TND: Sentimental Style
So, it was about three years ago this month that I made the decision to move from NYC to come back to my hometown, Louisville. I have had no regrets whatsoever about this decision-- I love, love Louisville and I feel so at home in the midwest-- but there are times when I go through really strong NYC withdrawals. I mean, what's not to love about this? Ahhh, Central Park on an amazing, spring day something like 5 or 6 years ago (crazy!!)
This week I've been missing New York a lot, in particular, our adorable pink house in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and the sweet little neighborhood it is housed in. There was nothing I loved more than stepping out that front door and taking a stroll through the park and up and down the towhouse-lined streets for hours at a time.
Not to mention the fact that I kind of miss these girls, too.
My roomies Stephania,
and Caitlin. (This was our Derby party-- leave it to the Kentucky girl to make her northern friends partake in hourse racing).
So maybe I'll get to the city sometime soon for a nice visit, but until then, I'm revelling in memories and photos and oh, so many songs that remind me of my time there. Here's one of our ultimate go-to recipes that we made very often at New York Thursday Night Dinners. This one is great for those Lazy Thursdays (which seem to happen more and more often these days :)
Enjoy!
xoxo,
colleen
Personal Pita Pizzas
by Stephania Stanley and Colleen Reilly
What you need:
- 4 flat, whole grain pitas
- 8 oz package mozzarella cheese
- 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
- 8 oz spinach
- ½ large red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- ½ green pepper, diced
- ½ red pepper, diced
- ½ yellow pepper, diced
- ½ zucchini, sliced and quartered
- ½ head of broccoli
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Olive oil spray
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- Pepper
- Cayenne pepper
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Dice the onion and garlic while the oil is heating. Sautee onion and garlic and begin dicing peppers. Add the peppers after the onion and garlic have sautéed about three minutes. While the peppers are sautéing, begin dicing the zucchini and chopping the broccoli into small florets. After about two minutes add the zucchini, broccoli and spinach. The spinach will cook down quickly, so don’t be intimidated by how much there is. Add basil, oregano, pepper and cayenne. If you use fresh herbs, remember that a little goes a long way! While the veggies are working in the skillet, place the pitas on olive oil-sprayed cookie sheets. Spoon out tomato sauce onto each pita and spread it around until the pita is covered with saucy goodness. After the veggies have sautéed about five more minutes, turn off the burner and scoop an even amount of veggie mixture onto each pita. Sprinkle each with the desired amount of cheese, and place in the oven. After fifteen minutes or when the cheese has begun to brown, take the pizzas out of the oven, slice each into four pieces with a large knife or a pizza cutter and devour!
Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Mint
Happy hump day! Spring is finally showing her lovely face and I could not be happier about it.
As the weather gets warmer, Colleen and I both crave lighter, zestier meals. For me this usually means leaner meat and rosé instead of Pinot Noir, but this year I thought I would finally dive into the world of quinoa. This is a great salad for lunch and can be made to be a little bit heavier with mini turkey meatballs mixed in.
Enjoy!
Stephania
Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers, Tomato, and Mint
by Stephania Stanley (adapted from Bon Appetit)
What you need:
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 English cucumber, peeled, chopped into 1/4" pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly
- 1 garlic clove, minced
What you do:
Combine olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk together. Stir in quinoa. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix.
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice
Devour: Farro Salad With Greek Yogurt
Dishin & Dishes: Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
The Cultural Dish: Lemon Risotto
The Sensitive Epicure: Stir-Fried Quinoa With Chinese Vegetables
Virtually Homemade: Spring Couscous Salad With a Citrus Vinaigrette
Made By Michelle: Really Good Granola
Cooking With Elise: Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Weelicious: Mushroom Barley
Thursday Night Dinner: Quinoa Salad With Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Mint
FN Dish: Good Grains Make for Balanced Meals
Feed Me Phoebe: Millet Salad With Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes
Beet and Goat Cheese Pizza
I am definitely not a huge fan of winter, but I will say my favorite thing about it is that beets are in season. I'm so obsessed with beets right now, I'm loving experimenting adding them to pretty much everything. Here is a great weekday meal that's cheap, easy and healthy. What more could you want?
Enjoy!
colleen
Beet and Goat Cheese Pizza
by colleen
What you need:
- 4 whole wheat flat pitas (you can use pizza crust, too, if you want)
- 2 small, sliced roasted beets
- Beet greens, washed
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 1 15 oz package ricotta cheese
- 1 small package herb goat cheese
- Black ground pepper
- Olive oil
What you do:
Feed Me Phoebe: Deep-Dish Polenta Pizza With Onions and Pesto
Cooking With Elise: Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza
Haute Apple Pie: Honey, Gouda and Goat Cheese Pizza
What's Gaby Cooking: Loaded Veggie and Prosciutto Pizza
Sweet Life Bake: Mexican Pizza - Tlayuda con Chorizo y Frijoles
Devour: Unexpected but Delicious Pizza Toppings
Virtually Homemade: Mashed Potato Bacon Pizza
The Cultural Dish: Pizza, Pizza, Pizza! Three Delicious Variations
Thursday Night Dinner: Beet and Goat Cheese Pizza
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Pizza Focaccia
FN Dish: As Quick as Delivery Pizza Recipes
If You Need Me, I'll be with my Potato Soup
If You Need Me, I'll be with my Potato Soup
by essie reilly
What you need: 
- 10-12 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 6-8 green onions, chopped
- 1 medium white onion, diced (you can use 1 1/2 onion if you don't have green onions)
- 4 ribs of celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup cream
- 3 vegetable bouillion cubes
- 1 onion buillion cube
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp pepper (more or less to taste)
- 4 cups warm water
What you do:
Melt 1 tbsp butter in soup pot and sauté onions & celery until soft. Add four cups warm water and vegetable and onion bouillon cubes to soup pot and stir to dissolve. (If the bouillon cubes are unsalted, add 2 teaspoons of salt and increase amount incrementally to taste). Add pepper. Put potatoes into soup pot and boil until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lower heat to medium low.
Remove half the soup and mix in a blender until you have a mashed potato broth (or use a potato masher in the soup pot). Don’t blend entirely— you want the broth to remain chunky. Add the mashed broth back to the soup pot and return to a boil. Add the cream. Spoon remaining butter on top of the soup and stir throughout once it has melted. Serve immediately or lower to simmer until serving. (Photo by Stephania Stanley).
Top with chives, sour cream, and or chopped bacon pieces. For a vitamin A boost, add chopped carrots when you add the potatoes to the soup pot. Make sure the carrots are chopped really tiny because they cook very slowly.
Serves 6-8
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Grilled Smashed Baby Potatoes With Green Harissa Sauce
Devour: 5 Ways to Cook Potatoes
Haute Apple Pie: Twice-Baked Southwestern Sweet Potatoes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Healthy Warm Potato Salad With Onion and Vinegar
Red or Green?: Spicy Baked Sweet Potatoes
And Love It Too: Sweet Potato Hasselback Potatoes
Virtually Homemade: Twice-Baked Potatoes With Cheddar and Caramelized Onions
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Crispy Potatoes With Baked Eggs and Pesto Yogurt
Cooking With Elise: Vavos Stewed Potatoes
The Heritage Cook: Potato and Sweet Potato Gratin With Bourbon-Laced Cream Sauce
The Cultural Dish: Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Thursday Night Dinner: If You Need Me, I'll Be With My Potato Soup
Feed Me Phoebe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries With Rosemary
Add a Pinch: Loaded Smashed Potatoes
From My Corner of Saratoga: Garlic and Herb Infused Cheesy Potatoes
FN Dish: Well-Loved Potato Sides
A Resolution-Friendly Green Quinoa Salad
Happy 2013!
Do you all make New Years Resolutions each year? Personally I've never partaken. I've always figured if I identified something about my lifestyle worth changing, why wait until Jan. 1st to do it? But this year I decided to give it a go... my resolution is to stop jumping to conclusions until I know all the details of the situation at hand (in other words, I copped out).
Seriously though, like everyone else, I too resolve to eat healthier. And yes, watching what you eat is an absolute nightmare over the holidays. BUT, it's a new year & I have the perfect recipe to help you stay on track with your resolution without compromising flavor.
This quinoa salad is a great side dish for salmon or chicken. It is chockfull of protein and healthy fats, plus it is gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian and/or vegan.
Have a wonderful Thursday!!
xox
helen
Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad
Adapted from: The Diva Dish
What You Need:
- 2/3 C dry quinoa
- 1 1/3 C chicken broth (or vegetable broth, for a vegetarian option)
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 C cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 C spinach
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 C onion
- 2 small cloves garlic
For the dressing
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp honey (or agave nectar, for a vegan option)
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- Dash of salt & pepper
What You Do:
- Make quinoa according to box instructions, set aside to cool
- In a food processor, add the spinach & cilantro, set aside in a bowl
- Finely dice onion and garlic (in the food processor as well, if you'd like), stir into spinach and cilantro mixture
- Add tomatoes, avocado, and chickpeas to the green mixture, and then add the quinoa. Pop in the fridge for 10 minutes or more to allow the flavors to set before serving. Add salt & pepper to taste
TND: A New Fave Food and Sweet Lil' Stocking Stuffers
Happy happy Thursday! I can't believe that it's the week before Christmas. I know everyone says this every year, but this year I mean it. Seriously, where did the year go?! It's been very busy and very fun. And I am soo looking forward to relishing in the last week of the year on vacation next week :) But first, I want to introduce you to a pasta dish that the Louisville Thursday girls came up with a couple of weeks ago-- it's the perfect mix of salty and sweet. And I want to show you one of my favorite little crafts lately that makes a great stocking stuffer.
Enjoy!
colleen
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Pasta with Kale, Feta, Chickpeas and Things
What you need:
- 1 lb gemeli pasta, cooked to directions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1/2 bunch kale, washed and cut into ribbons
- 1/2 lb fresh green beans
- 1 handful dried cranberries
- 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas
- Feta cheese
- Pine nuts, toasted
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
What to do:
Cook pasta according to directions on package. Place cranberries in a cup with warm water and soak while you're cooking. In a deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until they begin to turn clear. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add kale and stir to incorporate. It will look like a lot of kale, but it will cook down quickly. After a couple of minutes add green beans and chickpeas. Continue to stir and add more olive oil as needed. When kale has wilted and green beans and chickpeas are the desired tenderness-- we kept ours a little bit crunchy, add spices and incorporate. Next add cranberries and pasta to skillet and stir. Remove and top with feta and toasted pine nuts (put pine nuts on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 3 minutes). Serve with a side of toasted bread.
Serves 4.
Button Magnets
What you need:
- Buttons of varying sizes
- Craft magnets
- Super glue
What to do:
Super easy! Place a dab of super glue on the back of each button. Place a magnet into the dab of glue and hold for 30 seconds. Leave alone to dry. Keep the magnets away from each other until they have dried because they will attach to each other and you'll get super glue all over yourself trying to take them apart. Hint: sandpaper works to remove superglue from your hands.Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
adapted from The Year in Food
What you need: 
- 1 lb brussels sprouts
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, toasted
- 2 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
What you do:
Rinse brussels sprouts, remove stems and outer leaves and slice in half lengthwise. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Watch the butter closely, as it tends to burn quickly. Add brussels and stir to coat. Turn each brussel sprout so that it's face down and cook them for about 20 minutes, stirring occastionally.
In a medium sized mixing bowl (or your serving dish if you want to save on dishes) mix toasted breadcrumbs, parmesan, pepper, and salt. Add lemon zest. Stir to mix.
Once brussels sprouts are tender and edges are a bit carmelized throw them in with the breadcrumbs mixture. Stir to mix. Serve immediately.
Note: You can use premade breadcrumbs if you're feeling a little lazy or you can throw a day old baguette into your food processor. I've also found that Whole Foods has wonderful "homemade" breadcrumbs in their bakery section.
Feed Me Phoebe: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad With Almonds, Manchego and Pimenton Vinaigrette
Cooking With Elise: Perfectly Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Brussels Sprouts With Vinegar and Cranberries
Red or Green?: Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes
And Love It Too: Lemon-Infused Brussels
Virtually Homemade: Fried Brussels Sprouts With Crispy Parsley and Parmesan
Thursday Night Dinner: Brussels Sprouts With Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
Devour: Our Best Pork-Filled Brussels Sprouts Recipes for the Holidays
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Brussels Sprouts
FN Dish: Simple Brussels Sprouts Recipes
Soy, Sesame and Ginger Broccoli
I am one of those people that loves broccoli. Always have. Always will. In college, I was made fun of incessantly by my neighbor because he claimed I always made the apartment hallway smell like broccoli, (or "stink like broccoli," as he would say). It's just such a wonderful vegetable, and you can feel how healthy it is for you every bite you take. Roasting the broccoli like this really brings out the flavor of this veggie and I like that I can use it as a side dish or make it into a meal and serve it over rice.
xo,
colleen
Soy, Sesame and Ginger Broccoli
by colleen
What you need: 
- 1 lb fresh broccoli florets, cleaned
- 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
What you do:
photo from kaylnskitchen.com
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Easy Stir-Fry Broccoli and Red Bell Peppers
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pasta With Fresh Broccoli and Spicy Cashew Pesto
Red or Green?: Broccoli With Garlic and Chile, Puglian-Style
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Broccoli
Virtually Homemade: Broccolini With Walnuts and Sweet Soy Sauce
Thursday Night Dinner: Soy, Sesame and Ginger Broccoli
FN Dish: Six Broccoli Mains
Quick Cauliflower Curry
Cauliflower is one of my very, very favorite veggies. The husband isn't a huge fan, so I usually save cauliflower dishes for girls' night. This recipe is one that my BFF, Kate, and I started making in college and that we still like to bust out every now and then. As the recipe is written, it doesn't call for other veggies, but we usually add any combination of potatoes, peas, and carrots. Feel free to make your own version.
Enjoy!
xo,
colleen
Quick Cauliflower Curry
adapted from Sarah Fritschner
What you need:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 1/4 cup water
What you do:
Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, cumin and tumeric. Cook garlic and spices fo 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower and water to the skillet, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately over brown rice. Add hot sauce as desired.
Serves 4.
Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup
I can't believe that next week Thanksgiving will be upon us yet again! For Thursday girls, this holiday is one of our absolute favorites-- a holiday that is solely about food and family, what more could you want from a day? So, over the years we've amassed a nice collection of Thanksgiving-appropriate recipes from our friends and family. Since I'm not a meat-eater, the side dishes have always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving and I think it's very important to pay just as much attention to the supporting dishes as the main star-- the turkey (or tofurkey, in my case.) To help jumpstart your Thanksgiving meal planning, here are some of our favorite recipes for you.
Enjoy!
colleen
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