Hooray!  Hooray!  The kids are going back to school!  I am ready for them to have something to do everyday that doesn't require me entertaining them. I have usually had help so I can do my own work projects while the kids are home.  This summer I figured the kids were old enough, had things going on, and we didn't need help.  

Wrong.

It has been a long summer of entertaining children and not exactly working.  Things really fell off.  I missed this.  I missed you.  I missed working and creating.  I cannot wait for these little people to GO BACK TO SCHOOL already.

To celebrate (it makes them feel special, not just a celebration for me) I created a healthy version of our favorite dinner featuring Portobello Burgers + Dry Zero Sugar Cola.    

All summer we have eaten more burgers than it seemed possible in one summer.  We'd go to someone's house - burgers.  We went to Chelan - burgers.  We couldn't figure out what else to eat - burgers.  No one wanted to cook inside - burgers.  

When we start going back to school, I try to make things a little healthier.  My family isn't a huge 'mushroom family' because Mr. Hedin and I aren't the biggest mushroom eaters.  But I am trying harder to make sure my children have eaten everything.  Portobello mushroom caps are a great start.  They have a meaty flavor and texture that is simple for "newbies" to get into.  I layered mine with guacamole + Swiss cheese which also helps for people who haven't had much exposure to mushrooms.  

Portobello Burger

serves 4

STEP 1

Marinade the mushrooms in white wine, balsamic, oil, and garlic.  Let rest 10-15 minutes.  (15-20 mins)

STEP 2

Grill the mushrooms on either a hot barbecue or a grill pan.  Continue to baste with remaining marinade. Toast the buns while you’re at it.  5-6 mins

STEP 3

Top each mushroom with a piece of cheese and let melt.  

STEP 4

Add tomato slices, guacamole, and lettuce.  Serve hot. 

4 large portobello mushroom caps

½ cup white wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated

4 leaves iceberg lettuce

4 slices Swiss Cheese

½ cup guacamole

1 beefsteak tomato, sliced

4 brioche buns

Is anything more natural than a burger and a cola? But if you're making changes to your burger - why not make your cola a little healthier too?  DRY - my very favorite soda company in the whole wide world - has come out with new colas!  I paired my burger with the basic DRY Zero Sugar cola and it was perfect.  Not only do the new Dry Zero Sugar Colas not have sugar, but they are organic.  It's also not shabby with a little whiskey...

How are you celebrating the kids going back to school?  A little mothers brunch?  Cocktails at noon?  Let me know! 

Sponsored by DRY Soda

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This was one of the first recipes I wrote for Weeknight Society and I don't think it's hard to see why!  I love a good Bloody Mary.  I don't just love them because it's a great cocktail that is delicious but there is always something festive going on when Bloody Mary's are being poured.  They are always being poured at Husky tailgates, on vacation in Palm Springs, and when I invite the other PTA moms over to plan something very important.  

This is the best way to combine all of those delicious, crunchy, pickle-y, spicy flavors in a way that doesn't get frowned upon because of the whole booze situation.  It also doesn't take very long to cook since it's just a flank steak + a pasta salad.  Even better, if the weather has finally warmed up in your area then you can pop this on the barbecue.  

Enjoy!

BLOODY MARY STEAK

serves 4

STEP 1

In a heavy mixing bowl with a large wooden spoon, crush celery seed with garlic, horseradish, salt and pepper.  When combined into a paste, add lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and tomatoes.  Stir until combined.  Spread generously on the steak.  Let rest at least 10 minutes.  

STEP 2

Cook orzo according to package directions.  When cooked, drain noodles then toss with capers, celery, chives, tomatoes, beans, and olives.  In a small bowl or mason jar combine Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and reserved olive or caper juice. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine everything.  

STEP 3

Heat the barbecue grill to hot.  Sear the steak on each side 5-7 minutes.  Check the temperature for doneness.  Cooking time will vary depending on how thick your cut of meat is.  When a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees, remove the meat from the grill.  Let it sit on a cutting board covered with aluminum foil or a large bowl for at least 5 minutes.  Slice against the grain in long thin slices.

2 pounds flank steak

1 tablespoon celery seed

½ teaspoon horseradish

½ teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 cloves garlic, grated

½ lime, juiced

1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 tablespoons capers

½ cup chopped celery, about 3 large stalks

1 teaspoon chives

2 large tomatoes, about ½ cup chopped

½ cup chopped pickled beans, about 10-12

½ cup chopped green olives + 1 tbs reserved olive juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

How to pull it off

1.     Prepare the marinade for the steak and slather it on the steak.  Set aside

2.     Cook the orzo & let it cool

3.     Start cooking the steak – pop it on the barbecue or in the oven

4.     Chop the vegetables for the salad

5.     Check steak – pull it off the heat if it’s done.

6.     Toss the salad with dressing

7.     Slice the steak

* If you want to get a head start, marinade the steak up to 24 hours in advance

Sometimes all it takes to feel like you're on vacation is the right dinner.  That's where a Hawaiian Burger come in.  It's a vacation on a bun.  The combination of fresh pineapple + teriyaki sauce + a little spice is a perfect tribute to the Hawaiian islands.  

Also, because it's done in 20 minutes, you can kick back and relax with a little tropical cocktail to really sell the whole vacation thing.  

HAWAIIAN BURGER

serves 4

STEP 1

In a saucepan over low heat, cook together ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 cup reserved pineapple juice (drained from the can), 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove grated garlic, and 2 tbs brown sugar until bubbling.  In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbs corn starch and ¼ cup water – quickly whisk into the bubbling pan and cook one minute until thick.

STEP 2

In a bowl, combine ground beef, 1 tsp grated ginger, and ¼ cup teriyaki sauce that you just made.  Mix until well combined.  Form into patties. 

STEP 3

Chop pineapple slices and combine them in a bowl with jalapeno and red onion.  Set aside.

STEP 4

Cook hamburger patties in a grill pan on the stove or on the barbecue until a meat thermometer reads 135 degrees.  Butter the buns and grill them along side the burgers. 

STEP 5

Spread mayonnaise on one side of the buns and top with hamburger patty, pineapple salsa, lettuce, a slice of swiss cheese, and a spoonful of teriyaki sauce. 

1.5 lb ground beef

2 tsp ginger, grated

1 can pineapple slices

¼ cup soy sauce

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 egg, beaten

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

½ red onion, chopped

4 ounces swiss cheese, sliced

1 head romaine lettuce

2 tbs Mayonnaise

4 Hamburger Buns

I have found that if I put food on a kabob my kids will eat it.  So when I find flavors that I love, I put them on a stick so we don't have to argue about how many bites we have to eat before I lose my mind.

These Hawaiian Kabobs with pineapple and bell pepper and a delicious teriyaki sauce on top are the perfect "trip on a plate" dinner.  Make a mai tai, grab fake leis for the kids and do a little hula.  At my house, we'd also have to screen Forgetting Sarah Marshall after the kids were in bed.  That part's optional, but HIGHLY recommended.  

HAWAIIAN KABOB

serves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together soy, lime juice and zest, sesame oil, and pineapple juice from the can.

STEP 2

Combine cubes of pork with half of the pineapple sauce.  Let rest.

STEP 3

In a sauce pan, combine 3 cups water with rice.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover until cooked – about 20 minutes. 

STEP 4

Thread pork, bell pepper, pineapple, jalapeno rings, and onion on a skewer.  Place skewers on a lined baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes until pork is cooked through.

STEP 5

Whisk cornstarch into remaining pineapple sauce and heat in microwave for three minutes at one minute intervals whisking between each minute. 

STEP 6

Serve skewers over rice and pour the thickened pineapple sauce on the skewers.

1.5 lb boneless pork chops, cubed

1 can pineapple chunks

1 jalapeno, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 tbs soy sauce

1 lime zested & juiced

2 tbs sesame oil

½ cup pineapple juice, drained from the can

1 ½ cups rice

1 tbs cornstarch

The best brunch I know is the Huevos Rancheros at Norma's in Palm Springs.  You can read everything I like to do with my family on this blog post here.  If you aren't planning a trip to the desert soon, then make these Huevos Rancheros at home - they were inspired by Norma's but I added a boat load of sausage to jazz things up.  

SKILLET HUEVOS RANCHEROS

serves 4

STEP 1

Cook onion and chorizo together in a skillet until chorizo is cooked through and onion is soft.  Stir in black beans.

STEP 2

Lay one tortilla in a large skillet and top with sliced cheese.  Add the other tortilla on top of the cheese and cook 2-3 minutes over high heat until tortilla is crispy on the bottom.  Remove from heat.

STEP 3

Pour chorizo mixture over top the tortilla sprinkle tomato over top and create four small ‘wells’ in the toppings.  Crack and egg into each of the wells. 

STEP 4

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until egg whites have set completely but yolks are still tender.  Top with sour cream, avocado, and cilantro to serve.  Add some hot sauce too!

2 large ‘burrito style’ tortillas

8 oz jack cheese, thinly sliced

1 can black beans, drained

1 lb chorizo

½ yellow onion, sliced

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 eggs

1 avocado

½ cup sour cream

½ cup cilantro, chopped

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Every party dinner needs a dessert.  A good one.  This year with my 'clean eating' Easter, a 'clean'-ish dessert was needed.  It's a no-dairy, no-wheat, low sugar dessert that's perfect for the season!  It's full of berries, full of champagne, and is an AMAZING brunch dessert because it's light and refreshing.  

You can choose to use what ever berries you want - this would be great just packed with strawberries - but I love how it looks with all different berries floating on the inside.  There is champagne in the dessert so you can choose if it's a 'kid-dessert' in your house or not.  Because the champagne cooks for a few minutes + it's not much, I let my kids have some of it.  They don't love it so it works out all the way around - they don't feel excluded and I don't feel like I'm feeding my kids champagne.  

MIMOSA BERRY TERRINE

serves 4

4 cups mixed berries

2 envelopes gelatin

1 cup champagne

1 cup DRY Blood Orange

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed orange juice

STEP 1

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of the champagne.  Let sit until the gelatin melts.

STEP 2

Spray the bottom of a glass container with cooking oil and layer all of the berries in the dish.

STEP 3

Heat the remaining champagne and sugar over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk in gelatin, DRY Sparkling, and orange juice..  Let cool slightly.

STEP 4

Pour gelatin mixture over the berries.  Place in the refrigerator and let cool at least 6 hours.  But ideally overnight.  

Spring and strawberries go together like rhubarb and spring.  It's a natural combination.   This simple salad is a perfect accessory to a brunch or lunch.  Or, you can pack it as your "no sad desk lunch" lunch.  It's really good.  You've only got a day or so until the strawberries start to wilt so eat fast.  

It's the perfect Easter dish which is why I paired it with my lemon pepper salmon for a delicious clean eating Easter dinner.  When you're "eating clean" sometimes it feels like you're "eating boring" - this changes that.  At least with one recipe!

STRAWBERRY MINT QUINOA

serves 4

STEP 1

In a glass bowl, combine quinoa and water.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave for five minutes until cooked through.  Add more time if needed.

STEP 2

Remove quinoa from the microwave, uncover, and fluff with a fork.  Let cool 10 minutes.

STEP 3

Toss quinoa with strawberries, mint, olive oil, and balsamic.  Taste and season with salt.  

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1 cup chopped strawberries

2 tablespoons chopped mint

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

salt

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When you're on Paleo or Whole 30 or Keto or AIP or really anything that's remotely restrictive, you are often bored with food or hungry.  I know. I've been there.  I'm still often there.  Due to my limited will power, I still often have cookies but I do try.  Mr. Hedin has epic will power and he doesn't eat dairy, wheat, refined sugar, or chocolate.  I couldn't live.  

But when we do dinner, I follow the rules.  No cheese, no breads, no sugary desserts.  When I hosted Easter, we had to do all of those rules + no eggs.  Which means salmon.  Also, my kids are really good 'pink fish' eaters.  So it's a win all the way around.

There's a thing with salmon.  Buy wild salmon that's responsibly harvested.  Please.  Atlantic farm salmon does not taste like salmon.  In many cases it's irresponsibly farmed and poses a threat to wild fish populations.  Please buy wild.  Purchase at a responsible vendor.  

LEMON PEPPER SALMON

serves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place cleaned salmon on top.  

STEP 2

Spread asparagus around the salmon on the baking sheet.  Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Top the salmon with lemon slices.

STEP 3

Place in a preheated oven and bake 10-15 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.  Test it by placing a fork in the middle and separating it slightly.  

STEP 4

Serve on a platter while still warm.

2 pounds wild salmon

1 lemon, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper

1 large bunch asparagus

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As long as it's St. Patrick's Day and it's on a Saturday, why not start the day with a little 'Irish Cocoa?' There is nothing more dreamy than real homemade hot cocoa and when you pop in a little Frangelico and a few lucky charm marshmallows on top.  Dreamy.  Lucky.

Top of the mornin' to you!

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A Reuben sandwich is possibly my favorite sandwich of all the sandwiches.  Seriously, could anything be better?  Any time they are on a menu, that's my order.  My mouth is watering right now just looking at the pictures.  I really really want a reuben right now.  

Good news.  They take 10 minutes to make - so I can have one right now and so can you.  It's the perfect "oops I forgot St. Patrick's Day" dinner or the "I was busy all day and didn't spend hours cooking corned beef" dinner.  Or, the "I love a reuben dinner." 

REUBEN SANDWICH

serves 4

STEP 1

Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon juice.  Let rest.

STEP 2

Butter one side of each piece of bread.  Spread the other side with Dijon mustard. 

STEP 3

Layer a slice of cheese on top of four slices of bread (on top of the Dijon).  Add pastrami equally divided amongst sandwiches.

STEP 4

Top pastrami with sauerkraut and another slice of cheese. 

STEP 5

Top cheese with remaining slices of bread and toast the sandwiches over medium heat in a skillet. 

STEP 6

Slice and serve with homemade Thousand Island dipping sauce.

1 lb sliced pastrami

8 slices rye bread

2 tbs butter

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 cup Sauerkraut

8 slices Swiss cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 tbs lemon juice

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