New Year's Feast

Happy New Year! To ring in 2013 we had a traditional dinner to bring us some folksy good-luck. Our spread included colcannon and black-eyed-peas to keep with tradition and pheasant because Ben is an excellent shot.

When all else fails, polenta

So you have a fridge full of leftovers and don't have a lot of time to put into making a meal but don't feel like eating the same thing over and over again. I totally get it. We've all been there.

There is one staple I keep in my pantry to help out with this problem that I think you should know about.

In the Kitchen: Last minute dinners

Last night's last-minute dinner battle.

Ever have those nights when you come home from work to a nearly empty refrigerator or pantry? Last night was one of those nights. We have our first CSA delivery (so excited) coming today so I have been holding off on going to the grocery store which has been economical but leaves us with very few ingredients for dinner.

It is these times where I do something dorkier than most. I play "Iron Chef" in my head. You may or may not know that one of my dreams in life would be to judge and Iron Chef (Original or American...I'm not picky) competition. I know. Nerd alert. Now you know one of my deep, dark secrets.

Anyways, last night I decided I had two bell peppers, brown rice, an onion and some frozen spinach. So I cooked up the rice, caramelized the onions and then when both were done threw in the spinach, salt, pepper, and some olive oil. I halved the peppers, put the rice mixture into them and then popped them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

It was a fly by the seat of my pants kind of dinner but in the end the Judge's Council ruled it a success. And by Judge's Council, I mean Ben.

I would love to know, if you care to share, what you do when you are in a crunch at dinner time. Do you throw a few things together or have some go-to meals that you always on hand? Or do you just say "the hell with it" and order take out? I'd love to know!

In the Kitchen: Roasted Sweet Potato & Veggie Tacos

Warm weather is a great excuse to pretend like you live in a place where it's this toasty and sunny all year round. And what better way to play the role than with food? This recipe is extremely easy and puts a vegetarian twist on the simple taco.

With just a few simple steps, you have a delicious, quick and pretty healthy meal that is perfect for just one or for many!

What you need:

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Sweet Potato

1 Red onion

1 Yellow Zucchini 

2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

Whole Wheat Tortillas

The Plan:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cube sweet potato and zucchini. Chop Red Pepper and onion. Coat with olive oil, add spices, toss together and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender. From there, wrap up your veggies in a tortilla. Add lettuce, advocado, and salsa to taste. This will make about 6 small tacos. 

A few tips:

I took 2 tablespoons of non-fat greek yogurt and mixed in a couple dashes of cumin and spread it on the tortilla before assembling the rest of the taco. It's a great non-fat sour cream substitute. For a warm and toasted tortilla place one in a hot oiled pan for 10 seconds then flip for another 10. For a thirst-quenching treat, pair these tacos with La Paloma or a Michelada.