Easy 3-Ingredient Mexican-Style Hummus

May 5, 2017 By Laura

Elevate store bought hummus to another level of delicious with this easy 3-Ingredient Mexican-Style Hummus. Your seconds from an impressive-looking dip piled with festive toppings.

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Eating on the Run + WIAW

April 19, 2017 By Laura

Remember last week when I said I was lazy?

Famous last words.

This weekend was anything BUT lazy. We hosted an Easter brunch that lasted all day long, plus I prepped a ton of balsamic chicken for Vegas to grill (she’s the grill master). I even managed to get to the gym every morning too!

Check out our Easter spread:

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Jicama & Tajin Chili Powder Salad [Recipe]

September 9, 2016 By Laura

Raise your hand if you know what a whole jicama looks like.

My sister and Vegas both asked me what it was.

This crazy-looking thing is a tuber. They’re more common in Mexico and South American, but you can find them pretty easily in American markets thanks to their growing popularity. Especially in simple dishes like this Jicama & Tajin Salad.

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Cauliflower Fiesta Waffles

September 19, 2014 By Laura

I’ve had lots of bad ideas.

I’m talking about recipes here… 😉

As I was mixing these up I thought “this is either my best or worst [waffle] idea ever.” Turns out, it was the best… in a strange way, of course. 😉

I’ve made a lot of unusual stuff with cauliflower. One of my go-to is this pizza crust. I also rocked some pancakes with this versatile vegetable. So why not a waffle?

I decided on a savory waffle, but you can easily change up the spices to make it sweet. For “brinner,” savory seemed the way to go. It’s a thinner batter, but if you grease the waffle iron liberally it wont stick. I used coconut oil cooking spray.

My veggie toppings were easily prepped while I was making the waffle. I sautéed bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It looked like a fiesta!

You could stop with the veggies to keep it vegetarian. I used a little turkey to get more protein, and added a quick sauce made from hummus mixed with hot sauce and a little ACV.

Cauliflower Fiesta Waffles

100g cauliflower
1 T nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp garlic powder
6T egg whites

Preheat waffle iron. Place ingredients in a blend or food processor and mix until batter is (mostly) smooth.

Grease iron very well (I used coconut oil). Cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions.

Plate and top as desired. While my waffle cooked, I sautéed bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and turkey to use on top. I also sauced my waffle with a mixture of hummus, hot sauce, and a little apple cider vinegar.

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

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I just realized… this is my 1,000th post! Thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to read over the past (almost) 4 years!

What would you top a savory waffle with?

Did anyone try the sweet eggplant french toast (waffle)?

Peach Salsa Tortilla Pie

June 27, 2014 By Laura

It’s not my birthday yet…

But pass me the sombrero!

I brought my sweet and salty tooth beyond just breakfast and dessert this week. Fruit and salsa are one of the best combos. Tomatoes are technically a fruit. Strangely enough, they are legally a vegetable.

If you haven’t tried fruity salsa, I especially recommend experimenting with mango, strawberry, and pineapple. It’s easy enough to make yourself (make salsa, add fruit), but I fell victim ~~once again~~ to Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods. Sunday I trotted home with a jar of the good stuff and an idea for the fresh corn tortillas I bought at the farmer’s market.

Originally these were going to be enchiladas, but I broke the tortillas. Instead, I decided to layer the pieces and call it pie! Pie always wins.

The tortillas I used were small (~8-inch) corn tortillas made fresh at the farmer’s market. This mean they were gluten-free, for those that care. You can use anything you like; sprouted tortillas would be great in this too!

The strangest part to some of you may not be the fruity salsa, but the cod. If you think that’s too weird (it really is good!), you could add any protein here. Try chicken, shrimp, ground beef… or even tempeh to make it vegan!

Peach Salsa Tortilla Pie

2 pieces of cod (~12 ounces)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
6 corn tortillas
1/2 C peach salsa
2 green onions, diced
1 C kale, chopped
1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
1/2 C red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (optional – I love heat)
Avocado, to top

Preheat oven to 375. Place cod on a pan, top with lemon juice, and cook until barely done (~7-8 mis). Remove from oven and allow to cool before breaking into smaller pieces.

Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of a pyrex (I lined mine with foil for easier clean up). Layer with 1/4 C salsa, 1 onion, 1/2 C kale, 1/4 C mushrooms, 1/4 C bell pepper, and 1/2 the jalapeño (if using). Repeat layer, and top with remaining tortillas (2). Top with additional salsa.

Cover and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, then remove cover and bake an additional 5-10 mins to crisp the top. You could also top with cheese here. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly to solidify. Cut into wedges, top with avocado slices, and enjoy!

Makes 6 servings.

If you’re not a blogger, you can still share your recipes on Instagram with the #strangebutgood hashtag.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

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With all these peach recipes, I’m going to have to quit getting annoyed by the Georgia Peach nickname.

Have you ever had a fruit-laced salsa? What is your favorite fruit to add?

What kind of tortillas do you prefer? I love the weight that corn tortillas have.

5K Comeback + Fiesta Night

June 23, 2014 By Laura

I used to be fast.

I also used to run a lot.

It’s funny how must faster you get when you get when you run a race. I’ve been running a little bit. Slowly. On a whim I decided to run a 5K Saturday morning. It turns out I hadn’t been pushing myself as hard as I thought I had been on my jogs.

I lined up for the 5K not expecting much out of myself. It was already pretty hot and incredibly humid at 8am when the race started, but once I took off I felt like running a little faster. Half way through I realized I was pacing pretty well… so I went for it. 25:52 went it, to be exact. I finished 3rd in my age group (which is now 30+ – when did that happen?!) and 14th out of the women! Kind of a nice surprise… and now I feel like running more 5Ks.

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Healthy Jicama Latkes

May 16, 2014 By Laura

Latkes.

They’re not just for Hanukkah anymore!

Latkes are usually made with potatoes and are a traditional dish eaten during Hanukkah. They’re also known as potato pancakes. If you know me, you know I don’t like white potatoes and I’m not Jewish (though I adore matzo ball soup). Also, it’s nowhere near Hanukkah. Clearly a strange but good hack was needed… Healthy Jicama Latkes!

Never one to be bothered with tradition, I was determined not to let these little details derail me from an idea. I wanted to use jicama and carrot to make latkes.

So really, these are just jicama and carrot pancakes… with a Mexican twist. Why Mexican? Why NOT? I love Mexican food!

Call it whatever you’d like, but these ‘cakes will have you celebrating Hanukkah in May.

The bonus is that they’re a bit healthier than the traditional dish. They aren’t fried in a ton of oil and are less starch-y than a latke. They cover all the buzz words: gluten-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly, vegetarian. And they’re strangely easy!

Jicama Latkes

1/2 jicama (~150 grams)
1 medium carrot
1/4 C egg whites
1/2 tsp Mexican spice blend

Grate jicama and carrot coarsely by hand. Squeeze excess water. Mix in a bowl with egg whites and your favorite spice blend.

Heat a bit or coconut oil or cooking spray in pan over medium heat. Divide latke batter into 4 even parts and press into pan as a pancake. Cook ~5 minutes on each side, or until latkes are lightly browned.

Plate and top as desired. I served mine over greens and turkey, then topped it with salsa and avocado.

Makes 4 latkes.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

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I’m not home yet, but I’ll be making these again when I get there… especially after all the Swiss treats… #sorryimnotsorry

Have you ever had a latke?

What is your favorite healthy hack for a traditional recipe?

Cinco de Strange But Good

May 2, 2014 By Laura

I’m stranging-up Mayo!

(That’s May, not mayonnaise.)

It occurred to me that many of my Mexican-inspired creations are a bit strange. Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines, and I’m always looking for a good way to shake it up!

No matter what time of day you celebrate, I have an appropriately themed dish!