Baked Tilapia

I've had this recipe marked for months now and finally held a dinner party that was perfect for trying it. This tilapia recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, Baked Bree. She has a great way of showcasing her food and delicious recipes.

I had never cooked with coconut milk and wasn't sure what to expect. You don't really taste the coconut but rather it provides a smooth creaminess to the sauce. 

If you are looking for a cozy, comforting and crowd pleasing dish I would highly recommend this. I'll be making it again soon :).

Here's a link to the recipe, Tilapia Pura Vida.  I also made her oregano beans but used black beans. Lastly I just made some brown rice to pair it all with.

Enjoy!

Farmers Market Inspired Green Chili

There's the cutest Sunday Farmer's Market near my apartment that I love going to. Farmers Markets are a great way to use fresh, in-season ingredients. I let whatever is available dictate what I make for meals. It's a fun way to be creative!

This time when we walked up to the market the first thing I saw was roasting chile peppers and I knew it was time for green chili. In addition there was a booth of spices that had a green chile blend adding to my excited for the chili.

I just threw this recipe together based on the chiles. One reminder though is to be careful on the spicy factor and remove the pepper seeds if you're not big into spice! I also used a roasted chicken from Whole Foods to make it even easier :).

Ingredients:
4-6 roasted chile peppers (de-seeded)
1/2 roast chicken, chop into medium pieces... it will start to fall apart and shred when it cooks
Half red onion, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp green chili spice mix, find one you like at any grocery store
1 can unsalted black beans, rinsed
1 10 oz can tomatoes
2 T flour
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Saute the onion and chile peppers  with olive oil, salt and pepper in whatever pot you're using for the chili. Add in the broth, chicken, bean, tomatoes and green chili spice mix. Bring up to a boil. Add the flour to thicken up the broth. Let simmer for 20 minutes (or until hot). Enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Swiss Chard Lentil Bean Soup

I am so happy fall is here! To me that means get out the dutch oven and crock pot because I'll be making soup nonstop. My first soup of the season was inspired while perusing Whole Foods and saw red lentils in the bulk bins. If you don't shop the bulk bins you really should try it! I have used it as a way to try out different types of grains, beans, dried fruits, etc. It's a good way to push yourself out of your standard grocery gift and spice it up :).

Lentils may not be the prettiest presentation once they are done cooking, but they are a super healthy source of protein and fiber. I also like to try out different leafy greens. For this soup I selected swiss chard. Another ingredient that I would encourage trying... it's similar to kale.

As most of the recipes I create this one can definitely be tailored to use up whatever veggies you have on hand and want to use up. Make a big batch to last you through the week and freeze the extra for a rainy day :).

Swiss Chard & Lentil Soup

3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 red onion diced
1 small carton of mushrooms chopped
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock if you want to keep this vegetarian)
2 cups red lentils (rinse thoroughly in a strainer)
1 T dried thyme
1/2 bunch of swiss chard (tear out the stem and rough chop the leaves)

Directions:
Saute the garlic, onion and mushrooms (and any other veggies you want) with olive oil, salt and pepper in your dutch oven. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the lentils and reduce to a simmer. Cook the lentils for 20-30 minutes, until tender. With about 5 minutes left on the lentils add in the swiss chard. Let the greens wilt a bit and you're ready to eat! I added goat cheese crumbles on top!

Eat and enjoy!

Use Up the Last of Your Summer Peaches

I was lucky enough to have a friend give me a box of Palisade peaches... they are the best! I of course ate a bunch, but wanted to use the rest up before I left for a trip. I scoured by recipe books for the perfect dessert and settled on a peach cobbler from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Fosters Market, by Sarah Foster.

This was such a fun dessert to make and invite friends over to enjoy!

Recipe:
(From Sarah Foster)

The Filling:
8 cups peaches (about 10 peaches) - peeled, pittted and sliced. To see how to pouch and peel watch this video
1 cup sugar
3 T flour
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Crust:
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted, melted butter
2 1/2 cups four
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 t baking power
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter, set aside.

For the filling toss together the peaches, sugar, flour and lemon (juice and zest) in a large bowl. Set aside for up to 4 hours until use (don't worry if you don't plan ahead that much... just do this first and it will have enough time while you make the crust).

For the crust mix together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the buttermilk to form a dough. Simple dough right?! Next, flour your dough and roll out to a 12 to 14 inch round, about 1/4 inch thick.

Now for the lattice topping, just take a pizza cutter and make even strips of dough. Pour the peaches into the pan and then weave your dough strips accross to make a lattice topping (see picture below). Brush the top of the strips with melted butter to ensure a golden brown topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Feast!

Healthy Pancakes?!

Happy Sunday! I woke up early feeling rested and energized! I think I have finally caught up on sleep just in time for a crazy week to start :).

I haven't been home on the weekends to cook very much recently so I wanted to make something a little more special for breakfast today. One of my favorite blogs is The Fitnessista... she has great fitness ideas and nutritional recipes. Today I tried her Protein Pancakes and they were delicious! I made a few adjustments below.

I'm so excited to have a healthier, nutritious pancake that is quick and easy to make! This is something you could easily whip up at night before bed and cook quickly in the morning for work.

Protein Pancakes
(Adapted from The Fitnessista)

• 1.5 Tablespoons of vanilla protein powder (I like Whole Foods whey protein)
• 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk (use whatever milk you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add in the egg white, almond milk and vanilla. Heat up a skillet, cook and enjoy with your favorite toppings (try almond butter and agave syrup... amazing!).

Avocado Pasta

More pasta recipes... this must mean that I need to plan a trip to Italy ASAP! I have been hearing about using avocado to help form a sauce in summer pastas and wanted to try it. Below is a great recipe for these warm summer nights keeping it healthy with whole grain pasta and lots of veggies. This recipe was for 2 people so just adjust as needed. Also there aren't any measurements for the veggies... just throw in as much as you want!

Ingredients:
2 servings of whole wheat pasta
1 avocado chopped
Chopped broccoli
Fresh baby spinach
Goat cheese crumbles

Quick sate of broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook pasta. Put broccoli, spinach and avocado in a bowl. Add pasta and goat cheese, let melt and mix together. Enjoy!

 

Sweet & Salty Gorp

Are you ready for the perfect snack recipe that you will not be able to put down? If you are from or have lived in the midwest you may have had gorp as your sweet and salty snack. My friend Katie always made this for us during college and we made it again today on our girls weekend in San Diego!

Below is a recipe... definitely make this for your friends, family or coworkers. It will be a hit!

Recipe (Makes two 11x9 inch pan)
Dry Ingredients: Mix the following in one large bowl.

• 8 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 1/2 bag of stick pretzels, crushed 
• 1 bag of M&Ms (we used peanut butter M&Ms... it was amazing)
• Optional ingredients: Cheerios, peanuts, raisins, etc.

Wet Ingredients: Melt & mix the following in a separate large bowl

• 2 sticks of butter
• 2 10 oz bags of marshmallows
• 2/3 cups peanut butter (add in after stirring the melted butter & marshmallows together)

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and spread evenly into two 9x11 inch pans. Let the mixture harden and cut into bars. Enjoy!

Perfect Summer Salad

I had my family over for dinner tonight and being that it was scorching hot out today I wanted to cook something light and refreshing. I had made this salad once last summer and forgot how delicious it is... it doesn't get much better then peaches and prosciutto! You can vary it based on ingredients you like and add more protein to fill up the guys in your life :). It is great paired with sparkling white wine.

Summer Salad 
(Adapted from myrecipes)
3-4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 head sweet butter lettuce 
• 3 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 9 thin slices of proscuitto (2-3 per person)
• Pumpkin seeds, sprinkle on top
• Goat cheeses, crumble on top of the salad 
• 1 lb chilled cooked shrimp 
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped 

Directions:

1. For the dressing: combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chopped mint.

2. Arrange the lettuce on a plate in a bowl to make a bed for the rest of your ingredients. Start building the salad with the rest of the ingredients. Top with the pumpkin seeds and goat cheese. Lastly drizzle the dressing over to finish the dish.
 
 Savor and Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Pasta with Homemade Sauce

This is my go-to pasta recipe, especially when it's a weeknight and I don't have time after work to cook up a storm :). I really like to make my own pasta sauces so that I know exactly what ingredients are in it and how much of everything. With jarred sauce you risk high levels or sodium, sugar, etc. The sauce below is so easy that you can pretty much cook it up as quickly as you would warm up a jar of sauce.
There's not right or wrong on ingredients and measurements here, it's really more of a method that consists of the below. The other great thing is that you just use whatever vegetables and protein you already have in your refrigerator and want to use up and don't have to worry about making a stop at the store for fancy ingredients.

The Method:

• Sauce
•  Tomatoes, chopped (2-3 per person)
• Garlic, chopped (for four servings I would use 2-3 cloves)
• Olive oil 
• Vegetables, chopped
• Anything you have on hand and want to use up
• Spinach or a leafy green 
• Protein (optional)
• Shrimp, chicken, Italian sausage, fish, etc. 
• Whole Grain Pasta (follow the recommended servings on the package)

Directions:

Get your pasta water boiling and pasta cooking at about the same time you start the sauce below... this will all happen quickly!

Heat (at about medium-low heat) a layer of olive oil (enough to cover the pan) in a skillet. Once the oil has heated add the chopped garlic. The idea here is to just brown it slightly; watch this carefully to make sure it doesn't burn (which can happen fast and you will smell it!). Once the garlic browns, add all of the chopped tomatoes and stir. This will now start to simmer, add salt and pepper to season. And there you have your sauce!

Next add in your chopped vegetables and let those become tender with the tomato sauce. Lastly add in your protein. If you're adding something like chicken or sausage I would cook those separately, perhaps on the grill or grill pan. If you’re adding in raw shrimp, that could cook in the sauce.

The amount of simmering is up to you. If you want a chunky tomato sauce then you won't cook for very long. If you want a brothier sauce then you can add wine or stock to make it more of a "soup". There’s no wrong way to do it!

Lastly, play around with seasonings. If you like spice go ahead and add in red pepper flakes. The great thing about this sauce/dish is you can edit it and change it up however you like!

When your sauce is ready and pasta is al dente, transfer the pasta (no water) to the skillet and mix together. If you feel that the sauce is too thick then feel free to add some pasta water. The last step here is to throw in a few handfuls of spinach or other leafy green for a little more nutrition. Let that briefly wilt and you are good to go!

Serve with bread and Parmesan and enjoy!

Lunch for the Week

I like to use Sundays as a time to get a couple meals together to carry me through the week and keep me from eating lunch or dinner out too often. One item I like to throw together is a fresh salad where I incorporate some type of bean or grain. For this I will use things like garbanzo beans, quinoa, tabbouleh, etc and then add in any veggies that I have on-hand. From there I usually drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Throughout the week you can use this salad as your base and mix it up. For one meal add in tuna, another meal you can stuff a pita or atop spinach leaves.

The salad I made below consisted of garbanzo beans, celery, cucumber, onion and tuna. I put the mixture over kale leaves and topped with feta for a delicious and healthy meal.

Let me know what combinations you try!

Weekend Brunch: Salmon Frittata, Potatoes and Strawberry Bread

For Mother's Day I wanted to plan a special, delicious (and somewhat healthy) brunch for my mom. I knew right away that I would be making a frittata with some of her favorite ingredients and along with that I made strawberry bread and rosemary potatoes. I made the bread the night before so it was ready to go and the potatoes and frittata were pretty quick to throw together in the morning and are perfect for a homemade brunch!

Salmon, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Frittata

This is definitely a "use what you have in the refrigerator" kind of recipe with no strict recipe or measurements to follow. For this combo I used the below ingredients, but you can really use any combo of ingredients that you want to use up!

Ingredients:
- Eggs (2 eggs per person) mixed together in a separate bowl
- Asparagus, chopped
- Red onion, chopped
- Smoked salmon
- Goat cheese

Directions:
Throw the asparagus and onion (or whatever vegetables you are using) into the pan and saute for a few minutes with olive oil, salt and pepper until they begin to get tender. Next add in the smoked salmon and saute for a few more minutes to combine the ingredients. Add the egg and do not stir. Let the frittata cook until the bottom is light brown (check by lightly lifting with a spatula). Once this happens, the top should still be pretty "eggy" and add in crumbles of the goat cheese. Once the egg starts to set transfer to the oven and broil for a few minutes to brown and cook the top. The broil will happen very quickly so watch it closely so it doesn't burn!

Rosemary Potatoes 

For this I used a small bag of fingerling potatoes that I had on hand and simple chopped, coated with olive oil, salt & pepper, and dried rosemary. Mix together and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Cook time will vary for the amount and size of potatoes you use but at least 20 - 30 minutes. Watch and stir them every ten minutes or so until they become golden brown and tender.

Strawberry Wheat Bread

I was so excited when I saw this bread on a great blog, Cate's World Kitchen. It's such a fun, summery idea to use fresh strawberries in bread. This was the perfect pairing to the egg and potatoes, but I will also be making this on Sundays to have for breakfast or snacks during the week :).

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh diced strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease an 8 x 4″ loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until the evenly yellow, but not so much that it turns frothy. Stir in the yogurt, oil, and vanilla and stir until evenly mixed.

Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until there are no longer traces of flour. *Note: this will be rather sticky and you'll be wondering if you missed an ingredient b/c it seems to dry... not to worry though, this is normal!

Gently fold in the strawberries, then pour into the prepared pan.

 

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and would love to hear what you like to make for brunch!

Double Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Well these may be the most delicious cookies that I've ever made (and my Dad seconds that claim!). I had a craving for peanut butter cookies, then I decided that I must add oatmeal because that just makes them seem slightly healthy right?! :). To top that off I remembered that I had a bag of the Reese's peanut butter chips to add a special twist to a great cookie recipe that I got from a cute blog, Pink Parsley.

I hope you make these soon and tell me what you think, they will for sure be a regular in my house!

Recipe
(Adapted from Pink Parsley)

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter,at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 2 handfuls of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Directions

Throw all of the wet ingredients (butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, vanilla) in a bowl and mix together with a standing mixer or hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and mix together thoroughly. Next stir in the oats with a spatula. Lastly add the chips and work them through the dough with your hands. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown (I like to leave them a little doughy).

Fast & Healthy Breakfast: Muesli

I always make sure to eat a substantial, healthy breakfast and like to mix it up with new ideas and creations. If you like oatmeal then you will love muesli. I've had it for breakfast out, but have never made it... until now :). I searched and read through quite a few recipes online and found a basic one on Epicurious that is easily adaptable for whatever ingredients you have laying around. I love recipes where you can just throw things in... for this one you can use up whatever fruit and nuts that you have on hand.

Muesli Recipe
(Adapted from Epicurious)

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 almond milk (substitute any milk you like)
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground flax
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup agave
2 apples chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 handfuls of dried cranberries
Any other fruit or nuts that you want to add in

Directions:
Mix oats, milk, yogurt, vanilla and flax seed in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften oats. Whisk orange juice and agave in medium bowl. Stir in apples, walnuts and any other mix-ins. Stir fruit mixture into oat mixture and add dried cranberries.

Eat right away or make the night before for a delicious breakfast!

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

Thanks to Whole Foods you can make flatbread pizzas in no time at all. I recently used these to make appetizers for a party but you could use for a quick and delicious dinner option. You can get these flatbreads for b/w $2-3 next to their pizza section.

When I was coming up with recipes for the flatbread appetizers at the party I knew that I wanted one with savory flavors and another sweeter option.

These are so great, all you have to do is compile with your favorite ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is milted, greens wilted, etc. Just watch it carefully to make sure not to burn the flatbread as it is very thin.

Flatbread #1 - Savory:

1) Spread pesto (I grabbed a small tub from hot bar at Whole Foods) as your first layer onto the flatbread

2) Prosciutto (about 4-6 slices per flatbread)

3) Add Arugula (use as much as you would like)

4) Top with sun-dried tomatoes (I grabbed a small tub from hot bar at Whole Foods)

5) Sprinkle fresh parmesan (as much as you would like to top with)

Before: 

After:

Flatbread #2 - Sweet:

1) Drizzle aged balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the flatbread 

2) Next add thin slices of pears (about 2-3 pears)

3) Add crumbles of blue cheese (you can get a pretty good deal on a wedge of blue cheese at WF)

4) Add walnuts (however much you like for some delicious crunch)

5) Drizzle with more balsamic and oil oil

-- BAKE--

6) After baking drizzle with agave nectar and serve!

Before:

 After:

Fish in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

Another Sunday night family dinner feast! Tonight we decided that we would like something a little bit lighter as we have been eating A LOT of yummy comfort food this winter. I had seen Giada's recipe for Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth awhile back and have been meaning to try it. The nice thing is this is much lighter than a pasta dish, but was still warm and comforting on a chilly evening. And I don't think there is anything better than dipping crusty bread in a delicious broth :).

I changed up the recipe a little bit to use ingredients I already had and make it quick and easy to assemble. One main swap I did was use tuna steaks and sea bass that we had rather than getting halibut. I would say choose your favorite fish or one that there's a good deal on and your good to go! I also added kale because I can't get enough of this superfood lately and am having fun using it in recipes.

Recipe

Fish in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network)

Ingredients

Olive oil

4 servings of fish (your choice, I used tuna and sea bass)

Salt and pepper for seasoning the broth throughout

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 14oz canned artichokes in water, sliced in half or quarters

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 bunch kale (remove stems and chop or tear into bite size pieces)

Crusty bread 

Directions:

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Next add the garlic, artichokes  and kale... cooking until garlic starts to brown. Add the white wine while continuing to stir and removing brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the broth, tomatoes (and juice) and thyme and stir together. Let the mixture come to a simmer. 

Meanwhile grill up the fish that you have seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper (it should only take a few minutes on each side). 

Once the fish is ready spoon the broth mixture into shallow bowls and top with the fish. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp & Italian Sausage Pasta-Soup

I couldn't figure out what to name this because it is a mix between a pasta dish and a soup... so for now it's a pasta-soup :). This is one of my favorites to throw together for an evening that calls for pasta, red wine and great company. In fact I cooked this for my family as our Christmas night meal in the mountains this past holiday. This can be put together pretty quickly as it is a one dish meal which I just love. Pair with some crusty bread and you will be good to go!

Ingredients:
4 italian sausages (1 per person)
2 green bell peppers chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 small 8 oz. carton of mushrooms chopped
A couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach
3 cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes (add more to increase the spiciness)
1/2 box penne pasta (or any fun shape that you like!)
Fresh parmesan to top with
Shrimp - to make it easy on yourself to use already peeled and de-tailed shrimp. You can use either cooked or uncooked. As far as portions and sizes you can use however much you like or have on hand.

Directions:
Cook the Italian sausages .... on a skillet, grill, etc. will work. While that is happening saute the vegetables with a little olive oil, salt and pepper in a large skillet until tender. Also get water boiling for the pasta.

Start cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, add the cans (including the juice) of diced tomatoes, the wine and red pepper flakes to the skillet where the vegetables are cooking. Stir this all together and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and italian sausage and continue to let simmer and cook together. Towards the end of everything add the spinach as it will wilt quickly.



Once the pasta is ready (I like to leave it al dente) add it to the skillet and stir it all together. That's it and you're ready to serve! I would recommend serving in bowls with crusty bread on the side.

Roast Chicken & Vegetables

Last night I cooked for a dinner party for one of my friend's birthdays. We were debating what the perfect menu would be knowing that we had a few gluten-free guests as well as a blizzard going on that makes comfort food seem like a must!

As we explored Whole Foods (which is possibly my favorite activity!) we thought it would be fun to make some roast chickens with seasonal vegetables. I had wanted to make roast chickens for awhile now as the presentation is so pretty and great for a dinner party. This is actually very simple to do and yet is a definite crowd pleaser.

Here's the steps I went through... it's not really a recipe, but rather a pretty easy, quick and delicious way for a great meal.

Ingredients:
Roast Chicken:
1. Chickens for roasting (you can find these at the meat counter)
-- I bought two as we had 8 guests for dinner and that allowed for leftovers
2. Fresh herbs to stuff the chicken
-- I used the Osage Gardens Poultry Blend that you can find by the fresh herbs in the produce
section at Whole Foods
3. Two-four lemons depending on the size and how many chickens you are roasting. If you are roasting one you probably only need 1-2 lemons, sliced into wedges to stuff the chicken
4. Chicken broth for de-glazing and basting to keep the chicken moist while cooking
5. Salt, pepper and olive oil for seasoning

Roast Vegetables:
You can use any variation for these. I wanted to use seasonal vegetables, but really whatever you have will work great.
1. Six small zucchinis, chopped
2. Three medium squash, chopped
3. Two yellow onions, chopped
4. Two sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
5. Olive oil and seasonings of your choice


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. To prep the chicken, remove the giblets and clean (as you would for a turkey). Place chicken/s in roasting pan (breast side up) and massage with olive oil, salt and pepper to keep skin moist. Stuff the chicken/s with the lemon wedges and fresh herbs. If you want to go ahead and tie or pin the legs to keep this all together. Roast the chicken/s for about an hour and a half until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees (at the deepest part of the meet).


Chickens prepped

For this dinner party we put some of the vegetables in the roasting pan with the chickens (after seasoning the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper).

The remaining vegetables we mixed with olive oil and a Moroccan spice seasoning blend and placed on a pan to roast. For roast vegetables you can add any spices you like, herbes de provence, curry, etc. Play around with whatever you have on your spice rack! The veggies can roast along with the chicken for about the last 45 minutes to an hour until they are tender to your liking.

This is not only a comforting, but also healthy meal that is great for family and friends. Better yet you can use the leftovers for soup stock!





Enjoy :)

Berry Crumble

Crumbles may be my all time favorite dessert. I love that you can make them all year round with different types of fruits depending on the season...berry crumbles in the summer, apple crumbles in the fall, etc.

I started using Ina Garten's (aka the Barefoot Contessa) crumble recipe a few years ago and while I've tried a few others this is still my favorite. I modify it a bit depending on what ingredients I have handy and really just what I feel like throwing in the mix :).

The one I am showing below I made using frozen berries. If I see these on sale I usually try to stock up to use in crumbles or smoothies.

Recipe
(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Plum Raspberry Crumble)

Ingredients
3 160z bags of frozen berries (I used 2 bags of frozen mixed berries and 1 bag of frozen strawberries)
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons orange juice (you can use a little more if you want more citrus flavor)
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds, plus extra for sprinkling


Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the frozen berries, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of the flour, and the orange juice and toss well. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping, place the remaining 1 cup of flour, the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade (you can also use a hand mixer) and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the oats, and work it with your hands until it's in large crumbles. Add 1/2 cup of the almonds and mix well. Spread the topping evenly over the plums, making sure the fruit is covered. Sprinkle with some extra almonds.




Bake for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Provencal Fish Stew

Today we celebrated my Mom's birthday and I knew I wanted to cook up something special for the occasion. I have been wanting to try making a decadent seafood stew for some time now and with the combination of the snowstorm today and the fact that my Mom love's seafood I knew this was the perfect occasion.

The recipe I choose is from a new cookbook that I just bought (and am so excited about), The Foster's Market Cookbook, by Sara Foster. This is definitely a larger undertaking as far as making a meal goes, but when you have an afternoon to cook up a storm it's definitely worth it! One other aspect I love is that I was able to cook with some fun, rare ingredients like saffron, fennel and leeks (I was able to find all of the below ingredients at Whole Foods).

Fennel



Leeks


I took pictures step by step to help show you the process. This meal was a huge hit with my family and I can't wait to use it for a dinner party.

Below is the recipe and directions with pictures

Provencal Fish Stew
(Adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook)

Olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and split lengthwise
1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
One 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
8 cups fish broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Grated zest and juice of two oranges
2lbs of white firm fish (the originally recipe called for red snapper or grouper, I used an Australian fish barramundi)
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
12 small littleneck clams, cleaned
1 lb large shrimp
2 teaspoons saffron threads (this spice is pretty expensive, I think the stew would still be good without it, it just makes it extra special!)

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 10 minutes).

2. Soak the leaks in a large bowl filled with cold water for about 10 minutes; rinse, drain and slice into 1/4 inch half rounds. Add the leeks to the onion and cook for 5 minutes until the leeks have softened.

3. Add the fennel, celery, and carrots stir all of the ingredients together and cook for 10 more minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.



4. Add the tomatoes, fish broth, wine, salt, pepper, marjoram, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer (uncovered) for an hour.

5. Increase heat to medium-high and add orange zest & juice, fish, mussels, clams, shrimp and saffron (stir everything together). Cook, stirring occasionally, 6-7 minutes, until all the clams and mussels have opened and the fish begins to flake. Remove from the heat to serve discarding any clams or mussels that didn't open.



Serve with fresh bread (I choose sourdough) and enjoy!

Homemade Granola

Granola is a great staple to have around for breakfast with fruit and yogurt, as a snack on a hike, etc. The only tough part is that not only is it usually fairly pricey for a cereal, it also can be tough to find a healthy version. I was on a mission awhile back to find a granola recipe that was quick and easy to make at home as well as healthier (I always enjoy knowing the ingredients that are in my food.).

Cooking Light never lets me down on healthy, light recipes and I constantly am looking at their website and magazine for ideas. I have been using their Power Granola recipe as my go-to base granola recipe for awhile now and really enjoy it. The great thing about granola is that once you find a base mixture you like you can add in any variations of fruit, nuts, etc. that you like.

Below is the recipe and just to note on my latest batch that is pictured I added in fresh cranberries that I had leftover from Thanksgiving. I ran about 2 cups through the food processor to give them a rough grate and then threw them in with the granola mixture right before baking. The gorgeous red of the cranberries adds a bit of a festive feel for this time of year! In addition I doubled the recipe... believe me it will go fast!

Recipe
(Adapted from Cooking Light)

4 cups regular oats
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup chopped almonds
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh cranberries (grated in a food processor)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in a medium bowl.

Next, Combine orange juice, agave nectar, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in oil and vanilla. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture, stirring to coat. Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a baking sheet or jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 300° for 30-40 minutes minutes making sure that you stir the mixture every 10 minutes or so and until golden brown (bake longer to make it more crunchy).




Note: Store completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.