Kale Chips

Oh chips. How I love the crispy, salty, no nutritional value chip. I don't know if I've met a chip I didn't like. My stomach on the other hand, has meet plently of chip binges it did not appreciate. Though I enjoy plenty of sweets, it's my salt tooth that often wins in the late night naughty snacking battle. While healthy boyfriend craves ice cream, I dream of flavor blasted goldfish, sour cream and onion chips, and cheez its. I must find a way to control my need for salt, while also finding healthy recipes that curb the ever present craving.

Now begins my exploration of vegetable chips. I've read a lot of recipes, so I decided to start with one of the healthiest vegetables there is, KALE.

Such a rich green, and mine had purple stems.

There are websites devoted to this fall rockstar vegetable. Kale is like the valedictorian who is also good at soccer and volunteers on weekends. It's a super vegetable, you just can't believe how good for you it is. Especially because many people don't eat it often enough. Dark greens in general are great for you, high in magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and Vitamin A, E, K, and C. Kale is also full of fiber, folic acid and micro nutrients; clearly its just showing off now. Kale, and other dark greens such as broccoli and collards, get you the most bang for your nutritional buck.

If you want more info on kale, here is one of many wesbite that has additional information of this dark green beauty: Kale 4 Life!

It is important to buy organic or local kale if possible. It is one of the "dirty dozen" which are 12 fruits and vegetables that absorb the most pesticides, making them possibly unsafe even when washed. On the other end of the spectrum are the clean 15, fruit and vegetables that you can buy non-organic and not have to worry too much about pesticides. With all the research coming out about pesticides, more and more showing how harmful and unsafe they are for everyone and especially young children, its good to know what to buy organic and what can go either way. I know organic can be pricey, but it's worth it. Of course local is best and cheapest, but you are always limited by your location and season (As we should be, but most of us do not stick to the 50 mile rule). Especially pay attention if you are feeding babies or toddlers. There is research showing the pesticides they spray on food can damage neurological development. Yikes.

Currently I'm buying about eighty percent of my vegetables from the farmer's markets, and encourage everyone to do the same. Nothing better than buying local, supporting your local farmers, and getting food fresh. If you are unable to do this, try your best to pay attention to where your fruit and vegetables are coming from.

I keep a list of the "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen" in my wallet so can refer back to it when shopping. To view and print out your own list, click here: Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.

Thank goodness I have a few blog readers because I am terrible at is reading blogs. Of course I do it, and have a few I read regularly, but I would much rather read a cookbook. In fact almost all the blogs I read are ones other readers suggested to me. This recipe comes from an amazing food website Two Blue Lemons. Click on the link to go explore this inspirational site. I've seen a few recipe for kale chips and been meaning to try them for months.

I want a dress made the color of kale. So. beautiful.

Currently kale is brimming baskets at the farmer's market so I will be trying several kale recipes. I bought some this weekend, knowing I this would be the first of many kale purchases.  I'm not nuts about the flavor, I would much rather eat green beans or broccoli, but I will persevere! Your body loves variety, so give it some new nutrients in a different package. Kale is a great fall/winter vegetable, and this particular bunch had purple steams, adding to its already vibrant color. Healthy boyfriend loves kale (why doesn't he just MARRY it?), though does not like it cooked with apple cider vinegar, which is fairly popular way to prepare it around Asheville. So I'll be searching for recipes that use other forms of liquid or flavor to make healthy boyfriend a happy boyfriend. I mean he is with me, so I suppose his happiness is kinda implied given my general super wonderfulness :)-

These chips had a suprising texture when cooked, they almost dissolved in your mouth. Picking up the first chip, I was reluctant to eat it. I want to like kale, but I still am getting used to the taste. I'm in a very eating this because I know its good for me, but not really enjoying the flavor place with Kale. I'll admit these chips were tasty! And what a fun color. Any autumn parties or potlucks should have a bowl full of these so people can munch something green and leafy. They were best hot, but tasted fine at room temperature.

So go on, buy some kale and try them out. You can give yourself a nutritional five when you finish.

Kale Chips

A bowl full of chips that are GOOD for you. Score. 

The Goods: Makes about 3-4 cups
1 bunch kale
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste, a good pinch of each

The Deal: 
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

2. Strip the kale leaves from their stalks and tear into manageable chunks, but not too small. Wash the kale and drain in a salad spinner. You can also use a flour sack (or paper towels) and let dry out for 10 minutes. Try to get rid of as much water are you can.

3. Place kale on the baking sheets and pour the olive oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper over the kale. Using your hands massage the oil and seasonings into the kale, being sure to evenly distribute the oil to all the kale nooks and crannies.

4. Spread kale on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour. Time varies depending on how much water is in the kale and how hot the oven is. Remove kale when all the leaves are crispy and crunchy. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Sundried Tomato Pesto with Pan Fried Ravioli

Fried Pasta with Pesto and Roasted Asparagus. 

Fancy dinners get me so excited. Since I've started down this road of food enlightenment, my favorite thing to do for a special occasion is to cook something delicious that hopefully will fill that person(or persons) with a since of warmth and excitement. We all have are individual ways of showing our love, and for me cooking a good meal is about as loving as you can get (feel free to insert your own dirty reference here).

Healthy (and super wonderful) boyfriend had a birthday this weekend and I wanted to make something decadent, but didn't have a lot of time to plan or execute the meal. So of course I looked at my Simple Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook (aka my new book boyfriend) and found this simple and tasty dish that only took about an hour total. We were both feeling under the weather, so I did not want to spend all day in the kitchen when I knew we both did not have our normal appetites. In fact, healthy boyfriend ended up loving the meal, but being able to eat a bunch because of his sick tummy. That's what leftovers are for :)

I loved the taste, though I would like to tinker with it a bit next time. It was good, but I thought it lacked something I still can't put my finger on. Certainly use the pesto sparingly as a teaspoon goes a LONG way. The raviolis were silly yummy, and something Ill keep in my pocket for a quick appetizer. No shock that frying pasta makes it taste better, you can fry a sock and make it taste good(This is in no way an endorsement to eat socks). Oil and breadcrumbs, hard to go wrong with. I may try to add the pine nuts first next time, or even use another kind of herb. Panko breadcrumbs are the way to go, or use fresh made if you can. Normal store bough breadcrumbs work alright, but are so filled with chemicals and junk I avoid them.

Because I used loose sun dried tomatoes, they needed to steam first to soften them. If you use sun dried tomatoes in oil, just drain them and blend, no need to steam. Any reason to use my steamer makes me happy.

Finding quality ravioli without breaking the bank can be tricky. All the national brands I've tried are terrible, but who wants to spend $7-10 on a package of ravioli? Queens and movie stars, that's who, but I don't think either read my blog.
Mushroom and Spinach ravioli would both work great with this recipe, as would traditional cheese. Mine were from a whole foods, the 365 mushroom ravioli, which were fine, but nothing to write home about. Time did not permit me to go to the farmers market to get some local made ravioli, but in the future that is what I would prefer. Look around your neighborhoods and try to find a local homemade pasta, it makes a big difference in the taste.

Such a flexible dish, try it and see how easy it is!

Sun dried Tomato Pesto with Pan Fried Ravioli

The Goods: Serves 4-6 as appetizer, 2-3 as main course

The Pesto: 
1 1/2 ounces(about 10) loose sun dried tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

The Ravioli:
1/3 cupish milk 

5 tablespoonish dry (panko) bread crumbs

20 delicious ravioli, defrosted if frozen (pick some good ones!)

Oil for frying, olive or grape work great

The Deal: 
1. To make the pesto, steam* the tomatoes until soft, around 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2. Place tomatoes, oil, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add pine nuts, parsley, salt, and pepper and pulse until the mixture is almost smooth but has tiny pieces of these last ingredients. Scrape into a small bowl and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Maters, garlic, lemon juice and oil

Puree #1

Adding the rest of the ingredients

3. Ravioli time! Put the milk in a small bowl and the breadcrumbs on a small plate on the counter. Dip each ravioli in the milk, then coat both sides with breadcrumbs, just don't cover them completely. Place on a platter.

Dipping in milk

Lightly breading, no need to coat completely

Ready to FRY!

4. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with a little oil. Heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking.  Fry the ravioli in one layer (you may have to do this in two batches) until golden brown on both sides. Use tongs to flip them over as needed. Place on a paper towel covered plate to drain off oil.
Serve on a platter with about a teaspoon of tomato pesto on top of each of them. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

*Fairly certain everyone knows how to steam, but just in case. To steam tomatoes, place about an inch of water in a medium pot with a vegetable steamer, cover and heat on high until boiling. Once boiling, place tomatoes in the steamer, place lid on top and steam until soft, around 10 minutes.

Eggplant Caviar

Chips and Dip, who doesn't love that?

And Im BAAAACCK! Its been oh too long since my last post but not to fear. Your mostly vegetarian, mostly healthy blogger is back with a bunch of new yummy recipes. (Insert personal sigh of relief here)

The last two months have been exhausting, blissful, confusing, exciting, and mostly ridiculous. I am finally in a new home(three cheers to that!) that has a kitchen so beautiful I would live in it, if that wasn't impractical on every level.

I also was on vacation and abandoned my healthy eating routine for convenient junk food eating. I now know that its unlikely I will ever eat uber-unhealthy again in my life. Sure I have more pizza than I should, and I can always eat less meat, but eating mostly junk food for even a few days made my tummy and body feel awful. Too much salt, sugar, and processed crap made me feel tired, grumpy, and constantly nauseous. Though it can be fun to indulge in chips, soda, and magic shell(Damn you delicious magic shell) the effect it has on my body is not worth it. Vacations are for being ridiculous, and eating to the extreme, but I must say Im happy to be back in the land of brown rice and steamed broccoli. I also missed cooking and blogging and now I finally have a nice clean kitchen to cook in!

So Im jumping back in a with a healthy dip that can served as an appetizer, spread on a sandwich, or even a base for a pizza. Not sure why its called caviar, its from The old Quick Vegetarian Pleasures book, and apparently is Russian in origin. This book doesn't seem to have a bad recipe in it, I'm telling yall, Jeanne Lemlin is WHERE ITS AT. These books are over 20 years old, but the recipes are spot on tasty. Also for the most part affordable, which any gal/guy on a budget can appreciate.

The ingredient list drew me to this dish because it is only vegetables. Also eggplant is a vegetarians best friend, and I want to have as many ways to cook it as possible. Green bell peppers are in the mix as well, and since I seem to hate their taste, Im trying to use them in more dishes to build up a tolerance for them. I know that sometimes you just don't like how a food tastes, but I never thought I would like ANY vegetables, and now I love so many. You are next bell peppers, watch out!

Vegetable delicious-ness

I recommend serving this with crackers, assorted vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, celery, or homemade pita chips. To make your own pita chips just cut your round pita into triangles, bake on a cookie sheet it for about 5 minutes at 425 degrees and BOOM, delicious homemade pita chips for your dining pleasure. FYI Pita bread is about as cheap as it gets, and so versatile. I try to keep it around for quick chips, making pita pizzas or sandwiches. Plus it comes in whole wheat!

Looking for a way to jazz up your normally bland vegetable sandwich? Take some good hearty wheat bread, fresh spinach, sprouts, carrots, tomato, slap the eggplant spread on each slice of bread and you have a great lunch.

Get creative, this is healthy, delicious, and taste perfect at room temperature. Enjoy!

Eggplant Caviar 

The Goods: Serves 6-8 as an appetizer, about 3 cups

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 16 ounce can plum tomatoes, drained well and finely diced

1 green bell pepper, cored, and finely diced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and finely diced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, more to taste

The Deal: 
1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the eggplant is very tender. Stir periodically.

Vegetables just added, so pretty :)

3. Remove lid and cook until all the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Ready to be blended

4. Place half of the eggplant mixture in a food processor(or blender) and puree until smooth. Stir back into the remaining mixture. Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Basic Bruschetta

Oh tomato, why must we fight? I love you in sauce, in bottles of ketchup and even ground up into paste, but on your own, I just don't get it.

Fresh Basil=happy mouths

Well I plan to end this battle once and for all. I WILL love you tomato, all on your own, even if I must eat you every day this summer! Do you hear me!?!?!

For some odd reason, I've never enjoyed just tomatoes. I rip them of sandwiches, or pick them off salads quickly and plop them on healthy boyfriend's plate if possible. Of course I remember when I dreaded broccoli, and now I crave it. I'm not sure I've ever had a local tomato, so this summer I plan on eating lots and lots of delicious tomatoes and becoming a fan of this red beautiful fruit. I mean its so adorable :)
I love Bruschetta, which is basically just tomato with herbs and olive oil. Only a few steps away from loving just tomatoes, muahahahaha!

I know. I want to eat this right now too :)

What you serve this tasty appetizer on makes a big difference, but Im sure many would eat it with any old crackers. Of course I try to pay attention to all the details of my dishes, but not everyone needs local fresh baked baguettes lightly toasted and rubbed with garlic and olive oil. Right?
Who am I kidding, if you serve triscuits with something as delicious as bruschetta you are LAZ. EEEEE. Get some good bread and toast it up. Besides having to turn on your oven to toast the bread, there is no cooking involved. For those of you starting to feel the summer heat, having dishes that don't leave you roasting in the kitchen are a definite plus. Its barely June and already I don't want to cook unless its before 10am or after 7pm. I sound like a sissy, but dripping over a hot stove so I can then eat a hot meal just aint for me. Someday I'll have air-conditioning

I found this recipe out of "America's Best Test Kitchen" aka my new best friend, but I tweaked it a bit. Classic bruschetta does not have balsamic or oregeno, though I think they add a depth to the flavor, and rounded out the whole dish. Be careful with the oregano and balsamic, a little bit goes a long way. You want these ingredients to enhance the flavor of the 'mater, not cover it up. So use with caution. As always use herbs you have, especially if you are lucky enough to have a garden. I dream of having a garden full of basil, some day....

Basic Bruschetta

a mouth full of deeeeelicious

The Goods: Serves 4 to 8

4 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and chopped medium
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegrette
Sea Salt and Fresh ground pepper
1 loaf crusty Italian or French Bread, sliced one inch thick
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half
4 tablespoons extra olive oil

The Deal: 
1. Place tomatoes, basil, oregano, 1 tablespoon of olive oil a few dashes of balsamic vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Lightly stir, just enough to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

2. Broil your bread slices until lightly toasted 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oven and rub the sliced garlic clove on each bread slice. Then lightly brush each slice with olive oil. Scoop a heaping spoonful of bruschetta on each bread slice and serve warm.

If you are not going to serve right away, just toast your bread and let people dip as needed. Warm bread is best, but do what you must. Just make sure you share, I could have eaten the whole bowl myself. But I didn't!

Guacamole with Basil

A few chops away from delicious

Find a better dip than homemade guacamole with fresh ingredients and you will be a rich woman. You don't need to know jack about cooking to make a perfect guacamole. For those who want a few banging staple dishes they can make over and over and always wow a croud, this guacamole is one to keep in your pocket. Or recipe book, or secret lair, wherever people are keeping recipes these days.

Well, something went haywire on the blog site, so my this post was deleted. I am very annoyed, so for anyone who saw the first post, this is a repost and probably will not be as good because I am frustrated. Anyway please read on!

I call him "Guac Man"

A few key elements are imperative to make a guacamole wow a crowd worthy. Haas avocados are a must. No exceptions, must be Haas. I know on the outside they are the ugliest color, but inside is one of the healthiest fats you can eat.

Second, you MUST use fresh herbs and fresh lime juice. Over and over I read in cookbooks that when they say use fresh herbs or fresh juice, thats what they mean. They add a brightness in flavor that cannot be replicated, no matter what. Of course we all forget an ingredient sometimes, and dried herbs or bottled lime juice will do in a pinch, but do your best to get fresh. I will be moving in a few months and I am determined to find a place I can have a small herb garden, or even a deck where I can get some big pots and herb it up!

I made my sweet potato quesdillas with black beans and this time I used some leftover herbs I had from this guac. Boy howdy, a few basil or cilantro leaves on the quesadillas made a noticeable difference. Fresh herbs are just where its at. To see that recipe, click here:Sweet Potato Quesadillas

To properly cut an avocado, remove the pit with a knife, then make criss cross cuts creating squares with your knife and remove the squares with a spoon.

To chiffonade basil, simple gather the basil leaves in a stack, roll them tightly, then cut them into thin strips.

Roll basil leaves, looks like a caterpillar

Slice thin

Guacamole with Basil

The Goods: Makes 3 cups
3 Haas Avocados, pitted and cubed (see note)
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoon basil, chiffonade (see note)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

The Deal:
1. Mash 2 of the avocados until relatively smooth using a fork in a medium bowl. Fold the cubed avocado and remaining ingredients into the mashed avocado until incorporated.
Grab some chips, vegetables, or a spoon and eat YO dip!

For a spicier guacamole, add a few seeds from your jalapeno with the other ingredients. The seed and stem are the spiciest, so use with caution.

Goat Cheese with Garlic and Chives and Spinach Pesto

Does anything NOT go with goat cheese

Last minute dishes stress me out. Try as I may to be cool as the healthy cucumber, I still get my apron in a knot when I need to prepare something on the fly for a large group.

Healthy boyfriend had a housewarming party and I only had an hour to shop and prepare a dish for an unknown number of people. The converstaion went something like:
Healthy Boyfriend(HB): Yeah, so people are coming over around 7:30
Me: Ok, how many people?
HB: Ummmm, yeah no idea. Some, maybe...Maybe a lot.
Me: What kinda food are people bringing?
HB: The kind you eat. I dont know, food.
After that I got off the phone because I knew I was cooking blind. Healthy boyfriend rarely cares about the details of his food, his attention for detail stops at the nutritional information.

So while often no guidelines can be exciting for creativity, I like knowing a LITTLE about the type of food I am suppose to bring. At the same time, food is about showing your love and you can't do that if you let the stress eat at you, pun INtended. Perhaps silly, but for me potlucks provide the opportunity spread some love in the world. A chance to give a best friend or a total stranger a moment of bliss.

So I let my brain kick around things that I love eating no matter what, and of course dishes that could be prepared in 20 minutes or less. I had to have time to shop and since I spend my days running around, I needed to at least have a few minutes to change out of my gross clothes.

I did not want to make something that was expensive or complicated because if no one came to the party, I would be grumpy about it. Never set yourself up for disappointment, an important lesson in cooking. Oh yeah, and life too.

 I wanted something that I could reuse, in case there was leftovers. I hate hate HATE throwing away food. Of course it happens, but it shouldn't. Food may not be as precious as air to many of us, but the vast majority of people in this world will never know a full belly, and to waste food seems cruel and ungrateful. Maybe thats dramatic, but I feel its part of the gratitude we should all feel for the food that is so readily available to many of us.

So all this pondering lead me to my two dishes. I will post them both, but I did not get a picture of the pesto, I was in a rush as I said, so totally forgot. The pesto I have already done, though this time I added arugula, because I had some on hand, and it was a real treat. The arugula added a nice peppery spice to the overall flavors of the dish.

Fresh and simple ingredients

The goat cheese could not have been easier or more delicious. Then I used whole wheat pita triangles, lightly toasted, for my dippers. I wish I got a picture of my two dishes together, because they were soooooo cute! I even wrote what they were on masking tape and placed the tape in front of the bowls so people knew what they were. These days I lean on the adventure side of eating, but for many years if I didn't know it, I didn't eat it. Its a good idea to find a neat, cute way to label your food if you are having a potluck. Now I was mocked a bit, being one of the only people that made something for the party and definitely the only one who labeled it, but I took any mocking as a compliment. I bring class where I go, jealously is bound to follow. :)

Fyi, when I list chives I mean the herb and not green onions or scallions. I used to confuse the two, but chives is a herb, scallions are a type onion. You could also use dill or basil, if you have fresh herbs, use them. I had some sesame seeds so I threw them in, get creative!

Goat Cheese with Garlic and Chives and Spinach Pesto

Looks boring, tastes DELICIOUS!!

The Goods:

Goat Cheese Dip: makes about 2 cups
2-3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
1 10. 5 ounce tube of goat cheese, softened
1/3 cup fresh chives, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds(optional)

Spinach Arugula Pesto(not pictured): makes 3 cups
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh Arugula
1 cup basil
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste


6 whole wheat pita pockets, cut into triangles; Each pita pocket cut into 12ths


The Deal: 
1. First make your goat cheese. If your goat cheese is not softened, place it in the microwave for about 10 seconds, just enough to barely soften it. Add garlic, chives and sesame seeds and mix until combined. Place in refrigerator and let sit for as long as you have. 
2. Then make your pesto. Place pine nuts, garlic, spinach, arugula, and basil in a food processor until it forms a rough paste. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil until it forms a smooth paste. Place pesto in a bowl and stir in parmesan and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
3. At the party, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly warm your pita triangles right before serving the dips. A light toast makes a noticeable difference.
Be ready to recieve praise. Grab a pita and dip into yo dip!!

Faux Pigs in a Blanket

I call him "Pig Faux"

I feel pretty silly for posting this, hence the very silly picture. Also this is by no means healthy, simply less terrible than normal meat pigs in a blanket. It happens to be one of my all time favorites. ever. Plus they are the fanciest pigs in blanket you are likely to have. I use vegi dogs and find with the other additions I don't miss meat hot dogs and all their filler.
The scallions add an unexpected flavor and the sesame seeds are a crunchy delight.

This dish is not a meal, but would be a nice treat for a party.
One thing I am trying to do with this blog is take the normal, often boring recipes and give them a bit of a twist.

Anytime you are serving something with a lot of bread and cheese be sure you have a good vegetable to go with it. IE last night I had a big helping of steamed green beans with this meal. I also did not eat them all(though I could have, its real unhealthy how much I love these little puppies, I mean piggies!). I made sure half of my plate had a good simple vegetable, so I did not fill up on piggies(and then become one). It would have been better if I had brown rice instead of pastry and cheese, but Im getting there. Im getting there.

If you are having a party, serve these(or the miniature version, see note) and then have a big vegetable platter beside it. You can use homemade ranch for both!

I PROMISE something healthier to come in the next few days. With lots of vegetables, lots and lots. Eating healthy is HARD people. Remember these are for PARTIES, not night alone by yourself-ies *cough* me *cough*


 Note: For a larger party, you can also slice the fake dogs in 1/4s and the crescent triangles in half. You get the double the amount and they are more bite sized. Yum!

Faux Pigs in a Blanket

Right out of the oven, golden little non piggies!

The Goods: Makes 16 fake piggies
1 package of tofu dogs, each dog sliced in half
2 packages of immaculate baking crescent rolls(or any crescent rolls that aren't full of chemicals)
1 cup good cheddar, shredded( I prefer cabot for cheap yet still good cheddar)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons sesame seeds


The Deal: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Grease 2 large baking sheets.

2. Pull apart a crescent roll triangle. Sprinkle a pinch of cheese and scallions on the triangle and lightly press into the dough. Then place half of one hot dog on the flat side of the triangle. Roll the dog towards the point. Then sprinkle sesame seeds on the top and sides, pressing lightly to help them adhere. Repeat with the remaining 15 dogs.

3. Place each fake piggie on a baking sheet and once they are all assembled place them in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes or until the roll is lightly browned(see picture above).

4. Serve hot with ketchup, honey mustard or homemade ranch on the side! How to make your own Ranch!

Classic Guacamole

Welcome to one of the easiest, most delicious things you will ever make. Healthy boyfriend was the first to introduce me to how easy homemade guacamole is, it may be what I first fell in love with. Im kidding.....ish.....

But for reals, its so easy to make and so good. Everyone loves guacamole, or everyone you want to talk to anyway. Its great as a dip, and goes with almost all mexican style cooking.

It does need to be served immediately. Avocados, once opened tend to brown quickly. You can make it and bring it to a party, but I wouldn't recommend making it a day in advance. It can be eaten the next day, but may look brown. A dash of lemon juice will help boost up the flavors.

Its important to get a ripe haas avocado. In the store, test to see that the avocado gives a little, but its not mushy. Its similar to how you want a ripe peach or pear.

As far as the recipe goes, guacamole is one of those things that never really has an exact amount for each ingredient. Sometimes you need more onion, or less tomato. Sometimes you need more salt or garlic, it all depends on the size and freshness of the vegetables you get. So if you aren't satisfied with the first guac you make, just keep trying. You will find the guacamole thats right for you. Then you can do the happy guacamole dance(again, different for every person).

Also if you forget a jalapeno you can always use a dash of cayenne in a pinch. Use a pinch in a pinch....these things just come to me.

Note: for a fancy addition add 1/3-1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds. Stir in at the very end, they are a juicy surprising treat!

Classic Guacamole

The Goods: Makes 1 1/2 - 2 cups
2-3 large haas avocados
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 small plum tomato, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced(add in small amount, can get spicy very fast)
1 small garlic clove
1/2 of one lemon, juiced
Sea salt to taste
Bag of good quality chips

The Deal:


1. On a cutting board, mince your garlic and then add a dash of salt and mix it into the garlic, creating a garlic paste.

2 Slice the avocados length wise all the way around. With a sharp knife remove the pit and scoop out the flesh of the avocado with a spoon. Place avocado flesh in a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over the flesh. Use one hand to squeeze the lemon juice and the other hand over the bowl to catch any seeds from the lemon.

3. In the bowl with the avocados, add onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and your garlic paste, mashing with a fork creating a chunky dip. DO NOT overly blend, you want it nice and chunky. Add additional salt if desired.

Serve with chips, and try not to eat it all by yourself!

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Steak, potatoes and greens. yum!

Well folks last night I cooked myself a MEAL. I often dont feel like cooking a big meal for myself, I like to save all the time and effort for other people.

But its SO important that we treat ourselves. Making a delicious meal for yourself, makes you feel special. And we ARE special, so lets make sure to treat ourselves as such.

Last night I made steak in a red wine butter sauce with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. The steak was slightly overcooked, I had never cooked steak before. It was still very delicious, but it was tougher than I wanted it.
The potatoes were supposed to be a smashed baked potato but I messed them up so just made mashed potatoes.

The asparagus was the only thing that turned out perfectly, which makes sense because I had made it before. The meal wasn't perfect, but it was tasty and I didn't let a few mistakes ruin my saturday night.

I am not posting the steak or potatoes because I still haven't perfected the recipes. And honestly it will be rare that I cook steak, so it may take some time. Get it rare steak, oh yeah.

Asparagus and salt

Roasted asparagus is one of the easiest ways to cook asparagus and its melt in your mouth good. I love asparagus in general, I could eat it every day.

Hopefully you have all had it, and know what it does in the bathroom. Yes, it does make your pee smell funny, but its worth it. Plus who is really smelling your pee, REALLY.

Always look for thin asparagus, its the best. Also look at the tips, and make sure they aren't browned or going bad.

This side is nice because it can go with so much and looks elegant.

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

before they are baked

After they are baked and delicious

The Goods:
Roasted Asparagus:
1 pound of asparagus,
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

The Deal:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Break of any tough ends of the asparagus. Place it on baking sheet and drizzle olive oil, then toss it and coat the asparagus. You don't wanted them drenched, just coated.

3. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper. Then sprinkle parmesan, lightly covering the pan.

4. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender but still crisp, the parmesan should be crispy but not burned.

Serve hot, and ENJOY!

Crispy Gnocchi with Spinach Pesto

Saturday night and its time to get my COOKIN on. Been a while since I posted a new recipe, been busy as a bee, but I have a delicious recipe that I hope yall will love.
First I LOVE pesto. Fresh pesto is SO easy to make and is just incredible. I recently discovered spinach pesto which Im crazy about. Its better for you, but you dont have to sacrifice flavor. In fact traditional pestos are all basil, but I used mostly spinach and I think it tasted great and basil was still the predominate flavor.

I really enjoyed the crunch of the toasted gnocchi, while my boyfriend missed the softness of a traditional gnocchi. I would say try toasting it, if you desire a change, but the standard boiling of gnocchi is quicker and delicious.

Note: A quick way to freshly grate parmesan cheese. Cut it into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until grated, less than a minute:

Note: Toasting pine nuts is easy and much better than buying them already toasted. Simply place in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet frequently to ensure even browning—the pine nuts are small  and will burn quickly if you don't watch them carefully. When the nuts are fragrant and browned, take the pan off the heat. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool. 


Toasted Gnocchi with Spinach Pesto






The Goods: makes 1 cup of pesto, enough for 2 servings
1 package plain gnocchi
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup basil
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted(see note)
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese(see note)
dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste







The Deal: 

1.This is an optional step. If you dont want your gnocchi toasted, just follow the instructions on the package to cook your gnocchi. If you want to toast it, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and toss to coat with the oil. Let them cook until they are golden brown on the bottoms and then use a metal spatula to flip the gnocchi. Cook until they are golden all over. Salt, transfer to a plate and set aside.


2. While gnocchi is cooking, place pine nuts, garlic, basil, and spinach in food processor with fitted steel blade. Blend until a rough paste forms. Then begin to drizzle olive oil while continuing to blend ingredients. Blend until forms a smooth paste(picture at top of blog).


3. Place pesto in a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. 


4. Once you gnocchi is ready, place in a bowl and scoop pesto on top. Now get ready to eat your greens and love every minute!


The toasted gnocchi is based on a recipe from 101 cookbooks website. The pesto is from a few different books, such as the 3 ingredient cookbook.

MARGARITAS!

Saturday Night just screams margaritas. Or a drink of some kind, I mean come on its SA. TUR. DAY. NIIIGGGHT!
I must give credit for this delicious drink to my cousin, Dan, who creates incredible cocktails, and this is pretty much the exact recipe he gave me.

First things first, frozen margaritas taste NOTHING like a real margarita. Making a margarita is simple, but fresh ingredients are KEY. Fresh lime juice instead of Roses bottled, homemade simple syrup instead of triple sec make a WORLD of difference. I have never liked salt on my margaritas so I didn't include it in the recipe. If you like salt, feel free to salt your rim, but know I never will!

I will say that its a strong drink, and the flavor is very intense. My boyfriend did not like the taste as much as I did, but I have always enjoyed margaritas, and he doesn't really. So make sure you like them before you squeeze those limes.

Fyi a typical shot glass is one ounce. Also after the recipe, I put how to make homemade sugar syrup, which is super easy and cheap.

Classic Margarita

The Goods: Makes 1 average martini glass serving

2 1/2 oz. Silver Tequila (Cuervo SILVER is what I used, but the better the tequila the better the cocktail)

1 1/2 oz. Fresh squeezed lime juice(it can be 2-6 limes depending on the size of the lime)

1-2 tablespoon Sugar(Simple) Syrup(or Agave Nectar) I used a bit more syrup, its up to you

4 dashes orange bitters

The Deal:

Put in a shaker with ice, strain them into the martini glass, and enjoy!

To make Sugar (or Simple) Syrup: This is something you can make and then keep in fridge for weeks.  To make one pint, dissolve 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a heavy pot over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally until it starts to simmer. Don't let it go long, else it will solidify like rock candy as it chills, or worse, if it continues to cook it will turn into caramel. Once simmering remove from heat, place in a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

This is a picture of the sugar water about to boil. This is the recipe my cousin Dan sent me and it turned out great. Thanks again to my wonderful cousin!