Zucchini Ribbons

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zucchini ribbons

I am so excited about this recipe! I was experimenting with the extra organic zucchini I had in my fridge, and decided to try and make zucchini ribbons. Not only is zucchini healthy for you (it is packed with vitamin C, an important antioxidant), but in ribbons it has a beautiful presentation and it tastes delicious! All you need is a vegetable peeler to make the ribbons. I sautéed the zucchini ribbons in olive oil and seasoned them with freshly minced garlic, pepper, and lemon juice. I think zucchini is going to be the new pasta, these totally reminded me of noodles! The texture came out “al dente” and I topped them with Parmesan cheese. I also love how quick this recipe is – I was finished in 15 minutes. This recipe can be served as a main dish or as a side.

It’s almost the weekend! What are your plans? I plan on studying, playing in the kitchen, running, and maybe going for a bike ride if it is sunny and not too cold. Most of all, I am looking forward to sleeping in and not having to go anywhere right when I wake up!

I’m off for a run before sundown (5 miles today, & I already feel sleepy right now :/). XoXo

Zucchini Ribbons
 
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Type: Main
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 2 organic zucchini squash
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil.
  2. Add the minced garlic.
  3. Wash and dry zucchini squash.
  4. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off long ribbons into the skillet. For thinner ribbons, try to use the 90 degree edges created by peeling in one spot for a while.
  5. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle pepper over the zucchini ribbons.
  6. Lower the heat a little and stir occasionally for about 7 minutes. Occasionally check the texture until it reaches the softness you want (I like mine more firm!).
  7. Serve warm and grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.
Serves 2

 

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Simple Avocado Salad

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avocado saladI have been having many busy days lately, and the quickest lunch for me to make in the morning is a salad! It is easy if you make the dressing the night before (or already have some on hand) and in the morning you can just toss some romaine lettuce and vegetables in a to-go container in less than 5 minutes. This simple avocado salad is one of my favorite salads, especially with a lime dressing. It tastes so fresh! You can add other items to it, such as black beans and cilantro, and even turn it into a fiesta salad and top with sour cream and salsa – yum!

This week has been pretty uneventful. I am eagerly waiting for my rotations schedule (should be coming out Friday *fingers crossed*) so I will know what areas in the hospital I will be working in for the next year starting in a few months. The half-marathon is creeping up on me. Yesterday I ran 5 miles and it nearly killed me (after taking a 2 week vacation over the holidays from running – bad bad bad idea). Today I am going to the gym for another run. I wonder if I will be this good about working out when the race is over? ;)

Simple Avocado Salad
 
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Type: Salad
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce, rinsed
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup corn
Lime dressing
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions
  1. Toss the romaine lettuce with the cherry tomatoes, corn, and avocado.
  2. To make the dressing, shake all ingredients in a salad dressing cruet or whisk well in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Adjust to taste.
  3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad or mix in.
Serves 2

 

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Cucumber Rolls

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cucumber rolls

I am not a huge fan of football or anything, but it is exciting that the San Francisco 49ers are close to making it to the Super Bowl! The last time I watched a football game was in high school when I was a cheerleader…which was forever ago! I never do anything on Super Bowl Sunday except study. This year the Super Bowl lands on my half marathon, so I definitely won’t be watching. I feel like it gives people the chance to eat a bunch of unhealthy snacks all day without feeling guilty because that’s just what you do on Super Bowl Sunday. This is another reason why I avoid it >.< What does this have to do with cucumber rolls? Well, I thought they would be a great healthy appetizer to serve for Super Bowl Sunday if you are hosting/going to a party this year. After I thought about this, I pictured men who are used to eating chili, hot dogs, chips and nachos on Super Bowl Sunday being offered cucumber rolls and saying, “What is THAT?” but hey, you can try! I found them by searching around for at-home sushi rolls (I am dying to try these too!). They just sounded so fresh and delicious, I had to try to make them myself. I used feta cheese, yogurt, red bell pepper, red onion, lemon juice, dill and pepper to make the filling, but I can think of so many different possibilities for other fillings you can try. Next time I would add less red onion, because it can be pretty over-powering. If you have a mandoline slicer, slicing the cucumbers is very easy. I must admit, I haven’t tried peeling the cucumber with a vegetable peeler, but it might work. Let me know!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cucumber Rolls
 
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Type: Appetizer
Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 1 organic cucumber
  • ⅓ cup light feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1½ tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
  • ½ tsp finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp fresh or dried dill
  • Pinch of pepper
  • Toothpicks

Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine feta cheese and yogurt by smashing with a fork.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients and chill in the refrigerator while preparing the cucumber slices.
  3. Use a mandolin slicer on ⅛” thickness (or less), or a vegetable peeler, and make thin slices from the cucumber. Place on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid.
  4. Add 1 tbsp filling to the top ¼ of the cucumber and roll up.
  5. Place a toothpick from top to bottom to hold in place.
  6. Serve chilled.
Makes 8 rolls

 

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Black Forest Cake in a Glass

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black forest cakeDo you ever feel like you have so much to do you are about to explode? Ever since I got back from Europe on Monday I have been feeling like there just isn’t enough time in the day to do what I need to get done…laundry, studying, cleaning, studying, projects, studying… I purposely scheduled the Salvation Army to come on Monday because I have been meaning to clean out my closet and donate old appliances for months, and if I don’t just schedule them it will probably never happen. Since it is a new year, I decided I want to un-clutter my apartment and finally get rid of things I never use/wear! It is always hard to go through my closet, but I just have to ask myself, “When are you ever going to wear that tiny dress from college again?” and usually “Probably never” is the answer and into the donate pile it goes!

Sunday was my birthday, and because I was traveling all day, it went by so fast. This year I didn’t feel very festive…As my friend Brittany said, I am now a quarter of a century old! I don’t really like the sound of that…ahhh! Since I didn’t get to make myself a birthday cake this year, I made this Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in German), in a glass, because this is one of my favorite cakes and I didn’t want to make an entire cake for myself since nobody is around this week to help me eat it! Last year I made Nutella Whoopie Pies, so I wanted to continue the tradition. This is a great dessert recipe for one, or two. I always use Morello cherries from Trader Joes, they are so delicious! The kirschwasser is usually a must when preparing a Black Forest cake, but if you don’t have it you can leave it out and it will still taste delicious!

Recipe inspired by: “Die Schwarzwaldküche” – a wedding gift from a friend

Black Forest Cake in a Glass
 
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Type: Dessert
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp kirschwasser
  • Morello cherries, in juice
  • Light whipped cream

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet.
  3. Add flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a standalone mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment and whisk until blended.
  4. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and ¼ cup water and mix on medium speed until smooth and combined, ~ 4 minutes.
  5. Pour batter into ramekins until a little more than ½ filled.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let cool before removing cake from ramekins.
  8. Carefully remove cake from ramekins (can use a knife to loosen the sides if needed).
  9. Turn the cakes on their side and cut 2-3 flat discs from each cake, depending on desired thickness.
  10. Place one disc at the bottom of a dessert glass and drizzle ½ tbsp of kirschwasser over the cake, along with 1 tbsp cherry juice.
  11. Add several cherries over the cake and top with whipped cream.
  12. Place another disc over the whipped cream and repeat.
  13. Continue to layer as desired, and top with whipped cream, cherries and chocolate sprinkles or shavings.
Serves 4

 

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Italian Canederli

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canederliI brought you back a special treat from Italy: Italian canederli (also known as Knödel in Germany). I am so excited to share this recipe with you, because this dumpling recipe is my new favorite! I can’t get enough of them. I first tried these delicious dumplings at a restaurant in South Tyrol, and later found out they are a specialty from northern Italy. You can usually only find them in restaurants in this area! They are sooo delicious, you must try them. You can serve them in soups (even just a vegetable broth!), but they are typically served with a little olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and parsley or chives. These dumplings make a wonderful main course or side dish, and are a great way to use up a baguette that is going stale. I use a french baguette, but any white bread should do! Note: This recipe only serves 2, so double to serve 4!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Italian Canederli
 
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Type: Main
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 100g (about 2 cups) chopped day old white bread (French baguette works great!)
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • 2½ tbsp all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • ⅓ cup (60g) shredded Gouda cheese
  • ⅓ onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • Olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions
  1. Chop up a French baguette (or other white bread) until you have 2 cups, then place on a plate and cover with a dish towel overnight (if already stale, do not need to wait overnight).
  2. Beat egg, milk, salt, nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl.
  3. Add chopped-up bread and stir very well.
  4. Cover with dish towel and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Stir in flour, cheese and parsley, then cover and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, add olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Simmer the onions for about 8 minutes, until all are translucent.
  7. Add the onions to the bread mixture and stir well.
  8. With your hands, form balls out of the bread mixture to desired size (I like to serve them large) and roll in flour. Set on a plate or parchment paper.
  9. When all are done, roll a second time in flour.
  10. Bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil, then add the dumplings and boil them for 15 minutes.
  11. Use a straining spoon to remove them and shake off the excess water. Set on a plate to cool briefly.
  12. Serve with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and parsley sprinkled over the top.
Makes 7 large dumplings

 

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