Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 52
August 26, 2024
Crispy Carnitas with Summer Corn Salsa.
If you’re a taco lover, these crispy summer carnitas tacos are for you. Crispy pulled pork in a warm tortilla, topped with refreshing, crisp sweet corn salsa and an herby jalapeño crema drizzled on top. So delicious and flavorful!
Who loves tacos!!
I’m very much raising both hands for these crispy carnitas summer tacos right now. Crispy, juicy shredded pork on warm tortillas with crumbled cotija cheese, corn salsa and a jalapeno crema are calling my name. Always.
Yes, always. Tacos are always calling my name but these ones specifically?
Wowza.
Tons of flavor. Tastes super fancy. Are easy to throw together.
Definitely pleases a crowd!
Right now we’re in the midst of enjoying summer foods and preparing for football season parties and this is a recipe that works double time.
It’s both!
It can be a weeknight meal on a busy school night.
Or it can feed a crowd on a college football Saturday.
I’ve shared so many different recipes with pulled pork here for you. We love carnitas because crisping them in the oven right until they get that classic crunch is EVERYTHING.
If you’re a texture freak like I am, you know that it makes the dish. It’s the step you don’t want to skip!
Depending on the day, I may braise my pork on the stovetop but I most often use the slow cooker. It’s just the easiest and requires the least babysitting in my life right now.
But no matter what, I crisp the shredded pork in the oven before we enjoy it. Definitely the best part.
A quick salsa like this is a staple in our weeknight meals. I like using fresh corn that I slice right from the cob. It’s so sweet and super crunchy! Along with the corn, I add in:
Diced jalapeno
Diced shallot
And diced mango (!!!)
Chopped cilantro
Lots of lime juice
A big pinch of salt
Yes please!
I could eat this with a spoon! It’s perfect on the tacos but also so delicious served on grilled chicken or with rice or even thrown inside of a quesadilla!
The sweet and crisp and refreshing combo is absolutely perfect. (more…)
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August 25, 2024
A Week In The Life, Vol 35.
Back to school week!!
I can’t even believe it.
But first, cookies. Earlier in the week I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough for the freezer. I like having this on hand at all times to make for friends, school, etc.
I flash freeze like this and then store them in large resealable bags.
A last playground day before school.
So fun!!
We had a teacher meet and greet a few days before school started.
I love this outfit she picked!!
How is this baby going to school?!
Favorite version of my house salad.
We went mini golfing before school started back up too!
They are so fun.
He loved it!
Mini BFFs.
Earlier in the week we had cool temps and it was AMAZING!!!
This is the 4pm “but I’m not tired” couch nap. Ugh.
How we entertain ourselves at cross country!!
They love it. And can’t stand it while doing it. But love it.
A little late night back to school decor.
And I made them blueberry pancakes for the day!
Eeeeep!
How are these kids so huge?!
After school activities and a goal.
Last bath before preschool!
Next day it was Jordan’s turn!!
He was SO EXCITED.
No tears at all!
Loved it!
I didn’t know what to do with myself for those first two hours so I had to get a pumpkin cream cold brew.
First day of school treat from friends!
On friday night we had a movie night with popcorn and cookies.
Weekend birthday parties!
A hockey!
The most colorful girl!
And then today I prepped a few more things! Pumpkin muffins for the freezer, roasted veg, hard boiled eggs and chicken soup. Time for routine!!
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What To Eat This Week: 8/25/24.
We’re starting to get back in the swing of things here!
What’s on your menu this week?!
What To Eat This Week
Peanut noodles with roasted broccoli
Potato chip crusted chicken fingers with ranch broccoli
Maple BBQ salmon with brown butter couscous
Crispy chicken with avocado salad
The post What To Eat This Week: 8/25/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
August 24, 2024
Currently Crushing On.
Hello weekend!
This week on the blog, I shared this summer garden skillet gnocchi. I also shared this crispy chicken with avocado salad, a ton of recipes for your labor day weekend and a new summer fridays post!
There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life!
You can join The Everyday Dinners cookbook club right here! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here! Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.
xoxoxox
WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEKThis spicy watermelon salad! I need this.
Salmon chowder sounds so good.
So does a peach caprese salad.
Strawberry horchata. Yum!
Want to make pumpkin pie bars.
Sweet potato pie too!
Dying over these triple chocolate cookies.
Pumpkin pancakes forever.
The most delicious corn dip.
Creamy stovetop mac and cheese. Yes please.
Love this peach brie flatbread.
The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
August 23, 2024
Summer Fridays, Vol 13.
The summeriest of the summer fridays!
EATINGSummer stuffed shells! So delicious. Also, my summer panzanella which is incredible. Fig caprese too.
DRINKINGI am getting pumped for apple season. My red apple cider sangria is the best. Also, my caramel cider crush!
MAKINGMy grilled street corn grilled cheese! And broccoli BLT pasta salad.
BAKINGMy double fudge zucchini cookies. And apple cinnamon baked oatmeal is perfect for school mornings!
CRAVINGMy pesto peach pizza. And this perfect grilled spatchcock chicken with cola BBQ sauce.
GRILLINGMy grilled jalapeño peach chicken. Grilled gorgonzola potatoes! And summer garden quinoa with flank steak.
LISTENINGMy baby playlist that I made while pregnant with Jordan still remains one of my favorite of all time. I listen to it often! I should probably rename it, but since he was born to it, I just can’t.
READINGCurrently reading The Pairing. Really liking it too. My summer reading list is here!!
WEARINGI’ve been living in my love v-neck t-shirt from lululemon. I’ve had a few of these for probably five years by now and they hold up so well. I also adore the love tank top too. There is a great copy of this on amazon and the colors are even better. The hot pink!!
SHARINGMy recent beauty buys at sephora! I am really loving these things right now. My current favorite is the newest maison margiela perfume!
SHOPPINGThe stoney clover park & beach collection absolutely got me. I wish I could get every piece for Emilia! I’m also loving the j crew factory stuff for the kids for fall. They always have crazy sales where I can stock up and match the kids.
LOVINGIt’s no secret that I have been obsessed with on cloud shoes for years. They have been my work shoes for YEARS now and I love so many of the styles for different reasons. I just saw that free people released a collab with them, and I am dying over the colors! That’s been my only complaint for on – as someone who adores color, the choices aren’t wild and bright since it’s more of a minimalist shoe. But I love both of these shoes! And they are two of my favorite styles for comfort too.
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August 22, 2024
45 Recipes For Labor Day Weekend!
Sharing all my favorite recipes for labor day weekend! Burgers, hot dog bars, pizza on the grill, along with salads, dips, snacks, desserts, cocktails and more. Send summer out with a delicious bang!
I’ve got all my favorites here for your long weekend!
And it’s the unofficial end of summer with labor day coming up next week over here! I have a bunch of my summertime favorites to make for the weekend that you can enjoy. These are all so delicious, I don’t know how to choose?!
On Labor Day weekend I always end up decorating for fall so I can get the most out of my favorite time of year. But I still make sure to prepare the best of the best summer meals. All things on the grill. Super delicious snacks and apps. Dips, desserts, and of course – summer cocktails.
I know there are technically a few weeks of summer left, but this weekend we are going to live it up. We will be enjoying all the summer things! Here’s a peek at some of my favorite Labor Day weekend recipes. What are you making?!
45 Recipes for Labor Day Weekend
Grilled summer BBQ chicken pizza.
Burrata Basil and Peach Panzanella
Grilled Zucchini with Burrata and Pine Nuts
Double berry mascarpone cobbler
Summer BBQ chicken chopped salad
Grilled Vegetable Orzo with Smashed Feta Vinaigrette
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Cola BBQ Sauce
Tomato Corn Peach Salad with Crispy Quinoa
Grilled hot honey chicken with corn salad.
Buttery old bay crab mac and cheese.
Chocolate Chip Cookie S’mores Bars
No Churn Coffee Oreo Ice Cream
Triple Berry Vanilla Sheet Cake
The post 45 Recipes For Labor Day Weekend! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.
August 21, 2024
Crispy Chicken with Avocado Salad.
This crispy chicken with avocado cucumber salad is everything! Thin and crispy chicken cutlets, topped with a refreshing cucumber avocado salad with tons of fresh herbs. Add some herb aioli for an extra punch!
Who needs a new favorite?!
This crispy chicken is topped with an herby avocado and cucumber salad, drizzled with an herb aioli and is such a fabulous meal that I can’t even handle it!
You are going to LOVE it.
Can I just tell you how delicious this is?!
Super thin pieces of chicken, coated in the crispiest crunchiest breading. Cooked until tender and juicy.
Huge chunks of avocado.
Thinly sliced (super refreshing!) cucumber.
Fresh basil, mint, parsley and cilantro.
A little herb aioli for an extra punch.
Oh my gosh, yes please.
The idea for these chicken cutlets came from one of our local restaurants. They have a chicken cutlet dish with a big avocado cucumber salad on top – and it’s so vibrant, bright and refreshing.
The juxtaposition of the hot, crunchy chicken topped with a creamy, cold salad with tons of fresh herbs is amazing.
It works so well together!
I craved it for days after first trying it.
When we order this dish, it’s served just like this. A big old piece of crispy chicken topped with a ton of salad. It’s light but satisfying and while I don’t leave hungry, I think you could add on an extra side if you wish!
You could always make a batch of my cheesy baked rice, smashed potatoes or even some biscuits if you want to go crazy.
The other delicious part of this dish? The aioli that is smeared on the plate or even drizzled on top. It adds another creamy addition that makes the dish taste special. Almost too special – like it’s too good to eat on a weeknight!
Those are the best kind. Because it’s also fairly easy.
Make the aioli. Toss the cucumber and avocado salad together. Bread and fry the crispy chicken.
Throw it on a plate and enjoy! (more…)
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August 20, 2024
Tuesday Things.
1. My kids would flip over this ice cream sandwich cake!
2. Do you consider Sunday to be the start or end of the week? I’m on team end.
3. I’m just not sure if I can add sweetened condensed milk to red wine. I’d probably like it though?
4. I need your best countertop fruit storage ideas! I’ve mentioned before how we go though TONS of fruit. I already have a banana hanger, a large bowl… we still just have fruit hanging out everywhere.
5. Feeling very certain that this pickle holder was made for me.
6. Speaking of, so many of my new favorite kitchen items! How did I not know about these?!
7. TV things!! Emily in Paris was cute. I also finally saw It Ends With Us! Loved it and through it was so close to the book.
8. It’s our last day of summer so I’m surprising the kids with a popcorn bar! Popcorn and a whole platter of treats to add in, like gummies, nuts, mini oreos, pretzels, etc. And a movie day!
9. The benefits of being a patient person.
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August 19, 2024
Summer Garden Skillet Gnocchi.
We adore this summer garden skillet gnocchi! Use up all those summer veggies from your garden to create a burst cherry tomato and zucchini sauce. Add in some gnocchi and lots of parmesan for the easiest dinner ever. Yum!
Nothing like a quick easy pasta dish to get excited about!
This is my favorite kind of dish to make in the summer – simple, easy, uses up the veggies and herbs, tastes amazing. This skillet gnocchi is made from burst cherry tomatoes, chopped zucchini, red onion, tons of garlic, basil, chives and lots of parmesan.
Sounds amazing, right?!
Right right right.
The whole idea for this pasta started with my burst cherry tomato sauce. I love taking a ton of summer tomatoes, cooking them down into a saucy mess and adding garlic and fresh basil, plus cooked pasta and a bit of starchy water. Oh and parm.
That combo is so fresh and delicious, satisfying and tastes like a big bowl of summer.
I’ve been making a version of pasta like that at least once a week. At least! And let’s just say that I have tons of zucchini on hand. So really, I had no other option.
There’s a super old brown butter garden veggie pasta dish that I shared well over a decade ago. I still make it frequently – you guys do too. And it’s delicious. But I often wish it had just a bit more substance.
Or cheese
Or sauce.
Who am I kidding, I can never make up my mind. But here we are!
I start by cooking down all the vegetables. The tomatoes go first with the shallots, because I like them to burst a bit before I add in the rest.
Then, it’s zucchini. Garlic, olive oil and more.
I cook the gnocchi separately. This only takes a few minutes, but I want to reserve some of that starchy water to help the sauce along.
There is nothing like a silky sauce that has the help of pasta water. It thickens it perfectly, it helps the sauce stick to the pasta and it gives it just a little more oomph. I adore it. (more…)
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August 18, 2024
A Week In The Life, Vol 34.
We had a perfect week before back to school!!
Lots of fun for these two.
Not hurt, just loves to play with bandaids. Should be a hashtag.
Sourdough pizza for the kids!
“Take a picture of my water bottle!”
Cross country nights!
And a little summer treat after.
Loves to make his own peanut butter toast.
Very focused.
This lisa frank inside of me bought this for her.
Quick mall trip for back to school.
My girl.
Had to take our unicorn purse too.
Jordan walked in the room with Mr Potato Head glasses on.
Took these two to their first steeler game!
Ready!
Had to get a hat!
Look at the moon in the background!!
Fun fun fun.
Perfect shot!
I did a ton of back-to-school meal prep today. Sourdough, meatballs for the freezer, waffles for the freezer, etc.
We love it so much.
Something about the evening felt very fall-like tonight. Can’t wait!
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