Easy Eats and Tasty Treats has moved to Saramay's Specialties

Simple and Healthy Side Dish - Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2012-07-12T22:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a simple and healthy side dish with just three ingredients!!

I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong, they're really good!! You're probably also thinking, what's so special about roasted brussels sprouts? Well, not everything you make has to be complicated, roasting them this way and keeping it simple, brings out the flavor and keeps it healthy.

I've recently discovered just how tasty these little leafy nuggets can be. I like this recipe so much, I actually crave them! Roasting them caramelizes the outer leaves and browns them up a bit, giving them a nice crunch texture, topped with some sea salt and cheese-mmmm!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

As a kid, my mom would make steamed brussel sprouts and I avoided them at all cost, they were steamed and mushy and bitter and just all around awful. Seriously, you could not get me to even go near them. But, cooked this way, I can't get enough, no joke.

But seriously, roasted brussels sprouts are great on their own as a side dish or you can toss them in some pasta, mix with other veggies, whatever you like!

As promised above, this recipe calls for just three ingredients. The best part about it is that you do a little prep work and set them in the oven, you don't have to stand there over a hot stove.

Ingredients:

2 lbs brussels sprouts
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and peppar

Preheat oven to 350. Start by trimming the brussels sprouts by cutting off the tough ends and peeling off the tough discolored outer leaves, then cut them in half. Melt coconut oil and pour over brussels sprouts, sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread evenly over a baking sheet. Bake for for 15 minutes and rotate so they don't burn and cook for 15 minutes more. Take them out of the oven and grate some cheese over top, if you don't have white cheddar, parmesan also works.

Creamy Broccoli And Pistachio Pesto With Sharp White Cheddar Over Whole Wheat Pasta

2012-07-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

If my mom had prepared veggies like this for me when I was a kid, I certainly would have eaten a lot more of them! This pasta is delightfully light and healthy yet rich creamy at the same time, no one would ever know it's made almost entirely of broccoli!

Not really sure where this recipe came from, I heard someone say something the other day about having to trick their kids into eating vegetables and I've recently become obsessed with broccoli and just happened to have a ton on hand, and well, the rest just sort of happened.

For me, cooking isn't about precise measurements or how well you can follow instructions, its about a love for food and passion for ingredients. My hope for this blog isn't that people will follow recipes to a tee, rather that they will become inspired to recreate and make them their own. For this recipe, I used pistachios, but I think it would be great with walnuts or even almonds, whatever you have on hand. I also tried to keep it light and cut the fat and calories by using chicken broth, but you can also use milk, cream or water.

Recipe

2 cups broccoli
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup pistachios (or whatever kind of nut you'd like)
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
1 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 package of whole wheat pasta

Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil over medium, add broccoli and sauté until tender outside with a slight crunch inside. In a food processor add pistachios and cooked broccoli and blend. Stream olive oil while food processor is on high, after oil is incorporated, add chicken broth until you've reached the desired consistency. If you like it thinner and creamier, add more. Next, add cheese and red chili flakes, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Fill a medium sized pot 3/4 way full, bring to a boil, add 2 tbsp salt and add pasta. Cook pasta until al dente, strain and mix with creamy broccoli pistachio pesto with sharp white cheddar cheese.

5 Minute Asian Style Orange Beef and Veggies

2012-07-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

These days I find myself struggling to balance limited between work, gym, hobbies, home life, family and friends, but one sacrifice I refuse to make is to settle on what I eat. I'm constantly trying to whip up healthy, quick and let's not forget, budget friendly meals amidst my hectic lifestyle.

For this recipe, I tried to keep it as simple as possible, just a few great ingredients packed with lots of flavor. As I've mentioned in recent posts, I'm absolutely in love with coconut oil. It just adds so much flavor and it's such a stable oil, a little goes a long ways. You'll be surprised at how amazing broccoli is with coconut oil, I actually crave it now!

1 lbs top sirloin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 orange
1 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 lg head of broccoli
1 red bell pepper

Start by making the marinade for the beef by combining soy sauce, zest and juice squeezed from the entire orange, brown sugar, and chili flakes. Next for the garlic and ginger, I like to use my microplane zester and grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl, it's a time saving trip that saves me the tedious work of having to finely chop the ginger and garlic. Mix the marinade well, cut sirloin into 1/2 inch chunks and add to the marinade mixture. There's no set time limit, just let it do it's thing while you are preparing the rest of the meal.

To prepare the veggies chop broccoli into 1/2 inch florets and thinly slice bell pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil over medium heat and sauté broccoli. I personally like them slightly al-dete with a bit of a bite to them, so cook until your preferred level of doneness. Since the broccoli takes longer, add the bell peppers towards the end and cook through, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to bring out the flavor - don't skip this, you'll be amazed at the difference a little salt makes here.

For a little added flavor and the the glaze portion of the orange glazed beef, when you remove the beef from the pan, keep the sauce and reduce heat to medium and cook down until sauce has reduced and thickened. Pour it over your beef for an extra flavorful punch.

Remove veggies from the pan and set aside, next add beef, sauté until cooked. Serve aside veggies and brown rice and enjoy! It's really that simple and healthy!

Blueberry Burst Muffins

2012-06-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

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Mornings have been a little challenging lately, there just never seems to be enough time before work. I've also developed a few obsessions lately, healthy muffins, coconut oil and almond meal. I came up with these Blueberry Burst Muffins which incorporate all of my latest obsessions and make for a great grab and go healthy breakfast.

Coconut oil has become one of my newest favorite ingredients, made of healthy fats, this tasty little number has endless health benefits from improved insulin secretion to improved digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins and amino acids. Did I mention it tastes great too?!

It adds such a great mild coconut flavor, one of my other favorite uses is to sauté broccoli and red bell peppers in 1 tsp of coconut oil. Yes, you heard me correctly, broccoli and coconut oil, cook to al dente and sprinkle with sea salt - heaven!! I've NEVER been a fan of broccoli but I love it cooked this way so much, I've actually started to crave it. Pick up a jar of coconut oil and think twice next time as you walk past those bunches of broccoli, you'll thank me later!

Ok enough about all that, back to these amazing muffins, these little guys are so flavorful and made with amazing ingredients, wanna know the best part??? This recipe makes approximately 18 mid sized muffins and they are about 145 calories each!! Yes, you heard me correctly 145 CALORIES EACH!! They are packed with fiber and will keep you satisfied all morning.

1 1/2 Cups Almond Meal
1 Cup Coaches Oats (an amazing product from Costco, you can also substitute oatmeal)
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Applesauce
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
3 Tbsp Agave
1 Tsp Almond Extract
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries
1/4 Cup Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix almond meal, coaches oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In another medium bowl, mix together applesauce, eggs, melted/softned coconut oil, agave, and almond extract. Combine both wet and dry ingredients in one bowl and gently fold in walnuts and blueberries. These types of muffins can be pretty sticky, I recommend using muffin wrappers and give them a quick spray of pam. Fill muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 and enjoy!

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Protein Pancakes

2012-04-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Protein pancakes? Yes! You heard me correctly, the most amazing, moist, fluffy protein packed pancakes.

So....summer is coming and I've been on this tremendous health kick. I've been working out like a mad woman and feeling absolutely amazing. In order to get the most out of my work outs I've made a huge effort to eat healthier and to eat out less. This recipe does just that. It's super simple, I've been whipping up a batch before work and enjoying these bad boys on the road.

This recipe is a more palatable version of a body builder's fav. I tried the original version which consists purely of egg whites and protein powder, unfortunately they taste just like it sounds. I used chocolate protein powder and they tasted like chocolate egg whites. My version is flavorful, moist, and delicious. My secret? Sweet potato puree. Sweet potatoes are naturally high in fiber and vitamin B6 while only adding 90 extra calories.

To make the sweet potato puree, I stuck the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven until fork tender. When they're done, let them cool slightly and remove skin. Put the potatoes in a
food processor and let her rip. Blend until completely smooth.

This recipe is packed with 34 grams of protein and 264 calories.

1/2 cup sweet potato puree
3 egg whites
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and cook in a large non-stick pan with a light spray if non-stick spray. When you see tiny bubble drift to the top, you'll know they're ready to be flipped.

I eat them plain, but you could serve with fresh berries, apple butter, fresh whipped cream or whatever your heart desires. I think you'll find them delicious as is.

Mission Brewery IPA Braised Beef Over Creamy Polenta

2012-03-08T19:14:00.002-08:00

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I don’t know what it is lately, but I can’t seem to get enough of braised short ribs and polenta or some sort of slow cooked beef. I’m a sucker for that deep rich flavor that comes from meat that has been slow cooking for hours in its own juices. Chances are, if it’s on the menu, I’m going for it. The creamy polenta is dedicated to my dear, dear friend, Terrie. We had some amazing mascarpone polenta a few weeks ago at Divanti Enoteca in Little Italy and she was hooked from the first bite.

Slow cooking and braising beef is so simple! The dutch oven does all the work, it’s a perfect Sunday dish to round out a weekend with an amazing and hearty slow cooked meal.

Mission Brewery IPA Braised Beef Roast

2lbs bonless beef chuck roast

1 onion sliced thin

3 cloves garlic chopped

1pt Mission Brewery IPA (or beer/stout of your choice)

6 large carrots, peeled, and chopped into 2 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pan melt 1 tbsp butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Sear beef on all sides to lock in that flavor. Remove meat, add onions and let them sweat 4-5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Next, add beer and bring to a simmer. Add beef back to the pan, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for 2hours, turn meat over and add chopped carrots, cook for 1 ½ more hours.

In a nonstick pan melt remaining tbsp butter and whisk in 1 tbsp flour to make a roux, add juices from your meat to thicken the sauce.

Creamy Polenta

½ cup yellow polenta or corn meal

1 cup water

1cup milk

½ cup mascarpone

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring water, milk, and salt to a boil, gradually add polenta stirring constantly to ensure a creamy texture. Turn the heat down, once all of the liquid is absorbed, add butter, mascarpone. Continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate, Salted Caramel Swirl Cookies

2012-03-05T20:22:00.002-08:00

I’m all settled into the new house and have been dying to bake something…this little beauty has two ovens! I can make dinner AND desert at the same time, not to mention, making thanksgiving dinner will be a whole lot easier with double the precious oven space.

I was moving some of my pantry items in and noticed a half of an opened bag of white chocolate chips, half a bag of chocolate chips, and I still have two jars of my homemade caramel sauce that I made as gifts over the holidays (it tasted good, I’m assuming it still is). Seeing all these ingredients gave me the crazy idea to use them all together, plus I love, love, love peanut butter. And now, here we are, with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate, Salted Caramel Swirl Cookies or as I like to call them, Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies.

I adapted the original recipe from here (Baking Bites - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies) I used all natural peanut butter from Sprouts (a.k.a Henry’s or Boney’s). The all natural kind I used isn’t as oily as the processed stuff and my dough came out a little drier and crumblier than I’m sure the original recipe was supposed to be. So,I added the caramel sauce, it added just the right amount of moisture, these cookies were so incredibly moist and delicious. You will absolutely LOVE THEM!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter (national brand, pref. crunchy)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

6 oz. salted caramel sauce (easy homemade recipe below, make extra and share with your friends!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in peanut butter, egg and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Gradually blend in the flour mixture until dough comes together and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in chocolate chips until well distributed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them to allow for spread.
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned and set around the edges (slightly longer baking will result in crispier cookies). Cool cookies for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade caramel sauce

(Recipe from the Food Network Magazine, December 2011)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla. Don't worry - the cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

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Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa and Tapatio Greek Yogurt

2012-02-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

This Taco Tuesday favorite is tastier, easier, and healthier than you think. Skip the heavy fried and battered fish and give these spicy shrimp tacos a try. By replacing fat with flavor, you’ll be amazed and won’t miss a single calorie!

Chili Lime Shrimp

1-1/2lb fresh shrimp

1 lime

1 Serrano Pepper

1 Jalapeno Pepper

1 Garlic Clove

Salt & Pepper

Peel and devein shrimp and place in large mixing bowl. Zest an entire lime, add the zest and juice to the shrimp. Roughly chop and add the Serrano, jalapeno, and garlic. Mix well and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes. Preheat a sauté pan with 1 tbsp butter, add shrimp, cook until shrimp start to curl and have a slight orange tint. Don’t overcook or shrimp become rubbery.

Mango Salsa

1 Mango

2 Tbsp Chopped Mint

2 Tbsp Chopped Parsley

1 Tsp Chopped Serrano Pepper (add more if you like the heat)

½ Chopped Jalapeno Pepper

1 Small Roma Tomato Chopped

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion

1 Lime

Salt & Pepper

Peel and chop mango into small ¼ inch pieces, chop and add mint, parsley, Serrano pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Cut tomato in half lengthwise, gently squeeze tomato over a sink to release some of the extra juices, you don’t want your salsa to be too watery. Lastly, zest one lime and add zest and lime juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and you’re all set. The longer you let it sit and marinade, the more intense the flavors will be.

Tapatio Greek Yogurt

2-1/2 Tbsp Tapatio Hot Sauce (or any hot sauce you’d like)

¼ Cup Greek Yogurt with Honey

Add Tapatio and yogurt and mix well. The honey yogurt might sound a little strange, I have a confession, it was more of a delicious accident. Apparently I bought honey yogurt rather than plain. It works really well with this dish and helps to balance the acidity and spicyness of the salsa. If you don’t have honey yogurt, you can always add a tbsp of honey.

When you’re all done, lightly toast flour tortillas in the oven, add shrimp, mango salsa, top with some creamy avocado slices, and enjoy!!

Valentine’s Day Raspberry Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream Frosting

2012-02-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

First off, let me just say YUMMM!!! These cupcakes are absolutely UH-MAZING!! I was trying to think of something a little different than strawberries and chocolate for Valentine’s Day and I absolutely LOVE how well almond and raspberries go together. These cupcakes were so moist and delicious, I couldn’t believe how great they came out.

Make these lovely treats for your special someone for an amazing Valentine's Day that they'll never forget.

Found this recipe here and just ended up following the recipe to a tee and they came out perfect.

I kind of improvised on the frosting recipe, and it was amazing:

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Heavy Cream

4 Cups Confectioners Sugar

4 Teaspoons Almond Extract

Whip butter until smooth, add heavy cream and sugar alternating between sugar and cream until completely mixed. Add almond extract and mix on low until combined.

Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Cakes

2012-02-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

If you’ve never tried Quinoa, you are seriously missing out. Not only does it taste really good, it’s actually really good for you. Quinoa is better than most whole grains because it’s super high in protein, fiber, and essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source. It’s also very versatile; I love to use it in place of potatoes, rice or pasta.

These Quinoa cakes are a really healthy, protein rich dish that can be eaten as a side dish or all on their own. Enjoy!!

1 Cup cooked Quinoa

2 Egg Whites

2 Yellow Summer Squash chopped

2 Small Zucchini chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Canola oil
8 oz. Mozzarella

1 Tsp Garlic Salt

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan, add veggies and cook until just tender but still firm on the inside, season with garlic salt. Don’t cook them too much, you want them to hold up in the Quinoa cake. Combine veggies, cooked quinoa and egg whites. Take a small handful of the mixture, place a small slice of mozzarella cheese in the middle, and top with more quinoa mixture. Seal seems and shape in to a round patty. Continue until all of the mixture and cheese is gone. To cook, heat canola oil (just enough to cover the pan, add more oil as needed) and add Quinoa cakes. Cook over medium high heat until golden brown on the outside and cheese has melted on the inside.

To cook Quinoa, combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of Quinoa in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until Quinoa has absorbed all of the water.

Mongolian Beef and Brown Rice

2012-01-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

After I got back from an absolutely amazing weekend in Vegas, I had an awfully strong craving for beef…weird. Maybe something to do with lack of iron, who knows. Or…it might have been the lack of food the entire weekend! Any who, I was craving some real food, and this certainly satisfied that craving. The best part about it? It’s SO quick and simple!

This recipe would also be great with chicken or tofu depending on your preference.

1 lb. Beef Sirloin cut into thin strips

¼ Cup Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

2 Tsp Granulated Sugar

1 Tsp Chopped Garlic

1 Tbsp Chili Flakes

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Mix all ingredients together and add beef, let it marinade for 1-4 hours in the fridge. Because I was so hungry and couldn’t wait to eat, I actually only marinated it long enough for me to make the brown rice and clean up the kitchen. The flavor was amazing, but the longer you marinate it, the more tender and flavorful it will be.

In a wok or sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat, add beef, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. Thin strips cook extremely quickly. Serve with brown (or white) rice and enjoy!

Fit Juice with Carrot and Beet Breakfast Muffins

2012-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

There's something so optimistic about a new year, it feels like a new beginning, a chance to make the upcoming year even better than the previous. I've decided to start the new year of with a healthy kick and bring out the juicer for some fresh and nutrient dense fruit and vegetable juice. Step aside, V8!

I was inspired to make these recipes when my friend Kelly posted some amazing photos on Facebook of some fresh juice she made. I decided to take it a step further and use the pulp from this fabulous juice to make muffins! I kind of improvised but they came out great, I think next time I'll try and make them a even healthier with wheat flour and possibly some bran and/or ground flax.

This was my first time using the juicer, it was so delicious, healthy, super quick, and the juicer was surprisingly easy to clean.

Fit Juice

1 1/2 Cup pineapple

2 Small red beets

4 Carrots

1 Tbs Fresh Ginger

3 Large Kale Leaves

2 Green Apples

Peel and chop all of the fruit and vegetables and let the juicer do it's thing. Serve and enjoy :)

Carrot and Beet Morning Muffins

These muffins are a delicious way to use up the left over pulp from your juice and they're relatively healthy with no refined sugar or salt added.

1 Cup Carrot and Beet Pulp

2/3 Cup Apple Sauce

2/3 Agave Nectar

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by mixing the agave nectar and vegetable oil very well. Next, add the apple sauce, vanilla, eggs and beet and carrot pulp, stir until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to beet and carrot pulp mixture. Lightly oil 12-muffin pan and fill each cup 3/4 full. Bake 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let cool and devour!

Pumpkin French Toast with Apple Cider Syrup

2011-11-13T10:21:00.001-08:00

I happened to be watching that new cooking/talk show, The Chew, and immediately fell in love with Carla Hall’s Pumpkin French Toast with Apple Cider Syrup. It’s the essence of Fall on a plate, it’s warm, comforting, spicy and sweet all bundled up together. Not only is it fabulous, but it’s an easy make ahead meal. You can make the syrup ahead of time, mix all the ingredients together, soak your bread overnight and grill it up in the morning.

For this recipe, I picked up a wonderful loaf of challah bread from Con Pane bakery in Point Loma. If you’re in the area, you must give this place a try, it’s absolutely amazing! Everything is baked fresh, onsite daily. They strategically place their ordering line along the displays of their fresh baked goodies, I’m practically drooling by the time I reach the register to place my order. I can never seem to get out of there without taking some fresh bread home. I topped off my lunch order with a loaf of their Challah bread to-go; it was perfect I for this dish.

French Toast

1 cup milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

3 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (solid pack)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch salt

1 loaf challah or brioche bread, sliced thickly

Syrup

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups apple cider or 2 cups apple juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Pumpkin French Toast Directions

Combine all wet ingredients (except the bread) and mix well. The night before or 6 hours prior, dip the bread slices in the milk mixture and place bread in a glass baking dish (single layer). Store in refrigerator until ready to cook. In the morning, heat two tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan and grill up your French toast over medium heat until cooked thoroughly and slightly golden on the outside. Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar, a drizzle Apple Cider Syrup and serve.

Apple Cider Syrup Directions

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg in saucepan. Pour in apple and lemon juices. Cook and stir constantly until thickened. Allow to come to a boil, and boil for 1 minute continue to stir constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve warm. *This can be made ahead and warmed in the microwave or stove top prior to serving.

Edamame Jalapeno Hummus

2011-11-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know what you're thinking, but trust me, it's really good!!

I made this healthy, yummy snack for one of our last boat trips of the summer …. If you’re a foodie like me then you know it’s not always about where you’re going as much as it is about the yummy food you’ll have when you get there. We divide our boating preparation activities and you can guess who’s in charge of food and snacks J No day of boating would be complete without some sort of yummy snacks, that’s just how we roll.

I really enjoy making hummus at home rather than buying because it’s extremely easy and you can control the consistency, flavor, spice, and sodium. I tend to like my hummus on the creamy side with lots of heat.

In a last minute dash I whipped up this healthy and tasty Edamame and Jalapeno Hummus using fresh jalapenos from our garden. You can control the heat by adding more/less jalapenos to this recipe. It’s great with pita chips, tortilla chips, cracker, or if you’d like to be extra healthy you can also enjoy with endive spears for a healthy, low carb treat.

Ingredients

1 Can of organic garbanzo beans

6 oz. Frozen Edamame beans

2 Whole Jalapeno peppers

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor, and voilà, it’s done! Pulse more for a smoother creamier texture or less for a chunkier hummus.

Baklava

2011-09-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty hot summer so far and I haven't been in the kitchen quite as much as I usually am. Cooking in 90 degree weather is pretty much the last thing I want to do. My boyfriend had the hankering for some baklava and requested that I make some. Excited about the idea, I decided to give it a shot. I thought baklava would be relatively simple, not too much cooking, and I'd be in an out of the kitchen in a snap. I was sorely mistaken. This tasty little treat is extremely labor intensive, but certainly well worth it.

This recipe was adapted from 'The Photo Cookbook - Baking' app for iPad with some slight adjustments. Helpful hint: Place a damp towel over the filo dough while you are buttering each layer to prevent it from drying out, it's so thin, it dries out quickly.

Main Ingredients

2 1/4 Cups walnuts, finely chopped

1 3/4 Cups shelled pistachio nuts, finely chopped

1 Cup almonds, finely chopped

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 Tsp ground cloves

1 Cup butter (2 sticks) melted

23 Sheets filo pastry

Syrup

1 1/4 Cups sugar

2 Cups water

5 Tbsp honey

1 Tsp rose water

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and butter a 10-inch baking dish. Mix together, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

Place a sheet of pastry on the bottom of your dish and brush with butter. Top with 7 layers of filo dough brushing with butter in between each layer. After the seventh layer place 1/5 of the walnut/pistachio/almond mixture, followed by 3 more sheets of filo with butter in between each. Repeat until all of the mixture is gone and end with a top layer of three sheets.

Brush with butter and cut into 2-inch squares, then bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put all of the syrup ingredients into a sauce pan, bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the baklava from the oven and strain syrup over the top and let cool in the dish. After it's cooled, cut and serve!

Bruschetta With Rosemary Roasted Tomatoes, Ricotta Cheese And Fresh Basil

2011-07-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need a little appeteazer before the main event and to fend off hungry boyfriends. I caught a glimpse of some tasty looking bruschetta on the Food Network and couldn't get it out of my head so I decided to give it a shot. This was my first time making bruschetta, I think next time I'll add some meat...possibly, prosciutto.

1 Cup cherry tomatoes

2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary

1 Garlic clove

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 French baguette

3/4 Cup ricotta cheese

6-8 Large basil leaves, chopped

Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, finely chop rosemary and garlic and combine with olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and add to rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place tomatoes cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes.

Cut baguette into 1/2 inch slices and brush with remaining rosemary, garlic, and olive oil mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until toasted and golden.

To assemble, spoon 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese on each slice of bread, top with roasted tomatoes, chopped basil, drizzle balsamic vinegar over top and enjoy!

A Thirst Quencher For Champs!

2011-07-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love a good Sangria. It's my go-to wine choice if offered when I'm dining out. It's made a dozen different way with a few different twists. Today, I started out simple with a few things on hand and voilà.... some of the most amazing Sangria I've ever had!

For starters, I would say the most important thing to this drink is time, I made it this morning and let it sit in the fridge all day. You've got to give it time to meld together and get all happy. Second, I used agave instead of sugar, it makes me feel less guilty about drinking it. If you've never used it, you must! It's much better for you than refined sugar and it takes a lot less to sweeten things up. Trust me on this one.

Here's what I put in:

2 cups of red wine, I used Cabernet Sauvignon (nothing fancy, some good ol' two buck chuck never hurt anyone)

1/4 cup brandy

3-4 tablespoons organic agave

1/2 large orange

1/2 peach

1/2 apple

Easy-peasy. Thinly slice the fruit and place in a container that has a lid. I suggest using a lid to keep the other refrigerator flavors out. Add wine, brandy, and agave, stir and let sit for a few hours. To serve, pour your deliciousness into a glass, add a few pieces of your marinated fruit and top with sparkling water, I prefer the lime flavored sparkling water. It adds a nice zing and some bubbly freshness. Enjoy!

My First Official Blog Post!

2011-07-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog! I have a tremendous passion for food and cooking and like most foodies these days, I love taking photos of my culinary adventures. To spare my Facebook friends from endless food photos, I've decided to channel this energy into a food blog. I've had no formal culinary training, but if you consider countless hours of the Food Network and Cooking Channel, then I guess you could say I'm somewhat of an expert.

I've been passionate about food for as long as I can remember. I have fond memories of enjoying some amazing meals with my family as a child. Both of my parents are phenomenal cooks and would argue that their food tastes better because the main ingredient is love. While each, separately, would like to take credit for how I turned out, the truth is, they are both amazing parents and I dedicate this blog to them. I would also like to dedicate this blog to my boyfriend for being my guinea pig and trying all of my easy eats and critiquing my sometimes not so tasty treats. Love you guys!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!