Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is a staple with our fam and is over due to be blogged! It is crunchy the light dressing is just enough for the raw broccoli. It is still pretty good the following day, or easy enough to make just enough for a few servings…or a lot.

The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad (serves ~6)

Ingredients:

1-2 heads of broccoli (about 2-3 cups)
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2/3 cup raisins (or dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries)

Directions:

Chop the broccoli into bite size pieces.
Whisk together the dressing of mayo, sugar, and vinegar.
The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli Salad
Mix together the broccoli, dressing, and raisins. Let it come together in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or 4 hours before serving.
The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli Salad
Enjoy!

I love this one. I used 1 1/2 broccoli heads and thought maybe there wasn’t going to be enough dressing, but it was perfect. Mr. J most often makes this and thought the ratio would be right. He advised it often looks like not enough but to toss it together and wait till dinner. (I do the same with pad thai and too much dressing isn’t great on that either!)

It is a good one to prep in advance, even if just mixing up the dressing and chopping the broccoli. I’m all about working to prep dinner in advance. I’d totally shake up the dressing and in the morning before heading to work.

The little one wanted to help so I was going to have him put the chopped broccoli into the container, but he was only in it for the snacks. He munched the broccoli & raisins and whisked the dressing with me. We got this from my mom and we keep it on a regular rotation through the summer.

What I Ate: #ToastedTuesday – Strawberry & Nutella Toast

What I Ate’ is a series of posts for so-easy-this-doesn’t-need-a-recipe but I’m sharing with you for the idea or inspiration.

I know, I know, I know. You do not need me for this. BUT, maybe you need breakfast inspiration? Or you have that overflowing and want to give ME ideas? Yes, I’ll take ’em all. I had lots of crazy toast toppings as ideas on my running food list and figured I’d challenge myself to making some. Welcome to Toasted Tuesdays! Ta-da!

They’re only getting more intense so please stay tuned…even if you’re thinking 2 toppings does not a-toast-make.
The Three Bite Rule - Strawberry Nutella Toast

Strawberry Nutella Toast

Ingredients:

1 slice good quality wheat toast
2 tablespoons nutella
2-3 ripe strawberries
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

Toast the bread, slice the berries, and assemble with a schmear of nutella, slices of strawberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
The Three Bite Rule - Strawberry Nutella Toast
Enjoy!

What goes on your toast (besides avo, duhh)? This feels like dessert because it is sweet for sure. The strawberries were like the jelly for this toast. I looooove nutella so I wanted to start there. Strawberries have been suuuuper cheap lately, and the little one loves “strawbies” so we’ve had them a lot.

#toastedtuesday is here for June, stay tuned! Annnd tell me all your fav toasts. There’ll be fun cheeses, maybe some nuts, maybe more berries, possibly pesto, just. you. wait!

Truffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese

Ohh so good. I looove mushrooms but I get there not everyone’s fav. I found a nifty mixed mushroom pack and whipped up a mushroom spread. I wanted some texture but a spread to get some flavor in each bite without whole mushrooms. I’m psyched to have leftovers for toast, or burgers, or whatever!
The Three Bite Rule - Tuffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese

Truffle Mushroom Spread onto a Grilled Cheese (for 2 & leftover spread)

Ingredients:

4 oz mushrooms (mine was a mix of crimini, shiitake, & oyster)
1 oz butter
1 oz olive oil
1 teaspoon truffle oil
1 teaspoon mayo
4 slices of bread
2-3 slices white American cheese
1-2 slices Fontina cheese

Directions:

Saute mushrooms, butter, oil and truffle oil over medium low heat with a generous sprinkle of salt & pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese
Pulse half in a food processor a few times to chop then scoop into a bowl. With the 2nd half of the mushrooms in the food processor, add a dollop of mayo and salt & pepper and pulse more into a smaller chop. Add into the bowl and mix together with the coarsely chopped mushrooms. Make in advance & refrigerate until serving or make and enjoy right away.
In the pan where the mushrooms cooked, heat to medium with a little olive oil.
Assemble the grilled cheeses with mushroom spread on one slice and the duo of cheeses on the other. Spread a tiny bit of butter onto one side and butter side down into the pan. When it is in the pan, spread the other side with a bit of butter.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese
Cook 2 minutes on each side, until cooked to your liking and all the cheese melts. add a cover to the pan to help melt the cheese before the bread toasts too much.
Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Flip once on the cutting board before cutting. Seriously, give it a few minutes before slicing.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese
Enjoy! Serve with some greens tossed in balsamic. The decadent and gooey grilled cheese with a little tang of the balsamic greens is perfect. I loved how oozy this was. I have some awesome wheaty & nutty bread but used oatmeal bread. American cheese provided the melt factor and the fontina provides a nutty flavor which is strong enough to stand up to the truffle oil and butter. Loved it.

Specialty grilled cheeses make great dinners for speed, variety, and this is not your lunchbox sandwich. I’m ready to put this spread on everything. Can you imagine butterflying a pork loin and stuffing with this spread and some spinach? Ohh yeah.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuffle Mushroom Grilled Cheese

May 2017 Recap

Happy spring! May was a delicious month in the kitchen here! I’ve had more chances to cook in daylight, hallelujah. Also, the end of car-sharing logistics has finally come to a close. Phew! I just picked up my new car and I’m thrilled to wrap things up a super annoying car people. The first go-round was surprisingly great and since my accident, the dealership was sold. This time was super frustrating.

Bring on the burger season: this Bahn Mi Burger was so fun made with seasoned ground pork and topped with cucumbers, avocado, and sriracha cilantro mayo. Yummm.
The Three Bite Rule - Bahn Mi Burger
Another fav this month was a little #restaurantrecreation Breakfast Hash brunch dish with tots, poached egg, and cheese sauce.
The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Hash
I made Cheeseburger Potato Skins as dinner, but they’re a great app too. Ground meat, ketchup, mustard, cheese, and pickles!
The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Potato Skins
June will bring Mr. J’s birthday burger, and a fun little bfast series. Many of our herbs have come back and are flourishing so I’m sure those will have a June highlight. There are 2 get togethers coming up so I’ll have captive audiences to feed! Muhhhahaha! 😉 I’ve recently become obsessed with defrosting our big spare freezer. You know how I freeze all the things, well, I’m going to just have the refrigerator’s freezer until getting to the bottom and defrosting. Get ready for a week of freezer food inspired meals. I’m so inspired! Follow on insta-stories if you’re interested.

The Little One:

His new phrase is “so excited”! I love it. I had a few days off which was fun for weekday adventures to the Zoo and storytime at the library. He LOVES helping. We’ve been cooking together with the stool to the island, and he planted flowers and herbs. When we see bunnies in the yard he says “don’t eat herbs”. Jelly is still a fav, but it was so funny how into feta he was.

2017 Goals:

Year of the seasonal decor: gahhh. I missed it again. Well, I have one more day to make May happen…
do more dinner prep more in advance: I’ve done some. I’m all over the quick dinners to allow playtime outside or a walk before it gets dark.
read more (and always carry my book on me): I’m reading A Man Called Ove.
watch more movies: we watched Hidden Figures
cook more fish: nahh. Maybe in spring this will actually happen?
focus on clothes that I really like: I returned 3 dress options I got for my event. All were busts. I just ordered some steals from a Loft Memorial Day sale.

Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail

Strawberries have been suuuper cheap lately so I brought a huuuuge container and boozed some up. This takes a bit of lead time to flavor the vodka but throw it in a jar a few hours (or a few days before) and cocktail time will be here soon enough.
The Three Bite Rule - Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail

Strawberry Cucumber Vodka Cocktail

Ingredients (for 4):

~4 oz vodka
1/4 cucumber, sliced
1 1/2 cups strawberries
3/4 cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
simple syrup: 1/2 cup water + 1/4 cup sugar
~8 oz tonic or soda water

Directions:

Add the vodka and cucumber slices to a glass jar and give a shake and let refrigerate for 4+ hours (mine were in there 48 hours!).
Over medium heat, cook the strawberries, 3/4 cups water, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Allow to cool, and blend or combine in a food processor. Refrigerate.
In the strawberry pot, cook the 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup until the sugar dissolves. Let cool and refrigerate. (This saves you an extra pot to wash, and “scents” the simple syrup with strawberry flavor from the remnants on the pot.)
When serving, shake together the the strawberry “juice”, 4 shots of cucumber vodka, and ice.
The Three Bite Rule - Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail
Add some ice to each glass, and ~2 oz tonic per glass, then pour in the strawberry mix.
The Three Bite Rule - Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail
Cheers!

I loved this. The cucumber flavor was there to totally take over the vodka flavor. If cuke is your jam, you could even make cucumber simple syrup! This is drink is cool, sweet, refreshing, and delightful. I’ll totally make this again! Make a big batch in a pitcher or pour a tray of glasses for your next party!