A Squared: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Labor Day Weekend Forecast

Labor Day weekend is upon us already.  I can't believe that summer is really wrapping up-- It feels like it just started!  Unlike the past few Labor Day weekends we actually don't have a wedding to attend this year, however the weekend will still be just as busy.  I'm also a little concerned as it sounds like the remnants of Hurricane Isaac will be headed our way and we can expect some big rainstorms on Saturday-- just in time for a day full of nonrefundable outdoor activities that we have had planned for months.  I'm trying not to dwell on it too much though as we certainly aren't seeing the worst of it.  Check out my friend Julie's most recent post over at Holy City Confessions.  She lives in Charleston and definitely received much more of a weather beating than we are expecting here!

So, what do we have planned for this weekend, you ask?  On Saturday we are embarking on a walking food tour of the Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods-- a wedding gift from our good friends Brad and Kristen.  I'll be wearing my wellies for that, no doubt!  And then that evening we are off to the North Shore for our very first concert at Ravinia.  We have lawn seats.  This will be interesting.  And wet.



Ravinia

On Sunday morning we are off to Rhode Island for a little end of summer R&R.  Actually, I have to (conveniently) be there for work on Tuesday and Wednesday so I decided to drag my husband along to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend with me there. 

I'm hoping that Isaac has already bid farewell to New England so that we can enjoy some pool time...






And I'm also hoping to visit with this little munchkin.  Did I tell you she's moving to Michigan?  She'll be only a few hours drive from Aunt Annie and Uncle Alex now.  :)





Obviously, we'll be posting some post-weeked updates that will likely include some great stories and funny pictures of us wearing rain ponchos and rocking out to Hall & Oates.  In the meatime though, have a safe, fun, and relaxing holiday weekend!


P.S. A Squared got a bit of a makeover this week... what do you think of our new look?

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

What's For Dinner Wednesay: Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

This past Wednesday we were at Jazzin' at the Shedd and were out quite a bit later than usual.  Though they were serving food there, Alex and I just grabbed some quick popcorn so that we could see everything before they closed.  This proved to not be the wisest choice-- after sipping wine all over the Shedd, we returned a little tipsy and a lot hungry.  With that in mind, dinner needed to be something that was quick and easy to make.  And filling.

Even though he's not a huge fan of pork chops, this recipe is one of Alex's favorites-- whenever he refers to the "good pork chops" I know that he means Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola, a fantastic Italian-style preparation for pork chops.  It's also nice to know that one of his favorite recipes is also one that is pretty low maintenance to prepare.  It's a one skillet dinner that's low in fat, includes cheap ingredients (win!), and packs a lot of flavor.  I'm thinking it would probably also work great for chicken breasts too.




Ingredients:


  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 boneless pork chops
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, in juice
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tsp. herbes de Provence
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until they are brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep them warm.
Add the onion to the same skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, herbes de Provence, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend and the juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and more red pepper flakes. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices from the plate to the skillet and turn the pork chops to coat with the sauce.


Based on original recipe by Giada De Laurentiis via FoodTV.com.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Weeknight Date: Jazzin' at the Shedd

One of the things I love most about living in the city is that there is always something fun and different to do-- no matter what the day of the week.  The other thing that I love is that you can often do these things on the cheap, if not free.  Packing a picnic dinner and catching a Movie in the Park, for instance, is always a great way to change up our weeknight routine. 


I bought a Groupon deal earlier this summer for Jazzin' at the Shedd and we finally put it to use on Wednesday night.  I think I have confessed previously on this blog that I have never been to the Shedd Aquarium (shame on me, I know!), but I have to say that this was a great way to see it.  A jazz band sets up shop right in the central atrium of the Aquarium and plays live music while you meander around checking out the exhibits.  They have bars and food vendors stationed all over the building and the majority of the exhibits stay open until at least 8 or 9 so it's a great combo of cocktail party and aquarium tour.  We spent a fun couple of hours checking the place out with a glass of wine in hand.  If you are 21+ and have never visited the Shedd Aquarium, definitely give it a try on a summer Wednesday-- It's so much fun!


Jellies

We found Nemo



Date night (in flats, obviously)




Baby beluga. My husband is not familiar with this song.  Tragic.

A beautiful Chicago evening

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Just For Fun: Peach Crisps For Two

Normally I would use Sunday night to craft a nice little weekend recap post for all of you, but am going in a bit of a different direction tonight.  We had a pretty uneventful weekend-- dinners at home/in the neighborhood, a big rainstorm, and some shopping and errands in preparation for a very busy Labor Day weekend ahead.

We made a nice Sunday dinner tonight, but I was really in the mood to bake something sweet tonight.  Normally I try not to give into these impulses as then we end up with a whole cheesecake or apple pie that I will inevitably end up eating for breakfast for the next five days.  Not a good way to start the week.

Instead, I decided to take one of my favorite recipes of my mom's and turn it into a healthier dessert for two.  The original recipe serves probably 6-8 people, so I did a little adapting so that we can eat them tonight and tonight only.  These peach crisps are seasonal (and this recipe works with a variety of fruits-- apples, pears, peaches, plums, blueberries), easy to make, and perfectly portioned for two-- once you try them you will understand why this is a go to dessert for my mom and me!




Individual Peach Crisps [for 2]

Ingredients:
  • 1 large ripe peach, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. granulate sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl combine peaches, lemon juice, and granulate sugar.  Once combined, arrange the peach mixture inside two 6-ounce oven-proof ramekins.  Be sure to leave room on top for the crisp layer.

In a small bowl stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter until combined and small clumps form.  Divide mixture evenly over the tops of each of the ramekins.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown and fruit begins to bubble around the edges.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Summer Recipe Round Up

I can't believe it, but Labor Day is about a week away now.  The arrival of the long holiday weekend is always a little bittersweet for me.  While I love fall and this weekend usually signals its arrival (or at least that it's right around the corner), it also means that summer is coming to a close and there are usually so many things that I wish I would have done in the sunny beautiful weather that I will inevitably shelve until next summer.  Then again, there is always next summer to look forward to!




One of the things that I will miss about the warm weather is summer food.  I really do love summertime dinners-- dining al fresco and cooking on the grill with fresh and seasonal ingredients.  With the last big weekend of the summer approaching, I thought now would be a good time for a little recipe roundup.  This is a collection of A Squared recipes that are summer appropriate-- seasonal produce, fresh herbs, grilled meats, and overall light meals that are still full of flavor. 

I'm looking forward to the feeling and flavors of fall, for sure.  But summer, we will really miss you!


Balsamic BBQ Chicken

BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

Carne Asada Fajitas

Farm Stand Veggie Pasta

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa 

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Greek Grilled Porkchops

Greek Pasta Toss

Grilled Corn Salad

Grilled Corn & Avocado Salsa

Grilled Rosemary Balsamic Tuna

Grilled Sesame Salmon with Vegetables

Lemon Grilled Chicken

Orange Chicken Salad

Orzo Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, & Pine Nuts

Pesto Pizza with Sausage, Goat Cheese, & Caramelized Onions

Potato & Green Bean Salad

Prosciutto & Asparagus Flatbread

Roasted Potato Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Vietnamese-Style Chicken Salad

White Bean & Artichoke Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

Thursday, August 23, 2012

City Walks #29 & #30: Wrigleyville & Boystown

For this weekend's City Walks we picked two that are only a few blocks from each other, but that couldn't be more different from one another-- Wrigleyville, home of the Chicago Cubs and Boystown, home to the best gay bars in the city.  Sounds like an interesting combo, right? 


City Walk #30: Boystown

The Boystown City Walk covers a small stretch of North Halsted in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.  Obviously, as its name implies Boystown is the center of gay culture in Chicago.  For about a year I worked just a few blocks away from this area so I am a bit familiar to the area, but Alex (a 10-year veteran of the Chicago area) is not very familiar with this little pocket of the city.  He was in for quite a treat.  :)


Based on our first stop, I was a little nervous that we were in for another walk where half the recommended stops are no longer in business.  Our first stop was supposed to be a men's apparel store called Bad Boys Chicago [1].  It is no longer in business and in its place is D.S. Tequila Co.  They had a really cut patio next door and a sign that reads "The Party Is Inside," so I'd frankly rather be hanging out here now than when it was Bad Boys.








The next stop was Roscoe's Cafe [2], one of the most well known bars/cubs in the neighborhood.  They also have some fabulous outdoor space and host tons of neighborhood events here.  They also had (in my opinion) one of the most impressive floats in the Pride Parade earlier this summer.











The next 3 sites on our walk were certainly the most amusing parts of it and definitely made it unlike any other City Walk we have been on yet.  First was Batteries Not Included [3] which carries "playfully kinky party games" and then Gaymart Chicago [4] across the street.  Probably the most scandalous of the 3 was next at Cupid's Treasures [5].  They have also since opened up their own leather goods store next door.  Enough said.




The next stop on the Walk made me laugh.  The card said that if we aren't "in the market for anything sexy, stop in at the inviting Caribou Coffee" [6].  For those of you not familiar with Caribou, it's a chain coffee shop and certainly not authentic to the neighborhood (like Nookie's Tree, an awesome breakfast place on this strip) so they could have also just told us to stop at Starbuck's or 7 Eleven too.










We ended this City Walk at The Gourmet Grape [7], a really cute little boutique wine shop just south of the Halsted/Addison intersection.  We decided to poke around inside, but I had to exercise some self control since we have just returned from a side trip to Traverse City with a trunk full of Michigan wine.

Because of the ways that the maps lined up (this one ends at Addison where the other begins) we actually walked Boystown first and then continued on to Wrigleyville...







 
#29: Wrigleyville

Next up for us was Wrigleyville, home to our very own Chicago Cubs and quite the opposite of neighboring Boystown.  Like Boystown, it's a bit of a micro-neighborhood within the Lakeview neighborhood and it is named after Wrigley Field.  We made sure to pick this City Walk for a day when the Cubs weren't in town as the neighborhood gets crazy when the fans take over Clark Street.  Wrigleyville is full of divey bars, fast food joints, and sports gear and souvenir shops.



Our first stop was none other than the famous Wrigley Field [1].  Some fun facts about Wrigley Field: It was built in 1914 and it is the second older ball park in the United States after Fenway Park (go Sox!).  They also sell out basically every game and it is much cheaper and easier to get tickets for a White Sox game.  However, the culture of the park and the devoted fans at Wrigley just can't be matched.  Just FYI if you're ever in the Windy City and looking to head to a ball game.








 Next up was Wrigleyville Sports [2] across the street.  They carry tons of Cubs gear (and lots of adorable miniature sized ones that I wanted to scoop up for my niece even though neither she nor I am a Cubs fan...) and Alex decided to see if he could find a Tyler Colvin jersey here even though he is no longer with the Cubs.  I'm pretty sure he offended the kids working behind the corner when he asked about it.  I'm telling you, these people take their baseball seriously.









The walk continued down Clark Street all the way to Belmont, but these were the only two "official" stops on the trip.  We've already been to a lot of the bars on this street so we stopped into a few more team stores in hopes of finding Alex his Colvin jersey (a no go), but we had one more unofficial stop to make.  Alex and I love the show Man Vs. Food and a few weeks ago we saw an old rerun of an episode where they visited Chicago and went to Lucky's in Wrigleyville.  Naturally, we had to stop in.  Lucky's is known for stuffing every element of the meal into each sandwich-- including your fries and coleslaw.  Needless to say, we were tired and full by the end of these Walks.



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

What's For Dinner Wednesday: Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Shells

It's a little strange, but it's August and there is a chill in the air here in Chicago.  I have to admit that after the hottest summer I have ever experienced in my life I am kind of loving it.  Also, fall is my favorite season so I certainly won't complain about a few extra weeks of crisp cool air and sleeping with the windows open.  With that in mind, I made a more hearty fall appropriate baked dish for dinner this week.

One of many college dinner parties at Maggie & Liz's house
Truthfully, I was going through my cupboards to figure out how I could use up some of the random things I have in there and came across some pasta shells that have been around forever.  Making stuffed shells is a much more involved process than a normal pasta dinner, which is probably why they've been in my pantry for months.  The last few times I have prepared them I have done a pretty traditional ricotta and spinach stuffing, but this time I decided to change it up a little.



Back in college my girlfriends Liz and Maggie hosted a Mexican-themed dinner party and somehow ended up preparing something like 10 lbs. of taco meat-- only a fraction of which was eaten at the party.  Everyone in their house was eating tacos all week and they had barely made a dent in the leftovers when Maggie decided to get a little innovative in the kitchen and she made Mexican stuffed shells for her roommates one night.  Brilliant!  I put my own spin on it this week and created chicken enchilada stuffed shells.  There's lots of room here for getting creative with fillings, sauces, and toppings. So have fun, make it your own, and enjoy!





Ingredients:

  • 8 large pasta shells
  • 1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Tbs. tomato paste
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 Tbs. cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 package Frontera Green Chile Enchilada Sauce *This is my cheat!
  • Reduced fat sour cream (or fat free plain Greek yogurt), diced avocado, diced scallions for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook shells according to package directions.  Drain the pasta well and set aside, allowing to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat a sautee pan over medium high heat and add olive oil.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, browning on each side.  Once the chicken is almost cooked through break it into smaller pieces with a spatula.  Add onions and peppers to the pan and sautee until softened, 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste and sautee for another 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and cumin to the pan.  Combine ingredients and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat and let the chicken mixture cool slightly.  Combine chicken mixture with cilantro and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.

Spread a thin even layer of enchilada sauce around the bottom of a small glass baking dish.  Fill each cooked shell with a few spoonfuls of the chicken and cheese mixture and arrange in baking dish.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the shells and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is fully melted and bubbly.  I also like to put the shells under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese browns a little on top.  Serve with sour cream, avocado, and scallions and enjoy.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Engagement Flashback

I can't believe it has been this long already, but today marks the two year anniversary of the day that Alex proposed to me.  In honor of this day, I'd like to take you on a little trip down memory lane and let you know how things transpired on the days leading up to that special evening...

In 2010 my birthday fell in the middle of the week, so when Alex started planning a big "surprise" for the weekend before my birthday I was feeling pretty confident that he was going to propose.  We had been together for a little over 3 years at that point and I had moved to Chicago for him-- it was about time!  He's also not one that is usually into elaborate plans and big surprises, so I knew that this had to be something special.  Also, I'm a bit Type A.  I hate being surprised and he knows that.  Little did I know I was in for a week full of them!


Alex making pasta sauce

I quizzed Alex endlessly about what we were doing and got nowhere-- except that I could dress casually.  We got on the Brown line on Saturday night and stop after stop I continued to guess: Dinner at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba?  No.  A Cubs game? No.  Blue Man Group Show? No.  Okay, the last two guesses would have really made me question whether Alex actually knew anything about me after 3+ years together, but the further north we went the more clueless I was about where we were going.  We finally ended up getting off the train at the Western stop.  Safe to say I had never been that far north on the train before!

We started walking through Lincoln Square and I saw a jewelry shop-- yay!  However, we kept walking right past it and into the Chopping Block where Alex had arranged a couple's Tuscan cooking class.  As you know, I love to cook and Italian food holds a special place in my heart so this really was a perfect gift for me (and it proved that-- sigh-- he really does know me!), but alas we made our food, we ate it, we headed home, and there was no engagement ring that night.


Me with my sisters Megan and Libby at Scoozi

My real birthday was a few days later and little did I know another surprise was planned.  At the time my dad was working in the Chicago suburbs a few days a week so we were having weekly dinners with him and my Uncle Greg (who also worked with him).  I knew that we'd be having dinner with them on my birthday evening.  That morning my sister Megan (above middle-- my twin, 11 years younger) accidentally spoiled surprise #2 by writing "Happy Birthday-- see you tonight! :)" on my Facebook wall.  Oops!  So that cat was out of the bag-- Mom, Megan, and my sister Libby had flown out to join us for a birthday dinner at Scoozi.  

Okay, my family is in town and it's my real birthday.  It seemed like this could be the night, right?  Alex is a bit of an introvert and isn't the kind of guy to make a scene in a restaurant like that though, so there was no ring that night and I assumed I'd be waiting until Christmas for my next potential engagement opportunity.


Kit, Michael, Alex, and me

By the following weekend, I had already shelved the hope for an engagement ring and was just trying to make plans with friends.  Alexis was totally avoiding making any plans with me for the weekend, which really annoyed me-- she's my best friend!  What gives?  Alex was equally annoying on Friday when we were texting at work and I was trying to make plans for dinner.  He just kept saying "let's just talk about it after work."  I'm a planner.  This doesn't work for me.  


Alex and me with Kerri and Scott


I got home to find a note from Alex on the kitchen counter.  He said he was taking me out for a nice birthday dinner and this time it would be just the two of us.  I got dressed up and again, quizzed him about where we were going.  He had made reservations at Coco Pazzo-- a nice Italian place that I had always wanted to try.  He was not himself at dinner-- preoccupied and in a huge rush.  He almost didn't let me get dessert.  Seriously?  Don't mess with my dessert.  This is MY birthday dinner, after all.  I also didn't realize it at the time, but the maitre d' was all over us the whole night-- really overly attentive.  Apparently he was tipped off by Alex's bosses that a proposal may happen that evening... everyone was in on it!


Morgan, me, Alexis (MoH), and Tara

We left the restaurant and walked back toward home when Alex stopped me on the Kinzie Street Bridge.  I've always said that I wanted to take my wedding pictures here since the bridge has such a great view of the Chicago skyline.  We were looking at the skyline when Alex pulled out a ring and (finally) popped the question.  It was perfect and I can honestly say that I was totally surprised.  He did an awesome job and the ring was exactly what I wanted-- a simple solitaire on a tapered band that was not yellow gold.  


Tony (groomsman), Kyle, Cheryl, Amy, me, Nate (groomsman), and Alex

After it sank in for a few minutes Alex said we should go to New Line Tavern to celebrate with a drink.  I contested.  I was tired and overwhelmed and I just wanted to go home and call my mom.  But he insisted, so we walked to New Line and I walked over to the bar, but heard cheering behind me and turned around to see our best Chicago friends in the back of the pub waiting for us.  Surprise #3!  Or was the ring #3 and the impromptu engagement party surprise #4?  I lost count, but it was a fantastic way to celebrate our big news. 


Alex and Ted

I also failed to mention that Alex took Alexis along to select my ring and she also helped him plan the whole surprise.  No wonder she was being so shifty!  We also came to realize that I have much fatter fingers than her and I was wearing my engagement ring around on my pinky finger that evening.


Reflection of my ring-- sized to fit!-- in the "bean"

We celebrated with all of our friends, I called my parents, and then I just wanted to go to sleep.  What an exhausting evening!  Of course I didn't sleep at all.  I just wanted to get up and go to the jeweler and get my ring resized.  The next morning we got up bright and early-- I think I had slept a total of 45 minutes. We went to the jeweler to get that done and on our way back Alex suggested that we stop and grab some lunch.  I suggested a place and he shot it down almost immediately.  Seriously?  Why was he being such a brat this weekend?  He suggested we go to Hannah's Bretzel for a sandwich.  We turned the corner to get to Hannah's and there was my final surprise for the weekend: Brad and Kristen-- two of our best friends from Boston (who now live in L.A.) were waiting outside the restaurant for us.  It was truly a huge surprise and such a fun/great/memorable way to end a weekend full of surprises.


Kristen and me with our favorite chocolate martinis

Kristin, Brad, and Alex at Jefferson Tap

And as much as I hate being surprised, I couldn't have dreamed up a better proposal story if you had asked me to.  Thank you, Alex for pulling out all of the stops.  You continue to surprise me every day.  In a good way.  :)  I love you!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

A Lovely Weekend to Welcome 28

What a fabulous weekend for a birthday.  On Friday I celebrated my 28th and basically continued to celebrate all weekend-- with my wonderful husband, great friends, gorgeous weather, and some really good food.  I'm not usually big on celebrating my own birthday, but I really couldn't have asked for a better one (except, of course, for my 26th when I received a diamond ring, but more on that later).  Here are some photos of our wonderful weekend.  Hope you enjoyed yours as well!


A Squared

On Friday night Alex took me to dinner at Mindy's Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park.  I have always wanted to try this place and what better occasion to to try a restaurant known for its desserts than my birthday?  I had this amazing chocolate souffle and Alex ordered the key lime pie-- his all time favorite.

Oh, and if you were wondering about my gift-- he gave me the Clarisonic gift set.  Thanks for your comments on this product, girls!


chocolate souffle with salted caramel ice cream

key lime pie

After dinner we met up with my bestie Alexis for some cocktails and amazing/hysterical people watching in Wicker Park.  Alex is always such a good sport to put up with listening to the two of us. :)

BFFs
Some birthday bubbly

 On Saturday our friend Mike invited us out on his boat to watch the annual Chicago Air & Water Show.  Confession time: In the 4 summers that I have lived in Chicago I have never actually watched it.  Shame on me! We had the perfect weather for the show and watching it from the vantage point of the boat (basically right under the planes) made it even more exciting.




With the nice weather (meaning not 98 degrees and 100% humidity) we decided to grill out and enjoy a relaxed romantic dinner on our balcony.  It was the perfect night for it and I am hoping we'll get a few more chances to dine al fresco before fall arrives.

A little caprese amuse-bouche

Date night on our balcony

On Sunday I met up with Kit from TheKittchen for a post-wedding married girls brunch.  It was great to catch up and share a few wedding war stories.  :)

And just when you thought the eating was over, Alex and I spent the afternoon on two more City Walks on the Northside (more on those later) and decided to make a stop at Lucky's Sandwich Company in Wrigleyville.  We'd seen it on Man Vs. Food and it has been on Alex's list of extreme food venues to try.  Their shtick is that your whole meal (coleslaw and fries) is stuffed inside your sandwich.  I'm still in a bit of a food coma.




For our dinner date night at home Alex grilled some steaks and squash (STILL left over from my mom's Michigan farm stand bounty!) and I made a roasted potato salad based on a recipe that I found on Pinterest.  It was filling, but still pretty light.  A great summer side dish!



Roasted Potato Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, roughly diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 Tbs. fat free Greek plain yogurt
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the diced potatoes with 2 Tbs. oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Remove from oven and let cool about 15 minutes in a large bowl. Then add the celery and green onions.

In the meantime, whisk together the remaining 2 Tbs. oil, yogurt, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over the roasted potatoes, add thyme and parsley to the bowl, and toss to coat.

Recipe derived from original courtesy of Bev Cooks.
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