Rustica Salad

October 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

Well, I guess I spoke too soon about the weather cooling off. It’s been cooler, yes… but we’ve still gotten well up into the 80’s for a couple of days this week. It’s been nice for the most part, crips mornings, warm days, and cool evenings to follow. And while I’m completely set on Fall and Winter meals now, I still needed to toss in a light salad into the mix this week.

I’m calling this the ‘rustica salad’ because that’s the name of the salad that I got the idea for this one from. Of course, I had to put my own spin on it with a homemade dressing and plenty of toppings. The homemade Skinny Balsamic Vinaigrette is one of my favorites. I make a double or triple batch of it up at a time and keep it on hand in the fridge quite often…

Fall Breakfast Quinoa Bowl

October 17, 2018 Amanda Plott

It’s been unusually cold here in Austin, Texas lately. Generally speaking, we don’t get the first ‘cooler’ bits of weather until Halloween. But, this year we’ve already been in the 40’s - which is completely fine with me. I love Fall weather and I am always more than thrilled to get anything below 80 in October. It means that I get to use my oven and stove again without regret!

With it being cooler, overcast, and raining off and on, I thought it was high time for a nice warm hearty breakfast. And that’s exactly what this Fall power bowl is all about! I loaded this breakfast bowl up with plenty of good stuff. Quinoa, fruit, nuts, seeds, and just a touch of cinnamon to add further to the warmth of the flavors…

Roasted Tomato Soup

October 15, 2018 Amanda Plott

There is one thing for sure, no one is ever too old to enjoy tomato soup! One of my best memories growing up, had to have been the simple and easy dinner my mom would make on cold Fall or winter days… and that was a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Of course, even though you won’t grow out of tomato soup, your tastes do change. So today, I’ve elevated the classic and my favorite.

I’ve made plenty of tomato soup in the past, but I saw a rather ingenious hack not so long ago about making it by easily and with fresh tomatoes! No other cooking is involved other than that! Roasting the tomatoes also gives a smoky depth of flavor, that you otherwise wouldn’t have too…

Whole Wheat Cheddar & Chive Zucchini Bread

October 13, 2018 Amanda Plott

Once upon a time, I had a bread maker. I used it pretty often, but eventually it gave out and started to give me fits. So. The era of fresh homemade bread in my house ceased since, as I’ve said before, baking tends to scare me. Alas… with Fall in full effect and Winter just around the corner, I thought… I’d try my hand.

Before, when I used my bread maker, I stuck to the basics. I never ventured out into the world of flavored breads. Not really anyway. Over the past couple of years though, I started to enjoy the homemade bread from ‘the bread man’ at our local Farmer’s Market. It was a game changer…

Southwest Couscous Salad

September 7, 2018 Amanda Plott

I love couscous. I love it in traditional form and I love it Israeli style too. What's the difference though? Traditional couscous is smaller grained and the Israeli one is more of a 'pearl' couscous. Small little beads of 'pasta' that are extremely versatile and can be amazingly delicious!

The lunchtime struggle is real, and I know it is. I've found that if I don't have something prepared ahead of time for lunch, that I'll often go without or end up eating a less than stellar choice. With couscous being one of my favorite things, and pasta salad on the mind, I thought it would be a great time to make a couscous 'pasta' salad!…

'Nut & Seed' Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola

August 31, 2018 Amanda Plott

It's been a hot minute since I made up a batch of homemade granola, mostly because it's just been way too hot here to even think about turning the oven on. But, sometimes... it's just worth it. And this morning? It was just that - totally worth it! With pumpkin spice season on the horizon, I thought there was no better time than now to tempt the cooler weather in with another pumpkin inspired treat!

I based this grain-free granola off of one that I made a while back. The main differences would be the spice used in it and the seeds that I chose to include. Since we're going with the Fall theme, I decided to use pumpkin seeds. Two kinds of pumpkin seeds, that is. I picked up a raw one to roast with the granola, and a lightly salted roasted seed called 'snow white' pumpkin seeds to add in at the end…