Recipes | killing time between meals

November 25, 2015
by Larissa 1 Comment

White Chicken Chili

A friend at the office shared this insanely simple soup with me, and I haven’t stopped making it since. With only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes of cooking time, it’s a go-to meal at my house. You will not believe how the salsa verde provides layers and layers of flavor. I don’t even add salt! Great for groups, a fast supper, or to make ahead and take for lunch.

White Chicken Chili
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven
Serves 6

6 cups chicken stock (Homemade if you have it. If not, use 1½ boxes of this.)
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I buy a rotisserie chicken for this.)
2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1 huge (24 oz.) jar salsa verde (I use Herdez.)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Nonnegotiable toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, diced avocado
Negotiable toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, a fresh squeeze of lime

Heat chicken stock in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add shredded chicken, beans, salsa verde, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-30 minutes.
Just before serving, add copious amounts of chopped cilantro, green onions, and avocado.

November 12, 2015
by Larissa Leave a comment

Chicken Cherry Quinoa Salad

My new goal in life is lunch. Well, taking my lunch to work, more specifically. There are a few roadblocks to this situation. 1. I get bored. 2. It needs protein. 3. It’s also great if Nate will eat it. 4. It can’t be complicated. The past few weeks I’ve been making something easy on Sunday night that I can take throughout the week. And it’s working!

Inspired by a menu item at FirstWatch, this salad has become a lunchtime staple. It’s great served warm, cold, or room temperature too.

Chicken Cherry Quinoa Salad
Serves 4

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock or water
2 zucchini, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
½ cup dried cherries
1 rotisserie chicken, breasts removed and cut into large pieces
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 oz. herbed goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (or more to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a rice cooker (or device of your choice), cook the quinoa in the chicken stock (or water).
Toss the diced zucchini with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven until golden brown.
When quinoa is cooked, pour into a large bowl and allow to cool a few minutes.
Meanwhile, remove breasts from rotisserie chicken and cut into large bite-sized pieces.
Add cooked zucchini, dried cherries, chicken, parsley, and almonds to quinoa. Stir to combine.
Gently stir in goat cheese.
Add dressing and stir to coat. Taste for seasoning. Add more dressing if desired.

November 9, 2015
by Larissa Leave a comment

Fall Overnight Oats

Sometimes I have trouble with breakfast. Between hitting snooze, corralling dogs, gathering gym clothes, and the rest of the morning routine, I can’t always find time for the most important meal of the day. And sadly, that usually ends in a dry, chewy protein bar. But since discovering overnight oats, my mornings are much happier! This protein-packed, make-ahead breakfast is so easy and filling. There are lots of different ways you can dress up overnight oats, but this is my favorite so far.

Fall Overnight Oats
Adapted from Dashing Dish
Serves 3

¾ cup almond milk
½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1 carrot, grated
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 tablespoon chia seeds

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Divide between three 1-cup bowls or mason jars.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. The oats will soften and absorb the liquid.
Enjoy as is, add toppings such as nuts, or heat and serve warm.

April 7, 2015
by Larissa Leave a comment

Garlic Roasted Shrimp Pasta

If it were up to my main squeeze, there would be a lot more pasta cooked in our house. Don’t get me wrong; pasta is one of my favorite things to eat. Cream sauce, red sauce, pesto. I’m all in. But I try not to overdo it. Everything in moderation. Including moderation. Right?

This shrimp pasta dish has become a quick go-to at our house, and I usually have all the ingredients at home. Due to our sad landlocked state, I keep bags of frozen shrimp in the freezer for fast meals like this. And you can skip the broccoli altogether if you want. See? Easy.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp Pasta with (or without) Broccoli
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 2 to 4

2 cups broccoli florets
Olive oil
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

½ stick butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves (fresh or dried), minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon
½ lb. (½ of a 16-oz. bag frozen) raw shrimp, peeled & deveined (Of course you can always use fresh, but I keep these bags on hand.)

½ box thin pasta such as vermicelli, capellini, or thin spaghetti

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
If using frozen shrimp, quickly rinse under cold water to thaw. Set aside.
Sprinkle broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread in one layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
Next melt the butter in an oven-safe sauté pan over low heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook one to two minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and zest the lemon into the sauce. Toss in the shrimp and spread into one layer (overlapping is fine).
Slice half of the lemon into thin rounds, and tuck those rounds into the shrimp.
Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper.
Place sauté pan in hot oven. Check on the broccoli and toss.
Roast the shrimp for 12 to 15 minutes until they are firm and pink. Do not overcook!
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
All elements—pasta, shrimp, and broccoli—should finish cooking around the same time. Drain the pasta and pour it directly into the shrimp. Toss to coat the noodles in the buttery sauce. Squeeze the other half of the lemon juice over the pasta.
Add the broccoli and toss again.
Serve in large pasta bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you’re into that sort of thing.

February 16, 2015
by Larissa Leave a comment

Snow Day Taco Soup

A snow day seems like a good time to come out of blogging hibernation. This gap has been filled with getting engaged and making plans and tying the knot and honeymooning and newly-wedding and blessing upon blessing upon blessing. I am so thankful!

So today was a work-from-home snow day, which called for soup for me and my husband. (Pronounced huzzzz-buuund. Because even though I love saying it, I’m not totally used to saying that yet.)

This recipe contains a lot of cans and a little time. The hardest thing you have to do is chop an onion. Though that can be a feat with all the tears and runny mascara. At least that’s what it looks like for me sometimes. So, this soup is not exactly fine dining. But it is warm and super delicious with loads of yummy toppings.

Taco Soup
Inspired by Paula Deen
Serves 8

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed & drained
1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
2 cans tomatoes with chiles
1 can diced green chiles
½ package taco seasoning
½ package ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups chicken stock
Accoutrements: Fritos, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), grated cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, chopped jalapeño, sliced avocado
Um, yes, I totally just called Fritos an accoutrement.

Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven. Drain any excess grease.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on medium-low for an hour. Stir occasionally, checking the level of liquid. If too thick, add more stock. If too thin, remove lid while simmering.
Serve hot will desired toppings. I recommend all of them.

June 18, 2014
by Larissa Leave a comment

Blueberry Lavender Jam

Summer produce is my favorite. Everything is juicier, sweeter, fresher, and cheaper. When pints of blueberries were on sale for less than $2, I decided to try making homemade jam. Jam is one of those things I’ve always wanted to make myself, but the task seemed daunting. I have canned strawberry jam with my mom in the past, and canning is such a process. But if you just want to make a couple of use-it-now jars, you should! Turns out, making your own jam is like making your own salad dressing—it’s so easy, why wouldn’t you do it yourself? I am a big fan of using lavender in my food, but if you’re not, that’s OK. Just leave it out. Your jam will still turn out thick and scrumptious.

Blueberry Lavender Jam
Makes 2 pints

6 cups (3 pints) fresh blueberries, rinsed & drained
1 lemon, zested
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons culinary lavender

Make a lavender sachet using cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Simply place lavender inside and tie with string.

Add blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar to a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine.
P.S. Did you know that you get more juice out of a lemon by cutting it length-wise? True story.

Toss in the lavender sachet, and bring to a boil, stirring often.
Continue cooking for 25 to 35 minutes or until the mixture jells. Test for jell consistency by cooling a small amount on a plate and touching it with your fingers.
Remove and discard the sachet. Pour jam into jars and cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge & enjoy on muffins, toast, pancakes, and biscuits.

June 13, 2014
by Larissa 2 Comments

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup + Stock

A few weeks ago, I went to Cincinnati with my people to hang out and run a 5k.

The run wasn’t so bad, but come Saturday evening I was sick. So sick, in fact, that I could not eat dinner. Which was a travesty, really, because I had to watch my friends enjoy massive, juicy burgers and hot dogs at Cincy hotspot Senate while I sipped ginger ale. Yes, major bummer.

For the next several days, the only thing that sounded edible was homemade chicken noodle soup. So I made some. This recipe is easy enough for a sick person to manage on her own. And it is everything you could ever want when you are under the weather.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 6

2 quarts homemade chicken stock or low sodium stock in a box (not broth)
3 to 4 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cups wide egg noodles
1 rotisserie chicken
¼ cup flat leaf parsley
Salt & pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer. Add carrots and celery and return to a simmer. Add egg noodles. Simmer 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked through.
Meanwhile, pick all the meat off your rotisserie chicken and chop the parsley. Seal the chicken bones in an air-tight bag, and place in the freezer.
Add chicken and parsley to soup and warm through. Serve with Premium saltine crackers and ginger ale on ice.

Now, let’s make stock! It’s so easy. I buy a rotisserie chicken about once a week, so I save the bones and make stock one night while I’m vegging out at home. I usually have all the other ingredients on hand, and if I don’t, I just use what I have. No big whoop.

Homemade Chicken Stock
Makes 3-4 quarts

2 rotisserie chicken carcasses
2 onions, quartered
3 carrots, cut in thirds
3 stalks celery, cut in thirds
1 head garlic, halved lengthwise
1 bunch of parsley
1 tablespoon dried thyme (or fresh if you have it)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Throw everything into a large stockpot. Fill pot with water (4 to 6 quarts). Simmer 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Do not boil.
Strain and discard the solids. I used a two-part straining system. First, using a large class measuring cup with a spout, pour the stuff through a colander. Press solids with a wooden spoon, squeezing out all the stock. This gets rid of most of the solids. I then carefully pour that through a fine mesh strainer into quart containers. Think this process through for yourself before you begin. This is nothing sadder than watching the liquid gold you have cooked for four hours spill on the counter.
Pour into 1 quart containers and place in the fridge overnight. The next day, skim the layer of fat from the top of each container. Use or freeze right away.

April 30, 2014
by Larissa 2 Comments

Springtime Baked Shells

I don’t know what was in the water 9 months ago, but several of my people are popping out babies. My friends Bridget & Zac had a beautiful baby girl, Ruby, on the first day of spring. A few weeks later came Beatrice to another set of friends. Ruby & Beatrice’s arrivals were two great reasons to make one of my very favorite pasta recipes. These new parents needed to eat, and springtime is the right time for this dish full of green veggies. It’s comfort food that you can justify.

Springtime Baked Shells
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

16 ounces medium pasta shells
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½ pound broccoli, cut into small florets
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 green onions, chopped
½ cup frozen peas
30 ounces ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1½ cups Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. You can use a lasagna pan or something similar. When I need to deliver this dish, I like to use an Eco-Foil disposable 9x11x2 roaster/baker pan. It’s sturdy and comes with a domed lid for easy transport.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook pasta until extremely al dente.
In a large pan, melt the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle in a little salt. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the red pepper flakes, if using.
Next toss in the broccoli and cook for one minute; add the zucchini and cook for two more minutes; sprinkle in more salt and some pepper. Add the green onion and cook another minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and a glug (about a tablespoon) of olive oil until well combined.

Try not to step on the little dog under your feet who is patiently hoping you will drop something.

Assemble: Add half the pasta, then spread ½ cup* of the ricotta mixture over the surface (*NOT half of the entire mixture, just a ½ of a cup).

Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan over the ricotta, then ½ of the vegetables. (The little dog is still lurking. Ignore him.)

Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the Parmesan. End with the remaining vegetables and top with the end of the Parm.

Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly-hot.
Serve with extra Parmesan and crusty bread.

April 7, 2014
by Larissa 1 Comment

Breakfast Tacos Con Huevos

Spanglish is my second language.

No matter what your native tongue might be, these breakfast tacos are sure to perk you up. Plus they’re packed with protein, so you can go-go-go until lunch. I like using whatever I have around for toppings. It’s kinda like a savory breakfast sundae. Kinda. Sorta.

Breakfast Tacos
Makes 2 tacos

2 or 3 eggs
Splash of milk
½ tablespoon olive oil or butter
Salt & pepper
2 tablespoons black beans
2 or 4 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon shredded cheese
½ an avocado, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons salsa

Whisk the eggs with the milk. Warm oil or butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and scramble. For light, fluffy eggs, cook over medium heat until firm and puffed up but just shy of done. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan as you go.
Meanwhile, heat the black beans and tortillas in the microwave.
Build your tacos. On each tortilla layer half the eggs, beans, cheese, and avocado. Top with green onion and/or cilantro. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream.

March 25, 2014
by Larissa 2 Comments

Frittata: The Cure for Leftovers

Have you ever made a frittata? I have ordered frittata off many a brunch menu, but I’d never personally prepared the fluffy baked egg dish. This was my first attempt, but it won’t be my last. The best part is turning leftovers into something that feels fancy. Saturday night we had a fajita feast with all the fixings. When the guac was gone, I had the opportunity to turn leftover peppers, onions, and steak into breakfast fare. Confession: I am terrible with leftovers. Just terrible. I rarely enjoy eating the same thing twice much less three times. I’m over it, says my persnickety palate. But it feels good to use the leftovers. It feels a lot better than throwing them in the trash. And turns out the leftovers taste much better with eggs and cheese.

Sunday Morning Frittata
Serves 4

Leftover bell peppers & onions
Leftover thinly sliced fajita steak
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 eggs (I used 6 because that’s how many I had. In the future I would use 8 or 10 for a taller, fluffier frittata. You could go up to 12 depending on how many people you need to feed. The more eggs you use, the longer your frittata will need to bake.)
¼ cup milk
1 green onion, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Saute the peppers, onions, steak, and garlic in a cast iron skillet on medium heat until warmed through. Add a little salt & pepper.

Sprinkle with half the cheese.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour into skillet, covering ingredients completely. Toss in green onion.

Cook on stove top a couple minutes until the eggs begin to set around the edge of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake 10 minutes.
Remove pan, crank up the oven to broil, and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is golden, top is crispy, and eggs are puffed.

Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve as is or with a simple green salad.

killing time between meals

where talking about what's for dinner while you're at lunch is totally acceptable

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