Simple Mango Salad + Lime Dressing

September 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

It may be cooling off outside finally, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love salads any less. I was in need of a good ‘tropical’ style of salad to pair with something else that I’ve been working on for a couple of weeks now and this Simple Mango Salad + Lime Dressing slid into fill that role perfectly. This small and simple salad is deceiving. It’s delicate and delightful while being big and bold in flavors. And one of the best parts is that it only takes a handful of ingredients to make.

Being as it’s got just the limited ingredients, it doesn’t take long at all to make - including the homemade dressing which, let me just tell you, is SO good. That being said, there isn’t a whole lot here to substitute for lighter alternatives…

Jalapeño Cheddar Bread Machine Bread

August 5, 2022 Amanda Plott

It’s H.O.T. Hot. It’s the long stretch here at the end of Summer and I can’t wait to get to the other end of it when we hopefully roll into the cooler weather of Fall. With it being the heat of the Summer, I’m still in avoiding-the-oven mode for the most part. But, that being said, I haven’t made any fresh homemade bread in a while and my bread machine was starting to collect dust. We can’t have that!

So I busted my bread machine out and decided to make a savory flavorful bread to have on hand for lunches this week. This Jalapeño Cheddar Bread Machine Bread is super easy to make since the bread machine does literally almost all of the work for you. The mixing, the kneading, the baking - yep… all of it…

Artichoke Salad

July 24, 2022 Amanda Plott

I was looking for something light and bright, and that didn’t involve the stove, for dinner and maybe even lunch this week. This Artichoke Salad has some big Mediterranean vibes and it really is so simple and delicious to make. It also ends up being gluten free and vegetarian too! One of the best parts is, that this salad can be made ahead of time, and any leftovers make a great grab-and-go lunch.

This Artichoke Salad starts off with its namesake - artichokes. It’s then got loads of other tasty bits like roasted red bell, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. It can be served as part of a main meal or even as a side. I decided to serve mine over some baby spinach and baby kale and topped it all off with a few pieces of shaved parmesan…

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

June 12, 2022 Amanda Plott

It’s almost too hot outside here to grill lately. Almost, but not quite. And being as my kiddo is in love with steak right now, it’s become a part of the weekly rotation. Even if a good steak is on the meal plan each week, I like to keep things fresh and new as far as the sides go. That’s where these Salt & Vinegar Roasted Fingerling Potatoes come in.

I got my hands on some local fingerling potatoes recently, the yellow ones are ‘banana’ fingerlings and then I also got some purple fingerlings. Instead of just the usual oil and salt, I took them a step further this time and pre-cooked them in some vinegar. What’s the point of that, you ask…?…

Skinny Stuffed Mushrooms

April 10, 2022 Amanda Plott

I for one, love appetizers. I could make a meal alone out of small appetizers, both hot and cold. One of my favorites though, has to be stuffed mushrooms. My love of stuffed mushrooms goes back several years where I think my first try was at a little Italian restaurant.

I immediately, and without being much of a cook at the time, taught myself how to make them. Skip forward to today and I like to make them with a few minor changes to the original easy recipe that included cream cheese, bacon, and just a touch of Italian cheese. I mean, who doesn’t just love the combination of cheese, mushrooms, and bacon? You’d be crazy not to!…

Reuben Stuffed Potato Skins

March 5, 2022 Amanda Plott

With St. Patricks Day just around the corner, and a pantry full of potatoes that need to reused up relatively soon, I decided to make some reuben inspired potato skins. These Reuben Stuffed Potato Skins take some of the standard parts of a reuben and stuffs them into potato skins that are hearty and filling.

These potatoes start out being turned into shells with the potato scooped out and mixed with some dressing and then seasoned. After that they’re topped off with kraut, corned beef, and of course some cheese! They’re then baked to perfection and ready to eat in just a few minutes…