Spring Recipes

Cream Cheese Strawberry Banana Bread

March 27, 2017 by The Partial Ingredients

Who doesn’t love a big slice of banana bread and coffee for breakfast? I’m not even that into breakfast myself but this is probably my favorite. Simple, flavorful and easy to make ahead of time! The best part about the concept of banana bread is that it can be made as simple as you want or as fancy as you want. Occasionally I like to mix things up and add some different flavors. This time I had a few extra things lying around, namely some frozen strawberries and cream cheese. And of course some over-ripe bananas. As soon as my bananas start to turn I start thinking about the possibilities. Really what other food allows for that other than glorious bananas? It’s the only fruit whose possibilities open when they start to “go bad”… more like “go better” am I right? Frozen strawberries mash better than fresh so these worked out nicely, just thaw them out in a little warm water before using. You can definitely use fresh strawberries but they will show more in the batter. Mashed frozen strawberries will blend into the batter more than the former but the flavor will remain. If you want nice big red berries leftover after it’s cooked, you might want to mash less and use fresh instead.

The texture reminded me of pound cake but with a lot of moisture and richness. I’m guessing this was probably due to the cream cheese which added a little extra something to the flavor as well. The bread’s crust browned perfectly in the oven and didn’t get too dark. I cut back on the sugar on this one. You can always add about 1/2 cup more but I honestly liked it a little less sweet. As spring is getting underway this was a nice recipe to enjoy for this time of year.
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Green Chile Chicken Soup with Avocado Cream

November 20, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s raining right now and snuggling up to a bowl of something warm and comforting is the perfect way to spend these kinds of days. This recipe was inspired by traditional Mexican posole soup which tend to be served right around the holidays. While this isn’t classic Thanksgiving fare, this soup is a lighter option for your post holiday recovery plan. I haven’t tried this but I have a hunch that leftover turkey would sub in well for the chicken if you need leftover ideas. This recipe calls for a medley of green chiles that offer their own unique flavors. I used dark meat for the chicken which has more flavor but you can use whatever option you have available. I recommend being very generous with the fixins–the more lime juice, cilantro and avocado cream the better!
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Blackberry Lemon Quick Bread

July 19, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

Lemon Blackberry Quick Bread 5

Apologies that it has been so long since I have last posted! I have been working on some exciting new things for the blog and an update will be happening on that soon. Until then I wanted to update with a great new breakfast recipe. A quick bread is perfect for when you’re short on breakfast ideas and just want something already made for busy mornings. This bread takes inspiration from my typical banana bread recipe. The typical banana bread is so full of moisture and fluffiness that I wanted to recreate it with different flavors. I love the combination of lemon and blackberries because it gives just the right amount of sweetness and tart. The final result was a moisture rich bread full of tart berry flavor, perfect for breakfast mornings. You can use frozen blackberries–just let them thaw completely before using. I use room temperature water to thaw the berries and it takes about 10 minutes to get them completely thawed. I minimized the amount of sugar on this recipe as much as possible but you can add more if you prefer a sweeter bread.

Lemon Blackberry Quick Bread 2
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Banana Oatmeal Bread

May 8, 2016 by The Partial Ingredients

I love a good loaf of banana bread. It’s a great breakfast when you’re busy during the week or when you’re just relaxing on the weekend with a cup of coffee. I chose to cut out some of the sugar on this recipe to make it more breakfast friendly while also adding some quick oats to the batch to make it more filling. The oats give it a little more texture that I like too. I love the way bananas make bread so tender and fluffy. I’m not sure what the science is behind that–perhaps the extra moisture from the bananas? They do something to the bread that makes it so soft! Banana bread really doesn’t dry out like others and you can keep it on the shelf 4-5 days without it turning stale. It’s also pretty cool that you can turn over-ripe bananas, something you wouldn’t normally eat, into something delicious. I think the final verdict is that bananas are magic, plain and simple.
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Black Bean Burger with Caramelized Onions and Chipotle Mayo

September 2, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Summer is almost over but I am resisting that fact by making a bunch of summery food. These black bean burgers are totally loaded with lots of add-ons: mashed avocado, chipotle mayo, tomato, melted cheddar, and crispy caramelized onions. The actual burger is mixed with sweet corn, rolled oats and spices. It’s super filling and loaded with protein. The burgers are a little bit delicate and they do best cooked over a hot saute pan. Everything came together really well and it turned out super tasty! You can always add whatever fixins you want. Some other options would be sprouts, feta cheese, sauteed mushrooms, pickles and lettuce.
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Chicken Piccata

January 13, 2013 by The Partial Ingredients

Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian pasta dish served with chicken in a lemon, butter and caper sauce. The chicken is pounded thin, lightly breaded and browned in a pan. Pounding the chicken thin is an important step because it helps cook the chicken more evenly. The drippings from the chicken are used to make the savory pan sauce which, in my opinion, is the highlight of the dish. The sauce is a simple combination of white wine, butter, lemon, and capers. Making everything only takes about half hour so this is a great meal when you’re short on time for dinner!

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Tofu and Chickpea Curry with Green Peas

September 28, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Curries usually take a bit of time and effort to cook so I wanted to try one that didn’t take too long to make. This curry was easy to throw together and the cook time was pretty fast. I used a basic blend of turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, fenugreek, cloves, bay leaves, and coriander for the curry seasoning. The half teaspoon of turmeric was all it took to turn this dish into a bright yellow curry! The flavors were as vibrant as the color and the tofu, chickpeas and green peas worked great together. The milk and cream gave it a richness that heightened the curry flavors. The creaminess reminded me a lot of Thai coconut curries, just without the coconut flavor. The recipe worked nicely with a side of rice which I spooned into the bowl generously!

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Turkey Burger with Caramelized Onions, Gruyere and Sage Mayo

September 21, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Turkey burgers are the perfect alternative to beef burgers because they are versatile and have great flavor. I had never tried turkey burgers before and I was surprised by how tasty they were! This recipe ended up being a celebration of the end of summer and a good way to tie two seasons together. The burgers were juicy and charred, and went perfectly with the caramelized onions and smoky gruyere. I chose sweet potato fries for a side and they were really good with the burger. The sage mayo was another great accompaniment with the turkey burger as well. The recipe is similar to last Thanksgiving’s Roasted Butternut Squash recipe with caramelized onions and gruyere. The sandwich reminded me of a summer version of Thanksgiving dinner, and just as tasty too!

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Corn Esquites Salad with Avocado (Mexican Roasted Corn Salad)

September 13, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

When I came across the recipe for corn esquites salad I took one look at it and knew I had to give it a try. This salad is basically Mexican elote which is roasted corn on the cob seasoned with cayenne, butter, mayonnaise, and cotija cheese. The corn in this recipe is cut off the cob and pan roasted until the kernels char and caramelize. Then the corn is mixed with the elote ingredients, garlic, lime, jalapeno, and cilantro. I decided to kick it up a notch and add sliced tomatoes and avocado to the salad. It was so tasty! The combination of ingredients was sweet and spicy from the corn and jalapenos yet creamy and tangy from the lime juice and cotija cheese. It ended up being the perfect topping for tacos!

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Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Curry Lemongrass Tofu

September 1, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Ever since I made a version of a Vietnamese Noodle Salad I have been taken with this dish and all its variations. This time I decided to try it with sauteed tofu in a curry lemongrass sauce. The sauce was sweet and spicy and tasted great mixed into the rice noodles. My favorite part about Vietnamese food is all the tasty condiments that go along with the dishes. I chose sliced carrots, persian cucumbers and bean sprouts for the veggie garnishes and mint leaves, basil, green onion, and cilantro for the herb garnishes. All of these condiments came together really well. The last garnishes included a tablespoon of spicy Sambal Oelek I made the night before and a few tablespoons of crushed and toasted peanuts–two delicious final touches!

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