I only post salads when I’m obsessed and this is definitely one of those times. This Mediterranean salad has mixed greens, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and a creamy and tangy roasted red pepper vinaigrette. It sounds so simple, but the combination will make you start craving cold salad in the middle of February.

The inspiration for this salad came all the way from a restaurant in Colorado. Matt and I just got back from spending an awesome week skiing out in Colorado with my parents and brother! As I’ve mentioned before, my brother lives in Colorado so it’s the perfect place for a family reunion vacation during the wintertime. While we were out there we got a ton of fresh snow, raced each other down the mountain and of course ate plenty of good food. One of my favorite dishes from a restaurant we typically go to is this Mediterranean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette.

I started thinking about it the weeks before our vacation was going to start and decided that since it’s so simple I should just try to recreate it myself. I’m not quite sure why I waited so many years to do this, but I’m so glad I did! There’s something magical about the crispy and nutty pine nuts with the creamy goat cheese and the rich sun-dried tomatoes. Side note: I wrote this in the recipe, but make sure you use the sun-dried tomatoes that come in a jar packed in oil, not the ones that come in a bag.

The roasted red pepper dressing is just five ingredients, but it takes the salad to a whole new delicious level. A roasted red pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and salt to taste get pureed in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. The dressing adds to the tanginess of the sun-dried tomatoes and gives the whole salad a zing that balances the goat cheese. We actually didn’t go to that restaurant this past week as this salad is the only standout dish from there, but I don’t even mind because now I can make it for myself whenever I want! Yum!

Mediterranean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 8 cups spring mix salad greens
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (from the jar/oil-packed), julienned
• 2 ounces goat cheese, plus more if desired
• Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. Roast the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet or aluminum foil covered baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Wash and dry the red pepper then place on the baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, flip the pepper over then bake for 20 more minutes. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin, stem and seeds.
2. Make the dressing. Add the roasted red pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar and smoked paprika to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, toss the salad greens with the pine nuts and the julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Add your preferred amount of the roasted red pepper dressing and toss. Crumble the goat cheese over top and serve.

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Lauren Uncategorized 4 Comments

Every week for the last couple months I’ve been saying to Matt, “Listen to all the awesome recipes I have coming up in January!” and then I make him listen to me read them all for the bajillionth time because I’m just so excited about them. Yes, the last couple months because I’m a planner so I’ve had these in the works for quite some time. All the recipes I’m posting this month are indicative of how Matt and I eat when we’re at home. Sure, we have the occasional pasta night or indulgent meal, but recipes like the Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Roasted Salmon and Broccoli and today’s Baked Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls are how we eat 90% of the time we’re home.

Even though I keep talking about healthy meals and posting healthy recipes in January, we don’t really look at them as health food. To us they’re just really delicious meals we love that happen to be good for us, too. My excitement stems from finally sharing all these recipes that have been made over and over in our kitchen last year; whether we make them once a month or whether I just came up with it and made it four times in a row because we got hooked. These Baked Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls fall into the latter category.

I had this idea to combine two of our favorite new meals from last year: the Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and the Southwest Turkey Baked Egg Rolls. Shredded cooked chicken gets tossed in barbecue sauce (I recommend my homemade refined sugar free recipe, which I’ve posted in the recipe below) and some chopped steamed spinach before being rolled up in the egg roll wrappers with some sharp cheddar cheese. They only take 16 minutes to bake and the outside gets really crispy, while the cheese inside gets gooey. I’m literally drooling as I’m typing this – sorry folks!

Matt loves barbecue sauce so he proclaimed that he likes these even more than the Southwest Turkey Baked Egg Rolls. I don’t think I could choose because it depends on what I’m in the mood for, but these definitely win in their simplicity of the filling. Another reason we’ve had these egg rolls so much recently is because they freeze so well. We’re big fans of freezing meals so we have something quick instead of succumbing to takeout and I freeze these after they’ve been baked and cooled. To reheat, I just put them on the toast setting of our Breville Smart Oven or you could bake them at 375 degrees F for ten minutes.

I love having ranch dressing with barbecue sauce so I was excited to see so many healthier ranch dressings made with Greek yogurt at the grocery store! I got one from Hidden Valley Ranch and it’s so good with these egg rolls, but with way less calories and fat. I hope you all try these soon!

Baked Barbecue Chicken Egg Rolls

 

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Yield: 7 servings (3 rolls per serving)

Ingredients

for the egg rolls

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1¼ cups barbecue sauce
• ½ cup steamed and strained spinach
• 3 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 21 egg roll wrappers, see note
• 1¼ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Greek yogurt ranch dressing, for dipping

for the barbecue sauce

• 1 small can tomato paste, about 6 ounces
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons molasses
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

for the egg rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or coat with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, barbecue sauce, spinach and red onion until fully coated.
3. Before filling the egg roll wrappers, make sure you have a little bowl or cup of warm water and a clean work surface. Place the egg roll wrapper down so that a corner is facing you. Scoop 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and place it near the bottom corner of the wrapper. I like to adjust the mixture so it’s more of a log shape then a big mound. Place a tablespoon of the shredded cheese on top. Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold it up and over the mixture so it’s completely covering it then continue to roll it one more time. Fold in the left and right corners so they create a little envelope then continue to roll it until it’s 1 roll away from the top corner. Wet your finger with the water and use it to moisten the whole exposed top corner. Fold the corner down to close up and seal the roll. Place it on the baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining rolls then coat all the rolls with cooking spray.
4. Bake the rolls for 8 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 8 minutes. They should be crispy and golden brown. Serve warm with the ranch dressing.

for the barbecue sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Notes

I use Nasoya egg rolls wrappers. In Whole Foods I find them in the refrigerated section near the hummus and guacamole. In Wegmans I find them in the refrigerated section near the tofu and blocks of cheese.

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Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments

Happy 2019! I’m kicking off the new year, and Lemon and Mocha’s month of healthy recipes, with a quick and easy snack. Everyone defines healthy differently, but when I’m trying to eat well I try to minimize processed food as much as possible. This is one of the biggest challenges for me, especially when it comes to snacks. However, when I have fun snacks like these Apple Nachos, especially if there’s some chocolate involved, it makes everything so much easier.

I had seen variations of apple nachos on Instagram and Pinterest, but I never got around to making myself some. I don’t know what took me so long since I love dipping my apples in peanut butter.

I wasn’t sure how everything was going to stay on the little apples slices, but from the first wedge I was completely hooked! The peanut butter drizzle helped the chopped almonds and mini chocolate chips stick to the apple wedges and I cut them really thin so I would have even more “nachos” on my plate.

You all know by now how I feel when it comes to food variations and these apple nachos are the perfect vessel to get creative with your toppings. You can use any nut or seed butter you like – I have a little almond butter drizzled on there as well – and then the rest of the choices are up to you! Some other topping ideas are Greek yogurt, any type of nut, shredded coconut, granola, berries, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds… I could go on forever! When I first made these, my initial plan was to save half for Matt, but once I started eating them there was no way they were surviving until Matt got home.

I hope this recipe helps inspire your snack time! I have a dinner recipe I’m sharing tomorrow that has already been on repeat in our house so stay tuned.

Apple Nachos

 

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Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 large apple, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter or preferred nut/seed butter
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon chopped almonds

Directions

1. Lay the apple slices down on a plate. Drizzle the peanut butter over top. If your nut or seed butter is too thick to drizzle, warm it for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Top with the mini chocolate chips and chopped almonds.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I know I say this all the time, but you need to try these Antipasto Puff Pastry Bites! This perfect party appetizer has all your favorite flavors of antipasto packed into one creamy bite. I love making appetizers with store-bought puff pastry because they look so fancy, but are actually incredibly easy. The puff pastry does all the work resulting in a buttery and flaky vessel for all the antipasto fixings.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos, but these bites are made in a mini muffin pan so they’re really small, like a one bite deal. Since we are working with limited space inside these little flaky cups I decided to incorporate the artichokes and roasted red peppers by turning them into a simple artichoke dip. The artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers are chopped up then mixed with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and a secret ingredient to make the easiest and creamiest artichoke and red pepper dip ever.

Then on top we have some salami and a mini mozzarella ball to round out our antipasto flavors. You can add in some olives if you like, but Matt and I aren’t olive fans so I left those out. Top with some fresh basil or Italian parsley and you’ve made a delicious twist on a classic antipasto!

Make sure you read the instructions through and do not put the mozzarella on until they are out of the oven. Mozzarella melts really easily so if you put it in the oven each bite will just be covered in a pool of melted mozzarella. Since we’re using fresh mozzarella balls you really want to be able to taste them so we’re adding them after the bites are all baked.

My Crab Dip Puffs recipe is working overtime around here because that, along with my love for antipasto platters, inspired this recipe, too! I hope you all enjoy this one!

Antipasto Puff Pastry Bites

 

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Yield: 24

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted, but still cold
• 3 artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
• ⅓ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• ⅓ cup Hellman’s real mayonnaise
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 ounces hard salami
• 6 ciliegine size mini fresh mozzarella balls
• Chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface unfold the puff pastry sheet. Roll into a rectangle about 10” by 15”. Cut the rectangle of puff pastry into 24 squares. Press each square into a cup of the prepared mini muffin pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven.
3. While the puffy pastry bites are in the oven, mix together the chopped artichokes, chopped roasted red peppers, mayonnaise, Parmesan and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the salami into 6 thick rounds then cut each round into quarters.
4. When the puff pastry comes out of the oven, gently press a spoon into the middle of each bite to lightly deflate the middle and make room for the artichoke dip. Spoon the artichoke dip into the puff pastry bites, about a teaspoon per bite. Keep dividing the dip among the bites until all the dip has been used up. Add a piece of salami to the top of each bite, but off to the side to leave room for the mozzarella. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
5. While the bites are in the oven, cut each mozzarella ball into quarters. When the bites come out of the oven let them cool slightly then use a spoon to help you remove them from the pan and place on a platter. Top each bite with a quartered mozzarella ball and the fresh basil or parsley, if using. Serve hot.

Notes

If you want to roast your own red peppers, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a pan or line with nonstick aluminum foil and roast a whole red bell pepper for 20 minutes. Flip the pepper then roast for another 20 minutes. When it’s cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard along with the stem and seeds.

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Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments

Today I am writing this post and I’m not hungry, but I have a feeling by the time I’m done talking about these Shrimp Rangoon Wonton Bites I’m going to be starving! I wanted to share a shrimp appetizer since firstly, shrimp is delicious, and secondly, I like having seafood as an appetizer especially if the main course is meat.

My inspiration for this recipe was the Crab Dip Puffs I posted forever ago. Also, can we briefly talk about those photos? I think I need to re-make and re-photograph them because that post is not doing the deliciousness of the Crab Dip Puffs justice! Anyways, I’m a sucker for crab rangoons and lately I’ve been seeing lobster rangoons on menus so I thought why couldn’t we just make shrimp rangoons?!

This recipe is so simple and the bites taste creamy and cheesy. Plus, they look extra fancy because of the little wonton cups. If you wanted to save time you could always bake the wonton cups the night before, but you don’t really need to save time because the whole recipe cooks in under fifteen minutes anyways.

We’re mixing up shrimp that we’ve cooked, cooled and chopped up, cream cheese, scallions, sour cream, shredded cheddar and garlic powder. I didn’t chop the shrimp too small because I wanted to get big bites of shrimp here and there. Feel free to use low fat cream cheese and sour cream if you would prefer.

Also, you can definitely use more shrimp if you would like. I only did four ounces because I was trying to keep it cost effective – cooking for a crowd can get expensive fast! If you aren’t concerned about that though feel free to pack in the shrimp. And like I thought, now I’m hungry! Happy Monday, everyone!

Shrimp Rangoon Wonton Bites

 

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Yield: 24

Ingredients

• 24 wonton wrappers
• 4 ounces shrimp, cooked and chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a mini muffin pan then place the wrappers into the cavities so they create little wonton bowls. Lightly spray the wonton wrappers in the pan then bake for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
3. While the wrappers are in the oven, combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, setting some of the sliced scallions aside for topping.
4. After the wontons have baked on their own, spoon the mixture into the wontons in the mini muffin pan, evenly dividing between them. Bake for 6-8 more minutes. Top with the reserved sliced scallions then serve hot.

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Lauren Uncategorized 4 Comments