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An amazing dinner experiment and picture update


I am so excited I could literally burst! Not only did I experiment with tonight’s side dish and SUCCEED but we’ve also made amazing headway on our apartment. For your your enjoyment i’ve included a few pics!

Tonight I decided to go out on
a limb and experiment with our side recipe! dish. We were

having chicken/mushroom/tomato/pepper kabobs and I knew I wanted something tasty and summery to accompany the dinner. Bo’s favorite vegetables are squash and zucchini and we both love anything with Mexican flavors. That is when my Mexican Stuffed Squash and Zucchinis were created!
Mexican Stuffed Squash and Zucchini
* 2 medium zucchini and 2 medium squash(about 8 ounces each), washed

* Salt and ground black pepper

* Olive Oil Pam spray

* 1 medium onion, chopped fine

* 1 large red pepper or 2 small peppers (red or yellow)

* 2 large garlic cloves, minced

* 1 Tbsp Mexican seasoning

*1 large bunch of cilantro
* 1/4 c salsa
* 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained well (about 1 1/2 cups)

* 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups) (or other cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, halve each zucchini lengthwise. With small grapefruit spoon, scoop out seeds and most of flesh so that walls of zucchini are 1/4 inch thick. Season cut sides of zucchini and squash with salt and pepper, and spraywith 1 Pam; set halves cut-side down on baking sheet. Roast until slightly softened and skins are wrinkled, about 10 minutes; Using tongs, flip zucchini halves over on baking sheet and set aside.

3. Heat approx tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add onion, salt and pepper, spices, and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and salsa; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in black beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in cilantro and taste to season.

4. Place filling in food processor and pulse for 2-3 seconds on low just to mix and smooth the ingredients. Divide filling evenly among squash halves on baking sheet, pack lightly; sprinkle with grated cheese. Return baking sheet to oven and bake zucchini until heated through and cheese is spotty brown, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

ENJOY! We loved it and enjoyed it with our salad and kabobs!

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A Healthier Pad Thai Recipe

This week both Bo and I were craving Pad Thai in all its peanut greatness. But, since we’ve become more aware of our food selection we knew ordering take out was not the best idea. I sought out the advice of many different blog queens who all had wonderful suggestions. But, based on the ingredients I had on hand, and the flavor we were craving, I ended up using a great recipe that Aimee sent me. This was a great choice as it was fresh, bursting with flavor, very easy, and probably half the price of what we would have paid for NYC pad thai from a restuarant we’d trust.
The recipe below is Aimee’s recipe and I have included my adjustments in red. In addition, for your reference, i’ve added links to some other great recipes that were shared with me upon my email request on Tuesday.
Enjoy!

Aimee’s Healthier Pad Thai

Ingredients:

8 oz. rice noodles We used two packages of Shirataki Noodles instead

1 lb. tofu We used 1 lb cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 T “crunchy” natural peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar or stevia
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup lime juice (or lemon)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 cups bean sprouts
1 small bunch green onions, chopped, including greens
1 small onion, chopped

2 cups of mixed vegetables, steamed, microwaved or stir-fried

3/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 T sesame, peanut, or canola oil

Water as needed

Optional:
1″ piece of ginger minced or powdered ginger
Sliced lemons

Directions:

  • Prepare rice noodles, drain and set aside.
  • Squeeze tofu completely dry. Cut tofu in 1/4″ to 1/2″ squares and set aside.
  • Mix peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  • In wok, stir fry garlic and tofu in 1 T oil until lightly browned.
  • Add remaining oil, onions, and optional ginger stir fry two minutes.
  • Add vegetables, water if needed, stir fry one minute.
  • Add peanut mixture, bean sprouts, and noodles. Stir fry until all is hot and sauce thickens.
  • Garnish with optional sliced lemons.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Enjoy!

Other Pad Thai Recipes:

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ashleyd /

Three questions Thursday, new pictures, and winner winner chicken dinner!

*I thought this post went up last night but evidently I saved it instead of publishing it. Sorry for the delay!*


Per Iowa Girl’s tradition , it’s 3 Questions Thursday so here goes. 


  1. What’s your favorite season?  I absolutely love summer. I think it has to do with the fact that it is light for hours so you can enjoy the day more and be more productive. In addition, I live in cute summer dresses and my rainbows though i’m currently searching for a more “NYC appropriate” pair of sandals. If anyone has suggestions please send them my way. I am looking for two- one for the commute/long walks in the city and the other are just for evenings out in the city. 
  2. What was your favorite television show growing up? My family would laugh so hard if they knew I was telling you this but I used to be OBSESSED with Rescue 911. I don’t know if anyone else remembers it but I think it was on around 8pm on Tuesday nights. (I have a really scary memory folks- ask Bo). I would make my family watch this show religiously and since we only had one tv when I was growing up everyone had the joy of hearing “Rescue 911 what’s the cause of your emergency” 
  3. Where/how do you want to retire? I want to retire and enjoy life. My goal is to do all the things that take too much time for me to currently enjoy. For example, I have the opportunity to play golf 3-4x per year right now which is far to little to actually hone my skills. My aunt has epitomized what I hope my retirement to be like. She is more active now than ever before, enjoys countless hours of cooking, entertaining, and laughing over great wine and activity. 

Yesterday was fabulous for many reasons some of which were the GORGEOUS weather we enjoyed in NYC, the breeze our apartment gets when I have all the windows open, our wonderful dinner which I’ll discuss later in the post, and OUR SOFA AND CHAIR ARRIVED! Seriously guys, I was jumping up and down when the front desk called to let me know they were escorting the van guys up with our furniture. The color turned out perfectly and now they are screaming to be adorned with a comfy throw and some vibrant pillows . I’m currently lusting over a few at Pottery Barn and think i’ll have to put our two 10% Welcome to the Neighborhood coupons to good use this weekend! Last night when Bo got home he graced the empty wall space with two more paintings. This nook is really starting to feel like a home. We can’t figure out what to do with the bare wall space above the chair. If you have any suggestions please send them our way. As for the corner between the chair and sofa, we’ve decided on this gorgeous piece and actually found the wall accessory that holds wine bottles and glasses on Craigslist last night! Bo is picking them up this afternoon in Chelsea for $100!! I love saving some money whenever possible!


Last but not least, as promised from the title, I have a winner, winner chicken dinner recipe! My local grocery store had their organic, kosher whole roaster chickens on sale this week and therefore knew that nothing would be easier and more delicious than a whole roasted chicken complete with fresh lemon, garlic, and herbs! This really could not be any easier though for some reason I think a lot of people are intimidated by whole roasters. Follow these easy steps below and I guarantee you’ll be enjoying moist, delicious chicken for at least two days!

Easy Roasted Chicken with lemon, herbs, and garlic

Ingredients:
1 small roaster (2-4 lbs)
1 clove garlic
2 large lemons cut in half
Fresh or dried herbs of your choice (I recommend thyme and rosemary) or Herbs de Provence
Olive Oil or Olive Oil Pam
Roasting Pan 

Directions:


Preheat oven to 425°.
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Trim excess fat. Thoroughly rinse the chicken inside and out then dry completely.  Place chicken in roasting pan spray the inside and outside with Olive Oil spray or rub with Olive Oil. Salt and pepper inside cavity and outside thoroughly.  Place lemon quarters inside chicken cavity. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon thyme to chicken cavity. Squeeze one lemon half inside the cavity and then place in the cavity. Place four-five   peeled garlic pieces in cavity then sprinkle herbs or place fresh herbs (on twigs and all) inside cavity. Place other lemon half at the end to “close” cavity.
Squeeze other lemon all over outside of chicken and place lemon pieces in roasting pan. Sprinkle Herbs de Provence and/or dried herbs/fresh herbs on the outside skin of the chicken. Bake at 425° for 40 minutes then check for doneness using a meat thermometer. You want it to register at 160-165. Depending on your oven this could take up to an hour and a half. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cover with foil, and let stand 5-10 minutes before carving.
Remove skin (if desired) and lemon slices/garlic/herb stuffing from chicken cavity, discard. Carve chicken, and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with lemon slices and thyme. 
Enjoy!! We served this with a salad and roasted zucchini/squash that we put in the oven during the last 30 minutes! 


GIVEAWAY ALERT:
Sara is giving away some fabulous hummus so check her out here 

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