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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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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This week we're attempting to enjoy winter.  Like for real.  Nothing screams winter like steaming bowls of chili and soup - yesterday I posted one of my favorite chili recipes - today, one of my favorite soups.  

I have a version of minestrone for every season.  In the winter it's packed with parsnips and kale.  Once it's spring I'll fill it with green beans and zucchini.  There's never a bad time for a hearty minestrone soup, but this winter version is so perfect right now.  

A girl friend of mine makes this every weekend after skiing.  It's such a good skiing soup! This recipe makes a TON of soup.  If you're making it for four, you will have left overs.  If you're making it for six, this is the right quantity.  Don't forget a loaf of bread to sop up everything that's left.

WINTER MINESTRONE

serves 4

STEP 1

In a large stock pot, cook onion, parsnips, carrots, 2 cloves garlic until onions are is soft.

STEP 2

Add tomatoes & beans & spices.  Stir to incorporate

STEP 3

Pour in stock and bring to a boil.

STEP 4

Add noodles, kale and cabbage and cook until noodles are done.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

1 onion

2 parsnips

3 carrots

2 cloves garlic

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 15oz-can kidney beans

1 15oz-can garbanzo beans

1 28oz-can diced tomatoes

6 cups vegetable stock

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

2 cups noodles

salt and pepper

½ cup parmesan cheese

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Does winter feel like it's dragging on?  I'm trying to revel in the cold weather since I know it won't last but it does get challenging after a little while... So let's make chili.  It's a great way to enjoy winter.  I mean, who eats chili in the summer?  No one eats chili in the summer. So make a hot bowl of chili, snuggle up in something cashmere, and remember it will warm up soon!

ROASTED POBLANO CHILI

serves 4

STEP 1

Roast chilies over an open flame or in the broiler.  Pop into a plastic bag and seal it tight. Let rest 5 minutes. 

STEP 2

Cook onion, garlic and turkey until turkey is cooked through.  Sprinkle the top with flour, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. 

STEP 3

Add stock and bring to a boil.

STEP 4

Remove chilies from the plastic bag and rub with a paper towel to remove most of the skins.  Chop chilies and add to soup. 

STEP 5

Mix dry ingredients for waffles then add milk, eggs, honey, and melted butter.  Mix to combine and cook in a waffle maker until done.  Let cool and cut into strips.

STEP 6

Serve chili topped with jack cheese, a squeeze of lime, and cornbread waffle sticks.

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. poblano chilies

6 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic

1 onion, chopped

1 tbs flour

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

s&p

1 lime

1 cup jack cheese, shredded

1 ¼ cup flour

1 ¼ cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

½ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tbs honey

½ cup melted butter 

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Before I had children I hosted a Chinese New Year dinner every year!  I loved it.  It's a great excuse for a party and not one that most people in Seattle seem to think of.  Or we remember the day of because the kids come home from their assembly super excited about dragons and envelops with coins inside.  

I don't entirely know why I stopped.  Probably being overwhelmed by three kids did it.  But I'm determined to bring it back.  Even if it's just for the five of us - I will bring it back.  If you are more ambitious (or if I get more ambitious?) host a few friends and enjoy.

This dinner is one of the simplest dinners you can make - and it's so good.  Like addictive good.  If you need to scale the recipe, download Weeknight Society and you can adjust to as many as 12 servings within the app.  

CHINESE CHICKEN WRAPS

serves 4

STEP 1

Cook chicken with garlic and onion until chicken is browned. 

STEP 2

Mix hoisin, soy, vinegar, honey, ginger, chili oil, and stock in a bowl.

STEP 3

Add chestnuts, scallions, zucchini, and bell pepper to the pan then pour over the sauce.

STEP 4

Cook until veggies are softened. 

STEP 5

Serve on butter lettuce

2 lb ground chicken

2 cloves garlic

1 onion

¼ cup hoisin

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs grated ginger

2 tbs honey

1 tbs chili oil

¼ cup chicken stock

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 head butter lettuce

Shop the gear

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