Robyn McLean
  • Home
  • About
    • A Love Story
    • My Adoption Story
    • Blog >
      • Roe v. Wade
      • Ask Me
  • Speaking
    • Featured In >
      • Radio Interviews
    • Podcast >
      • Conversations
      • All Episodes
    • Past Events
  • Brewed GRIT
  • Endorsements
  • Stirring Embers
I love food!  I may not have "Pinterest" and "specific, ingredient-free" recipe/health advice, but this is just a fun page of what I like to do to cook and prepare food in a creative, healthy, tasty, and inexpensive way. It can also give ideas for meal varieties for you, your family, and guests you may have over.

None of these are prepared and cooked according to recipes. I experiment and try different temperatures of oven heat and time amounts each time. I usually do anything from 350-400 degrees, and sometimes put the oven on broil to quickly heat the top or toast bread (as long as it's warm enough below the surface). My directions are not specific in measurements nor serving sizes. I did put some measurements in some recipes to help a bit. When it comes to skillets and oven dishes, I just fill it with the listed ingredients to my liking at the time. I like to balance out color, variety, and taste. Plus, what I like, may not be what you like, so definitely try it out according to your own taste. I also made this page to offer up tips as to how I prevent waste with food products that can easily go bad in the fridge.

                   ~ Robyn


Ingredients
Olive Oil
1/4-1/3 Cabbage (sliced/shaved)
1-1.5 Green Zucchini
1-1.5 Yellow Zucchini
1/2 White Onion, Sliced
2 Fresh Tomatoes, Diced
2 Green Onion Stalks, Sliced
Rosemary Herbs
Cilantro Herbs
Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (healthier)
Ground Pepper








Directions
I chop, dice, and slice ahead of time, so I do not have to rush in getting an ingredient ready while the others are cooking.
Set heat at Medium-Low or Medium.
Add about 1 or 2 TBSP  of olive oil and warm in skillet.
Mix in cabbage, green and yellow zucchini, and white onion.
Make sure the vegetables are coated in olive oil.
Add your salt of choice, ground pepper, and herbs.
Sauté until soft.
Add in tomatoes and green onions.
(when added last, it cooks well and maintains their vibrant color, than if put it with the previous ingredients)
Taste test your vegetables, add more seasonings if you feel you need to.
Eat as a great vegetable meal, or serve as a wonderful side dish.

Burst of Color & Flavor Veggie Side

Picture

Yummy Veggie Dish

Picture
Not yet cooked in the picture, just prepared.

Ingredients

      Olive Oil                                                     Green Onion
      1-1.5 Yellow Zucchini                             Basic
      1-1.5 Green Zucchini                               Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (healthier)   
      3 Red Potatoes                                          Ground Pepper
      1/2-1 White Onion, Sliced/Diced         Rosemary (optional)

Directions
I tried this dish by cutting everything up, having it prepped and ready, then baking. To prep: cut up yellow and green zucchini, slice white onion and green onion, chop up red potatoes, and add olive oil one tablespoon at a time and stir, until vegetables are coated. Then, add seasonings and stir. Preheat the oven anywhere from 375-400 degrees and check up on it in about 25-30 minutes. If it turns out how you like it, great! The potatoes needed to be cooked more for me, so I put it in a skillet, added a little more olive oil, a couple tablespoons of water, stirred, covered, and cooked on medium-low. I kept an eye on it and once the potatoes were as I wanted them, I was happy with the meal! However, I have cooked a dish like this in the oven without having to transfer it to the skillet. It all depends on how I, or you, want your potatoes to be! Sometimes, I nuke the potatoes, but I try to avoid the microwave as much as I can.

Potatoes
- For a more fresh, garden feel, I enjoy my red potatoes not as soft, but not too firm.
- I will cook my potatoes longer if I want my potatoes soft and moist for a particular dish, especially if someone wants an option to mash them down with a fork to mix with food or toppings like mashed potatoes.
- If I want the hashbrown, crunchy texture, I allow them to cook in the skillet longer.
I love the flavor it brings when cooking it longer this way.

Ingredients
Butter and/or Olive Oil
1/2 White Onion
3/4 C Mushrooms
1 or 2 Ciabatta Rolls
3-4 slices of Lunch Meat (Ham and/or Turkey)
Sharp, Cheddar Cheese, Sliced (or alternative)
Lettuce (or spinach or romaine)
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder

Directions
Instead of just an average, cold sandwich, you can make a mouth-watering melt. Start by pre-heating oven to 400 degrees.

1st Part:
Caramelize onions and mushrooms in butter or olive oil. I have done a little of both, so I didn't use so much butter. Set aside. Slice some lettuce and set aside. You can slice or tear layers off.

2nd Part:
Cut the roll in half and butter both sides on the inside.
Sprinkle garlic and onion powder on top of the butter layer.
Layer meat, cheese slices, and add the onion and mushroom mix.

Put into the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Take out of the oven, let cool a bit, then add lettuce.

Make-It-Melt

Picture

Open Sandwich

Picture

Ingredients
Real Butter
1 Ciabatta Roll
Ham & Turkey Lunch Meat (or whatever you like)
Canned, Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Shredded Mozzerella Cheese
1 Stalk of Sliced Green Onion (some of white part, mostly the green part)
Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (healthier)

Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions
Cut the roll in half.
Lightly butter the inside portion and face it upwards.
Broil in the oven to toast it; check after 7-10 minutes.

Take it out when toasted to your liking.
Set oven to 375 degrees.
Layer on each half, in order: meat, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, green onion, and seasonings.
Check after 10 minutes.
Take it out when cheese is melted and the open sandwich is hot to your liking.

Picture
Have green onions, but feel you are not going to use them before they spoil?
 Slice them up, spread them out on an oven sheet, and bake around 350 degrees.
Keep an eye on them and stir when needed. When done, store in an air tight container.
I've done this with Italian parsley and basil as well.
I have a food dehydrator, but I have not experimented in using it to make seasonings yet.



Ingredients
Real Butter
Bakery Bread of Your Choice (French, Sourdough, etc.)

Sharp, Cheddar Cheese
Sliced, Fresh Mushrooms
Sliced Green Onion (some of the white part, mostly the green part)
Light Sea Salt or Himalayen Pink Salt (healthier)



Directions
Lightly butter the top.
Broil in the oven to toast it; check after 5 minutes.
Take it out when toasted a bit on top; firm.
Set oven to 400 degrees.
Layer on, in order:  mushrooms, cheese, green onion, and seasonings.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Check to see if more time should be added.
Take it out when cheese is melted and is hot to your liking.

Not-So-Guilty Slice of Goodness

Picture

Refreshing, Colorful, and So Good!

Picture



Ingredients
Real Butter
Bakery Bread of Your Choice (French, Sourdough, etc.)

Sharp, Cheddar Cheese
Canned, Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Sliced Green Onion (some of the white part, mostly the green part)
Light Sea Salt or Himalayen Pink Salt (healthier)


Directions
Lightly butter the top.
Broil in the oven to toast it; check after 5 minutes.
Take it out when toasted a bit on top; firm.
Set oven to 400 degrees.
Layer on, in order:  cheese, tomatoes, green onion, and seasonings.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes. 

Check to see if more time should be added.
Take it out when cheese is melted and is hot to your liking.


New Recipes!!!

Home    .    About    .     Brewed GRIT    .     Community    .    Connect

"But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and
in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also."
   II Corinthians 8:7

Branding Photography by Diamondheart Photography, LLC 
Family Photography by Daffron Photography
Other photos by Robyn McLean
Copyright © 2013 - 2023  Robyn McLean. All Rights Reserved.   Designed and Maintained by Robyn McLean.
  • Home
  • About
    • A Love Story
    • My Adoption Story
    • Blog >
      • Roe v. Wade
      • Ask Me
  • Speaking
    • Featured In >
      • Radio Interviews
    • Podcast >
      • Conversations
      • All Episodes
    • Past Events
  • Brewed GRIT
  • Endorsements
  • Stirring Embers