A round up of the recipes that we use year after year. We posted these last year but wanted to jog your memory in case you need some ideas for what you will contribute for Friendsgiving or next week for the big day… how is Thanksgiving next week??!!?
This is one of my favorite breakfasts to make and have on hand. It may seem like a lot of ingredients but the beauty is that you probably already have the majority of these in your kitchen. All you do is throw everything into Tupperware, and this healthy, summery, filling breakfast will keep for days.
Summer Berry Overnight Oats
Measurements to the left are for one serving and to the right are for about a week’s worth.. 3 to 4 mornings at least.
1/4 c. // 3/4 c. Rolled Oats
1 Tbs, // 3 Tbs. Chia Seeds
1/8 tsp. // 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp .// 1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1/3 c. // 1 c. Your favorite Summer berries, I used a combination of fresh strawberries and frozen blueberries because this is what I had on hand
1 Tbs. // 3 Tbs. Shredded Coconut (optional)
1/2 c. // 1 1/2 c. Almond Coconut Milk Blend, Unsweetened
Combine well in Tupperware. Let refrigerate overnight.
In morning serve with a dollop of peanut butter or your favorite nut butter. Enjoy!
Does everyone love crumbles as much as I do? Sweet, warm fruit topped with a buttery streusel topping, really nothing gets much better. And this crumble is honestly the best I’ve ever made…possibly the best I’ve ever had, which I don’t say lightly. I come from a family of crumbles. Strawberry and rhubarb in the spring, apple and cranberry in the fall, really whatever fruit is in season is free game. Today when I told my mom about the wonderful strawberries and nectarines that were on sale in Greensboro, her first thought was “Oh, are you going to make a crumble?!” Best. Idea. Ever. The fruit is so ripe and sweet it verges on jammy, and the topping is the best complement. Thanks, Mom, you were right again!
Strawberry Nectarine Crumble
-1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered
-3-4 nectarines, sliced into wedges
-Zest of ½ lemon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, divided
-1/2 c flour
-1/2 c old fashioned oats
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-4 Tbsp cold butter
-Pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 375⁰. Mix the fruit, lemon zest, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in an 8 inch pan. If your fruit is already super sweet, feel free to leave out the sugar in this step. In a separate bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with your fingers. Don’t go too far here—you still want to have a few clumps of butter. I suggest letting the flour mixture sit in the fridge for half an hour (or up to a day) before you top the fruit with it. This will give the butter time to get hard again and will give you better crumbles. Top your fruit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until everything is nice and golden brown. Enjoy!
Sometimes you just need a delicious side dish, and there’s no real way to go wrong with a roasted potato. It takes absolutely no thought to throw some in the oven with a little salt, and you’ve got the perfect side for just about anything. But with just an extra step or two (and some tips from those French cooking gods), you’ve got a beautiful, slightly more refined potato dish that’s the perfect pairing for anything you’re serving.
French Roasted Potato Salad
-1 lb small yukon gold potatoes, quartered
-1/2 lb cipollini onions*, peeled and halved
-2 Tbsp parsley, chopped, for serving
-1 tsp salt, divided
-1/2 tsp white vinegar
-1 Tbsp olive oil
First you need to parboil your potatoes. Add the potatoes plus 1/2 tsp of the salt and the vinegar to a stock pot, and cover it with an inch of cold water. Put it over high heat, and once the water is boiling, let the potatoes boil away for about 5 minutes. You’re just parboiling here, so you don’t want them to be completely tinder. Drain the water and put the potatoes in a large bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir them fairly vigorously so that they start to develop a little bit of a “gummy” exterior. This is going to help them really crisp up in the oven! Next stir in the onions just to coat with oil and put everything on a baking sheet and into the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Take them out and give them a good flip, then back to the oven for another 15 or 20 minutes.
Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette
-1 tsp apple cider vinegar
-2 tsp grainy mustard
-3 tsp olive oil
-1 tsp honey
-salt and pepper to taste
While the potatoes and onions are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Just whisk everything together and toss it with the still warm potatoes and onions, as well as the parsley. Enjoy!
Note: Cipollini onions can be hard to find and, quite frankly, even harder to peel. You can definitely substitute shallots or even regular yellow onions cut into smaller chunks.
I love Greek food, and I have tried many times to make falafel just to end up with a mushy mess that falls apart while cooking. But not today. The trick is to start with dried chickpeas. I always assumed that these would be hard to find, but I got mine at Walmart for about a dollar. Definitely had to stock up! All you have to do is soak these overnight in a bowl of water, and when you’re getting ready to make dinner, just drain and dry them well. Oh man, these turned out absolutely amazing! Plus they’re vegetarian, full of protein, and totally healthy. Adding this to my Greek repertoire!
Tzatziki
-1/3 c mayonnaise
-1 clove garlic, grated
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-1 small cucumber
-salt and pepper
Peel, seed, and grate the cucumber. Then combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. You can definitely substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise if you don’t need it to be dairy free–either works great!
Falafel
-1 lb dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
-1/2 yellow onion, chopped
-1/3 c parsley
-4 cloves of garlic
-2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
-1 Tbsp flour (gluten free if needed)
-1 Tbsp ground flax*
-2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp coriander
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
-black and cayenne pepper to taste
-red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, tzatziki and pita (or gluten free tortillas) to serve
Combine all ingredients except for the chickpeas in a food processor and blend until you have a smooth paste. Next add the chickpeas and blend until you have a mixture that’s almost smooth, but still has a bit of texture. You don’t want it to be completely smooth or it won’t hold together well while cooking. You also don’t want it to be too dry. It needs to hold together in a ball but still be pretty moist to the touch. Feel free to add a little extra olive oil or even a touch of water if you need it. Pour this mix into a bowl and refrigerate for an hour. Section the falafel mix into patties, 2 to 3 Tbsp in size.
Next you can either shallow fry these in about 1/4 inch of oil or bake them. I tried both ways, and honestly the baked ones were just as good as the fried. Preheat your oven to 450º and place your falafel patties on a greased baking sheet. Slightly oil the tops of the falafel as well–I used coconut spray for this which made it really easy. Bake them for 10-12 minutes, give them a flip and a slight press down, and bake for another 5-7 minutes.
Serve in a pita, tortilla, or on a salad with chopped red onion, tomato, lettuce, and tzatziki.
*If you don’t have ground flax, then feel free to substitute it with flour, but the flax adds a nice hit of fiber, protein, and omega-3s which is awesome!
Adeline Alley 