This week has been flying by. I finished up my grocery shopping yesterday before the aisles go empty. We have a 100% chance of snow on Sunday, which is unheard of for South Carolina! I am so excited because I love the snow, and it’s even more special when it comes only once a year. But snowstorms down here mean the roads shut down, the grocery stores go empty, and people don’t know how to react. Being from Iowa, we used to have to drive to school in piles of snow, and roads were plowed before we even woke up. I can’t say I miss it, though! I would never trade in my December 70-degree weather for that.

Last Sunday, I made the most delicious baked jalapeño Burger wontons for dinner to go with our Caesar salad. We used to make these jalapeño burgers in the summer, so Kyle wanted to try them rolled up in a wonton. They were so good, and between the two of us, there were only a few wontons leftover! This is a great last-minute recipe idea to whip up if you have people coming over or for a Superbowl appetizer. It took about ten minutes to prepare and ten minutes to bake. We dipped ours in ketchup, but they would also be good in a cheese sauce or aioli.
 

I love using wontons for appetizers because the combo possibility is literally endless. 

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Cheesy Jalapeño Burger Baked Wontons

Tasty little appetizers that are easy to make!

Course Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword wontons, appetizers, burger, dinner, hamburger, jalapeño, cheese, cream cheese, party food, snacks, fun dinner recipe, finger food

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Wontons

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Lb Hamburger Meat (turkey or beef)
• 1/2 Small Yellow Onion chopped
• 2 Medium Jalapeños chopped
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
• 24 Small Wontons

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees
• In a bowl, combine hamburger meat, chopped onions, chopped jalapeños, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and brown sugar together.
• Add the mixture to a pan on medium-high. Cook the meat thoroughly, and mix in the cream cheese.
• Evenly distribute the filling onto the centers of the wontons. Roll them tightly, and add them to a baking sheet.

  optional* I brushed the leftover grease from the pan onto the tops of the wontons to give them a golden finish
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Use ketchup or a creamy aioli for dipping sauce!

I hope you enjoy these easy cheesy appetizers!

Questions for you!

1. What filling flavor should I add to wontons next?
2. Are you expecting snow this weekend?

Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m cuddled up on the couch with my dogs watching a movie and drinking coffee. We are six days away from moving into the new house, and since I can’t get out and about to keep my mind off the excitement, I’ve been cooking a lot, and that’s why I’m popping on here on a Saturday to blog a recipe! I’ve been playing with a lot of backyard barbecue recipes lately because I’m looking forward to cooking and spending plenty of time outside in the new backyard this summer. I’m sharing one of my favorites today, a fluffy apple snickers salad! It was a dish that almost everyone had on the menu at cookouts back home in Iowa. Mixing Snickers with the word apple shocks people when you mention it here. But I promise it’s delicious! I was so excited for Kyle to try this one! I’ll have him try my favorite, the watergate salad, next!

The great part about this dessert salad is that you only need a few ingredients, and you can make it last-minute before for a party or potluck! Since it has peanuts and apples, it’s “healthy,” right?

I’ve thought about making this salad again with different candy bars to see how it workouts out! Some of my favorites are Twix, Butterfingers, and Kit-Kat! Imagine if they were all mixed in together? Marshmallows are also a great addition, but I didn’t have any in the house.

All you need are Snickers bars, roasted peanuts, whipped cream, vanilla pudding (you could also use a banana), and granny smith green apples!

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Fluffy Apple Snickers Salad

Course Dessert

Keyword snickers, apple, whipped cream, potluck, party, dessert, fruit, kid-friendly

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 8 Ounces Cool Whip
• 1 Cup Snickers Chopped
• 1/3 Cup Roasted Peanuts
• 1 Cup Vanilla Pudding
• 4 Large Granny Smith Green Apples

Instructions

• Chop apples and snickers into small bite-sized pieces
• Add the apples to a large mixing bowl and coat with the pudding and cool whip.
• Fold in the Snickers and peanuts
• Keep in the refrigerator until it's time to serve!

I hope you enjoy the apple snickers salad recipe.

Questions for you!

1. Have you ever had an apple snicker salad?
2. What’s a recipe that’s unique to your state?
3. Favorite candy bar?

If I had to choose a vegetable to eat every day for the rest of my life, it would most likely be roasted Brussels sprouts! I can down an entire bag by myself. And if they’re fried? It’s like candy to me. Last weekend, I made a delicious creamy brussel sprout salad for Easter! It was so easy to make and the perfect side-dish. I’m excited to make this for backyard bbq’s this summer! If you’re a brussel sprout lover or need a dish to make for a party (hopefully we’ll have those soon), you’ll love this recipe!
There are a lot of ingredients I will be adding next time I make this, so feel free to add these in there as well. I didn’t have any in the house, and the grocery store trips are limited these days. If you can, add in dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and if you want to get even crazier…try adding in spiraled pasta!
I love how quick and easy this brussel sprout salad is! It’s vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Start by roasting the brussels sprouts for 30-minutes in the oven at 375. I flip them at the fifteen-minute mark! All ovens cook differently, so you may need to adjust the cooking time. You can season them with salt and pepper, or everything but the bagel seasoning.

Let the Brussels sprouts cool to room temperature before adding in the creamy sauce. I let mine sit in the fridge for a half-hour while I candied the walnuts and sliced up the onions.

Candy the walnuts by adding them to a frying pan with the vegan butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. This is going to make your house smell like Christmas! Let them cool down along with the brussels sprouts.
For the creamy mixture, combine the tahini, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and veganaise. In a large bowl, coat the brussels sprouts and onions with the creamy sauce. Next, chop up the walnuts and fold them into the brussels sprout salad. This is where I would add in the sunflower seeds and cranberries (if I had them on hand!)
This was the perfect side dish to go with our grilled chicken and roasted potatoes.

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Creamy Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad With Candied Walnuts

Keyword brussel sprouts, summer salad, side dish, healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, light, no added sugar

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 5 Cups Brussel Sprouts
• 1 Tbsp Vegan Butter
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar or honey / agave / maple syrup
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 1/3 Cup Veganaise
• 1/4 Cup Tahini
• 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375

  Wash the brussels sprouts and slice them into halves. Place them on a baking sheet with cooking spray and bake for 25-30 minutes. Flip halfway through.

  Keep in fridge to chill
• Add the vegan butter to a frying pan with the walnuts on high heat.

  Once the butter has melted and the walnuts are coated, bring the heat down to medium-low. Mix in the cinnamon and brown sugar. Slowly mix for 2-3 minutes.

  Turn heat back up to high and mix for another 30-seconds.

  Allow them to chill.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled brussel sprouts, chopped onion, veganaise, tahini, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and apple cider vinegar together.
• Once the brussel sprouts are coated, fold in the walnuts.
• Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve!

I’m a huge fan of summer salads! I can’t wait to come up with more recipes for all the backyard barbecues this year!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite salad side-dish recipe?
2. Do you have a favorite summer salad you think I’d love? Please share!
3. How do you like your Brussels sprouts cooked?

more summer salads you may enjoy!

If you want to add excitement to your week, try adding this delicious tahini & fig vegan broccoli salad to your menu! While I was grocery shopping this afternoon, I decided I was going to make my favorite go-to broccoli salad. As I was looking at the broccoli florets, the big container of broccoli slaw caught my eye. “I wonder if I could use that instead,” I thought. Truthfully, I just wanted to find a way out of chopping up the florets. Then I traded the cranberries for figs and made a few more swaps to change it up. The outcome was phenomenal! I was expecting a decent broccoli slaw to go with my meals this week, but this ended up being one of my favorite salad recipes ever! I could live off this salad for weeks.

I’m mostly excited to show off this recipe at summer BBQs this year. If you have any fun get-togethers planned for Memorial Day, add this one to your menu! Not only will it impress the guest, but it’ll be a great gluten-free & vegan-friendly option!

I think most of you will agree with me on this one. I love recipes that are simple and quick. This recipe took approximately ten minutes to throw together, which would classify this as the PERFECT last-minute recipe to make for any of those last-minute party plans, or the potluck you forgot about in the morning.

And do I have to go into the healthy spiel? I don’t need to waste a paragraph talking about how many vitamins and nutrients this recipe has, or how much fiber it contains. It has the word “broccoli” in the title. You get it. IT’S HEALTHY! Oh no, Did I just waste a paragraph?

Let’s get to the recipe! 
This delicious dressing is perfect for kale salads as well. I massaged some kale in the leftovers, and it tasted like a creamy vegan Caesar salad. 
The figs are my favorite addition! I love that they are sweet, and not tart like the cranberries. They add the perfect sweetness to the slaw without taking over the flavors. You can make swaps by adding in pecans, turkey or tofu bacon, or apples!

INGREDIENTS:

FIGS

Figs add the perfect sweetness! You can replace them with cranberries, raisins, or dates!

SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Sunflower seeds add the perfect savory crunch!

RED ONIONS

You can use any type of onion as a replacement! But, onions definitely make this salad flavorful. They begin to pickle with the creamy sauce overtime taking away the power flavor of the onion.

RADISHES

You can hardly taste the radishes, but they add extra color and extra nutrients to the dish.

VEGAN MAYONNAISE

The Earth Balance vegan mayo is to die for! I’ve never been a big mayonnaise person, but I love this brand. I use it in all my salad recipes.

CABBAGE AND BROCCOLI SLAW

I loved using a bag of slaw instead of chopping up broccoli florets!

TAHINI

My secret ingredient to making this broccoli salad stand out!

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

The apple cider vinegar is the perfect ingredient to pickle all of the vegetables and it makes it extra sweet and tangy! Plus, apple cider vinegar adds a healthy punch to this recipe.

SALT / PEPPER / GARLIC POWDER 

You can add all kinds of seasonings to make this recipe stand out! I keep mine simple with salt, pepper, and garlic!

MONK FRUIT

I use monk fruit for my sweetener! You can use honey, agave, regular sugar, or swerve! 

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Tahini & Fig Vegan Broccoli Slaw Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish

Servings 10 Servings

Ingredients

• 7 Cups Broccoli Slaw
• 1/2 Small Red Onion Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Radishes Chopped
• 1/3 Cup Roasted Sunflower Seeds
• 1/3 Cup Figs Chopped
• 1 Cup Earth Balance Vegan Mayonnaise
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Tahini (I used sprouts brand)
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tbsp Monk Fruit or your choice sweetener

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix the vegan mayonnaise, tahini, vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt, and monk fruit together until creamy. 
• In a large bowl, add the broccoli slaw, onion, radishes, sunflower seeds, figs, to a large mixing bowl. Add the creamy mixture to the mixing bowl and coat the ingredients evenly. 
• Refrigerate until ready to serve! 

Tonight for dinner, I added a cup of this slaw on a bed of baby kale, and it was fantastic!  I hope you try out this recipe soon! You’re going to love it!

Questions for you!

1. Do you meal prep on Sundays?
2. What special salad recipe should I make next?

I have been in a brain fog for the past couple of days. I’ve been pushing through and spending a lot of time on the back end of the blog writing and getting non-creative work done. It’s been one of those weeks where I have so much to accomplish before a deadline that I don’t even know where to start. Taking a deep breath, that’s a good start. Next week, I’ll be heading to Disney World with one of my friends for a few days. It’ll be the perfect trip just to clear out the fog and get my creative waves flowing. I go through emotional moods every time the seasons change, and I bet some of you can relate. Even though I’m excited for holidays, there is something about the darker nights and cold days that bring me down a bit. I’m going to push through because I know this too shall pass and I’ll be back to normal in no time. 
I wanted to hop on today and share an easy 3-ingredient dessert idea I made last night. Kyle and I decided to catch a movie, and I made a couple of treats for us to sneak in. Who doesn’t do that?  I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving s’mores for so long. The only problem with s’mores is that they are unbelievably messy, and I can never get the perfect chocolate and marshmallow ratio. I came up with a better way to eat s’mores, and they are soooo dang tasty. They are also gluten free and dairy free! If you are looking for a vegan-friendly option, just find a brand of graham crackers made without honey. 
I have been using these Dandies all-natural vanilla marshmallows for years. I think they are 10x better than Kraft jet-puffed marshmallows. They don’t leave that weird dry aftertaste in your mouth. You can find them at most health stores, or on Amazon. I purchased the peppermint ones to add to my hot cocoa this Christmas. 
The Schar graham crackers are delicious! Again, I think they’re better than the real-deal brand. 
I have been roasting marshmallows on the stovetop since I was in elementary school. I don’t know why my mom let us do this because it’s sort of dangerous, but we did it anyway. To roast the marshmallows, I used a fork and my gas stove. If you don’t have a gas stove or want to put yourself in harm, add the marshmallows to a greased pan and toast them on 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes.

Lily’s extra dark no-sugar-added vegan chocolate is my favorite! They sent me a box of their chocolates, and I was so excited to see this one in there. They make vegan no-sugar-added chocolate chips as well that I like to use.

I added half of the chocolate bar to a microwave-safe bowl and heated it for 45 seconds. I stirred the chocolate with a spoon until it was completely melted. I added about a half tablespoon sized drop onto the cracker and spread it out evenly (leaving the sides.)
I topped the chocolate layer with 4-5 toasted marshmallow pieces. 
Allow the chocolate to harden! 
These graham crackers can be stored in a container on the counter or in the fridge. If you have a last-minute party to go to, these are perfect! They are allergy-friendly, and you won’t have the messy s’mores aftermath all over your face! I think a white chocolate version of these would be delicious!

Questions for you!

1. Toasted marshmallows or plain?
2. Have you ever roasted a marshmallow on the stove before?
3. What is your favorite 3-ingredient dessert recipe?

This Friday couldn’t get any better. My windows are open for the first time this year! It’s currently 60-degrees outside, I’m going to my first football game of the season tonight, and there’s a chance I’ll have to bring my sweater! I know I’m getting ahead of myself because the 90-degree weather is around the corner, but it’ll permanently be fall before I know it!

During the fall, I see so many morning tailgates along the streets of Charlotte before the football games. Well, today, I’m sharing a fun brunch idea for you to bring to your next tailgate. These are super fun for office parties, or to make with your kiddos on Saturday morning!

French toast skewers are so easy to make, inexpensive, super customizable, and a gorgeous treat to serve.
I love how healthy and light these fruity french toast skewers are! They have protein, fiber, a good source of carbs, and antioxidants from the berries!
You will need bread, eggs, cinnamon, cookies spray, fruit, and skewers! 
I chose gluten-free cinnamon raisin and gluten-free white bread. You can use any type of bread you want! I’ve actually seen people use banana bread, and it looks fantastic. I’m going to add that one to my list! 
Scramble the eggs and cinnamon together!

Cut each slice of bread into fourths. 

Dip the french toast squares into the egg mixture. I let them soak for about 20-30 seconds. 
Spray the pan with cooking spray and cook each french toast square for about 30 seconds on each side at a medium-high temp. I used two giant pans to speed up the process.

I chose kiwi, strawberries, blackberries, and peaches for my fruits. You can customize your fruit to match team colors, the holiday, or use fruits that you enjoy

Add the slices of french toast to the skewers with fruit in between the slices! How fun are these?
I made these years ago with the kids I nannied for and they had a blast putting them together. It made them excited about eating breakfast, which was great considering they were the pickiest eaters! 

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Fruity French Toast Skewers

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 14 Skewers

Ingredients

• 14 Slices Bread (your choice of bread)
• 7 Large Eggs (or 12 egg whites to lighten recipe)
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
• 1 Cup Blackberries
• 1 Cup Peaches Sliced
• 1 Cup Strawberries Sliced
• 1 Cup Kiwi (leave skin on or off)

Instructions

• Slice each slice of bread in fourths 
• Wisk the eggs and cinnamon together. 
• Slice peaches, strawberries, and kiwi. 

  **you can leave the skin on or off the kiwi** (I personaly love the skin, but if i were taking these to a party, I'd remove the skin) 
• Heat a greased pan to medium-high heat. 
• Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture. Add the squres to the pan and cook each side for about 30 seconds. 
• Add fruit and french toast squares to the skewers. 

  The recipe makes 14 skewers! 

This recipe makes fourteen skewers.

If you don’t want to serve the french toast on skewers, you can add the french toast squares to a large serving bowl. A giant bowl of french toast square is a cute idea as well. And of course, they’re always best with syrup!

Questions for you!

1. Are you having fall-like weather where you live today?
2. French toast or waffles?
3. Kiwi with skin on or off?

My mom is meeting up with me this afternoon so we can go for a walk with the dogs and enjoy a quick break in the rain. Before I head out, I want to share a quick guacamole recipe with you all! What would a Friday night be without guacamole? Not a very exciting one…

I have always loved making my own guacamole because most recipes call for cilantro, and I am NOT a cilantro lover. Yes, I’m one of those “it tastes like soap” kinds of people. I also love adding flavors like garlic, onion, and my secret ingredient, cumin!

I also want to thank you all for giving me the extra boost and confidence to start creating videos. I’m learning how to navigate the whole “YouTube” world, and it’s so fun. I have many videos planned but don’t worry, I’ll always stick to blogging as my main squeeze. It’s just fun to try out new platforms and change things up a bit. And since I’ve been diving into making videos, I decided to put together a guacamole tutorial. The homemade guacamole recipe video is at the bottom of this post!
Guacamole is literally good on anything. I like it on sliced bread, on my eggs, with my chili, with chips, crackers, and for dipping vegetables into! It’s become one of my favorite low carb snacks. I could eat an entire cucumber with guacamole in one sitting. No shame, no shame. 
Avocados are one of my favorite superfoods! They are filled with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. I could eat them for every meal
Lately, I’ve been topping my rice cakes with guacamole as an afternoon snack. It’s a delicious treat for an afternoon pick-me-up after my dog walks.

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Homemade Guacamole

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 4 Large Ripe Avocados
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Red Onion
• 1/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes Sliced
• 2 Tbsps Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tsp Cumin

Instructions

• Slice the avocados in half, and scoop them into a mixing bowl. 
• Mash avocados with a fork.
• Add onions, seasonings,  tomatoes, lime juice, and mix well. 

Questions for you!

1. Do you like cilantro?
2. What recipe would you like me to film next?
3. What’s your favorite way to eat guacamole?

I hope you all had a great week and an even better weekend. I’m up super early on a Sunday morning drinking coffee and relaxing before my day starts. I hope to finish the painted vanity project today. It’s 66-degrees outside right now, which is rare in the south, so I’ll be heading out to paint as soon as I finish typing up this recipe post.

I will also be meal prepping this afternoon, which I know a lot of you do on Sunday, so I figured it would be a good idea to get this delicious recipe up just in case you wanted to switch up your meal prep and try something new!
I don’t know why it took me so long to fall in love with quinoa salads. You can customize quinoa anyway you want! The combos are endless. Quinoa is also super healthy! It’s gluten-free, high in protein, high fiber, and contains healthy fats! It contains magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. So if you’re sick of eating rice in your meal preps, maybe try to mix in quinoa instead! 
This quinoa salad can be prepared in under thirty minutes! If you need a quick and easy dish to bring to a party or potluck, this is it! It’s also pretty and not your typical potluck dish. It’s sure to be a colorful hit!

The ingredients are so fresh and a great way to get in all your nutrients. Adding seasonal vegetables to your quinoa bowls throughout the year is a great way to save money, and use up the fresh farmer’s market produce. 
This salad is delicious cold and hot. It’s whatever you prefer

While the quinoa was cooking on the stovetop, I sauteed the brussels sprouts. This is the only time-consuming part of the dish, and it only took about fifteen minutes.  If you don’t like brussels sprouts, try adding arugula, or cooked asparagus. Get creative and customize it to your preference!

This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, but it would be great with some added goat cheese and honey on top!

After adding in the chopped onion, cooked brussels sprouts, cranberries, tomatoes, avocado, pecans, and smoked salmon, I mixed in some fig-balsamic and tossed it all together. I stored the salad in a large container in the fridge, and we ate it all week long! It was so delicious and perfect as a side to all of our meals.
I squeezed a little fresh orange and drizzled a bit of honey on top.

If you’d like to make this recipe vegan, just leave out the honey and smoked salmon. You could add cooked tofu! 

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Sweet Quinoa Salad w/ Brussels Sprouts & Smoked Salmon

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 5 Cups Quinoa cooked
• 2 Cups Brussels Sprouts halved
• 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
• 1 Cup Pecans
• 1/3 Cup Red Onion chopped
• 1 Cup Tomatoes halved
• 1 Medium Avocados
• 4 Ounces Smoked Salmon or your choice of protein
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1/4 Cup Fig-Infused Balsamic
• 2 Tbsps Avocado Oil or your choice of oil
• 3 Tbsps Fresh Orange Juice
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Prepare the quinoa on the stovetop.  

  While the quinoa cooks, saute the brussels sprouts in one tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper. 
• Add cooked quinoa, brussels sprouts, onion, pecan, cranberries, avocado, and tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. 
• Toss in the orange juice, avocado oil, balsamic, and honey. Combine well. 
• Chop the smoked salmon and mix in.  (you could leave the salmon out, or add your choice of protein) 

Now, I’m off to walk the dogs, work on the vanity project, meal prep, and then sit down later to blog my weekly recap! Make the best of your Sunday! xo

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite summer salad combo?
2. Do you cook with quinoa often?
3. Are you a weekly meal-prepper?

It’s officially summer in the Carolinas.

When I stepped outside to walk the dogs this morning at 6 am, I was expecting a little breeze. Instead, I was greeted with a heat wave of humidity. My hair instantly fell flat, and I was once again reminded what summer is like in the south. There is an upside to this heat though! Our farmer’s markets are booming with fresh produce, and it’s the perfect excuse to make fresh smoothies and jumbo salads. And you all know how much I LOVE my salads. The secret to never getting sick of eating salads is to always switch it up.

My boyfriend’s friends are all in town, and we’ve been all over the place. I haven’t had the chance to sit down and do a recap post, so I’ve decided to share a salad recipe today. I’ve made this salad combo so many times in the past couple of weeks because I can’t get enough of it. I’m thinking about making it again tonight with roasted maple glazed salmon to go along with it. 
This salad is going to change up your summer salad game for sure.

Each bite has a blend of spicy, savory, and sweet flavors. It’s the ultimate combo! There is a farmer’s market down the road from me that has the best peaches this time of year. (Did you know South Carolina grows more peaches than Georgia?) I bought a ton of them, so I hope you’re ready for an overload of peach recipes this summer. One of the best ways to use up peaches before they go bad is to add them to salads. They are mild enough to go in sweet or savory combos. You could also blend them up with some olive oil, honey, and balsamic for a delicious dressing.

A couple of weekends ago, Kyle and I headed out to my parent’s house for a backyard barbeque. We played about three hours of tennis and were so hot and hungry! I just wanted a big salad, a glass of water, and a dip in the pool. I made this peachy fig salad with white beans and arugula salad to bring over. If you have a dinner party or potluck to go to this summer, this salad is a great one to prepare. Arugula is a very strong leaf and holds up well with dressing. The best part about this salad is that it only took fifteen minutes to prepare. It’s the ideal last-minute side dish to take along with you!

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Peachy Fig & White Bean Arugula Salad w/ Sweet Roasted Pecans & a Honey Vinaigrette

Course Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• Baby Arugula
• Sliced Red Onions
• White Northern Beans
• Sliced Figs
• Sliced Peaches
• Sliced Radishes
• Honey Roasted Pecans
• Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
• BFree Gluten Free Vegan Pita Bread

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add arugula, sliced onions, white beans, sliced figs, peaches, radishes, and roasted pecans. 
• Drizzle the honey mustard vinaigrette over the top of the salad ingredients.

  Don't toss the salad in the vinaigrette until it's time to serve. 
• Chop the pita bread and add it to the salad. 

Questions for you!

1. Has summer officially hit where you live?
2. What is your state known for growing?
3. If you had a basket of peaches, what would you do with them?

It’s chilly today, Fixxer Upper is on T.V., and I have a lot of blogging to do. I just took a hot bath, and now I’m back on the couch with a glass of cayenne Kombucha. Cayenne is great for blood circulation and my favorite go-to superfood for healing. I have found that it’s been beneficial in toning down the symptoms of endo.

And can you believe it’s already Thursday? This week has flown by!

Today, I’m finally getting around to blogging my zucchini wrapped tempeh with sesame bok choy & cabbage! I made this for dinner a few weeks ago, and it was delicious! I’m excited to share this recipe with you. This is a fun dish you can make for spring parties, an appetizer, or all for yourself (which is what I did.)
Tempeh is something I recently started diving into. Tempeh originated from Indonesia! It’s a protein meat substitute made by fermenting soybeans. I love the way it absorbs flavor and cooks up, especially when fried. Tempeh is an excellent source of protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin b-6, iron, and potassium.

You can add tempeh to pasta dishes, salads, tacos, stirfry, and so much more! 
One of my favorite vegetables to saute up are cabbage and bok choy. Ever since cooking with Blue Apron for the past four years, I’ve learned to love it, especially with sesame oil. Bok choy and cabbage are serious superfoods. They have so many vitamins, minerals, and are rich with health benefits. If you can incorporate them into your daily diet, you totally should. Sometimes, I’ll add them to my juices and smoothies. 
Don’t they look like hash browns?

The great thing about tempeh is that it absorbs flavor nicely. You can get creative and add some freshly squeezed orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, or any of your favorite flavors.
I’ve recently switched over to cooking with avocado oil. It can hold up and not break down with high cooking temperatures, and it helps with inflammation in the body. It’s actually one of the healthiest oils to cook with! I buy mine at Earth Fare, and it’s half the cost of my usual go-to olive oil. You can also buy it in the spray bottles.
This is a fun idea that you can use your own creativity to make it your own! Switch up any of the ingredients, or add ones you think are missing out! For the sauce, I used the Tessemae’s dairy-free ranch for dipping. I also used sweet chili sauce that was amazing with these!
The reason I decided to go with pears was that I had one in the fridge that I didn’t know what to do with before it went bad. A little sweet fruit in a savory bite is always a fun surprise. Putting my stacking skills to the test.

Print

Zucchini Wrapped Tempeh With Sesame Bok Choy & Cabbage

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Block Tempeh
• 1/4 Cup Avocado Oil
• 3 Tbsps Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 Bunch Bok Choy Leaves
• 1 Cup Cabbage sliced
• 1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
• 3 Large Zucchini thinly sliced
• 1/2 Cup Pear sliced
• Pinch Sea Salt
• Pinch Pepper

Instructions

• Fry up the tempeh in a pan on high with the avocado oil and one tablespoon of sesame oil. Flip every three minutes. 

  Once the tempeh is golden, transfer to a plate. 
• Use the same pan and oils to cook up the thinly sliced zucchini. 

  Once each side is golden brown, transfer to the plate with tempeh. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the zucchini and tempeh. 
• Add the rest of the sesame oil and cabbage to the pan and saute until softened. 

  Continue to cook and add the bunch of bok choy for about four -minutes(with the cabbage.) Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate. 
• Place one slice of zucchini on a plate and top it with cabbage, bok choy, a pear slice, tempeh, a cherry tomato, wrap, and hold it together with two toothpicks crossing over each other. 

Every bite was so good! Even Kyle loved them.

Questions for you!

1. Have you ever had tempeh?
2. What is your favorite vegetable to cook with?
3. Do you ever do meatless Mondays?