Raw Beet and Orange Salad with Roasted Hazelnuts

My fingers are almost always stained a bright pink. My cutting board and counter tops, pink. Look closely at at dish towels and you will find pink blotches all over them as with any of my light colored clothes. You would think after years of trying to remove beet stains form everything that I would have gotten a system down or at least had a designated cutting board for them, but no. That would be to easy and really,  I think I kinda don't care.  So pink my things will be.

Beets. You either love them or you hate them. I love them (so much), the mr, well I am making him love them. He needs to love them because I end up putting beets in everything. If you are a hater, there is still turn into a lover. But maybe you have never even eaten a beet or haven't in a long long time.  I am actually surprised at how many people I have talked to that have never tried beets before. If you are one of those people, stop being that person and eat one already. OR if you think you hate them, why don't you give them a second try, I bet you will change your mind. Sweet but earthy and nice and crisp but kind of juicy..they really are super tasty. And not to mention all the great health benefits(you can look those up yourself) Yup, beets be the shit!

 And I love a good roasted beet, but really, I prefer my beets raw. Which brings us to this salad. A simple salad of grated up beets, orange juice and toasted hazelnuts. Fast, easy, and tummy satisfying.  As long as you don't hate beets (how could you) then you will love it.

Now you get those beets!

The stuff. A big beet, (or two smaller ones) an orange,( I bought navel oranges and sliced into this one to find it was a blood orange... not complaining), hazelnuts (raw or toasted) apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. Optional but also very nice, some greens and or some type of grain. (I happen to have a some quinoa in the fridge)

Hazelnuts. If yours are already toasted, then no need to do it again, but if they are raw, toss them into the oven for a few minutes (hazelnuts taste so much better toasted)

And grab the beet and a shallow dish and grate it all up.

Add to the beet the juice of the orange, a small splash of vinegar to cut the sweetness, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a good toss and let it sit for at least 5 minutes, if not longer.

And if the hazelnuts are in the oven, take them out when they are slight golden brown. If you want to remove the skins, just stick them in a clean towel and rub it off.

Everything all ready to go.. Any extras are added to bowls.

Beets into bowls, topped with toasted nuts and a cute little orange segment.(if you happen to have one lying around)

Isn't that just something. Beets are so pretty,, but more importantly, so freaking tasty good.

Enjoy Today!

-C

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 Raw Beet and Orange Salad with Roasted Hazelnuts

makes enough for 2 people as a side

• 1 large beet or 2 smaller beets
• 1 orange (I used blood orange but any orange would be good)
• handful of hazelnuts (either already roasted or raw that need to be roasted)
• apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper
• Optional - quinoa (any grain would work) and or greens

If you hazelnuts are raw, toss them onto a baking sheet ans place them into the oven at 300 for about 6-8 minutes until slightly golden brown and smell so nice. When done remove and if you don't like the skins, place nuts in a clean towel and rub the skins right off.

Wash beet(s) and grate into a swallow bowl. I don't peel mine, but peel if you must. Add in the juice of the orange, a splash of vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix around and let sit for at least 5 minutes (the longer the better)

When you are ready for food, grab a bowl (add anything you want to add to the bottom, like quinoa or greens) and fill that bowl up with the beet salad and top with roasted hazelnuts.

Grab a fork and eat.

Avocado Mango Popsicles

I was cleaning out the fridge and found that I had a good few really ripe avocados that were in need of eating ASAP. (I bought like 8 at once... super sale!) My first thought was I wish I could freeze these and save them for later. Then I thought well why the heck don't I freeze them. So that's what I did. I pureed them up, added a little lemon juice and stuck a jar of tangy green creamy goodness into the freezer and all throughout the week found myself standing in front of the fridge with a spoon scraping at the jar of avocado. It was so good. I even added a little fruit to it toward the end. Avocado and fruit = oh hell yes.

And now that is is officially spring we should be eating popsicles (right?!). I figured you guys are cool enough that I would share my new found love of frozen avocados and you would be down with it.

I know, some might think that plain old frozen avocado doesn't sound amazing, but when you add a little sweetness and swirl it around with super sweet and creamy mango. Trust me, it's freaking amazing. The flavors go perfectly together, and the texture, it's almost like ice cream... SO GOOD! Anyway, I know that it might not be the perfect spring weather as of today, but the beauty of these is that you make them, freeze them and leave them until the perfect moment. Say a good long day of raking up all the cat poop that the neighbors cat has left in all your spring flower beds, or picking up all the recycling that has blow into the bushes all winter long. Maybe a day of cleaning out the closet or dusting the ceilings. Make these popsicles now and treat yourself to one after doing some kind of crappy spring chores, its what you need to do.. Or better yet, bribe a little with a popsicle to do your spring cleaning..... Yeah, I might just do that.

Or just make them and eat them... no spring chores required.

The stuff. A nice ripe mango and a nice ripe avocado. A bit of lemon juice (from half a lemon),  a little maple syrup, and a some water.

Scoop the avocado into a jar and cut up the mango ans stick into a jar.....

Splash a little water into each jar and blend them up. (I used my hand blender. but use the blending device of your choice) Add the maple syrup to the avocado.. as much as you need, and if your mango is not super sweet, you can add a little to that too.

Scoop the avocado puree into the mango and gently swirl it around

Now pour/scoop the mixture into your popsicle molds. And because mine was thick enough, I was able to stick the wood sticks without them sinking.

Noe get them quick into the freezer

A good few hours (I didn't even check until the next day but I bet 4-5 hours in a good freezer will do) the popsicles are nowposicles!!!!!

Pop them out of the mold (a few minutes on the counter and or a quick rinse under warm water) and do what needs to be done.

So creamy sweet and refreshing... This is a happy spring popsicle for sure.

Have a great day!

-C

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Avocado Mango Popsicles

Makes four 4oz popsicles

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 ripe mango
• 1/2 a lemon or lime
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (or any sweetener of you liking)
• about 1/2 cup of water

Note.sIF your mango is not super sweet you might want to add a little maple syrup to thatto that as well. And depending on the actual size of your mango and avocado, you might find yourself with a little extra fruit puree.... so maybe an extra popsicle can be made or you can just eat it now.

Scoop avocado into a jar and cut and dice mango and place in a separate jar. Add maple to the avocado (and the mango if you want) and about 1/4 cup of water to each.  With a hand blender, blend each until smooth ( or use a regular blender) Once both are blended, dump one into the other and gently swirl around. Pour mixture into popsicle molds, add the sticks and stick into the freeze. Keep freezing until frozen which should take at least 4-5 hours.

And once frozen, pop out of molds (run mold under warm water or just leave on counter for a few minutes) and eat them like it hot!

Cabbage and Kidney Bean Pot Roast

Every year I look forward to St Patrick's day.. And not because I am Irish, (which I am) or because I want to drink on excess (which I do not) and no,  green eggs and ham are not something that I plan on making. No Ido not look forward to any of those things (although I actually do like to pinch the littles that wear no green and talk about pots of gold and rainbows) I love this time of year because cabbage is always on a freaking super sale everywhere you go.  Something that is usually 80-99 cents a pound goes down to like 20 cents a pound. And for someone that eats like 10 heads of cabbage a week, this is a hug savings. SO yeah, I buy so so much (I have already bought 12 heads, but I actually plan on buying a full case before the sale is over)

No, I am not crazy, I will eat it all..... and I am going to be making so much sauerkraut. Woo hoo!

But until then. A cabbage pot roast. Yes. I remember growing up my mom would make pot roasts once in a while. A big pot full of big chunks of veggies topped with a big slab of some kind of meat. I never liked the meat, but I always loved the big chunks of the veggies at the bottom of the pot. So I figured I would make a big pot roast, replace the meat with a head of cabbage (I have so much) and add beans because protein and because they are just so good. . And when it's all cooked and said and done, you end up with a big pot of plump and so flavorful veggies and beans and the most tender wedged of roasted braised cabbage.  This is my kind of pot roast.

Now go quick.. the cabbage sales will be over soon.

The stuff. One good sized head of cabbage, a few carrots, a big onion, and a hunk of rutabaga. Also have some dried kidney beans, caraway and fennel seeds, dried ground mustard, a bay leaf, some garlic, and salt and pepper. And water... water is needed.

Note. You can use just caraway or just fennel and you can replace or even add a potato in place of the rutabaga.

Dried beans, fennel and caraway into a pot with water. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil, then to a simmer to give the beans a quick head start before going into the oven.

While the beans are simmering, dice up the garlic and chop up the veggies into big chunks... you don't want small chunks or they will kind of turn to mush while cooking.

And turn over the cabbage head, take a knife, and slice a deep x into the core. DO THIS or else the inside of the cabbage will not cook through. Oh and preheat the oven to 375.

Beans looking a bit plumped..

Top those beans with all the chopped veggies,(don't stir them in., you want to keep the bean under submerged in the water) sprinkle those with the mustard, salt and pepper and place that lovely cabbage head right on top...

Place a lid on the pot and slide it into the oven to cook away. It's going to take a bit of time (about an hour) but it's pretty much hands off. Just take a look after about 45 minutes, check the bean doneness, add in another cup or so of water and place lid bacck on and cook for another 12-20 minutes until the beans are done. When they are, take the lid off, crank the oven to 450 and cook for another 15 or so minutes until the cabbage gets all golden brown

Look at that... Tender roasted veggies, plump beans. Everything about this is right.

Grab a knife and cut the cabbage (its so tender) into big wedges.

A wedge into a bowl along with a big spoonful or two of the beans and veggies..

Finished with a dash of salt and pepper and (not shown here,) lots of mustard.. Oh cabbage... you are so good!

Eat away and Happy St Patrick's Day.

-C

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Cabbage and Kidney Bean Pot Roast

serves 3-4

• 1 cup dried kidney beans
• 3-4 cups water
• a medium sized head of cabbage
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 large onion
•  a potato or a a small rutabaga(or both)
• 1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground mustard
• a bay leaf
• salt and pepper

Place the fennel, the caraway, and the bay leaf into a large dutch oven along with the dried beans and 3 cups of water. Place on the stove and being to a boil then, turn heat to low and simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.

While beans are simmering, chop up the carrot, onion and rutabaga into big chunks and dice up the garlic. Take head of cabbage and slice a deep x into the core.

Preheat oven to 375

Once the beans have simmered a bit, add in the chunks of veggies, the ground mustard and salt and pepper (Don't stir, you want to keep the bean submerged in the water). Place the head of cabbage right on top of the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place a lid on the pot and stick the whole thing into the oven. After about 45 minutes, check the roast and the beans for doneness and adding in another cup of water id needed. Back into oven with the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until the beans are tender Onnce they are, remove the lid form the pot and crank the oven up to 425. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the cabbage turns a nice golden brown.

Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, cut the cabbage head into wedges and serve it up with big spoonfuls of beans and veggies.

Eat until your full.

.

Oven Baked TATER TOTS

Tuesday tater tot time!

Sometimes you just want a tater tot. So what are you to do about it? Well I fought off the feeling for far too long (why? I do not know) and finally gave in got my shit together, got some potatoes, and made the tots. And then I was happy.

What was taking me so long?  Tater tots are freaking good.

These are nothing like those tots that were served in the lunch room cafeteria that we all know and loved. No these are sooooo much better, and probably (definitely ) way way healthier too cause they are baked, not fried. And to make'em even better, after making the tater tot tower you're ready to eat, you can eat them up with whatever dippy type thing you can think of. Sure you could go with straight up ketchup (me, not a fan) or you could go nuts and make a big bowl of guacamole, grab the mustard and the hot sauce, and do that. Tater tots go so well with all sorts of stuff. (I was even thinking peanut butter but stopped myself for the time being)

. Next time I make them, I am so going to make a tater tot castle!

Tots away!

The stuff. Potatoes (duh), an onion, garlic powder, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

First thing to do is boil the potatoes...just a bit. Cut each potato into 4 wedges and stick into a big pot full of cold water, salted water. Stick pot on the stove ans bring to a boil, then turn heat down a little and continue to cook the potatoes until they are just barely for tender. Strain from the water and set aside to cool.

Once the potatoes have cooled off enough where you can handle them, grab a grate and grate them all up, along with the onion. ME, trying to use the least amount of dishes possible, I just grated it all onto the baking sheet that I was using to bake the tots off.... Worked like a charm. And once your taters and onion are grated, sprinkle in the garlic powder, a good amount of salt ans pepper ans drizzle it all with a little bit of olive oil. Mix it all around (I used my hands but a fork would work) and if you are using the baking sheet , just push the mound to one side.

And start forming the taters into tots.... Just grab a handful and squeeze it together into a tot shape.

Note. Have a dish towel close by to wipe your hands when they get to starchy... the tots stick together better when made with dry hands.

Tots ready for the oven. Bakes for 30-35 minutes at 400.. Flip after about 20 minutes.

Golden brown, all crispy an tot like. Ready for your eating pleasure.

Plate them up, serve with your favorite condiments (try guacamole , mustard and hot sauce) and eat them. Eat them all.

-C

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Oven Baked Tater Tots

serves 3

• 2 big russet potatoes
• 1 sweet yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon or so garlic powder
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Slice the potatoes lengthwise into quarters and place into a pot of cold, salted water, making sure the potatoes are completely submerged.  Bring the potatoes to a boil then turn heat to medium and keep boiling until the potatoes are just barely fork tender., like 8-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool.

Preheat oven to 400

Once cooled, grate the potato, along with the onion into a bowl or onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, add a good amount of salt ans pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss around until its evenly coated then start forming the mixture into tots. Place the tots on a baking sheet and once all the tots are formed ans ready to go, stick into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, remove, flip them over, then continue to bake for another 10-15 until they are all nice and golden brown.

Remove from oven, grab your favorite condiments and eat right away.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

One of the mr's little brothers really likes peanut butter cookies. He is always asking me to make them for him so this past weekend, for his 24h birthday, I did just that. Peanut butter chocolate chip birthday cookies,  Just for him. (I know, I am the best)

After rushing home the evening before to make this awesome cookies for the boy, I waited until a decent time the next day and I shot him a text.. "Happy Birthday! Where are you?, I want to bring you cookies!". That was at noon. I get a text back around 3... "just woke up, I'll come get them later." (Sleeping until 3pm.. that must have been a crazy ass birthday morning!)

Well guess what. That little shit didn't come get the cookie that I made all special like for him so now the mr has slowly been picking them off. And the mr. says that these cookies are like magic. That they are so freaking good, probably the best peanut butter cookie he has ever had.  (he doesn't usually say things like that about cookies so the really must be amazing)

So if you are reading this Qui.. you have a a few magic cookies left...but I can't promise anything after tonight.  The sister is coming over for dinner and I'll just give them to her for dessert..........

The stuff. Rolled oats, peanut butter, brown sugar, sea salt and chocolate chips. Also a bit of baking soda, some vanilla extract and a bit of water.  You need no flour, eggs or butter, these cookies are all about simple goodness.

Notes. Chunky or smooth peanut butter is cool here and you can use natural or skippy.. the skippy cookie will just be a bit sweeter. And the sea salt. If you don't have sea salt, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter. The sea salt is for the tops of the cookies and you should NOT use table salt for that.

Start by sticking the oats into a food processor and blending until your oats become oat flour.

Then dump everything else in (water first), EXCEPT the chocolate chips.

And pulse until it all comes together into a yummy peanut butter cookie dough.

Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chip.  Once you do that, stop eating the dough and stick the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to slightly chill.... 

After the bout in the fridge, grab your dough and scoop out like sized balls of dough and place them on baking sheet. Give each ball a smoosh (use a fork or your fingers) and sprinkle the tops with a small little pinch of sea salt (again, if you don't have sea salt, so not use table salt... just skip this)

And into the oven they go...

Only until slightly golden brown and just starting to look almost done..... that's when they are done (about 8 minutes)

Let the cookies cool for a minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish.

Super awesome and super duper duper good. Made with love and good intentions for a little shit... but left to be eaten by others

But really these are so easy and fast to make. I'll probably just end up making the boy a new batch. (again, so nice)

Have a super duper day!

-C

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Make about a dozen

• 1 cup old fashion oats
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 heaping cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 ish cup chocolate chips/chunks (the tiny chips work the best)
• flaked sea salt (optional)

Note. Flaked sea salt is a perfect finish for the cookie but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter but don't sprinkle the tops with it.

Place oats in food processor ans blend until it turns into flour. Add in water, pulse, then add in the rest, EXCEPT the chocolate chip.  Pulse until a dough forms. Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chips.

Stick the dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.... In the mean time, do the dishes and a little cookie dance.

Preheat oven to 350.

With a scoop or spoon. scoop out your preferred sized cookies onto a baking sheet. Give each cookie ball a little smoosh with either a fork for a pattern or just your fingers. Sprinkle each smooshed cookie with a pinch of sea salt.

Stick the cookies in oven and bake for 8-9 minutes, until just barely golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for a minutes then remove from sheet to cool on a wire rack.

Place a cookie or two on a plate, stash the rest away (or else you will eat them all) grab a nice cold glass of some milk situation or a pipping hot cup of coffee and sit down with a good book or even a smutty magazine (no judgment here), read, eat cookies and be happy.

Enjoy!