Millions of peaches, peaches for me!

We went peach picking out at St. Julien Plantation in Eutawville!

There's nothing I love baking more during the summer than Peach Cobbler. Every single recipe I've come across has been different, but in my humble, untrained palate, I prefer a simpler flavor. I think any spice besides cinnamon can overpower the peaches and a little nutmeg in my cobbler can ruin it for me! So the recipes I've seen for "easy peach cobbler," don't compare to how easy this recipe I use is. It is SIMPLY the best!

SUPER Easy Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup self rising flour

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 - 3/4 stick butter (I use 1/2 in a dark casserole dish)

2 cups cut up peaches (for me, this was 3 large peaches)

Directions:

Melt butter in casserole dish. Mix sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk together to a smooth paste. Pour into middle of melted butter. DO NOT STIR!! Spoon in the peaches and resist the urge to stir! 

Bake at 325 for 90 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may not need the full 90 minutes. I like a bit of a crust so it's my preference to leave it in that long! And oh my gosh it is sooo good! Bon appetit!

This picture does NOT do it justice!

6 Recipes for Healthy Burgers

I need to be better about posting food more often! Those seem to be the entries that get the most hits! It's a day late..sorry bout that, but here's a Tasty Tuesday post with 6 healthy burgers to the heavier greaseburger option we've all come to know and love. I want to make an effort this summer to eat less red meat. I tried it for Lent this past season, and if I were to be graded, I would've scored a 78% (oops). I really love steak! And it's hard for me to pass up an opportunity to eat good BBQ or grill out. Especially now that the weather is so nice! I scoured up a few recipes I plan on trying this summer that I think you'll enjoy 

1. Quinoa turkey burger with caramelized kale and onions. 

Full recipe at Fabtastic Eats 

The recipe sounds mouthwatering! I'll definitely be trying this one first. Until last month, I'd never cooked kale before...it's so tasty sauteed with a bit of garlic! This recipe's not exactly meeting the terms of an ahimsic diet that my yoga teacher training encourages, but hey..baby steps.



2. Teriyaki salmon burger

Full recipe at Grill This, Not That

A nice pescetarian option! I had a very similar salmon burger at the First Flush Festival a few weeks ago at the Charleston Tea Plantation. I can't remember what the name of the food truck was, but they have an actual restaurant on Folly Rd. It was really good! I've never attempted making a salmon burger before so this should be interesting.



3. Green chile cheeseburger

Full recipe at Cook This, Not That

OK. Not everyone has jumped on the gluten free, vegan/vegetarian (or even pescetarian) band wagon. Here's a nice MEATY burger that's still very healthy. And not that I count calories (I don't even know what that means) but this burger is under 400 while your typical burger at a restaurant is over 1,000!



4. Spicy chickpea veggie burger

Full recipe at Running on Real Food

For those looking for a gluten free and/or vegan option, this looks great! I do love some hummus so I just may give this one a shot. I am a bit concerned about the texture and structure though, so if you happen to try this one let me know how you like it and how you kept it from falling apart!



5. Stuffed Portobello burgers with caramelized onions

Full recipe at Women's Health

I don't often cook with mushrooms, but when I do I always wish I'd made more. (Did that sound like a weird Dos Equis commercial?) Good thing this recipe makes 4!


6. Build your own vegetarian burger

You could always make your own recipe! I've discovered the perfect formula:

[1 lb beans of your choice] + [1/2 c onion, chopped and 1 garlic clove, minced] + [2 c veggies of your choice] + [3 tbsp liquid flavoring] + [4 tsp - 2 spices of your choice] + [1 c binder of your choice] + [1/2 c texture optional]

Beans - Use a food processor but watch your consistency. You don't want it too emulsified. For beans I recommend using lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans. But remember black beans can be pretty dominant and even if you use a little, you're making a black bean burger no matter what you use next

Veggies - I suggest carrots, celery, spinach, kale, artichoke, zucchini, or squash

Liquid flavoring - Mix and match from the following: ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, teriyaki, buffalo, balsamic vinegar, salsa, pasta sauce

Spice - I suggest combining at least 2 of the following: paprika, cumin, chili powder, italian seasoning, black pepper, cayenne pepper, fennel, oregano, curry powder, and salt IF your liquid flavoring doesn't already contain any

Binder - I recommend sweet potato, bread crumbs or panko, quinoa, buckwheat, or oatmeal

Texture - I recommend avocado, sun dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, or crushed cashew, walnut, or almond

*TIP:: If your patties are too mushy and not holding the shape, add a bit of flour or baking powder!*

There are countless wonderful recipes online for healthy burgers and vegetarian options. If you have one you particularly love, share it with me in a comment down below!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This was MMM mmm good! Stephen made this a while ago; he found this recipe on AllRecipes and it turned out amazing. That's cooked rice, steamed with some green beans there in the background.

Sweet and Sour chicken recipe found here

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp garlic salt

10 chicken tenders (or a package of chicken tenderloins)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup chicken brother

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Pour cornstarch and garlic salt into large resealable bag

3. Dip chicken strips in beaten egg and drop in cornstarch mixture. Shake chicken in bag until all pieces are fully coated

4. Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes.

5. Stir vinegar, sugar, chicken broth, ketchup, soy sauce, and salt together in bowl.

6. Arrange browned chicken in baking dish and pour vinegar mixture over the chicken.

7. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Spot check for color- should come out golden!

Spicy Sausage Pasta

I've had this recipe pinned for over two years! About time I decide to make it!

From Kevin and Amanda

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage (I used Johnsonville mild Italian sausage)

1 1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz penne pasta (I used elbow maccarroni because 3 years ago, Christian bought 10 boxes

"because they were on sale"--and I've been trying to get rid of them ever since)

1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I used the last of the Fontina cheese)

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions

1. Add olive oil to skillet and cook sausage and onions til light brown.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt, and pepper. Stir together and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for about 15 minutes (or until pasta is tender).
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 of your cheese.  Top with the remaining cheese and scallions (do not stir!) Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

6 layer salad

This year, we introduced a new recipe into our typical "Easter with the family" food spread. I've seen several recipes for this 6 layer salad before, all with slight variations, but since I'd given up mammals for Lent, any recipe including bacon was out of the question.

Mom found this recipe at Taste of Home online. We both get the magazine in the mail, but I'm glad she is starting to use her iPhone for more than just group messaging!  I particularly like this recipe because of the chicken, it's super simple, and also because you make it the night before and less worry in the morning.

From Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups uncooked small pasta shells

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cups shredded lettuce (I recommend red leaf or romaine)

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 package (10 oz) frozen peas, thawed

Dressing

1 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

2 green onions, chopped

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Toppings

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby or Monterey Jack cheese (we used Colby)

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package; drain and rinse with cold water.  Drizzle with oil and toss to coat
2. Place the lettuce in a 2 1/2 qt. glass serving bowl; top with pasta and eggs. (It could look more aesthetically pleasing to stand your eggs up sideways against the glass if you're into the whole presentation thing!) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Layer chicken and peas.
4. In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients until blended and spread over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Salad

Listen to my words carefully: You NEED to make this soon!

Today's recipe is so easy! I love crock pot recipes. Set it in the morning, and dinner is served when you get home. Often I get so busy at work that I forget it's cooking, so it's an added bonus when I remember before I leave work that I don't have to cook 

I made several phenomenal changes to this Crock Pot Chicken & Black bean taco salad recipe that I highly suggest adopting. It is hands down the best chicken recipe I've ever eaten. So yummy, this definitely gets 2 thumbs up!!

From Skinny Taste

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp reduced sodium taco seasoning 

(Instead of taco seasoning I used 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp oregano)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

1 cup salsa (Consider using a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies)

For the salad:

6 cups chopped romaine or red leaf (I used red leaf)

1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend (I still had shredded Fontina and Cheeder cheese left over from this recipe)

1/2 cup avocado cilantro buttermilk dressing 

(y'all know I hate cilantro, I completely nixed that ingredient) 

Directions

Place the chicken in the slow cooker (I cubed the chicken so it cooked a little faster than the recommended 4 hours) and season with taco seasoning (or the substitutes I used) and cumin. Pour the beans over the chicken and top with salsa.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily shreds with 2 forks. (You could cook it on high for 2 hours if you forgot to set the crock pot before leaving in the morning...which has definitely happened to me before!) Shred the chicken and combine with the beans and sauce. 

Keep warm until ready to eat.

To serve

I crushed up blue tortilla chips (leftover from this recipe) and regular tortilla chips and placed them at the bottom of a bowl. Then, I topped with a handful of lettuce, then a few scoops of chicken, then topped with cheese! The Fontina cheese instead of the Mexican blend was ahhhhmazing!

Prepare for heaven in your mouth. Bon appetit!

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Believe it or not, this was the very first chili recipe I've ever cooked. A meatless chili.....I know. My father is shaking his head, I'm sure of it. One thing he and I will both quickly admit though, this is hands down the best smelling pot of goodness we've ever inhaled. Literally, and figuratively!

From Two Peas and their Pod

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (I would've liked having one more carrot)

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2-3 tbsp chili powder, depending on your taste (I used two)

1 tbsp ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Click the link in the above picture for full directions! Enjoy :-)

Cheesy Black Bean + Quinoa Taco Bake

For Lent this year, I've given up eating meat red meat ..ok, mammals. I started off saying red meat when explaining my decision to family and friends, and apparently there's a bit of confusion of what is considered red meat. So to clear all confusion (unless you're my friend Layla, who actually was caught saying 'Birds are mammals' hehehe), let's just say I'm giving up eating mammals, because..well, baby steps. I really REALLY love seafood and chicken :-)

One of my veg friends sent over this recipe and I must say, it was very tasty! I had Shannon over because this recipe makes enough for a family of 6 and I definitely can't eat that many helpings. 

Just kidding Shannon! Her one duty was to chop the avocado only because I don't know how to! I've never used an avocado in my cooking before, I don't even know how to peel it. (Do you even peel it?!?) But there is an apparent window of opportunity when an avocado is "ready" and this one, was not yet ready. Oops. Anyways, here's the recipe:

Cheesy Black Bean + Quinoa Taco Bake

From Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded + chopped (I only used one)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

a good pinch of  cayenne pepper (more or less to your taste)

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups quinoa (use 2 1/2 cups for a larger dish)

2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if using canned

1 lime, juice (I did not use this)

1 cup Mexican beer or water (I used Dox Equis)

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/3 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup sharp white chedder, shredded

1 cup fontina, shredded

Toppings

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I did not use this, I hate cilantro)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, diced (Oops, I didn't use this)

1 head butter lettuce, chopped (I just used Iceberg shreds)

Queso fresco, crumbled

Blue or yellow corn tortilla chips

Click the link above for directions. It's quite easy once you've done all the prep work.
Bon appetit!