The Last Summer Pasta Salad

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Summer is having its last hurrah. Half of this week has been ridiculously hot and humid. I’m talking two showers-a-day hot and humid. But that humidity finally broke a few days ago and now you can feel a touch of fall in the air.

While I absolutely love fall, I’m not quite ready to give up my summer just yet. My farmer’s market still has plenty of end of the summer vegetables like corn and tomatoes and there are still a few 80 degree days in the forecast. Warm days like that beg for a meal that doesn’t require you to turn on the oven.

I came up with this pasta salad last Sunday when even thinking about turning on the oven made me sweat, and I was already sweating buckets. This meal comes together fast and tastes amazing served up cold. It also packs in a lot of vegetables and herbs and can be customized to whatever produce you have lying around.

So if you’re like me and aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer, whip up this salad and enjoy these last few days.

The Last Summer Pasta Salad with Herb Sauce

2 cups cooked pasta, I used brown rice rotini
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 ears of corn, kernels removed (you can also use frozen kernels, thawed)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup bell peppers, I used a mix of yellow, green, and red
1 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic minced

Herb Sauce

1 small bunch of basil leaves, about 1/2 cup tightly packed
1 small bunch of cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and set aside.
Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until softened and then add in the peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. Cook until the edges are slightly brown. Add in the garlic at the very end and saute for one more minute.
Remove the vegetables from heat and let them cool. In a large bowl combine the pasta and quinoa and the cooled vegetables. Mix everything well.
Pour the herb sauce over everything and stir to combine so everything is coated. Taste and adjust the seasonings. You can serve it right away or put it in the fridge to cool completely.

DIY Wednesday: Fruit Roll-Ups

September 9, 2015September 9, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Back in grade school, having the latest “cool” snack in your lunch was a big deal. At lunch time, we would eagerly rip open our lunch boxes to see what treasures our moms had packed. Lunchables were always a hit, fruit gushers, dunkaroos, marshmallow fluff sandwiches, and a can of soda made you a god. Yes, it was a weird time.

I rarely had any of the packaged snacks that other kids in my class had. Not only did my mom think they were nutritionally void and classified them as junk food (she was 100% right), but they were also expensive. Every once in awhile she would put a treat into our lunches and my sister and I got to feel cool for the day. Again, it was a weird time.

Looking back, I might have felt left out at the time but I think my mom did me a huge favor. She taught me that food should not only be inexpensive, but it should serve some nutritional purpose. It was also ok to have the occasional treat. It’s those food beliefs that are the backbone of my thoughts on food now.

With those beliefs in mind, I try to find/make snacks that aren’t just glorified junk food. While I might not be able to recreate fruit gushers or dunkaroos, there are some snacks that can be made with real food.

Remember fruit roll-ups? The store bought versions have a ton of sugar and dyes added in and rarely have any actual fruit in them. You can totally make your own fruit roll-ups with less sugar, actual fruit, and cheaper than the ones on the shelves. There are quite a few recipes/methods out there, but this is the one that I found worked best in my oven. You might have to experiment with cooking times and temperatures based on your oven. It takes less than 20 minutes to put everything together and while the cook time is a few hours, it’s all hands off and very simple.

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

1 to 2 cups fruit of your choice, chopped into small pieces (I used peaches)
lemon or lime juice (I used the juice from half a lime because that’s what I had)
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
water as needed

Put all of your chopped fruit into a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium-low.
As the fruit is cooking add in the lemon or lime juice and cinnamon to taste. Keep cooking until the fruit starts to break down. If the compote seems dry, add in a little water. You don’t want a super watery mixture, just enough to keep the fruit from sticking.
After about 15 minutes, remove the fruit from heat. Add in maple syrup to reach desired sweetness level. My fruit was really ripe so I only used 1 tbsp.
Now it’s time to puree the fruit. You can use an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender. Whichever you choose, blend until it is completely smooth. You don’t want any chunks left.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Do NOT use aluminum foil, it will just be a mess. Pour the fruit puree onto the sheet and spread into a thin layer. This part will take some time to spread everything out to the right height. You don’t want it too thick or it won’t cook right and if it’s too thin it won’t hold together. Take your time and you’ll get it.
Set your oven to the lowest setting, mine is 200, and cook for 3 to 4 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when it is no longer sticky or wet. Depending on how low your oven can go, this might take longer or shorter. Just occasionally check so it doesn’t turn into fruit brittle.
Once the fruit is done, slice it into strips and roll it up with a little bit of parchment paper. You can keep these in the fridge for up to a week and use them in lunches for a healthy and delicious snack!

Quick BBQ Dishes

September 7, 2015September 7, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Happy Labor Day everyone! As we all enjoy this last long weekend of summer, I thought I would bring you a quick post highlighting some of my recipes that are easy to make and great to bring along to a party.

Maybe you totally forgot that you said you would bring something for the BBQ you’re headed to later today, don’t worry I’ve got you covered. These recipes come together quick and are a big hit with the masses. Plus they’re healthy, what more could you ask for?!

Even Better BBQ Sauce– Quick, delicious, and great for meat or vegetables!

Quinoa Cornbread Bites– Tasty little bites that are quick and gluten free!

Tomato Cucumber Salad– One of my favorites, and perfect on a hot day

Avocado Chicken Salad– A fun and tasty spin on the classic chicken salad

Tahini BBQ Summer Vegetable Bake– This one is great because it can be served hot or cold

Penne Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes– Who doesn’t love pasta, pesto, & tomatoes?

Key Lime Popsicles– Make these immediately. You and other party-goers will thank me.

Healthy Brownie Bites– A healthy version of brownies and a crowd pleaser!

Hope these help you out and you enjoy your Labor Day! See you on Wednesday!

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

September 4, 2015September 4, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Last Friday, I posted a picture of these enchiladas on Instagram and people went nuts. Ok, maybe not nuts. BUT this picture did get 55 likes which is like way more than I ever get. Plus 9 people commented on it. Watch out folks. I’m gonna be an Instagram star!

I get it though. These enchiladas are fabulous and they are really easy to make. When I posted these pictures, one of the things that I said was that I loved that I could make them ahead of time and then just throw them in the oven at dinner time. Meals like that make me happy.

Little side story about why I went with the butternut squash filling. A few weeks ago, Adam went on an Alaskan fishing trip. It was a boys trip with his stepdad and other boys in the family and they spent two days out on a boat in Homer, Alaska fishing for halibut, rockfish, and salmon. They all caught a ridiculous amount of fish and Adam came home with about 35 pounds of frozen fish. Now, I have a VERY tiny freezer and it is well stocked. So when he came back with all that fish I had no idea how it was going to fit.

It turns out, my husband can Macgyver about 20 lbs of fish into an already full freezer. When I opened my freezer, I was met with a wall of frozen fish. Literally. Just one wall of fish. So in order to create a little space, I started going through the freezer to see what I could use up. I found some cubed frozen butternut squash from last fall and decided it was time to put it to good use.

Long story short: Alaska + fishing + tiny freezer = delicious enchiladas.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

6 to 8 corn tortillas
2 to 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
3/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp roasted garlic or 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 400 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Place the cubed squash into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip and roast for 10 more minutes.
While the squash is roasting, make the enchilada sauce. Place the fire roasted tomatoes and 3/4 cup water into a blender. Pulse a few times and then add in lime, garlic, and rest of the seasonings. Blend everything until you have a smooth sauce.
Once the squash is done put it back into the large bowl, add in the drained and rinsed beans, and mash things up a bit. You want a few chunks left in the filling. Stir in the fresh cilantro.
Get a 9 x 13 casserole dish and pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Warm the corn tortillas a little so they are pliable and then fill with 1/4 cup of the filling. Roll the tortillas and place into the casserole dish, seam side done. Complete until the filling is gone and dish is full.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the tortillas and then cover with aluminum foil. At this point, you can keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. When you’re ready to cook them, preheat oven to 350 and cook for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and take off the aluminum foil. Let the enchiladas cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with more fresh cilantro if you want.

Ok, it might look like there are a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps but I promise you this meal is not complicated. You can also make substitutions to fit your dietary needs. You can use sweet potatoes or pumpkin instead of the squash or you can use shredded chicken, pork, or beef if you want to have meat. You can top it with cheese if you want and serve it with sour cream, guacamole, or cashew sour cream. These also make phenomenal leftovers and once they are cooled completely, freeze really well. So go make some enchiladas and love life!

What is your favorite make-ahead meal?

P.S. Did you know you can follow all my healthy cooking adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook? I know. Life is good again 🙂

DIY Wednesday: Ginger Paste

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 / ktbuchs87

This DIY post might be as simple as my homemade tortilla chips. I’m the type of cook who likes to use things like actual cloves of garlic when I’m making stuff. I know you can buy a jar of diced garlic at the store and it saves a lot of time and effort because you can just throw in the amount you need and move on.

I have nothing against jars of garlic, I just like peeling and chopping garlic myself. The one thing I do not like peeling and chopping myself?

Ginger.

Peeling it is a hassle. If you chop it the wrong way you get these weird hair looking things in it. It’s just a chore for me. I really love using fresh ginger though and I’m always tempted to buy those tubes of ginger paste at the store just to avoid the trouble. The one thing that stops me though is the price. Those tubes are like $3.00 and sometimes they have things other than just ginger in them. So I skip the tube and begrudgingly prepare my ginger myself.

Not anymore! Today I am going to show you how easy it is to make your own ginger paste and start adding it to everything you make. The best part? You only need two things and a blender. Awesome right?!

Ginger Paste

1 large knob of fresh ginger, about 2 cups roughly chopped
1/3 cup water

Peel the ginger. I use a vegetable peeler to do this because it’s easier than a knife. Try to get as much of the peel off as you can. If you can’t reach some places peel it a little after you chop it.
Chop the ginger into bite-size chunks and add to your blender. Pour in the water. Blend the ginger and water until it is in paste form and no big chunks remain.
Store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

That’s it! It is so simple and now I don’t have to go through the peeling and chopping every time I want to use fresh ginger. Just once and then I have a whole jar to use! You can also make a huge batch and freeze some of it so it is always on hand. Add this paste to marinades, sauces, stir fry, dips, or even add it to hot water for some ginger tea. So many uses!