Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza (Sponsored)

June 21, 2019 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MarinadesWithMazola #MakeItWithHeart #CollectiveBias

It’s pretty much officially grilling season and I am all for it. Why? It means that I can pretty easily refuse to use my stove and oven and instead let the cooking happen outdoors. I say that now, but watch me change my tune in a couple of months when it’s 100+ degrees out! Either way. Summer is the best time for certain fruits and vegetables. A few of my favorites? Zucchini and summer squash!

While we’re using the grill, I thought now is the perfect time to make some quick, easy, and delicious grilled pizzas. Not just any pizzas, though. I wanted them to be summer-inspired and better-for-you. I’ve made a few easy-peasy swaps that will leave everyone satisfied. The first swap I made was to use Mazola® Corn Oil in a quick and easy marinade for the veggies. If you haven’t yet heard, a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com…

Halloumi Summer Lunch

May 3, 2019 Amanda Plott

It’s been a strange week, to be sure. Within my family we have seen a birth, a death, and now this weekend a wedding! Needless to say, the emotions have been all over the place - along with my sanity. So, I’ve been keeping things as simple as could be lately. Even in the sense of food!

This Halloumi Summer Lunch is as simple and easy as they can come. Only one thing is cooked, and that’s the halloumi. Don’t know what halloumi is? Well, it’s time to find out! Halloumi is a Greek staple cheese that is generally made with goat’s milk. But, I’ve seen it made with other milks too. Halloumi is a fun cheese. It’s firm, salty, and doesn’t really ever melt…

Instant Pot Chicken Caldo

December 1, 2018 Amanda Plott

Well, it’s still barely winter here in Texas. Though it is about as winter as it’s likely to get here outside of a couple more cold fronts and a freeze or two. Even so! We’re in the throes of soup season and I wanted to make some more soup, DANG IT.

Caldo is one of the most simple soups out there. It’s a Mexican style soup that’s very brothy and full of several different kinds of vegetables. You will probably find it on any good Mexican restaurant’s menu, whether it’s beef or chicken. The way that I know that? My little brother used to order it all the time when we were younger. It was always one of his MOST favorite things…

Farmers' Market Cornbread

October 20, 2018 Amanda Plott

While it’s chilly here in Texas, you better believe that I’m taking FULL advantage of it. Which is why tonight I’m making a special sort of soup tonight and this awesome Farmers’ Market Cornbread to go along with it!

I based this cornbread off of my Baked Hush Puppies, which made use of a very clever and quick hack for making cornbread things. It’s basically mixing a self-rising cornmeal, creamed corn, and just few other things together to make a one bowl easy-peasy cornbread…

Healthified Crockpot Low Country Chicken Boil

June 13, 2017 Amanda Plott

My local box of produce over the past couple of weeks has gifted me with a bounty of red potatoes that I can't bare to let go to waste! My mother asked me a couple weeks back about this recipe that I had put together a couple of years back now. With my brother not being a seafood eater and my dad being mildly allergic to shellfish, she wanted to put together a Low Country Boil that omitted the shrimp or crawfish. Being as I'm not a seafood fan either, I had tried my hand at a seafood-free low country boil, like I said though, this was a couple of summers ago.

So with an idea in mind and plenty of red potatoes to go around, I got to work on my Low Country Chicken Boil once again. Here among the southern states, summer time is when everyone starts to have crawfish boils! It's always sounded amazing to me; sausage, potatoes, corn - who wouldn't like it? Well, me! If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not a seafood eater. I wish that I could be, but it just isn't a possibility. Sadly...

Crustless Zucchini & Corn Summer Quiche

May 25, 2017 Amanda Plott

Today was the last Saturday for school here and I can tell that summer us on our heels with all the beautiful corn and summer squash coming in. I got some of the biggest zucchini in my local produce box this last week and pondered for a good long while over what I wanted to do with it. With my dad bringing me in some fresh local eggs, my mind instantly went to a quiche. Not just any quiche though. A summer quiche!

Quiche was always a staple in our house when I was growing up. Usually towards the end of the week my dad would put together a quiche using up all the leftover veggies, meats, and cheeses in the house. So, that's basically what happened here but in a completely perfect seasonal way. I love that it's quick and easy to toss together while being a light and festive too!...