Kitchen Ambition

Mushroom Truffle Oil Risotto

2012-02-13T07:33:00.001-05:00

WOAH where have I been?! Have you noticed a pattern with my blogging? I'll be a hard core chef and blogger extraordinaire for like 3 weeks straight, and then I seem to fall off the face of the earth for about a month. This happens for a few reasons. 1. I run out of creativity. 2. I run out of money - this hobby ain't cheap. 3. I get busy at work/social life. So that's what's been going on over the past month. I promise I'm still eating, and cooking, but nothing that is going to make you freak out, so I've sat in silence, waiting for the right opportunity to return to the blog world.

So....here I am! And I have something so exciting for you, it's going to knock your socks off. And if you don't have plans for Valentines Day, you should totally make this. Yes, you'll have to refinance your house so you can pay for the truffle oil, but it's worth it, I promise.

I followed this recipe by Tyler Florence to the T. We had this about a month ago when our friends Jill and Lawson came over for dinner. We had lamb chops (thanks Lawson) and a salad and were sufficiently stuffed afterwards. Jill provided the truffle oil and left me with a little tupperware of some to use later which proves to me that she loves me. Because if I had gotten truffle oil for Christmas I wouldn't have shared it with anyone!

Mushroom Truffle Oil Risotto

Serves 4 - 6 (4 main course, 6 side courses)

Ingredients:

1 quart chicken broth

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced and divided

2 garlic cloves, minced and divided

1 pound fresh portobello and crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 bay leaves (I omitted this step)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon truffle oil

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups aborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Heat the chicken broth in a medium sauce pan and keep warm. Cover.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add 1/2 the onion and 1 clove of garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, herbs, and butter. Cook for about 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with truffle oil and add the dried porcini mushrooms which were reconstituted in 1 cup of warm chicken broth. Season again with salt and pepper, and remove from heat and set aside.

Coat a saucepan with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the remaining onion and garlic clove. Add the rice and stir quickly, until it is opaque (about 1 minute). Stir in the wine and cook until it is all evaporated.

Then, with a ladle, add 1 cup of warm chicken broth and stir until it is nearly all absorbed. Repeat step until all of the chicken broth is incorporated in the risotto. Transfer the mushrooms to the rice mixture and stir in Parmesan cheese. Top with just a small drizzle of truffle oil and parsley before serving.

What are you doing for V-day? We're staying in, and I'm making risotto. Again.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2012-01-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

I've been cooking a lot these past few weeks but unfortunately haven't snapped too many photos. There was some delicious white chicken chili, lots of grilled salmon with veggie sides, and of course, pan seared chicken. One meal that I did manage to catch on camera is this stuffed mushroom recipe, and I'm really glad I did. This is a nice and light vegetarian dish that could also serve as a side if you were serving something grilled. Super easy, very flavorful, and pretty healthy (depending on how much cheese you use!) - these will definitely be made again in our house. John and I made these a few weeks ago and both agreed we should have made more than just 2!

The filling is very similar to, and was inspired by, the feta salsa that I've made so many times. Sun dried tomatoes, dill, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, all mixed with a little bit of olive oil. Feel free to play around with this mixture though, depending on what you have on hand. No need to make a trip to the store for dill if you have basil or parsley in your fridge. We topped it with a Mexican blend of shredded cheese, but I think monterrey jack or mozzarella would be really good too.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned with stems removed

olive oil

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

1/3 cup feta cheese

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives

1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice

Directions:

Heat a grill pan (or the grill) over medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and grill on each side for about 4 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sun dried tomatoes, feta, dill, olives, and about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Season with pepper if desired (no need for salt - the olives and feta are very salty!). Remove the mushroom caps from the grill, turn upside down and stuff with this mixture. Place on baking dish, top with shredded cheese, and cook under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately.

The Latest Holiday Recap Ever

2012-01-11T06:43:00.001-05:00

I feel a little ridiculous even doing a holiday recap right now since I've been MIA for so long but I'm going to, so don't be mad. How was your holiday season? Mine was a blast and totally exhausting! We were busy every single day for about two weeks which explains my lack of posting. I had such a great time, and am also really happy to be home!

We hosted Christmas Eve dinner:

Spent some quality time with my family up in Alpharetta.

Got together with my oldest bff's and their babies :-)

(Had the famous "Frito Dish" that Kelly's mom used to make us - it was still amazing).

We also went to a birthday party, had a bonfire at our house, and then went to the mountains for a few days over New Years! Had a great time up there with an awesome group.

Now I'm back to normal, which is kind of sad but also kind of awesome.

In other news, a big thank you to Susie Mae Day for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award.

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up-coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

The rules for the Liebster Blog Award are:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog
4. Reveal your 5 blog picks.
5. Let them know you choose them by leaving a comment on their blog.

So who are my nominations?

1. My Verbal Vomit - although I'm not sure if this qualifies because I'm pretty sure she has more than 200 followers, I found Kelly's blog several months ago and love it. Kelly's authenticity is so awesome, and I know I will always leave laughing after reading her posts!

2. An Inviting Abode - I love Ashley's home decor, entertaining, and lifestyle blog. She always has great ideas and highlights really beautiful pieces and spaces. I'm not creative at ALL so I love going there for inspiration!

3. Girly Ever After - I met Heather at an Atlanta blogging event about a month ago and have loved reading her blog since then. Of course I'm partial because she has an adorable Golden Retriever, but I also love her recipes and thoughts.

4. Stacy Eats - Another Atlanta blogger - I talked to Stacy the longest out of anyone at the blogging event and she was so sweet! I really enjoy her blog and realizing that we frequent the same restaurants and places around Atlanta so often. She's getting married next year so her workout posts will probably be pretty frequent too :-)

5. Thank You Living - "A Grateful Journal" - Lindsay blogs about things that make her happy and that she's thankful for. Her blog always makes me smile and feel optimistic. Definitely check it out!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-19T13:14:00.002-05:00

Growing up, my favorite ice cream was always mint chocolate chip. My dad would take my brother and me to Baskin Robbins after dinner all the time during the summer, and without fail I'd get a double scoop of mint chocolate chip in a cone. I still love the classic combination of mint and chocolate, especially this time of year. So when I saw some Nestle mint chocolate chips at Target I impulsively threw them in my cart. I've already gone back and bought more.

I made these cookies for a volunteer day last Monday - as I've mentioned in the past, my mom volunteers for Fugees Family - a great organization here in Atlanta that provides education and organized soccer programs for children of war torn countries. They are growing quickly and were recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning program. I was so proud!

I will probably make these one more time before Christmas if I can find the time. I know I won't want mint chocolate anything come January so might as well getter done while there's a few weeks of indulgence left!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg (original recipe did not call for an egg but I added one)

1/3 cup milk

1 bag mint chip cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt and set aside. In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until well combined. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the flour mixture in batches, add the milk in between, and combine well. Stir in the bag of chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 days.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough in tablespoon size pieces and press down slightly. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until done. Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

Roasted Salmon with Herbs

2011-12-13T07:23:00.000-05:00

Like my new casserole dish? It's Le Creuset and I got it at Marshalls - score! OK on to the regularly scheduled program:

I'm sorry for my little hiatus - it's been almost a week since my last post and since then we've been doing lots of fun holiday things - parties, shopping, baking. Good times - I can't believe there are only 12 days left until Christmas! It always seems like I blink and then it's here. This week we've got some festive stuff planned as well and I'm excited to celebrate.

Last week on one of the few nights we were home, I made this Roasted Salmon with Herbs from Ina Garten's cookbook, How Easy is That?! I'm a big Ina fan and want to go live in her house in the Hampton's, and also love her approach to cooking and entertaining - most of her recipes are very simple and focus on good ingredients vs. lots of difficult steps. This recipe is no different.

We're big salmon fans and probably have it every 8 - 10 days. Almost every time, it's seasoned with sea salt & pepper, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and dried dill weed, and then John grills it or pan sears it. He was working late so I took over and made this salmon and we were really glad to have the opportunity to change it up a little bit. Like most recipes, you could play around with the herbs based on what you have on hand, but I wouldn't skimp on the fresh dill - it's a classic pairing with salmon and really gives the dish a fresh, Mediterranean taste.

Roasted Salmon with Dill Weed

Recipe Source: How Easy is That?!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

1/8 cup dry white wine

lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets in the dish and season heavily with salt and pepper. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle the mixture over the salmon. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Mix the green onions and dill in a small bowl (her recipe calls for parsley as well, which I didn't have). Place over the salmon and pat down so it sticks. Pour the wine around the salmon in the dish.

Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until almost cooked through Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Are you a big salmon fan? If so what's your go- to way to serve it? Include links if you have them!

Spinach Quiche

2011-12-06T19:15:00.001-05:00

Okay. I know I've posted about quiche plenty of times before, but if you are not making it as part of your dinner routine trust me when I say you are missing out! I'm not a big breakfast/brunch person (sorry Lindsay!), but I do like eggs, so I really enjoy having them the base of my dinner from time to time. Whenever we go through a stage of wanting to clean out our fridge, freezer, or even pantry, you can bet that a quiche is going to show up on the menu sooner or later. And since I'm currently cursing myself for being a ~~hoarder~~ ~~spender~~ bargain hunter who can't turn down a deal, we've been faced with a week where I'm swearing not to go to the grocery store because we've got to eat through what we have.

So. This quiche happened. And John and I both proclaimed it was the best quiche ever. The ingredient that changed it all? Frozen spinach. It gives you so much more volume, let alone bang for your buck. In the past I've sauteed a few handfuls of spinach and thrown it in the quiche, but this go round I put a whole 10 oz package of frozen (defrosted) spinach in there and it made all the difference. Granted, we are both veggie lovers, but the spinach to egg to cheese ratio really was perfect here. Try it and let me know what you think!

Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week! We have two holiday parties this weekend - I am soooo ready! One's tacky and one's fancy!

Am I the only one who starts looking forward to the weekends on Wednesdays?

Do you ever use eggs in your dinner, or are they only breakfast food in your mind?

Spinach Quiche
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust, defrosted
1 10 oz package frozen spinach
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
3/4 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Defrost the pie crust for about 10 minutes. Pierce with a fork several times. Bake for 10-12 minutes and remove from oven.

Defrost the frozen spinach and squeeze dry with a kitchen towel. Set aside.

Chop the onion and garlic, and saute on medium high for 5-7 minutes in a little bit of olive oil. Season with a little bit of sea salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and cheese and mix well. Pour directly into the pie crust and top with feta cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes or up to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Oven Roasted Potato "Chips"

2011-12-06T07:08:00.001-05:00

Let's talk about potatoes. Every time I eat them, I think that I should make more potatoes. But for some reason I rarely buy them when I'm at the grocery store. They just seem so boring, sitting there, all brown and lumpy. But inevitably, when I do pick them up, I'm always surprised by how fun it is to make them and how good they are!

My friend Blair made these roasted potatoes for us a few months ago and I knew I had to recreate them. I usually cut new potatoes into quarters and roast in big chunks. The trick with these; however, is to slice the potatoes very thin - probably 1/4 inch or thinner. Toss generously in olive oil, season as you like (I used sea salt, pepper, and cumin) and bake for a long time - like 45 minutes or so. You want to wait until they get really brown - you might even burn a few but that's ok. It just means the rest of them will turn out majorly crispy and crunchy and you can feel like you're eating potato chips but they're healthier because they're homemade and because you told yourself they are.

We had these with seared tuna and asparagus. I made a bunch thinking we'd have leftovers but I'm ~~ashamed~~ proud to admit that we polished off the whole batch in one night. For a fun twist you could serve these with a dipping sauce, like honey mustard or blue cheese dressing. Or ranch. Because what wouldn't taste better with ranch?

Oven Roasted Potato "Chips"

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 - 6 large yukon gold potatoes

olive oil, sea salt, pepper, seasonings of your choice (could use garlic, cumin, chili powder, etc).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes in olive oil, season heavily with sea salt and pepper and other spices if you choose.

Lay out on a foil lined baking dish and do not overlap. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes, or until potatoes are extra crispy. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Soft Gingersnap Cookies

2011-12-05T07:20:00.001-05:00

I know some of you get mad at me when I post too many desserts so I'm trying my hardest not to overload you with cookie recipes this December. But this soft gingersnap recipe is one that you need to have this holiday season. Super easy, very soft and chewy, and they just taste like Christmas! We enjoyed them yesterday after running errands (me), working (John), and decorating our tree. The tree is from Costco and I think it's our best one yet!

We had a really busy but fun weekend - went to Kyma on Friday night with my parents for a very belated birthday celebration for my Dad, and then tailgated for the SEC championship on Saturday. No photos - new years' resolution is to get better about taking more people pictures!! But we had a blast. Saturday night concluded with Mellow Mushroom and wine on the couch :-) Last night after tree decorating and the Falcons, John smoked a whole chicken on the Big Green Egg and it was fantastic! It was nice to use the grill again, we've taken a little break. We watched some shows and I went to bed at 9:30 last night which might be a record - it felt awesome!

What was the highlight of your weekend?
Did you do any cooking? These cookies were the only time I was in the kitchen. That's usually how weekends go around here though!

Soft Gingersnap Cookies
Recipe Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar (original recipe calls for light, I used dark)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
white sugar to roll the dough in

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In the stand of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and well combined. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Slowly pour in the molasses and mix until combined. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until the dough is completely combined.

Roll the dough in to tablespoon sized balls and roll in white sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 8 minutes. Even if they look like they're not done, remove from oven. This is the key to making sure they're soft and not crispy.

Look Mom, I Made a Pie!

2011-12-02T06:54:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving's well behind us at this point. I've finally stopped eating pie ~~for breakfast~~ leftovers, have taken a little break from baking, and cooking in general, and am ready to get back at it sooner rather than later! I did want to share this recipe and these photos with you first though, in case you want to put it on your to-make list for Christmas.

I don't know about you but I've always been intimidated by making my own pie dough. Actually, dough in general kinda scares me, unless it's cookie dough, which you can't really mess up. But if it involves using a rolling pin, or even worse, yeast, I usually turn a blind eye to the fact that what I'm about to make is not going to be 100% authentic and pick up the pre made stuff at the grocery store.

But that's not fun! Easy, yes. And I'm sure I'll do it again. But since it was Thanksgiving, and since I have about 4 pounds of butter in my fridge, I decided it was time to take the plunge and make an apple pie with homemade crust. Let me tell you - I wouldn't call this totally difficult, but I definitely wouldn't call it easy. That being said, now that I know how to make pie dough, I'm definitely going to make it again because it tastes soooooo much better than the premade kind. Just make sure you have a few hours before you start this process.

So. First you peel a boatload of apples. That wasn't fun. I cut myself. But John helped me chop them because I made him.

After the apples are peeled and chopped, you mix them with flour and sugar and cinnamon. Yuuuum. I definitely ate some just like that. Am I gross?

You make your pie crust (flour, very cold butter, very cold water, and sugar - details in the recipe below), put it in the fridge for up to 2 days, and remove and roll it out. Place in and around a pie dish.

Fill the pie dish with the apple mixture. Martha called for 4 pounds of apples; that was WAY too many. This probably ended up being 2.5 - 3 pounds.

Take the other half of your dough and place on top of the apples, pinching all of the edges together with the bottom layer.

Cut little slits on the top so it doesn't explode, or something.

Then you bake that mutha til it's done - make sure to place it on a cookie sheet while baking, because it will ooze out sticky apple stuff and ruin your oven if you don't.

Then you have a pie! Let it sit for 6 hours or until completely cooled. Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream. Save leftovers for pointless consumption.

Apple Pie

Recipe Source: For the dough: Annie's Eats. For the pie filling: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

For the dough: (note that this is the ingredients for two pie crusts so you can make a pie with a top/bottom. If you are making a pie with just a bottom crust, cut this in half).

2 1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, very cold and cut into small pieces

6 tablespoons very cold water

For the filling:

juice of one lemon

3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4" slices

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Directions:

For the dough:

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix just to blend. Add the butter and mix on medium low until the butter is cut into the flour and the largest pieces are about the size of a pea. You want it to be sandy and crumbly. Then add the water, mix on low until a ball is formed. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

When you're ready to make the pie:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the rack set in the lowest position. Prepare a pie dish and set aside.

Remove dough from fridge, cut in half, and roll each crust out on a floured surface until it is a little bigger than the circumference of the pie dish that you're using. Place one part of the dough in the pie dish and keep the other half for the top.

Squeeze about half of the lemon juice in a large bowl and as you add the chopped apples to it coat with more so they don't brown. Once you have all of your apples peeled and chopped, add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix together. Place the filling on top of the pie dough, putting a little bit more in the center. Dot with butter. Roll the other pie dough over the top, and crimp the bottom and top edges together.

Place on a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Lower heat to 375 and bake for 50-60 more minutes, or until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling. Remove and cool completely before serving.

Mint Brownies

2011-11-29T08:01:00.000-05:00

These are the brownies that I made for Kelly and her family that I mentioned yesterday. The ones that are addictive as crack. You better believe I made a double batch so we could get in on the indulgence too. I found the recipe on epicurious, which is one of my favorite cooking websites. Their recipes always deliver and this was no exception!

These brownies would be perfect for a holiday get together - the combo of mint and chocolate makes me think of Christmas! John said they tasted like a Peppermint Patty. They did, but more fattening :-) They end up fudgy as opposed to cake like, which in my opinion, is the way brownies should be. (Fudgy!) And who can resist the buttercream peppermint frosting on top?!

The recipe is very easy but it does take some time - you start by making the brownies, then you let them cool and add one layer of frosting, let them cool again before you add the second layer. It's worth the wait though, I promise! I'll definitely be making these again before the holiday season is over, and you should too!

Mint Brownies

Recipe Source: Epicurious

Yields 12 brownies (I doubled this)

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

1 stick butter

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

For the toppings:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon whole milk (I used 1% and it was fine)

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8x2 baking dish and set aside.

Stir the butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan over low heat until fully melted and combined. Set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate/butter mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extract, and salt. Mix just enough to combine. Pour in baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes, or until you can stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Cool slightly.

For the peppermint frosting (first layer), beat the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, peppermint extract, and milk on high speed until creamy. Spread over warm brownies and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

For the chocolate topping, stir the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until well combined. Cool slightly, then pour over the cooled brownies/frosting and spread evenly. Cool for another hour or until frosting is completely set. Cut into squares.

Cover with foil and store at room temp, although I froze a batch of these for a few days and they turned out just as good as they were on the first day.

What are you planning on baking this holiday season? I still want to tackle gingerbread cookies (soft!!), sugar cookies, and some sort of chocolate peppermint cake.

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-11-28T07:29:00.001-05:00

What an amazing Thanksgiving break! We spent so much time with family and friends and also had a good amount of down time this go round which is unique for us! I had big plans to clean out closets and organize in that down time but really just spent it reading, eating/drinking, and watching football. Don't regret it at all!

Some photos from our second Thanksgiving which took place on Friday:

Everything was amazing! We spent Thanksgiving day with John's family (16 people) and then Friday with my parents (just the 4 of us). A really good balance and we had a great time at both celebrations.

Saturday we went to tailgate down at GA Tech's campus for the UGA/Georgia Tech game. Then we went and watched the game at Cypress Street in Midtown. It was a really fun day and we won the game which made it even better!

Yesterday we got to go see Kelly (one of my oldest friends and also one of KA's most faithful commenters :-)) and her new baby girl Molly! We brought them dinner which included healthy banana bread, these corn muffins, and this chicken tortilla soup. And some brownies that are as addictive as crack that I will be posting about soon! It was so fun to hang with her adorable family and play with 18 month old Kaden. He's freaking adorable and we had fun reading him LOTS of books and trying to get him to sit still while saying "cheeeeese" for the camera.

Baby Molly! 3 weeks old and doing great. She slept the whole time like a good little newborn.

I don't know how Kelly and Trey do it....2 under 2 is a handful!

Now it's back to the grind and it's appropriately cold and rainy outside. How many weeks til Christmas? ;-)

Have a great week. What was the highlight of your Thanksgiving break?

Thankful

2011-11-25T08:36:00.001-05:00

I am so blessed and thankful for so many things.

For John, who is my best friend and biggest support system. He never lets me down and makes every day something to look forward to. I am so excited about spending forever with him.

For my family - all of them - who are fun loving, close friends, and understanding. I am so lucky to have such awesome families all here in Atlanta and close by.

For my girlfriends. I am extremely fortunate to be friends with such genuine, beautiful, unique ladies. I've always said "I don't fight with my friends" and it's true. So glad to have you guys in my life.

For my health. I am so happy to be alive, well, and able to move freely. It should never be taken for granted.

For books. Reading has always been one of my biggest de-stressors and hobbies. I love reading and know that there will never be enough time to read all of the books I want to.

For exercise. John will be the first to tell you that I'm not myself if I haven't had my exercise - I am so happy that I know exactly what will make me feel better and keep me sane.

For our military. Close friends and family members, and strangers alike, keep us safe and happy at home while they are deployed defending our freedom.

For our home. It may be tiny but I love it so much. We've spent so many good times here with friends and family, and on our own, grilling out on the porch, planting flowers, etc. I love our neighborhood and the unique charm that each home has. I love the location - we have the ability to walk to locally owned restaurants and shops, but it's also just a short drive from the gym, Costco, Publix, and the mall. All places that I am thankful for.

And, how could I forget, SAM. I'm so grateful that we have such a happy little guy who makes me laugh every day. I love his joy of life and think humans could stand to learn a lot from dogs.

What are you most thankful for this year?

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T14:50:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to pop in and say hello - are you busy getting ready for Turkey Day? I had the day off and have been baking all afternoon...can't wait to share the recipes with you next week!

Also, I changed commenting forums (from Blogger to Disqus) which will hopefully make the comments section much more interactive - I can finally answer questions and you'll get notified with follow up comments. It should be easier if you don't have a blog to leave a comment now. Try it out and we'll see what happens! The one downside is it totally wiped out ALL of the comments on every post on my blog! I am so sad and if anyone knows how to recover this please let me know.

Hope everyone is safe and happy this Thanksgiving! See you all soon with lots of fun stuff!

Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Walnuts

2011-11-21T20:17:00.001-05:00

We have a big ol' rosemary bush in our herb garden that grows and grows and grows, despite the weather, despite how much I water it, or despite how long it's neglected. I love that rosemary bush and it always makes me happy that I spent the $3.99 at Lowes a few years ago. While basil takes time, patience, and a lot of sun, rosemary thrives no matter the condition.

When I saw this recipe pop up a few weeks ago it looked surprisingly interesting to me. I'm not usually a huge fan of candied nuts but this sounded...different. More herby. Less sticky sweet. More natural. I took a lot of creative liberty with this concoction and ended up using one of my favorite spices in the world - cayenne pepper - to give the nuts a little kick. (I wonder if I'll get any weird google results for just typing "give the nuts a little kick?") Egg whites serve as the binding agent as opposed to butter which is traditionally used in these types of recipes. The result? A light but filling, crispy, flavorful walnut with just the right amount of earthiness, thanks to the rosemary.

I volunteered to bring these to Thanksgiving at my in-laws this year - John's in charge of the mashed potatoes which are my mom's secret recipe! Then Friday, we're going to my parents house for Thanksgiving part deux. I'm making apple pie. I'm kind of scared. I'll talk to you about that next week. In the meantime, try these nuts for a light appetizer or snack.

What are you assigned to bring to Thanksgiving this year? Have you made it before?

Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Walnuts

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 egg whites

1 lb walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix together the brown sugar, salt, rosemary, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix the egg whites together. Mix the walnuts in egg whites until they are all coated. Add the sugar mixture and mix well, until the mixture is evenly dispersed amongst all of the walnuts.

Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a plastic or glass container. These will keep in an airtight container for about a week.

Chicken Meatloaf Stuffed with Spinach and Mozzarella

2011-11-21T09:06:00.001-05:00

I'm not a girl who grew up eating meatloaf slathered in ketchup and for that I am eternally indebted to my mother. That being said, if any of you are in a relationship with a man, you can relate to my need to feed him something besides veggie stir fry and chocolate chip cookies. My turkey meatloaf with sun dried tomatoes and feta is always the requested meatloaf in this house, but it might have been given a run for its money last night thanks to Jen over at Bakin and Eggs. When I saw this recipe pop up on her blog a few weeks ago I bookmarked it immediately and knew I'd want to make it soon.

And I figured since it's Thanksgiving week you all would like to see a nice light recipe, because we're all ~~dieting,~~ ~~throwing in the towel~~, saving up for the big day. This is not that recipe. But don't be mad, be glad! It's so good and different - I've never had a stuffed meatloaf before and let me tell you, if you haven't either, you're missing out.

Now I apologize for the picture below, because I personally think looking at ground, raw chicken is disgusting, but I wanted to illustrate how the bottom half of the uncooked meatloaf should look before you put it in the oven. The trick is to put half of the mixture (recipe below) in the loaf pan, then make an indentation in the mixture, leaving one inch around all sides, to add the spinach and mozzarella. You then put the other half of the meatloaf mixture on top of the filling, cover with marinara sauce and cheese, and bake it. YUM!

Chicken Meatloaf Stuffed with Spinach and Mozzarella
Recipe Source: barely adapted from Bakin' and Eggs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
3/4 cup marinara sauce, divided
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze water out with a dish rag)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the chicken 1/4 cup marinara sauce, bread crumbs, seasoning/herbs, onion, garlic, eggs, and Parmesan cheese. Mix until combined but do not over mix.

In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the spinach and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Place half the mixture in the loaf pan, create the indentation mentioned above, and fill with spinach and cheese. Place the remaining chicken mixture on top. Pour remaining 1/2 cup marinara sauce on top of meatloaf. Bake for about 45 minutes, remove, add the remaining mozzarella cheese, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until chicken is cooked. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until juices have been absorbed and chicken is 160 degrees.

Recipe Revisited: Feta Salsa

2011-11-18T08:13:00.001-05:00

Need an appetizer to bring to Thanksgiving dinner this year? I've made this dip a few times, and every time I make it people ask right away for the recipe. I could send them to a post back from 2009, back when I had about 1.5 blog readers, or I could re-post it now, for the handful of new followers I've gained in 2+ years of blogging :-) I've also gained slightly better photography skills, and when I say slightly, I mean I got a big camera and took a 4 hour outdoor class in 90 degree heat with Kelly that we bought with a Groupon and I want to feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

So anyway - this dip. I made it for my office's Thanksgiving pot luck yesterday and a lot of people remembered that I had made last year too. It really is SO good and could be used as not only an appetizer, but an interesting side dish, or even could be a vegetarian entree, filled in pitas. That sounds good. Maybe I should do that with the ~~leftovers~~ second batch that I made and is in my fridge.

You can play around with the ingredients based on what you have or what herbs you like. Last time I used green onions, dried dill, and fresh basil, this time, I used fresh dill, fresh parsley, and green onions. You could also add pine nuts, capers, garbanzo beans...whatever you like.

Feta Salsa

Recipe Source: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

2/3 cup feta cheese

2/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil (I drain and rinse mine first)

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons fresh dill

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 chopped scallions

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine everything in large bowl. Add desired amount of olive oil. No need for salt + pepper; the feta and olives provide plenty of salt. Serve with pita chips or corn chips.

Do you have a tried and true appetizer recipe? Link away!

Chicken Parmesan

2011-11-16T07:33:00.001-05:00

I definitely go through phases with what I like to cook, and I guess it's Italian week here on Kitchen Ambition. I hope you try the stuffed shells recipe soon because it's totally a keeper!

Another keeper is this one...Chicken Parmesan is the ultimate comfort food and could not be easier to make. I've been making variations of this recipe for years; I think it was one of the first things I made for John when we started dating so there's always some nostalgia when I make it now (at least for me...I don't think he remembers!) I think now I've finally perfected the recipe by adding lots of seasoning to the bread crumb/parmesan mixture including some red pepper flakes for heat. The most traditional way to serve this is on top of angel hair pasta with some nice garlic bread; we lightened it up a little last night by serving it with some couscous seasoned with olive oil, s+p, and fresh chives. The recipe is my own, compiled after years of trying different herbs, bread crumb/parmesan ratios, and cooking methods. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Chicken Parmesan

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite jar)

2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.

Pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thick. (This will help them cook more evenly and stay tender).

Combine the next 8 ingredients (bread crumbs through the pepper) in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the beaten egg in another bowl. Using tongs, coat the chicken in the egg first, then the bread/parmesan mixture. Place immediately in hot pan and cook on each side until brown, about 4 minutes.

Place the chicken in a prepared baking dish and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with marinara sauce, chives, and mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly (probably another 6-8 minutes). Remove from oven and enjoy.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-15T07:40:00.001-05:00

There is nothing in the world that a perfectly cooked chocolate chip cookie can't make better. A self proclaimed cookie addict like me can tell you plenty of different cookie recipes that I've enjoyed but bottom line is if I had to eat one cookie for the rest of my life it would be chocolate chip.

I usually make the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip bag but this weekend I googled "best chocolate chip cookies" and stumbled upon this recipe. I made the cookies exactly as Alice from Savory Sweet Life directs so I'll direct you to her blog for the instructions. I agree with her that creaming the butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes really make the cookies...they are perfectly crispy on the edges but soft and chewy on the inside. Now get them out of my house...

Do you have a "go to" chocolate chip cookie recipe? I remember in college I used to make them from the Betty Crocker mix (where you just add an egg and butter) and John would tell me that I made the world's best chocolate chip cookies...ha!

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Herbs

2011-11-14T07:12:00.000-05:00

It's funny to me that before Thursday I had never attempted to make stuffed shells. I love Italian food so much (who doesn't?) and make a lot of pasta, risotto, and lasagna. Maybe stuffed shells never occurred to me because they are usually on the heavier side; I was happy that this recipe turned out much lighter than the traditional version. The lemon zest gives an interesting, bright, and fresh flavor, and the addition of fresh herbs really makes this dish taste special. The homemade tomato sauce couldn't be easier and is so much better than using a premade marinara sauce (don't get me wrong - that's a pantry staple of mine, but I'm glad I had the time to make my own this go round). Heidi Swanson can do no wrong; if you're not reading her blog you must add it to your list.

The part I love about this recipe is Heidi's encouragement to play around with the ricotta filling - her recipe includes chives but she urges you to add different herbs, olives, vegetables, etc. You could even add ground beef, turkey, or sausage to this recipe if you'd like. I used chives and fresh basil, because basil makes everything taste better!

Lindsay came over and enjoyed this meal with John and me. Served with a simple spinach salad and French bread. And lots of red wine! We had an awesome night that ended up in usual fashion with us all cracking up over random stuff. So glad that I've got her in my life!!

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Herbs
Recipe Source: slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Lemon zest

For the sauce:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

For the filling:
1 15 ounce container reduced fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 bunch chives, minced
1/2 cup chopped basil

3/4 box jumbo shells

Directions:
Prepare a casserole dish with cooking spray, and add zest of 1/2 lemon. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Prepare the sauce by mixing the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic cloves in a cold sauce pan. Heat on medium high and cook for about a minute, only until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes and remove from heat.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, and mozzarella in a mixing bowl. Add the 2/3 of the chopped herbs and combine. Set aside the remaining herbs to top the dish when it's done cooking.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Remove and drain, and let sit until it's cool enough to handle. Add about 1/3 of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture, and place in a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the sauce over the prepared shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with remaining herbs, and let sit for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Goop Fish Tacos

2011-11-10T08:39:00.003-05:00

When we were driving home from the mountains on Sunday, we passed a Mexican restaurant and it immediately sparked my craving for Mexican food. I told John that we had to have fish tacos this week and he completely agreed! I remembered making a fish taco recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's blog, Goop, back in May for a large group that were a big hit and knew that I wanted John to try them too!

By the way, tacos are the hardest food ever to photograph...just saying...

You can use any flaky white fish you'd like - I chose tilapia because it's a lot less expensive than halibut, what the recipe calls for. I think next time I might try something with a little bit more flavor though, since I only purchased 1/2 a pound for the two of us.

Regardless of what fish you use, these tacos are awesome - the sauce is what makes it so unique! Here's what you need for the sauce - put it all together in a blender and go to town:

What's your favorite at home Mexican food? Mine's definitely any version of enchiladas...which makes me want these now!

Goop Fish Tacos
Serves 8 (I halved the recipe)

Ingredients:
one bunch cilantro
juice of 5 limes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (we kept the seeds in)
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
coarse salt
2 lbs white fish, any kind
1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

Comibine the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, onion, garlic, jalapeno, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika in a blender and add a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high and add the fish. Cook until brown, a few minutes on each side (cooking time depends on the fish itself). Add the white wine and cook for another minute or so. Pour the cilantro mixture into the pan and stir until all of the flavors are combined. Serve immediately on corn or flour tortillas, with sour cream, cheese if desired, avocado, and/or pico de gallo.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-09T07:59:00.002-05:00

I know I just posted about Healthy Banana Bread last week, but here I am again with another ~~cake~~ quick bread that I couldn't wait to tell you about. It really is that good. With fall in full force, I tend to want to bake, eat baked goods, and think about what I want to bake next constantly. Does that make me odd? OCD? Don't answer that.

Anyway...cookies have always been my go-to choice when I get the itch to bake, but as I've mentioned recently, I've been trying to lighten it up a little bit before we go full force into the Christmas season pretty soon. I've got several cans of Libby's pumpkin puree in my pantry that I stocked up on at the beginning of fall, so I googled a handful of pumpkin bread recipes and combined them together to come up with this one.

Regardless of whether you love to bake, go make this bread. You'll love it, you'll eat it for breakfast and dessert every day, and you'll come back for more soon! Don't forget that breads like this always freeze well; you can slice it up into individual servings and then freeze, so when you want a piece just pull one out and defrost it. Or you can put the whole loaf on your counter and devour it in a few days. But who would do that?

Healthy Pumpkin Bread
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
6 tablespoons water
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk (any type is fine - I used almond milk)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together all of the wet ingredients. Stir into the dry mixture until well combined but do not over mix. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into pan and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to let cool completely on a drying rack.

Corn Muffins with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Garlic (The Best Cornbread I've Ever Made!)

2011-11-08T06:23:00.001-05:00

You guys have seriously got to try this recipe. Calling them something as simple as corn muffins doesn't even do them justice because they are totally on a different level.

These muffins are made with buttermilk and sour cream (I used reduced fat) - that being said, the ingredient list isn't so horrible that you feel guilty eating a few either. While the sour cream and buttermilk makes these muffins very dense and moist, the addition of sun dried tomatoes and corn takes them up a notch for sure. I think next time I might try adding bacon bits or chives instead of the sun dried tomatoes and see how they turn out!

I remember making these for the first time probably 5 years ago. I had my family over for chili and made these on the side. My mom emailed me first thing the next morning and demanded I give her the recipe! Turns out it's from an old episode of the now defunct Everyday Italian - this was so long ago that I had apparently written down the recipe while watching the show. I went on the Food Network's website to print out the recipe and couldn't even find it there anymore. So I relied on my chicken scratch on a recipe card (blast from the past!) to recreate these!

The recipe makes 12 very large corn muffins; I made a batch on Sunday and froze half <------makes me really happy knowing that next time we make chili or soup I can reach in the freezer and pull one of these out!

Corn Muffins with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Garlic
Serves 12
Recipe Source: Everyday Italian

Ingredients:
2 boxes corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
2 cups corn
2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, whisked
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together (corn muffin mix, corn, sun dried tomatoes, garlic). In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream until well combined. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined, but do not overmix.

Let the mixture stand for about 3-4 minutes, then place into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Weekend Away + Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken

2011-11-07T07:49:00.002-05:00

We spent the weekend in Cashiers, North Carolina at a friend's mountain house. We were actually there for a good friend's wedding in Highlands, NC at the Old Edwards Inn but decided to save some money and stay at the cabin. We ended up really enjoying being in the cabin and took full advantage of the fireplace, beautiful scenery, and down time. Lots of reading, listening to music, cooking, and hiking took place.

Pan seared salmon (because the grill ran out of propane!), roasted potatoes + asparagus - seasoned with garlic, paprika, s+p b/c it's all we had up there! Ended up being a really good meal.

The hike was about 2.5 - 3 miles and just strenuous enough to get our heart rates going. We thought we were turning into pro hikers until we saw dads carrying their kids on their shoulders on the way down! There were some really great views from the top and the weather was perfect - probably about 48 - 50* and sunny.

I didn't get any pictures from the wedding but it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've been to in a long time - what an awesome venue and location! John and I both definitely want to return to this beautiful area which is only 2 and a half hours away from Atlanta.

We came home yesterday and did the usual unpack, laundry, mail etc routine that comes with returning from being out of town, and I got out the crock pot to make one of my favorite slow cooker recipes - BBQ Beer chicken!! I can't get enough of the crock pot this fall - especially on Sundays. It's just such a time saver - I love throwing everything in there and going on with my day! I've made this recipe two or three times this fall already - it could not be easier and the recipe is SO good. Please try this while football season is still in full force.

Crock Pot BBQ Beer Chicken

Serves 2

Recipe source: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could also use breasts - but the thighs are much more tender)

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 oz beer (use a heavy beer - about half the bottle)

12 oz barbecue sauce

Directions:

Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray. Place the chicken thighs, season with onion salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the beer and barbecue sauce over the chicken and stir. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for up to 8 hours. Shred the chicken and use the remaining sauce in the crock pot to pour on top. Serve on sandwiches or by itself.

Couscous with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts

2011-11-04T08:19:00.000-04:00

We're headed off to the mountains this weekend for a friend's wedding. I'm so excited to get away for a couple of days and disconnect, go hiking, watch football, and go to the wedding - it's like the best of both worlds!

But before we go, I wanted to pop in and share one of my most frequent side dishes with you. If you don't have couscous in your pantry, you should for one reason - it takes 5 minutes to make. Literally. You boil water (or vegetable or chicken broth), add couscous, remove from heat and cover, and in 5 minutes you're done. More often than not I doctor it up with whatever is in my pantry - my favorite way to make couscous is my version of Houston's Couscous. This week, I made a combination that I thought was worth repeating and sharing. I think it would be a pretty side dish during the holidays because it's red and green!

What are you up to this weekend? Doing anything fun? Have a great weekend, see you Monday!

Couscous with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

1/2 cup diced buffalo mozzarella

1/2 cup spinach, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

sea salt & pepper

Directions:

Boil a cup of water and add a little bit of olive oil and salt. Add couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Garnish with more chopped spinach and serve.

Healthy Banana Bread

2011-11-03T07:18:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to tell you guys about this banana bread.

I love to bake. And I love sweets. Which is a problem, at times. So to keep things manageable over here as we quickly enter the holiday season, I've been trying to keep my baking on the healthier side which does not always yield the most exciting results.

This banana bread has no added sugar - just a quarter cup of honey does the trick. Bananas are so naturally sweet it's actually kind of crazy to think about adding an entire cup of sugar. But up until I found this recipe, that's how I've always done it.

This turned out really tasty and moist. I think the addition of Greek yogurt was what did the trick. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup plain yogurt, but all I had was vanilla bean flavored Greek, so I used that. The recipe can also be easily adapted; we had 6 overripe bananas, so I made 2 batches of the base recipe and added chocolate chips to one batch to make mini muffins. These are great snacks or little post dinner treats.

I'd think you could add all sorts of things to this recipe - cinnamon, pumpkin, raisins, oats...just keep the bananas there for their natural sweetness.

I'll sure I'll be back soon with some ridiculously unhealthy dessert to counteract this nutritious creation, but for now, I'm going to pretend that I'm always healthy. It's all about balance!

Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread
Recipe Source: slightly adapted from 100 Days of Real Food
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/t teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the bananas, yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Fold into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Add in the walnuts and whatever other additions you'd like. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

John's Favorite Chicken

2011-11-02T07:25:00.001-04:00

Basically from the time I was around 8 years old until I graduated high school, I did not eat beef, pork, or seafood. Yeah, slightly picky. Since I wasn't a vegetarian, this seemingly left one source of protein for me to eat - chicken. I was essentially raised on boneless, sinless chicken breasts. While my family was grilling out steaks, eating burgers, tacos, etc...I ate chicken. Some might say this enabled my picky habits, but I feel grateful to have had a mom who was never going to force me to eat something I didn't want and who embraced my affinity for white meat versus red meat. Funny how taste changes though - I went off to college, met ~~this guy~~ John, and came home all of a sudden willing to eat things I'd never eaten before. Salmon, steaks, the occasional (like once or twice a year) cheeseburger. I remember my parents commenting that they served me chicken for 20 years, and all I did was meet John and my taste buds changed overnight. :-)

My point in all of this chicken discussion is that once my taste expanded and I started liking seafood, then pork, and then the occasional red meat, chicken got thrown to the backburner. I went through a few years where I just didn't want it - I'd had enough. Recently, however, chicken and I have come to turns and it is now back in my life.

This chicken could not be easier to make and it always ends up tasting so good! Whenever we're having a "what should we have" moment, John ends up requesting this dish. And chances are you can make it with items that you already have in your pantry.

Pan Seared Lemon Chicken
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup flour
olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth OR white wine
juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat about 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat in a large sautee pan. Thoroughly pound out two chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thin (or thinner) and even throughout.* Season well with salt and pepper and dredge each side in flour. When oil/butter are heated, add garlic and place chicken breasts on the pan and begin cooking. Cook each side until golden brown, for about 5 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan and either set aside if fully cooked, or place in a 400 degree oven to finish cooking if it needs some more time. More often than not, I do this as I quickly make the sauce on the stove top, because I am always paranoid about undercooked chicken.

To make the sauce, pour the chicken broth in the same pan that you used to make the chicken. Stir and be sure to scrape up all of the bits of the chicken that was previously cooked. Add the jucie of one lemon and turn the heat down to low to simmer. If you need more chicken broth, add some here until you get the consistency you want.

Remove chicken from the oven and immediately pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and something green, like parsley, and serve.

*This is a really important step when cooking any boneless chicken breasts and is key to ending up with tender, evenly cooked chicken. Until I realized this, I could never cook chicken in the pan right - I'd end up burning it before the middle got cooked all the way through.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup

2011-11-01T07:35:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you but I cannot believe today is the first day of November. Only two months left until 2012 - it seems amazing that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. I'm not going to lie, I am SO excited! I am a total holiday girl and love this time of year. Bring on the holidays and all of the warm sweaters, fires (except I don't have a fireplace), parties, and homemade cookies that come with them!

Speaking of holidays, last night was a major let down, again, for our trick or treater turn out. We only got THREE groups of trick or treaters! We're at the end of our street, so I'm telling myself that parents turn their kids around before getting to our house and that we're not known as the ~~partiers~~ scrooges with no kids who aren't worth paying a Halloween visit.

Like our pumpkin? Hee hee. John carved it. And Sam was busy looking at the kids across the street who didn't come to our house. No trick or treaters leaves me with waaaay too much leftover candy, especially when there ~~are~~ were fun sized peanut butter M&M's in there.

Moving on. In celebration of the holiday season being upon us, and to rejuvenate my neglected blog (thanks to those of you who have repeatedly asked me when I'm going to start blogging more often), I've decided to bring back a little challenge by blogging every day in November. A few ground rules before you alert the media. I'm going to blog every week day...our weekends in November are packed and trying to blog would be pointless. You'd see lots of wedding cake and booze, and that's about it. I also can't promise you'll get an original, perfect recipe every day, but that's not real life anyway, is it? Seriously, who has time? Regardless...I look forward to seeing you every day of November and am very excited to share my first recipe with you!

I love making soup in the fall, especially on Sundays. It's the one day that I have time to fully enjoy the process, take in the smells all afternoon, and then we have leftovers for lunches that week. Last week I stumbled upon this recipe on Yes I Want Cake and immediately added it to my to-cook list. It couldn't be easier and is full of fall flavors. The cauliflower-pumpkin combination makes the soup surprisingly hearty; John and I were both really full after eating a big bowl of this for dinner. You could always make this on the stovetop if you're pinched for time, but I enjoyed throwing everything in the crockpot and letting it cook slowly.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Cauliflower Soup

Recipe Source: Yes I Want Cake

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree

4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1/2 tablespoon allspice

1/4 tablespoon nutmeg

1/2 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup half and half)

goat cheese for garnishing

Directions:

Put everything except for the milk in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Puree everything with an emersion blender or a regular food processor until smooth. Add the milk and serve immediately, topping with goat cheese (I think feta would be really good too!).

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:37:00.002-04:00

Good morning and Happy Halloween! In case you need something to do with the pumpkin seeds after carving your pumpkin, try roasting them! All you do is rinse them off and dry completely, coat with about a teaspoon of canola oil, season however you please, and roast at 350 for about 25 minutes.

I used a combination of sea salt, cumin, and paprika. Other seasoning combinations that would be tasty include:

Cinnamon and nutmeg
Brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper
Sea salt and white vinegar
Chili powder, cumin, and garlic

Enjoy your Halloween! I'm back tomorrow with an exciting blogging announcement!

Are you dressing up tonight, or did you dress up this weekend? We had John's 10 year high school reunion so no Halloween parties for us. I did eat a lot of candy though :-)

Roasted Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

2011-10-24T07:14:00.000-04:00

OK, bear with me, because I'm about to try to make you really excited about cauliflower. Cauliflower is a vegetable that for the first 28 years of my life I mainly just ignored. I didn't hate it, but didn't care about it. Why go for cauliflower when there are so many brighter, more glamorous options in the vegetable department?

Recently, something made me give it another shot and it quickly became a vegetable that is almost always on my grocery list. My favorite way to cook cauliflower is to toss it in olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and garlic and roast at 425 for about 30 minutes until it gets nice and brown and caramelized. We started doing this all the time, especially in the summer when John was grilling out several nights a week. But then I had dinner at a friend's house and she served some sort of cauliflower bake that involved cheese and cream and probably butter and other things I want to pretend were not in there, and I realized I needed to stop being so healthy and kick this bad boy up a notch.

So after a little bit of googling I came across this recipe on Epicurious and have made it twice already. (Once on John's birthday and once when our friends Lindsay and Brent came over for dinner). So good! So flavorful! So cheesy! Cheese makes everything better, right?

Try this side dish this fall and winter as an alternative to mashed potatoes or mac & cheese - we served it both times with roasted chicken (made on the Big Green Egg) and a salad. It's pretty rich so you don't need a lot, but I won't judge you if you go back for seconds. I did :-)

Roasted Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Recipe Source: adapted from Epicurious.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups milk (recipe calls for whole...I used 1 cup 1% milk and 1 cup half and half because that's what was in my fridge)
10 ounces white cheddar cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt and the cauliflower (with green leaves and stem removed), and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove cauliflower from pot and let cool slightly.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, chop into florets and place in a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low, add the flour and salt, and whisk until slightly brown and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat back to medium, add the milk, and whisk constantly until the consistency is smooth but not too thick, about 5 minutes. Add one cup of the cheese and stir until melted. Pour over the cauliflower and top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until the top of the cauliflower is brown and bubbly.

Double Chocolate, Pretzel, and Walnut Cookies

2011-09-30T06:06:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I have a weakness for cookies. Whether they're warm, homemade, and fresh out of the oven or the big, soft, bakery cookies that probably contain twice the butter and calories than you'd ever want to know, a good cookie can make any day better.

My favorite cookie is definitely classic chocolate chip, but from time to time I like to switch it up and try something new. Inspired by my affinity for all things sweet and salty, I decided to make a chocolate cookie and incorporate some nuts and pretzels for some extra saltiness. (Don't worry, I still added chocolate chips!) I finished these off with a sprinkle of sea salt before putting the cookies in the oven to bake which really added a homemade zest. My neighbor got half this batch and you know the other half was reserved for us. Who can really make an entire batch of cookies and give them all away?

Enjoy your weekend! It's going to be beautiful in Atlanta this weekend and I'm looking forward to spending time outside, going to the UGA football game, and celebrating John's birthday!

Question: What's your all time favorite cookie?

Double Chocolate, Pretzel, and Walnut Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pretzels
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer on high speed. Reduce speed to medium and add the egg and vanilla.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly incorporate into the wet mixture until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, pretzels, and nuts.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and add the cookie dough in tablespoon sized balls. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake for about 12 minutes - you want these to be slightly underdone so that they end up soft and chewy. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before removing from baking sheet and placing on a drying rack.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

2011-09-27T07:40:00.000-04:00

We I make enchiladas more than any other dinner you'll see on this blog. They usually make an appearance every 3 weeks or so, and more often are a variation of these bean and avocado enchiladas. John and I both love them because they're easy (me), inexpensive, filling (John) and I try to convince myself they're healthy if you go easy on the cheese.

Recently I started reading a new (to me - definitely not to the blog world) blog - How Sweet It Is. Like every time I find a blog that I love, I've spent hours going through the archives and absolutely love Jessica's photos, recipe, and hilarious writing style. Definitely check it out if you haven't already!

I stumbled upon these buffalo chicken enchiladas and knew I had to make them...now. I made some changes to the recipe so will post the way I made them below; head over to How Sweet It Is for the original recipe.

One thing I did that made the chicken extra tasty was just to make it in the crock pot. I salt and peppered 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, placed them in the crock pot with half a bottle of Texas Pete buffalo wing sauce, and cooked on low for about 6 hours. I shredded it with a fork, mixed in a handful of green onions and cheddar cheese, and used that as part of my filling. The rest of the filling was...wait for it...guacamole. Oh yes! I had some in the fridge so placed a spoonful of guac in each corn tortilla before filling with the chicken mixture. It added a delicious layer of creaminess. You could certainly make these without guac but if you happen to have some avocados in your fridge, give it a try.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 bottle of buffalo sauce

3/4 cup shredded cheese - I used cheddar because it's what we had in the fridge

2 green onions, chopped

6-8 corn tortillas

1/2 cup prepared guacamole or mashed avocados

1 can medium heat enchilada sauce

handful of fresh cilantro

1/8 cup gorgonzola cheese

sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a crock pot. Cover with about 1/3 - 1/2 a bottle of buffalo wing sauce and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with a fork, adding more wing sauce if necessary. Place in a bowl and add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, and 1 chopped green onion. Set aside.

Mix the enchilada sauce with 1/4 cup of the remaining buffalo sauce in a medium bowl. Pour half of the mixture in the dish you plan on baking the enchiladas. Begin filling the corn tortillas with one spoonful of guacamole and the chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Once all tortillas are filled, pour the remaining enchilada sauce mixture on top. Sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese and remaining green onions. and bake for about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and garnish with gorgonzola cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately, topping enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream if you want. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pasta with Brown Butter and Herb Sauce

2011-09-12T07:02:00.000-04:00

Vacation is awesome. John and I just spent a week in Spain - our first full week off of work in 2 years - it was a much needed break and time to disconnect. We visited Madrid, Granada, and Barcelona. Each city was so unique and offered so many different cultural elements that we loved. I have to say Barcelona was my favorite; we both agreed we could go back and spend a week there alone.

After vacation I do always enjoy coming home and getting back into my routine. And after 8 days of eating rich (awesome) food and drinking lots of wine, I am equally as ready to get back in the kitchen! I'm keeping a running list of recipes I want to make this fall and am ready to start meal planning and being organized about it again. For about 3 or 4 weeks before we left, things were so busy that we ended up coming home on the days when we didn't have plans and staring at the fridge and asking each other 50 times "what should we eat for dinner?"

Right before we left I did manage to pull together a blog worthy "pantry" meal that ended up being delicious. We had some homemade sweet potato pasta hiding in the pantry that was given to us as a gift. I decided to make a spin on a brown butter sauce and lighten it up significantly with just a little bit of butter and olive oil. (A lot of the recipes I looked at online had 1/2 to a full stick of butter in the sauce...um, no.) When cooking with butter I always find that a little goes a long way. I added some herbs and veggies that we had in the fridge and was pleasantly surprised that we managed to pull something out of what seemed like no options for dinner. A well stocked pantry always pulls through!

Sweet Potato Pasta with Brown Butter and Herb Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb dry sweet potato pasta

2 tablespoons butter

2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 medium yellow squash, chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

sprinkle of nutmeg

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded

salt and pepper

Directions:
Boil water and prepare pasta according to package directions. I used fresh so it only took about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil and heat until melted. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the squash and cook another 5 or 6 minutes (note - you can really use any vegetable you'd like here, or eliminate the squash altogether; I used it because it was sitting in our fridge and was going to go bad if I didn't use it). While cooking, season the squash and onion with salt and pepper to taste. Once squash is starting to get soft, add the herbs and stir.

When pasta is done, remove from water and add to the sauce pan. Stir in the parmesan cheese and chives and combine until the sauce, cheese, and herbs are completely combined. (I once saw on the Food Network that this is the best way to make sure the pasta is completely coated with the sauce, as opposed to putting the pasta on a plate and then topping with sauce.)

Serve and top with more grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy! This makes great leftovers - John enjoyed it cold the next day, so it could almost be made as a pasta salad.

Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins

2011-08-31T19:09:00.000-04:00

I love muffins. There are certain things that can be brought into my office that I can ignore, but I rarely pass up a muffin, even though I know it can be basically like eating cake for breakfast. Honestly I don't care :-) There's something about the burst of fruit (I love blueberry!) and a sugary muffin top that is so worth it. Anyone with me?

When I make muffins at home, I can never seem to replicate the flavor and texture that coffee shops (i.e. Starbucks, Panera, local bakeries) seem to achieve. So I usually don't even try, and tend to bake muffins on the healthier side (like pumpkin muffins, as seen here). I wanted to put a mini muffin tin to use, so I started surfing the web until I found a recipe where I had everything on hand. I ended up adapting this method and throwing in some dried cherries and pistachios that I had in my pantry. They turned out really good! You soak the oats in a cup of milk for an hour before you make the muffins, and I think that is the secret to achieving the dense texture. There's also not a lot of added sugar in these, so you don't get the sugar crash that bakery muffins often provide. Try these for a healthier spin on a breakfast treat.

Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Combine the milk, vinegar, and oats and let sit for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375. Add egg and brown sugar to the oat mixture and stir to combine. Mix in the butter.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Fold in and do not overmix. Add the cherries and pistachios and combine.

Scoop spoonfuls of batter into mini muffin tin (or regular muffin tin for a dozen) and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let muffins cool and enjoy.

Summer Corn Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Tomatoes

2011-08-21T10:06:00.000-04:00

I hate that I have neglected my poor little blog this summer. I feel like I constantly post about how busy things have been, and unfortunately the month of August has been no different. I find that I'm so overloaded with work and personal stuff that I don't have the energy that I'd like to put into finding new recipes to cook, baking, or writing. It's something I'm really working on changing because ultimately it's what makes me happiest. So bear with me as I work on finding balance and devoting more time to creativity in the kitchen and on the blog. I feel strongly that I can minimize the stress I've been going through if I can just find the focus that I need.

Although I complain about being too busy, my summer has been filled with fun. We've been in town almost every weekend which has given us time to see lots of friends and family. And when we do have the rare chance to plan a meal and cook, nine times out of ten it's on the grill. Although it's been hot as hell in Atlanta, I'm embracing the last 6 weeks or so of easy grilled dinners and minimal use of the stove and oven.

Several weeks ago we had a simple dinner of grilled chicken, roasted fingerling potatoes, and this tasty corn salad. Perfectly sweet and salty, this dish also has an added boost of protein from the chickpeas. The feta cheese is a really nice compliment to the corn and tomatoes, and fresh basil makes anything taste summery in my opinion!

Summer Corn Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Tomatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

3 ears of corn, shucked

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/3 cup feta cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup chickpeas

1/3 cup chopped basil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

sea salt

pepper

Directions:

Rub a small amount of olive oil over corn. Season with salt and pepper and wrap in tin foil. Grill over medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from tin foil and place back on the grill to get a nice char (about 2 minutes). Remove, cool slightly, and cut corn off the cob.

Then, just combine the corn with the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately, or let sit for several hours. It's as easy as that, which is what makes this dish a perfect summer side.

As always, thanks for reading! Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

Peach Cherry Crumble

2011-07-27T08:03:00.000-04:00

I promise I'm not trying to make this the desert blog, but for the time being that seems to be what I'm interested in cooking! We had my parents over for dinner on Sunday and it was very last minute - we decided around 9 p.m. the night before that they were coming over, and I had to work all day Sunday, so didn't have a lot of time to prep. It's almost always more fun to keep it simple anyways! We had these beautiful figs from our local farmer's market with cheese and crackers, and for the main course John made his easy and tasty turkey burgers.

I knew I wanted to make some sort of cobbler for dessert since we only have about 6 weeks of summer left and I haven't made very many fruit based desserts yet this year. (I'm usually more of a chocolate girl, but when in Rome...) So I used what I had on hand and came up with this Peach and Cherry Crumble, relying heavily on Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe from her new cookbook, My Father's Daughter. I liked the recipe a lot because there's not a lot of added sugar, it's simple and uses ingredients that you have on hand, and is really tasty! You can make this with any fruit - it doesn't have to be peaches and cherries - could be berries or apples, or any combination of a few. We served it with vanilla ice cream and we were all stuffed afterwards. But it was a good stuffed, and I'm really glad I had time to make this summertime treat.

So, quick! Before summer's over - go make this crumble with whatever fruit's on sale!

Peach Cherry Crumble

Serves 5

Ingredients

3 cups peaches, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup cherries, pitted and cut in half

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

ice cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the fruit and place in a large bowl. Combine with 1 tablespoon of flour and place in a 9" round pie pan. (You could also use an 8x8 casserole dish). Combine the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and use your hands to make pea sized crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, and even out with your hands. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and fruit is bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

2011-07-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

This post goes out to the three lovely ladies who all reminded me that I still have a blog this week - Blair, Jill, and Diana! Thanks for the push to update, I promise I'll get back on it again and start posting on a regular schedule. I haven't been cooking anything new or blogworthy lately but feel inspired to get back in the kitchen! My oven broke last night (3rd time in 3 years, lovely!) so we'll continue to do a lot of grilling out and cooking as opposed to baking for a while.

Since I can't bake without an oven that works, I thought I'd write about baking...next best thing, right? This recipe comes from the amazing Jen, whose blogs I love! I've seen her make these peanut butter chocolate chip bars several times over the past year or so, and have always thought they looked good and knew I wanted to try them. I don't know why I waited so long - they are SO amazing! I've made 2 double batches so far - I brought them to new mom Lindsay, served them at our 4th of July party, brought leftovers went to my mom & dad when I went over there for dinner, and of course a few stayed at our house too. John proclaimed them the best dessert I've ever made. What?! So thanks, Jen, for the amazing recipe!

Here's a pic from the 4th of July party...I think all of the PB bars had been consumed by then and we were on to beer :-)

The recipe posted below is for a single batch - I doubled mine and put in a 9 x 13 baking dish. I don't think I'll ever be making just a single batch of these amazing bars!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe Source: Bakin and Eggs

Serves 12

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. Cream butter and peanut butter together on medium speed, until soft and creamy and well combined. Beat in the sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy and completely combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Add the vanilla, and slowly add in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.

Pour mixture into an 8x8 baking dish and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes. Test with a fork or toothpick to make sure it is cooked all the way through. Let sit until it is cooled completely before cutting into squares.

Easy Blueberry Cobbler

2011-06-23T08:20:00.000-04:00

This blueberry cobbler is turning into a recipe that my family requests every time we have a summer get together! I think I first made it last year for Father's Day or my dad's birthday (my dad loves blueberries) and I've made it 3 or 4 times since then. The recipe is super easy and can be adapted to add whatever summer berry or fruit you have on hand. Next time I want to try it with peaches! Blueberries were on major sale this week so that's what went in it this time.

I brought it to my parents house this past weekend as we celebrated Father's Day. The recipe says it serves 8, but after 4 of us dug through the dish, there were probably only 1-2 servings left :-) Does this ever happen to you guys?

I look forward to making this many more times throughout the summer; however, while I was sitting in the dr.'s office yesterday (for my hamstring - turns out I have tendinitis) I read an issue of Eating Well magazine and found a huge section devoted to baking with summer berries. This month's issue has big red raspberries on the cover - if you see it be sure to pick it up, because it was jam packed with mouth watering desserts! I'm going to search for it this weekend for sure.

And lastly, I had to share a few pictures - John and I went to the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market on Saturday. It was so cool - I can't believe it's only 10 minutes away and we'd never been before. We came home with lots of fresh and local produce including cheese, French Sourdough bread, beets, kale, and lettuce. The lettuce was the best tasting I've ever had. Sunday night I made a dinner revolving around all of our local ingredients - a farm salad with local lettuce, beets, cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette, as well as the fresh bread with a dipping sauce of olive oil and rosemary from our herb garden. I'd love to make this a Sunday tradition!

No photos of the salad because I left my camera at my parents' house.

Okay, I digress. Here's the cobbler recipe - let me know if you've got any great summer desserts I should try!

Blueberry Cobbler

Recipe Source: True Grits - Tall Tales and Recipes from the New South

Serves 6 hungry or 8 normal people :)

Ingredients:

2 pints fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

6 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6x10 baking dish with cooking spray and add the blueberries to the pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and egg with a fork (will be crumbly). Sprinkle over the blueberries, and drizzle with the butter. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or just until golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a generous portion of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-06-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

I've got a cookie recipe for you this Friday that is (relatively) healthy! Made with the classic peanut butter and chocolate combination, these don't contain any butter and are also made with half whole wheat flour/half white flour. But the addition of sea salt, which I seem to be putting in everything lately, is what takes these cookies to a different level. Let me tell you, these have not lasted long in our house. After we ate a few freshly baked cookies, I tried to preserve some self control by freezing them, but then John and I decided that we like them better straight out of the freezer. What gives?

I haven't been able to exercise as much as I like to due to a pulled hamstring that's been bothering me for 10 weeks now. It's making me crazy - I've tried rest, ice, ibuprofein, and last week, a deep tissue massage (NOT fun by the way) but nothing is helping. So I've stopped running, spinning, and even backed off walking as much as I normally do (usually do 2ish miles a day with Sam). I'm. Going. Nuts. If anyone has cardio suggestions that doesn't aggrivate your hamstring please share!

Needless to say, not exercising isn't the best time to have a bunch of cookies in your house, so this morning I sent the rest of these to work with John. Take that, hamstring.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 2 - 2 1/2 dozen
Recipe source: Loosely adapted from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan (These are not vegan due to the egg)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, chocolate chips, salt, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla, oil, and egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until well combined.

Stir in the peanut butter but do not overmix, so that the peanut butter leaves swirls in the batter.

Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Have a great weekend!

Impromptu Dinner Party

2011-06-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite parts about living in Atlanta is being so close to friends and family. Over the years, we've been able to have so many impromptu get togethers, which I actually prefer to a planned dinner - I love the much more casual, relaxed menu and atmosphere that are a result.

Last week Jill and Lindsay came over - we decided around 5 o'clock that we wanted to get together. John and I had planned on grilling out anyway, and had plenty of food. After Jill and I walked, we made Moscow Mules (which seem to be quickly replacing the greyhound as the drink of choice for my group of friends), turned up the music, and sat on the porch while we waited for John to get home and Lindsay to come over.

Moscow Mules are just a mixture of vodka, ginger beer (you can find in the international aisle at most grocery stores), and fresh lime juice. Try it! Jill also recently taught me how to make Mexican Mules - sub the vodka for tequila!

Dinner was a recipe I tore out of this month's Fitness Magazine. I changed it up based on what I had on hand; the recipe below is what I did. We all agreed that this was "so good" and wish we had piled more in each foil packet! I'll definitely be making this again when I want a veggie filled meal that still has the smoky flavor of the grill.

Polenta Stack with Black Bean and Chickpea Salad
Recipe Source: Inspired by Fitness Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1 1/2 cup feta cheese
1 tube prepared polenta, cut into slices
1 zucchini, cut into slices
1/2 bottle roasted red peppers, drained

Directions:
Heat grill (we used the Big Green Egg). Coat the inside of four 18" pieces of tin foil with cooking spray. Combine the beans, tomatoes, basil, and half of the feta in a bowl. Place 1/4 of the bean mixture in each piece of foil. Add the sliced zucchini, then polenta, then roasted red peppers, and finally the remaining feta cheese. Grill on a slow cooker grill for about 30 minutes, or on a gas grill for 10-15. Serve and enjoy!

Sun-Dried Tomato, Pea, and White Cheddar Frittata

2011-06-15T21:06:00.000-04:00

I spent the past 3 days in Chicago for work. I go every summer and always love escaping the heat of Atlanta for a few days. It's definitely a "work hard, play hard" atmosphere and I always enjoy really good food with clients and co-workers while there. This year was no different; I ate at Custom House (owned by the owner of Green Zebra, a well known vegetarian restaurant in the Windy City), Rockit (where I had the best truffle fries of my life), Cafe Spiaggia, and Harry Caray's, a tourist favorite but for good reason. I came home so happy with my eats and also excited to make a homemade, healthy dinner!

I don't know about you guys but John doesn't do a lot of grocery shopping. I stock the fridge and he is happy to help with cooking (or just do it on his own). This works well for me because I like to go to the grocery store! Or shop in general. But that's another story for another time. When I come home from being out of town, I always know that there's going to be some add-libbing in the kitchen going on, unless I make it to the store during the week. Tonight was no different, but sometimes we end up with the most creative meals when we feel like we don't have much to choose from.

This frittata is nutritious, vegetarian, and filling. The added flavor of fresh rosemary (from our herb garden) and richness of white Vermont Cheddar cheese really make it taste restaurant-quality. I'm big on recipes that can be switched around based on what's in your fridge or pantry, and this one fits the bill. Feel free to swap out the veggies, herbs, and cheese for what you have on hand. Serve with a big side salad or in our case tonight, Israeli Couscous.

Sun-Dried Tomato, Pea, and White Cheddar Frittata
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
healthy pinch sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup packed sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and saute for about 6-7 minutes, or until translucent.

Whisk eggs with milk, sea salt, and pepper.

Add the peas and sun-dried tomatoes. When the onion is cooked, pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook over medium for about 10 minutes, pulling the edges away from the pan every few minutes so the frittata does not stick to the pan. Make sure you resist the urge to turn up the heat; otherwise, the bottom of the frittata will burn but you won't know it because the top won't be cooking yet.

After about 10 minutes, add the fresh rosemary and grated cheese.

You can also add another pinch of sea salt on top. Cook for another minute or two, and then place in the oven with the broiler on high. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Flip upside down, cut with a pizza slicer, and serve.

Every time I make dinner with eggs, I say we should do it more often. It's such an inexpensive way to buy organic protein in comparison to meat, and you can be so creative with the recipes.

Do you stick with eggs for breakfast only, or use them in dinner recipes too? I actually don't really like eggs in the morning - I always wake up wanting something on the sweeter, not savory, side.

The Gluten Free Thing

2011-06-07T07:14:00.000-04:00

Some of you have recently asked me about "the gluten free thing." I thought I'd address it briefly here and clear the air since some of my meals I've posted lately have clearly not been sans gluten. When I went to the doctor back in early 2011, he talked to me about my digestive issues and suggested trying a gluten free diet for a few weeks to see if it helped. I went full force into the gluten free lifestyle, (I even bought Gluten Free for Dummies on my Kindle!) and initially thought I had the answer to all of my problems. But slowly but surely I realized, that while I may get irritated from gluten when eating too much of it, the real answer to dealing with my very sensitive stomach (the doctor said it sounded stress related - which I fully believe) is eating a super clean diet and being totally aware of what I'm putting in my body. That's it. Sounds pretty obvious huh?

With the back to back days of business lunches and dinners, nights out with friends, weddings, showers, birthday parties, and vacations, I've found that for me being pickier than I want to be has paid off. That's not to say I don't indulge, believe me, I do...I just am more aware of what's going to set me off. For example, I've found that I really can't handle a big bowl of oats in the morning after having a carby dinner the night before. So I try to balance it out with a smoothie or yogurt and fruit. However, if I ate a salad or veggie based meal at night time, my stomach can handle oats in the morning or even a sandwich for lunch. Just not a big one.

So that's it, and I have to say I am so happy. Being 100% restrictive is just not for me, and I'm happy to be able to enjoy a Sierra Nevada again! I am loving eating more conscientiously on all levels and have learned a lot from my numerous experiments with my own digestive system :-) Back to regular posting tomorrow, and I promise that TMI will no longer be an issue!

Black Bean Burgers & Vegetarian Month

2011-06-05T18:52:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to get back in the kitchen this weekend. I made out a meal plan for the week (I usually plan about 3 meals, and then leave room for more impulsive "what should we have" nights) and took a big trip to the grocery store this morning knowing exactly what I wanted to make tonight: Emily, from The Daily Garnish's, Vegan Black Bean Burgers (which I promptly made un-vegan but putting white cheddar cheese on top). I followed her recipe to a T so I'll direct you over to her site for instructions, but let me just tell you there's a reason these burgers get so much hype in the blog world...they are good!

I baked them at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes before we moved them to the Big Green Egg, and they ended up being the perfect mixture of crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. I highly recommend adding these to your summer line up (although you can make them all year long in the oven). I know we'll be making them again in our house!

Here's what you need: (note the pepitas, my new favorite ingredient)

The burgers going in the oven:

On the grill:

The end result:

So I mentioned earlier last week that I'm going to go veggie for the month of June. I have done this the past two Januaries (although this year I cheated after coming down with the flu when John made chicken soup!) and while I'm not the biggest meat eater on the planet, I look at it as a challenge. Mainly a challenge to come up with some new recipes instead of the throw a piece of chicken or fish on the grill and make a veggie side routine that we get into, and also as a challenge to eat more conscientiously. I do plan on eating seafood a few times, mainly when out to dinner, but otherwise I'd like to keep my at home consumption to vegetarian meals. I'll let you know how it goes! Lindsay is going vegetarian in June as well so I'm looking forward to comparing notes with her!

How do you feel about eating meat vs. going full fledge vegetarian? I don't think I can ever be 100% vegetarian but feel my best when I'm not consuming meat on a daily basis.

Hummus Love

2011-06-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Weekend!!! I cannot tell you how glad Saturday is here! We have

a pool party with some of John's former co-workers and an engagement party for some of our best friends (Brent and Erica!) today...I can't wait!

I'm here today to talk about hummus, which is easily one of my top five favorite foods. I cannot be without it. If it looks like we're running out, I either go to the grocery and immediately replenish our supply (usually with the mondo Sabra tub from Costco), or make a big batch. I eat hummus with chips, veggies, apples, on salads, on sandwiches, in stir fry's...the list goes on.

Some people make hummus without tahini (ground sesame seeds), but I feel that it is crucial for the authentic hummus flavor and texture. While a jar of tahini is often expensive (like $8 - $10), it will last you forever, thus making your overall cost of homemade hummus much cheaper than the store bought kind. (Especially if you're buying the small containers sold at the grocery store, not on sale...they totally jack up the prices!)

My faaavorite hummus recipe will always be this recipe; however, I felt the need to switch it up a little bit lately. Here are two more recipes that I've enjoyed.

First we have Curry Honey Hummus, courtesy of The Edible Perspective. Hop over to Ashley's blog for the recipe! The only change I made was to use Agave Nectar instead of honey since I was out. This hummus has a strong curry flavor, which I love, but if you're not a huge fan of curry then make sure to back off on the recommended amount.

Next up we have Ina Garten's recipe for hummus, found in her latest cookbook, How Easy is That? I'm a big Ina fan so had to give her recipe a try. The verdict? It was good, but a little heavy on the garlic - and that's coming from a garlic lover! I'll try this one again with less garlic next time. I topped it off with some chopped green onions before I brought it over to Jill's house as an appetizer a few weeks ago.

Ina Garten's Hummus

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

1/3 cup tahini

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

8 dashes Tabasco sauce

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Place the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid (you can always use water here if you forget to reserve), tahini, garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt in a food processor. Process until fully combined and pureed. You can adjust the consistency of the hummus here (I always do) by adding more water, lemon juice, or olive oil. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend.

That's it! Easy peasy. Do you have a food that must be in your fridge at all times? If so, what is it?

Have a beautiful weekend!

On Insomnia. Oh, and a Turkey Burger!

2011-06-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

And, just like that, the insomnia is back. Sleep depravation is one of the first signs of being stressed out for me; I've been a horrible sleeper my whole life. Unfortunately, this morning was no different than many weekday mornings - wide awake at 3:46, staring at the ceiling, wondering if I'd fall back asleep before my 5:15 wakeup call.

I didn't. And instead of pushing it and going to spin class, I texted Diana and told her I was bailing. John was getting up at 6, so I moved it to the guest room and managed to doze for about an hour and a half (with the help of a small pill that will remain nameless), so I guess skipping the workout was worth it.

I seem to have so many things spinning through my head these days - thoughts of what lies ahead that day, that week, that month, that year, and my whole life. Why I decide to dwell on these deepest thoughts in the middle of the night I'll never know. If anyone has tips for getting a better night sleep without overdosing on Tylenol PM, please let me know!

I try to keep this blog positive but do want it to be a reflection of me and my life, so there's no point in keeping it all inside if there are tough topics to talk about. Writing is a release for me in a lot of ways (betcha didn't know I keep a journal?) and I'm determined to embrace that passion!

I'm booked with social and work commitments until Sunday, so not a lot of cooking will be going on. (Can I just tell you that I'm itching to bake lately, too?!) Since there's not a lot in the new recipes department, I'll share with you our meal on Memorial Day; while it certainly is not a recipe to share, it was a fun meal and happens to be my last bite of meat for a month. That's right, I'm going meatless again for June, just like I did in January. Why? A lot of reasons that I'll cover in another post, but to keep it simple, I just feel like it's the right thing to do for me currently.

John seasoned the organic ground turkey (94% blend as opposed to 99% fat free - provides so much more flavor) with this "Burger Starter" from Williams Sonoma:

Delish! I highly recommend splurging on some rubs and marinades from Williams Sonoma this summer...they add so much more flavor than the kind you find at the grocery store.

So that's it! Have a great day and hopefully I will be back to report a good night's sleep sometime soon :-)

Questions - How do you deal with sleepless nights? And do you have a favorite marinade or rub for grilling season?

A Chance to Unwind

2011-05-31T08:40:00.000-04:00

It is truly amazing what a restful vacation will do for the mind and spirit. After spending three completely chill days and nights at the lake with John, we returned yesterday and did the usual laundry, grocery, etc to-do's, but I went to bed feeling truly refreshed. Not only my body but my mind. I felt ready to face the week and optimistic about my ability to handle the pressures of work and a busy schedule.

So often I feel rushed. Rushed to squeeze a workout in, to get to work on time, to jump from meeting to meeting, rushed to get home and let the dog out, to make it to a social commitment, to get the house ready, to get out of town, etc. To fit it all in. Slowing down and doing nothing (well, not really nothing, but a lot of laying at the pool, reading, and listening to music) over the long weekend really helped me re-charge my battery and clear my mind. I awoke today feeling AMAZING. I have a renewed sense of optimism, excitement, energy, and gratitude.

I hope I can remember this feeling and carry it with me moving forward. To be honest I have been really run down for a very long time - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today is the first day where I feel deeply, truly good in a very long time. I have a strong feeling that good things are coming in regards to both short and long term goals.

The quote by Mahatma Gandhi "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" is something that's been on repeat in my mind all day. Words to live by, no?

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend and had a chance to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday, as well as to relax and unwind.

5/24/11 - 3 Years

2011-05-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

Sunset in Turks and Caicos on our Honeymoon

John and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary last night at home. We're going away for the long weekend so decided to save our dinner out until then. We drank champagne and caught up, and then moved the party to the kitchen where we opened a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir and feasted on a steamed artichoke and some Spanish cheese that I was talked into buying at the grocery last week :-)

While we munched on our appetizer, we got the music pumping and chilled to the new Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi album, "Rome." Let me tell you guys, that album rocks. It is so relaxing and romantic. (Norah Jones and Jack White both make appearances). I highly suggest downloading it. Great background music for cooking and unwinding.

We made shrimp risotto - nothing too complicated, but a dish that always feels like it's meant for a special occasion. This was just my basic risotto recipe, with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil added for a nice summery flavor. John seared the shrimp after seasoning it with sea salt (which makes everything better), pepper, red pepper flakes, a heavy dose of garlic, and Italian seasoning.

After dinner, we watched our wedding video, which is an anniversary tradition for us at this point. We always end up cracking up the whole time we watch it. All in all, a really fun evening hanging at home with my hub. I am so blessed :-)

What I Made Tonight: Sea Salt Potatoes with Lemony Arugula

2011-05-23T19:33:00.001-04:00

You guys have got to try these. Seriously.

I caught up on some blogs via iphone while John and I were driving back from Alpharetta on Sunday (we escaped to my parents' pool for the day and night Saturday - when the cat's away, the mice will play!) and subsequently stumbled upon this post by one of my all time favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks. I read the recipe out loud to John and it immediately went on my grocery list. I was so excited to make these potatoes that they were first on the lineup for the week.

If you're anything like me you grew up thinking of a baked potato not as a main course but as a side dish to its more expensive, meatier accompaniment - steak. I don't know if my metabolism has slowed down in a major way or what, but as much as I want to, I just cannot down a steak-and-potatoes meal and feel comfortable afterwards anymore. The food baby comes out in full force and I complain all night about how full I am. Not worth it. This recipe is a much lighter way to still satisfy your craving for a baked potato, minus the heavy toppings and sides. I love how the arugula slightly wilted when it was placed on top of the potatoes, and the dressing was a refreshing, citrusy change from the usual sour cream and bacon.

The only change I made to Heidi's recipe is to sub mayo for the egg yolk - I feel weird eating raw eggs (unless it's in the form of cookie dough) so just used a teaspoon or so of mayo and it turned out great. I have an artichoke on tap for some point this week so ended up saving the rest of the dressing as I think it would make a great dipping sauce.

Sea Salt Potatoes with Lemony Arugula

Recipe Source: 101 Cookbooks

Serves Two

Ingredients:

2 medium baking potatoes

sea salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 large handfuls arugula

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I just realized Heidi's recipe actually calls for a teaspoon but I used a tablespoon and liked the turnout)

1 teaspoon mayo (or an egg yolk)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 1/2 lemon)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, pierce several times with a fork, and rub in canola oil and sea salt. Bake for about an hour, or until done.

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, mayo, and a pinch of salt. Add the olive oil, then the Parm, then the lemon juice and continue to whisk until well blended. Toss the arugula with a generous amount of dressing but be sure to reserve some to drizzle on top while you're eating!

When the potatoes are done, remove from oven, cut an X in the middle, and add a tablespoon (or less) of butter or olive oil. Top with arugula. Add salt and pepper if necessary.