Egg, Zucchini, and Pesto Tacos

Egg, Zucchini, and Pesto Tacos

by | Mar 5, 2018 | Health, Home, Recipes

Eggs aren’t just for breakfast anymore!  My very favorite way to eat eggs is with a light veggie sauté, pesto, and soft corn tortillas for a hearty lunch or anytime meal!

For anyone else who has pet chickens, you’ll know that eggs are in season!  Did you know that just like the plant produce we buy, eggs are also affected by the seasons?  Think of how a butternut squash isn’t as accessible in summertime and therefore it is nearly three times more expensive if you want to buy it outside of its usual fall season.  The same is similar for chickens and their eggs.  As the winter eases out and spring starts up, chickens have more energy to dedicate to laying versus just trying to keep warm during the cold temperatures! 

As for these tacos, the ingredients are super simple:

Onion, garlic, zucchini, eggs, and tortillas (non-negotiable)!  Oh, and pesto!  I highly recommend my cilantro-parsley pesto which is what I use when I make these tacos.  Alternatively, use another kind of pesto and sprinkle some cilantro onto your tacos to give it that Mex flair! 😉

Egg, Zucchini, and Pesto Tacos
Recipe Type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 tacos
If you’re looking for a tasty way to change up eggs, try them in these tacos! The veggie and pesto combo might sound strange but they make for some super flavorful tacos!
Ingredients
  • Avocado oil, for cooking
  • 2 green onions, chopped OR ¼ cup chopped white onion
  • 1 large clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced (about a heaping ½ cup worth)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • Pesto
  • Salsa
  • Optional: cilantro, radishes, or Everything Bagel seasoning
Instructions
  1. In a cast iron skillet, add a tablespoon or two of oil and turn the pan to medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic for a minute, then add in the zucchini. Make sure to add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper for maximum flavor!
  2. Once the veggies are cooked, after about 5 minutes, transfer to a plate.
  3. In the same pan, wipe away any crumbs and add another tablespoon or two of oil. The pan should still be on medium heat and carefully crack two eggs into the pan. Cook the eggs to your liking. I like to flip mine once the egg white starts to solidify. I do about 3 minutes, flip, and then 2 more minutes.
  4. While the eggs cook, warm up your tortillas in the microwave. I also like to add my tortillas to the cast iron pan after the eggs cook (set them aside) so that the tortillas crisp up and absorb the pan flavors! This is an extra step but worthwhile.
  5. For assembly, gently place an egg into each tortilla and distribute the veggie sauté amongst the two tacos. Add a generous scoop of salsa and pesto—I’m talking a good two tablespoons each—and optional toppings, if desired. Finish with an extra sprinkle of black pepper and enjoy!

I’m legit salivating over the thought of eating these tacos.  As I write out the step-by-step details I’m reminded of how flavorful these tacos are!  I really hope you guys can give them a try.  Drop me a comment or tag me on Instagram if you do!

Thank you all for reading!  And stay tuned for ANOTHER fun egg recipe (YAS!) coming later this week to the melmakesithappen blog! 🙂

Easy Pumpkin Pasta – Single Serving

Easy Pumpkin Pasta – Single Serving

by | Oct 30, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

Y’all know I’m hardcore into pumpkin these days.  I just love my orange vegetables and fall produce is chock full of them.  Sweet potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin, butternut squash—I like them all.   

Fun fact: at a recent doctor’s appointment, I was told that my skin color looked a bit orange.  The doctor asked if I drink a lot of carrot juice.  I haven’t had carrot juice in years but I do eat A LOT of orangey fruit and veg.  I tried abstaining from beta carotene rich plants for, like, a week and then luteal phase happened.  Soooo I’m in squash heaven right now and will get back to human civilization (aka skin color) sometime in the future. 

For now, we have pumpkin pasta to enjoy! 

Just like my Broccoli and Carrot Pasta with Parlsey-Cilantro Pesto, this pasta recipe is also adaptable.  I like using sage or thyme in this recipe but italian seasoning or curry powder would probably taste really good, as well! 

I served mine with some fresh salad greens (as shown) but try mixing in 2 handfuls of spinach!  The greens wilt slightly from the heat of the pasta and there is definitely enough pumpkin sauce to go around.  It’s super creamy without any milk!   

As a finishing touch, I like to toast some walnuts to add a bit of a savory crumble to the dish.  You could also just sprinkle more nutritional yeast or some hemp seeds to pump up the protein.  Whatever spin you take on this, let me know by tagging me on Instagram or leaving a comment down below.  I greatly value your feedback 🙂 

Recipe time!  

Pumpkin Pasta
Recipe Type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • A 2 or 3 oz serving of pasta
  • 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp ground sage or thyme
  • ¼ to ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp toasted walnuts, for topping
Instructions
  1. Boil a serving of pasta (2 or 3 oz works) until al dente.
  2. In a bowl, mix up 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp ground sage, and salt (I like a scant 1/2 tsp).
  3. When pasta is cooked, reserve half a cup of water before draining.
  4. In the bowl, or the pot you boiled the pasta, add the pumpkin mixture to the pasta. Add 3-4 tbsp of reserved cooking water to create a saucey texture. And you’re finished!
  5. I like to add toasted walnuts to the top but this pasta also tastes delish with spinach mixed in. Feel free to sprinkle extra nutritional yeast, too 😉

This recipe is made in participation of the #Banzaplus5 recipe contest on Instagram.  See my other entry here.

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”

by | Jun 27, 2017 | Home, Recipes

First and foremost, thank you to Attune Foods for making this post possible!

If you’ve been hanging around here for any short amount of time, you know that I’m a big fan of sweet treats and breakfast foods.  What may come as a surprise is how much savory food appeals to me, too!  As a matter of fact, I love spiced dishes like curries, southwestern fajitas, or my Tex-Mex quinoa taco “meat”.  As for main dishes, I’ve been meaning to expand my blog’s recipe archives with some yummy veggie patties or meatballs for a lunch/dinner entree. 

Enter: Sweet and Smoky Meatballs

sweet and smoky meatballs

I’m all about making recipes as easy as possible so these plant-based meatballs come together in little time and without any wild ingredients.  The only thing you might need to pick up is a box of Purple Corn Flakes Peace Cereal.  When Attune Foods sent over a few products for me to try, I knew the pretty purple corn flakes would be fun to add texture to some vegetarian patties. 

I’m not too big on a bowl for breakfast but cereals can be such a versatile ingredient for cooking!  The purple corn flakes are what provides the sweetness in the “sweet and smoky” element of my meatballs.  These non-GMO corn flakes are also crispier than traditional corn flakes so that contributes a unique texture and flavor that you won’t want to miss!  As a bonus, I love that the cereal is made from organic corn flour and organic brown rice flour so the meatballs are gluten free! 

Sometimes veggie patties or meatballs can be a miss with my meat-eating family but I received pretty great reviews on these!  Looks like I’ll be cooking them up again soon. 😉 Let me know if you try them out!

sweet and smoky meatballs

Sweet and Smoky “Meatballs”
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12 meatballs
These plant-based meatballs come together easily, in little time, and without any wild ingredients.
Ingredients
  • Olive oil, for cooking
  • ½ cup white onion, chopped
  • ½ cup carrot, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped or minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ½ cups lentils or white beans, well-drained*
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika + ½ tsp for coating
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/3 cup packed chopped tomato (about 1 small roma)
  • 1 cup Purple Corn Flakes Peace Cereal + ¾ cup for coating
  • Lime juice, optional for serving
Instructions
  1. In a cast-iron skillet, on medium heat, warm olive oil. Add sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic until soft. Then, remove from heat.
  2. Using a food processor, grind 1 cup of the purple corn cereal until a fine meal is achieved.
  3. In a bowl, mash the drained beans or lentils and add spices. The texture should be mashed and chunky but not pureed. Add in the skillet mixture, along with the cilantro, tomato, and ground cereal. The mixture should look thick and slightly on the dry side.
  4. To make the coating, add the remaining ¾ cup of the cereal, along with ½ tsp of smoked paprika, to the food processor. Process until a choppy meal is achieved. Then, transfer to a zip-top baggie.
  5. At this point, cover the bowl of the meatball mixture and store in the fridge for later or form into 10-12 balls for immediate use.
  6. When ready to cook, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add one meatball to the baggie with the cereal coating and shake. Add the cereal-coated meatball to the skillet. Repeat with remaining meatballs. With the pan on medium heat, continue rotating the meatballs until they are browned all over.
  7. Serve warm with a squeeze of lime. They pair nicely with a salad or sautéed greens. Cauliflower mashed potatoes or roasted veggies would also be delicious.
Notes
*I tried two different versions of this recipe using white beans and then lentils. The white bean version seemed to allow a slightly more prominent smoky flavor but the lentil version is excellent, too. I suppose you could substitute other beans like black beans, though I haven’t tested that myself.

Thank you to Attune Foods for sending me Peace Cereal and allowing me to showcase a recipe with their purple corn flakes.  See their store locator to find Peace Cereal near you.

Watermelon Spinach Salad

Watermelon Spinach Salad

by | May 31, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

Happy hump day, folks!  Who else is planning their summer menu?  I’ve got the perfect recipe for barbecues, family potlucks, and all of the upcoming summer festivities!  Picnic or potluck style food used to be my jam.  I loved eating potato salad, cold pasta salad, deviled eggs—basically anything with mayonnaise. 😋 Though, why have mayo when you can have fresh, colorful food?!  The Watermelon Spinach Salad I’ve whipped up will be the game-changing healthy side dish or main to jazz up summertime meal spreads!

watermelon spinach salad

Occasionally, salads make an appearance at the average summer get-together but a big pile of green leaves does not usually appeal to people.  Add in a little texture and color and bam!  Suddenly the dish takes on a whole new kind of appetizing.  Watermelon is abundant and affordable during summer months so make sure you use a fresh and firm one for this salad.  Grainy or barely-sweet watermelon is not something we want in this salad.

Refreshing watermelon, briny green olives, and the texture of the quinoa and sliced almonds make this salad so satisfying!

It works great as a side dish but it’s also easy to turn into a meal.  Just add protein of choice like chickpeas (or lemon pepper tuna, if you’re like my mom) and then it’s a complete meal!  To coat the salad, I used an adaptation of a lemon dressing from Cookie and Kate that I’ve been head over heels for.  It’s seriously the best for drizzling on ANYTHING!  It is a subtle complement to make this salad come alive.  I know I’ll be making this again and again throughout the summer!

watermelon spinach salad

watermelon spinach salad

watermelon spinach salad

watermelon spinach salad

Have a great rest of your week!  Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of my new posts.  Subscribe via the right-hand side panel or at the bottom of this page. 😉

watermelon spinach salad

Watermelon Spinach Salad
Recipe Type: Main, Side
Cuisine: American
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-3
I’ve created a fun salad to take to all of the upcoming summer festivities! It’s perfect for barbecues to potlucks, or simply enjoy at home with a glass of lemonade. Recipe makes 2 main salads or 3 side servings but can easily be multiplied.
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder (Kate uses 2 cloves garlic, minced)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes
  • A dash of black pepper
  • 5 cups packed spinach
  • 1 heaping cup cooked white quinoa
  • 1/2 cup sliced radishes
  • 4 large green olives from a jar (I used garlic-stuffed, marinated olives)
  • For serving: 3 cups cubed watermelon, 3 tbsp sliced almonds, and, optional, protein of choice—I went with 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
Instructions
  1. First, combine ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl. Everything from the olive oil through the black pepper.
  2. Then, add the spinach to the bowl and lightly massage or toss to thoroughly coat with the dressing.
  3. Incorporate the cooked quinoa, radishes, and green olives.
  4. To serve, add the watermelon and sliced almonds. Plus, optional protein, if eating the salad as a main dish.
Notes
Salad is best eaten right away but can last up to a day if made ahead of time. If saving for later, store the watermelon separately so it doesn’t water down the salad and combine when ready to serve.

 

May Pole Day and a Fresh Salad with Pasta and Fruit

May Pole Day and a Fresh Salad with Pasta and Fruit

by | May 1, 2017 | Health, Home, Recipes

Today is May 1st, AKA May Day.

Fresh and Fruity Iceberg Salad with Pasta for May

In elementary school, this day was a big deal for the kids because they would get to participate in the May Pole Dance.  Also, by kids, I mean me.  I got to participate in the May Pole Dance along with my entire third grade class.

I think it was a whole month in advance that we started practicing.  My teacher would take a break from lesson plans a few times a week and take us outside to the field to dance with ribbons.  I can’t exactly describe how the dance went but it looked something like this. Our parents and the community got notified of the event (because 8 year olds dancing around a pole to create a ribbon braid is considered an event for a small town like mine, mmkay?).  It was also a rite of passage for children.  As a youngling in school, I saw the older kids participate and looked forward to the day that I would be so privileged to participate in the acclaimed event.

Fresh and Fruity Iceberg Salad with Pasta for May

Oh, and you might be wondering what May Day is and the meaning behind the May Pole Dance.  Honestly, I only ever participated in May Day at that elementary school of mine so I don’t know the exact history.  I believe the dance is ceremonial and dates back to really old times in England.  These days, especially in the U.S., we tend not to follow such traditionalist practices so it I think it is less common.  The dance and celebration that occur are in honor of the start of summer and the new life that it brings.  Thus, I felt it appropriate to share the story as I mention that I am so very into fresh recipes for summer!

Fresh and Fruity Iceberg Salad with Pasta for May

The warm weather has me craving chilled salads, sweet and juicy produce, and ingredients that won’t weigh me down.  I called this dish a Fresh Salad with Pasta and Fruit because that’s what it is.  It also has all of my favorite ingredients from chicken salad but without chicken 🙂 I know apples aren’t technically considered summer fruit but they’re around all year long!  Some light and crisp lettuce, plus, crunchy celery, adds to the hydrating factor of this salad.  A very important factor if you’re dealing with hot temperatures like me.  #SoCal

As always, I made this recipe based on ingredients I had in my fridge but change it up to fit your needs.  Some darker leafy greens would work nicely instead of the iceberg.  Even try dried cherries instead of fresh grapes.

Have a happy month of May!

Fresh and Fruity Iceberg Salad with for May

Fresh Salad with Pasta and Fruit
Recipe Type: Lunch
Cuisine: Salad
Author: Melanie
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 salad
The warm weather has me craving chilled salads, sweet and juicy produce, and ingredients that won’t weigh me down. It’s kind of like a chicken salad but made vegetarian and I utilized what I had in my fridge. Feel free to change it up and sub in whatever greens you like.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of lettuce of choice (I only had iceberg but some kale, arugula, or romaine would be lovely!)
  • 3 oz of Banza penne pasta (or other short cut pasta)
  • 1 small-medium sized apple, chopped
  • 1 small stalk of celery (or half a large stalk), chopped
  • ¼ cup of red grapes, chopped in halves
  • Extras: black olives, sliced in half, and chopped pecans
  • Dressing is: 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp maple syrup, and ¼ tsp dried tarragon.
Instructions
  1. Set a pot of water on the stovetop to boil and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes or until desired doneness.
  2. In the meantime, chop up the veggies and fruit. Add all ingredients to a serving bowl.
  3. Drain the pasta water and let pasta cool for a minute before adding to the salad.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over all ingredients and enjoy!