that is creamy and tangy, ground turkey that is perfectly seasoned and tender, and fluffy rice that is infused with a wonderful citrus flavor. The recipe can be found here. I know this recipe looks really long and complicated but it’s actually quite easy! We’re going to break it down into 4 categories: Tzatziki Sauce Tomato Salad Lemon Rice Mediterranean Turkey Our first step is to prepare the Tzatziki Sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic, and cucumber. Stir to combine then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Our … Continue reading
April 11, 2022
Easter Cocktails
One thing I always hear people talk about is Easter Brunch. Who is hosting? What are we having? So on and so forth. But what I never hear anyone talk about is Easter Cocktails. Why not add adult beverages to the celebration? Well, I did just that! I use Peeps for a festive touch and each cocktail is themed to a different Peep color. Here’s what I have for you today: Blue Peeps Cocktail Pink Peeps Cocktail Yellow Peeps Lemon Cocktail The Blue Peeps Cocktail is very citrusy and a little sweet. It reminds me of a cocktail I would drink on a tropical beach somewhere 😊 The Pink Peeps Cocktail tastes just like a vodka lemonade. Perfect on a hot summer day! The Yellow Peeps Lemon Cocktail is like a lemon drop. It’s a little sour with a sweet aftertaste. Two of the recipes call for marshmallow vodka, which I couldn’t locate, so I did have to make … Continue reading
April 10, 2022
Easter Desserts
One of my favorite parts of Easter Brunch is the desserts 😊 Everything is decorated with bunnies, Peeps, little candy eggs, etc. It’s just so cute and festive! I love to explore and create new recipes using all the seasonal candies and that’s what I’m going to share with you today – dessert ideas for your Easter celebration. First up are Birds’ Nests. I’m sure you’ve seen these before for other holidays, sometimes referred to as Haystacks. These are super easy to make and only require a few ingredients. They are sweet, crunchy, and the perfect bite-sized treat! I have 2 different flavors, Chocolate and Peanut Butter. The Chocolate Birds’ Nests recipe can be found here. The Peanut Butter Birds’ Nests recipe can be found here. Let’s start with the Chocolate Birds’ Nests. Add the chocolate and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 60 seconds, then stir. Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir again. Continue … Continue reading
April 7, 2022
Herbed Chicken Parmesan Sliders
The ultimate handheld slider sandwiches are Herbed Chicken Parmesan Sliders. They are made with ground chicken, not traditional breaded chicken, and are perfect for a crowd or when you want a lighter dinner. Top with melted mozzarella cheese, fresh marinara sauce, and crisp basil, and you have the perfect slider! I think the sliders taste best on toasted ciabatta rolls (who doesn’t love ciabatta?) but slider buns will also work just fine. The ciabatta makes the sliders feel more authentic and Italian. The recipe can be found here. My first step is to bake the ciabatta rolls. I buy bake and serve rolls, so I always get that out of the way before I prep any of the other ingredients. Then I set them aside to cool while working on the rest of the recipe. You can skip this step depending on the type of rolls you are using. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F … Continue reading
April 1, 2022
Carbonara Baked Potato
Carbonara Baked Potatoes are something we tried recently, and I would definitely make again! You are probably most familiar with Pasta Carbonara, but this is a spin on the traditional Italian dish. Carbonara is essentially pancetta or bacon, with eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and maybe a little olive oil. It’s comfort food at its finest and super yummy when paired with baked potatoes 😊 The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the potatoes. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes on all sides (plus a few extra for good measure). Rub each potato with a little olive oil and place on the baking sheet. I also like to sprinkle mine with a little salt but it’s optional. Bake for 1 hour or until tender (aka you can easily pierce the potato with a fork). While the potatoes bake, cook the bacon according to … Continue reading
March 27, 2022
Pan Seared Mediterranean Salmon
Pan Seared Mediterranean Salmon is an easy meal that comes together (from prep-time to completion) in about 30 minutes – perfect for a weeknight meal! The salmon is pan seared, which gives you a big return on texture and flavor. The skin is crispy, and the center is tender and moist. Once you add the accompanying ingredients you have a burst of Mediterranean flavors. This meal doesn’t take a lot of effort to make but will taste like it came from a restaurant. The recipe can be found here. Start by heating 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon filet(s) with salt and place in the hot pan, flesh side down (skin side up). Sear for 4-5 minutes. You want to season the salmon right before it goes in the skillet otherwise it will start to draw moisture out and leave you with some pretty dry fish to … Continue reading
March 23, 2022
Greek Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce
Greek Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Tzatziki Sauce are super easy to make, healthy, and refreshing. They are packed with zesty chicken, cool cucumbers, crisp tomato and onion, and tangy tzatziki sauce. It’s a burst of Mediterranean flavor! For us, these are simple weeknight meal. However, they would make great lunches because you can meal prep ahead of time and they are pretty light vs. filling. I recommend using bib lettuce, butter lettuce, or romaine hearts. They bib and butter lettuce create these “cups” for the ingredients to sit in and the romaine lettuce wraps the ingredients together well without ripping. If a lettuce wrap isn’t your thing, swap out the lettuce for a tortilla. The recipe can be found here. Start by making the Tzatziki Sauce. Add the Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, dill, garlic powder, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. I’ve found that … Continue reading
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