Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

December 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

After the rush that was last week, I've kept it pretty simple this week. And nothing is more simple than a grilled cheese. This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese takes it a step further, leaving you making the famous American sandwich hands free in the air fryer. The best part is that you get a perfectly crisp toast on the outside and an ooey-gooey melted cheese on the inside. You truly can’t go wrong here.

There isn’t a whole lot here to healthify or make better-for-you while also keeping with the classic. I started this sandwich off with Texas toast, because there’s no other way to have the sandwich if you’re aiming for traditional. But, you could definitely swap the bread out for something whole wheat or sprouted grain. Today though? I want CLASSIC…

Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake

November 9, 2022 Amanda Plott

Dinner is SERVED. This Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake is super simple to make, it’s meatless vegetarian, and it only has a few ingredients. It starts off with a whole wheat pasta. I used some odds and ends of small pasta that I had on hand; some elbow and some shells that I put together to make a full 10 ounces of noodle. Of course, it’s lightened up with reduced fat cheeses, both with the mozzarella and with the ricotta which goes along with a full 16 ounces of spinach!

I did decide to use a jarred pasta sauce to keep it extra simple. But if I had any leftover sauce stored in the freezer, I would have used that instead. So feel free to use your favorite tomato based spaghetti sauce or marinara here. And you’ll want to reach each part individually so that you really get the flavor through it all that you want…

Crock Pot Japanese Onion Soup

October 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

We all know that soup that they serve at the hibachi style steak houses and how good it is for being something so simple. It’s one of the main things that my kiddo happens to look forward to when we go, so a lot of years back - way back in 2013, I decided to try my hand at making the soup at home and it was a success!

Not only that, but I also made it in the crock pot, which meant that I didn’t have to have almost any hands on time. It’s definitely one of those ‘set it and forget it’ sort of things which makes it perfect for serving up as a part of an asian themed dinner…

Pistou Soup

August 14, 2022 Amanda Plott

I know what you’re thinking… Soup? In the Summer?! Yeah, yeah. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but sometimes you have to lure the cooler weather in by enticing it with appropriate foods. I don’t know, maybe it’s working. It’s at least coming off the triple digits for a few days here. That being said, this Pistou Soup is very light and definitely is more of a Spring or Summer soup because of that.

It starts off with a base of onion, leek, and celery and is then layered with some potato, green beans, peas and more! Like I said, this is soup that’s packed with vegetables while also being meatless. The soup is topped off with a pistou, which is basically a pesto that’s made with basil, garlic, and some cheese too…

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…

Vegetarian Green Curry

July 15, 2022 Amanda Plott

I’ve been wanting to make a Vegetarian Green Curry for a good long while now, and today was finally the day. This curry starts off with onion and spices and quickly gets into veggies, tofu and even some chickpeas. The goal here was to load the curry up with as much veggie goodness as possible to make up for the lack of meat in it.

The end result is a curry that comes together really quickly and tastes amazing. The only thing I might do differently next time, is to add in some jalapeño for added spice and warmth. Every bite of this curry has new tastes and textures that all pair really well together…