5-Ingredient Skillet Herbed Garlic Bread

January 14, 2015 by Christine Skari

I go through cycles of food cravings. One month, I’ll be aaalllll about Japanese food. Then I’ll move on to Mexican and then it’s OMGZ! Eat all the Vietnamese!

But one food craving never changes for me, and that’s my love for carbs. And what better way then to fuel my Italian cravings (mhmm pasta carbs) with this skillet herbed garlic bread? Carbs on carbs on carbs!

To be honest, yeast used to freak me out. I mean, it seems harmless enough in those tiny small packets, but, c’mon. Just the word “yeast” itself doesn’t sound pleasant. My face kinda does this subconscious snarl when I say it. yeast. And I know I’ve brought this up before, but I actually wrote one of my college essays about my irrational fear of baking with yeast. I will admit, it tied in and connected to another part of my life, and hey! I got into college! So apart from this absolutely delicious bread recipe, yeast also played a role in my higher education. Maybe I should stop being so mean to it 😉 . I bring this up because I know a lot of people are intimidated by recipes that involve yeast. Stop! Don’t be! It’s actually much simpler than you think, and once you’re pulling out your gorgeous loaves of bread from the oven, you’ll be kicking yourself for not using the stuff sooner- I promise!

This recipe is lightly adapted from Baker Bettie and let me tell ya, it’s mouthwatering. I’m always a little hesitant with baking bread, so the idea of making it inside a skillet made me question how the final product would turn out. Two words. Insanely good. The outside has that perfect chewy texture and is topped with rosemary, sea salt, and garlic salt to give it the most perfect combination of savory flavors! I drizzled/sprayed the top of my loaves with some olive oil to give it a gorgeous color and loved the extra taste it added. And don’t even get me started on that fluffy inside. Once you break open the steamy-hot bread with your hand, you’re greeted by the softest and most melt-in-your-mouth goodness ever! Argh, I’m drooling just typing this!

I used three mini skillets that I found at Cost Plus World Market for around $6 each. If you don’t have/can’t find mini ones, feel free to use a full-sized skillet! Just see the “Notes” section of my recipe to see the extended baking time you’ll have to wait.

Also, I’m totally counting this as a 5 ingredient recipe since water and salt don’t technically fall under the ingredient category for me. Just pretend my logic makes sense 😉 . Thanks, friends!

Baked Teriyaki Asian Meatballs

January 9, 2015 by Christine Skari

The best asian-style meatballs ever! These teriyaki meatballs are made with lean meat to keep them healthy and lower in calories and are smothered in the most delicious sweet and salty sauce ever!

Raise your hand if this is your kind of food. ME. If your hand is not raised, you’re either vegetarian or don’t enjoy the most perfect combination of sweet and salty goodness EVER. Also, I don’t think we can be friends 😉 . If you’re looking for a great weeknight or weekend dinner, I’ve got ya covered. These meatballs are made by combining lean ground beef (or you could substitute any ground meat of choice) with plenty of garlic and ginger, baking them to perfection, and smothering them in a thick and flavorful teriyaki sauce. How could you go wrong?

It actually strikes me as a bit odd that I’m still in the mood for Japanese food. After eating my way through Japan for almost two weeks, you’d think I’d be sick of it. My new green tea latte obsession and the craving for teriyaki I’ve been having all week, though, beg to differ. #cantstopwontstop Kyle and I enjoyed this for dinner tonight and we served it with some rice and balsamic roasted brussels sprouts. Perfection. The combination of yummy carbs (<3), the tangy meatballs, and the mouthwatering ‘sprouts made this Thursday night dinner extra special. I put Kyle on meatball duty and started the 5-minute teriyaki sauce, then we watched a little of the new Marco Polo series on Netflix while they got all comfy in the oven. Out came the balls and, after a quick photoshoot, we dug in. So. Good. AHHHHH.

Italian Turkey Meatball Tortellini Soup

December 1, 2014 by Christine Skari

Hello from the road! I’m currently typing up this post as Kyle drives us back to Santa Barbara and back to our approaching finals. Eeek. I am, however, comforted by the weird mix of country music, The Killers, Taylor Swift, and Bob Segar I have blasting on the sound system and the homemade pumpkin spice latte I have next to me. It’s the little things in life, no?

So anyways, let’s talk soup. And not just any type of soup, THIS lightened-up Italian Turkey Meatball Tortellini Soup which has got me s-i-n-g-i-n-g happy songs of filling, belly-warming goodness.

I’ve got all the bases covered in this recipe. We have the most adorable mini turkey meatballs that are supahh fast and easy since we cheat (shhhhhhhhh) and make them out of packaged italian turkey sausage, a flavorful base made out of chicken stock and tomatoes, softened kale that cooks into the soup, veggies galore, and, of course, the star of the show: cheesy tortellini <3. Can we pause a moment and give a big hallelujah to putting pasta in soup? No need for all that inner anguish on which to have for dinner (just me?) because, helllloooo, why not have both? Your raging internal food debate has been solved. WELCOME!

Not only does this recipe pack in a pretty powerful flavor punch, but it also is lightened-up and chock full of veggies and lean protein. I don’t know about you, but I’m still in a food coma from Thanksgiving and the insane prime rib dinner that I went to on Saturday with Kyle, his family, and his little brother’s girlfriend, Taylor.

Now here’s a conundrum for you: if you go to a fancy event and don’t post a selfie/picture of it, did it really happen?

Probably not.

What was I saying?

Oh yaaaaa, SOUP! Made healthier and perfect for the chilly weather. Or, you know, the 75 degree and sunny weather that California has been sporting. Someone tell me what winter is like, please.

Cheesy Quinoa & Veggie Stuffed Bell Peppers

November 17, 2014 by Christine Skari

Delicious, healthy, and so easy! This vegetarian recipe for cheesy quinoa & veggie stuffed bell peppers is the perfect way to lighten up your meal without sacrificing flavor!

Howwwwdy ho party peeeeeps. How is this fine Monday treating ya? I’m feeling a bit blue since it’s back to a busy schedule and I have a full week ahead of me in terms of class and studying. The one positive note is that I only have one more midterm to get through before Thanksgiving break, which means just one more midterm until I’m free to cook/bake/craft/photograph to my heart’s content!

And by that I mean I’ll probably be just sit on the couch and veg out with my good pal Netflix. #realtalk #Netflix=bae.

In the meantime, I’ve been spending most of my time in the garage, which we’ve converted into a study room of sorts. I’d take a picture to show ya’ll, but it’s a disaster and I’m a little embarrassed to show it off 😯 . We’ve managed to comfortably fit 6 full-sized desks among the piles of boxes, extra bikes, and suitcases in a make-shift office, and while it’s not all that pretty, it’s incredibly functional. We have grand plans to make it more home-y and happier by putting in a rug and twinkle lights, but amidst the 43584119 midterms that come with the quarter system, no one has had any time to decorate. One day!

Anyways, when I’m not studying in the garage, I’m at the kitchen table getting constant whifs of the scrumpditiliumptious creations my housemates have been cooking up, one of which is a tasty and fun baked bell pepper that Lana (our foreign exchange student from New Zealand) makes. While her version is made with ground meat, I chose to go down the veggie-filled route and made my own version that’s filled with herbed quinoa, black beans, onions, sweet corn, cheese, and plenty of other goodies to add extra fresh flavor and texture! I have to admit, I’m usually a pretty big meat girl (my Norwegian steak and potato side demands it), but this recipe totally satisfied me and didn’t leave me with any cravings! It’s satisfying without needing any meat, ridiculously filling due to all the fiber and protein from the quinoa, and is oh so easy to make!

You even get to package the filling in an edible container. Hot diggity dog!

While I chose to use these fillings, the world is your oyster. Feel free to add in ground turkey/chicken/beef/pork (just make sure to cook it first) and any veggies that tug at your heartstrings. #noveggiesleft behind #whyamIhashtaggingsomuch . For this particular combination, the nutrition comes out to just around 300 calories per pepper with a whopping 11g of fiber and 14g of protein.

Eat up!

Salmon with Citrus Gremolata and Roasted Garlic Asparagus

October 5, 2014 by Christine Skari

Everyone grab a fork and get those pinky fingers up, cause we about to get all fancy like up in huurrr. And by fancy I mean a ridiculously easy with a snazzy foreign name slapped on it. Repeat after me: Gremolataaaaa. Even better if you use your A-class Italian accent. Roll that rrrrrr. Grrrrrreeeemolataaaa!

Is your pinky still up? Good.

So let me first start off by saying that I heart citrus anything. It’s not a bad thing, though. IN FACT, it saves lives. A few weeks ago when Kyle and I went up to Big Bear with a group of friends, I practically (emphasis on the practically) saved all of their lives when I insisted on bringing a few oranges on our pontoon to protect us against scurvy. I mean, 4 hours on the raging Big Bear lake can really do a doozy on your vitamin C levels.

CHRISTINE SAVES THE DAY!!

Speaking of Kyle, one of his all-time favorite foods is salmon. Whenever we go to a steakhouse, I get my man on and always end up with a big hunk of juicy prime rib with mashed potatoes while he goes for the lean salmon dish. I don’t know if I’m just accustomed to growing up with a dad who eats beef like it’s going out of style and sits around relaxing with an iPad in one hand and a two day old baked potato in the other, but I’ve always associated salmon with being a more feminine food.

And don’t go thinkin’ that I’m hating on salmon. Luuuurrveee it. Especially when it’s as easy as this recipe! Super fresh, super fast, and super delicious! I don’t think cooking this could possible get any simpler. Both the asparagus and salmon cook together in just 15 minutes and are topped with a refreshing citrus gremolata, which is just fancy Italian for a chopped herb topping. The salmon comes out flakey and tender and when you get that perfect bite of succulent salmon, garlic-y asparagus, and flavorful citrus gremolata, your mouth will thank you. BOOM. Dinner is served! Not bad for a week night dinner, am I right?

Apart from being able to impress all my friends when they ask me what I made (oh, you know, just some Salmon with Citrus Gremolata and Roasted Garlic Asparagus… no big deal) this recipe is also super healthy. Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids which help contribute to normal brain function and keep your heart and joints healthy and asparagus is naturally low in calories and is a great source of potassium, folate, fiber, and several important vitamins. Doesn’t get much better than that!