Little Effort Big Taste, Meatless Monday, Side Dish, Vegetables

Roasted Carrots with Chimichurri and Queso Blanco

I used the Chimichurri recipe I posted earlier this week for this.  It will go on my permanent rotation for lunches.

Roasted Carrots with Chimichurri and Queso Blanco

Sweet roasted carrots with herby, spicy chimichurri and topped with salty queso fresco
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Fusion
Keyword: carrots, chimichurri, meatless Monday, queso fresco, roasted vegetables
Servings: 2
Calories: 284kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Chimichurri sauce
  • 2 tbsp queso fresco crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lbs carrots preferably rainbow, peeled and cut into strips
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°
  • Peel carrots and cut into strips
  • Lay parchment paper on baking sheet
  • Season carrots with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with the tip of a sharp knife
  • With the tip of a spoon, paint a streak of chimichurri sauce (about 1 tablespoon)
  • Crumble queso fresco (1 tablespoon each) over carrots and serve

Nutrition

Serving: 8oz | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 798mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 38659IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 1mg
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Sauces

Chimichurri Sauce

In absolutely no way am I going to say that I reinvented the wheel with this recipe.  This sauce is steeped deeply in tradition and I’m just along for the incredibly flavorful ride.  I experimented with the flavors until I came up with a combo that I love.  This is about the 3rd or 4th rendition I tried to make of this beloved sauce.  We use chimichurri on just about everything at home and I try to make as much homemade as possible.  We love it and we hope you’ll love it too.

Chimichurri Sauce

Green, spicy, herby sauce originating from Argentina. A must have in my house
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Argentinian
Keyword: cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, habanero, kosher salt, oregano, parsley, red wine vinegar
Servings: 6
Calories: 170kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped and packed well
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 habanero pepper finely minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse cilantro and parsley well, wrap in several towels to gently dry
  • Mince parsley well and pack into a cup
    1 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
  • Mince cilantro well
    2 tbsp fresh cilantro
  • Set herbs aside
  • Crush and mince garlic
    2 cloves garlic
  • Finely chop habenero
  • Add oregano to the bottom of a small glass bowl. Add pepper and garlic
  • Add red wine vinegar and mix well to coat the dried oregano and pepper/garlic mixture to soften and bloom. Let sit in bowl for a few minutes
  • Add parsley and cilantro to bowl
  • Add olive oil and gently stir with a fork
  • Store in a glass container for up to 2-3 days

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 1303IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
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Local Finds, New Jersey restaurants

Mi Sabor

Flemington is a little gem of a town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.  It once hosted a bustling outlet mall, which opened in the early 1980’s.  It was the first of it’s kind, but that was hardly the only reason to visit there.

Dating back to the 1700’s, Flemington has a rich history and has retained that inherent charm.  For people that live in New Jersey, we know that we have the best of all conceivable worlds and I would argue, some of the best restaurants around.

My husband and I are on a mission to find the hidden local gems and boy oh boy, did we find one in Flemington.  Tucked in a little corner, is a fantastic place called Mi Sabor, which translates to My Taste.

My first impression was how quaint this place is.  It has a warm and welcoming vibe.  The first thing that greets you as you open the door, is the enticing aroma of good, fresh food.  Our waiter greeted us like we were old friends.  It was as if we walked into his home and sat down in his living room.  The walls are painted in bright, bold, beautiful colors.  There’s traditional music and concerts playing on a large television.

   

The menu is concise and the most expensive item I saw was about $20.  The nachos, unlike some of the chain restaurants, are perfectly covered in a thin layer of melted cheese.  You can pull them off of the pile and separate them without bringing the whole plate along for the ride with the one chip because of the cement casing of cheese that qualifies for nachos in some places.  It’s piled with shredded chicken (you can also order steak), black beans, lettuce, tomato and cheese and what I would humbly submit, is the best guacamole I’ve ever tasted.

We both ordered fish tacos which were delivered on adorable plates with a compartment for each taco (3 total) and a side of the lightest, fluffiest rice I’ve ever had.  Though sleek and simple, these tacos have so much flavor.   The fish is lightly salted and breaded and fried to golden perfection.  The acidity of the tomatoes leans against the bite of the cilantro which melds into the heat of the peppers which is balanced by the buttery coolness of the avocado.  I could eat these every day.

For a treat, please consider going to this lovely little slice of heaven.  The warmth they showed us was the sunshine we needed on a considerably frigid  Saturday afternoon.  I can’t wait to go back and try every dish they have.

Mi Sabor is at 21 Central Avenue Flemington NJ.

https://www.misabornj.com/

 

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Breakfast

Buttermilk Cinnamon Spice Belgian Waffles

My family loves waffles; my grandson in particular. Apparently he also loves contributing to the blog. He helped with the photo shoot for this recipe, so styling kudos go to him.

These waffles have a lot of flavor. You can slice up fruit and top with whipped cream. Put on a pat of butter and cinnamon sugar or homemade preserves; or just use a generous pour of rich maple syrup. Whatever your preference, these are sure to make the whole family happy.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Spice Belgian Waffles

Weekend breakfasts are the best. These waffles will make the whole house happy.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Rest Time/Heat Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Belgian, French
Keyword: brown sugar, buttermilk, cinnamon, waffles
Servings: 6
Calories: 357kcal

Equipment

  • 1 small pot
  • 1 small bowl
  • 1 large batter bowl
  • 1 waffle iron
  • 1 small scraper
  • 1 1/2 cup measuring cup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, and cooled to room temp
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • cooking spray as needed
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a small pot. Leave to cool on stovetop
  • In a large bowl or batter bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and brown sugar Break up and brown sugar lump with fingers and use a whisk to combine
    2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • In a small bowl, gently beat eggs, add vanilla paste and add to large batter bowl
    2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • Add butter and gently fold
    1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • Add buttermilk and mix gently to combine. The batter will be lumpy.
    2 cups buttermilk
  • Let batter sit for about 10 minutes as you heat the waffle iron
  • About 1/2 cup per waffle should do. I use a little scraper to get all of the batter out of the cup.
  • The waffle iron I use is a Cuisinart round. It usually is about eight minutes per waffle

Notes

 
Have a happy breakfast

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 799mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg
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Fish, Little Effort Big Taste

Halibut on a Bed of Sweet Onion

Sweet onions and butter infuse the fish with a dreamy, herby, delicate flavor.

Halibut on a Bed of Sweet Onion

Salty, herb scented butter carry this dish. The halibut gently cooks on a bed of thick slices of sweet onion
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Archar's Seafood, butter, halibut, Paysan Breton, Rodney Strong, seven barrels, white wine
Servings: 2
Calories: 603kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet onion - cut into slices like Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla
  • 4 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • kosher salt if desired you can skip this since salted butter is being used. I added a tiny amount with the pepper
  • 1/2 cup white wine I used Rodney Strong 2019 Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/3 lb halibut steaks cut as uniformly as possible
  • 1 tsp Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Seven Barrels
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°
  • Trim the ends from the onion and remove peel. Cut into thick slices
  • Heat the pan on high heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and lay onions in a single layer
  • If desired, rinse the fish. Pat dry. Season generously with fresh cracked pepper. If desired, add a little kosher salt
  • Lay fish steaks on top of onion slices. Add wine and rosemary sprigs. Lower heat slightly. Top with the last of the butter.
  • Baste the fish with the melted butter and add lemon juice
  • Carefully put pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until a sharp knife easily goes through filet
  • Carefully remove from oven and baste with juices again. Drizzle with a little bit of Meyer Lemon Olive Oil to tastes.

Notes

We exclusively use Archar Seafood on Hamilton Street in Somerset, New Jersey for our fish.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 302g | Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 1597mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 918IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg
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