Farm Fresh To You

I was happy when my husband told me he signed us up for Farm Fresh To You. I was even happier when I left the house the other morning at 6:00 am and there was a big box of fresh produce sitting on our front door stoop. Ummm... such an amazing present to wake up to!!

Ok, where has this been all my life?

The box is stuffed with amazing produce goodies, including two delicata squashes. Since I have never cooked with them before, I found a recipe for a delicata gratin.

Stay tuned.... :)

What's on the menu?

I cannot take any credit for this idea... I have a friend who has used framed menus to decorate her kitchen and I have always admired it. So when I took one look at the menus when we were recently celebrating our anniversary dinner at Bouchon in Las Vegas, I knew it was time to be a copy cat.

The menus were big pieces of parchment paper and were actually folded around our napkins when we sat down- such a fun idea! Anyways, I brought mine home and framed it. It's going up in our kitchen not only as a reminder of the wonderful weekend we had, but it's totally serving as inspiration, too!

Oh, and how was the dinner, you ask? Fabulous is an understatement :) Here's a close up of the dessert section... I'll take one of each, please!

Banana Bread Bonanza!

There was a problem a-brewing on my kitchen counter...

Hmmm.... instead of giving them a toss, I did what any other baked-good lover would do and made banana bread.

I found this recipe on my Epicurious app on my iphone (except I left out the chocolate chips...) and have been feasting on this beauty of a banana bread loaf all weekend long.

I like to think that it's healthy and will keep telling myself that after each bite.

Pasta- A Culinary Band-aid

Pasta has a way of making everything better. Especially after a long day (Ok, is it really only Tuesday?)

I found this recipe in the August issue of Martha Stewart Living for fusilli with potatoes and haricot vert in lemon sauce. It's simple, fresh and delicious.

And, of course, it doesn't hurt to serve it in a heart-shaped bowl.

Wouldn't that make any day better?

I Seriously Love Leftovers

I'm a big fan of cooking way too much food than I need. It's great. You cook once and have food for the week. Brilliant. After dinner last night, we had practically a whole leftover tri-tip (we are also huge fans of tri-tip... see my previous post about our household tradition of Tri-Tip Tuesday). Here's what I did with it.

The leftover:

We layered sliced meat, grilled onions and brie on a sub roll and popped it in the panini press. Chris added some Philippe's hot mustard to his.

Seriously, does this need a caption?

Then, I put the remaining in a container with some salad greens and some cooled grilled onions. I'll bring it to work with me for my lunch tomorrow and shake up with some balsamic vinaigrette.

And maybe a scrap accidentally fell on the floor to appease this precious face...

What's your favorite leftover re-recipe?

Lemon Basil Bliss!

Happy weekend! This heat is really starting to cramp my style... but it's given me a great excuse to make sorbet all summer!

What's not to love about sorbet? Simple syrup and juice... could it be any easier? I made a Lemon Basil sorbet that is pretty ridiculously good.

Make a simple syrup with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and toss in a big handful or basil leaves (about 1 cup). Once the syrup is cooled, strain the basil out and mix it with 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Pop in an ice cream maker to set up.

Fabo!!! Seriously, this stuff is heaven in a bowl.

Move over! Man in the kitchen!

One of the best surprises is when your husband says these few words... "I'll take care of dinner tonight." Another added surprise is when you come home to find him BBQing (this is especially surprising if said BBQ has been sitting in your yard out of commission for months due to lack of propane...) That's totally the cherry on top!

My wonderful spouse ground some lamb, beef and onions with our new meat grinder attachment for our kitchenaid mixer. Forming them into patties, he BBQ'd them up, melting some shredded mozzarella on top.  We took a large piece of pita and spread some homemade hummus over the whole thing and on one half layered some mixed greens, sliced cucumbers, the burger and crumbled feta. Then fold the top half over to make it look like a huge taco. It's a taco/pita/burger. And it's amazing.

For my vegetarian friends, you can omit the meat and make a grilled veggie version with some grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes and lots of yummy cheese. Or if you're feeling adventurous, try making a base for veggie patty by pulsing some onions, carrots, potatoes, sundried tomatoes and other veggies of choice in a food processor. As a matter of fact, even thought I'm (clearly) not a vegetarian, that sounds pretty good, too...

I'll never come between my man and his mission to make a meal!

I'm Back!

Have I fallen off the face of the earth? No.

Have I been plagued with a horrible combination of business/laziness/summer craziness? Yes.

Do I feel bad about it? Yes... and No :)

These past few weeks have been filled with walks with the pup,

good wine,

house guests,

a new vacuum purchase (this is an exciting thing to me...),

yard projects,

and of course, a plethora of deliciousness coming from my kitchen...

I'm sorry that blogging didn't make the to-do list cut, but rest assured, I finally have my act together again.

I hope you'll still be my friend!

Summer Gazpacho

Sorry I haven't posted in a while... I was here all last week:

Anyhoooo, back to reality.

One of my FAVORITE FAVORITE things to make during the summer is gazpacho. It's refreshing, easy, healthy AND delicious- perfect!

My grandma has a wonderful recipe that I start with and then doctor up depending on how I feel and what I have on hand. Here's the basics:

2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
3-4 stalks of celery, diced
2-4 bell peppers, diced (I love them so I go with 4)

Toss all the diced veggies in a BIG bowl...

Next, gather all the liquid ingredients and spices...

2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (I use one can of regular and one can of the spicy kind!)
Enough tomato juice to cover the veggies (about 3/4 a bottle of tomato juice, to your taste)
1 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs Worcestershire
1 tsp oregano
A dash of hot sauce (Red Rooster is my pick)
S&P

Pour everything in the bowl and mix together...

Chill for a while in the fridge, this is the kind of thing that gets better and better the longer it chills. I will last the whole week and is perfect to pack in a lunch or dole out for a quick dinner. I love the chunky consistency in this gazpacho, but if you're feeling fancy give it a hit with the blender to smooth it out. Top with a dollop of sour cream, avocado and a dash of fresh cracked pepper. Now stay cool!

Tomatoes Galore!

Earlier this spring, we planted tomato plants in our garden. In the past couple weeks, they have gone crazy!  This morning post-gardening, I picked a bunch of them and noticed that I also noticed that my basil was nice and plentiful. My gardening skills have always been lacking so I got really excited and decided to make something really great to go with our breakfast.

I diced the tomatoes up, added a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, some fresh basil and some salt and pepper.

YUM! Going with the whole tomato-basil concoction, I scrambled some eggs with some fresh mozzarella until the cheese was nice and gooey...

Top the eggs with the tomatoes and serve with your breakfast sides of choice... we love asparagus and sourdough toast. 

I could eat caprese any meal of the day. It's so light and summery and I'll use any excuse to work that tomato-basil-mozzarella combo in with anything. Plus with this plethora of tomatoes and basil in my garden, I'll have 2 out of 3 always handy, for a while at least!

Pork Chops and Arugula Grape Salad

Food Network is a favorite website of mine... especially when I want easy and delicious recipe ideas. I found this recipe for grilled pork chops with an arugula and grape salad and decided to give it a shot.

Here's what you'll need for the chops...

I varied it up the recipe by marinating the pork chops in the salad dressing for about 10 minutes prior to grilling.

I doubled the dressing recipe so I could use half of it for the marinade and the other half for the salad. Wisk together a diced shallot, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and S&P. Pour half into a ziploc bag with the chops and stick in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, assemble the salad...

Toss together some arugula mix, red grapes sliced in half, crumbled gorgonzola and the dressing.

Grill the chops on the BBQ or a cast iron grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on how thick they are. The finished product will look like this...

Uhh... so good!!!

Summer Salad Series- Chicken and Parmesan with Balsamic

I love a good "throw together whatever you have in your fridge" salad... especially on a summer evening  when you come home to a hot stuffy house and the last thing you want to do in this heat is COOK (there, I said it.) Open all the windows then open up your fridge to see what you can toss together.

Here's what I had to work with:

Some salad mix, green onions, shredded parm, already-cooked chicken and my favorite salad dressing ever- Three Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette from Fresh & Easy (It's bottled up amazingness.)

Empty the salad greens in a big bowl. Chop up the chicken and the green onions. (I also found an apple to dice up and throw in there, too...) Throw in a handful of parmesan and toss with some dressing.

Scoop up some ensalada, pour yourself a glass of chardo and relax.

5 Minute Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Don't be fooled by the title of this post. These pulled pork sandwiches literally take 5 minutes to throw together. This is all thanks to my newest Fresh & Easy discovery... fully cooked pulled pork for $5.99!

It also comes in pulled brisket and pulled chicken... yum! So here's the breakdown of the 5 minutes it will take you to cook dinner. Ready, set, go!

Minute 1: Pop some wheat hamburger buns in the toaster to toast lightly. Also put the pulled pork in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.

Minute 2: Toss some shredded cabbage cole slaw mix with some oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Minute 3: Slice an avocado.

Minute 4: Take the pork out of the micro and the buns out of the toaster.

Minute 5: Assemble your sandwiches and top with a splash of your favorite bbq sauce.

Ok, so you will be hustling this whole time, maybe if you slowed it down a bit it would take 7 or 8 minutes, but still! Can you beat this quick, easy and cheap dinner?

Don't forget the napkins. You'll be wearing this sandwich before you know it!

Breakfast for Dinner

We are big fans of breakfast for dinner. I whipped up this savory scramble and it totally hit the spot. Not to mention, with only 4 ingredients it's easy and cheap.

Here's what you need:
About 8 eggs
1 bunch of asparagus
About 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Grated Parmesan to taste

Start by trimming the bottoms off asparagus and slicing on a diagonal (it always looks pretty...)

Sauté the asparagus with a splash of water and cover for a few minutes until it's nice and tender. Drain from the liquid and set aside.

Beat the eggs with a dash of S&P and the scramble in a frying pan until they are no longer wet and gooey. Take them off the heat and mix in the asparagus and ricotta until combined.

I grabbed a loaf of kalamata olive bread at the market and toasted some slices. I also sliced up a ripe avocado that was ready to be eaten... and I wouldn't have wanted anything else for dinner! Ta-da!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

I love the new "bacon goes with everything" phenomenon going on at the moment. I hadn't done any baking in a while so decided try this recipe I found in Food Network magazine for peanut butter chocolate chip bacon cookies. Plus, what husband wouldn't want to come home from a golf-filled morning to a house smelling of that heavenly concoction?

The original recipe only makes a dozen cookies, so I doubled it... why not? Here's the original recipe, double it if you feel so inclined. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of chipotle or ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 strips bacon (1/3 pound) (Be sure to use good bacon. Don't cheap out. Also, I used more bacon which was a good call!)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped honey- roasted peanuts (I did not add these and did not miss them!)
• 1/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chile powder and salt in a large bowl.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings and set aside to cool. 

Crumble the bacon, discarding (or eating) any chewy bits.

Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.

Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top (I forgot to do this step since I mixed all the bacon in with the dough... whoops). Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

*I recommend munching on these cookies with a big glass of ice cold milk. You'll need it!

Fresh Flowers!

I love having fresh flowers throughout the house, but the bathroom counter is one of my favorite spots to stick a bouquet of fresh and fragrant beauties. This bunch was on sale at the grocery store for $3.99 and will probably last about 7-10 days... so for just a few dollars you can add some life and vibrance throughout your home!

Doesn't this just make you happy?

Orange you glad I made sorbet?

With summer here, sorbet is a staple to have in our freezer. Homemade sorbet is even sweeter! Here's our quick and tasty sorbet recipe. This is orange sorbet, but we get creative sometimes but adding some freshly juiced lemon, raspberry or lime juice... yummmm!

The first step is to have an ice cream maker. One of our favorite wedding presents is our ice cream maker. It's a great tool to have in your bag of tricks.

Start by making a simple syrup by taking 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and boiling in a sauce pan. Bring the syrup to room temp and mix with 3 cups orange juice (which we always have in the fridge.) Pop in the ice cream maker and let it do it's thing until it's icy and somewhat firm but fluffy (usually it takes about 30 minutes.)

When it looks like this...

...put it in some Ziploc containers, the kind with the twist on tops (they keep out excess air the best) and keep in the freezer for whenever your sweet tooth comes to visit.

Orange you glad you have this recipe now? 

Sunday Petit Dejeuner

On a beautiful lazy Sunday morning, there are not many things that I love more than a light breakfast al fresco. Forget any Grand Slam breakfasts... the French did it right, sometimes all you need is a Petit Dejeuner (noun) breakfast usually including a roll and coffee or tea.


So this morning, I put on a pot of coffee and busted out the Bisquick. Bisquick biscuits are the easiest things ever. (This recipe is also on the back of the box) Here's what you need:


2 1/4 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup milk


That's it. Mix it together, knead it out on the counter and cut into round pieces using an upside down glass. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes in a 450 degree oven. (This recipe is also on the back of the box.)


Serve with some butter and your jam of choice (mine is always blueberry...) 

And here's the obligatory "even the dog wants one" photo...

Happy Weekend!