Dinner Archives | Forks and Recreation

Greek Night Dinner: Chicken Kale Salad, Tzatziki, and Pita Chips

June 30, 2015 by Forks and Recreation 1 Comment

I'll tell you the story of how this lovely "Greek Night Dinner" came together with chicken kale salad, tzatziki, and pita chips: it all started with a cucumber. I was walking through the grocery store, looking at all the vegetables, and pondering which ones I had not picked up in awhile. I saw the cucumbers and tossed one into the grocery cart. As I was driving home, I had a flashback to an awesome cucumber greek yogurt salad that a friend had made for a dinner party one night. Next thing I knew, I was Googling recipes for cucumber salads when it struck me: tzatziki. That awesome white sauce/dip that comes with your shawarma or on your Greek platter. It's base is cucumbers, greek yogurt, lemon, olive oil, garlic, dill and/or [Read more]

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

June 23, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

I am so excited to be sharing this recipe for chipotle turkey burgers! It has been on my list for a long time to post, but since it is such a quick and easy meal, I kept making these late in the evenings after I got home from school. Late night turkey burgers photographed under artificial light are not the prettiest sight...I finally made these chipotle turkey burgers in the daylight yesterday evening, which means I am writing the post first thing this morning! I have made at least five or six batches of these chipotle turkey burgers in the past couple of months. They are a wonderful thing to meal prep and have in the fridge for lunches or dinners. Surprisingly, last night was actually the first time I had one on an [Read more]

Homemade Pesto

June 2, 2015 by Forks and Recreation 1 Comment

I was introduced to homemade pesto when I worked at a gardening day camp in Louisville, Kentucky. After the kids left for the day, the executive director of the camp walked to the back of the garden where the big, beautiful basil plants were. We pinched the tops off all the basil plants to prevent early flowering and filled two grocery bags with leaves. We walked back to his house to debrief the day and headed into the kitchen. I asked what he was going to do with all that basil. "Pesto!," he replied. I watched as he started throwing basil, garlic, salt, parmesan, and walnuts into a food processor and drizzle a little lemon on top without measuring anything. He turned on the food processor and seconds later, viola, pesto! My mind was [Read more]

Shrimp Asparagus Feta Summer Salad

May 26, 2015 by Forks and Recreation 1 Comment

Looking for a light, refreshing summer meal? Look no further than this super simple dish: shrimp, asparagus, and feta seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and lemon. This dish comes together in mere minutes, making it a quick, easy meal. It is light when you don't want to be weighed down on those summer days. It is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at the next cook out or picnic! I have not cooked with shrimp much before, but I have recently started buying pre-cooked shrimp from the grocery store. All you have to do is heat it up and add it to your favorite salad or pasta. So simple, so delicious!

Taco Dinner Party

May 5, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

Dinner parties are the best. Friends get together, laugh, and eat. The cook(s) get to share the food they prepared and the love that went into the preparation with the ones they love. Dinner parties are a perfect example of where the recreation comes into Forks & Recreation. The first definition of recreation that comes up from a Google search is "an activity done for enjoyment when one is not working". Even though dinner parties can be a fair amount of work to plan and execute, it sure does not feel like work when it is something that is bringing so much love & joy! And what better 'activity for enjoyment' is there than kicking your feet up and enjoying the homecooked meal you lovingly prepared with your friends around [Read more]

Tortilla Soup

April 26, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

As a graduate student, my schedule is all over the place. Sometimes I have classes first thing in the morning, sometimes I have classes late into the evening. Sometimes I head downtown for an internship, sometimes I spend hours at school on the weekends trying to finish grading problem sets. Having something ready in the fridge to grab and go is essential. This tortilla soup is the perfect meal to pack for wherever the day may take me. Having a big batch of something in the fridge ready to take with me is a lifesaver, but I also have to balance that with my tendency to quickly grow tired of food. Nobody wants a big tupperware filled with boring slop to take with them to work or school each day. Snore. I [Read more]

Acorn Squash with Roasted Chickpeas and Curry Yogurt Sauce

April 2, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

I must admit something: the majority of what I cook is the first time I've ever tried cooking it. I graduated from college almost two years ago and started cooking on my own at that point, but there is a lot of food out there to try! This was my first time ever cooking an acorn squash and oh boy, I was impressed. But it was also my first time buying an acorn squash and I forgot to check that the stem area was undamaged. It was damaged, which explains the oddly cut acorn squash in the photos since the top had starting going bad. I salvaged what I could! Another thing that I must admit is that I am still testing out the waters of recipe development. When I started cooking, I stuck with things I knew how to do. I knew what was supposed to [Read more]

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

March 27, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

Why is corn the best vegetable to talk to? It's all ears! I hope you enjoyed that little joke. Some people think corny jokes are bad, but I think they are a-maize-ing! Okay, I'll stop now. I must just be feeling a little cheesy today : ) That is why I'm bringing you this recipe for Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread today. It's corny, and cheesy, with a little bit of a kick. All of my favorite things! I am a firm believer that this cornbread will make you even more friends than cookies. I know that sounds like a bold claim, but I have evidence. Exhibit A: I once went to a friends house party and instead of bringing booze, I brought over the extra jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins from a big batch of this recipe. The [Read more]

Chicken Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

March 21, 2015 by Forks and Recreation Leave a Comment

Today I bring you a wonderful chicken and vegetable stir fry with peanut sauce. I think we can all agree that peanut butter is great. Add peanut butter to anything and it automatically becomes even more delicious. Chocolate + peanut butter = bliss Apples + peanut butter = best snack ever Vegetables + peanut butter = sounds weird, but always delicious So that is why I have been on the hunt for a perfect peanut sauce for stir fry dishes. I love my veggies and all, but adding peanut butter just makes them that much better. When I started searching for peanut sauce recipes though, I was surprised to find that many of them were fairly complicated and called for ingredients that I do not typically have in my kitchen. That is [Read more]

Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

March 15, 2015 by Forks and Recreation 1 Comment

As winter turns into spring, we have been having some dreary rainy days here in NYC. I holed up in my apartment yesterday and made this healthy, warm, creamy broccoli and cauliflower cheddar soup. I had been craving good bread for the past couple days, and knew I needed to make a creamy soup to dunk it it in. I made this broccoli and cauliflower cheddar soup once last year, but the recipe needed some revisions. I pulled out my notebook where I jot down recipes and looked at the notes at the bottom of the page for this soup. I had listed at least five different ways to make it thicker (less liquid, more flour, etc) followed by a note that reads "If you didn't notice...it was too thin last time." But I had the time yesterday to [Read more]