I love an açaà bowl, but many of them are just okay. They aren't anywhere near as good as eating an authentic açaà bowl on a super hot day in Brazil. You can find juice bars with açaà bowls all over Brazil, especially since they have the most amazing fruit there. I chose to top this bowl with another Brazilian staple: passion fruit. I also chose to make this bowl with a little bit of coconut water, rather than the traditional guarana syrup, in an effort to be a little less sweet. The result is just as refreshing, just without the buzz.
I came up with this dish while trying to come up with main course for Valentine's Day. I wanted something that felt special and elegant, but wasn't too heavy for a three course meal. Let's face it, ending up in a food coma on Valentine's Day is no good. This dish was perfect for that. I served a steak tartare for the first course, and vanilla ice cream with a cherry port topping for dessert. The butternut mash is warm and comforting, and the lemony vinaigrette was added the right amount of brightness to the dish. I paired this course with a white Bordeaux which worked beautifully with the bright citrusy vinaigrette. And while this dish certainly felt special enough for a Valentine, it is easy enough to make on a buys weeknight.
On most weeknights in our house, we eat some combination of chicken and vegetables. Given how often we do this, we have to get creative with the types of vegetable accompaniment we serve. Here we served chicken thighs over roasted garlic mashed cauliflower, and topped it with a mixture of peppers and onions sautéed in vinegar for a super comforting weeknight meal full of flavor. The brightness of the peperonata works perfectly with the mellow roasted garlic flavor of the mashed cauliflower, and will leave you asking for seconds. This recipe may sound like a lot of steps, but it's quicker and easier than you might think.
Super healthy and super delicious, this soup is the perfect make-ahead dinner. It's also super easy to make. It clocks in around 125 calories for a one cup serving, is loaded with protein, and is perfect topped with a little avocado and cilantro. Adjust the number of peppers to your liking to spice it up or tone it down. If you're like me, and want the extra heat, add the seeds to the pot with peppers.