Everything Bagel Bowl

October 18, 2016 Amanda Plott

Everything bagels. ...Amirite? They are the stuff that dreams are made of. Seriously, I'm pretty sure that I dream about food. Everybody loves everything bagels. They're called 'everything' bagels because they are usually topped with, you guessed it, everything! Garlic, onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and more.

I decided it was about time to turn the everything bagel into something that is, hm... more guilt free. Not to say that I would shy away from a bagel all the time, but most of the time I like to stick to something that's loaded up with a lot more fresh vegetables! That's why I created this ultimate everything bagel power bowl!...

Zucchini Noodle & Mozzarella Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

September 8, 2016 Amanda Plott

After a couple of weeks of visiting family, busy schedules, and meat heavy meals, my brother and I decided to call it. Together we're going mostly vegetarian this week with just one chicken meal planned and one 'wild card' night in the mix. While I generally have kept most of my vegetarian recipes rather hearty, sometimes... less is more.

This light and simple zucchini noodle salad is completely bursting with bright flavors, and with such few ingredients and low effort too! It makes for a perfect little lunch or even a decently sized side dish for a dinner. I'm thinking along side some baked Italian chicken breast. Yum!...

Steak & Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

September 6, 2016 Amanda Plott

As a Stubb's Insider, all ideas, recipes, & opinions are entirely my own. Sauces, marinades and seasonings are provided to me on behalf of Stubb's Bar-B-Q.

Game day here in Texas is always a BIG deal. It's all about getting together with friends and family to eat good food, enjoy good company, and root on your favorite team. Hook'em Horns! Around here, it's always a good time.

Now, I know a salad isn't generally what someone might think of as being a tailgating or homegating food, but when you add 'steak and potatoes' to the phrase, it all starts to make a lot more sense. It's nice to shake things up and have options that are more outside the box; especially when it's still super hot outside and a nice hearty salad is just what the weatherman ordered...

Southwest Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

July 13, 2016 Amanda Plott

I've been challenged again this year! They say that the best cooks know how to utilize any ingredients placed in front of them. I'd like to think that my handy skills with creating 'pantry' meals from my kitchen aids me in this.

Today I put my chops to the test in this Chopped At Home Challenge with Sargento®! My goal was to create a recipe within the theme of 'grilling' using all of the secret “basket” ingredients; pork tenderloin, cherry/grape tomatoes, broccoli, and Sargento Chef Blends 4 State Cheddar. Of course, looking at the last three ingredients my mind instantly went to a chef or cobb salad. But, what to do with the pork? Being from Texas, my first thought was grilled pork with a spicy seasoned kick. The spice is what kicked this off into a twist on a southwest salad...

Italian 'Sub' Salad

June 15, 2016 Amanda Plott

One of my favorite 'sub' sandwiches is an Italian or a 'Grinder'. It's usually loaded with Italian meats such as salami and pepperoni, provolone cheese, and plenty of vegetables including tomatoes, olives, pepper rings and lettuce. Yum! It's a powerhouse of bold flavors with lots of zest and zing! Flavor, flavor, flavor.

So, today I decided to turn that favorite sandwich of mine into a salad. Why? Mostly because we're getting into the high end of the heat index here in Texas now and I don't even feel like toasting bread for fear of adding heat to the house. Yes, I'm absolutely serious about that...

Spring Asparagus Salad & Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

May 10, 2016 Amanda Plott

Spring vegetables are still in full swing for another couple of months, so naturally I'm taking full advantage of that. One of my favorite spring vegetables has to be asparagus. I love it's simple flavor and complete versatility to be the part of just about any meal. So, this week for lunch I decided to dive back into salads and thought that adding some cool asparagus to the mix would be perfect.

This salad is a great lunch, and would also make for a great side dish or used as part of a dinner time meal as well. Along the way I happened to come across some watercress this week, which is another fun spring green and also one that I've never had the pleasure of working with...