Cilantro-Lime Coconut Rice

August 14, 2015 Amanda Plott

Let's see... the first time I had cilantro-lime coconut rice was quite a few many years back now. Right about when I first started getting into cooking. As far as I can remember, my mom and I were trying to come up with a rice to go with a Thai inspired dish that wouldn't be quite so traditional.

I remember that I was more than a little apprehensive because coconut is not one of my favorite flavors and I hadn't yet really been exposed to the wonderfulness that is coconut milk. My attitude towards coconut started to change with this rice right here.

One of the great things about cilantro-lime rice is that it can pair well with almost any Asian, Thai, or even Indian style dish. Yes, I've been known to sneak it in with a Mexican style dinner as well, though I usually leave the coconut milk for that variation!...

Skinny Turkey Sriracha Meatballs (Crock Pot)

August 12, 2015 Amanda Plott

I had this amazing new Stubb's Texas Sriracha Anytime sauce sitting and staring at me for a few days before it finally hit me. As the heat of Texas summer starts to consider winding down, that always means that we're getting back into football season. And what does that mean? Tailgating and homegating foods will be back in action before you know it!

These partly Asian inspired and partly Thai inspired meatballs make for a great part of a meal, but would also be amazing for your next gamely spread as more of an appetizer. Toothpick or pretzel pick friendly grab-n-go snack!

As an added bonus, they can stay warming in a crock pot for several hours (if you can manage to keeping around for that long!)...

Homemade Healthified Pizza 'Lunchable'

August 7, 2015 Amanda Plott

My little one is starting kindergarten here in the next couple of weeks (Ahhh!), and naturally I'm trying to get ready for that. Thankfully for us both, I think it will be a pretty easy transition since she'll be remaining in her current school with her current teacher and familiar faces of her friends that she's been around for a couple of years already.

Unfortunately, I have one of the world's most picky eaters on my hands somehow. She came home from her summer camp pre-kindergarten the other day though and asked about a familiar 'lunchable' that one of the other kids had that day for lunch.

I immediately got excited by that notion and put my head to work to come up with a healthier alternative for her own lunch box...

Peach Jalapeño Chicken Potstickers & Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

July 31, 2015 Amanda Plott

I have this love-hate relationship with potstickers and wontons. I love to eat them and hate to make them. It kills me too! They are such an easy thing to make, but just as with any sort of individually wrapped food... it's time consuming! So I will start this off by saying, these are so easy-peasy - just be sure that you have some time on your hands to sit there and form each of them. It's not too bad, I think it took about an hour for me to prepare and cook these these, start to finish.

These potstickers are a million times tastier and better for you than the ones you'll get pre-made or at any restaurant. Why? Because you have complete control over what's going into them and how well they're cooked. Seriously, if I had the time I would make them everyday to eat.

Now, normally I would't step out of the box quite this far, but I had some leftover jalapeños and some lovely local peaches that needed to be used up, so I figured why not make some Asian fusion!...

Easy Ratatouille & Cheesy Parmesan Polenta (Crock Pot)

July 29, 2015 Amanda Plott

So, I've been on the hunt for a good way of making ratatouille lately. I had tried it many many years back when I was a brand new mother. But, it didn't turn out at all the way that I had wanted. It soured my opinion on ratatouille and eggplant for years to come. Eggplant is not my most favorite vegetable, but ratatouille is one way that I will eat it.

I think that I'll eat almost anything if it's got pasta sauce and/or zucchini involved.

A few weeks back, I had tried this recipe out while my grandmother was still visiting. It got rave reviews from around the table. As it turns out, I got an eggplant and an acorn squash in my most recent local produce box, and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. Another ratatouille!...

Skinny Summer Jalapeño Corn Chowder (Crock Pot)

July 27, 2015 Amanda Plott

I know it's summer, and who could possibly want hot soup when it's 100 degrees outside... but, sometimes you just have to roll ahead with seasonal produce while you can. It's all about corn right now in central Texas, so I wanted to make something a little different that would stand out and make that corn shine.

This corn chowder actually reminds me quite a lot of a loaded baked potato soup, just with a lot less potato and a lot more sweet corn flavor. I got some red potatoes, jalapeño, and chives in my local produce box this week, plus I had some bacon stashed away in my fridge. All of those things instantly made me think to make my twist on on this corn soup...