Cantaloupe Smoothie

I don’t know why I haven’t ever used cantaloupe for a smoothie before. I tend to go for berries but switching up the fruits are important! Mr. J isn’t that into fruit, but he likes cantaloupe so after he did all the hard work of cutting it up and storing it in the fridge, I helped myself to some in a smoothie.

bfcd730bc9d3e289279e502ddb0ecc8f
The flavor is so delicate, so I wanted to pair it with a fruit that wouldn’t overpower it. Also, I still have TONS of frozen pears in the freezer thanks to a generous host of a fall pear-picking-party who doesn’t even like pears.

Ingredients:
1+ cups of cantaloupe
1 cup of frozen pears
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tbs milk
1-2 tbs flax seed

Directions:
Add the fruit & yogurt into a blender
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
Add in the yogurt, a splash of milk, and flax seed.
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
Blend and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Cantaloupe Smoothie
The flaxseed + light colored fruits makes for more of a murky-colored smoothie, but it was lovely and a great way to use a melon before it gets too squishy. Swapping the milk for some orange juice would wake this up a bit, though I liked the subtle flavors. The flaxseed doesn’t add any flavor or taste. It is just a good source of fiber, possible source to lower cholesterol and helps heart health in general.

Risotto with Grilled Asparagus

For my restaurant recreation this month, I was inspired by a lobster & asparagus risotto dish at Davio’s but I wanted to make it at home. It also served as a reminder that risotto doesn’t only have to be winter food. With Mr. J’s new grill, this still allowed him to fill his grilling quota with the asparagus. Seriously, he wants to grill bfast/lunch/din.

I made this as a his/hers dinner that he had with steak and I had with lobster. The lobster wasn’t real so it was perfect to use in a cooked dish. I think I’ll use the remainder into some lobster mac & cheese.

The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

1/2 white onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup water
1 cup broth
1 cup white wine
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbs grated Parmesan
1 bunch asparagus
lobster or steak

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in some olive oil over medium heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add in the rice and stir regularly for a few minutes to toast it, then reduce heat to medium low.
In a medium saucepan, heat the water, broth, wine, and mustard to low heat.
Add a ladle of liquid to the rice until absorbed. Continue adding, stirring, and simmering until absorbed. Then adding the next ladle-ful in.
The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto
Grill the asparagus.
The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto
Chop into 1-inch sections.
Cook the lobster in butter and/or grill the steak.
Gently fold in the asparagus and Parmesan into the risotto.
The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto
Gently fold in the lobster meat.
The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto
Serve and enjoy!

Mr. J’s was asparagus topped with some grilled steak.
The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Asparagus Risotto
I liked the charred bits of the asparagus and I was careful to not overmix the asparagus. I didn’t want the pieces to be decimated or to lose all the grill marks into a blackened risotto!

The risotto was creamy and perfect. I think cooking it over medium-low heat is the ticket. If it is at a higher temp it really gets sticky versus creamy. It takes just a bit of patience, and about 25 min of cook time, but if somebody wants to keep an eye on it while the asparagus is grilling, it works out just fine. Or grill the asparagus first and let it hang out while cooking the risotto.

I could substitute grilled shrimp, or even salmon flaked apart, or grilled sausage…endless possibilities without even turning on the oven!

Tried to Like

Random post of different bits that have come to mind. Not useful for your everyday. Enjoy nonetheless. Do you have foods you’ve tried to like?

I just saw a salad dressing made with kalamata olives and feta. That has me written all over it, except…. I don’t like olives. I’ve tried. I’ve seriously tried to like them and just can’t. If I had to choose a cuisine to eat for the rest of time, I might pick Mediterranean. Bring on the feta, and the hummus, and falafel, and the salads, and all the cucumbers, and the herbed or grilled meats/fish. I just would have to skip the olives. I remember being in Greece in 2008 and thinking: if ever there was a time to like a really good selection of olives, it was then. Nope. A no-go. I like pickles and briney things like capers, but no olives for me.

Blue cheese & goat cheese. I just can’t do it. Just not my thing. I really love blue cheese dressing, but blue cheese itself is something my throat doesn’t really want to swallow. I don’t see the hype with goat cheese. I can tolerate it breaded and baked/fried. It is pretty pricey so I doubt anyone wants me to tolerate it.

Yogurt & oatmeal are weird ones I didn’t like forawhile and then after not having them for years (college + a few more years) I tried them again and felt like I missed so many years of enjoying them! That kind of came back when I was pregnant and not wanting creamy/squishy things. Now I eat yogurt or oatmeal for most of the week of breakfasts.

On the other hand….
I’m newly obsessed with these Pop Corners. I love them. The kettle flavor is the best, but sea salt and white cheddar are good too. They’re kind of like popcorn, kind of like a rice cake, but better.

popcorners-kettle
I also am all about these itty bitty Greek yogurt cups. I can’t always find them, but when I do it is very exciting. They are tiny cups with shaved chocolate chunks in the yogurt. I like the tang of the yogurt with the bitter chocolate. I inherited 3 after sis wasn’t impressed. Now I get them whenever I see them.
indulgent-double-chocolate-chunk-4pack
I keep this dressing in my work fridge and I’m loving it.
_0015_4288_16oz-BalsamicHoney-e3

Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

The dressings continue! This one is so versatile that I actually used it first as a condiment on a burger. Then later I put it on salad but it could go on anything. I only made a bit since that’s my favorite part of making my own dressings, that you can make a little or a lot. Then I’m not stuck trying to use up a whole bottle of something! Also, it is nice to know what’s in the dressing without a whole bunch of weird things to preserve it on the shelf for 10 years.

The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Ingredients: (makes < cup of dressing)

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs white vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp roughly cracked pepper
3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt (or garlic powder + a pinch of salt)
1 tsp milk (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl (or in a jar to shake) all the ingredients.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Whisk (or shake in a jar) until well combined.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Refrigerate for 30+ minutes. Serve & enjoy!

I put some on a turkey burger. Such a great idea. It was a premade, turkey/chili/lime burger from Trader Joe’s. Premade turkey burgers aren’t the most amazing things ever so I definitely appreciated the added moisture to my burger. The pepper and salty Parmesan are such great flavors combined here.
The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
Then I used it for another meal – we’re in 100% grilling mode with Mr. J’s new grill. I had some heads of romaine leftover from some caesar salads so I figured we should do a grilled romaine and see what all the fuss was about. I love the charred bits on everything (lasagna corners, chicken wings, etc) so I really enjoyed this. I think we’d grill it a few seconds less next time. It needs the char, but I don’t want the ribs of the lettuce to get as soggy. I diced some tomato and used some broken croutons with some drizzles of Parmesan Peppercorn dressing. Yum.

The Three Bite Rule - Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
I added a touch of milk to thin it out a bit. That made it more like dressing. When it is thicker, it would be a great dip too!

Here are my other dressings:
Basil Vinaigrette
Dijon Vinaigrette
Avocado Lime Dressing
Creamy Dill & Cucumber Dressing

Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans

I was so excited about this meal! Maybe because it ended up all coming together so easily, but also because it was exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t going to blog it, but then sometimes I skip blogging one and it is really worthy of sharing. Deleting unused photos is easier than wishing I had snapped some pics. This is precisely the food I want to eat. The sides complimented the protein nicely and they weren’t just filler…they were flavorful and nice additions to the meal.

The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
Mr. J got a new grill after MUCH deliberation. Now we are grilling machines and I feel like I need to up my side-dish game! The spice rub is adapted from the Essentials of Grilling by Williams Sonoma. Do not swap the chicken thighs for breasts. Trust me. Chicken thighs are how chicken is supposed to taste. They’re juicy and flavorful and ohh-so-good.

Ingredients:

3 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
1 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dried rosemary
1 tbs dried fennel, crushed
1 tbs dried oregano
salt & pepper
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tbs butter
1 can white beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbs chives, diced (or fresh parsley or oregano)
1 lemon

Directions:

Mix the dried herbs with salt and pepper. Pour the garlic and oil onto the chicken and then coat in the herbs.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
Set aside while the grill heats up.
In a medium pot over medium-low heat, cook the onion and butter until translucent and soft. Drain and rinse the white beans before adding them to the onions. Add in the broth and cook for about 5 minutes at a low simmer.
Cook the chicken on the grill, flipping and ensuring it cooks through.
Reduce the temperature of the beans to low and add in the chives. Cook for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat but cover until serving.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
When the chicken is mostly cooked, squeeze half the lemon over it and grill the other half of the lemon.
Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon. Enjoy!

I loooved this. This is what I like to eat. The herbs were distinct and flavorful but not too much. I never use fennel but love the flavor and then that lemon. It really brightened everything up and was a nice contrast. I liked the smokiness it got and how juicy it got on the grill!
The Three Bite Rule - Tuscan Herbed Chicken & White Beans
I served some quick marinated cucumbers and the beans were so good that now I want beans with every meal! This dinner was filling but didn’t leave me feeling grossly stuffed. I felt like we were dining in Tuscany, or what I think of as Tuscany. I’ll just need to get there to know for sure 😉