taste of whole foods market

May 13, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Every Saturday in May, Whole Foods Market is hosting “Taste of Whole Foods Market“. You are invited to taste & enjoy this free sampling event. Live cooking demonstrations will feature the Whole Foods Market private label brands, unique products for foodies, products from local suppliers, and take-and-go products that are made fresh in the Whole Foods kitchens.

I attended the May 7 event and had so much fun sampling food and sipping wine with my mom. The menu changes every week so you can attend any or all of the sampling events and always have something new to try.

We tasted caviar, guacamole, arugula salad, brie with sour cherries, prosecco, and rose’. I got new ideas for the kitchen and picked up recipe cards to use in the future. I never pass up dinner inspiration.

Tomorrow (May 14) is the next event. Don’t miss out on a fun, free way to sample and sip your way through Whole Foods. Other dates: May 21, May 28

Every Whole Foods Market location in Northern Virginia will be hosting a free in-store sampling event from 12-4pm. Share what you tasted or cooked at home with the products you discovered. Snap a photo, share it using the hashtag #TasteofWFM and tag your local store. Whole Foods will repost their favorites.

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coconut date bites

May 4, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

I love having healthy snacks around the house, especially since we’re always on-the-go and someone is always hungry. I’ve had dates just waiting for me for months and Orange Blossom honey from Waxing Kara that I’ve been dying to try. Combine those ingredients with a string of rainy days and something was bound to happen in the kitchen.

Toss everything in the Vitamix or food processor and these bites are ready in less than 20 minutes. Yum.

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Ingredients 
2 cups Pitted Dates
1 cup Nuts (I like walnuts or sliced almonds)
1/2 cup shredded coconut + more for dipping
2 tbsp honey (I used Orange Blossom honey from Waxing Kara)
2 tbsp vanilla

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix or food processor. Roll into small balls and dip in shredded coconut. Makes 30 balls.IMG_2341

Enjoy!

 

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sweet potato bruschetta

April 12, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Spring means fresh herbs in my garden.  My favorite herb – and the one I cook with most – is basil.  I feel like you can do a lot with basil, but I’m still a sucker for bruschetta.  This sweet potato bruschetta is a healthy take on the traditional kind, made with grilled sourdough bread.  I swap bread for sweet potatoes; You still get the crunch and flavor but without all of the guilt!

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Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick ‘coins’ (unpeeled)
½ red onion, chopped
½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ avocado, chopped
a few sprigs of fresh basil leaves
a drizzle of balsamic glaze

Directions
Preheat oven to 450F.  Spray a baking tray with oil and spray the potato coins with the oil, being sure to coat both sides.  Lay coins flat on the tray in a single layer and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.  Roast potato coins for 15 to 20 minutes; carefully flip coins over and roast for another 15 minutes.  Broil for 2 minutes.  In the meantime, combine onion, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl.  When the potatoes are done, remove from oven and place onto serving plates.  Top each coin with bruschetta salad mix and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, serve, and enjoy!

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Enjoy!

 

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kale & butternut squash salad

January 12, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

I’m kind of obsessed with kale & squash right now. They are healthy. Runner’s World Magazine lists them as a “seasonal superfood”. And they are just so damn tasty.

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It’s starting to get cold at night, so I’ve been craving hearty but healthy and not too filling. My kale & butternut squash salad is the perfect combination of all three. Pair that with delicious & unique flavors, and you have a salad that everyone can enjoy.

Ingredients
Kale
Butternut Squash
Pomegranate Seeds
Shallots/Red Onion
Pecans
Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Fresh Salt & Pepper

Directions 
Heat over to 350 degrees. Cut off top/bottom of butternut squash. Using a peeler, peel skin off of the butternut squash. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds (discard). Slice into small sections and cut into chunks. Drizzle with EVOO and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until done.

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While the squash is cooking, prepare the pomegranate seeds and kale. Our Whole Foods sells ready-to-go pomegranate seeds but at $9.99 for a small container , I opt to prepare them myself. It can be tricky and not-so-pretty at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite easy. Check out this tutorial here. Wash kale thoroughly and chop, and cut shallots into thin slices. In a small bowl, mix together EVOO, juice from one lemon, salt and pepper.

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Prepare the salad while butternut squash cools. Kale, shallots, pomegranate seeds, and pecans. Top with roasted butternut squash and drizzle with lemon dressing.

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Enjoy!

 

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salsa verde chicken

February 4, 2015 by · 1 Comment

I registered for & received a crockpot for my wedding. 4.5 years ago. And I haven’t used it since.

That all changed 3 weeks ago when I decided I wanted to cook more and had a little extra time on my hands. Cooking with a crockpot is fun! You just throw everything in and come back 8 hours later. viola. Dinner.

I was craving fajitas or some variation of the dish, so I decided to try {salsa verde chicken}. For starters, this recipe is so easy (hello, 3 ingredients + seasoning), but what I loved most is that there are endless possibilities with this dish. Avocado, cilantro, salsa, tortillas, cheese, you can add – or take away – anything you want and it’s still delicious!

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For dinner, I ate salsa verde chicken with tortilla, cheese, cilantro, avocado and a side of sauteed peppers & onions; for lunch the next day, I served over rice with avocado and cilantro. Both ways are yummy – or you can make it any way you want!

Ingredients
1.5 lbs of Chicken
8 oz jar of Salsa Verde
1 beer (I used a lager because I’m pregnant and there aren’t many alcoholic choices in our house, but I’d probably use Corona or Modela next time)
1 tbsp cumin photo 1 (7)
salt & pepper

Toppings (add or delete as desired) 
cilantro
avocado
cheese
sour cream
sauteed peppers & onions
rice & black beans
cheese
tortillas

Directions
Combine ingredients in crockpot, stir to mix everything together. Program to 8 hours and start. 30 minutes prior to serving, shred chicken. Serve as a fajita, over a salad, or alone.

Enjoy!

 

How do you like to eat your fajitas?

 

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