Archives for November 2019

Kale Caesar Salad

November 7, 2019~ Salads, The Platefull Blog

So, admittedly, I’m not sure this can really even qualify as a recipe on a food blog, but its one of my favorite salads, and this is my blog, so I can make the rules! Ha. It’s all store bought ingredients, but that makes it perfect for a quick weeknight side dish. The secret is one simple added step that takes this salad up a notch. Before I add dressing, cheese, or croutons, I squeeze half a lemon over the kale, add a little olive oil and cracked black pepper, and massage the kale for about 30 seconds. Then I add the dressing, croutons, and parmesan cheese. My favorite is shaved parmesan off a block, but this picture shows grated Kraft parmesan because that’s what I had on hand.

Kale Caesar Salad

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1 small bunch of kale, ribs removed and rough chopped

1/2 lemon

1 tsp olive oil

2-3 cracks of black pepper

Caesar croutons

Shaved parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing

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Instructions

Place the kale in a salad bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the kale. Add 1 tsp olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale mixture for about 30 seconds. This will tenderize the kale leaves. Add croutons, shaved parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing to your liking. Serve immediately.

Notes

My favorite Caesar dressing is Sprout’s brand.

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

November 6, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I love to make this Chicken Parmesan in my air fryer for an extra crispy coating, but it could just as easily be cooked on the stove in a skillet. This can easily be prepped ahead for a quick weeknight meal kit. To do this, prepare the bread crumb mixture (everything except the parmesan cheese) and store in an airtight container. Slice and pound the chicken breasts and store in the fridge. The night you plan to serve this recipe, simply add the cheese to the breadcrumb mixture and you’re on your way!

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2 chicken breasts

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella

Spaghetti noodles

1 jar pasta sauce (my favorite is Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara)

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Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the spaghetti noodles. Pour the jar of pasta sauce into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until just starting to bubble. Turn the heat down to low and simmer while you are making the chicken.

Slice the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise and pound to about 1/4 inch thick. In a bowl, combine the parmesan cheese, whole wheat breadcrumbs, panko, and spices. Stir to combine. In another bowl, lightly beat an egg. Dip the chicken breast in the egg, coating both sides. Then lightly press the chicken breast into the bread crumb mixture. Flip the chicken over and press the other side into the breadcrumb mixture so that both sides are evenly coated. Gently shake the excess off and place the chicken into the air fryer. Cook for 6 minutes, then flip the chicken over. Top with 1 Tbsp sauce (don’t let it run over the edge, so use less if needed). Top with 1 Tbsp shredded mozzarella and cook for 3 minutes more, or until cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, cook the spaghetti noodles.

Serve the chicken on top of spaghetti noodles and top with pasta sauce.

Notes

To cook this chicken on the stove, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts on each side for 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.

Monster Cookie Energy Bites

November 5, 2019~ Baking

These no-bake energy bites taste just like a real Monster Cookie! My boys like them, and I like them because I don’t have to monitor multiple batches of cookies in the oven. I store them in an air tight container for the week for quick after school snacks. I find myself grabbing them for a healthy sweet treat just as often as the kids do!

One note about these – my boys love them with M&Ms. In these photos, I only had normal sized M&Ms, so that’s what I used, however it is pretty difficult to get them to hold together with the larger M&M pieces. I recommend using either mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms for these. :). Sometimes you gotta go with what you have in the pantry though, right?!

Monster Cookie Energy Bites

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup raw old fashioned oats

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal

6 Tbsp mini M&Ms (or sub mini chocolate chips)

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Instructions

In a bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Add oats, shredded coconut, and flaxseed meal and stir well to combine. Fold in M&Ms and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. After the mixture has chilled, shape into balls. I make mine about the size of a golfball. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

Mixed Berry Acai Bowl

November 4, 2019~ Breakfast, The Platefull Blog

I created this Mixed Berry Acai Bowl after trying multiple recipes where the açaí part of the bowl came out to liquified. I was in the middle of a Whole 30 and desperate for something for breakfast that wasn’t eggs! This bowl has a thick base and you can top it any way you like. To keep it Whole 30 compliant, I chose unsweetened shredded coconut, strawberries, blueberries, and sliced almonds. Sometimes I add bananas, raspberries, mini chocolate chips, my favorite granola, or a drizzle of honey. I have a Vitamix and have to say, I’ve not tested this recipe in a regular blender. It definitely puts the Vitamix to work (and me!), but the thick base is totally worth all of the scraping, stopping, and starting. If you wanted to make the base a little easier to blend, you could add a little apple juice, coconut milk, or coconut water. The base just won’t be as thick, but it will still taste delicious!

Mixed Berry Acai Bowl

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 bowl 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1 frozen açaí packet

1 cup frozen mixed berries

For topping (choose what you like)

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Bananas

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Sliced Almonds

Granola

Mini Chocolate Chips

Honey

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Instructions

Place the frozen açaí packet under warm running water until you can break it into pieces (still in the packet). Then, cut the packet open and empty into the blender. Add the frozen mixed berries. For my Vitamix, I turn it to the Smoothie setting and let it run, using the tool to push things back down. Once you’ve blended for a bit, you will need to use a spatula to keep pushing the contents down and running the blender until it is well blended. This will take some work!

Once the açaí mixture is blended well, scrape it into a bowl. Top with any toppings you like and serve immediately.

Easy Pot Roast

November 3, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

My Mom has made this recipe since I was a kid. It’s super simple and I’ve of course put my own spin on it. I serve it over my Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes with crispy French Fried Onions on top, but the alternative is to throw baby Yukon gold potatoes into the slow cooker with the meat and carrots. That makes it a true slow cooker meal. If you want to go with the mashed potatoes (which are out of this world!), you can make them ahead and bake when ready to eat. Either way, this is a kid-friendly meal that has a gourmet feel.

Easy Pot Roast

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

3 lb chuck roast

1 lb carrots, peeled and halved

1 packet onion soup mix

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Optional: French Fried Onions

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Instructions

Place the meat in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion soup mix. Add carrots and 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 7-9 hours, until tender.

Notes

If serving with Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes, place the meat on top of a bed of mashed potatoes. In a frying pan, heat French Fried Onions over medium heat until fragrant and just started to brown. Top the meat with a sprinkle of French Fried Onions and serve the carrots on the side. Alternatively, you can add baby Yukon potatoes to the slow cooker for a one-pot meal.

Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Fried Sage

November 2, 2019~ Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

My herb garden is out of control! I have SO. MUCH. SAGE. And rosemary, so don’t be surprised if you see a post using a ton of rosemary soon. I love sage – it’s one of my favorite herbs. It looks pretty in the garden, grows like a weed, and has the best flavor. These mashed potatoes are the essence of Fall flavors to me, with the butter and sage. But they are so insanely good that you’ll find me eating them year round!

Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Fried Sage

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into equal sized pieces

1/2 c half and half

4 oz cream cheese

5 Tbsp butter, divided

3 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped and divided

1/8 tsp dried thyme

3 gloves garlic, smashed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, boil water for the potatoes. Once the water is boiling, place the potatoes in the pot and cook until tender.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup half and half, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp sage, thyme, smashed garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let simmer, while stirring for 2-3 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. Let the mixture sit while the potatoes cook.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them. Place the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream mixture and the 4 oz of cream cheese. Mash with a potato masher and then finish by mixing with a hand mixer until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Spoon the potatoes into a baking dish and dot with 1 Tbsp diced butter.

Place the potatoes into a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes until just barely starting to brown on top. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium high heat, until bubbly. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp chopped sage to the pan and fry until crispy (being careful not to burn). When the potatoes come out of the oven, pour the crispy sage and whatever butter is remaining in the pan over the top. Serve immediately.