Baked Sole with Avocado Mango Salsa

Need dinner in 20 minutes? Don't worry, I have you covered!

This baked sole with avocado mango salsa tastes fresh and summery. It's the perfect piece of paradise in the middle of this insane winter. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with tin foil. 

Place fish on tin foil and season with old bay, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until fish is white and flakey.

While fish is cooking, dice an avocado and a mango. Mix in a bowl with olive oil, pepper, fresh parsley. Let rest until fish is cooked. 

I made sweet and spicy green beans on the side and had leftover rice, and it was perfect. The green beans take 10 minutes - just saute them on the stove top in coconut oil, salt, red pepper flakes to taste and black pepper. 

I used sole, but feel free to use whatever fish you would like. Either way, it's so easy and so delicious and too quick not to make! Enjoy!

Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes

I am not usually super into Mediterranean food (I have had Mexican food 7 of the past 9 days) but this recipe was incredible. I adapted it from this recipe from the Minimalist Baker and it blew my mind.

This meal is meat free, but SUPER filling and comforting. It's everything I love - fresh, garlicky, spicy, warm and comforting. It's just everything.

Vegan Veggie Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Biscuits

I can't even tell you how excited I am about this recipe. I just made it, and Sean said it is the best thing I've ever made. And I've made A LOT. And he eats A LOT. But this is THAT GOOD.

Doesn't this just look like a hug?

This is the perfect winter dish - warm, creamy, filling, comforting. There is not anything not to love about it. Plus you can make it with regular dairy, or make it vegan using unsweetened coconut or almond milk. It's like choosing your own adventure.

I made one all in one dish, but you can use individual ramekins.

I adapted it from this Minimalist Baker recipe.

Whole Wheat Biscuit Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter, cold
• 1 cup milk (I used whole)

To make biscuits:

• In food processor, mix dry ingredients. 
• Add butter in chunks, and pulse a few times until mixture looks like sand and butter is spread throughout. If you don't have a food processor, you can do this with a fork or by hand, but work quickly as to not get the butter warm.
• Put flour/butter mixture in bowl and form a well. Slowly pour milk into flour and mix. The mixture should be sticky, and may not be fully formed. That's okay, just try to get it all incorporated and not over work it.
• Place dough on a well floured surface. Knead gently, 4-5 times and flatten to about 1 inch thick, being careful not to overwork the dough. 
• Cut out biscuits with biscuit cutter or other similar size object (I've used a glass before). 
• Put aside until ready to top pot pie. 

MMMMMMM biscuits.

Veggie Pot Pie Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 2 cups vegetables - I used 3/4 red potato, 2 carrots, 1ish stalks of celery and a little leftover broccoli
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning (use less or more to taste)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

To make veggie pot pie:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat, then add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt – stir. Cook until soft – about 7 minutes.
3. Add the flour and stir with a whisk, then slowly whisk in the broth.
4. Add almond milk, bay leaves and stir. Simmer until the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). If it still appears too thin, scoop out 1/2 cup of the broth and add 1-2 Tbsp more flour and whisk. Add back into the pot to thicken. Wait a few minutes, then repeat if necessary.
5. While the sauce is thickening, prepare biscuits (if using). Cut out, leave unbaked, and set aside.
6. Once the sauce is thickened, add the frozen vegetables and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
7. Discard the bay leaves and divide the mixture evenly between 5-6 lightly greased ramekins or a 8×8 baking dish. Top with vegan biscuits and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted vegan butter. Set your 8×8 dish or ramekins on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly (about 14-17 minutes). Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Food to Good to Photograph

I'm sharing a totally awesome recipe with you - but you'll just have to take my word for it. It was so good and we were so hungry, I didn't get a chance to take any photos! It's Sweet Potato and Black Eyed Peas Tacos.

Below is the picture from the original post on She Likes Food.

I made them exactly as the recipe calls for, but without pomegranate. We went the more tex-mex route with avocado, but I think the poms would have added a nice freshness. Maybe next time!

Anyway, enjoy these for dinner this week - too easy and too yummy!

Coconut Curry Chickpeas, Please!

I had a small lunch today, so when dinner rolled around I was so hungry. Like snack on anything available while you're cooking, hungry. Okay, I was hangry. I needed something that would come together quick - and I knew exactly what it would be.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas. In 20-25 minutes, this meal is on the plate. Let's be honest, you can't even get take out that fast.

Lentil Chili: Healthy Comfort Food at Its Finest

Well, we are back from our amazing whirl wind wedding week and honeymoon! It really was the trip of a lifetime. I was so ready to come home and really, FINALLY, get settled into our new home. Instead, we came home with a head cold (me) and food poisoning (Sean). So needless to say, we're pretty much still living like hobos with wedding bags unpacked and boxes waiting to be organized.


Yesterday I was finally feeling better, and wanted some warm comfort food to go with the blustery fall weather. But I wanted something healthy too, because I want to make sure I kick this cold for good.

The First Supper

Last night I was organized enough to cook our first meal in our new home. This was a big deal for me, because between the move, the wedding and work I have not cooked in about two weeks. Two weeks too long in my opinion.

I picked something simple but super delicious. I based it off this recipe, but didn't make the sauce, because I'm not that organized yet.

Instead, I just sliced up some avocado and topped the burritos with salsa and greek yogurt. Delish.

The Hawaiian One Pot Wonder

A few nights ago, I tried a new recipe that required pretty much every pot, spoon, knife, cutting board and measuring cup we own. Sean, who usually does the dishes, did not love it. So Friday night I figured I'd save both of us some time and whip up this easy, delicious, healthy one pot wonder - Hawaiian Sloppy Joe's. 

It's based off this vegan recipe by Chef Chloe, who I love. However, her recipe calls for mushrooms, which I'm allergic to, and Sean likes meat, so I've adapted it. You can use hers, mine or a combo! Either way - dinner will be done in no time and with only one pot to clean. And that's something we all love.

I put them on mini Hawaiian Bread rolls,
to keep with the Hawaiian theme. 

Easter Dinner

Though I'm not 100% Italian (okay, not even 50%), it's my favorite side. I have a lot of Italian traits - I'm loud, I'm passionate and I love to cook. I cook when I'm happy, I cook when I'm sad, I cook when I'm angry, and I cook when I'm celebrating. (I also cook when I'm just hungry. That happens too).

So, since I was feeling a little blue and missing my family on Sunday, I decided to whip up an awesome meal. I made eggplant manicotti and homemade whole wheat bread (WAY better than store bought and no preservatives or added crap!). It was AMAZING! We'll start with the main dish:

Eggplant Manicotti:

You need:
1 Eggplant
1 cup Ricotta Cheese (I use organic whole)
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or just parmesan is fine)
1 cup fresh basil (chopped)
2 cups tomato sauce (I use Trader Joe's organic tomato basil)
Mozzarella to top (I only use a little fresh, some people like a lot, so however much you want)

Here's how:

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Cut the top and bottom off the eggplant and two sides, so its kind of a square, and you can stand it on its bottom. Slice the eggplant longway, top to bottom, in about 1/4 inch thick slices. (I ended up with about 9 and one sorta wonky thin one from the end)
• Place the eggplant on parchment paper lined baking sheets,  spray with olive oil (or brush), and sprinkle with salt and paper. 
• Roast eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes (I had them on two trays, so at 10 minutes I swapped the racks so they cooked evenly).
• Take eggplant out to cool after it's roasted, but leave the oven on.
• Grab your pan, and pour 3/4 cup of sauce into the bottom (I used my 2 quart square pyrex dish).
• While cooling, mix the 1 cup of ricotta, 1 cup of basil, and 1/4 cup of parmesan in a bowl.
• When the eggplant is warm but cool enough to handle, scoop about 1 tbsp of the ricotta mixture into the bottom end of an eggplant strip. Roll up (like a jelly-roll) to the top, then place the eggplant seam side down into the sauce. Repeat with all the slices of eggplant.
• Pour remaining sauce on top and top with some extra parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
• Put back in the oven, about 18 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

And ta-da, you have a delicious, healthy, gluten free amazing meal. It's about 150 calories per each slice of eggplant. 

There it is, all rolled up!

The bread recipe is from the website A Well Floured Kitchen, and I used it almost verbatim. I ran out of whole wheat pastry flour after about 3.5 cups, so the rest was plain ol' whole wheat flour. The bread came out awesome, though I didn't make the top cuts big enough, so it didn't get that crusty separation. 

Now that I've made and ate this delish meal, I'm happy again. Which is a perfect emotion for heading back into the kitchen for some dessert!