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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A few years ago I hosted Easter brunch.  It was a small group, my sister, her boyfriend, my husband and our kids.  Within that group we don't eat eggs, wheat, dairy, or refined sugars.  Since I revel in a challenge, I saw this as a chance to really test what I could make.  Mr. Hedin and I have lived on quinoa for months when we first started eating clean.  I was still researching what else we could eat and relied on quinoa to fill in the blanks.  

I really wanted to serve strawberries and mint and how amazing would that be with quinoa??  Turns out, really delicious.  Really really delicious.  The trick with it is to make it first because when it rests for about an hour, it's really perfect.  

Salmon is a natural choice.  When you can't eat eggs, dairy, or wheat you can't make an overnight casserole.  Or Eggs Benedict.  Or pastries of any kind.  That sounds depressing.  It's not - salmon is awesome.  Also, because it bakes in about 15 minutes, you don't have to plan ahead too far.  

Are you eating clean?  Health reasons or just to feel better?  You don't even have to be eating clean to make this your Easter dinner.  I did make my grandmother's rolls for the children - they love them and it just doesn't feel like Easter without them.  They are really tempting when they are sitting on the table smelling all good.  And yeast-y.  And covered in butter.  

THE RECIPES

click to go to the recipes

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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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Lucky you! I started making shirts for my kids years ago before Target was flooded with a t-shirt for every holiday.  It's become a bit of a tradition.  Mainly just for Valentine's and St. Patricks at this point, but that doesn't mean I won't take full advantage of some silly reason to make custom t-shirts for the the gang.  

Mostly I make them because I luurrvvee when we match.  It's my favorite!  When we can all line up and wear the same shirt - it's so stinking cute! It's like a Hanna Anderson ad, but for t-shirts.  Since Target has yet to see my vision, I make them myself.  

The most challenging part of these is cutting out the template.  I use freezer paper for the template because it cuts out really easily and you can iron it on to the shirt so it sticks and forms a perfect template.  You can use sticker paper or stencil paper too - freezer paper is a cheap and easy option!  

May these shirts bring you and your little leprechauns much luck!

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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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TACO POPCORN SNACK MIX

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

STEP 2

In a deep pan, mix together popcorn, pretzels, and goldfish crackers.  

STEP 3

Combine butter, spices, and hot sauce (to taste - spice it up!) and pour over the popcorn mixture. Toss to coat.

STEP 4

Bake 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container up to one week. 

4 cups popcorn

3 cups pretzels

2 cups goldfish crackers

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

salt & pepper

hot sauce

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN MIX

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a deep pan mix together popcorn, pretzels and 1 cup of the marshmallows.

STEP 2

Mix together butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar.  Pour over the popcorn mixture and mix to coat. 

STEP 3

Bake 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes.   Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining marshmallow, whoppers, and chocolate chips.  Let cool.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container up to one week

4 cups popcorn

2 cups pretzels

2 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup whoppers

SHOP THE PARTY

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You know when you are trying to come up with a dinner that's super impressive and people will think you are a really amazing chef when you make it?  This is it.  This is that dinner.  This is the one that people will be amazed at your cooking.  This is the dish that will make people you are really something special in the kitchen. 

And it takes 20 minutes.

Boom.

This week - these will be perfect for the Oscars.  Get it??  The envelope please...  it's an envelope for your dinner!  It's perfect.  

Here's the plan.  Assemble everything before anything starts.  Do it at like two in the afternoon.  Then it's ready in the fridge on a sheet pan.  When the red carpet show ends, there's a solid 5 minutes of ads before the real show.  Use that time to pop these into the oven.  Don't forget to set at timer.  You will lose track otherwise.  

Twenty minutes into the show - you know when they start doing a few tech awards and other things that are non-Denzel-related - that's when you can pull them out of the oven.

MISO SALMON IN PARCHEMENT

serves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rip off four pieces of parchment paper into twelve inch long pieces and fold them in half.  If your fish is in one big piece, slice it into four equal pieces and place them inside the fold of the parchment.  Set the fish filled parchment pieces on a baking sheet and set aside.

STEP 2

In a small bowl combine together miso, soy sauce, mirin, honey, ginger and garlic.  Rub the mixture across the top of each piece of salmon.  Divide scallions, bok choy, snow peas, and carrots evenly on top of each piece of salmon. 

STEP 3

Fold the top piece of parchment over the salmon and vegetables and roll the edge to seal the parchment together.  You want to capture as much steam inside as possible, so make sure there are no openings!

STEP 4

Pop the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until fish is cooked through.  You’ll know it’s cooked fully when the fish is the same color pale pink all the way through.  Serve in the parchment

2 pounds wild caught salmon

2 tablespoons mellow miso paste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1 bunch scallions, whites and greens sliced

2 heads baby bok choy, sliced in quarters

2 cups snow peas

2 carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks

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Nothing will ever warm you up on a cold winter night better than the perfect Manhattan.  You're welcome.