Cobb Salad Board, by Cheryl

I bought a new book titled "Beautiful Boards". It is AMAZING. There are 50 different snack and meal boards that are relatively easy to make and are so pretty to look at. I bought a large Lazy Susan board (probably a little too large) to start and I'm hooked! I've made smaller charcuterie and cheese boards before, but this book takes it to a whole new level. 

I thought the kids would have fun making their own salads and I was right. They were so into it and loved getting to choose what should go in their bowl instead of me making it for them and serving it to them. J made her own salad - a little deconstructed, but I'll take it! M ate the eggs, avocado, and cheese. But she did try a piece of lettuce, which was a win. She did have fun making a small bowl with everything in it, which got her to sit at the table longer than 5 minutes! Overall, this was a hit and I can't wait to make it again and come up with other meal boards (tacos???).  Yum! 

Ingredients (I left out the measurements since I eyeballed it for my family):

Chopped lettuce mix (I used just Romaine)

Shredded cheddar cheese

Crumbled cooked bacon

Blue cheese crumbles

Diced avocado

Hard boiled eggs, sliced (used 2)

Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut

Cherry tomatoes, sliced

Red onion, thinly sliced

Ranch dressing

Blue cheese dressing

Pecans (didn't have)

Croutons (didn't have)

Directions:

1) Place the lettuce in the middle of the lazy Susan leaving space all around for the toppings. 

2) Put the shredded cheese, blue cheese, bacon, and diced avocado in serving bowls and place on board.

3) Place dressings in bowls and place on board (we used them directly from the container).

4) Place everything else on board. 

Taiwanese Chicken Cutlets, by Diane

This recipe from @iheartumami was unfortunately just so so. In the photo it was nice and golden brown, and described as crunchy. In reality, the coating came out still white in places although the chicken was cooked through the coating was soft. It was also very over spiced, so I’m not sure I would make this again. The upside is the discovery of thick sweet potato flour, which creates an amazing texture and is what is actually used in Taiwan (I thought this was a unique whole30 modification). I really liked using this and will experiment with what else I can use it on!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breasts

1 tsp finely ground sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp white sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil)

2 tbsp coconut aminos

1 large egg

1/4 cup thick sweet potato powder

Directions:

1. Halve the chicken breasts and pound until 1/4 inch thick.

2. Mix salt through five spice powder in a bowl, remove 3/4 tsp and save for later. 

3. Add the chicken to the bowl and coat well, then add baking soda, sesame oil, and aminos and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

4. Mix egg and 2 tbsp water in one bowl, and put sweet potato powder in another bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg and then press the sweet potato flour into the chicken. 

5. Place the chicken in an oiled air fryer, spray the tops, and cook for 5 min at 400. Flip, spray the tops, and cook another 5 min.

6. Sprinkle remaining seasoning on chicken before serving (this made it way too intense for me).

Grain Free Crabcakes, by Diane

This recipe is from @primalgourmet, and it seemed really easy to make for dinners this week! As a Marylander I take my crabcakes seriously, and this one was really good! I would like to change the seasoning a tiny bit more next time and also add butter (I’ll add here if I do!), but this was quick and delicious! I also cut the mayo in half because it wasn’t needed. The sauce I wasn’t a huge fan of and would stick to classic tartar next time. 

Ingredients:

Crabcakes-

2 egg yolks

4 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp old bay

1 tsp dried parsley

1 lb lump crab meat

3/4 cup finely ground almond crackers 

Sauce-

1 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp old bay

1 tsp dried parsley

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine eggs through parsley well. Fold in the crab meat, then gently fold in the crackers until well mixed. Form them into balls (mine made 5 good ones).

2. Spray the bottom of an air fryer basket with oil, then place the crabcakes inside and spray the tops with oil. Air fry at 400 for 10 min or until golden.

3. While the crabcakes are cooking, whisk all sauce ingredients together. 

Red Lentil and Kale Stew, by Cheryl

I came across this recipe when I was reading my Eating Well magazine, which to be honest I don't know why they keep being sent to me since I canceled that a while ago. Anyway, this looked like a delicious, healthy, and comforting dish. I even added sausage to appease the hubby. Unfortunately, it was just okay. We ate it and it was fine, but it's not something I would make again. The leftovers are still sitting in the fridge and I made it 4 days ago. I felt like there was way too much broth for the lentils.. they got lost in there so I couldn't taste them at all. So this is one you can skip... I have plenty of other healthy stews and soups that are way more delicious. Yum? 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks

1 tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 cups veggie or chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

3/4 cup red lentils

4 ounces baby kale

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1) Steam potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. 

2) Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes and lentils and bring to a simmer over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in kale. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

3) Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot; add milk, butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each pepper and salt. Mash to desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan.

4) Serve the stew over mashed potatoes. 

Jerk Salmon, by Cheryl

Jon found this recipe in his Men's Health magazine and he sent it to me. I guess that was a not so subtle hint to make it, haha. I almost had all of the ingredients already on hand (thanks to the gingerbread cookies I always have molasses around and it has a far out expiration date!) and I just had to get the salmon and cilantro. It's sooooo easy to make and the flavors are outstanding! The marinade/sauce made more than I needed so I actually have half of it left over to use again (which I'm planning on doing with chicken). I would definitely make this again. Yum! 

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets

1 head of garlic

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 habanero pepper

1 (1 inch) fresh ginger

2/3 cup molasses

2/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

1) In a blender or food processor add all of the ingredients except the fish. Season to taste with salt. Puree until smooth.

2) In a large bowl, combine the salmon with half the pureed marinade; turn the fish to coat well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (I did it for a few hours).

3) Preheat the oven to 375. Place the salmon on a baking sheet. Pour the rest of the marinade over it (I had a ton left from the marinade so I didn't do this). Roast until flaky, 8-10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. 

Violet Syrup, by Diane

This was so fun to make, and holy moly was it delicious! Although it’s a simple recipe, I’m adding it here so I make sure not to forget it next spring! You can turn this recipe into jelly by adding pectin, or a thicker syrup for pancakes by boiling it longer, or keep the recipe as is for a simple syrup that can be added to drinks or recipes that call for a sweetener! Another cool trick is that if you add a drop or two of lemon juice the syrup changes to a deep magenta pink, but I loved the dark purple. Yay spring!

Ingredients:

2 cups wild violets (I used the dark purple ones for color)

1.5 cups water (distilled if possible as the ph level may change the color)

1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Remove the stems of the violets, rinse, and place in a mason jar. Some people remove the green parts too but I kept them on as a few recipes said they made the syrup better (plus, less work!).

2. Cover the flowers with boiling water and let sit in a mason jar for 24 hours. You can adjust the water as needed to cover them. Make sure to close the lid tight once it cools a bit.

3. Pour the flowers and water into a saucepan with sugar, stir over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. 

4. Strain the flowers out (you can save them later as they are now candied for garnishes, the insides of cookies, or dehydrate them as candy). Transfer the syrup back to the jar and store in the fridge. Make sure the container is air tight and fill the syrup as high as it can go to keep out oxygen that might spoil it. This will keep about 6 months. 

Artichoke Heart Poppers, by Diane

 

Holy moly these rocked!! What a quick and delicious snack! I saw inspiration for these on a few recipes, and I had some leftover dry batter from my pickle chicken nuggets. Next time I want to try some pizza seasonings on them. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 egg yolk, whisked

1/4 cups arrowroot powder

1/2 tsp each black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dill

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Pat the artichoke hearts dry and toss in the bowl with the egg, coat well.

2. Transfer to the dry ingredients, coat well.

3. Spray the pan of an air fryer with oil, dump the artichokes in, spread out. Cook at 370 for 12-15 min or until crispy.

Classic Meatloaf, by Cheryl

Forgot to take a picture! This is from here

Cue what do I make for dinner tonight? In comes meatloaf! I'm not the biggest fan of meatloaf, but this classic dish was so moist and sweet that it may have converted me. My family loved it and it was super easy to make. Yum!

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tbsp. ketchup

1 tbsp. Worcestershire

1 tsp. dried parsley leaves

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the topping:

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350. 

2) In a large bowl add all of the ingredients except for the topping. Use your hands to mush and mix very well. Under mixing this moist recipe can result in the meatloaf being too soft/mushy.

3) Add meat to a loaf pan. Pat the meat into an even layer. 

4) In a small bowl add the toppings ingredients and mix. Pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and spread evenly.

5) Bake for 55 minutes. Let rest about 10 minutes when done. 

Traditional Charoset, by Cheryl

Every year I make the charoset for our family's Passover seder. Over the years I have tweaked it some in order to get the sweet taste I'm looking for in order to combat the bitter herbs that generally go with it. This is delicious with the bitter herbs on the matzah, but also on it's own as a sweet treat (though I only make it for Passover!) Yum! 

Ingredients:

3 Fuji or Gala apples, diced or chopped

Chopped walnuts

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 - 1/2 cup? of Manischewitz red wine

Directions:

1) Mix everything together! I like to make it ahead of time so that the wine really gets into the apples. 

Pickle Chicken Nuggets, Take 2, by Diane

I love my pickle chicken nugget recipe, but I saw this new mix of spices and coating and I was intrigued! Both recipes call for chicken brined in pickle juice which makes it flavorful and juicy! This recipe by @backporchpaleo is whole30 and uses an air fryer, but you could easily change both of those. These were really good and just as juicy as the first recipe! And even quicker to throw together, which is a plus. 

Ps- I’ve been using a dill/dried onion/dried garlic spice mix by Women’s Bean Project that is amaaaazing. I sub it in wherever dill is used like in this recipe. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken breasts

1 cup dill pickle juice

1 egg yolk

4 tbsp arrowroot powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp each ground pepper, ground sumac, paprika, dill, garlic, and onion powder

Spray avocado oil

Directions:

1. Cube the chicken breasts and marinate in pickle juice, making sure the chicken is completely submerged. Refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight.

2. Drain and dry the chicken, the toss in egg yolk. 

3. Transfer the chicken to a bowl with remaining ingredients (except avocado oil) and toss in spice mixture until fully coated. 

4. Spray the bottom of an air fryer basket with avocado oil, place the chicken nuggets in the basket spread apart and spray the tops of the chicken with avocado oil.

5. Cook at 350 for 5 min, flip and spray again, and cook another 4 min. 

Magnolia Cookies, by Diane

We ground the petals into a jammy center!

I saw this recipe on @blackforager’s Instagram, and a friend and I tested them out today. Magnolia’s are not only edible but they taste like ginger! So we made these “magnolia snap” cookies with magnolia syrup (which was liquid GOLD- make this ASAP!!) and magnolia petals from the strained syrup that we ground into a jam and filled with cookies with (also absolutely amazing!). The cookies themselves were so-so, because the texture was too chewy, next time I would try this with Cheryl and I’s tried and true ginger cookies (swapping the molasses for magnolia syrup). All in all this was a really fun way to spend a beautiful spring day!

Magnolia Syrup: Combine 1.5 cups white sugar, 1 cup water, and about 40 magnolia petals in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the sauce turns brown and tastes like heaven. Strain the flowers and reserve (they also taste amazing!). 

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

3.5 cups flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup magnolia syrup, flowers reserved

1 tbsp grated frozen magnolia petals

1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and sugar. 

2. Add remaining ingredients except white sugar and combine well.

3. Grab some dough, stuff with some magnolia petals, roll into a ball, and roll in white sugar. 

4. Place cookies on an ungreased baking tray for 15 min at 350.