In The Kitchen: Fancy Soup, Salad, Grits & Other Easy Meals

Photo by Nherie (Pad Thai Noodle Soup w/Chicken)

Cooking is a beautiful way to express your creativity. You don't always have to have a pantry full of expensive brands. Every year, I put together a short list of foods that I have made that I love to share with my audience. It's a lot more fun to let your mind ponder on replacing ingredients and trying things in a different way. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. When it does, it's a very satisfying feeling. When it doesn't, well, you can at least get a good chuckle out of the experience. Isn't that what creativity is about? 

Pad Thai Noodle Soup w/Chicken

After not being a fan of the taste of the packaged seasonings that came with the noodles for a quick serve meal, I took the noodles plain and added it to a chicken seasoning/broth and added green and red onion, cucumber, cayenne and crushed pepper, sage, Himalayan salt and chicken and heated to boiling. After pouring into a bowl, I added the avocado. Want to try a stir fry version instead? Take a look at this recipe.

Photo by Nherie

Grits n Fruit

Sometimes in the morning I really don't want anything heavy, and I don't want to it too light that I'm hungry to soon. If you are a grits fan, make the grits like you normally do (stovetop or microwave both work) and add your favorite fruit. Optional: This bowl also has whipped cream cheese in the mix, added after the grits are fully cooked. The fruit gives the cream cheese grits a light sweet tart flavor. The natural neutral flavor of the grits balances this perfectly! Here is another version of a recipe you could also try.

Photo by Nherie

Watermelon Cucumber Mint Salad

Found this recipe from a Greek cookbook I purchased last year. I can't wait for watermelons to be back in season! If you are not quite sure what to look for in a watermelon, go here and get familiar with how to pick the best and sweetest watermelons. All you need to do is cut cucumber, watermelon in bitesize chunks. Don't forget your mint! You can use whole leaves or diced mint leaves.  Toss in a honey and lemon or lime mix and if you like feta, add it! A full version of this recipe can be found here. 

Photo by Nherie

Bunless Guacamole Burger

Nothing too fancy about this burger. I personally did not want bread that day. I also didn't want a plain burger either.  Cook your burger to your preference (season to preference). Use fresh avocados and season to your preference to make a guacamole paste. I like to use a little lemon pepper and garlic salt in mine! Throw on some crushed red pepper if you want a heated kick. Sides are optional, onions and peppers sautéed in a pan worked for me. Need a veggie burner version? I found a good one here. 

Photo by Nherie

Potato Veggie Medley

You can never go wrong with any kind of veggie medley that can easily be popped in the oven. The key is to be sure that the potatoes are cooked through, and you have yourself a pretty colorful meal. You can add it over rice or add a meat protein or eat as is! Dice up potatoes (it's fun if the potatoes are the small assortment of red and yellow) and any other vegetable you desire. Add your favorite oil (I used olive oil) salt or seasoning and mix. Pour on a baking sheet into a 350-degree oven and cook until the potatoes are fully cooked. For a step-by-step version of oven baked potato and veggie recipes you can find many versions of them here. 

Photo by Nherie

Sweet Potato Pie

There are so many versions of sweet potato pie out there. I tend to make mine by intuition and use condensed milk over traditional milk just to give it a buttery creamy sweetness! I am also a hug fan of vanilla and cinnamon in my batter. When it comes to the crust, a store-bought brand works. I have even used a graham cracker crust instead! If you want to take a leap in making your own flour crust, here is an easy recipe sweet butter pastry crust you can use.