When Carson isn't around for dinner, I typically eat what the kids eat. Mac & cheese with a side of peas? Sounds delicious, I'll take it. I usually feel way too lazy for any type of real effort. However, the other night my son requested ravioli with a side of crispy broccoli and cauliflower. (In case you're wondering, my daughter requested chewing gum and peanut butter on a spoon.) I realized this was something I could work with, and by adding some shaved brussel sprouts that I sautéed in browned butter, it became a very adult and very delicious meal...
Fall Pasta
(Serves 2)
1 pkg. cheese ravioli
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 T olive oil
1 cup shaved brussel sprouts
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450. On a baking sheet, add broccoli and cauliflower florets. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, shaking pan halfway to make sure everything is cooking evenly. In the meantime, prepare ravioli as directed on package (until al dente). While pasta is boiling, heat butter over medium heat in a medium skillet until it begins to brown. Add brussel sprouts and sauté for about 10 minutes, until golden, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once pasta is cooked and drained, place back in pot. Add brussel sprouts, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and toss with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.
I make a lot with cauliflower, because it's a vegetable that my children will actually eat, but chopping it up is one of my least favorite things to do. It's messy, tedious and time consuming. But yesterday I was at Target, and I came across these
Cauliflower Crumbles (did you know if you're a mom and you find yourself with a few free hours you car will actually DRIVE YOU TO TARGET all by itself??? so weird). Yes, these crumbles are a major short cut BUT WHO CARES!? Short cuts at dinnertime make for a happy household. So last night, I made a version of
these meatballs with cauliflower crumbles instead of the other vegetables it called for. They were so yummy!! They even went to the party, the party in our tummies, because sometimes we have to sing that song while we eat...
Thank you for the recipe, Audra!
Friendly friends! I am back from vacation. I am officially home, being an official, productive mom. I am putting my kids to bed before 8pm (after lots and LOTS of nighttime reading), we are eating only the healthiest of foods, and I've stopped drinking wine! Except for all of this is a lie.
Ok not all of it. I AM home. Vacation IS over. I am ATTEMPTING to be productive.
I even cooked up a Today Original pasta dish this morning, and if you missed it you can check out the segment and view the recipe
here. Baby steps to waking up early.
But GUESS WHAT?! I am going to post a recipe every, single, day this week. So take THAT you lazy, indulgent, carefree, delicious summer. Take that.
There's nothing more frustrating than the dinnertime rut... that familiar tug and pull between making the same old thing, trying something new (but what??) and calling the delivery guy. This is the main reason I've been dying to try
Blue Apron,
they take the guessing game out of your nightly routine! If you don't know about Blue Apron, it's a pretty fabulous service that sends out weekly recipes with pre-portioned, fresh ingredients in one convenient box. The meals are simple, yet unique, so you'll most likely try something you hadn't thought of making! You still get to do the cooking, but they make your prep very easy, and the recipes are extremely easy to follow with step-by-step photos as you go along. Carson and I tried out the 2-person meal plan for one week, and the other night I made the
Miso Roasted Chicken with Spring Peas and Jasmine Rice.
As a fan of miso, I LOVED this. The chicken was roasted perfectly in the oven, and the spring peas brightened everything up. I had never worked with pea shoots before, so that was fun to try, and the chopped nuts sprinkled on top gave the meal a wonderful texture. Some comments on the site say the dish is too salty, but I didn't really think so (I should mention, however, that I LOVE salt). I give this dish a two thumbs up, and I give Blue Apron three thumbs up! (I have three thumbs, it's amazing the things you learn about me on this site.)
Who doesn't love
Chipotle?! (No, that's not a rhetorical question, I really need to know if someone in this world exists who doesn't love Chipotle.) It's a magical place with fresh ingredients, quick service, salty chips and BEER! There's even beer. The kid portions rock, the guacamole is insane, and you can customize your order pretty much any way you like it. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we don't live very close to one, so I decided to make our own bowls at home!
I followed
this recipe using black beans instead of pinto (that I warmed on the stove with some chopped cilantro and green onions) and leftover grilled corn off-the-cob (with lime juice and zest). Oh, and I may have gone to the restaurant to get their guacamole and chips to-go. In case you're wondering, the Chipotle cheese is a blend of monterey jack and white cheddar. Brilliant.
What's your Chipotle go-to order?
*Even though I wrote their name 1700 times, this post was NOT sponsored by Chipotle, but hey, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE READING THIS, YOU MAGICAL PLACE YOU, FEEL FREE TO SEND ME COUPONS. That was classy.
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