WikiHoki

GLOWING BERRY FRUIT SALAD WITH MANGOES

Glow on the inside and the outside with this easy berry fruit salad! Loaded with tons of berries, fresh herbs, and quick and easy dressing!

So much I love about this salad right now!

A salad is precisely what’s needed today. Especially when the salad is this colorful and bright. It is the perfect last minute addition to our Easter feasting tables that not only festive but also delicious to eat. My glowing berry salad is the perfect treat. Refreshing and healthy all at the same time!

I often get asked where I get the inspiration for several recipes I share with you guys, here on the blog. And the truth is, I do some of my best planning while walking down the aisles of my favorite grocery stores. Just taking it all in. Looking at new products and trying to figure out what flavors would work well with them. You know, in case I’m ever on an episode of Chopped and need to pull something out of a hat or something.

Last week my local grocery store had a major sale on the juiciest most colorful berries. Naturally, all those gorgeous berries inspired me to put together a little last minute treat for us all to enjoy on Easter Sunday. But also for the rest of spring and all of the summer days that await us.

I wanted to keep this berry salad super simple, so I went with berries that are easy to find and tossed in a couple of ripe mangos for a pop of color and a squeeze of lemon with honey for dressing and sprinkled with basil.

Berry beautiful, isn’t it? So couldn’t help that one!

Glowing Berry Fruit Salad - an easy fruit salad that you can bring to picnics, barbecues, brunches and so much more! #fruitsalad #berrysalad #berryfruitsalad #picnic #salad | Littlespicejar.com

I wanted to share this berry fruit salad with you early in the season because between now, and the next five months there are going to be plenty of reasons to serve this. Picnics, a Memorial Day shindig, brunches, barbecue parties, a Mother’s Day get together, birthday parties, and a 4th of July celebration, at some point, you’re going to need to bring something to a party last minute.

With all these juicy berries in abundance and the incentive to bring something to a party that doesn’t require stove-top cooking, I think you need a back-pocket berry fruit salad. Can we also talk about how a fruit salad makes it look like you put in some effort? Unlike when you take a big watermelon to a get-together, and everyone knows you put zero thought into it at all. A berry salad lets you fly under the radar without you having to change those lazy ways by much. Plus it only takes 10 minutes to put together.

But also, a berry fruit salad means there’s practically no chopping involved.

FOR MY BERRY FRUIT SALAD, YOU’LL NEED:

strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
blackberries
mangoes (ripe, but firm)
a few sprigs of basil and/or mint

for the dressing:

a squeeze of lemon
a hint of honey

But you can also make the executive decision to toss in pineapple chunks, or mandarin slices, halved cherries, or diced kiwi and I’m not going to be mad at that.

This is your berry fruit salad; you do you!

The herbs in our fruit salad are also optional, but they do add a little something extra to the otherwise mostly vanilla fruit salad situation, so I urge you to give it a try.

Basil lends a subtle sweetness that works well with the berries. Even the mint isn’t so bad in a berry salad as it works so well with the mango and blueberries! I love combining blueberries with mint and lemon in infused water, and it works just as well in this salad. But other than that, I’m not a huge fan of mint.

TIP: If you want to make this extra cutesy, just pop it into muffin or cupcake liners and place them in a three-tiered cupcake tower. Put in 1% more effort than serving it in a large bowl or don’t; your call!

This does make a ton of salad so if you’re making this stuff for the fam, I suggest keeping the dressing separate and adding it right before serving. You can also cut the recipe in half. If I’ve got some of the berry fruit salad remaining after a couple of days, I like blending 1-2 cups with a big handful of spinach or power greens for my midmorning smoothie.

So colorful and heeeeealthy!

YIELD: 10-12 SERVINGS

BERRY FRUIT SALAD WITH MANGOES

prep time:10 MINS

total time:10 MINS

Glow on the inside and on the outside with this easy berry fruit salad! Loaded with tons of berries, fresh herbs, and a quick and easy dressing!

PRINT RECIPE

5 / 5 (1 Reviews)

Did you make this recipe?
LEAVE A REVIEW »

INGREDIENTS:

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped mint

SALAD:

1 pound strawberries (hulled and halved)
6 ounces EACH: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup julienned basil

DIRECTIONS:

DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk the lemon and honey together. I used 1 tablespoon of honey as my berries and mango were pretty sweet. Feel free to use two tablespoons if you’d like. Add the mint and stir to combine.
ASSEMBLY: Add all the berries and mangoes to a large bowl along with the basil. Dress the salad with the dressing and toss until thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Agustus 15, 2019

0 Comments

EASY CHICKEN GYROS WITH FRENCH FRIES AND TZATZIKI SAUCE

Easy Chicken Gyros wraps marinated in a lemony yogurt herb sauce, seared and then stuffed in warm pitas with tzatziki sauce, french fries, and tons of onions and tomatoes!

Move aside dull chicken gyros!

We’ve got a new pita wrap in town. And not only is this one flavor-packed bite after another, but it’s also entirely from scratch, practical and straightforward to prepare.

My easy chicken gyros wraps are stuffed with a simple yogurt, herb and lemon marinated chicken with loads of creamy Greek yogurt tzatziki to cool it all down. The marinade takes, oh maybe 2 minutes to whip up because it’s as easy as whisking together pantry staples.

And no, your eyes do not deceive you. Indeed, those are french fries stuffed inside my chicken gyros wraps. Yes, as in hot and crispy crinkle cut sticks of potatoes wrapped up with grilled chicken and all your favorite gyros toppings. Fries are a primary food group, and that’s just not open to debate.

I repeat. There are french fries in my chicken gyros, and I’m never making gyros any other way again..

Easy Chicken Gyros with French Fries and Tzatziki Sauce - Learn how to make the easiest chicken gyros! Perfect for weeknight dinners! #chickengyros #gyros #gyrosrecipe #greekchicken | Littlespicejar.com

Now that the hubby and I have been doing a clean food diet low in refined sugars for a whole three months, I’m starting to feel that 90-day burnout is creeping in. So instead of throwing in the towel altogether, we’re reintroducing foods we love, like easy chicken gyros, and enjoying them in moderation. Also, I hope we have the understanding that from this moment onwards, french fries are a ~~diet~~ lifestyle friendly food.

Like with most of the recipes I share here on the blog, I wanted to make sure that this was an easy chicken gyros recipe while still maintaining my motto of food that is BIG in the flavor department. I’m happy to report that these gyros wraps are weeknight friendly and require as little as 30 minutes of marinating time. But if you can, I suggest marinating the chicken the night before and you’ll get to reap 1000% more flavor from the same ingredients and the same marinade.

You’ll also be happy to know that most of these ingredients are already in your refrigerator or spice cabinet.

Watching my mom cook middle eastern and south Asian food all my life has taught me a few valuable lessons. One of the main ones being if you want the most tender chicken always marinate it in a mixture of acid and yogurt. So I used the same concept here when I was coming up with a marinade for my chicken gyros. It will work in as little as 30 minutes, but I find letting it go overnight really takes all the flavors over the top. It starts with equal parts olive oil, lemon juice and yogurt. The kind of yogurt you use is up to you. I slightly prefer greek yogurt here because it’s thicker and will stick to the chicken better but regular yogurt will also do the trick.

Then come the herbs and spices. I’m using all dried herbs because it’s something most of us have in the pantry and it’s practical. You’ll find things like onion powder, ground coriander, sweet paprika, and even ground nutmeg in the recipe. Lately, I’ve been into using nutmeg in recipes like my shepherd’s pie as it’s such an aromatic spice that’s often underutilized. Trust me; you’ll be surprised how much flavor it adds to this! To keep the marinade as simple as possible, I’m even skipping the minced garlic and using garlic powder.

I wasn’t kidding when I said this was an easy chicken gyros recipe!

I’m using chicken tenders for my easy chicken gyros because it’s what I had in the freezer and because they’re already portioned, it’s less chopping that I have to do but feel free to use a few chicken breasts here too. You can easily slice them down the middle or leave them whole if you’re serving this over a salad rather than the wraps. Whatever you do, don’t skip the french fries. Eat an extra salad later; I’m convinced it’ll balance itself out.

For my homemade tzatziki sauce, I’m using grated hothouse style cucumbers, along with a clove of grated garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, freshly chopped dill and tons of creamy Greek yogurt. The garlic does add a bite, so it’s optional, if you aren’t a fan, simply omit it from the recipe.

For the pita wraps, I used the thinnest wrap-style bread I could find. Along with the fries, I’d be way off kilter if I went with anything more substantial. But feel free to use what you like. Go with a fiber-rich flatbread wrap, a pocket pita, or even a more traditional Greek-style pita bread.

And don’t forget kids, the french fries go INSIDE the chicken gyros wraps!

YIELD: 4-5 WRAPS

EASY CHICKEN GYROS WITH FRENCH FRIES AND TZATZIKI SAUCE

prep time:5 MINS (PLUS 30 MINS CHILL TIME)

cook time:15 MINS

total time:50 MINS

Easy Chicken Gyros wraps marinated in a lemony yogurt herb sauce, seared and then stuffed in warm pitas with tzatziki sauce, french fries, and tons of onions and tomatoes!

PRINT RECIPE

Did you make this recipe?
LEAVE A REVIEW »

INGREDIENTS:

MARINADE:

2 tablespoons yogurt (regular or Greek)
2 tablespoons EACH: olive oil and lemon juice
1 teaspoons EACH: onion powder, ground coriander, sweet paprika, and dried oregano
1½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder and dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
1½ lbs. chicken tenders (see notes)

TZATZIKI SAUCE:

1 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup grated cucumbers
2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
salt and pepper

SERVING:

prepared french fries, thinly sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, warm pita bread or low-carb flatbread.

DIRECTIONS:

MARINATE: combine all the ingredients listed except the chicken and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chicken and make sure it’s coated evenly. Cover and let marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
COOK THE CHICKEN GYROS: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and half the chicken to the skillet let cook for 5-7 minutes or until cooked, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate and cook the remaining batch of chicken adding additional oil if necessary. Discard any remaining marinade.
TZATZIKI SAUCE: Add the grated cucumbers to a sieve and using a wooden spoon, over the sink, press out as much of the water from the cucumbers as possible. Set cucumbers aside. Whisk the Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together until smooth. Fold in the grated garlic and cucumbers and season with salt and pepper as desired. Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice as desired.
SERVE: place the desired amount of chicken in warmed pita or flatbread and top with prepared french fries, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce.

Agustus 15, 2019

0 Comments

SUPREME DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA

Learn how to make a supreme Detroit-style pizza with simple ingredients! The key to making Detroit-style pizza is all in the crust. Using bread flour yields a crust that’s crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. Top it with pepperoni, black olives, bell peppers and tons of mozzarella cheese!

Alright, you guys. It’s another addition of homemade pizza(!!)

And this time, the recipe is so ridiculously easy. And I know, I’ve said making homemade pizza dough is easy before and it is, but it doesn’t get easier than this. And that’s because the stand mixer is going to do all the work for you – all of it. That means, there’s no kneading, or shaping when it comes to Detroit-style pizza. Make the dough, let it rest, dump it in a baking pan, spread, top, and bake.

This is a new favorite in our house.

Favorite of mine because there’s less work involved; favorite of hubbies, well, because he loves pizza in every form. So much so, that I was explicitly told that I couldn’t make this pizza when he was away. He wanted it hot and fresh the day it was made.

Supreme Detroit-Style Pizza - Homemade Detroit-Style pizza with the best crispy, butter dough! It's almost like focaccia bread with pizza toppings on top! #detroitpizza #detroitstylepizza #homemadepizza #pizza | Littlespicejar.com

When it comes to pizza, I don’t discriminate.

However, I do tend to lean more towards Chicago-style pizza. A deep dish pie loaded with so much cheese you practically can’t breathe through all the crazy cheese pulls. And don’t even try eating it without a fork and a knife. If it’s good Chicago-style pizza, that should be impossible. Topped with a thick and hearty tomato sauce that’s bright and flavorful to boot. Lawd, I am just counting the days to my next slice.

But when I realized that Detroit-style pizza shares some of those same qualities, as in a thick and crispy, buttery crust topped with all the toppings and the cheese then a hearty ladleful of sauce ON TOP, I knew it wouldn’t take more than a bite to convince me. And you might even get me to admit that Detroit-style pizza has the best crust I’ve EVER had. And that’s a big step. I take my pizza crusts very seriously.

Here’s the thing. I’m usually not a big meat topping eater. As in my topping choices for pizza usually are the same as they are for my omelettes. A handful of onions and peppers. Sometimes it’s mushrooms and spinach. If I’m feeling extra crazy, I’ll get it with white sauce. But never more than two toppings. It’s too much. It takes away the taste of all that rich tomatoey sauce and cheese. Who doesn’t want to taste the CHEESE or their pizza?

Not anyone I know.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA:

All of the magic of a Detroit-style pizza is in the crust. All of it. The crust of a Dtown pizza is thick, and super crispy on the bottom and the pizza itself is usually in a square or rectangular shape because it’s baked in a special pan (more on that in a second.)

Let’s talk about the ingredients you’ll need. For the crust, you’ll need bread flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it! 4 ingredients and it may not seem like a lot but what you get is a crust that takes me back to the throwback 90’s Pizza Hut pizza that my childhood was made of.

I know someone is going to ask, well can I just use regular all-purpose flour? The answer is yes, you technically could. It would work. But it won’t yield the results bread flour will. For my food science lovers, the high gluten content in bread flour delivers that supreme, crispy-crunchy outer crust while still keeping that soft and chewy center we all love. Not that you’re asking my advice, but I say it’s worth it to splurge on a sack of bread flour. You’re most definitely going to make this pizza more than once.

Also, Detroit-style, the toppings go on the bottom. That’s what I’ve been able to gather. There’s a whole lot of back and forth on where the sauce needs to go but for the most part, I hear it goes on the top. When in doubt I default to my Chicago-style ways.

I feel like I need to say this in bold – If you feel otherwise, please place the sauce where you see fit. I’m not telling you how to have your pizza, just giving you a few guidelines here!

But for my first timers, sauce on top is GOOD.

Now that crust. See all that golden crispness? We’ll achieve that by brushing our pan with a little olive oil before we spread out the pizza dough. Speaking of the pan, as mentioned, Detroit-style pizza is usually made in a specific pan (affiliate link.) This kind of pizza dough really reminds me of homemade focaccia. My secret to making the crust even more delicious? Sprinkling some dried oregano on the crust before we top it with the toppings Trust me, it gives the dough that perfect pizza parlor flavor!

For us home cooks, you don’t have to run out and get a special pan (unless you want too!) I used my everyday 9×13 baking pan (affiliate link) that I usually bake these bars in and it worked fine. If you’ve got a pan that’s darker (say dark grey or black) your pizza will crisp and cook slightly faster than lighter pans, so keep a close eye on it!

The first time I made Detroit-style pizza I did it in a dark pan that I bought from $1 at the thrift store (strictly for food photography) and with its super thin sides, the pizza was ready to eat in 10 minutes. So the pan thickness really MATTERS.

Crust close up in …3..2..1

In terms of toppings, you can use just about anything you like! So today’s recipe is more about the crust. I went with pepperoni for my meat loving husband, along with a chopped bell pepper, and some black olives. And this is such a classic combination you just can’t go wrong!

Going light on the sauce here because I didn’t want it dripping off the sides. You’ll need about 1 1/4 cups altogether. You can use my homemade sauce (which I’ll link to in the recipe) or a good quality store-bought sauce. But whatever you do, use good quality mozz here. That’s what makes this so irresistible. I usually just buy a hunk from my cheese department and cube it myself because I almost always have an accident when I’ve tried to shred large quantities. You can also swap some of the mozz for cheddar. My last batch was a 50/50 split and here’s a shocker, it was SOOO GOOD.

Burnt cheesy, crispy bubbly golden brown crust and all the melty, gooey cheese pulls that make our heart sing.

Here’s to a cheesy MONDAY!

YIELD: 12 SQUARES

SUPREME DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA

prep time:25 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

cook time:15 MINS

total time:3 HOURS 10 MINS

PRINT RECIPE

5 / 5 (1 Reviews)

Did you make this recipe?
LEAVE A REVIEW »

INGREDIENTS:

PIZZA DOUGH:

2 ½ cups bread flour (see notes)
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105º-110ºF)

TOPPINGS:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ¼ cups pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought)
2½ cups shredded or diced mozzarella cheese
black olives, bell peppers, pepperoni slices (or any toppings you like)

DIRECTIONS:

DETROIT-STYLE DOUGH: Add the flour, yeast, and salt to a stand mixer and combine on the stir setting. With the stand mixer on medium-low (speed 4) add the warm water and let mix for 7 minutes. Stop the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes (exactly) before proceeding. Turn the mixer back on to medium-low (speed 4) and continue to mix the dough for an additional 10 minutes. While the dough mixes, grab a large bowl, spray with cooking spray and set aside. When the dough is mixed, use a dough scraper to aid in dumping the dough into the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap (spray with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick) and set aside in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
SHAPE THE DOUGH: When the dough has doubled in size, drizzle the olive oil in a 9×13 inch pan and using a brush or your fingers, cover the bottom and sides with the oil evenly. Dump the dough directly into the baking dish (it’s super sticky.) Grab a tablespoon of bread flour between your fingers and use it to spread the dough so it doesn’t stick to your fingers. Spread the dough as much as you can without tearing it. If the dough doesn’t reach the edges, let it relax (covered with plastic wrap) for another 30-40 minutes before trying to spread it again to the edges. Depending on how much you needed to stretch it the second time, you may want to let it rest for 10-15 minutes again (that’s if you stretched it a whole lot the second time too.)
BAKE: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 550ºF (or as high as your oven will go.) Sprinkle the dough with dried oregano followed by your favorite toppings. Next top with cheese and finally drizzle the sauce in three straight lines. Bake the pizza uncovered for 12-16 minutes or until the crust is golden-brown and crispy. Let cool for a minute or two before using a sharp knife to loosen the pizza. Place the pizza carefully on a cutting board and slice into 12 pieces. Serve immediately!

Agustus 15, 2019

0 Comments

GLOWING BERRY FRUIT SALAD WITH MANGOES

FOR MY BERRY FRUIT SALAD, YOU’LL NEED:

BERRY FRUIT SALAD WITH MANGOES

INGREDIENTS:

DRESSING:

SALAD:

DIRECTIONS:

EASY CHICKEN GYROS WITH FRENCH FRIES AND TZATZIKI SAUCE

EASY CHICKEN GYROS WITH FRENCH FRIES AND TZATZIKI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

MARINADE:

TZATZIKI SAUCE:

SERVING:

DIRECTIONS:

SUPREME DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA:

SUPREME DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

PIZZA DOUGH:

TOPPINGS:

DIRECTIONS:

About me

Sarah Nelson

Sponsor

recent posts

Labels

Follow on instagram