tasty

Recipe: The Best Salad Ever

Abby H.

This salad is dead simple. And delicious. And I could probably eat it every day for the rest of my life. I had one last night, and this morning for breakfast.

YES- breakfast salad is a thing.

Let’s get this out of the way: This salad is vegetarian, but it is not vegan. To my knowledge, there is no goat cheese vegan substitute.

The Best Salad Ever

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups of greens (I like Romaine, arugula, endive, radicchio, and a fistful of spinach)
  • 1 cup strawberries, de-stemmed and sliced
  • 1 English cucumber, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple, cut into bite-size pieces (leave the skin on)
  • 1/4 c candied pecans, roughly chopped
  • 4-ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1/8 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Directions:

  1. Toss all ingredients in a large chilled salad bowl- serve ASAP.

This recipe serves 4-6 as a side dish or 2-3 as a main dish. None of these ingredients are hard to find- I picked everything up at Target (I ordered on the app of course, and I did drive up pick up with the kids after school!).

It is really tasty with grilled chicken breast on top.

Meal Kit Round Up and Deals- Updated for 2022!

Abby H.

In my 12+ years as a blogger, I have reviewed a fair number of meal kits on the market. With the seemingly never-ending quarantine and the new normal being social distancing, something different is now more appreciated than ever.

I love trying out meal kits, they are a great way to try new recipes with new ingredients that I may not already have on hand. Here are a few of the meal kits that I’ve tried, links to reviews, and any deals or coupon codes I could find.

My number one local Meal Plan company is Dream Dinners (a review can be found here). There are locations all over the US, and my go-to location in La Mesa.

If you’ve never checked out Dream Dinners, Check out this great deal!

Learn how to meal prep with Dream Dinners. Available at our local stores, the Meal Prep Starter Pack will help you get dinner on the table with up to 4 family-style dinners for just $79.00.

  • Chef-created, family-friendly recipes are prepped in our local assembly kitchens.
  • Ready-to-cook frozen dinners leave you prepared for dinner.
  • Easy to follow instructions making both cooking and clean up simple and stress-free.
  • 20 years of experience.

Overall, my favorite mail order/delivery meal kit company is Dinnerly.

They have a nice mix of kid-friendly dishes and stuff that is decidedly more “grown-up food”. I wrote a review here. In addition to having a nice mix of dishes to choose from, the other thing I like is that Dinnerly is the first subscription meal kit service to offer $4.49 per serving. My big qualm with meal kits is that the meals can sometimes be upwards of $8-$10/per serving. At that point, you might as well go out for dinner!

Freshly is the next up on our highly received Meal companies. I reviewed Freshly in 2016, and it’s a little different that most of the other meal companies in that all of the food comes already cooked. All you do is heat and eat.

The portions are big, so if you wanted to stretch them, all you would need is an additional side, like a green salad.

Right now when you use Promo Code: LAUNCH15 you will save $60.00 on your first 4 orders($15 per order).

Gobble has a really great deal. Choose your meals and receive Gobble box for $36 for 6 meals. I recently ordered this, so we’ll see how it turns out! Here is why I decided to try it:

    • Choose your meals from our diverse weekly menu. Gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, & vegetarian options are available.
    • Their team of chefs does all the tedious prep work for you — no more chopping, measuring, or sink full of dishes
  • Your freshly made 15-minute dinner kits will arrive in a refrigerated box to your doorstep. No commitment. Adjustable to your schedule.

 

Talk Back: I’d love to hear about Meal Kits that you have tried and which ones have worked for you and your family!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe- PERIOD!

Abby H.

There are literally hundreds of ways to make Potato Salad. However, none of them should involve raisins (That’s an internet thing, I’ve never actually seen it in person).

This is my great grandmother Tootie’s Potato Salad Recipe, and I think it’s the best. Luckily for me, we’ve gotten all of the veggie ingredients in this week’s Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box.  And because they sell eggs too as an add-on, you can get most everything you need without leaving home.

This recipe is pretty simple.

Tootie’s Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 cups peeled, cut-up potatoes (bite-size pieces)
  • 3 ribs of green celery, cut into bite-size pieces- I slice each rib in half and into small pieces.
  • 1/4 cup Italian Dressing- I like Wishbone
  • 1/2 cup Full Fat Mayo. I like Best Foods/Hellmans, but Dukes is good too
  • 3 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chives or parsley to garnish- optional

Directions

  1. Boil potatoes in water until they are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Drain potatoes, do not rinse.
  3. Chill potatoes in the fridge (30 minutes to 1 hour-ish).
  4. In a bowl, combine the salad dressing and mayo, pour over cooled potatoes, and stir. You want to coat the potatoes in the mixture.
  5. Add in the celery and eggs. The egg yolks will break down and combine with the dressing/mayo mixture, turning light to medium yellow.
  6. Chill in the fridge at least overnight. If the salad is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of mayo and dressing (a 2-parts mayo to 1-part dressing mixture).
  7. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
  8. Prior to serving top with chives or parsley if desired.

If you like green onions (my mom doesn’t like raw onions so she doesn’t add them), you can add 1-2 sliced green onions to the salad during step 5.  I grew up without it, but they are really good in this salad.

This salad is good in the fridge for up to a week and is perfect for the 4th of July or other summer celebrations.

Dietary options: It’s already vegetarian, but I’m not sure it could be made vegan unless you use veganaise and omit the eggs (in my opinion it needs).

Family Recipe: $100 Brownies

Abby H.

This is an easy, decadent recipe that impresses guests.

Inspired by a friend’s brownie recipe that once fetched $100 at an auction, this dessert will disappear before your eyes. These brownies are so rich, so don’t forget the milk or cuppa Joe.

 

$100 Brownies

Ingredients 

  • 1 brownie mix 
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Melted butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (your favorite variety)
  • 1/2 bag (about 6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

  1. Mix up the brownie recipe per directions in the box. Substitute milk for water, and melted butter for oil in the directions. Use eggs as directed on the box.
  2. Bake brownies as directed.
  3. As soon as they are down, remove them from the oven and immediately top with peanut butter and chocolate chips.
  4. Allow PB and chips to melt atop the hot brownies, about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Using a silicone spatula, carefully mix and spread PB and melted chips to form and even layer a top the brownies.
  6. Once brownies have cooled to room temp, store them in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to serving.

Makes 18 small brownies- these are very rich, and a little goes a long way.

Substitutions:

  • If you are Gluten Free, substitute your favorite GF brownie mix.

Review: Decadent, Creamy Desserts from Bon Devil!

Abby H.

Recently, Bon Devil send us a set of all of their 4 packs of their rich, creamy vegan dessert ganache.

The big kid is vegetarian, and we frequently purchase vegan foods because they are easy to find and I want to support his desire to be vegetarian.

These little cups of ganache are rich, creamy, and smooth. They have a slight coconut aftertaste (they are made with coconut milk), which is delicious by the way. I’ve been using it on fruit, but I can imagine that it would be really good on pound cake, or with cookies/shortbread. That’s how the kids have been eating them, as dip for their cookies.

I know you can eat it by itself, but it’s so rich you really need something a little lighter to pair with it.

They come in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel chocolate, and caramelized banana. In our house, the chocolate and vanilla were the first to get consumed.

If you have tried them, leave a comment and let me know which flavor was your favorite, and how you eat it?

If you haven’t tried Bon Devil desserts yet, you can find them on Amazon and other Mass Merchandisers and Grocery stores.

Thanks to Bon Devil for sending us these tasty desserts to review. I received no financial compensation to facilitate this review, and all opinions are mine. This page may contain affiliate links. For more information about the use of affiliate links and partnerships, visit my disclosure page. 

Exclusive Avocados from Mexico- Recipes, Savings and More!

Abby H.

Growing up in California, everyone knew someone who grew avocados. Creamy, rich, delicious… Avocados are one of my favorite toppings for toast, salads, omelets, enchiladas.

Avocados from Mexico wants everyone to enjoy this amazing veggie! More than just a yummy ingredient in guacamole, check out these important ‘Cado facts:

 

  • Avocados From Mexico contain good fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making them part of a balanced lifestyle.
  • When you eat a meal with avocado, the fruit acts as a nutrient booster to help your body absorb the fat-soluble nutrients found in the other foods.
  • Avocados are a good source of fiber, which slows down digestion helping to leave you satisfied.
  • Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats, are low in saturated fat, and are cholesterol, sugar and sodium free.
  • Eating dietary fat helps the body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Avocados contain mainly naturally good fats with 5g of monounsaturated fats per serving (1/3 of a medium avocado).

Now that you know all of that, aren’t you longing for creamy avocados from Mexico? Join new Avocados from Mexico – The Avosauce newsletter and get your customized scoop on avocado recipes, health tips and much more.

Looking for a few tasty Avocado Recipes?

Easy, Tasty Tabouli Recipe!

Abby H.

I love tabouli (tabouleh)- It’s easy to make, and it keeps in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long). It’s a delicious, easy summer salad.

This is my spin on traditional tabouli- I use Right Rice in place of bulgar wheat, but you can use whatever grain you like. Couscous, quinoa, or Israeli couscous are all great choices. My kids don’t like bulgar wheat.

This week in our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box we received: Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lemon, and parsley.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups grains of your choice, cooked as directed ( I use garlic herb or original Right Rice)
  • 1-pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 cups cucumbers, diced (I used larger English cucumbers, but you can use the small Persian cukes and slice them into “coins”)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint, diced
  • 1.5 cups parsley, diced
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped finely (I like yellow or red)
  • 1/4 cup your favorite oil (olive or avocado are my favs)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cook your grains per the package direction, and set them aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all veggies and toss with oil and lemon juice mixture.
  4. Fold in the cooled grains.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours minimum before serving.
  6. Season with additional kosher salt, and black pepper to taste as needed.

This salad goes great with hummus, pita, and grilled protein. I’ll have an awesome hummus recipe up in a few days!

This recipe is naturally vegan. If you use Quinoa or Right Rice, it is gluten-free as well.

 

It’s time for a sweet treat! .50 off Whole Fruit Bars!

Abby H.

I saw on TikTok the other day this super tasty looking snack. I was on the hunt for a coupon for Whole Fruit bars, and Voila! I’m off to shop for all of these ingredients today!

Start with a Whole Fruit Bar (The lady used a Mango one, but I think Pineapple would be good too)

Top with a drizzle of Chamoy, and finally, sprinkle with Tajin and enjoy!

An icy cold spicy treat!

With real fruit in every Whole Fruit bar, we gave nature’s candy a little upgrade. Enjoy one today

Copycat Recipe: Souplantation Cheesy Garlic Foccacia Bread

Abby H.
It’s so good, it practically evaporates.

When my big kid found out that Souplantation (or Sweet Tomatoes, depending on where you live up) had closed permanently due to the pandemic, he cried.

When you have food texture aversions, you rely a lot on your favorite standby foods and restaurants. I was on a mission to try and recreate one of his Souplantation favorites, which was the Cheesy Garlic Focaccia Bread.

I started with my pizza dough base (the recipe can be found here). And here’s where it gets crazy (and by crazy I mean this is not super healthy, so don’t eat it daily). The remaining ingredients are:

  • 1/2 cup melted butter (that’s 1 stick)
  • 2T. granulated garlic
  • 1t. of each of the following: dried rosemary, dried tarragon, dried oregano, dried basil
  • 2cups+ Italian cheese

Directions:

  1. Make dough as directed here. I only let it rise once for this recipe.
  2. While dough rises, combine melted butter, garlic, and herbs. Set aside.
  3. Once the dough is down rising, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  4. Separate dough into two pieces and roll out to fit onto your pizza pan (I use a cookie sheet that is covered in tin foil and sprayed with spray release).
  5. Spread half of the herbed butter onto the dough, top with cheese. Repeat for the other half of the dough.
  6. If there is any butter left, drizzle it over the bread.
  7. Bake at 450 degrees for 11-14 minutes.
  8. Remove from the baking sheet and slice into long skinny pieces to mimic the Souplantation feel.
The garlicky, herby, buttery goodness….
Cheese and more buttery goodness. Into the oven it does!

Cookie Recipe Round-up!

Abby H.

I usually make a batch of cookies per week. It’s generally cheaper to make cookies than it is to buy a couple boxes, and this way, I can control what goes into them (less sugar, Substitute Kodiak Flapjack mix in for AP flour, etc.).

I thought I’d share some of our favorite cookie recipes today. There are two no bake cookie recipes as well, just in case you need something sweet, but it’s too hot to turn on the oven!

I am all about using the right tool for the right job, as a result, I have a collection of awesome kitchen tools to help me cook. You can see my list of must-haves in my Amazon Storefront here.