Egg Roll in a Bowl

Oh hey friends! It's been a long while since I've posted a recipe around here. Truthfully, I've really missed writing blog posts, but finding time to do so these days is the trouble. We finally spent some time at home last weekend and it was great! I was extra productive and also made it a point to get in the kitchen. I made not one, but three dishes and it was so therapeutic. I'm no culinary trained chef by any means but being in the kitchen makes me happy.  

A colleague of mine shared this particular recipe with me last week and immediately knew I had to make it. It was simple, delicious and the whole family loved it. Whit and I like to  rate each other on the meals we prepare. I usually get 7's but this dish scored a 9.5! I'll take that as a win!

Several of you asked about the recipe which inspired me to share. The original version which is Whole 30, Keto and Paleo can be found here. I'm not following any of those diets but I did like the fact that it's low carb. I tweaked a few things, like using turkey instead of pork and increased the portion of meat to insure my hungry husband was well fed and had leftovers. 

Hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did!

Oh, and I highly recommend serving it with a side of Trader Joe's Pork Gyoza & Chicken Gyoza Potstickers!

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 bunch of green onions (chopped, whites separated)

½ cup red onion, diced

6 cloves minced garlic

2 pounds ground turkey (99% fat free)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons sriracha hot chile sauce

1 16-ounce bag coleslaw mix

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

6 tablespoons coconut aminos

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Sesame seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

¼ cup olive oil mayo

3 tablespoons sriracha hot chile sauce

Instructions

1. In a large skillet set over medium heat, add sesame seed oil. Toss in the white parts of the green onion, diced red onion and minced garlic. Cook until the red onion is soft.

2. Add the turkey into the skillet, ground ginger and 2 tablespoons sriracha hot chile sauce. Sauté the turkey until browned and cooked through.

3. Add coleslaw mix, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and coconut aminos.

4. Sauté mixture until coleslaw in tender.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Plate the turkey cabbage mixture and top with green onions, sesame seeds and add a few dollops of Sriracha mayo sauce.

*For the Sriracha Mayo Sauce

In a small bowl, mix olive oil mayo with 3 table spoons of sriracha hot chile sauce (more if you want an extra kick).

Recipe adapted from: 40 Aprons

Charleston Dining | The Watch: Restaurant with a View

I've said it before and I'll say it again — there is definitely no shortage of places to dine in Charleston. Choosing one is the difficult part. I like to keep an updated document on hand that I can share with people who travel into town and ask for recommendations on where to eat. My list is broken down by places to have breakfast, brunch and lunch, places to have a fancy dinner and places where the scene is more casual, places for drinks only and those places with a view that are perfect for happy hour. Which leads me to the  I wanted to share with you today. Located on the seventh floor of the luxury, chic, Restoration Hotel, The Watch is a great place for cocktails with a view! When I was searching for a place with outdoor seating to take my girlfriend for her birthday and said she had never been before, I knew we had to go. The outdoor rooftop area has first come, first serve seating and is available for dining and drinks. We got lucky last weekend and snagged a table right when we walked in the door. 

Since we are both pregnant, mocktails were the only order we placed from the bar. I must say, the non-alcoholic version of the White Point Garden was refreshing!   

 And in true hungry, pregnant lady fashion, we ordered all the carbs...

Including the ham and cheddar hush puppies with deviled egg mayo.

And the pesto gnocchi with lemon, basil, ricotta fingerling potatoes and asparagus, with a side of truffle frites.

It was a tad bit windy, but the view was still beautiful. It's a great spot to sip cocktails (or mocktails) with girlfriends, order a few snacks to share and soak in the beauty of the Holy City. 

Photo Credit: The Restoration Hotel

 The inside is pretty too!

Photo Credit: The Restoration Hotel

Photo Credit: The Restoration Hotel

If you're looking for an outdoor spot to unwind on a beautiful afternoon, definitely pay them a visit! 

Where are some of your favorite places to enjoy patio weather in Charleston?  

Charleston Wine + Food Festival

I had a blast at the Charleston Wine & Food Festival this past weekend. The weather was beautiful, with a slight chill in the air but the sun was shining. I spent all of my time in the culinary village which had endless bites to sample and beverages to taste. Although there were no cocktails for me this year, I filled my wine glass up with water and headed straight for the food!

I sampled so many dishes from some amazing and talented chefs from all over. Here were some of my favorites.

I wish I could remember what these yummy little cakes were called but all I know is they reminded me of oatmeal cream pies but better! 

The second thing I got my hands on as soon as I got there was this creamy chocolate chocolate chip ice cream from Republic Ice Cream. My pregnancy cravings took me right to the sweet treats. 

I thought the whole idea of this booth was great. Beer paired with chocolate and cheese, what's not to love about that. I skipped the beer portion but I did enjoy the cheese samples. 

Maybe I'm biased but I think food tastes better when it's prepared in Le Creuset and this dish was delicious. 

A tasty bowl of Pho as the perfect way to warm up as a late afternoon chill moved in. 

My weekend wasn't all play. There was some work thrown in there as well, but the fun kind. Le Creuset had a booth in the Corkyard, showcasing our newest color, Provence. We also sold our new cookbook that launched at the end of last year. 

 I'm loving the new color. It's perfect for Spring and outdoor entertaining. 

We also partnered with Wine & Design as they painted the beautiful fields of lavender which inspired the new color.

The lines were a little longer on day two but that didn't keep us from seeking out the good stuff. 

This asparagus tartine with goat cheese from Chef Matthew Ward of Rutlege Cab Co was so good. I'm determined to recreate these at home for a spring dinner party. 

I may or may not have had two servings of this in less than five minutes. This time I went for the cookies and cream. 

One of my favorite dishes at the festival was this New York Strip from Oak Steakhouse in Atlanta. It was worth the twenty minutes Whit had to wait in line to get a plate. 

Not only was this display from The Harbinger Cafe adorable, the cookies tasted even better than they looked!

La Farm Bakery was in the Artisan Market with a set up fit for the carb lover like me. I couldn't resist buying one of their white chocolate baguettes. These things are dangerously good.

Great food, good weather and even better company! Until next year!

10 Super Bowl Appetizer Ideas

One of the best weekends for indulging in all the snacks is right around the corner! I'm talking Super Bowl Sunday. And although I currently have zero plans (which is okay with me this year) that still hasn't stopped me from scoping out some of the mouthwatering recipes floating around Pinterest. I always like to keep appetizer ideas on hand for any parties that may come up. I'll start with a healthy option and then I can't promise the calorie count won't go up from there. 

Veggie Tray with Assorted Dips

I recently made a veggie tray to take to a party. This is not something I would typically bring but I was asked to therefore I wanted to take it up a notch. I bought some tasty dips, a variety of veggies and it was a hit at the party! And yes, I said I bought some dips. I was in a time crunch but made sure to select something yummy. I went with some black bean hummus, Mexicali dip, and roasted red pepper hummus.

Hot Loaded Baked Potato Dip

How delicious does this sound? I love a good baked potato and serving it in dip for seems genius.

Chicken Enchilada Roll Ups

I've made these a few times now and it's a recipe that I will keep in the archives. These rolls ups are so delicious and filling and make the perfect bite size party app.

Bacon and Gruyere Sliders with Beer Caramelized Onions

If you're looking to make some a little more substantial, this fits the bill. These sound amazing!

Crab-And-Avocado Toasts

An elevated appetizer idea with a ton of flavor. This fancy avocado toast is sure to please all.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

What's a Super Bowl party without some form of buffalo chicken? I love the idea topping nachos with this classic dip.

Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings

This recipe may not sound appealing to everyone. But I'm such a salt and vinegar fan and wings are such a super bowl staple, why not combine the two and see what happens.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

If you aren't placing an order for delivery, this is a good alternative. 

Parmesan Pretzel Knots

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food bloggers. Warm, salty pretzels with a yummy dipping sauce, what's not to love. 

Fancy Boursin Pigs in a Blanket

Huge fan of pigs in the blanket over here. I'm also a huge fan of boursin cheese. I can't wait to make this fancy version a try. 

What are some of your favorite things to make on Super Bowl Sunday?

Turkey, Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

For those of you that are interested in this recipe I put on my Instagram stories last night, here you are! A friend of mine shared this recipe with me a few years ago and I keep coming back to it. It's simple, quick and filling. I tweaked the original recipe to best suite our tastes and you can too. The original recipe was meatless but I knew if I wanted my husband to eat it, there had to be meat. I added ground turkey but I think ground beef or chicken would be just as good. 

Also, the first time I made this, I roasted my own butternut squash and diced it up, but honestly it took forever and was a pain. This time I took the easy route and bought the pre-chopped squash and saved so much time and energy. If butternut squash isn't your thing, sweet potatoes would be delicious too. 

A few other things to note, I was out of onions so I had to use onion powder — an easy quick fix (especially if you don't want to chop onions). I could go either way when it comes to topping this with tortilla strips, but it does add a nice crunch. And lastly if you want to kick up the heat a notch, add a dice jalapeno. I'm not a fan of super spicy things so I pass on this.

This recipe is packed full of protein and filling. It's the perfect meal to make on a cold winter day.  I love to see when people make the recipes I share, so send me a photo or tag me in your posts if you decide to make it. :) 

Enjoy!

Turkey, Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

Ingredients

1 pound of ground turkey

32 ounces of pounds of cubed butternut squash

1 15oz can of black beans (rinsed and drained)

2 10 oz cans of red enchilada sauce

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 small diced onion (onion powder will work if you don’t have onions on hand)

1 cup of shredded of fiesta blend shredded cheese

Cilantro for topping (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.     Heat olive oil on medium in a large oven safe skillet and brown the ground turkey.

2.     Transfer cooked turkey into a separate bowl and set aside.

3.     In the same pan, the turkey was cooked in, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add minced onions and garlic, cooking 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant.

4.     Add cubed butternut squash, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook the butternut squash about 12 minutes or until slightly tender. (You want it to still have a slight crunch)

5.     Gently mix the black beans and enchilada sauce in with the butternut squash and add the ground turkey back in.

6.     Reduce to low heat and let simmer for 2 minutes.

7.     Top with shredded cheese and place in the oven on broil until cheese starts to brown slightly.

8.     Remove from oven and garnish with chopped cilantro and tortilla strips.

9.     Extra toppings if you have on hand: hot sauce and sour cream.

Recipe adapted from: The Ambitious Kitchen

Thanksgiving Appetizers

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is in just a few days! I feel like the month of November has flown by. But I'm looking forward to spending some time with family and friends and of course enjoying all the yummy things that come along with the holiday season. I've been tasked with bringing appetizers and assembling a cheese board. Of course that means that I've spent hours scouring Pinterest for ideas. I've found some many delicious ideas, making it hard to choose. I thought I share some of my favorites that I've come across...in case you need a little inspiration. Warning, most of these recipes contain cheese, because cheese makes everything better!


Baked Ham & Cheese Roll Ups - My mouth is watering just looking at these.

White Cheddar, Toasted Almond, and Crisp Sage Cheeseball  - I think I might give this a try this year.

Roasted Sweet Potato Harissa Hummus - I love hummus and this sounded so different!

Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles - Anything with goat cheese, sign me up!

Cheesy Bacon Twists - These would make the perfect addition to a cheese board.

Cranberry Brie Bites- Sounds like Thanksgiving to me.

Antipasto Skewers- You can't go wrong with simple skewers. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus- Because a little something green doesn't hurt, even if it's wrapped in bacon.

Artichoke Dip Stuffed Bread - This just seemed so warm and comforting.

Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs - I made these last year and they were delicious.

Apple Pie Rolls - A great option if you're looking for a little something sweet. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and these would make a great dessert as well.

Blueberry Delight aka "Frozen Dessert"- Last but not least, another sweet option for you that's a family recipe we traditionally make during the holidays.

What are you bringing to the table this year?