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Monthly Archives: January 2016

Spicy Cheesy White Bean and Sausage Dip

Spicy Cheesy White Bean and Sausage Dip 1

It’s bowl game season! The Big Game is only a little over a week away!

Confession: I could give a crap. I’m not a football gal (too long and tedious to me – I can’t get into all of the starts and stops). If my hometown Lions made it all the way, I would be ecstatic for my family, who have stood by them for decades, through all the disappointments, mediocrity, and downright atrociousness. But since they made it nowhere near the Big Game this year, I don’t have a ton of interest in it. I’ll be rooting for Denver, because I have family out there who roots for the Broncos (Hi, Aunt Ria!).

The only reason I do care a little that the Big Game is coming up (I keep saying “Big Game” because I think none of us is really supposed to say “Super Bowl,” right? I find that utterly ridiculous.) is for game-time snacks! I love game-time snacks! And this dip is everything you want in a game-time snack: rich and cheesy and spicy and fatty and probably not all that good for you.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Cayenne and Lime Honey Dipping Sauce

 

Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Cayenne and Lime Honey Dipping Sauce 1

 

On today’s menu: chicken tenders! But not the janky diner chicken tenders you ate by the bucketful when you were a teenager (if you were anything like me). OK, those chicken tenders were actually pretty good a lot of the time – except when they didn’t deep fry them thoroughly enough and they were still kind of cold in the middle. Then yuck. But these chicken tenders are not yuck and are much more healthful, because for one, they are gluten-free – yay! The “breading” is made from raw almonds and is really, really quick and easy to make.

Chocolate Coconut Banana Granola

Chocolate Coconut Banana Granola 1

I was supposed to go out to brunch Sunday, but a little bully of a snowstorm derailed that. It wasn’t a blizzard, but it was enough slick roads and nastiness to keep me from getting on to the freeway and sliding around like a bumper car. After a high of about 50 degrees and walking around outside without a coat on Saturday, we are now sporting average highs around 20 degrees, blasting gales with wind chills in the single digits, and this lovely, freeze-y, arctic tundra landscape. Winter is finally upon us in Detroit! We’d been pretty spoiled so far this season with only one big snow prior to this last week. Reality check! Wah wah. But the one positive thing about inclement weather cancelling my plans on Sunday was that I got to stay home and make coconut chocolate banana granola.

A fresh snowfall equals beautiful but not so delicious. This granola equals beautiful AND delicious!

Quinoa and Black Beans with Avocado Cream Sauce

Quinoa and Black Beans with Avocado Cream Sauce

Nature knows what’s up. She knows that healthy fat is where it’s at! And what better source is there of plant-based healthy fat than avocados? I’m OBSESSED with them! They are so richly delicious, with all that yummy healthy good monounsaturated fat and loads of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins K and C and potassium. They’re like nature’s butter, fresh off the tree instead of straight from the cow’s udder (and I’m sure the cows are more than happy to share that distinction with them if it means they will be hassled less!).

Citrusy Feta and Parsley Beet Salad

Citrusy Feta and Parsley Beet Salad

Happy 2016! I am one of those people who is obsessed with the dawning of a new year and all of the promise it brings. New projects! New trips! New seasons of fave telly shows (Girls Season 5 what what! Only 48 days away!)! And of course, with the new year comes new food – probably the best promise of them all for someone like me who enjoys bumbling around in the kitchen. I look forward to developing and sharing new recipes with you as much as I look forward to discovering what crazy shenanigans Hannah and the gang have gotten themselves into this year (supes excited for Girls Season 5 and the excuse to order HBO for a few months, as you can tell).

The new year should be ushered in with a recipe that is bright and fresh and earthy and tangy – and that preferably goes well with leftover champagne. And that vibes well with any health-related resolutions we may have set. This citrusy feta and parsley beet salad checks all those boxes, in my humble opinion.