Cooking with a Wallflower - Page 84 of 139 -

Entree Farmer's Market Gluten Free Quick and Easy Recipes Summer Cravings Vegetarian

Farmer’s Market Summer Grain Bowls

Red rice, wild rice, and quinoa topped with mushrooms, sweet peppers, mixed greens, figs, and peaches. These farmer’s market summer grain bowls are loaded with fresh ingredients and taste absolutely delicious.

Only a few days left of summer before it’s officially fall!

I’m going to miss all that summer produce especially the berries and peaches, but, I’m excited for fall!

Fall has to be my favorite season. I just love seeing the leaves change colors and the ground covered in golds, reds, and oranges. So pretty and picturesque!

But before we officially let summer slip away, I wanted to share with you this farmer’s market summer grain bowls.

I’ve been obsessed with bowl foods lately. There’s something about having all these fresh ingredients in the same bowl waiting to be mixed and eaten that just does it for me.

This particular bowl is loaded with mixed grains and vegetables then drizzled with honey balsamic vinaigrette. It’s sooo good and so filling! Plus, you can save the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch too. Which means you can cook once and have multiple meals. Yay!!

And just like most of my recipes, you can easily substitute the ingredients listed here with ingredients you already have on hand or prefer instead.

What would you add to your grain bowls?

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Last week, I spent a couple days at the California Dental Association convention to take some classes and to look at the different vendors.

And since I was in the area, I finally got to try Lemonade, a restaurant originally from L.A., which serves seasonal foods in a rainbow of colors.

The food is sold a la carte style and tasted amazing, but a little pricy since it’s sold per portion.

Plus, you know my obsession with lemonades. And they have so many different flavors. I tried the blood orange lemonade and the guava limeade. Can’t wait to try the rest.

Oh, it’s fall! I haven’t quite let go of summer yet so for at least the next couple of weeks you’ll still see a mix of summer and fall recipes.

But if you’re ready for all things fall, here are some recipes I stumbled across this week that I can’t wait to try for myself.

Overnight Strawberry Coconut Chia Pudding

Overnight chia pudding made with chia seeds, coconut milk, and a little sugar then topped with fresh strawberries and shredded dried coconut. This overnight strawberry coconut chia pudding is simple and delicious.

I’ve been dreaming of frozen butterbeer since coming back from our trip to Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Does anyone know how to make butterbeer? Because I really really want to learn how to make them. That way I can indulge in them whenever I want rather than wait to go back to Southern California. =)

I don’t know what I’d do without chia puddings to start my early mornings.

That’s not to say that I eat chia puddings every single morning. I don’t. Some days, it could be chia pudding. Other mornings it could be a muffin, a croissant, a scone, a giant chocolate chip cookie, or even better a peanut butter, jelly, and banana toast.

But chia puddings are so easy to make and customize. I can just grab a small jar of chia pudding from the fridge, a spoon from the drawer, and walk out the door to catch my bus to work.

Breakfast on the go is a huge part of my life these days. Can you tell?

Peach Mint Salad

Yellow peaches tossed with chopped mint, honey, mozzarella, and lemon juice. This peach mint salad is delicious and refreshing, the perfect way to use the last of this season’s peaches.

Whenever we go on vacation, or even on a day trip, we’re usually looking for the best places to eat.

Sometimes, it’s the popular brunch spot all the locals rave about, sometimes it’s the farm to table restaurant with the freshest ingredients. Other times, it’s that dessert spot with the most amazing mouthwatering macaron ice cream sandwiches. Somehow, our vacations always revolve around the food we want to try. Not too surprising, right?

It’s so much fun eating at these local restaurants. Not only do I get to try delicious food that locals are so excited about, but I also love savoring each bite and turning it into a game of “What’s in this dish?” I like trying to figure out the ingredients in some of my favorite meals and then attempting to make my own version at home.

Because as much as I love some of the dishes that I eat, it’s way too far to make a trip back just to satisfy a craving.

So why not get inspiration and create my own at home?

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It is so ridiculously difficult to go back to work after vacation.

During Labor Day weekend, my sister and I went to Southern California to celebrate her birthday.

Our trip was filled with lots of food, of course. But the best part was visiting Universal Studios for the first time in over 10 years. And! We got to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

I think I could have stayed in that part of the theme park forever.

The buildings were so detailed. And it just felt magical, especially if you enter Hogwarts to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

I’ll share more photos at a later time. I still have to sort through all of them!

Watermelon Fig Salad

Mixed greens tossed with diced watermelons, fresh figs, and chopped walnuts. This watermelon fig salad is cool and refreshing, the perfect meal for a hot summer day.

It finally feels like summer in San Francisco!

Every year, the weather warms up around September for a few weeks, a little change from our almost year round foggy days and overcast skies.

As much as I love the sun and the warmth, we’re definitely not equipped for the heat. No air conditioning since we don’t normally need it, which makes it uncomfortably warm for us at home.

But with the heat, and also because I just came back from vacation, I feel ridiculously uninspired to cook. All I want to do is bask in the sun and take naps. lol. Does anyone feel the same way?

Maybe what I need is another vacation, one that’s longer than a weekend.

In the meantime, I’m making simple dishes for my meals. Something cool and easy to prepare.

Like this watermelon fig salad.

Vanilla Dutch Baby Pancake with Red Currants and Peaches

Vanilla Dutch baby pancakes baked in a cast iron skillet then served with red currants, peaches, powdered sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup. This Vanilla Dutch Baby Pancake with Red Currants and Peaches is perfect for brunch.

I’ve been back from my vacation for a day, and I’m sooo ready to go back.

Our trip to Southern California was packed with lots of food, a whole day of Universal Studios Hollywood, a renewed obsession over Harry Potter, and lots of warm sun on a nearly three mile walk from Santa Monica Piers to Venice Beach. It’s been so much fun that it’s hard to come back to reality. You can see some of our photos on Facebook and Instagram.

Hope you had a just as fun Labor Day weekend! I’d love to hear what you did!

Let’s talk about my favorite meal of the day, brunch!

I’ve been kind of in love with Dutch baby pancakes. Have you had them before?

Crispy on the edges and fluffy in the center, these Dutch baby pancakes are easy to make. They don’t require much more than mixing, pouring, and baking. And once they’re finished baking, just allow them to cool before topping with your favorite fruits, a sift of powdered sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.

Sooo tasty. It just might be my favorite type of pancakes.

Blackberry Cream Soda

An easy to make blackberry syrup mixed with club soda and a touch of cream. This blackberry cream soda is the perfect way to use up your blackberries.

I can’t believe that summer is unofficially over.

I mean, September is when the kids go back to school, when the Halloween candies and decorations make their appearance in stores, when the weather starts to cool down. And if you’re lucky, it’s also when the leaves start to change colors! So jealous of those of you who get the full fall foliage experience!

But September is when summer starts for us San Franciscans. We get cloudy skies and fog through the year, and then we get the occasional heat wave in September and October. Who knows what it’ll be like this year?

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Can you believe it’s already September?!

So this weekend is my sister’s birthday. And Victoria wanted to go to Southern California to celebrate. Specifically, Universal Studios Hollywood and Harry Potter World. Tickets are so ridiculously expensive! But I haven’t been to Universal Studios in like forever, so it’ll be fun.

Since we’re really just there late Friday night to Sunday afternoon, and we’re spending all of Saturday at Universal Studios, we want to make the most of the trip.

Have you been to Universal Studios Hollywood? Any tips or recommendations for the area?

Last weekend, my sisters and I went to Eat Drink SF, a tasting event with over 35 restaurants present. It was soo much fun. I got to eat foods I probably would never have ordered on my own from restaurants that are too expensive for me to eat at on a regular basis. There were a lot wine tasting, cider tasting, beer tasting. And of course, all the freebies we got to take home!

Here’s a little peek at the event. I’ll share more photos later.

Honey Peach BBQ Chicken Tacos

This post is sponsored by Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken. All opinions are my own.

Soft tacos filled with mixed greens, honey peach BBQ shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, corn, and shredded mozzarella. These summery honey peach bbq chicken tacos are super easy to make and absolutely delicious.

It’s the end of the summer, which means the last of peaches, berries, and barbecuing. And I wanted to make the most of my summer favorites while they’re still around.

So, of course, I wanted to celebrate the end of summer with you by sharing these honey peach BBQ chicken tacos!

Seriously, it’ll be your new favorite summer comfort food.

These soft tacos are filled with mixed greens, sweet and savory with a hint of spicy honey peach BBQ shredded chicken, fresh diced tomatoes, corn kernels, and freshly grated mozzarella. Plus, you can always add your favorite ingredients: avocados, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, beans, more cheese. The possibilities are endless.

It’ll be one of those dishes you’ll always want to come back to when you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, or for your next DIY taco party, or your next family gathering.

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