Spinach Salad w/ Lemon-Pepper Chicken, Candied Walnuts, & Raspberry Vinaigrette

a red, red raspberry

I was a creative writing English major and one of my favorite poems we studied was A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns. I like the rhythm and rhyme and, of course, the idea of loving someone to the end of time. While Burns chose to liken his love to a red rose, I'm loving this season's red raspberries. They have been especially beautiful and tasty.

For this recipe I'm building out a spring salad. There are many pieces to this recipe and you don't have to make each piece. Feel free to buy rotisserie chicken or candied walnuts, but if you have the time, I suggest making each item. It really doesn't take as long as you would think! The star of the salad is the dressing, so if anything, just make that to top your favorite salad. Make this recipe for your luve. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4

Lemon-Pepper Chicken

~2 lbs. Chicken Breast, pounded to 1/2 in. thick

2 Lemons

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Candied Walnuts

1 C Whole Walnuts

1/4 C Powdered Sugar

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/8 tsp. Kosher Salt

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1C Fresh Raspberries (~1 Pint)

1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Honey

1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Salad

5oz. Package Baby Spinach

1/2 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Large Green Apple, cubed

4oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled

Directions

Start by making the chicken: In a large resealable bag add the zest of 1 lemon, juice of 2 lemons, 2-3 T olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the chicken. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-4 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the bag to a plate, discard the bag and marinade. Season with a little more pepper on each side. Then grill (or cook in a skillet) until cooked through. Rest the chicken on a cutting board for 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

Make the candied walnuts: Follow the directions from this Food Network recipe, but be sure to use my measurements. Based on the comments, I've upped the cayenne pepper. Allow the nuts to cool completely before assembling the salad.

Make the raspberry vinaigrette: In a blender combine all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and blend together once more. Set aside until the salad is assembled.

Assemble the salad: Arrange 4 dinner plates with the spinach. Top each evenly with the red onion, apple, thinly sliced lemon-pepper chicken, goat cheese, and candied walnuts. Finally, pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Be sure not to over-dress, there will be more than enough dressing. Serve immediately with any extra dressing at the table. Enjoy!

Boozy Berry Brunch Parfaits

it's 5 o'clock somewhere...

It's berry season again and with that comes flavor and affordability. Because of these facts it's the only time of the year I buy fresh berries. Raspberries are especially good right now - firm, yet sweet - they provide the perfect flavor and texture for these brunch parfaits. Of course, you can substitute your favorite berry, just be sure to accompany it with complementary flavors of preserves and booze.

These raspberry-yogurt parfaits are sweet and tangy. Tangy because I use plain Greek yogurt. This adds protein as well, giving you energy to make it through the day. Macerating the raspberries in Chambord (raspberry liquor) isn't necessary, so leave it out if you must, but it persuades the raspberries to release their sweet juices and it's what makes these parfaits boozy. Who says the drinks get to have all the fun at brunch? I don't. Here's how to make these...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Parfaits
2 Pints Fresh Raspberries
1/4 C Raspberry Preserves
1/3 C Chambord (raspberry flavored liquor)
3 C Plain Greek Yogurt (suggest Chobani; any % fat)
2 C Granola or Corn Flakes
Optional: Fresh Mint Springs for serving

Directions
Wash and dry the raspberries thoroughly. Reserve 3 berries to top each of the 4 parfaits; 12 total.

Macerate the berries: In a bowl, mix the remaining raspberries, raspberry preserves, and Chambord. Stir together, then set aside for about 10 minutes. Stir again, mashing the fresh berries a bit.

Build the parfaits: Put 1/3 C of yogurt in the bottom of a tall glass. Top with 3 T of the boozy berry mixture. Top that with 1/4 C granola or cereal. Repeat this layering once more. End with a dollop of yogurt and top with 3 of the reserved raspberries and a sprig of mint, if desired. Repeat to build the remaining parfaits.

To serve: Either serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour. Refrigerating much longer will result in squishy granola/cereal. Whatever time it is at your brunch table, rest assured, it is 5 o'clock somewhere. So, enjoy!

M&M Cookies

you know you love M

Seriously, who doesn't love M&Ms? That was such a great tag line...so, much better than "melts in your mouth, not in your hands". We all know that's a lie! But, it's no lie that one thing that makes M&Ms better is to bake them into a simple cookie dough. My mom has been making these cookies every Christmas since I was a little girl with the red and green M&Ms. But, why wait until then? Using the original M&Ms this is the perfect rainbow dessert any time of the year.

This recipe is super quick to make and you probably have everything you need in your pantry; all but the M&Ms. It rained all day Saturday when I made these and it only seemed fitting to end my day with a rainbow cookie. Make these when you need some color in your day. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Dozen
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 C Shortening
1 C Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 Bag (12.5 oz.) M&Ms Original (approx. 1 1/2 C)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a stand mixer or large bowl combine the butter, shortening, brown, and granulated sugar. Cream the fats and sugars for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla and eggs. Beat until just combined.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Allow the batter to just come together and then turn off the mixer. Stir in 1 C of the M&Ms (save the rest for topping).

Form the dough into 1 T size balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press 2-3 M&Ms into the top of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack and repeat until all of the dough has been used. You will have approx. 48 cookies.

Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing. Store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days. Serve these with a tall glass of milk. Or, sandwich your favorite ice cream between two cookies. Add some color to your day. Enjoy!

Rainbow Veggie Soup

a one pot wonder

Some of the best recipes happen all in one pot. Building flavor by cooking in layers is key with one pot wonders. And, even better, there is little to no clean up! This simple and rustic vegetable soup is the perfect one pot meal for the chilly days we are still experiencing. They are even talking snow tomorrow!

Begin building flavor in this soup by sauteing potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, corn and green beans in a little olive oil. Next, add in canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Finally, finish with fresh dill and serve with the best bread in Cincinnati - Blue Oven Bakery. Make this soup tonight and warm up! Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6

2 Large Russet Potatoes

3 Carrots

3 Ribs Celery

1 Yellow Onion

2 Ears Corn

1/2 lbs. Fresh Green Beans

28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

1 Quart Vegetable Broth

2 Bay Leaves

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

3 T Fresh Dill, chopped

Blue Oven Bakery bread to serve

Directions

Prepare the veggies: Peel and wash the potatoes and carrots. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Dice the carrots, celery, and onion. Cut the corn off the cob. And, string the beans and cut them into 1 inch pieces.

Build the base of the soup: Heat a large, heavy-bottom, pot over med-high heat; add 2-3 T of oil. Once the oil is hot add in the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, corn, and green beans. Saute for 10 minutes, or until the veggies begin to soften.

Next, add in the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Right before serving remove the bay leaves, discard, and stir in the dill. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the Blue Oven bread. We had the sunflower loaf...delicious! Stay warm, enjoy!

Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

spring has sprung...

It's officially spring again! While it might not feel like it, the days are soon to get warmer, sunnier, and longer. While spring is a time for an "out with the old, in with the new" mantra, I do want to take a moment to say I have officially been posting to my blog for 1 YEAR! It is amazing how time flies...and the number of recipes I've posted - 73 (including this one)! In that same vain, I'd like to dedicate this next rainbow series to "Old Man Winter". Think of it as paying homage (or good riddance!) to the doozy of a winter we've had this year.

I found this super simple recipe online when I was looking for a way to jazz up roasted root veggies. While I enjoy veggies roasted with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper the addition of honey is brilliant. The honey compliments and brings out the natural sweetness of veggies like carrots, red onion, and sweet potato while balancing others like the spicy turnips, parsnips, and fennel. Honey also helps the veggies caramelize as they cook giving you the perfect char. When you need an easy and colorful side, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 Large Sweet Potato
2 Turnips
2-3 Parsnips
2 Carrots
1 Red Onion
1 Bulb of Fennel
1/4 C Honey
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cooking Spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Peel and wash the sweet potato, turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Cut these veggies into approx. 1 inch pieces. Put into a large bowl. Cut the onion into 8 wedges and add to the bowl. Finally, cut the top off the fennel, remove the outer leaves, and cut out the core. Cut into approx. 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl. Pour in the honey and olive oil and add the salt. Toss to coat all of the veggies well.

On the prepared baking sheet, spread the veggies out into a single layer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The veggies should be tender and browned. Serve these immediately! Enjoy!