Chili Lime Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

One of my favorite things to do is to walk through the farmer’s market with no purpose other than looking for the best, most beautiful product. This last week, that is not how my farmer’s market visit went down. Instead, the boys and I all but ran through in the hopes of beating a storm that was quickly rolling in. Dark clouds above us, strong wind gusts blowing in our faces, and a 4 year old who was so scared he needed me to carry him, meant a less than relaxing experience. Still, I managed to snag some beautiful raspberries that were perfect in a fool I made for my sweet sister’s birthday. And then there were these beautiful fingerling potatoes that were begging to be seasoned, roasted, and topped with queso fresco and cilantro.

Turns out, a stormy start to what I was hoping would be a casual, sunny visit to the market made me grab a couple things I wouldn’t normally buy. And if that means recipes that are this delicious, I’ll take it!

Chili Lime Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Serves 4 as a side

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, washed and cut in half lengthwise

• 2 teaspoons Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Seasoning (or a combination of chili powder, salt, and lime zest)

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

• lots of fresh cilantro

• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

• fresh lime juice and lime wedges for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

2. Toss potatoes with avocado oil and chili lime seasoning. Spread in a single layer, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

3. Pile potatoes into a large serving bowl and season with additional chili lime seasoning if needed. Top with queso fresco, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve additional lime wedges on the side.

Fresh Peach & Tomato Salsa

Can we agree that chips and salsa is the best snacking combo on the planet?

Good. I knew we could be friends.

Since our move from Colorado to Minnesota at the beginning of the summer, we’ve consumed many bags of tortilla chips and many jars of salsa with friends and family because a) SO easy, and 2) YUM. I’ve mostly gone for the store-bought version because it turns out moving is completely exhausting and leaves me with little to no energy for cooking. But there have been a couple times when I’ve found myself with some random ingredients that come together to make a killer homemade salsa. This fresh peach & tomato salsa has to be my favorite.

One perfectly ripe fresh peach, one locally grown tomato, some lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, salt and pepper is all it took to make this bowl of beauty and you need to get on board immediately. It’s not hard and it is sure to impress your friends!

Fresh Peach & Tomato Salsa

• 1 medium fresh peach, peeled and diced

• 1 medium ripe tomato (or a handful of ripe cherry tomatoes), diced

• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

• juice of 1 lime

• salt to taste

1. Add all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

3. Enjoy immediately! This one is best fresh because it can get pretty watery the longer it sits.

Air Fryer "Roasted" Broccoli

We have been in a serious eating funk around here. The kids have been all hot dogs, frozen pizzas, burgers, pasta…and it is fine because sometimes there are seasons like that. But it is time to break the cycle because I cannot deal! Enter: the air fryer! Yep. I caved. Did I need another kitchen appliance taking up space? Probably not. But this one seemed more and more practical after everything I’ve heard from others who have taken the plunge.

I ended up buying the Ninja Air Fryer simply because if was the right price and had good reviews. I’ve also heard great things about the Phillips Air Fryer but it is quite pricey.

Things I’m looking forward to making with my air fryer:

• sweet potato fries

• sweet potato chips

• plantain chips

• chicken nuggets

• fish sticks

• egg rolls

Those all seem like pretty obvious things to toss into the air fryer. What would you add to the list?

To get started, I went with something simple that I know my family will benefit from ASAP. Both of my kids like roasted broccoli, so it seemed like a no brainer to try making it in this fancy new appliance of mine. I used way less oil and it took me less time than it would in the oven. Hellooooo convenience! Plus, it is perfect for warmer days when you don’t want to heat up your house with a hot oven.

Stay tuned for more recipes like this one because I’m sure I’ll have more to share!

Air Fryer “Roasted” Broccoli

• 3 cups broccoli florets

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• salt

• black pepper

1. Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
   

2. Toss broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
   

3. Add to the air fryer basket in two batches, cooking each batch for 8 minutes. As they cook, take the basket out every 2-3 minutes, shake the broccoli around, and check for doneness.
   

4. Serve and enjoy!

Date Night Grilled Steak Salad

I’ve tried sitting down to write this post several times. Inevitably, life gets in the way. The 4 year old needs me to put on his shoes (something he’s done with zero help approximately 147 times) or the 7 year old has a story to tell me (I realize this may not be the case forever so I try to drop everything and listen when I can). Other times, I get a phone call or someone comes to the door or the dogs are getting antsy and need some attention. Finding the quiet space in my day that I need to focus on writing is difficult right now. Sure, I could just sit down and write something for the sake of getting words on a page, but that’s not what makes me feel good about posting here for you all. I want my words to be thoughtful and meaningful and honest. That is something that only comes with the proper conditions.

Right now, I’m sitting at my kitchen counter. It is dreary outside as we await a late spring snow storm, which is allowing the kids to sleep in a little longer than usual. I have my coffee. The dogs are snuggled up on their beds and all is quiet. So here I am. Soaking up one of the last mornings I’ll have like this in our home in Colorado. In just over 6 weeks, I’ll be doing this in my new kitchen in Minnesota. I’ve been quiet about this here because I hate saying goodbye. It feels like everything has to change and change makes my heart hurt. I’m so excited to be going back to my home state. I’ve been waiting for this for nearly a decade. But transitions are hard for me. Are they hard for you, too? How do you cope?

 One of the ways I’ve been dealing with our impending move is by making time with my husband a top priority. Even more than usual. We’ve started going climbing together, and sometimes following that up with a happy hour date involving margaritas, chips and salsa. Other days, we stay home and cook together. Just a week or so ago, we made this delicious grilled steak salad. We went to the store together and picked out the ingredients that looked best. Then, we came home and brought it all together into something simple, beautiful, and full of flavor. Nothing complicated. But the perfect meal to eat on our back patio while playing a game of scrabble and drinking wine.

Nurturing our relationship is the main thing that makes me feel grounded in life. Brad and I have been together for nearly 15 years, married for nearly 12. And still, after all that time, my soul needs time with him to feel settled and safe. Both our date nights at home and our dates out and about, whether they happen weekly or only once a month, are something I am thankful for.

This grilled steak salad doesn’t exactly need a recipe, but I’ve written one anyway ;) Now, take this as a sign that you need to carve out some time for you and your partner to reconnect! This is not something to brush aside. Instead, make it a top priority and everything else will fall into place a little easier as a result.

Date Night Grilled Steak Salad

*to make this recipe Whole 30 friendly, simply skip the bread! Done and done.

Serves 2 (maybe with leftovers)

• 1 ribeye steak (16 oz)

• 1 medium head of butter lettuce (or your favorite greens)

• cherry tomatoes on the vine (if you can find them)

• 1 ripe avocado, halved and pit removed

• 2 spring onions, trimmed and halved lengthwise

• Sourdough bread, cut into 1 inch slices

• Favorite dressing- we went with this store-bought dressing but we also love making our own!

1. Prepare your grill by bringing it to high heat. While you wait, season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Drizzle the tomatoes, bread slices, onions and avocado with olive oil. Wash the lettuce and tear into preferred size.

2. Begin by grilling the steak to desired doneness. We like medium rare, which takes about 3-4 minutes per side. Don’t move the steak once you place it on the grill. You’ll get a nicer crust and it will not stick it you let it be. Remove the steak and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes on the vine, the avocado slices, the spring onions, and the bread to the grill. Grill until just cooked and charred in places, being careful not to let anything burn (i.e. don’t multitask). Remove everything from the grill.

4. To assemble the salad, arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Slice the steak and arrange on top of the lettuce along with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and serve with a nice (but affordable) red wine.

Date Night Gnocchi with Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

I’ve been married to Brad for nearly 12 years. We fell hard and fast for one another during my senior year of college and somehow I never worried whether or not we would make it. Still, after all this time, I don’t doubt that I get to spend my life with him. He makes me laugh, holds me when I need to cry, and makes me feel like the best thing since sliced bread. It is not lost on me that marriage takes work. Every day we have to put effort into our relationship in small and big ways, but that feeling that the love you feel is 100% reciprocated is amazing. 

I’ve gotten into the habit of finding meals that feel fancy but use ingredients I can keep around for impromptu evenings when we have the time and energy to stay up after the kids go to bed for a little romantic dinner and an episode (or 2) of Game of Thrones. Yep, we are super exciting. We may not always have the room in our budget or our schedule to go out for a nice meal, but honestly, I love making delicious food at home just as much as going to a restaurant. Plus, if we stay in, we can afford a nice bottle of wine to go along with our meal, which makes date night feel extra special.  

This gnocchi with red pepper and sun dried tomato pesto is my new favorite for date night in. It is full of flavor, made with quality Italian ingredients that are easy to keep on hand in the pantry, and helloooooo is it pretty or what? I love to order the ingredients for this dish online and can typically snag enough to keep on hand for 3 date nights totaling just under $50. That’s about $16/date night! Plus, orders over $20 ship free so now you have no excuses. Not into ordering? Alessi products are found at most grocery stores. Cheers to that! 

Date Night Gnocchi with Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Makes 2 Servings

• 1 package Alessi Foods gnocchi

• 1 large Alessi Foods roasted red pepper 

• 1/4 cup Alessi Foods Sun Dried Tomatoes (packed in oil)

• 2 tablespoons Alessi Foods pine nuts (lightly toasted) 

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Alessi Foods mixed peppercorns

• Salt to taste

• 1 teaspoon honey

• Alessi Foods Balsamic Reduction (for finishing)

• 3 tablespoons Alessi Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 large eggs

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface. Drain well and set aside. 

2. In a food processor or blender, combine the red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, salt and pepper, and honey. Pulse until roughly blended, not completely smooth. The slight crunch from the pine nuts is essential! Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 

3. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the edges of the egg are crispy and the whites are cooked through. Set aside. 

4. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sauté until golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and divide between two bowls. Top with a generous spoonful of the pesto, followed by the fried egg, a couple grinds of pepper and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction. Enjoy!