I came up with the idea for this Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad last spring, while trying to figure out a last minute side dish just before some guests were due to come for dinner. I took a quick look in the fridge, grabbed a couple of things out of the pantry, and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, the dish was a hit and after making it all summer for simple dinners and entertaining alike, I figured it was about time I shared the recipe here. 
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Despite the groundhog sighting in early February, we’re still firmly in winter wonderland around here, with no sign of it letting up. The snow is as high as we can pile it and we have so much, there isn’t a ton of room for any more. Homemade soup tastes perfect when tired from playing outside in the snow, and lately I’ve been making a ton of delicious varieties! The one thing they all have in common? Easy Slow Cooker Homemade Chicken Stock! It will blow your mind how easy this is to make, with ingredients that could really be considered “leftovers”!
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My teenaged daughter. Don’t you love when a post starts with “my teenaged daughter”? I’m sure all of you with teenagers know what is coming next. My teenaged daughter has a complicated relationship with food. Loves all sweets, but historically she’s much more picky when it comes to food with any nutritional benefit. (Read on to learn all about where we went wrong with teaching her to eat!) So when she recently found a salad at a local restaurant that she liked, I raced to recreate it so she could eat it at home. And although it’s not exactly the same, Asian Chicken Salad with Grilled Vegetables was a hit with everyone, but especially with my teenaged daughter. #momwin
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Here we are: 2017. After a crazy end to 2016 in so many ways, I am enjoying the mental reset that a new year brings. I’m not generally one for a whole list of resolutions, but I do tend to enjoy the common January focus on health, organization, and goal setting. This week’s Good Food Reads definitely reflect my current need for light, cleaner foods, and ways to get myself a little more put together – especially in the kitchen!
As we begin the new year, we are also looking to bring some changes to the bl0g. We’d love to know what you want to see more of in this space. We always love to hear from you and would be so grateful if you took a minute or two to drop us a line via email, Facebook, or Instagram and share your thoughts.
Good Food Reads for January 4, 2017
I’ve been keeping my eye out for new smoothie recipes that I can use for a quick snack or breakfast with my little guy. To be honest, I’m a bit over the green smoothie and I think this Carrot-Orange Smoothie might be just the thing to change up my routine a bit.
When it comes to breakfast, there’s very little my son loves more than pancakes. In an attempt to get a little more nutrition into those glorious carb filled breakfasts, I’m going to try these Cottage Cheese Pancakes from Weelicious.
The end of my maternity leave is fast approaching and I’m looking for some go to recipes to bring for lunches and dinners when I’m at work. The nature of my job means that I need something nutritious, easy to eat, and that doesn’t really require heating. I think these Lentil Protein Bowls from Heartbeet Kitchen will be a great option!
You guys know I’m a huge sucker for a one-pot recipe. I love to cook. I do not love to do dishes. My latest find is this recipe for Garlic Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken and Potatoes (Cafe Delites).
Mini Salmon Cakes with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta from Andie Mitchell. These little beauties are on my menu for later this week. Can’t wait to try them!
I will never stop loving brussels sprouts. I know, I know. But pair them with some salty bacon or prosciutto and they really are a thing to behold. Here, they are placed in a salad with pomegranate seeds, prosciutto and feta cheese. So many of my favorites all in one dish! Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Prosciutto (Happy Foods)
Simple Carrot Ginger Soup from Love and Lemons. This is one of those recipes that makes me feel all virtuous in my food choices. It’s also just really darn good!
And…because I’m really not that virtuous in my food choices: Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce from Let’s Eat Cake. It’s all about balance, right?!?!
I’ve been craving something sweet lately. Something to fit with the spice of the fall season. Something simple that my whole family would enjoy. And then I remembered these Fancy Carrot Cake Muffins. And who doesn’t love great tasting baked goods full of healthy veggies?…
As I sit here in my yoga pants and sweatshirt (don’t judge-it’s the weekend!), listening to the breeze ruffle the leaves, I think I finally have to admit summer is over. I am crying inside knowing that it will be a long 9 months until I can swim in the lake (fellow Minnesotans know this is actually quite optimistic, but let me have my delusions). But for all of those tears, I am also secretly excited for the beauties of fall. Football games, gorgeous brilliant leaves in all colors of the rainbow, sweatshirts (I really love them enough to give them two mentions) and of course…soup. And for the perfect meal to straddle that summer into fall weather… Thai Chicken Soup. …
Now that it is almost the middle of summer (can you believe it?), I am turning to recipes with less ingredients, less fuss and more vegetables. This Zucchini Hummus Dip fits the bill in all categories. In fact, you won’t believe how easy it is! Just a few simple ingredients and you will have a party worthy appetizer. Have some extra time? Make the hummus and pesto from scratch (hummus recipe here). In a hurry? Buy your favorite hummus and pesto from the store, and this dip will take you no more than 10 minutes to throw together!…
Vegetables. A rainbow of vegetables of every color. To me these beautiful vegetables herald summer, and we’re all ready for that here in Minnesota! I’ve been trying to add more vegetables to the foods that my family has been eating as, I must admit, we have slipped into a rut over the winter. I’d also like to be a better steward of the planet by eating less meat (this is sadly not so easy for my family). One of the things I am trying to incorporate into our weekly meal plan is Meatless Monday. These Peanut Vegetable Noodles fit the bill!…
This Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Shrimp was course number 3 in our epic dinner party. (P.S.-don’t worry if you’re having a hard time following along with our dinner party menu reveal, I promise to post the entire menu in order, with links, in a few weeks. And if you just can’t wait, it was already posted on twitter so you can check it out there!). We knew we wanted a soup course to follow our Pomegranate, Squash and Apple salad. While we were initially dreaming up plans for our blog we had a lot of “business” lunches at Lakeshore Grill at Macy’s in Ridgedale (which has been totally redone, and if you haven’t checked it out you definitely should!). Their summer soup was a carrot scallion soup that was so good, I would order it for lunch and then order a cup to take with me to my evening shift at work. Looking around the internet for a soup that would be similar to this one, brought us to this Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Shrimp from Food and Wine. Holly made the soup first, and interestingly enough, this soup is not really similar to the carrot scallion we loved-but it is fabulous in its own right, so fabulous that we decided to add it to our dinner party menu. Sometimes you find exactly what you need, exactly when you need it!
I first made this soup for some friends while up at my cabin. My friends loved it and the soup was given rave reviews. This soup is creamy and bright, with a hint of heat that is well balanced by the coconut shrimp. It is ridiculously simple to make and yet tastes complex. We served our soup not only with the coconut shrimp, but also with a peanut-cilantro gremolata. So delicious, your guests will thank you!
And if anyone has a recipe for a good Carrot Scallion soup, please let us know, we are still looking!
