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Cucumber Watermelon Salad

July 13, 2015 by Jenna

Oh hey.

Hi.

I’m back.

I went on vacation to Peru.

Vacation = no work.

Vacation = no blogging.

Vacation = chilling in Cusco, hiking the Inca Trail, freaking out over Machu Picchu, and walking around Lima.

One day some day soon I will tell you all about it.

BUT FIRST, this cucumber watermelon salad.

If cucumber watermelon salad doesn’t scream summer to you, then I don’t know what does.

Ice cream, maybe?

Probably, but let’s scream about salad too.

I made this salad when a couple of girlfriends and I went to Red Barn Farm for pizza night. It seems like it was forever ago, but I still remember how delicious this salad (and that pizza!) was.

The sweetness of the watermelon is balanced out with peppery arugula and salty feta cheese. Then there is the cucumber for a nice crunch and the herbs for an extra fresh surprise. Go ahead and double it. Maybe even quadruple it.

Plus, it’s beyond easy to throw together, especially if you take the lazy route and buy the pre-cut watermelon. No one will judge you!

I won’t anyways.

I hope you try it out and become as obsessed with it as I am!

Cucumber Watermelon Salad

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

This cucumber watermelon salad is perfect for summer picnics! It's light, refreshing, and super easy to throw together. It can easily be doubled or quadrupled to feed a crowd!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon, cubed
1 small cucumber, diced
2 large handfuls arugula
2 ounces feta cheese
½ cup fresh mint and/or basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve and enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread

May 23, 2015 by Jenna

Do you ever go to the grocery store and “accidentally” buy too many bananas so that you can either store the extra in the freezer or wait for them to over-ripen on your counter so that you can make banana bread?

No? Yes! No? Just me?

Well. I advise you to try it out. I also advise you to add dark chocolate chips and fresh raspberries to your grocery list, because this raspberry chocolate chip banana bread is so, so good and you’re going to want to make it.

So let’s do it!

First, we’ll gather the ingredients. The stars here are the bananas, raspberries, and dark chocolate chips. Obviously. But we’ll need some other things too – flour, baking soda, brown sugar, milk, and an egg. Also, we’re going to use Greek yogurt instead of butter. Not because we don’t love butter, but just because.

Next, mash up those beautiful, brown bananas. Mash them really, really good. We basically want them to be like liquid. Then stir in the brown sugar, egg, Greek yogurt, and milk until everything is super combined. Throw in the flour and baking soda and give the mixture a couple of stirs. Lumps and pockets of flour are a-ok. I realize that this will be hard for you perfectionists out there, but you can do it. Leave some imperfections. Fold in the chocolate chips and raspberries, being careful not to over stir. Finally, pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and place it in the oven.

In 50 minutes your kitchen will smell far too delicious and you’ll have an exquisite loaf of bread on your counter. This is happiness.

So much happiness that I had to give most of this loaf away. Which was really hard to do. Probably the hardest thing I had to do all week. Except for that 17 mile run yesterday. #strugglefest.

So yeah. What I’m trying to say is this stuff is really good. Basic banana bread and chocolate cacao nib banana bread are good too, but this chocolate chip raspberry banana bread is like really good.

Soooo… uh… make it. And eat it. And drink some coffee. And have a FANTASTIC Memorial Day weekend!!

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour

This Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread is a snazzy version of regular banana bread. It's simple, a little bit healthy, and so, so very delicious with bursts of chocolate and raspberries.

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ cups + 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 medium very ripe bananas
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk (any sort of milk will work: cow, almond, coconut, soy, etc)
1 pint raspberries
¾ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a small bowl combine the flour (just 1 ½ cups) and baking soda. Set aside.
In another small bowl toss the raspberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl mash the bananas until they are very, very mashed.
Whisk in the brown sugar, Greek yogurt, egg, and milk until they are thoroughly combined.
Stir in the flour. Lumps are ok.
Fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips, saving some to sprinkle on top.
Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with the remaining raspberries and chocolate chips.
Baked for 50-55 minutes.

PS- what are you doing for Memorial Day? I am headed up north to the cabin to hang out with my family for the weekend! So excited.

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Beef Jerky & Cherry Trail Mix

April 11, 2015 by Jenna

Yeah, you read the title right: beef jerky and cherry trail mix.

The other day I was walking around the grocery store absent-mindedly wandering up and down the aisles looking at stuff. This happens when I don’t have a list and am not in a hurry. It’s actually quite enjoyable and I end up discovering brands and products I have never heard of.

So anywayssss I walking, stopping, staring, wandering, looking, touching, reading and then I spied this epic hunt and gather mix. And by epic, I mean EPIC. It’s beef jerky combined with trail mix. Brilliant. I was so intrigued that I wanted to try to mix up my own.

So I did. And I’m in love.

Let me talk about why.

NUMERO UNO: It is so easy to make.

Simply gather beef jerky, dried cherries, almonds, cashews, and pepitas, shake them up in a jar, and you are all set!

NUMMER ZWEI: It is a super healthy snack.

Each of these simple ingredients pack in a ton of health benefits to make this one powerhouse snack that will keep you energized throughout the day. It’s perfect for all you paleo eaters out there.

Almonds, cashews, and pepitas are high in healthy fats and minerals like magnesium, copper, zinc, and potassium.
Cherries are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Beef jerky is full of protein.

NUMÉRO TROIS: It is delicious.

The trail mix is both sweet and savory. The tart cherries perfectly compliment the mesquite flavor of the beef jerky. The nuts and seeds add crunch and texture. Basically, it’s a mouthful of amazing.

This beef jerky and cherry trail mix is a snack trifecta: simple, healthy, and delicious.

OH, as an extra bonus, it is also super portable and is a great on-the-go snack. Bring some with to work for when those 2:30 hunger pangs hit. Put some in your gym bag for a high protein post-workout snack. Throw them in your purse for when you go on a brewery crawl and don’t want to eat a lot of bar food/food truck food.

Which is what I’m going to do later today… happy Saturday!

Beef Jerky & Cherry Trail Mix

Prep time

2 mins

Total time

2 mins

This healthy snack is a combination of beef jerky, dried cherries, almonds, cashews, and pepitas. It's delicious and packed full of protein to keep you energized throughout the day.

Serves: 3⅓ cups

Ingredients

3.5 ounces beef jerky
¾ cup dried cherries
¾ cup raw almonds
¾ cup raw cashews
⅓ cup pepitas

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.

Gimme.

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapeños

November 15, 2014 by Jenna

I’m going to spice things up a bit. It’s Saturday, why not get a little crazy? And what’s crazier than jalapeños?

NOTE: Lots of things are crazier than jalapeños. However, this does not stop me from telling you about these amazing peanut butter stuffed jalapeños. I went to Butcher and the Boar for dinner a couple of weeks ago. This place is soooo good. If you live near Minneapolis, please go. Make reservations right now. They have an awesome floor made of pennies, a huge selection of good meats and sausages, and a lot of bourbon. Check.It.Out.

Besides bourbon and meat and pennies, they also have these amazing stuffed jalapeños. Initially one would think they are stuffed with cream cheese, which is, you know, cool and all. But noooo. No, these are stuffed with a peanut butter cream cheese mixture. PEANUT BUTTER. Then they are baked and sprinkled with feta and golden raisins.

Delicious. They are unlike anything I have ever tried before.

Peanut butter in jalapeños – weird, right? It works. Those people at Butcher and the Boar know what they are doing.

Anyways, I had to recreate them.

I wish I could say that my version was as delicious as the real thing, but I cannot. I am not a master chef and posses very little skill in the kitchen. I just like to experiment, cook, and eat. However, I will say that these are still pretty delicious.

Not only are they delicious, they are also easy to make. We take our jalapeños, cut them in half, and then scrape out the seeds. Next we make the filling by mixing together cream cheese and peanut butter with a little bit of lime juice. The filling is stuffed into the jalapeño halves and placed in the oven for 25 minutes.

Now it’s time to place them on a serving tray, sprinkle them with feta cheese and golden raisins, and then add a drizzle of honey.

If you think about it, these are kind of like a fancier, less healthy, spicier version of ants on a log. The jalapeño replaces the celery (both green). The peanut butter is still there, but cream cheese is added to it. Raisins are placed on top, but are golden and, therefore, more sophisticated.

Do you see it or am I crazy?

Again, it’s Saturday.

I think these stuffed jalapeños would be a great little appetizer to serve at a gathering of friends, like Friendsgiving for example. You can prep the jalapeños ahead of time and place them in the oven right before your guests arrive.

You can also wrap them in bacon, because I think that would be awesome and no one would yell at you for doing this. Unless all your friends are vegetarian. Then that’s just completely rude on your part. But then you can eat all the bacon peanut butter jalapeños yourself. So, do what you want.

You can also make them and eat them for dinner with cauliflower mashed potatoes.

But who does that?

No one.

Ok, me. I did last night.

Peanut Butter Stuffed Jalapeños

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

These are not your typical stuffed jalapeños. The classic cream cheese filling is elevated with the addition of peanut butter and lime juice. They are then baked and topped with feta cheese, golden raisins, and honey. A quick and easy appetizer to pull together for guests!

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

4oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon lime juice
6 jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded
Garnishes: feta cheese, golden raisins, honey

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil.
In small bowl, mix cream cheese, peanut butter, and lime juice.
Place the jalapeño halves on the cookie sheet and fill with the peanut butter mixture.
Bake 25 minutes.
Place jalapeños on a serving platter, sprinkle with feta cheese and golden raisins, and drizzle with honey. These are best served warm.

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