Harry Potter Cakes!

As you all know, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan! When the last film came out, I even held a Harry Potter viewing party where I served up all of these Harry Potter treats! Recently though, I have come to learn that a colleague of mine is also a Harry Potter fanatic, so to celebrate her recently becoming a mom, I made her these themed cakes...

For more Harry Potter treats, visit my recipe tribute page here. Enjoy!



Pin It

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

This week for FN Dish's Sensational Sides, it was time to welcome spring with a light and refreshing salad!

During this time of year, I LOVE to cook with beets.  I never liked them growing up, but for some reason, they are now one of my weird obsessions! Therefore, I just had to make my beet salad for this post.  It is so quick and easy to assemble, and even better, it's healthy! Well, healthier... :)

This dish can of course be made as a light side to accompany a meal, but I also provided the option for adding meat in order to make the salad the whole meal.  Also, because of the combination of cheese and beets, this salad does not necessarily need a dressing, but I usually make my own light dressing to drizzle over the top anyway.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
-1 big bunch (or 10 oz bag) of Arugula (I also had some spinach so my pictures show both arugula and spinach)
-2 to 4 beets, cooked and cubed (use all four if making a large batch)
-A handful of crumbled goat cheese for sprinkling
-Walnuts for sprinkling (optional)
-1 lemon freshly squeezed
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Then, in a separate bowl, place all of the arugula and beets together, and pour the dressing over the lettuce.  Lightly toss to coat the arugula and beets with the dressing.  Finally, sprinkle the goat cheese and walnuts (if using) on top.  Serve and enjoy!

If you want to make this into a full meal, add slices of roasted chicken.  The heat from the chicken will melt the goat cheese a bit, creating a nice creamy coating. This is a great dish to serve when the weather is warm and you want something light! Although I tend to enjoy this meal with a blue moon or Sam Summer!

Jeanette's Healthy Living:Mexican Chopped Salad With Lime Cilantro Dressing
Feed Me Phoebe:Grilled Chicken Paillard With Chopped Nicoise Salad
Cooking With Elise:Garden Spring Rolls
The Cultural Dish:Arugula Salad With Beets and Goat Cheese
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Mixed Greens Salad With Shrimp and Oranges
Red or Green?:Spring Salad Greens With Spicy Chiocciole Pasta and Pine Nuts
The Sensitive Epicure:Green on Green Chopped Salad
Weelicious:Southwestern Salad
Made by Michelle:Mixed Greens With Grapeseed Oil and Balsamic
FN Dish:Vivacious Pasta Salad Sides

Pin It

Authentically Homemade Guacamole!

For this weeks Sensational Sides post on FN Dish, myself, along with other bloggers, were asked to create a side dish that could be kid friendly.

Now, my mind immediately went back to my own childhood when my mother would try to cut food into cute little shapes in order to encourage me to try different foods.  However, as much as that may have helped me growing up, I decided to make guacamole.  Guacamole is typically something that anyone would eat, yet, I took advantage of the fact that the dish is green and looks interesting to children.  Plus, with Cinco de Mayo this weekend, it was the perfect way to celebrate! 

What most people do not realize, is that in addition to being green and interesting for children, and being a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, guacamole can actually be healthy! In moderation of course... Avocados are a healthy fat, so they are great to incorporate into your diet!

Guacamole!

Ingredients:

-4 ripe Hass Avocados 

-1 lime, juiced

-1 small onion, chopped

-1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

-1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

-1 tablespoon minced garlic

-1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional, but gives great flavor)

-Salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

In a large bowl, scoop out the insides of the avocados and mix with the lime juice.  If there is a lot of excess juice, drain it and reserve it for later use. 

Using a fork, mix/cut in the cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Mix in a little of the reserved lime juice.  Please note, using a fork to blend the ingredients will help to keep the dip a little more chunky.  You can use a potato masher as well if you prefer. 

Although this will be hard to do, let the guacamole sit for at least an hour for all of the flavors to really meld together. 

Then, take some whole wheat chips (or chip of choice), scoop up some guac, and enjoy! This is even great spread over turkey burgers since turkey burgers tend to be more dry than regular hamburger meat.

Feed Me Phoebe: Radish and Basil Thai Fried Rice
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Easy Stir-Fry Green Beans
The Cultural Dish: Authentically Homemade Guacamole
Devour: Kid-Friendly Baked Ziti
Domesticate Me: Skillet Cornbread
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Red or Green? Spicy Chickpea Burgers With Cabbage Slaw
The Heritage Cook: Duck Fat Fries, a Kid's Favorite Snack!
Virtually Homemade: Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
FN Dish: Kid-Friendly Veggie Sides

Pin It