‘Lunch’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Salmon Croquettes

July 12, 2020 · Clean Eating, Fish & Seafood, Whole30

Just six dollars worth of canned salmon, a few pantry ingredients, and 15 minutes, and you’ll be enjoying these tasty Salmon Croquettes in no time flat.

Some days, I see a recipe online, print it and put it in a stack, only to discover it years later, still unmade. Some days, I see a recipe online, and make it the same day.

These days, it’s all about motivation and my memory. Both of which have peaks and valleys lately.

And this recipe? Happened to see it in the morning, and since I only needed one ingredient to make it, I actually had it made and was chowing down on it that same afternoon.

Trust me, it doesn’t happen too often.

The recipe originally comes from Defined Dish, and I made two small tweaks to it. It is so simple to make – all you have to do is mix a few ingredients in a bowl, form the croquettes shape, and fry them up.

Whether you’re on Whole30, love salmon, or just want a quick and easy meal for the hot summer months, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one. Enjoy!

Hungry for more salmon recipes?
This is another super simple one, and perfect on the grill.
A delicious salad with smoked salmon and buttery croutons from Joy the Baker.
I forgot all about this creamy pasta with smoked salmon … gonna have to add it to my list.
And lastly, for now, my tried-and-true favorite Smoked Salmon Dip.

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Recipe: Homemade Spaghettios

May 11, 2020 · Narrative

Just the word “Spaghettios” instantly conjures up fond childhood memories, and now you’ll have a way to enjoy a healthier version at home.

Truth be told, my kids have never had Spaghettios or any Chef Boyardee product. When Twinkies celebrated their 100th anniversary some years back, my kids asked what Twinkies were. I laughed because it shows you how much things change. We just don’t eat a ton of pre-packaged food, so that is largely the reason why they haven’t tried (or heard of) these items, and I cook a lot and just make most things from scratch.

So the fact that this recipe is a riff off of Spaghettios is lost on them, but not on me. I got the recipe from How Sweet Eats and made some minor tweaks. It was super simple to make and came together quickly. It also uses ingredients I already had on hand, which, given we’re still quarantined and I’m limiting my trips outside of our home, is music to my ears and hopefully yours too.

This is a great comfort food, even more so if it reminds you of your childhood. It’s packed with flavor and you’ll be enjoying it in half an hour… dig in!

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Recipe: Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche {Cabot}

April 23, 2019 · Narrative

The simplest recipes are usually my favorite. This delicious Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche is perfect for a light meal and takes just a few hands-on minutes to prepare.

Farm to table is one of my favorite paths to getting a healthy and delicious meal on the table for my family, and now that farmer’s markets are in full swing, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of the bounty that is available. Although broccoli is available year ’round, its peak season is ending in just a few weeks, so now is the time to stuff yourself silly of the green goodness, and this Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche is just the way to go.

This is one of my favorite Springtime recipes because it is so simple to make and so adaptable to different taste buds. Once you have the basic guideline down pat, mix it up and add different vegetables and cheeses – you are only limited by your imagination. Because broccoli is one of the green vegetables that everyone in my family agrees on, that’s often my choice for this quiche, and when my kids aren’t around, I add in portobello mushrooms as well. With only a few minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of baking time, if you keep these basic pantry ingredients on hand, you’ll be able to whip this up for crazy busy weeknights, a week’s worth of simple breakfasts, or unexpected guests.

Now for the cheese … you can’t go wrong with any cheese really, but I usually stick to Extra Sharp Cheddar, or a mix of Extra Sharp Cheddar and something creamier like a Monterey Jack or Colby Jack. And I know it’s a little bit more time consuming, but please, please, please hand grate your cheese instead of buying the pre-shredded mix. A few extra minutes of effort on your part imparts so much extra flavor in the finished product. And, well, you know how much I love Cabot, so that’s my go-to source for all things cheese. The next time you head to the grocery store to stock up, you may notice that their packaging has changed. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary with a little refresh.

Add a nice simple green salad dressed with just olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and a fruit salad to this quiche and you are all set. Enjoy!…

Recipe: Asian Quinoa Salad

January 17, 2017 · Narrative

Light, healthy, and super easy to make, this Asian Quinoa Salad makes a delicious lunch or side dish.

Last week, I ran a kids’ workshop where we focused on Chinese New Year. We did two crafts (more details on those coming soon), and we made this Asian Quinoa Salad.

Any time I can get the kids shredding and chopping vegetables, they are happy campers, and feeding them a healthy, clean salad is most definitely a bonus at the end of the class.

This recipes makes a HUGE bowl, so safe to say it serves six as a salad, or me if I feast on it for the week. You can add grilled chicken or shrimp to it and really make it a more hearty meal, or keep it as is for a light salad, snack, or side item. It takes less than 25 minutes to make, which means it’s an easy weeknight choice, or make it on Sunday and keep the dressing on the side and you’ll have lunch for the week.

I love how colorful it is, and how guilt-free it is. It’s kind of like Spring on a plate, despite the gloomy grey skies we’ve been seeing out of our window lately, and it’s got a great crunch to it.

*That gorgeous plate comes from Suite One Studios, and the beautiful wood background comes courtesy of my Saturday morning dumpster diving adventures as seen on Snapchat (I’m cateomalley on snap).

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Review: Fuel Thermos

January 6, 2017 · Narrative

Cool, sleek, and best of all … effective. This Trudeau Fuel Thermoses are exactly what your lunchbox needs.

The thermoses of today are most definitely not the thermoses we grew up with. The thermoses I remember from my childhood were big and bulky and rarely kept the food warm. I am still somewhat nostalgic for them, and mostly the characters that were emblazoned on them, but I never used them for my own kids because they weren’t very effective.

Enter Trudeau thermoses. Which are most definitely NOT the thermoses of our youth.

Super sleek and stylish, they are easy to open and close, particularly for little hands. The one I use doesn’t have a cup inside the lid, like for soup, but they are available in the product line.

But the REAL question is … do they work?

I’m happy to report that they do.

Come December, all the cute little lunches are gone by the wayside and I’m in a heavy rotation of preparing ham sandwiches and pb&j on the daily. I am desperately seeking new inspiration (and motivation!), and so is my kid.

Enter the thermos.

I used them sporadically for Nick when he was younger, but not as often because they really didn’t do the job of keeping the food warm. And, well, really, who wants cold chicken noodle soup or nuggets?

No one, that’s who.

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Recipe: Asparagus with Warm Tarragon Vinaigrette and Homemade Crispy Bacon, Topped with a Runny Egg

November 2, 2016 · Narrative

Longest title ever, but every word of it produced a lick-your-bowl clean recipe.

So yesterday was my first official day off Whole30. But despite that fact, I plan to stay mostly Whole30-ish, aside from the occasional “worth it” treat meal.

Which is to say that this dish is completely Whole30, but whether or not you’re following that particular program, it doesn’t really matter.

Because it is THAT GOOD.

Like, no joke, I licked my plate when I was done.

I found the original recipe in an issue of Cooking Light magazine, but tweaked it a little to make it Whole30-approved. It’s super quick to make, twenty minutes start to finish, and the CL recipe serves 8 as a side dish. Since it was just for me, and a whole meal as opposed to a side dish, I halved it and topped it with a runny egg.

It was just begging for it.

That, and after a month of Whole30, my brain is just wired to think all eggs, all the time. I saved half of it for lunch today and it was just as good then as it was last night when I made it.

Super light, super healthy, and, most of all, super delicious.

MAKE IT.

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Recipe: Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

July 28, 2015 · Narrative

Overloaded vegetable pizza that is carb free? Yep, yep. Right here.

When it comes to cauliflower crust pizza, been there, done that.

And after that recipe, which was good, you wouldn’t think I would need another.

And you would mostly be right.

Until I spied a picture for a new version in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine.

You know how they say “a picture is worth a thousand words?”

They would be right, because I ended up making the recipe the next night.

The power of persuasion and all.

This recipe was very similar, but just different enough to yield a slightly new result. I’m not going to lie, it’s slightly time consuming, as is the one I originally made two years ago. The major difference between the two recipes is that this one from Cooking Light calls for baking the “riced” cauliflower before making your crusts. A teensy new step, but one that resulted in pizza that was … dare I say it … foldable. Not completely foldable like a traditional slice of pizza, but enough so that it was possible. And because of that slight difference, I think it’s worth having this recipe in your repertoire as well.

And besides, who can go wrong with all those loaded veggie toppings?

For that part, I added extra mushrooms (and skipped their suggested peppers), and the whole thing resulted in one delicious dinner.

It makes two decent size pizzas, so I had one for dinner, and had the second one for lunch the next day.

side note: it does lose a bit of its foldability and crispness the next day, but still tastes just as awesome.

If you’re avoiding (or going light) on carbs, or just want to take your pizza in a completely different direction, make this.

PS If you haven’t picked up the August issue of Cooking Light magazine, get it! Filled will all sorts of clean eating recipes, it’s my favorite issue in a long time.

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Recipe: Falafel Waffles (#putaneggonit)

July 21, 2015 · Narrative

Waffle makers are made for so much more than just plain waffles. How about a Falafel Waffle? Crispy and savory, and oh so good with a runny egg on top.

Continuing the trend of using my waffle maker for making everything but normal waffles, next up was a batch of Falafel Waffles. I’ve seen a few iterations of these and since one of our favorite local falafel places closed up shop a year or two ago, I’m always on the hunt for delicious falafel.

Even better when they come from my own kitchen.

And what I’m finding out from cooking more and more with my waffle maker?

That you can put pretty much anything in it and you can’t go wrong.

Mix up the batter, pour it in, and let the waffle maker do its thing.

Perfect for a quick beat-the-heat meal when you just can’t bear to turn on your oven.

Using many of the ingredients that are typically found in more traditional waffles, you can feel slightly better about eating these because they’re not fried (like their more common counterparts).

So win/win.

You can get all sorts of creative with toppings for falafel waffles, and certainly go the more typical route of hummus or tahini dressing, tomatoes, lettuce, and what have you, but I had an avocado begging to be used and then I thought … a runny egg. Of course.

I was making something else for the kids (an abbreviated version without the falafel waffle) when Nick wandered into the kitchen.

“What smells so amazing?”

Falafel waffles, wanna try?

I didn’t think he would, but he did, and then proceeded to eat an entire one.

Coming from a kid that won’t try a regular falafel, this is high praise indeed.

Let’s dig in.

Hungry for more “out of the box” waffle ideas?
Rainbow waffles make a fun dinner or a perfect sleepover breakfast. And heck, they’re just pretty to look at.
Pizza Waffles were a crowd pleaser, and got a huge thumbs up from the kids. No surprise there.
And for a unique breakfast alternative, give these Bacon, Egg, and Spinach Waffles a try.

Link to the waffle maker I use > here.

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