Click here to pin this Harvest Farro Salad recipe!

Originally published in November, 2016.

Have you all tried farro yet? I’ve shared a few recipes using it here (like this Garden Farro Salad with Feta and Italian Tuna and White Bean Farro Salad – you must make both!). Farro is amazing – and for so many reasons. It’s a hearty whole grain with a lot of oompf to it, quite the opposite of quinoa or couscous. It’s got so much texture and a nutty flavor that I love, which is why I enjoy it so much in salads like this.

Here’s the other thing I love about it, it’s got 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in it. It will fill you up and make you feel good. Salads like this are perfect option for lunches in my opinion. A no brainer.

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This recipe was created in partnership with Healthy Aperture Blogger Network for the #JuiceCentral campaign. I was compensated for my time.

Click here to pin this Cranberry Balsamic Chicken Skillet recipe!

I have to tell you, I’ve been seriously rocking the weeknight dinner game lately. That’s not something I can say too often so I am going to say it loud and proud today. It may be simple, quick dinners, but it’s dinner and it’s been happening. I do think my newfound love for skillet meals (like this Lemon Pepper Chicken) is part of the reason – you really can’t beat a good one-pan meal when you’re trying to get dinner on the table.

Today’s Cranberry Balsamic Chicken Skillet was inspired by a recipe I saw months ago in a cookbook for slow cooker cranberry chicken. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head and though this recipe is nothing like that one, I finally made it. My whole family loved this chicken dish!

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I spent some time with my family this weekend, and as per usual, my grandpa sent me home with some home grown goodies. During the winter his trees are bursting with tons of citrus like tangerines, grapefruits and lemons  and my car gets loaded up with plenty of gorgeous fruit, but this time around I came home with a huge bag of Swiss chard. He must have known I’ve been craving greens lately. This Kale and Chard Green Power Salad with Maple Vinaigrette definitely satisfied that craving.

I’ve been craving greens in the worst way. I am pretty sure I felt the same way this time last year, because I remember making and eating a super salad like this one every day for lunch for almost a month. I have to say, I’ve never tried Swiss chard raw in a salad before, at least not that I remember. I usually eat it sauteed in olive oil with lots of garlic, in soup or in tomato sauce over pasta. Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens, and I have a hard time resisting picking it up every time I pass by it at the produce market. As excited as I am to have so much Swiss chard in my possession (only half is shown in the picture above), I’m slightly concerned I may run out of ideas of how to cook it up in the next week.

Have you tried Swiss chard? What’s your favorite way to cook it up?

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Have you recovered from your post-Halloween hangover yet? Honestly, I can only handle so much candy. I don’t normally have a sweet tooth, but once I open the door to having “just one piece” I pretty much lose all my self control. It gets ugly people. Ugly.

Something needed to be done.

Here’s where this lovely, healthy quinoa salad comes in. I forced myself to make a batch of quinoa yesterday morning and using what I had in the fridge and pantry turned one of my favorite pasta salads into a quinoa salad. I skipped the cheese and made the dressing more simply and snacked on this salad pretty much all throughout the day. I have just enough leftover for my lunch today and that makes me a happy girl.

And let me tell you, I’m feeling a whole lot better than I was yesterday morning. And the candy is hidden and locked up. (Don’t worry, I’m not too much of a party pooper…my kids are enjoying their daily ration, for now) 🙂

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**Giveaway Now Closed** Congrats to Erika of Itzy’s Kitchen!

You are going to want to make this granola. I insist that you make it, actually. Not only will it make your house smell incredible, but it is the perfect snack to take with you while you are running errands in the car, watching tv, or just playing around on the computer. It’s great sprinkled over yogurt or even some vanilla ice cream. I warn you though, portion it out because you might be surprised at how much you can eat of it in one short sitting. It is definitely addictive.

This Cranberry Spice Granola recipe is the first of many recipes I have flagged from a new cookbook written by my colleague and blogger friend, Kelsey…also knows as The Naptime Chef. I’ve been following Kelsey’s blog for years, and recently got to know her even better through writing for Babble’s Family Kitchen blog together.

What you will love the most about her cookbook (which is now available on Amazon) is that there is something for everyone in the book. The premise behind her blog, and now her cookbook, is that you don’t have to compromise on good eating after having kids because your time is limited. Kelsey finds a way to create and recreate recipes that fit into a busy parent’s schedule. And I love the “naptime stopwatch” she includes with every recipe, making it easy to plan ahead.

A few dishes I’m anxious to try are Orzo with Artichokes, Tomatoes and Pine Nuts, Soba Noodle Salad, Baked Sesame Tomatoes, Sticky Orange Drumsticks (my daughter will LOVE these!) and the Artichoke Lasagna. Did this list just make you as hungry as it did me?

In the meantime though, I’ll just continue to snack on this granola.

If you have never had homemade granola, then you’re in for a treat. Homemade granola is incredibly versatile, change it up based on what you have on hand. I happened to be out of the pecans that were called for in this recipe, so I easily subbed in sliced almonds.

The Naptime Chef's Cranberry Spice Granola

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I cut this down to about a 1/4 cup)
• 3 cups old fashioned oats, not quick cooking)
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (I used the unsweetened variety)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (I used sliced almonds)
• 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with a little vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, nuts, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gently stir together with a spoon until the oats and spices are completely mixed. In a separate bowl, combine oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup and apple juice or cider and pour over oat mixture. Stir the oats carefully and gently until completely combined and coated with the liquids.
3. Spread the oat mixture on your baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take your baking sheet out of oven and carefully stir the granola so that it will toast up evenly. Place back in oven and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and add cranberries to granola, stirring to combine. Let cool.
4. Once cooled, store in a cool dry place in a container with a tight fitting lid.

Recipe from The Naptime Chef, with permission

Giveaway:

One lucky winner will receive their own copy of The Naptime Chef cookbook

Starts today, Saturday, March 10 and ends Thursday, March 15 at 12 noon (EST)

(Sorry, giveaway open to US readers only. Winner will be chosen randomly using Pick Giveaway Winner plugin application – winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be selected.)

To enter into the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite snack is.

Additional Entries can be earned by:

(leave a separate comment after you complete each item, each comment will count as an entry)

1. “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook. (if you already a fan, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

2. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. “Like” The Naptime Chef on Facebook.

4. Follow @TheNaptimeChef on Twitter

5. Share about giveaway on Twitter: “I want to win The Naptime Chef cookbook from @aggieskitchen http://su.pr/19C84T #giveaway ”

6. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post.

7. Subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen RSS feed.

(and of course…I’m required to tell you…)

Disclaimer: I received my own copy for review for this giveaway but as always my opinions on this blog are always my own.

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You’re going to want to make this salad. It’s bright, it’s filling, it’s got crunch, and it’s good for you.

It’s pretty perfect actually.

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It’s not too late…to make this cranberry sauce! I promise.

It is wonderful..super fresh, tart but sweet.  I found the recipe for this Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce last year on Williams Sonoma’s site.  I love that it has chunks of apples in it along with orange zest and juice.  And the best part is it will probably be the easiest thing you cook for Thanksgiving dinner.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I’m feeling super blessed and thankful for all the good things in my life…my wonderful husband and kids, our families, our friends and our health.  I’m also very thankful for all the wonderful opportunities that I have experienced this year thanks to this blog…I’m thankful for all of you who read it and who comment and who support me.  I’m thankful for all the great people I’ve met “virtually” and in person whether through blogging, Facebook or Twitter…

Life is Good. God Bless.

Future Food Blogger?  🙂

Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 bags fresh cranberries (about 6 cups), rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups sugar (original recipe calls for 2 1/2 so if you adjust to your liking)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, apples, cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Gently stir occasionally, until cranberries "pop", apple softens and sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Let cool completely before serving. Makes a large batch, perfect for leftovers.

Over the years, I've started to reduce the sugar gradually. If you have a sweeter tooth, stick to the two cups. If you are looking to cut back, try with 1 cup of sugar and you can always add more.

To help with adding more natural sweetness, I like to include the squeezed halves of oranges and the apple cores to the cooking process and then remove.

Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma

 

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I have had cranberry on the brain lately.  I’m craving cranberry everything for some reason.  I want to make this Cranberry Orange Quickbread that I baked up for Thanksgiving last year…and while I’m at it, make some of this Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce that I fell in love with too.  Now, I’ll have to tell you, I’m not really a big fan of cranberry by itself…for me the flavor is a little too tart on its own, so I prefer it paired with something a little sweet, like orange or apple.

The other day I decided I had to have a cranberry nut cream cheese spread for the little bagels I picked up at the store.  I pictured this spread on everything…sliced apples, grainy flatbreads, turkey sandwiches…or for me, apple sandwiches (I love apple and peanut butter sandwiches so just envision the spread in place of PB on a whole wheat sandwich thin with crisp thin apple slices…crunch…and yum.).  I thought the cranberry nutty cream cheese spread was a novel and brilliant concoction and googled it for “ideas”.

Apparently it’s not that novel.  I found exactly what I wanted to make right here at the Cranberry Marketing Committee of all places.  They are ahead of the game I guess.  Oh well.  I added sunflower seeds to my spread and have been enjoying it on mini whole wheat bagels for a post run snack this past week.  My mom loved it at breakfast yesterday and asked for the recipe…so here you go Mom!

This Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Spread would be great to bring to any holiday brunch or breakfast…it’s best served at room temperature so take it out early!

Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup (or 1/4 cup honey as original recipe suggests)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and agave (or honey) in a medium mixing bowl. Use a mixer or wooden spoon to combine until smooth, then stir in cranberries, walnuts and orange zest. Use immediately or refrigerate covered until ready to use. Best served at room temperature.

Recipe slightly adapted from US Cranberry Committee

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Healthy Breakfasts on Pinterest.

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I know I’ve mentioned my addiction to Facebook on this blog several times.  I almost think I can dedicate a whole category to “Facebook Inspired” recipes and creations…this one being one of them.

I saw this recipe posted on Facebook last week on Food Network’s fan page and I immediately bookmarked it.  I thought a festive sweet bread like this would make a nice addition to our Thanksgiving meal, and I was right.  The flavor combination of orange and cranberry is just perfect…and it couldn’t have been easier to bake up at almost the last minute – which is why I’m a huge fan of quickbreads.

When I first saw the recipe I didn’t realize that I would need a food processor to make this bread.  It wasn’t until after I got all my ingredients in order that I hit a road block.  I don’t have a food processor!  Actually, I have a mini one (that I purchased a couple of years ago when I was really into making purees)…but the mini one just doesn’t do the job for most recipes that call for a food processor.  So it’s official.  I am asking Santa for a food processor this year.  What kind should I get?  Help!

So how did I get past the “crap, I don’t have a food processor moment”?  Well, I improvised by using my hands.  Isn’t that what they probably did back in the day?  I basically used my fingers to cut up the cold butter and blend it with the flour.  Ann Burrell mentions in the recipe that the mixture should resemble “grated cheese”…and that’s the result I got as I was mixing with my hands so I went with it.  And it worked!

But I still want my food processor.

Cranberry Orange Quickbread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for loaf pan
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick cold butter, cut into pea size pieces, plus extra for loaf pan
• 1 orange, zested
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 orange, peeled, sections removed and diced
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor combine the flour, sugars, salt, baking soda and butter. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture resembles finely grated cheese. Add the orange zest, juice and the egg. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture is just combined. Remove to a bowl and stir in the diced orange and cranberries.
3. Grease and flour the loaf pan and add the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time to insure even cooking.
4. When done let cool for about 20 minutes and remove from loaf pan. Let cool completely before cutting.

Recipe from Anne Burrell, Food Network

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