Food

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Lettuce Cups with Vegan Green Goddess Dressing

Make This Super Simple & Healthy Meal In A Flash
February 14, 2017
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > 30 Minute Meals

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Roasted Chicken & Vegetarian Lettuce Cups with homemade Vegan Green Goddess Dressing, Waiting On Martha
Roasted Chicken & Vegetarian Lettuce Cups with homemade Vegan Green Goddess Dressing, Waiting On Martha

Lettuce cups are a lot like nachos in my mind (and you know how deep my love for nachos runs).  You can truly throw anything you want in them and enjoy as an easy, fresh, guilt-free take on your favorite dishes.  I call these particular lettuce cups my “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” lettuce cups because I whip them up when I’m too weary to run to the store, instead using all sorts of things I find in the fridge for an easy and healthy weeknight meal.  Sound familiar?!

While these healthy lettuce cups are absolutely delicious the big winner here is the homemade vegan green goddess dressing.  I made mine dairy-free, using Vegenaise and Tofutti (two of my favorite vegan substitutions that taste just as good), amongst a lot of other goodness.  Guys, this dressing is so good that it might even overtake my love for homemade french onion dip.  The dipping possibilities are endless with this vegan green goddess dressing; I’m dunking chips in it as you’re reading this! And I promise you will NEVER taste the dairy free difference.

But back to the lettuce cups.  I mixed things up and made a few vegetarian chalked full of Mediterranean chickpeas and fresh avocado and the others with my favorite rotisserie chicken.  Even with the pulled rotisserie chicken, the dish is incredibly simple and fast to make, and not to mention super healthy to enjoy. I’m a big fan of making a rotisserie chicken on Sunday, then incorporating it in dishes for 2-3 days during the week.  The glory of a great leftover meal like this one never fails to put a smile on my face. 

For the actual lettuce cups I prefer to use a head of iceberg lettuce.  In order to get 5-6 cups out of each head of lettuce, I first chop off the bottom in one big slice.  Next, I flip the head over and very, very lightly hit it down on the cutting board.  This will loosen the center pieces, allowing you to slowly pull it apart.  Voila!  You have your lettuce cups.  Check out the recipe in it’s entirety below and please let me know if you decide make these this week, you’ll love them!  Truly, MKR 

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Everything But the Sink Lettuce Cups with Green Goddess Dressing
Yields 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
25 min
For the Lettuce Cups
  1. 1 head of iceberg lettuce pulled apart into 5-6 cups
  2. 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart
  3. 1 large can Garbanzo beans, rinsed
  4. 1 red onion, thinly sliced in rounds
  5. 1 fresh avocado, sliced
  6. 1/4 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  7. a small handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
  8. Plus any leftover herbs you have from your Green Goddess Dressing (see below)
  9. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  10. salt & pepper to taste
For the Green Goddess Dressing
  1. 1 medium avocado
  2. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  3. 1-2 tablespoons vinegar
  4. 3-5 tablespoons water
  5. 1/2 cup Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
  6. 1/2 cup Toffuti (vegan sour cream)
  7. 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  8. 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  9. 4 tablespoons chives, finely sliced
  10. 2 cloves garlic
  11. Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. For the dressing combine all ingredients into a blender and blend till combined.
  2. On a large platter lay down your lettuce cups and fill with desired toppings. Drizzle with vegan green goddess dressing and enjoy!
Notes
  1. *One head of lettuce should give you 5-6 cups.
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/

Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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Homemade Trail Mix with Cinnamon Pecans, Pistachios, Sesame Sticks, Cranberries & Chipotle Pepper

An Irresistible & Addicting Homemade Snack
February 9, 2017
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Food

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Homemade trail mix with pecans, pistachios, sesame sticks & more - recipe by @waitingonmartha

I’m a snacker.  In fact, I never like to have the stuff around in the house because I will devour it all in one sitting.  I kid you not.  So when I do get the craving for that salty-crunchy-sweet-and-maybe-spicy bite, I like to take the homemade route, and whip up a batch of trail mix. 

Last Christmas, you remember me loving on Georgia-grown Schermer Pecans.  And I love them looong after the holidays are done.  For my homemade trail mix, I use both their plain pecans and cinnamon pecans, along with salty pistachios and crispy sesame sticks.  To add a chewy, fruity punch, I mix in sweetened dried cranberries and some orange peels.  But THE secret, my friends, is all in the fresh OJ and egg whites.  It coats the trail mix, allowing the brown sugar, salt and chile pepper to cling to it all in the best, best way. I mean my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Of course, the beauty with trail mix is you can add anything you heart desires.  Though, I do highly, highly recommend the Schermer Pecans with whatever you do choose…they’re divine!  Enjoy!  Truly, MKR

P.S. More goodness with pecans on the blog: Roasted Squash & Quinoa Salad, Skillet Caramel Cinnamon Rolls and Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bread Bites

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Homemade Trail Mix
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups schermer plain pecans
  2. 1 cup cinnamon schermer pecans
  3. 1 cup shelled pistachios
  4. 2 cups sesame sticks
  5. 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  6. 8-10 thin orange peels
  7. 3 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  8. 2 large egg whites
  9. 1 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  10. 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  11. 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250°.
  2. Combine orange peels, orange juice & egg white in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in plain pecans & pistachios. Combine sugar, salt, and chipotle. Add to pecan mixture; toss well. Spread mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 250° for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove from oven; cool completely. Stir in cinnamon pecans, sesame sticks and cranberries.
  4. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/

Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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The Classic Negroni Cocktail

An Indispensable, Yet Simple Happy Hour Cocktail
February 6, 2017
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Cocktail Hour

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Negroni cocktail recipe by @waitingonmarthaBlog-Negroni-Cocktail
The Classic Negroni cocktail recipe by @waitingonmartha

The Negroni.  It’s the perfect apéritif (a pre-dinner drink to awaken the appetite), and in its simplicity, it’s one of the most indispensable cocktails, in my humble opinion.  It came about circa 1919 in Florence, and has continued to be a mainstay on any decent cocktail menu (read on about its history and splash into the mainstream here). It seems fancy; it’s not.  It’s made up of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso, and one part Campari.  And with a crisp blood orange peel as the garnish, it’s as gorgeous as it tastes.  

Campari always brings on the La Dolce Vita vibes for me; and The Negroni’s cheery, punchy red with fresh citrus and bitter sweet flavor is incredibly easy to sip under the sun. I think you’ll find that its flavors beg for creative renditions of its classic recipe, too.  It can be served on the rocks or up in a cocktail glass, and it’s incredibly easy to pour another (and another).  Cin cin!  Truly, MKR

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The Classic Negroni
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Ingredients
  1. 1 oz. gin
  2. 1 oz. Campari
  3. 1 oz. sweet vermouth
  4. Orange peels, to garnish
Instructions
  1. Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass orr double rocks glass with ice.
  2. Garnish with orange peels, and serve!
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
 

Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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