Air Fryer Tacos

Yeah, I’m that girl who sticks anything and everything in her air fryer. I wanted crispy tacos last week for lunch and didn’t have time for the oven to heat. That’s when my air fryer casually strolled out of the closet, onto the counter, and started making me tacos. Aren’t air fryers the best?

Air Fryer Tacos (serves 2):

• 4 corn tortillas (or taco size tortillas of choice. You can also use two regular size tortillas for a quesadilla)
• Protein of choice (I used shredded chicken but you can use any cooked protein or plant protein)
• Cheese (I used almond mozzarella cheese from #traderjoes)
• Roasted veggies of choice (I used leftover roasted carrots, onions, and brussel sprouts)

Instructions:

• Spray the part of your air fryer basket that the tortillas will sit on, this will prevent them from possibly sticking to the bottom.
• Warm your tortillas slightly on the stove top or microwave. Fill your tortillas with goodies and place in your air fryer. My air fryer can fit four!
• Cook at 400°F for 4-5 minutes, or as long as your air fryer takes to make the tacos crispy. Be sure to flip half way to crisp both sides.
• Serve with jalapeño sauce and cilantro!

Plant Based Charcuterie Board in collaboration with Back to Nature.

There’s a whole lotta love that went into this festive plant-based charcuterie board! What do you get most excited about when you see a charcuterie board? For me, it’s the crackers. I need to have a solid base to layer all the other charcuterie board goodies on to.

This is why I was jumping for joy when I heard that Back to Nature was launching two new hemp seed cracker flavors at Whole Foods Market – Cranberry Hazelnut Hemp Seed Crackers and Rosemary Raisin Pecan Hemp Seed Crackers. Both new cracker flavors are perfect on their own or dressed up with all the goodies from my holiday plant-based charcuterie board! Let’s talk about what’s going on this delicious looking board.

I like a little bit of savory and a whole lotta sweet on my charcuterie boards. I started with green olives and habanero jam. Then, organic red grapes, raspberries, dried apricots, and dill pickles. Next up was the star of the show, Back to Nature’s new Rosemary Raisin Pecan Hemp Seed Crackers. They are baked with hemp seeds, rosemary, raisins, and pecans! I am seriously surprised that any crackers made it onto the board, I couldn’t stop eating them! I added some raw pecans, plant-based cheese, raspberry dark chocolate pieces, and fresh thyme to finish it off. This setup is perfect for any occasion, Joel and I enjoyed this for lunch right after I finished shooting!

Head over to Back to Nature’s website, https://backtonaturefoods.com/coupons, for a $1 off 1 a box print at home coupon. Trust me, you need both of these new cracker flavors in your life asap!

Cilantro Lime Baked Alaska Salmon, in collaboration with Alaska Seafood.

Poppy makes her first savory dish on IGTV! Not only was it our first savory episode, but Poppy was an absolute gem the entire filming process. Working alongside a toddler isn’t always easy but days like this when filming just makes it worth it!

In collaboration with Alaska Seafood, Poppy and I made a Cilantro Lime Alaska Salmon baked in foil to celebrate the launch of #SeafoodSunday. #SeafoodSunday is a new mealtime tradition that brings your favorite nutritious, sustainable protein from the waters of Alaska to the people around your table. #SeafoodSunday is also the perfect time to try a new recipe and express yourself through food or find comfort in a favorite dish. This couldn’t have been more perfect for this week’s #BakeWithPoppy episode! We had so much fun preparing this dish and of course eating it at the end.

Seafood from Alaska is always wild and sustainable. It has immunity-boosting benefits and is naturally high in nutrients the whole family needs, including omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to children’s development and overall brain health. All of this is super important in my kitchen. Not only am I feeding myself, my sweet husband, and Poppy girl but also my growing baby boy that’s due at the end of October. Nothing but the best for my growing family! #AskforAlaska or look for “Alaska” on packaging and on menus to guarantee that you are getting wild and sustainably harvested seafood.

Alaska also follows flash frozen processes, which means fishermen often freeze their catch right on the boats to lock in quality and preserve nutrients. I thawed my salmon for this recipe, but you can also cook it directly from frozen (just give it a quick rinse under cold water before and up the oven temperature to 450 before following my instructions below). You know I’m all about keeping things simple!

In addition to our Alaska Salmon dish we made air fried brussels sprouts and coconut cilantro lime rice. I can’t believe how incredible these dishes tasted together! Poppy devoured her entire plate and asked for seconds. That’s my girl!

Cilantro Lime Alaska Salmon baked in foil:

• 1 large Alaska Salmon fillet (there are five Alaska salmon species: coho, pink, keta, king and sockeye — I used sockeye)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ lime, juiced
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a medium size baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and lay the salmon in the middle of the foil. Lightly pat the Alaska Salmon dry with a paper towel.
• Drizzle olive oil on top and use a silicone brush to spread the olive oil all over the salmon. Do the same with the honey before seasoning, squeezing the lime juice over the top, and sprinkling on the cilantro.
• Fold the edges of the foil up but not over the salmon and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the oven to broil and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, squeeze more lime juice on top if desired, and plate!

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts:

• 2-4 cups brussels sprouts (depending on the size of your air fryer, you can also roast them in your oven)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and add your brussels sprouts.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the brussels and add the seasoning before tossing together. Air fry at 400F for 15-20 minutes, or until the brussels are crispy.
• Remove from the air fryer basket and plate with the salmon.

Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice:

• 1 cup white jasmine rice
• 2 cups full fat coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions:

• Rinse rice through running water a few times.
• Combine rice, coconut milk, and sea salt in a saucepan. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Remove the lid and reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness.
• Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Plate alongside your salmon and brussels, enjoy!

Comment below if you make this recipe and don’t forget to watch this episode of Bake With Poppy here!

ALDI Curbside Grocery Pickup made easy, in collaboration with ALDI.

I don’t know about you but grocery shopping is one of my favorite pastimes. These are unusual times but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying grocery shopping! Instead of browsing the grocery aisles in person I browse the ALDI website and order online for Curbside Grocery Pickup. I have always loved ALDI for their variety of grocery items and the fact that they made ordering and picking up my groceries so easy makes me love them even more!

Here’s how it all goes down: You simply visit shop.aldi.us or use the ALDI mobile app to find the nearest ALDI store that offers Curbside. Browse the categories and fill your cart with whatever your heart, and stomach, desires. Set a pickup time and location at checkout before placing your order. Head to the ALDI store and park in the designated ALDI Curbside parking spot, they are bright blue so you can’t miss them! Alert the ALDI employee that you’ve arrived by clicking a button on your mobile phone and the ALDI employee does the rest. They shop for you so your groceries are ready for your arrival and they load the groceries right into your car. The entire process was simple and the curbside pickup felt very safe. Getting out of the house for a grocery pickup has never felt better!

 

When we got home I decided to make a little muffin tin snack tray for Poppy using some grocery items from our ALDI pickup. This little snack tray is so fun to make and it’s even more fun to watch the sparkle in Poppy’s eyes when she’s enjoying it. Here’s what was in her muffin tin snack tray: a sourdough almond butter and raspberry jam sandwich (made with Simply Nature Creamy Almond Butter and Simply Nature Organic Raspberry Preserves), organic apple slices, organic blueberries, and Simply Nature Green Pea Crisps. I made sure to fill it up so I could snag a little snack for myself too. I can’t help it, I love these snack choices!

Make sure to checkout shop.aldi.us  or the ALDI mobile app to find the nearest ALDI store that offers curbside grocery pickup. Curbside at ALDI has made grocery shopping so easy and enjoyable. Happy shopping!

Lentil Sloppy Joes

Don’t be fooled, I didn’t eat the broccoli. But I did devour both lentil sloppy joe sliders and cauli-potato mash. Maybe next trimester I’ll eat a green vegetable.

Lentil Sloppy Joes:

• 1 cup uncooked green lentils (or use 1 pack of precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s like I did!)
• 4 cups water (omit if using precooked lentils)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic powder to taste)
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2-3/4 cup marinara sauce (because that’s what I had on hand)
• 2 tbsp ketchup (or tomato paste)
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• Sea salt to taste
• AWG Bakery Everyday slider buns

Directions:

• First, cook the lentils if you’re not using precooked: In a medium pot with a lid, add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain excess liquid and set aside.
• Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and garlic. Use a few tablespoons of water, or vegetable broth, to saute and prevent burning. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, using more water as needed.
• Now add the spices and stir to coat the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add a little water if it’s too dry.
• Add the marinara sauce, ketchup, mustard, and maple syrup. Stir until completely combined. Add in the cooked lentils and stir. Add more marinara sauce if it’s too dry.
• Toast your AWG Bakery buns and top with the goods.

Let me know if you try this recipe! Lentils and chickpeas have been a big lifesaver the last month with my aversion to meat. This happened when I was pregnant with Poppy too. Happy eating!

Enchilada Pasta Bake

I love enchiladas but I don’t always love prepping the tortillas. I have a pretty good technique of softening the tortillas on the stove top in hot water before stuffing them but that still takes a chunk of time that I don’t always have. That’s when the enchilada pasta bake was born!

I wanted enchiladas last week and throwing pasta on the stove was doable so I combined the two. I’ve never been so happy with a past bake! Joel’s mind was blown and I’m already planning on making it again tomorrow.

Enchilada Pasta Bake:

• 1 box cooked pasta of choice
• 1/2-3/4 cup red enchilada sauce (you can make your own but I usually just buy one that’s not super sodium filled from my local grocery store)
• 1 cup steamed veggies of choice (I used steamed carrots and one fresh diced jalapeño)
• 1 cup cooked ground meat of choice (I actually used two vegan breakfast sausage patties! Cooked them on the stove top then diced into cubes. You may omit the meat or add black beans!)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used white cheddar)
• Fresh cilantro for topping after baking

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray, set aside.
• Mix all of the ingredients, except for the cheese and cilantro, together in a large bowl or the pot you just cooked the pasta in. Pour the pasta mix into the prepped baking dish and evening top with shredded cheese. You can add as much cheese as you’d like!
• Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the pasta bake is heated all the way through.
• Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro. I served mine over romain lettuce to get some extra veggies in me but you can eat this straight from a bowl. It’s even better the next day as leftovers!

Thoughts on an enchilada bake? I was kinda weirded out when I thought about it but I was completely sold after the first bite!

Summer Pasta Salad

I’ve probably made pasta salad four, maybe five, times in my life. I’m more of a “hot food” kind of gal but I can totally see myself making this combo for years to come. Poppy sure did love a non-spicy version of this!

Pasta Salad (serves 4):

• 1 box cooked pasta of choice
• 3/4 cup diced cherry tomatoes
• 1 handful fresh chopped basil
• 1 cup sautéed mushrooms
• 1/3-1/2 cup diced fresh mozzarella
• 1-2 tbsp crunchy chili onion crunch
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1-2 diced figs (optional but highly recommended)
• Balsamic glaze to top (this is not balsamic dressing!)

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve! Refrigerate leftovers until you’re hungry again. Do you like pasta salad? If so, what’s your favorite recipe? Leave a comment below so I can be inspired to make more cold pasta dishes like this.

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tenderlion

I didn’t really eat pork for a long time. Why? I never knew how to prepare it (besides bacon) and I didn’t know what to look for. Now I’m obsessed with pulled pork tenderloin and there’s no easier way for me to prepare it than the instant pot. I used to make it in a crockpot but those days are long over, instant pot for life!

Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tenderloin:
* 1-2 tsp chili powder
* 2 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
* 2 tsp sea salt
* Pork tenderloin (I buy mine from Trader Joe’s so the size varies)
* 1/4 cup water
* 3 tbsp EVOO
* You can add any sauce you want as well! I didn’t add any sauce but I’ve added BBQ sauce in the last and it was so good.

Directions:
* Turn instant pot to “sauté” high. Once hot, add the EVOO. Once the EVOO is warm, dear the pork tenderloin so 3 minutes on each side. Add the seasoning to one side when the first side is searing. The goal is to get the tenderloin nicely browned.
* Turn the sauté feature off and the pour water over pork. Cover instant pot with the lid.
* Turn pressure valve to seal, turn instant pot to high pressure, and set timer for 90 minutes. The countdown will start once the pressure is ready.
* When the instant pot beeps, quick release pressure by turning pressure valve to vent.
* Take cover off instant pot. Use 2 forks to shred the remaining pork. It should be fall-off-the-bone, melt in your mouth, and easy to shred. If it’s not, consider pressure cooking for a longer amount of time.
* Use this pork for everything and everything! I topped a salad with sweet potato fries and this pork. There’s no wrong way to use this.

Baked Ham & Caprese Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

I don’t share savory meals often but when I do they’re usually pretty simple. Simple to make but not simple in taste!

Keeks from @keeksitsimple had me drooling over her OG ham & swiss baked Hawaiian rolls when I made them a month ago and this time I made a few minor changes. You can really stuff these bad boys with anything and it’ll be a bomb sandwich! The leftovers are great too, just broil for 3-5 minutes to crispy them back up after refrigerating.

Baked Ham & Caprese Hawaiian Sweet Rolls:

• 1 packet Hawaiian sweet rolls (I get the ones from #TraderJoes)
• 1 & 1/2 packets of organic uncured ham deli meat
• 1/2 log of fresh mozzarella cheese
• One slices heirloom tomato
• Handful of diced fresh basil
• Balsamic glaze

Topping for buns:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds or chia seeds
• 2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line a small baking sheet with tinfoil or a reusable baking mat. Set aside.
• Slice the Hawaiian sweet rolls in half without pulling them apart individually. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and brush a little inside the rolls. Place the filling inside the rolls: ham, sliced tomato, fresh basil, drizzle of balsamic glaze, and mozzarella cheese.
• Place the top of the rolls on top and brush the melted butter mixture over the top of the rolls.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the tops are nice and crispy.
• Let cool for a few minutes before slicing between the rolls to serve. ENOY!

Blackberry Pita Pizza

It’s never too early to chat pizza if you ask me. This pizza makes me happy and I think it’d make your Saturday!

Blackberry Pita Pizza:

* 1 small organic pita

* Dash of EVOO to brush over the pita before topping

* 2 tbsp fresh blackberry chia seed jam

* 1/4 cup dairy free ricotta cheese

* 1 slices prosciutto

* Small handful of fresh basil

* Red chili flakes (optional)

Directions:

* Heat oven to 425°F and spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

* Plate the pita on the baking sheet, brush with EVOO, spread the blackberry jam all over the top of the pita, dollop on the ricotta cheese, and bake for 10-12 minutes. Or until the pita begins to get golden and crispy.

* Once crisp, remove from oven, top with prosciutto, fresh basil, and red chili flakes if you’d like.

You can switch up pita pizzas so easy! Use a different jam or toss on completely different ingredients. There is no wrong way to pita pizza.