Heather Schrader

Asian-Inspired Chimichurri Roast

August 16, 2017August 15, 2017by Heather SchraderLeave a comment

Chimichurri is one of my favorite marinades for steak, especially cuts that typically are less tender. The combination of fresh herbs, garlic, vinegar, and oil provide a vibrant smell and satisfying taste. Having experimented with variations over the past few weeks, we’re excited to share this Asian-inspired version with you. Adding Thai basil and Thai chilies adds a great depth of flavor and spiciness we know you’ll love.

When cooking this pot roast slowly in a skillet, the bottom gets a hard sear, similar to burnt ends on smoked meats (without the dryness). That said, if you’d like to minimize that hard sear, I recommend adding 1 cup of beef or chicken stock to the skillet. This may accelerate the cooking time; so checking the temperature at 10 minute intervals will be important. However you choose to cook this meal, we hope you’ll enjoy it.

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Herbaceous Cucumber-Radish Salad

August 2, 2017August 1, 2017by Heather SchraderLeave a comment

I initially threw this together on a whim for my parents one night for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I had baked chicken thighs with Brent’s rib rub and made mashed sweet potatoes, and I wanted to add something more to our table. Specifically, I wanted something light and fresh. We had a cucumber, radishes, and all kinds of herbs in the fridge. The combination was perfect. My parents and Brent really enjoyed this, and we hope you will too!

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Pineapple Curry

July 26, 2017July 25, 2017by Heather Schrader1 Comment

My favorite take-out place is a Thai restaurant. I love the curries, especially the extra spicy green curry. A couple of months ago, I tried the red curry for the first time and was surprised by the experience. It was not nearly as spicy as the green curry. That said it was super flavorful and slightly sweet. The sweetness came from pineapple, grapes, and halved cherry tomatoes.

This weekend, I was craving curry and I thought about that red curry. I realized we had plenty of fresh pineapple on hand for an experiment. However, instead of trying to recreate the red curry, I simply decided to create a curry with pineapple as the star. The result was a golden dish with wonderful sweet heat that’s will satisfy anyone, including your vegan friends!

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Ambrosia (Yum Yum) Salad

July 19, 2017July 18, 2017by Heather SchraderLeave a comment

One of my aunts makes a summer fruit salad that everyone in my family calls “yum yum salad.” It wasn’t until sometime in my college years that I realized her salad is more commonly known as ambrosia salad. As a kid, I loved this salad. It felt like having dessert during dinner. What kid doesn’t like that?

But, as I got older, my tastes changed. Ambrosia (yum yum) salad, with it’s mini marshmallows and cool whip dressing was cloyingly sweet. Now that I think about it, I wonder if my aunt actually balanced it out with sour cream like most ambrosia salad recipes require. However, she made it, I stopped eating it at family functions a long time ago (even before I started eating “clean” with Brent in 2012) simply because I could no longer stomach it.

This version leaves out the marshmallows and replaces the cool whip/sour cream combination with a dairy-free yogurt. It’s still sweet from all the fresh fruit, but it’s much lighter and healthier! The best part for me? My parents are in town and give it their stamp of approval. We hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

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Heather’s Strawberry Salad

June 21, 2017June 28, 2017by Heather SchraderLeave a comment

Sleep deprivation makes me crave sugary things. Couple that with the hot summer weather we’re experiencing, and all I want to eat are salads and fruit. This strawberry salad was inspired by a salad at our favorite local restaurant. My version, however, doesn’t include any dairy and I chose to use romaine lettuce because it’s one of my favorite greens. The result is something light and refreshing, and you can easily add grilled chicken for a more substantial meal. I have a feeling we’ll be making this pretty regularly this summer. We hope you enjoy it, too!

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