Category Archives: RECIPES

Smoothie Challenge

April 16, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

strawberry-banana smoothie

When I was in Palm Springs, we brunched at The Parker Hotel one day.  I don’t have much to say about the Parker besides the fact that they dislike poor, non-hotel guests (aka me), but I will give credit where credit is due: they make unbelievably delicious smoothies.  When the waitress at Norma’s rattled off the ingredients of their daily smoothie, I didn’t think it would be anything special.  But it was so good and refreshing.  Like so, so good.  Here are said ingredients:

  • strawberry
  • banana
  • nonfat yogurt
  • apple juice
  • honey

I wrote the ingredients down in my phone and took it as a challenge to replicate at home.  I’ve tried making it twice now and though it doesn’t quite match up to the Parker’s, the combination is fresh, sweet, and so very tasty.  Here’s what I used, though I’ll most likely switch it up again until I find the perfect balance:

  • 1 banana
  • 10-15 strawberries
  • 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup apple juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • lots o’ ice

strawberry-banana smoothie

strawberry-banana smoothie

Spring Risotto

March 23, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

spring risotto

Happy Spring!  Though I’d prefer to celebrate the new season with outdoor picnics and trips to the farmer’s market, our current weather situation (what is this rain thing that’s happening?) is preventing me from doing any such activities.  Instead, I’ve been watching lots of American Pickers on TV, eating handfuls of Cadbury chocolate eggs,  and catching up on the April issue of Cooking Light.

When I came across this Cooking Light risotto recipe, I knew it would be a perfect way to kick off the spring season (bad weather or not).  First of all, it showcases asparagus (a spring vegetable) and I’m all for seasonal cooking.  Not only are veggies much cheaper when they’re in season, they’re also much tastier (I might just be imagining that they’re tastier, who knows).  Second of all, risotto is just plain delicious.

And this risotto was no exception!  I loved that it wasn’t super heavy but still had all the rich flavors of a classic risotto.  And the edamame/asparagus combo was like an added bonus point.  Speaking of bonus points, you have to stir risotto constantly for atleast 20 minutes so you’re getting a really nice arm workout in the process.  Overall, the finished product, with it’s creamy texture and flavorful bite, was a real crowd-pleaser.

PS- Looky looky what I found at Trader Joe’s for $3.99??  Ranunculus!!  My favorite ever.

ranunculus

I Heart You.

February 10, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

Valentine Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookie

My bf and I have been together almost 6 years (yowza!), so that means we’ve already experienced most of the generic Valentine’s Day requirements, like expensive pre-fixed dinners, bouquets of flowers, a surprise date to a beautiful outdoor ice skating rink where he forgets to bring a pair of socks for you to ice skate in (and you’re randomly sockless that night because you wanted to look extra cute and wear heels) because who remembers socks when you’re trying to plan surprise dates???  Ya, that happened.

Valentine Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookie

So now we keep it simple for Valentine’s Day.  A witty card, a sweet note, gifts in the form of food…that’s all we need!  So I made these sugar cookies, recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman, and tied them up with baker’s twine because honestly, what says I love you more than a delicious, heart-shaped cookie?

Cinnamon Pear Tart

January 27, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

pear tart

Before I start bragging about my pear tart (because let’s face it, it was my first time and it turned out like a champion tart), I need to confess my sins.  I committed TWO crimes in tart-baking world.  1) I used an apple tart recipe and…gasp…USED PEARS INSTEAD. 2) I altered the recipe (is this legal?) and added cinnamon…like LOADS of it.  I went against all types of baker’s code! For shame!

Ok now that I got that out of the way, let’s move forward.  For as much as I bake, I’m really not that good at it.  Half of my baked goods are total failures and the other half are semi-decent.  But for some reason this tart was a real gem.  It might be because the ingredients were so simple or that the recipe was so straightforward – either way, I didn’t F it up so I deserve some brownie points (preferably in the form of Girl Scout Thin Mints, I’m accepting all deliveries at my house, a-thank you).

The tart crust was buttery and golden and the pears had a juicy bite to them.  Not too sweet, not too heavy.  And dare I say the cinnamon was a perfect addition??  I swear, everything is better with cinnamon.

I loved this tart so much that I plan on baking it again real soon.  And who knows, maybe next time I’ll bake it with apples!  View the recipe, found on Smitten Kitchen, here.

pear tart

pear tart

pear tart

pear tart

Heart Skipped a Beet

January 25, 2011

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

beets

I’ve always had a major crush on beets.  I would order them in restaurants, buy them pickled in grocery stores, but never attempted to make them at home.  WAY TOO DIFFICULT.  If I haven’t seen a food prepared/cooked/demonstrated on Food Network, then I sure as heck have no clue how to make it.

But the raw beets were looking real pretty in the produce section this weekend so I took some home, googled a “how-to,” …and found out they were super easy to make.  Embarrassingly easy.  Like so embarrassing that I cleared my internet history because I didn’t want anyone to know I was googling something so ridic.  You guys, all you have to do is roast them in a 375 degree oven for an hour.  AND THEN THEY’RE DONE!

roasting beets

So that’s what I did.  I chopped off the beet greens (which actually are quite edible), wrapped them individually in foil, and roasted them in the oven for an hour.  When they came out of the oven, I peeled the skin off with my fingers (super easy), stained my entire hands purpley red, pretended the beet juice was a lip stain, and sliced the beets fairly thin.

roasted beets

I used half the beets to make a citrusy salad of sliced oranges, red onion, baby spinach, and balsamic vinaigrette.

beet and orange salad

The next night, I made a beet caprese of sorts with mozzarella cheese, chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked pepper.  I swear, you can’t go wrong with beets!

beet caprese