Tag Archives: quick meal

Chicken Salad Croissants

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A few weeks ago the news came out that one of my favorite brunch spots in Athens {Georgia, not Greece} had closed. Heartbreaking. Five Star Day and I had some great times together. At least the Kiwi got to eat there a couple times before it closed so that he could be indoctrinated on my absolute favorite thing of theirs–the Poppy Seed Chicken Salad. Oh my yum. It was so good! However, since we will never be able to have Five Star Day’s again {sob}, I thought that I should figure out how to make an acceptable version of it myself.

If you want this to be a super quick recipe, just buy a rotisserie chicken instead of roasting the chicken yourself. You’ll only need about half of the meat though, so make sure you have a use for the extra!

Kiwi+Peach: Chicken Salad Croissants

Chicken Salad Croissants

The Chicken
2 bone-in chicken thighs and legs {2 chicken breasts work too}
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper

The Goodies
2 tbsp ricotta cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
10-15 grapes
2 Tbsp pecans {these spiced pecans would be delicious}
2 tbsp poppy seeds

The Sandwich
2 croissants
2 leaves of romaine lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Then wash the chicken and pat dry. Put the chicken in the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the herbs, salt, and pepper, and then rub everything into the chicken really well. Pop it in the oven for about 60 minutes.

{If you are using chicken breasts, do the same thing the prepare the chicken, but before you pop it in the oven, wrap it in tin foil so it doesn’t dry out. You should also reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes.}

When the chicken is finished, let it cool for a quick minute and then get to shredding. Using two forks, pull the bits of meat off the bone, and then put your shredded chicken in a medium sized bowl. Toss in all of the yummy goodies and mix well.

Cut your croissants in half lengthwise and put your romaine on the bottom piece of the croissant. Load it up with the chicken salad and close her up. Enjoy!

Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

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Last summer the Kiwi and I took a trip to Amsterdam, and while we were there, we got some of the tastiest blue cheese in the world. Since the cheese was special {tastiest in the world I tell you}, I didn’t want to use it on just an average meal. I wanted whatever we were going to make with it to be excellent in its own right, but, at the same time, complement the blue cheese perfectly. And that, my friends, is how the idea for this salad was born. The dressing is the Kiwi’s brain child via a Gordon Ramsey TV show he saw once. He originally made it for me as a syrup for my birthday pancakes, so calling it a dressing is a bit generous, but you won’t be disappointed. The amounts of powder sugar and balsamic vinegar here are just guidelines. Feel free to be a bit liberal, it will reduce and thicken either way.

Are you like this too with special ingredients {or any product for that matter}? Do you ration it and only use it on special occasions? I ration pecans too because we can’t find them here in Germany.  We got two bags when we were in Ireland this past fall, but we are down to our last few nuts now. Sad day.

Anyway…

Last month, the Kiwi had a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam on his way back from a business trip. Instead of sitting around at the airport, he decided to head into the city and go in search of more of that blue cheese. Luckily he found it, so naturally the first thing I made with it was this beauty. {Obviously, we’ve made this with blue cheese from the shop and its great too.  I’m just telling you about the Dutch blue cheese because its out of this world and if you’re ever there you should get some.}

This would be a great addition to any summer cookout. It’s really simple to whip up and I promise people will rave!  {Plus you’ll get props for bringing a salad!  You healthy thing you–just don’t mention all the sugar in the dressing.}

Kiwi+Peach: Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

Strawberry Red, White, and Blue Cheese Salad

The Salad
mixed field greens {I usually use a whole 500 gram bag, but it depends on how much you like rabbit food.}
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped pecans

The Dressing
1 pound of strawberries {3 1/2 cups}
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Before getting started, wash and dry your greens and return them to the fridge. This will make them nice and crisp.

Start heating your frying pan over medium high heat. Wash, core, and cut your strawberries into fourths. Throw them in the hot pan and add the maple syrup. Stir it in and then add the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and then let it simmer away for about 3-5 minutes or until it is thickened a bit and the strawberries are soft but not completely broken down. At this point I transfer it back to the bowl and put it in the fridge to chill a bit so that it doesn’t wilt the lettuce too much.

While the strawberries are cooling down, you can assemble the rest of the salad. Plate up your lettuce and generously sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles and chopped pecans. Top with strawberries and eat up!

Lauren’s Summer Favourite

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The Kiwi has lovingly volunteered to help me out and share a few recipes of his own while we are away on holiday. Today’s recipe was the first thing he ever made for me {before he even knew about my love of coconut}, so I find it quite fitting that it’s the first thing he is sharing with y’all as well! So, without further ado, I’ll turn it over to the Kiwi.

I have no idea what the original source for this recipe was—I appropriated it from a couple of friends I was staying with after watching them make it and then made it my own—so there isn’t really a name for it. This was the first thing I ever cooked for Lauren {having not yet located a supply of lamb mince in Munich to make my usual favourite}. Ever since then it’s just been known to us as “Lauren’s favourite”.

Suffice to say, this dish comprises a range of diced vegetables in a coconut sauce, served over pasta. As well as being extremely tasty, it features an agreeable spectrum of colours and feels perfect for a summer’s evening. If you’re feeling carnivorous, or you just have some leftover {cooked} chicken to use up, then you can stir it in at the end, but it’s really not necessary.

Kiwi+Peach: Lauren's Summer Favourite {written by the Kiwi}

Lauren’s Summer Favourite

The Pasta
200g {6 oz} whole wheat spaghetti
1tsp salt

The Sauce
½ a large zucchini
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
½ a large eggplant
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp whole wheat flour
½ can {200mL or 6 oz} coconut milk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Chop all of the vegetables into roughly 1.5cm {½ inch} cubes. Eggplant can sometimes have a bitter taste in the liquid around the seeds, so chop that first, place it in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt to draw out the moisture. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients, or even do this step half an hour ahead if you have time.

Preheat a large frying pan on medium-high. You’ll be sautéing the vegetables so that they cook quickly without turning to mush.

Separately, bring a pot of salted water to the boil in preparation for the pasta. Where I come from not even the poorest English Lit grad student could imagine life without an electric kettle and this job takes two minutes. However, in America folks prefer to eschew such cheap and easily-available conveniences in favour of heating the water laboriously on the stove.

The zucchini takes the longest to cook, so add it to the frying pan first along with the oil and start sautéing. After a couple of minutes add the peppers and finally, after a few minutes more, wash the salt off the eggplant cubes and add them to the pan as well. You’ll want to begin cooking the spaghetti as directed at about this point. Continue sautéing until the vegetables are soft, but not yet starting to break down. This process takes about 5-10 minutes in total.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour to soak up any remaining oil. Stir for about a minute, then add the coconut cream. Grind in the pepper and grate in the parmesan cheese. I recommend moving to Europe, where you can bind blocks of genuine Parmigiano Reggiano in every supermarket fridge. That doesn’t make a big difference to the recipe; it’s just something I like to recommend.

Continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. Serve over the spaghetti with a little grated parmesan and black pepper for garnish.

Orange Chorizo Man Salad

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A rule of thumb in nutrition is the more colorful your plate the larger variety of nutrients you’re getting from your food. Following that logic, this salad is the king of nutritional variety. With lots of dark leafy greens, bright red peppers, black olives, and juicy chunks of orange, its as full of nutrients as it is taste, and the chorizo adds that savoriness {and protein} that many salads lack. I lovingly call this the man salad because its salad that even your carnivore can get on board with. In fact, this was actually in the Kiwi’s rotation long before he met me. What good taste he has.

Orange Chorizo Man Salad

{adapted for two from the Company’s Coming 30 Minute Meals cookbook}

The Protein
1/2 of a large chorizo sausage {about 4 ounces/125 grams}
5 or 6 walnuts {or pecans}

The Goodies
8-10 leaves of romain lettuce
1 orange
1/2 of a small red onion
1/2 of a roasted red pepper
2 Tbsp olives

The Dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of salt

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Shell your walnuts and pop them in the oven to toast for about 5 minutes.

While they are toasting start heating a pan on medium heat. Peel the casing off of your chorizo and slice it into 1/2 inch chunks. Toss it in the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until the outside has crisped up. When it is finished cooking, transfer the chorizo to a paper towel and blot the grease off.

While the chorizo is cooking you can prepare the rest of the goodies for the salad and make your dressing.

Tear up your lettuce and put it in a large salad bowl. {For crispier lettuce, wash your lettuce the night before. Pat the leaves dry on paper towels and then layer them between the now damp paper towels. Put it back in the fridge over night in the crisper drawer.} Peel the orange and cut each wedge into thirds. Thinly slice the red onion and roasted red peppers. Rinse your olives. Then toss them all into the salad bowl with the lettuce. When the chorizo and walnuts are finished toss them in as well.

For the dressing, break out the food processor.  Toss in all of the ingredients and process until the garlic is in tiny pieces and its well mixed. {If you don’t have a food processor, mince your garlic and then you can just throw all the ingredients in a jar.  Pop the lid on and give it a shake.}

Pour the dressing in the salad bowl and toss the salad well. Serve it up and enjoy your colorful man salad.

Fried Egg BLT

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Today was mad crazy for me. Most days I really look forward to cooking dinner. My evenings in the kitchen are my me time, and I love that I get to create something everyday. But we all have off days. Today was one of those days. I needed something quick and easy that required minimal brainpower because it’s Friday and I’m running on severe sleep deprivation. Today’s recipe is the perfect dinner for a busy day, and, bonus, you probably already have all of the ingredients in your fridge.

Fried Egg BLT

The Goods
4 slices of bacon
2 eggs
1 tomato, sliced
2 lettuce leaves
2 buns

The Dijonniase
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp whole grain sweet mustard
1 tsp whole grain spicy mustard
pinch of salt and pepper

Fry the bacon on medium heat. If you can get maple or peppercorn bacon, do it! It’s super tasty. Since the only bacon we can get here in Munich seems to be the basic stuff {or in large chunk form}, I always add a couple of grinds of pepper and a bit of maple syrup to the pan when I’m cooking the bacon, but I’ll leave that to your discretion.

While the bacon is cooking, prep for the rest of the sandwich. Slice your tomato, grab your leaves of lettuce, slice the bread, and make your dijonnaise.

We don’t use dijonnaise very often, so there really is no point in taking up valuable space in our tiny fridge with a jar of it—especially since it is just a combo of mayo and mustard, which we are going to have in the fridge anyway. You can whip this up in a fraction of a minute. Promise. Just mix it all together.

When the bacon is done, set it to the side and get to frying your eggs. The bacon grease should be enough for your eggs not to stick, but if you want to add a bit of olive oil to be on the safe side go for it. Crack your eggs into the pan and let them cook until the bottom is pretty solid. Carefully flip them over. The goal is to not break the yolk. Depending on how you like your yolk {runny, completely done, etc.} cook them for a bit more. I like mine runny so I usually only do about 30-45 seconds on that side.

When your eggs are done, its time to build your sandwich. Spread the dijonaise on both sides of the bun and layer up your goodies. On days like this I serve it with salt and vinegar potato chips {my weakness} and tell myself we have enough veggies on the sandwich. If you’re feeling ambitious, whip up some sweet potato fries or green beans.

Blue Cheese Burgers

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Happy Memorial Day friends!

We aren’t letting the fact that we haven’t seen the sun for a week or that today isn’t a holiday in Germany stop us from a little celebration. So if you need a little last minute inspiration, we are here to help.

It doesn’t get much more American, food wise, than burgers and baked beans, so that is what I’m throwing together tonight. Only, being the sophisticated American that I am {stop laughing}, any old burger and beans just wouldn’t do. This burger is stuffed with blue cheese and the beans are full of apples and maple syrup bacon. While grilling for us is out of the question due to the lack of a grill and the downpour that is happening outside right now, I bet these would be amazing on the grill. Try it. Please? Then you can tell me all about how the smokiness of the grill and the blue cheese went together like peas and carrots–because that is what is happening in my head and its making my mouth water {not the carrots obviously}.

Blue Cheese Burger

{adapted for two from Simply Recipes}

The Burger
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 of a sweet onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp whole grain sweet mustard
1 tsp whole grain spicy mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

The Bun
2 fresh buns {I used a pretzel roll or, auf Deutsch, ein Laugensemmel}
1 Tbsp butter
lettuce, tomato, onions for dressing your burger up

Start heating up your pan on medium high heat.

In a medium sized bowl combine all of your burger ingredients except the blue cheese. Once they are all mixed together, pat out 4 thin patties {about 1/2 in}. Pile the blue cheese crumbles in the middle of two of the patties and then top with the others. Pinch the sides together so that none of the blue cheese can escape once it starts melting. Put them in the pan and cook until they are at your desired level of doneness {about 10 minutes on one side with the lid on and like 3 on the other without the lid for us}.

While the burgers are cooking, slice your bun and butter both sides. Once the burgers come out place your buns in the pan to toast them for a bit. Then load your bun up with the burger and whatever toppings and condiments you like. I used lettuce, tomato, and leftover apple salsa from the baked beans.  Grab a glass of tea {or a shandy} and enjoy.

Cashew Chicken Noodles with Coconut Peanut Sauce

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For better or worse, one of my favorite things to eat for lunch is a PB&J. I think it stems back to my high school days when our lovely lunchroom ladies whipped up this magical concoction of peanut butter and jelly that was a party in my mouth, and put it on two pieces of Sunbeam {the white bread to beat all other white breads}. They would only sell this amaze-balls delicacy AFTER you had eaten a real lunch. Fortunately, I was told early in my high school career, that if you flash a lunch box and a smile they would sell it to you anyway. And so began my love affair with peanut butter and jelly. My lunch time PB&J {or rather peanut butter and honey} has come a long way since the days of those super refined, albeit tasty, sandwiches. However, when I moved to Germany, I had a bit of a crisis.

You see, Germany does not share my love of peanut butter. When I first moved to Germany, I was living in a small village with my host family. After searching high and low for peanut butter in said small village, I decided to give ‘Erdnuss-Sauce’ a go. For future reference, ‘Erdnuss-Sauce’ is satay sauce—not peanut butter–and it tastes awful when mixed with jam.

After complaining about it incessantly to my English speaking friends and a failed attempt at making my own, I eventually found the American aisle at the stores in the city and now have a healthy supply of peanut butter on hand. I know you were worried.

However, I still had this jar of satay sauce in my cupboard waiting to be used. This recipe was the perfect thing. It is a super quick meal that is perfect for a busy week night and has become one of our go to meals. When we finished up that jar, I decided to try my hand at making my own healthier, less processed version. It was perfection and, even with making my own satay sauce, it still can be knocked out in less than 30.

Cashew Chicken Pasta

{Adapted for two from Armommy}

The Pasta
4 ounces {100 grams} whole wheat pasta
½ of a red pepper, cut into strips

The Protein
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast
salt and pepper for seasoning
¼ cup of cashews

The Sauce
{barely adapted from Kitchen Thymes}
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
juice from ½ a lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
sriracha sauce to taste {we use about 2 tsp}

Start by heating up a deep sauté pan on medium heat.

Put the pasta on and cook according to the directions on the package {usually 11 to 13 minutes}.

While the pasta is cooking, slice your red peppers and set them to the side. You’ll add the red peppers to the pasta for the last 4-5 min of cooking.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the pan and throw in the chicken. Cook until the chicken is nice and brown {about 4 minutes on each side if your pan was good and hot}.

While the chicken and pasta are cooking you can whip up your peanut sauce. Add everything {except the sriracha sauce} to a bowl and whisk until it is all mixed together. Add a bit of sriracha. Whisk and taste. Repeat until you have the right amount of heat for you. {If you don’t have sriracha sauce red chili flakes will do the trick too.}

Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the element and add the cashews and drained pasta and peppers. Mix in the peanut sauce, add a bit of fresh black pepper, and you’re finished!

Creamy Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

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Let’s talk for a minute about boiling water–because we are full of racy content like that here at Kiwi + Peach.

One of my favorite foods is easily freshly cooked pasta of the whole wheat variety.  I could probably eat it every day.  Unfortunately {or fortunately for my waistline}, before I met the Kiwi, I didn’t really make it much because it took so darn long to boil the water.  Seriously, unless you have one of those Kelly Ripa induction stove tops that boils water in 90 seconds {and if you do, I’m jealous}, it takes at least an hour to bring that big pot of water to a boil.  Okay I’m exaggerating, but it really does take a while and I, for one, do not have the patience for that.  In the past, my solution for this was to cook the whole package of pasta once I got the pot boiling, and I would freeze what I didn’t eat.  This, however, usually led to overeating and to pretty average tasting pasta after it had been thawed.

Kiwi and Peach: Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Cut to the first time I cooked pasta for the Kiwi. After I finally find the pot {we were at his house}, I filled it up with water and put it on the stove.  He, lovingly, asked me what the heck I was doing.  To which I replied “I’m making pasta.  What does it look like I’m doing?  Dinner will be ready in an hour because I have to wait for this massive amount of water to boil.”  He then, lovingly, filled up the kettle, or jug as we like to call it, and flipped the switch.  In less than two minutes the water was happily boiling away.  He added it to the pot, which I had emptied, and less than a minute later it was already back to a boil.  So simple.

Of course, I still cooked the whole package of pasta and made him eat pasta for a week, but that is beside the point.  I have since learned how to cook for two, but most importantly, I have learned how to boil water in less than 5 minutes.

What about you? Growing up, did you use a jug to boil water for pasta? My mom is very anti gadgets so its entirely possible its just a weird family quirk that caused me angst all these years.  Or is it more a difference in our American vs Kiwi upbringing?

Kiwi and Peach: Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

{adapted for two from Flourishing Foodie}

The Roasted Tomatoes
10 cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt

The Sauce
1 ripe avocado
1 clove of garlic
½ tsp salt
juice from 1/2 a lemon {or about 1 tbsp}

The Pasta
4 ounces {100 grams} whole wheat linguini
about 1 Tbsp salt
about 1 tsp olive oil

Preheat your oven to 300°F {150°C}.

Rinse your tomatoes and then cut them in half lengthwise.  Line a baking sheet with baking paper and scatter the tomatoes on it.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and, if you’d like, any herbs you have laying about.  Give them a toss and put them in the oven for about an hour.

Your kitchen will smell amazing!  Go be productive for a half hour {or browse Pinterest}, and come on back when your tomatoes have about 20-30 minutes left.

Boil your jug and start heating a large pot on medium high heat.  Pour the water into the pot, add a bit of salt and a bit of oil, and bring back to a boil.  Add your pasta and cook according to the package directions {usually 11-13 minutes}.

While the pasta is cooking, scoop the yummy parts of the avocado into a food processor.  Add a clove of garlic, salt and pepper, and squeeze some lemon juice in there as well.  Turn it on and mix until it has a creamy consistency and is mostly lump free.

When the pasta is finished, drain it and return it to the pot.  Add the avocado sauce and mix well.

Go ahead and plate the pasta.  The tomatoes should be finished by this point, so strategically place them on your pasta {making sure to hide a few extra in yours}.  Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and fresh ground black pepper and enjoy!

Kiwi and Peach: Avocado Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Istanbul Salad with Walnut Honey Mustard Dressing

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One of my favorite things about traveling is trying local foods at the places the locals eat.  You learn so much about a culture through their food.  The way it is prepared lends insight to the community built around that preparation and consumption.  Sometimes its awkward {like when the waiter has to come over to show you how to eat your meal} and sometimes you just end up randomly pointing to something and taking a chance, but I’ve yet to have a downright terrible experience.

A few months ago, on our trip to Istanbul, we ate at this great modern Turkish restaurant, Lokanta Maya {website is in Turkish}.  They use all local, seasonal ingredients and come up with a new menu of simple, yet delicious dishes daily.  My favorite bit of the meal was our starter–a salad with pears, figs, fresh goat cheese, and nuts.  It was fresh, flavorful, and surprisingly filling {which was good because my chickpea stew was loaded with carrots}.  My first order of business when we got back, after doing the washing, was to recreate that salad.

I changed a few things based on what I had on hand, and I couldn’t recreate the dressing {I don’t know what magical yumminess they had in that thing}.  As a re-creation it wasn’t a complete success. However, the resulting salad was still amazing–delicious in its own right.  Its different from the original but still fresh, flavourful, and very filling.

Istanbul Salad with Walnut Honey Mustard Dressing

The Toppings
1 firm pear
2 figs
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
5-6 walnuts

The Dressing
{adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe’s Pecan Vinaigrette recipe}
5 walnuts
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp whole grain sweet mustard
2 tsp whole grain spicy mustard
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil

The Salad
mixed field greens
¼ cup blue goat cheese, crumbled

Get started by shelling all of the walnuts and set them aside.

Start heating the frying pan on medium heat while you peel and slice the pear into thin slivers.  When its hot, melt the butter in the pan then add the pears and half of the brown sugar.  Cover the pan and let the pears cook for 10 minutes to get them nice and soft, stirring occasionally.  While the pears soften up, you can go ahead and crank out that dressing.

Using a food processor, grind up half of your walnuts until they are the texture of course meal.  Empty them into a small bowl and set aside.  Add the vinegar, mustards, garlic, and honey to the food processor and blend.  One tablespoon at a time add the oil, blending in between additions, until all the oil is added.  If you have one of the fancy food processors where you can add it as it blends, even better.  Do that! But I don’t, so I do it one tablespoon at a time.  Put the nuts back in the food processor, give it a blend, and you’re finished.  Now back to the toppings.

Thinly slice the figs and add them, along with the remaining walnuts, to the pears. Sprinkle with the rest of the brown sugar and give them a gentle stir {the figs are a little fragile}.  Let them candy up for about 4 minutes and then remove them from the heat.

While your figs are getting yummy, wash your greens if they haven’t been washed yet and divide them between your two bowls.  Add your toppings and dressing, and top the whole thing off with those delicious bits of crumbled blue cheese.