#22: Salad Stuff by Ashley and Taylor

Taylor Says:
Ashley and I both enjoy a good salad. However, we have discovered that a salad is always better when someone else makes it. Still, we do our best to make a salad whenever we have the chance. Here are a few things I like in my salad:
-Sun dried tomatoes. These taste great, and if you get the ones that aren't in oil, they're pretty healthy too.
-Olives. It's not a salad without olives.
-Spinach. I usually prefer spinach and other leafy greens to lettuce.
-Vinaigrette Dressing. I prefer light and tangy dressing over thicker dressings like ranch.

Ashley says:

I also like the crunch of a green onion or slivered almonds on top of my salad. I add crumbled feta when I'm feeling crazy! Salads are definitely better when someone else makes them, so I'm glad Taylor puts himself in charge of salading on the regular.

#17: Pasta Sauce by Taylor

This is a pretty basic recipe for a red pasta sauce. All you really need for a red pasta sauce is garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes. My recipe changes each time I make it, so this is what I made this time.

-In a large saucepan or pot, sauté some diced garlic, onions, and mushrooms in olive oil until they turn translucent.
-Add a large can of diced tomatoes to the pot.
-Add a few pinches of brown sugar, some balsamic vinegar, basil and oregano.
- Simmer the sauce on low for 30-45 minutes.

This sauce is great on pasta, but it's also good with chicken and other meats. This is an incredibly versatile recipe that you can easily customize to suit your tastes.

Ashley says:

Taylor's pasta sauce is awesome comfort food. It's nice on pasta, great in chicken, and sometimes chunky enough to use as a spread on cold sandwiches. Such a lovely, bright flavor and it's perfect to warm up chilly days!

#14: Roasted Root Vegetables by Ashley

Seriously, all I did was chop some parsnips, carrots, turnips and onions, toss them in some olive oil and salt and pepper and throw them in the oven at 475 for 30ish minutes. I drizzled some honey on them before I served them.

If you like the texture and taste of winter veggies, this is a great no hassle way to get them out of the pantry and onto your plate. Next time, I'll probably add some butternut squash or a sweet potato (I'm a huge sucker for a sweet potato any day of the week...) because I think the sweetness from either would be great with this existing combo, playing really well particularly with the parsnip.

Taylor says:

This was a great use of winter veggies. They weren't too sweet, and they would make a great side to any meal.

#13: Baked Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Ashley

This was actually a tag team effort. It was getting late and I still wanted to go to the gym and be able to make dinner, so Taylor volunteered to marinate the chicken I thawed out to use. He tossed it in olive oil, balsamic, garlic powder and lemon juice and it marinated for the hour-ish I was at the gym. (Taylor also fetched groceries, braving Jewel on a Sunday night. I told you up front to be jealous, ladies.)

When I got home, I put the chicken into a baking dish. I poured in about 3/4 of a cup of chicken broth. I topped the chicken with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes (the kind not packed in oil), lemon wheels and chopped garlic cloves. I baked it for a little less than 20 minutes at 350 degrees and voila, super awesome chicken for dinner. It was moist and the flavor combination was perfect. Did I mention how easy it was???? It was so pretty in the dish, all set to bake. Not too bad for inventing a recipe on the fly.

Bonus: I had it cold in a salad for lunch the next day!!!

Taylor says:

Ashley's right, I am awesome! Also, this recipe was awesome and easy. The chicken was nice and flavorful and juicy, and the veggies also baked up nice and crispy. I wouldn't change a thing.

#12: Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Pudding by Ashley

My BFF Mollie just got back from spending the Fall in London. There are a few things you should know about her:

1) She knows a lot about food (she blogs about it, in fact) and shares my love of making something out of nothing in the kitchen.

2) She is living in the suburbs, so Mollie time is a hot commodity.

3) She has such a sweet tooth!!!

So, when we decided that we were overtaking Taylor's for a sleepover after Thursday night yoga, I wanted to make sure we had a sweet treat as our post-workout snack. I've been craving chocolate, but this could just as easily be chocolate (or berry) free, if that's more your thing.

I blended together 6 oz fat free cream cheese, 6 oz Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup raspberries and a packet of diet hot chocolate powder. I added two packets of Splenda, poured into cups and served immediately, topped with a few sliced almonds and a raspberry.

Next time, I might freeze the mixture, fro yo style or try strawberries. I'd also do cool whip on top; the Greek yogurt and cream cheese were a lot more tangy than anticipated. Overall, a great chocolate fix for any sweet tooth (Mollie concurred, for the record.)

Taylor says:
This was a wonderful dessert. The only thing I might change would be the consistency, since it was a bit thin. Cool whip might be just the thing to make it a bit thicker.

#11: Soyaki Tuna with Brussels Sprouts by Taylor

This was pretty much an excuse for me to try out my new cast iron pan. I marinaded some tuna steaks in Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce overnight, then I threw the steaks into a hot cast iron pan and seared each side for a few minutes. After that, I added some whole, peeled garlic cloves and halved Brussels sprouts to the pan and put it straight into a 400 degree oven until the tuna is cooked through.

Ashley says:

I wasn't feeling great when T made this, but I did have a bite. It turned out great! The tuna cooked perfectly and the Brussels sprouts were tender and tangy from the sauce.

#10: Yogurt Parfait by Taylor

This is a very simple breakfast recipe out of the F-Factor book. It's pretty much Greek yogurt, fiber one cereal, and some fruit in a bowl. I also like to add some vanilla and cinnamon to sweeten it up a bit. The recipe suggests that you later the ingredients into a parfait, but I find it easier to eat if you just mix it together in a bowl.

Ashley says:

It was easy to eat out of the bowl and I think having everything all mixed up was better than having it layered. Berries are not super sweet this time of year, so I recommend a packet of Splenda or a little honey to get the proper sweetness. Also, I might omit the cinnamon next time.