Zoodles with Grilled Chicken in a Vegan Basil Cream Sauce + Rainstorm Wines

 Summer officially means zucchini season in my mind. It also means grilling season, so what better way to celebrate both than will a spiralized zucchini and grilled chicken dish. 

I decided I wanted to go a pesto-ish route because 1) I had basil and 2) pesto is freaking delicious. Instead of using raw nuts, I decided to go with the Artisana Organics walnut butter I had and make into more of a "cream" sauce. Toss in some sundried tomatoes and olives, pour yourself a nice big glass of Rainstorm Wines pinot grigio, and we have ourselves the perfect summery, spiralized meal.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 zucchini, spiralized
-1/4 cup kalamata olives, halved
-1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
-1 chicken breast, grilled and sliced
-2 tbsp Artisana Organics raw walnut butter
-8-10 basil leaves
-2 tbsp olive oil, separated
-2 cloves garlic, minced and separated
-1 tsp lemon juice
-Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 1

Instructions:

1) In a food processor or blender, mix together the walnut butter, basil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make a creamy sauce.
2) On the stove top heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3) Add in one clove of minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4) Add in the spiralized zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes, long enough to just heat the zucchini without cooking it down too much.
5) Add in the olives, chicken, and tomatoes.
6) Add in the sauce and mix everything completely, cooking for an additional minute.
7) Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!

I paired mine with a nice refreshing glass of Rainstorm Wines pinot gris. It was the perfect compliment to this meal. It has a nice rich fruity flavor that played perfectly off the "creamy" sauce. Also zucchini and white wine just go hand in hand in my opinion, so I definitely recommend this combo!

Let me know what you think in the comments below.
 

Caprese Pasta Salad

I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on the recipe front, and I totally apologize for that! But I'm back and just in time for Memorial Day Weekend! I'm hoping to get up a few different ideas throughout this week that you can bring to/make for any upcoming picnics and parties you might be attending over the long weekend. Starting it off with this super easy caprese pasta salad.

Here's What You'll Need:

-One 10 oz bag of penne (I used Modern Table Meals' mixed lentil penne)
-16 oz fresh mozzarella (I used two Buf Creamery containers), cut into cubes
-2 medium tomatoes, chopped
-10 basil leaves, chopped
-1/2 cup balsamic vinnegar
-2 tbsp olive oil
-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Cook your pasta according to the instructions. Let cool until it reaches around room temperature, or you can just toss it in the fridge.
2) In a large bowl, mix together the tomato, penne, basil, and mozzarella.
3) Drizzle with the balsamic and olive oil and top with salt and pepper.
4) Enjoy!

I told you it was easy! And it's sure to be a crowd pleaser! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

BBQ Cauliflower Steak

Cauliflower steak - lazy or brilliant? That's what I ended up asking myself as I was throwing this one together. To be honest, for me it was probably lazy, BUT it was just so good that I don't even care!

I was going to grill up a big veggie-filled lunch, and cauliflower was in the mix. I love BBQ roasted cauliflower, so I figured why not just try it out on the grill. I knew it would be delicious and take about half the time to cook. 

As I was about to prep it, cauliflower steak popped into my mind. I have heard of/seen it before, but never really looked fully into it. I was already planning to grill, so this was the time to go for it. It ended up cutting my cauli-cutting time probably by 1/10 - four easy cuts versus cutting each little cauliflower piece off the stem. Plus there was the added bonus of not wasting as much stem, and if you know me and broccoli stems, this is a BIG DEAL.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 head of cauliflower
-1/4 cup olive oil
-Sea salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup all natural BBQ sauce

Instructions:

1) Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and cut it into four slices of equal width.
2) Brush both sides of each slice or "steak" with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You don't have to use all of the olive oil. You just want to lightly brush each side.
3) Toss the steaks onto a preheated grill and cook for 5 minutes per side.
4) Slather BBQ sauce onto each side of the steak and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes per side.
5) Remove from the grill, and serve with your favorite sides.

I hope you all enjoy this BBQ cauliflower combo as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Tempeh

I promise that I won't only post grilled recipes from now through like November (even if I want to), but in the meantime, another grilled recipe.

I had picked up some tempeh the other day and decided it needed to be grilled. So I started playing around with marinade ideas. One thing led to another, and I had some sort of sweet but salty but spicy but DELICIOUS marinade. I didn't really know what to call it, so you just get "Sweet and Spicy". But's it's good, like really good. And you will be pouring the marinade on top of the grilled tempeh, trust me. So I recommend not throwing it out.

Here's What You'll Need:

-8 oz package of tempeh, cut into 4 triangles
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
-1-2 tbsp sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
-1 clove garlic, minced

(Serves 2)

Instructions:

1) Mix together the marinade in a bowl or bag, and marinate the tempeh for at least an hour.
2) Heat up your grill, and toss the tempeh on. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side until lightly charred.
3) Remove from heat, add some additional marinade as sauce, serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!

So easy and so delicious. Does it get much better than that?

Let me know what you think!

Grilled Portobello and Asparagus Tacos

I had some pretty delicious portobello and asparagus tacos from a place by me recently. So when taco Tuesday came around, I thought why not use the idea but give it my own twist? 

I decided to with grilling, because duh, it's me. Add in some SUPER simple, homemade guac, fresh radishes, and Bushwick Kitchen's delicious sriracha, and I had myself a taco upgrade. But seriously, this was better than the restaurant and kind of made me rethink the need for takeout on the taco front because they were also really easy peasy.

Here's What You'll Need:

-6 organic corn tortillas
-1 small bundle of asparagus (with the bottoms chopped off)
-1 portobello top, sliced
-1 avocado
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-8 cherry tomatoes, chopped
-Sea salt and pepper to taste
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 radish, sliced
-Bushwick Kitchen's Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha to taste

(Serves 2)

Instructions:

1) Get your grill going. In the mean time, toss the portobello and asparagus in a little olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. 
2) Toss the veggies on the grill, and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side for the mushrooms and 3-5 minutes per side for the asparagus. Remove from heat.
3) Throw together your quick guacamole. This isn't generally how I make guac, but keeping it relatively simple really lets the other flavors come through. Mash the avocado. Add in the garlic, tomato, sea salt, and pepper, and mix it all together.
4) Start assembling your tacos. Spread some guac in each (warmed) tortilla, top each with equal shares of the aspargus and portobello. Add on some radish slices and a drizzle of sriracha to each.
5) Enjoy!

This recipe is so simple but still packs such a delicious, fresh flavor. I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!