Food Archives - Page 25 of 30 - A Blonde's Moment

zucchini + chickpea + quinoa burgers

August 15, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Zucchini + Chickpea + Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions

1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 zucchini, peeled & roughly chopped
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh spinach
Burger buns
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dijon aioli:

1/2 cup mayo {I used low fat}

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Begin by cooking quinoa according to package directions {see how I cook my quiona here}. Place zucchini and chickpeas in food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Continue to pulse {or just leave the food processor on} until completely combined and smooth {the consistency should look like hummus}. Transfer to large bowl. Once quiona has finished cooking, remove from the heat and allow to cool, at least 20 minutes. Once cool, add the quinoa to the chickpea and zucchini mixture. Stir in the panko bread crumbs. With an ice cream scoop, form patties on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook for 10 minutes, flip the patties and then cook another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Dijon aioli: In a small bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, Dijon and whole grain mustards, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until burgers are ready. To assemble the burgers: turn broiler on and place burger buns under the broiler to toast, about 3 minutes. With a spoon, place 1 tablespoon of aioli on each side of the bun followed by the burger and fresh spinach, if desired. This recipe made six average size burgers.

I love experimenting with different veggies for veggie burgers. I’ve been on a real “zucchini kick” as of late (see here, here, here) and I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into a veggie burger {that didn’t include my regular black bean burgers}. I love the combination of the chickpeas with the zucchini and Dijon mustard, it was almost like eating a crab cake! And by adding quinoa, it gave the burgers a different texture and were also much more filling. What are your favorite kinds of veggies to add to veggie burgers? Let me know in the comments section of this post!

p.s. We are only 2 days away from the giveaway closing! Make sure you “like” A Blonde’s Moment on Facebook, share the giveaway on your Facebook and leave me a comment here that you have done both. You don’t want to miss out on this free Essie nail polish giveaway!!

portobello + brie sandwiches with kale pesto

August 13, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I definitely have an obsession with pesto. And it’s even better when you make it fresh at home. To change things up, I thought I would use kale instead of the traditional basil for this pesto. All I can say is wow! The kale gives you the same color and similar taste as the basil pesto, but the texture is a little thicker, which is perfect for sandwiches {and even pasta!}. That’s the other great thing about this kale pesto recipe, it makes a lot. You will definitely be able to use this for another weeknight dinner 🙂 So not only was the kale pesto delicious, the way the Portobello and brie melted together was so savory!! This was a pretty quick weeknight meal and the best part is you have some fresh kale pesto that you can toss with pasta later in the week for a super-fast weeknight meal! Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Portobello + Brie Sandwiches with Kale Pesto

4 Portobello mushroom caps

6 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced
1 loaf ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the kale pesto:

3 cups kale {I used Tuscan kale}

2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After cleaning the portobello mushrooms, place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush each mushroom cap with olive oil and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto: begin by toasting the nuts in a dry saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add pine nuts and garlic cloves to food processor and pulse for a few seconds to chop. Add the kale, in batches, pulsing each time to break chop the kale. Add salt and pepper and the juice of 1 lemon; pulse again to combine. While food processor is on and running, slowly add the olive oil. Once combined, add the Parmesan cheese and blend until fully incorporated. Once the mushrooms are finished roasting, remove from the oven and slice into 1/2 – 1 inch slices. Increase oven temperature to broil. To assemble sandwiches, place about a tablespoon {or just enough pesto to cover the slice} on each side of the ciabatta bread. Place the mushroom slices followed by the brie cheese on the bottom slice of bread. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and serve!

P.S. Check out my Essie Fall 2014 Collection nail polish giveaway here! All you have to do is “like” A Blonde’s Moment on Facebook, post the link to the giveaway on your Facebook or blog and leave me a comment here to let me know you did both! Giveaway close this Saturday {8/16} at midnight EST! The winner will be randomly picked and announced Sunday morning! You don’t want to miss out on the new fall Essie colors! Good luck!!

almond butter

August 12, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Have you jumped on the almond butter craze yet? I’ve been reading so much about almond butter lately, I thought I would look for it at the grocery store. {As a side note, I love peanut butter so this just seemed great!} Like peanut butter, the almond butter you buy in the store isn’t just the almonds or the peanuts…there is also a lot of sugar. So after deciding that I just couldn’t possibly afford that amount of sugar for a “snack”, I continued with my shopping list. While walking by the aisle with all the bulk items, like sunflower seeds and nuts, I saw the bag of almonds. I thought to myself, can I just make my own almond butter? Well the answer to that is a YES! The natural oils in the almonds break down to create a butter without adding any sugar or additional oil. And let me tell you, it’s addicting. I made it on Sunday and I have been craving it since! I have been spreading it on an English muffin for breakfast and dipping celery in it for a snack. It is a similar consistency to peanut butter, but in my opinion, the almond butter has such a great flavor. And the recipe {if you even want to call it that!} is so easy, you won’t believe it!!

Homemade Almond Butter

2 10.25-ounce bags raw almonds

1 food processor

Place the almonds in a food processor {warning: it’s going to be pretty loud until all the almonds get chopped!} Continue running the food processor, scraping down the sides as you go, for about 10 minutes or until a creamy consistency forms! Place in a Tupperware container and refrigerate.

Such a fun and delicious “recipe” that is so perfect for breakfast and snacks! Enjoy!!

farmers market vegetable lasagna

August 11, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I couldn’t get over all the local vegetables I found at Wegmans this past weekend. I just had to make something with all these vegetables and what better way than to feature them in an all vegetable lasagna! Not only is this lasagna fresh, but also good for the waistline! By replacing the traditional pasta with all vegetables, you have a healthy meal on your hands. Even the “red sauce” is a red pepper-based sauce {last seen here}. Take advantage of this recipe now while the vegetables are fresh! Thanks for reading and happy farmers market shopping!

Farmers Market Vegetable Lasagna

1 eggplant, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms (I used a blend of baby bella, shitake & oyster)
2 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 12-ounce jar piquillo peppers, drained (or other red pepper), roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese {I used part skim}
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and place thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash on baking sheet. Brush vegetables with olive oil or give them a quick spray of cooking spray; cook for 20 minutes, flipping the vegetables halfway through {season with salt and pepper, if desired}. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and sauté the mushrooms until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a small bowl. In the same skillet, add another 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the piquillo or other red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Place pepper, onion and garlic mixture in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Once vegetables are roasted, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Begin to assemble the lasagna: spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the red pepper sauce on the bottom of the dish, just to cover the bottom. Assemble in the following layers: eggplant, 1/3 of the spinach, yellow squash, 1/3 of the spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, the last 1/3 of spinach, tomato slices and top with the rest of the red pepper sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place foil over the lasagna and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cheese begins to brown. Let sit for at least 5 minutes and serve.

Here are the step-by-step pictures:

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the Essie Fall 2014 giveaway here. Giveaway closes Saturday {August 16th} at midnight EST. The winner will be randomly pick and announced Sunday morning! Good luck!

red pepper pasta

August 8, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I am so obsessed with this pasta. Not only is it a quick dinner, but it’s surprisingly healthy {doesn’t it look like a high-calorie pink sauce?!} I love the idea of taking different vegetables and blending them to make a sauce. But most of the time, jarred peppers are packed in oil, which means more calories. I recently discovered these grilled piquillo peppers at the store that are packed in water! What a concept!! This is so much healthier than the roasted red peppers that are packed in a ton of oil. If you can’t find the peppers packed in water, I would suggest draining and rinsing the peppers before adding them to the onion and garlic 🙂 As for the type of pepper to look for, anything will work! The piquillo pepper has a sweet flavor with no heat, but experiment with different peppers if you are looking for more spice!

Happy Friday everyone and enjoy the weekend!

Stay tuned, a big surprise is coming to A Blonde’s Moment in a few days!! Thanks for reading!

Red Pepper Pasta

1 12 ounce jar red peppers, roughly chopped (I used piquillo peppers packed in water)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pasta (I used Barilotti, but any short pasta will work)
7-8 basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (more for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking pasta according to package instructions; drain pasta well. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the piquillo peppers and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Place the onion, garlic and pepper mixture plus 1 tablespoons Parmesan cheese in a food processor; blend until smooth. Place the red pepper sauce back in the same large skillet and turn off the heat. Transfer cooked pasta to the large skillet and toss with red pepper sauce to evenly coat. Stir in the basil and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

roasted chickpea + cauliflower tacos with avocado-lime crema

August 7, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

These tacos are one of my very favorite dinners. It is so simple and so quick to make…perfect for any weeknight! The cauliflower and chickpea filling is so amazing, I catch myself eating it by itself before I even assemble the tacos! And the avocado-lime cream is so creamy, it compliments the cauliflower and chickpeas perfectly! This time, I used flour tortillas {I normally use corn tortillas, which are much healthier, but Wegmans is in the process of moving everything in the store and the corn tortillas were missing!} but not only do corn tortillas work, but this mixture would be great over a salad! Happy cooking and thanks for reading!

roasted-chickpea-cauliflower-tacos-avocado-lime-crema

Roasted Chickpea + Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado-Lime Crema

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon chili pepper powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Flour or corn tacos of your choice

For the Avocado-Lime Crema:

1 avocado, pitted & peeled
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3-4 tablespoons lime juice
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower florets and chickpeas with all the spices, lime juice and olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. For avocado-lime crema: add avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, cumin, lime juice and salt to food processor. Blend until smooth. Check seasoning and add more lime juice if necessary. Keep refrigerated while cauliflower and chickpeas are cooking.

Once cauliflower and chickpeas are done, you can wrap your corn or flour tortillas in foil and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until warm. To assemble tacos, place a spoonful of cauliflower and chickpea mixture on taco and top with avocado-lime crema.

white peach + blueberry sangria

August 6, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I made this Saturday and it was so refreshing and delicious! The white peaches and blueberries not only gave the drink a great flavor but also such a pretty presentation!! Try it out this weekend — it makes for the perfect summer cocktail!

White Peach + Blueberry Sangria

1 750 mL bottle Cava {you could also use Prosecco}

2 white peaches, diced
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups ice {more for each glass if desired}

Place peaches and blueberries in pitcher.

Add the ice.

Pour the Grand Marnier over the ice followed by the Cava. Stir in sugar. Serve immediately.

caprese mac + cheese

August 5, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I cook healthy most of the time. But sometimes, you just want to eat something rich, delectable and well just not that good for you! For me this week, it was mac and cheese. There is nothing like mac and cheese. Barefoot Contessa was making it this past week and I instantly had a craving for it! What I liked most about her recipe was the use of Gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese. For my recipe, I decided to use both cheeses Barefoot Contessa used, while adding the mix of Mexican cheese. I also used fat free milk {I couldn’t be totally unhealthy 😉 } and added tomatoes and basil to freshen up the dish. Happy cooking and enjoy!

Caprese Mac + Cheese

1 pound pasta

1 quart milk {I used fat free in an effort to save some calories}

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese {I used Sargento}
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 cup panko

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Begin by cooking pasta according to the package directions; drain well when finished cooking. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, over low heat. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Whisk in the flour and cooked for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for another 2 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove pot from the heat and add Gruyere, cheddar and Mexican cheese and pepper. Stir in the drained pasta. Add the tomatoes and fresh basil and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Combine butter with panko and sprinkle on top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the pasta begins to brown on top.

Spicy Pepper Pizza

August 4, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

For this pizza, I used a mix of fresh and canned peppers. You can really use any kind of pepper you like or whatever your grocery store has, which makes this recipe even better. There was a “locally grown” section at Wegmans this past week, and the sweet Italian peppers looked so good, I had to find something to use them in. And, while browsing the extensive pepper section, {Wegmans is truly amazing!} I found the hot cherry peppers. Not only was the pepper mixture spicy and delicious, the colors were absolutely beautiful! What types of peppers would you add to this pizza?!

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Spicy Pepper Pizza

1 sweet Italian pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
6 ounce jar hot cherry peppers, drained & rinsed
8 ounce jar banana peppers, drained & rinsed
1 14 ounce jar chunky pizza sauce
1 store-bought pizza dough
1 fresh mozzarella ball, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the red and green bell peppers and the sweet Italian pepper in slices. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add all the peppers and season with a little salt. Sauté until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, work the pizza dough onto a sheet or pizza pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread a layer of the pizza sauce on the dough. Evenly space mozzarella slices on top of the sauce. Once peppers are soft, disperse the peppers across the pizza to cover. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Cook about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

kale + quinoa salad

July 31, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

This is the perfect healthy summer salad recipe. It is light and refreshing but with the kale and quinoa, it’s definitely enough for a meal. This was my first time using Tuscan kale {I normally use the more common, curly kale} and it was great! Tuscan kale is a little sweeter and much more delicate than curly kale. For this recipe, you can use curly or Tuscan kale – I just decided to go with the Tuscan since I had never seen it in the store 🙂 Take advantage of the warm weather and fresh vegetables while you can – this is the perfect salad for this time of year! Also, be sure to check out some of my other favorite quinoa recipes (here, here, here)

Thanks for reading and happy salad making!!

Kale + Quinoa Salad

2 ½ cups Tuscan kale, de-ribbed

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pint cherry orange tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the quinoa according to package directions. {See how I cook my quinoa here} Once the vegetables are prepared, add the kale, zucchini, red pepper, black beans and tomatoes to a salad bowl. To make the lemon vinaigrette: add lemon juice to a small bowl. While whisking, add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the vegetables. Toss with lemon vinaigrette. Top with avocado slices.