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Brunch food ideas (that you can prep ahead)!
I love brunch, but hosting a brunch for a large group can be difficult because most brunch foods need to be prepped right before cooking and served hot. I hosted a brunch a month ago and tried to pick foods that could be prepped the night before and served cold. This meant cutting all the vegetables, cooking the orzo, prepping the scone dough, hard boiling the eggs, etc so that the morning of the party was just about assembly and presentation. Here is what I made: (recipes for some to follow soon!) 1. Feta, watermelon, mint skewers with balsamic glaze 2. Garlic deviled eggs 3. Orzo and goat cheese…
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The Perfect Bloody Mary Bar!
I absolutely love brunch. It is a great way to reunite with friends, recap the week or weekend’s events, and enjoy great food and drink. One of my favorite brunch items is the bloody mary (well actually, I would drink them at all times of the day). When I was younger, I thought they were weird- all that tomato juice mixed with vodka? Yuck. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate their spicy flavor and their unique hangover curability. I hosted a brunch last weekend and needed to create the perfect bloody mary bar with all the necessary fixings. Here’s what I think your bloody mary bar should…
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Lemon quinoa kale salad
This is my go to salad for work. There is nothing complicated about it, but it’s healthy and it preserves well in the fridge. I honestly make it all the time because it’s one of those salads that doesn’t leave you feeling hungry two hours after you eat it. The quinoa and chickpeas give it lots of protein which is great for a vegetarian salad. Ingredients: Salad 5 oz kale and spinach mixed together 1/2 large lemon juiced 1 C cherry tomatoes halves 1/2 C quinoa cooked and cooled 4 mini sweet bell peppers 1/2 C artichoke hearts 1 can garbanzo beans drained goat cheese/avocado optional for creaminess Lemon Vinaigrette …
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One-Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Things that can be made all in one pot are the best. Seriously. It’s so much easier when you don’t have to do a ton of dishes when you are cooking on a weeknight. I’ve previously professed my love for one-pot meals here! This recipe is easy, delicious, and can serve a crowd. Ingredients: 1 lb ground chicken (can be made vegetarian- just substitute black beans/diced veggies) 1/2 onion diced 2 cloves garlic minced 3 T taco seasoning 10 oz can enchilada sauce 10 oz water (or chicken stock) 2 C rotini or penne pasta 2 C shredded cheese cilantro to garnish Recipe: 1. Cook chicken with taco seasoning, onions…
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“Taco Bell” Mexican Pizza
I am addicted to Taco Bell. I feel like this isn’t an uncommon addiction, especially amongst my Indian friends, but I seriously love taco bell more than any other fast-food in the world. I can remember being super excited when my dad would take me to taco bell after a late night dance practice or a long karate tournament. YUM! YUM! YUM! I was at a family party over the holidays and my friend (Ramya P) made homemade mexican pizzas. Honestly, brilliant idea. Why didn’t I do this before? It’s so easy. Taco bell definitely uses fried tortillas for their mexican pizzas, but in an attempt to not be totally…
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Black bean dip
Pretty? No. Tasty? Definitely! This black bean dip is super easy to make and great to have around for bean and cheese burritos, seven layer dip, or enchiladas. I whipped up a bowl yesterday and used it as the base for a quick seven layer dip instead of whole black beans. It’s easy to make and super delicious! Ingredients: 2 cans of black beans 1 tomato, diced 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 chipotle and adobo pepper (about 1 heaping tablespoon) 2 t. cumin 3 t. salt 1/2 lime juiced cilantro to garnish Recipe: 1. Thoroughly rinse the black beans. 2. Combine with tomato, garlic, onion, and chipotle pepper.…
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Review: The Progress (San Francisco)
A little more than a year ago, almost to the day, I wrote a review about a popular SF restaurant, State Bird Provisions. Less than a year after, State Bird’s sister restaurant The Progress opened and through friends (Thanks Christina!) I was able to get a reservation. The Progress is right next door to its sister restaurant, but employs a different menu style. All items are served family style, and each table picks 6 items for $65/person. The chefs scale up the portions based on your party size, so it ends up being just the right amount of food. I certainly left the meal feeling full, but not stuffed. Overall, I…
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“Chipotle” Sofritas
It’s no secret that I love love love chipotle. It’s just one of those guilty pleasure foods that always hits the spot. Last year, Chipotle introduced Sofritas to their menu, a spicy vegan tofu filling for their burritos or tacos. I really enjoy the hearty the flavor of their Sofritas, but unfortunately, the Chipotle version is really high in sodium: almost 600 mg in a serving. This is my healthier home-made take on their sofritas filling, which is incredibly easy to make and flavorful. Ingredients: 1 T olive oil 1/2 bell pepper diced 3 ounces firm tofu cubed 1 clove garlic minced 8 ounces black beans (drained) 1/2 onion diced…
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Buffalo Chicken Dip
The Super Bowl might as well be renamed “National Cheat-Day” because it’s the day everyone skips out on their healthy eating, trendy diets to eat amazing, delicious, unhealthy-but-totally-worth-it food. This recipe is absolutely no exception. Delicious? Yes! Healthy? Nope! Regardless, it does a great job of mimicking the flavor of buffalo chicken wings without the hassle and mess. Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese (at room temp) 2 T ranch dressing or blue cheese crumbles 2 C shredded cheese (I used cheddar and mozzarella blend) 1/2 C frank’s red hot sauce (can adjust if you want more heat, but this is my favorite amount!) 2 Chicken breasts- cooked and diced finely…
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Feta Shakshuka
I first ate Shakshuka when I visited Turkey in 1997. The dish is common in the middle east, with Tunisian origin and is basically comprised of poached eggs in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. I’m not even a huge fan of eggs (except for occasional runny eggs like sunny side up and poached at brunch), but for some reason this combination of eggs and tomatoes just works well for me. So much so, that I made this dish for Brinner (Breakfast for Dinner) this weekend. Shakshuka is traditionally made in a small cast iron skillet, but I didn’t have one so I used a nonstick instead. Ingredients: 3 eggs 1/2…
