Green Fish

January is over.  It's over!  All 74 days of it.  Does anyone else feel like the month dragged on and on?  Although, because time likes to mess with us, in other ways it seemed to go by in a flash.  Why does that always happen?  Why is time so tricky?  No matter, it's now February and our diets are officially over.  Right?  Please??  Not that I was participating in any sort of diet, I just want you all to come over for cookies and wine.  Which brings me to a question...

My birthday is coming up and I want to bake myself a cake, because I'm weird like that.  Are there any trendy, must-try, fabulous cakes going around the World Wide Web that I should know about?  I don't know anything anymore.  I live in a bubble of The Thunderman's and reading logs.

Back to diets being dead (I'm all over the place)...even if you DID just finish the Whole 30 or something else, that doesn't mean we can't live a life of balance...of birthday cakes and healthy meals.  Like this delicious, flaky tilapia that is baked with a coating of lime zest and olive oil and topped with a bright cilantro and jalapeño vinaigrette.  It's sprinkled with crunchy sunflower seeds and served over buttery rice.  It's very yummy and would be the perfect precursor to cake.  Happy February.  

Recipe HERE.

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

As I'm in the thick of writing my cookbook, and all day long dealing with descriptive words like "delectable, irresistible, delicious, YUMMY," I can barely think of a single thing to say about this dish.  The thesaurus has been sucked out of me.  So I'm simply going to say this...jaksdjfksdfj.  Oh, you don't understand lazy, keyboard gibberish?  Fine, I'll say this...omg please make this pasta.  It is so good, that I would eat it every night of my life if that were a normal thing to do.  What's not to love about pasta, crispy, runny eggs and crunchy seasoned breadcrumbs??  Nothing, there is nothing not to love.  This dish is simple, requires minimal ingredients, and can be made in very little time.  It's the perfect thing to make when you don't know what to make.    

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

Yields: 6 servings

Printable Recipe

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, divided

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

8 oz. spaghetti

4 eggs

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat.  Mince two cloves of garlic, and add to the skillet.  Saute for a minute or so, until garlic starts to brown.  Add breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir.  Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, until breadcrumbs turn golden and crispy.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In the meantime, boil water in a large pot.   Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and the pasta.  Cook until al dente and drain.  While pasta is cooking, in the same skillet you used before, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining two cloves of garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring around, allowing garlic to season oil.  Remove.  Crack the eggs into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the whites start to crisp at the edges and the yolks barely set.  As soon as you drain your pasta, turn the heat off on the skillet and add the pasta and the breadcrumbs to your eggs.  Stir, using tongs, and break up your eggs into the pasta.  The runny yolks will cook some more with your hot pasta.  Serve immediately and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan.   

Rosemary Greyhound Cocktail

Happy Day After Mother's Day!  I hope your Sunday was full of happy children, thoughtful partners and a few minutes of alone time.  Don't y'all think that particular holiday should be a week long?  Cause I do.  I also think I should probably not use "y'all" like I'm from the South, because I'm from Minnesota, and we say things like, "yah, suuuure, ya betchya."  I'm finishing off my Mother's Day as I type this, eating stove-popped popcorn and watching Guardians of the Galaxy with my kids who are snuggled up on the pull-out couch (and it's driving my son crazy that I have no idea what's happening in the movie).  I had a magical day that began with Carson letting me sleep in (until 7:30, my body is incapable of anything past that) and then walking downstairs to freshly delivered bagels and homemade cards and art projects from my kids.  What more could a mom want?  Other than a week-long all-expenses paid trip to Mexico with her friends.

Kidding (sort of) aside, it was a truly great weekend.  The kind that makes your heart feel full.  We had Flag Football Friday followed by a sushi dinner and a mother-son karate class on Saturday that I'm STILL sore from, followed by a lot of recipe testing at home.  In the middle of all the cooking, I tried out a new cocktail that will surely become a staple this summer.  Freshly squeezed grapefruit, earthy rosemary and a hint of homemade simple syrup made this beverage more than delightful!  

Y'all should try it out.  Ya betchya.           

Recipe here.

Easy Butter Shrimp

If you're unfamiliar with Buzzfeed's Tasty Videos, familiarize yourself, right now.  They are addicting to watch.  'Like' them on your Facebook page, and they will pop up in your newsfeed and it will be the most glorious thing.  In fact, I think it's becoming a problem for me because late at night when I can't sleep I watch video after video after video.  You will want to cook everything.  Better yet, you will think you CAN cook ANYthing.  I have about 23 bookmarked that I'll get to someday.  For now, I will tell you about this recipe I saw for Butter Chicken that is simmered in spices like turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon and ginger... and of course, butter.  But only 6 tablespoons of butter, that's not a crazy amount, right?!  I don't know, I have the brain of a 600-pound woman, so... 

I decided to cook this with shrimp instead and because of that, I altered things slightly.  I did brown the shrimp in the butter in the beginning, but only for one minute per side.  Then, when it says to simmer the sauce, I simmered it for 15 minutes without the shrimp, then added it, and simmered it for 15 minutes more (I think you would need to simmer it that long even with the chicken in order to properly thicken the sauce).  I also used whole milk instead of heavy cream, and I cut down the cayenne to 1/4 tsp (instead of 1 full tsp) and found it PERFECTLY spicy (but, I'm a wuss).    

Make this!!  Recipe here.

Fresh Corn & Egg Scramble

One of my go-to "I have no idea what to cook tonight" meals is breakfast for dinner.  It's different for the kids, it's easy, and you can get rid of all your leftovers.  Just scramble eggs, and throw everything in it!  I had never really thought about putting corn in my eggs until I had breakfast at Martha's 22nd Street Grill in Hermosa Beach, California.  They make a white corn scramble that's to die for.  During the summer, I almost always have leftover corn in the fridge, and I love slicing off the kernels into salads, pastas and now... scrambles!  This was delicious, probably due to the cream and Boursin cheese I added (no judging) but also because of the delicious, fresh, summer corn.

Fresh Corn & Egg Scramble

(Serves 4)

Printable Recipe

2 T unsalted butter

6 large eggs

1/4 cup milk or cream

4 ears of cooked corn, kernels sliced off

1/4 cup Garlic & Herb Boursin cheese (or garden veggie flavored cream cheese), crumbled

1 T chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)

Salt and pepper 

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  While heating, whisk the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Add to skillet, and cook until fluffy using a rubber spatula to stir eggs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Burrata and White Peach Crostini

Hamptons, I can't quit you and your quaint farm stands everywhere you turn.  We went back for a quick weekend trip, and this time I picked up some freshly baked bread, homemade Burrata cheese, juicy white peaches, locally made honey and some fresh basil.  And then I turned it all into a delicious appetizer!  Carson, who is not usually one for the sweet and savory combination, LOVED this.  Everything just came together perfectly.  White peaches aren't overly sweet, but drizzled with a little honey, on top of creamy, salty cheese, on top of crispy bread... it was perfect.  A little earthiness from the basil and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt topped it all off.  I want more.

(**Which isn't saying much, because I want EVERYTHING right now.  Only 4 more weeks left in this pregnancy and I want to eat and sleep the days away... healthy, huh?  Don't worry, though, that's not happening because I'm constantly running after my 22 month-old and there is no more room left in this belly for food.  Move over baby!  Mama wants a thousand cookies.)  

Burrata and White Peach Crostini 

Printable Recipe

Loaf of french bread, thinly sliced on a diagonal

Burrata cheese (ricotta or goat cheese would work well too, me thinks)

Extra virgin olive oil

White peaches, thinly sliced

Honey

Fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for roughly 15 minutes, flipping bread halfway through cooking process.  Remove from oven when top of bread is lightly golden.  Spread cheese on toast and top with peach slices and basil strips.  Drizzle a small amount of honey and extra virgin olive oil over each and sprinkle with a small amount of coarse sea salt.   

TODAY tonight: Lemon Pesto Shrimp Rolls

When Carson started working on The Today Show, he acquired a job perk that I'm totally not jealous of at all (nope).  Which is, EATING INCREDIBLE FOOD MADE BY INCREDIBLE CHEFS.  Not jealous!  He comes home, almost daily, and tells me he had "the best" this and "the best" that.  However, instead of pouting over this perk, I've decided to take advantage of the inspiration he offers me with these new ideas by creating a series I'm going to call "TODAY tonight."  When he raves and raves about what he ate at work, I'm going to recreate it, and I started last night with Giada De Laurentiis' Lemon Pesto Shrimp Rolls. 

As a regular contributor to the show, Giada has made many things Carson has loved, but this was a particular favorite.  This is shrimp, poached in a flavorful broth, tossed in a vibrantly fresh pesto sauce, accompanied by crunchy celery and smooth cannellini beans, served on delicious bread.  A perfect summer lunch or dinner, in our case.  She made two other meals that day (click on link above), all based on these five basic ingredients:      

  

Look at that color below!  My favorite.  The lemon and Italian parsley in this pesto made it so bright and delicious, and it came together in minutes...

Have you ever poached shrimp in a bowl on the counter?  I hadn't!  Just pour a hot poaching liquid consisting of wine, broth, oil and herbs over the fish, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit...

This is homemade bread too, by the way, that I made from store-bought pizza dough.  

I'll talk about that tomorrow : )  

Thank you Giada, thank you Carson, thank you Today Show! 

(I sound like an Alanis Morissette song).  

Easy Roasted Baby Potatoes

I rarely make potatoes.  Not because I don't love them (in fact I had a mad craving for baked potatoes my first pregnancy), but I guess I feel a guilt associated with eating them.  WHAT SILLINESS.  Come on, people, let's eat potatoes occasionally!!!  I don't feel guilty eating brownies for breakfast, so why should I feel guilty about eating a food packed with vitamins and minerals?!  Especially when they are roasted, not fried.  Carson made the most delicious steak over the weekend, and for a quick, easy and delicious side I roasted these baby potatoes.  Slightly crispy on the outside, perfectly tender on the inside, lots of herbs (and a hint of butter)... yum.  Thumbs up for potatoes!

Easy Roasted Baby Potatoes

(Serves 6)

Printable Recipe

1 lb. baby potatoes

2 T olive oil

2 T unsalted butter, melted

1 T fresh rosemary, chopped

1 T fresh thyme, chopped

1 T fresh chives, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Add a generous pinch of salt, and bring potatoes to a boil.  Let cook for 7-10 minutes, until potatoes can be pierced with a fork, but aren't falling apart.  Drain and run under cold water.  Make sure they are very dry, I like to dab mine with a paper towel.  Place dried potatoes in large bowl.  In a small bowl, stir together oil, butter, herbs and garlic.  Pour mixture over potatoes and stir.  Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet (so that the potatoes are completely spread out) and roast for 20-25 minutes.   

Panache Pantry Chicken, Pasta + Giveaway

Have you ever heard of gourmet bread crumbs?  I had not, until the nice people of Panache Pantry sent me some samples.  Panache, a company founded by two at-home moms, have taken bread crumbs to a whole new level, whether it be their classic Sicilian line or their more modern products like Banana Nut Curry or Pumpkin Cajun (which I plan on sprinkling over ice cream as soon as I go buy ice cream).  It's such a brilliant, simple idea, and saves you the time of adding fresh herbs and spices to your boring old bread crumbs.  So far, I've sprinkled the Zucchini Rosemary crumbs over pasta...     

...and the Vintage Sicilian with chicken.  Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts, coat with mayo on both sides, sprinkle with bread crumbs on both sides, season with salt and pepper and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Trust me, if you don't like mayo, you will still love this.  It just makes for SUPER moist chicken.  And the Sicilian bread crumbs add such a depth of flavor.  Easiest dinner ever!

SO, Panache Pantry wants to give one of YOU some samples (any 2 crumbs from their 5 lines, your choice)!  Please "like" Panache Pantry on Facebook, comment below to win, and let me know how you would use these crumbs.  I will pick a winner Monday morning (10/28).  Good luck!    

Parmesan and Garlic Lavash

Carson's mom, the woman behind this fried chicken, makes a lot of delicious things.  Most recently, this super easy appetizer that you will hover around like a creep until it's gone in your belly and your belly alone.  Seriously, if you're in charge of an appetizer at a party, assemble this and pop it in the oven when you get there and watch the madness ensue.  5 ingredients: lavash, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan and basil.  Soak the chopped garlic in some olive oil...    

...spread it on some lavash (which can be found at most grocery stores)...

...sprinkle the top with Parmesan and fresh basil...

...and bake it at 350 for 10 minutes or so (keeping an eye on it) until it gets all golden and crispy.  Break it apart into pieces, or just eat the whole sheet on your own.

Sriracha Salt

Besides the fact that I don't really know how to say "Sriracha" - I'm obsessed with it.  Now, just yesterday, a friend gifted me a bottle of homemade Sriracha Salt.  WHAT!?!?!?  That was my reaction. Just the smell of it made me do a happy dance in my kitchen (no really, there's evidence of said dance on my iPhone).  She used this recipe, which looks simple enough!  If you're a fan of the spicy condiment, you should probably make a big batch of this salt and put it on everything.  I sprinkled it on my salad last night, DELISH.  Can you imagine a margarita with this stuff rimming the glass?!?  I feel another happy dance coming on... I've gotta go.  

Thank you for the feedback on my new site design!  I'm sort of sick of the "label" section (do you use it?) and I'm trying to brainstorm some new organizational elements.  Ideas are welcome : )    

Meatball Muffins

Yeah, that sounds kind of gross, doesn't it?  But let me explain.  The other day I was all set to make fancy pants meatballs.  You know, with grated carrots, sautéd onions, fresh garlic and herbs, homemade bread crumbs soaked in milk and blah blah blah.  And then I remembered... OH, I have two kids now and OH, my baby only likes to be held during the evening hours and OH, grating carrots SUCKS.  At that point I happened to glance over at the Highlights magazine my son was "reading" and I saw a recipe for 'Meatball Muffins'.  They consisted of ground beef or turkey, a package of onion soup mix, ketchup, bread crumbs and one egg.  I also added some Parmesan.  Roll into 12 balls, place in a greased muffin pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350.  Took me all of 5 minutes to make and can I tell you something??  They were so good.  

Crispy brown on the outside and perfectly cooked inside.  I threw them in some sauce, served them over pasta, dinner done.  If you're too good for the kiddie magazine recipe, or you just love grating carrots WHY, WHY DO YOU? then make your fancy pants recipe but at least try baking the meatballs in a muffin pan.  So easy.  The End.

My Rules for a Great Chopped Salad

I'm a big fan of chopped salads, or garbage salads as I like to call them - basically an unattractive name for a salad with everything in it.  It's the easiest way to empty the produce from your fridge and it makes a great lunch, dinner side or even a main dish if a protein is added.  But I have some rules.  Oh yes, I always have rules.  Ask me sometime about the handbook I wanted to write as a child about The Etiquette of Christmas Lights.  Yup I named it that.  Ok onto my salad rules...

1. SIZE: Nothing bothers me more than a salad with giant pieces of lettuce (wedge excluded), or long, chunky pieces of vegetables that need to be cut with a knife.  Salads are meant to eat with a fork (like this).  So it matters to me that everything is proportional and roughly the same size...

2. HERBS: You know when you're at a restaurant and you're eating a great salad and there's that ingredient that's making you say, "what IS that??"  It's probably fresh herbs.  Basil, cilantro, mint, etc. - they can turn a good salad into a great salad by making everything taste fresh and vibrant.  My go-to is always freshly chopped basil.

3. CRUNCH: Texture is very important to me in a salad.  Some lettuces and vegetables offer a nice crunch but I need more than that.  I need nuts or croutons or crushed tortilla chips.  My go-to is toasted pine nuts.  I love their nutty flavor and of course, crunch.  

4. CITRUS: Carson's mom always squirts fresh lemon juice over her salads in addition to dressing, and now it's something I always do too.  Much like herbs, citrus adds a vibrancy and freshness to the salad and brings out all the flavors of the vegetables.  

5. DRESSING: I usually make my own dressing.  It's much less intimidating than it seems, and I'm sure you have the ingredients at home.  Olive oils, balsamic vinegars, mustards, herbs, garlic, etc.  You can mix and match just about any of those and come up with an excellent dressing.  Click here for what I've done in the past.