Category Archives: EAT

CSA

November 29, 2012

Filed Under : EAT

Let’s talk CSA.  Are you a member?  All I know is that every other Tuesday, when I wake up in the morning, it’s like Christmas.  There’s a box on my doorstep filled with a plethora of mystery goodies and I’m giddy like a 15-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.  Actually not gonna lie, I would be giddy at a Biebs concert.  WHO WOULDN’T?  So it’s Tuesday morning and here’s what I’m thinking: What will be inside the box this time?  What recipes will I make with it?  How many items can I properly identify?  Kyle, will you go outside and get the box this time because my feet are cold?

It’s all so exciting!  I love my CSA program because they deliver it to me in the middle of the night.  I don’t have to go to anywhere to pick it up.  Some may call that lazy, others may call it genius.  Either way, I’m getting a box o’ veggies & fruit every other week and it’s changing my life.  Here’s why:

+ The veggies/fruit are all organic and from local farms.

+ The produce is always seasonal.  Right now, I’m getting lots of squash, apples, and greens.

+ It’s fairly cheap.  I pay $25 for a small mixed box (that includes delivery) and it comes every other week.  I easily spend that much on produce every week so ehhh not too bad?

+ It’s a LOT of stuff for 2 people.  We pretty much gorge ourselves (Kyle and I) on healthy foods for the week that we get it.  We’re talking veggie-centric meals every night and then a fruit cobbler for dessert.  On the weeks we don’t get the box, I’m not going to tell you the crap we eat but it may rhyme with braft lacaroni & schmeese.

+ It really pushes me to try new foods and new recipes, which I love!  For example, there is an acorn squash in the box I got this week and I can’t wait to make this with it.

My CSA program is called Farm Fresh to You and I have nothing but praise for them.  If you’re in the LA or Southern California area, I would highly recommend.  DO IT.

BRB, going to eat 5 pears.

ESSENTIALS: Thanksgiving

November 21, 2012

Filed Under : EAT - STYLE

I’ve mentioned this before but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I love cooking, I love baking, I love EATING, and I love spending time with my family.  So pretty much Thanksgiving was destined to be my favorite.  My mom and I have made the whole meal for our extended family for as long as I can remember and because of that, I’ve figured out all the essentials I need when in the kitchen for 2 days straight.  Now, of course I have about 89 more essentials for Thanksgiving, but here are a few that I love:

ONE: A pre-seasoned skillet to saute everything in.  And I mean EVERYTHING.

TWO: Every year, we like to try new recipes and I’ve found that Real Simple always has the easiest and most traditional dishes.  For Thanksgiving dinner, I like the food to be simple and straightforward.  Nothing crazy over here.  This year, about 90% of our dishes are from the November issue of Real Simple.

THREE: This one seems obvious, but a good set of measuring spoons can make all the difference in the world!

FOUR: Standing in the kitchen all day is not easy on your little toesies.  I love Wigwam socks because they’re super warm and cozy.

FIVE: A loose sweater to hide the eventual food baby.

SIX: A simple pie dish, like this Giada de Laurentiis for Target one, is a perfect way to show off all those pies.  Pumpkin, pecan, apple – I’ll have a slice of each, k thanks.

SEVEN: For appetizers, a slate cheese board adds such a nice touch and will keep your guests busy while you’re still working in the kitchen.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two Ways: Butternut Squash + Swiss Chard

November 15, 2012

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

What do you do when you have a foot-long butternut squash and two bunches of swiss chard?  Make them 2 nights in a row in 2 separate dishes.  Well, that’s what I did at least.  I definitely got my fill of fall veggies this week, that’s for sure.

01. Bean, Bacon, and Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard  This soup was surprisingly really hearty for it’s few ingredients.  It’s quick, easy, and a perfect weeknight meal.  I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon and a can of cannellini beans in place of cooked beans.  A+ in my book.

02. Buttnernut Squash Pizza with Swiss Chard, Cremini Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions This recipe was a bit more experimental on my end.  I used this Sprouted Kitchen recipe as a starting point, but instead of making the tart, I just bought a whole-wheat pizza dough and put all the toppings from the recipe on it.  I roasted butternut squash, sauteed the greens with garlic and red pepper flakes, and caramelized the onions and added a splash of balsamic vinegar to them.  I also had cremini mushrooms that needed to be used so I sauteed those and added them as well.  I piled the ingredients on top of the pizza, sprinkled some mozzarella cheese, and baked it in the oven.  It turned out so delicious and tasted like the fall season in every bite!  Thanks butternut squash!  The balsamic onions add so much flavor and there’s a nice little kick from the swiss chard’s red pepper flakes.  Best part?  It’s Kyle-approved.  That guy is hard to please, let me tell you.

My Favorite Quinoa Recipe

October 31, 2012

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

I make a ridiculous amount of quinoa.  Poor Kyle, he doesn’t even like quinoa but I force him to eat it because I like it so much.  It’s delicious and you’re eating it, I say!!

This particular recipe is my favorite way to prepare quinoa.  Simple, easy, and full of flavorful ingredients.  I love it so much I even made it for the bridal shower I co-hosted.

For this recipe, keep in mind that I completely eyeball all ingredient measurements so the list is meant only as a guide.  You can use more or less of any ingredient – totally up to you.  Quinoa is so easy and accommodating.  You can pretty much mix anything with it and it will still taste good.  Thanks for being so great, quinoa.

Quinoa with Cranberries and Pinenuts:
Serves 4-5 

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock, or water)
  • 1/2 medium-sized cucumber, chopped fine
  • handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 of a red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup pinenuts, toasted
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon-infused olive oil (or lemon vinaigrette)

To make quinoa, combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups chicken stock (or water) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiled, turn the heat down and let it simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pinenuts in a pan until they are golden brown and smell nutty and delicious.  Chop the cucumber, parsley, and onion (I usually just toss them in a food processor and pulse it a few times – way easier!).  Combine the chopped veggies with the cooked quinoa in a mixing bowl.  Add the cranberries, toasted pinenuts, and salt & pepper.  Swirl in lemon-infused olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time.  If you like it a little more dressed, add another tablespoon.

If you don’t have lemon-infused olive oil, don’t fret my pet!  A few squeezes of lemon juice and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil will yield the same results.  Also, if you don’t have pinenuts (because dang those things are expensive), any kind of toasted nut will do just fine.

The longer the quinoa sits in the dressing, the more flavorful it becomes.  Store it in the fridge and it will last a few days.  Or don’t store it and eat it all at once.  That’s what I usually do.

peach crumble pie

August 8, 2012

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

This weekend, I had a strong craving for a peach pie so I up and made myself one.  Best idea ever, no?  Plus, I wanted to use my new mini skillets that I’m so in love with.

I made this Martha Stewart peach crumble pie and it turned out delicious and buttery.  Gotta love that Martha!  Since I used two 6.5 inch skillets instead of a pie dish, I divided the crust in half for each skillet and reduced the cooking time to about 45 minutes (because the cast iron gets so hot).

My dude and I each had our own individual-sized pie and we devoured them down pretty easily.  Note: my version of an “individual-sized pie” is really just half a regular sized pie.  We don’t mess around in this household.