January 2017 – Well Dined

26
Jan
2017

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Spinach Empanadas

categories: Recipes

I fell behind on posting over the holidays, which I wouldn’t too bad about, except that it means I haven’t posted about these empanadas yet! These were Melissa’s idea for one of our amazing vegetarian lunches. You can see from her post, which is from all the way back in October, just how far behind I am!

Anywho, back to the empanadas! Crispy, buttery, flaky crust. Smoky, creamy, hearty filling. Cool, creamy, vibrant dipping sauce. Yes, yes, yes!

You will need to bake some sweet potatoes, the fastest and easiest way to do this is in the microwave. Then scoop out the flesh and mash it with a fork. (more…)

19
Jan
2017

ICC – Lemon Rosemary Cake and Martini

categories: Recipes

Time for another Improv Cooking Challenge! I haven’t done one in a couple months due to the holidays and not being super interested in the ingredients. But this month the challenge was Rosemary and Lemon, and that pairing sounded great to me! I was torn between a cocktail and a cake recipe, so I decided – why not do both?

The cake is light and fluffy from whipped egg whites, dotted with rosemary, and iced with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Delicious.

The martini is sweet (but not too much) and tangy, with a base not of rosemary. Dreamy.

Together they are absolutely perfect. I don’t like overly sweet anything, and these were so well balanced. I brought them to my book club and they were a huge hit (not an exaggeration, they were the most popular items I’ve ever brought). Some of you may roll your eyes at the mention of a book club, but don’t worry – we aren’t the pretentious kind where everyone hates the books. We are sci-fi, horror, and fantasy only and we have a great time! (more…)

18
Jan
2017

FFF – Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

categories: Recipes

I have another post from Fantastical Food Fight – a monthly blog challenge who’s theme this month was Slow Cooker Soups. Yum – so perfect for cold weather! I knew immediately that I wanted to do this Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup that I had made before, but didn’t post about. It is so insanely easy and delicious.

All you do is add diced onion, carrots, and celery to a slow cooker, along with wild rice and raw chicken (you don’t even have to cut it up).

Add chicken broth and poultry seasoning. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. (more…)

10
Jan
2017

Try The World – Spain Box; Tapas

categories: Recipes, Reviews

I’ve had to pause my Try The World subscription, because I have been so slow to go through the boxes, plan a meal/blog post, make it, and write it up. Oops! So I’ve made a goal for 2017 (I don’t like the word “resolution”) to work on 1 Try The World post per month. This month I made tapas with the Spain Box! So much food!!!

The Spain Box came with El Navarrico salsa tumaca con ajo (tomato sauce with garlic); El Avión paprika; Oleum Hispania extra-virgin olive oil; and Espinaler canned white tuna – all of which were used to make the tapas.