Simple Fancy Fan Garlic Potatoes

I really love yukon gold potatoes & usually use them to make mashed potatoes but recently I tried making hasselback potatoes with them instead. A hasselback potato (or what I’m calling a fancy fan potato) is simply a potato that is cut in very thin slices almost to the bottom (but not quite through) so that the potato still holds together like a fan. All that really means that these potatoes look really pretty & you can stuff yummy ingredients in between the slices (like lots of garlic!). They were a hit (read: Chris loved them) so they’ll be making more guest appearances on our dinner plates in the near future. Although these taters look fancy they’re pretty easy to make once you get the slicing down.

Chickpea & Tomato Ragout

I make dinner most nights after I get home from working all day so quick, easy & tasty food is ideal. We ate this chickpea & tomato ragout with some grilled fish (cod, I think) but I could make a meal out of this alone. It's reminiscent of pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans) minus the pasta. It's ready to eat (prep to finish) in about 20 minutes & you can eat it hot, room temp or cold.

Green Pea & Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs & Toast

I love a flavorful soup that isn’t full of cream (although cream based soups are delicious too). This soup that I found while skimming the pages of Cooking Light magazine called out to me. It’s vegetable based & only has a little bit of butter. Plus, they recommend serving it with a poached egg & toast which is a no brainer for me that I was automatically going to love this recipe. I did. Chris did. You will. It’s a perfectly green & light enough for warm spring days or nights yet satisfying soup!

Mixed Berries & Banana Smoothie Bowls

If you follow me on instagram (& you should, it’s fun!) you’ll already know that I’ve been hitting the smoothie bowl train as of late. A smoothie bowl is simply a smoothie served in a bowl eaten with a spoon. The possibilities of ingredients for smoothie bowls are endless.  I like to top them with the same ingredients I use in the the smoothie portion for three reasons: (1) it looks really pretty, (2) it adds texture, (3) it’s a clear indicator of what’s blended up in the smoothie. If you don’t have time to arrange the toppings in neat little rows it will still taste the same. I like taking the extra time to make it look pretty because it makes me zen in the morning when I prepare breakfast. In case you’re wondering, Chris likes these too.

This first smoothie bowl recipe I’m sharing is a good gateway smoothie bowl because it’s sweet & familiar. So if you’re trying to work more fruit & protein into your breakfast routine this is the way to do it.

If you make your own smoothie bowls, I’d love to know what you put in yours. Please comment below!

Simple Tapas: Spicy Baked Chickpeas

I love tapas for two reasons. One reason I love them is that they remind me of my first date with Chris. He took me to a great tapas restaurant. That was my last first date :) The other reason, which Chris didn’t know on our first date is that I love to taste different things. So I love ordering tapas. Granted there is a lot of work that usually goes into these tasty little dishes even if you’re just getting a taste. I found this quick & easy tapas dish for spicy baked chickpeas that from Claire Robinson’s 5 Ingredient Fix show (sigh I miss that show - so if you’re listening Food Network Gods please bring it back!). It’s a super easy snack to make & have on hand when guests come over for the holidays. Plus, this dish is primarily chickpeas so you can secretly provide some nutrition for your guests too!

Soft Serve Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream

I had some extra pumpkin in my fridge (after making these pancakes) & was craving something sweet so I made a cross between pumpkin pie filling & ice cream for dessert. Soft serve pumpkin ice cream.

It’s vegan. It’s dairy-free. It's gluten-free. (Read: guilt-free) It’s delish!

It’s a take on my usual go-to frozen banana ice cream trick that I’ve made here & here.

Crispy Oven-Baked Home Fries

Ever wonder how your favorite brunch spot gets their home fries to taste in between creamy & fluffy on the inside with a crispy outside? Well I have, so I made it my mission to find out how.

I feel as though I have found the holy grail of making crispy home fries at home in my oven (that's right oven - no frying) thanks to the kitchn’s post! There is no danger of a deep fryer (so that makes 'em healthier right?) & that in itself justifies eating seconds & thirds of these at breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The key take aways from the kitchn’s method is to cook the potatoes partially in water, toss them in olive oil & salt, & then bake them at a super high temperature in the oven. Et voila, perfect home fries every time.

Simple & Tangy Grilled Aspargus

I like skinny asparagus. Chris likes fat asparagus. I guess opposites do attract. We usually end up with the  asparagus on the skinnier side because - well because I’m married to a great man who likes whatever I cook & lets me have my way more often than not.

I love asparagus quickly cooked on the grill & then simply dressed with a little vinaigrette. Most of the time we end up snacking on them before the rest of dinner is done & we eat them with our fingers.

PS: Happiest Birthday Maggie! I love you! xoxo

Simple Vinaigrette

It’s unofficially summer - it’s just getting hotter & I love it! Every time the temps rise I want to eat cooling simple meals - mainly salads.  I rarely buy salad dressing at the super market with the exception of blue cheese dressing to compliment Chris’s love for anything buffalo sauced & that little packet of raspberry vinaigrette that comes in that delicious spinach salad mix from Trader Joe’s.  Other than those two exceptions I usually throw lemon juice or vinegar & some olive oil on my salads & call it a day.  Sometimes I like to make my own (like here & here).  This simple vinaigrette is great because it’s made from stuff you most likely shop for on a weekly basis & even if you don’t you can find them at the most basic grocery stores - no specialty stores necessary.  It’s a great dressing that turns plain mixed greens into a salad with no other toppings. We ate mixed greens tossed with this dressing with some pizza for dinner. The salad was so good I made two giant serving bowls of it & not a leaf was left!

If you’ve never made your own dressing, give it a try. It really is easy & usually tastes better than anything on the shelf. Oh & with this recipe you’ll be able to identify all the ingredients.

Whipped Coconut Milk & Pineapple Parfait

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking (to myself, not out loud) about coconut & pineapple & how great this combination is (hello piña coladas!).  I came home & Chris had bought some ice cream  - chocolate chocolate chip for him & coconut pineapple for me. (Do I have the best mind-reading husband or what?) I had never had coconut pineapple in my life & was a little mind twisted by the coincidence.  I happily ate it & loved it.

If you love coconut & pineapple then you will love this parfait - albeit lighter than the yummy ice cream Chris brought home but ever bit as tasty.

This whipped coconut milk is thicker than whipped cream & much healthier (& less hydrogenated-whatever-is-in) cool whip. If you like fresh whipped cream but could skip the endless whisking you need to make this. It takes just a minute to whisk & you have a fluffy, thick cream  that will actually hold it’s shape sans the chemicals of the stuff in the tub.  Plus, it’s dairy-free - so vegans everywhere can skip to the pantry & stick a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight - because it must be cold - & enjoy this dessert or breakfast.

PS: Happy birthday do my mom! Love you!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Muffins

Lately, I haven’t been able to read my favorite blogs as regularly as I like, so it’s a real treat to catch up on the posts that I’ve missed.  I adore withfoodandlove.com.  Sherrie Scaglione Castellano, a life coach & fabulous blogger, always has really great recipes made with whole foods & they just taste really good & are good for you. Sherrie even makes you feel good about infusing your own vodka & mixing up spicy bloody marys (like I did here).

The one recipe that I found most recently that spoke to the ingredients that I had on hand & my sweet tooth was this one for chocolate chip banana oat muffins.  These muffins are so delicious that Chris compared them to his favorite chocolate banana bread from Starbucks. They are that good but these are much more healthful. For one, they’re vegan - which just sounds better right? It means they they’re made without animal products (like milk, eggs, butter).  I had never baked anything vegan before so I was a little hesitant - but don't be they don't taste "vegan".  Plus, they have chia seeds which are a popular super food amongst my healthy friends (Jennifer, Natalie & Rose - I’m looking at you!).  These bitty little seeds can help combat diabetes, are packed with fiber & omega3s plus lots of other great health benefits.

Ok, so these muffins have chocolate chips - but hey chocolate has antioxidants right?  I will definitely be making these again.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Honey, Sriracha & Lime

According to the ground hog we’re in for 6 more weeks of winter, sigh. So crank your ovens & continue winter veggie roasting.  This time try these brussel sprouts with a kick (sriracha, lime juice & honey). The original recipe calls for frying the individual leaves - which Itried & failed miserably in the patience department & wanting to clean up after - so I roasted them instead.

Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata Bread Crumbs

Instead of making mashed potatoes, try roasting your cauliflower instead. It’s surprisingly simple & the white color with roasted tips makes it look like a tasty carb but in fact it’s a veggie - win!  If you want to add a little crunch add the bread crumb topping - if you’re cutting out carbs skip it, it’s great just roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper & lemon juice (like I made here).

I used this recipe I found on food52.com & I’ll definitely be making this cauliflower (or as Chris calls it “white broccoli”) again.

How do you make your cauliflower?

PS: If you love this cauliflower you may also love these green beans &/or this roasted squash!

Polenta Squares with Sun-Dried Tomato & Walnut Tapenade

This past weekend my sister-in-law, her hubs & my sweet little niece came over for a visit. I channeled my inner mother, went out on a limb & tried a new recipe that I had never tried to serve our guests.  I tried this recipe for polenta squares with sun-dried tomato & walnut tapenade.

I think it came out pretty tasty, although now looking back at my photos & the photo they show on food52.com, my polenta squares look a little thin (note to self: next time I’ll make them a bit thicker). I have to admit I was a bit spastic at making my squares or rectangles as I now see that’s really what shape they were. I’ll note where I spazed out in the directions in hopes you'll learn from my mistakes.

PS: happy birthday to my cool-little-dude nephew, Chris! I love you!

Homemade Gift: Bloody Mary Kit with Spicy Bloody Mary Mix with Herb Infused Vodka

Christmas is two days aways - ahhhhh! I bet you're still looking for that perfect gift for that person that has everything . Well search no more, you've found the answer right here.  (Note: This gift is geared towards adults so if you're looking for a child's gift I'm sorry our search will continue.)  If you love to brunch & imbibe this one is for you or your friends or both! Just a few words - bloody mary kit.

You'll need to find some cool bottles or recycle old ones you have. I bought mine at fishs eddy (these & these). Some cute labels (like these) &  a marker. Oh & a cute box or gift bag to wrap it.

Then you'll need the most easy & delicious recipes for the best customized bloody mary, EVER, which I found while reading one of my favorite vegetarian blogs, Oh My Veggies, (totally worth checking out even if you eat meat!) the other day.  I stumbled across the brilliant kit ideas in the potluck section.

Sherrie from With Food and Love posted how-to make her insanely beautiful & easy rosemary infused vodka & linked to her bloody mary recipe. She had me at bloody mary & next thing I know I'm whipping up my own bloody mary kits with herb infused vodka thanks to her inspiration for gifts(!).  Be sure to check out Sherrie's post on making rosemary infused vodka here, & get her original bloody mary recipe here.

Read on to see how I put my own twist on Sherrie's great gift idea!

Fancy (& Easy) Shaved Asparagus

I know it probably seems like I run a restaurant when it comes to dinner time at our house since I post so often about different recipes.  I do love to try new things & I really do enjoy changing it up but to be honest most of the time we have the same things on rotation. 

Asparagus is usually one the veggies we always have.  In hopes to change it up this week I changed the shape of the asparagus by shaving them with a vegetable peeler - other than that the flavors of olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper are usual suspects at our dinner table. The best part is this recipe/method (I'm not sure you can even call it a recipe) is simple & cooks really quickly all the while making your dinner table look fancy without trying hard at all.

How do you jazz up your regular dishes?

Almond Butter with Cinnamon

Last night was Fashion's Night Out, but I opted to go home & make butter out of nuts. (God I'm getting old!)

But seriously, ever walk by the fresh peanut butter machine in your grocery store & think I should do that at home with my food processor? [crickets, do I hear crickets?]

Ok, so maybe I'm alone here but I'm into eating non-chemically things, I think they just taste better (& give me better peace of mind & don't have crazy side effects). So I give you HeatherOMade Almond Butter with Cinnamon. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups raw almonds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Make it!

1. Add whole almonds to food processor.
2. Blend well. At first it will look like almond powder, keep blending.
3. Scrap the sides of the food processor occasionally.
4. Add cinnamon & salt when large clumps form.
5. About 15-20 minutes later you'll have rich creamy almond butter.
6. Store in an air tight container in your fridge.

Things I plan to do with my almond butter:

• eat it with slices of green apple
• make these yummy treats
• swirl it with vanilla ice cream
• spread it on some bread & top it with honey & sliced bananas

Dairy-Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Chris loves chocolate ice cream. One night when I made these cakes I realized I didn't have any ice cream at all, but I did have frozen bananas & cocoa powder. Problem solved. I freeze my bananas right before they call to the fruit flies, that's right when they're nearly all black - that just means they're super sweet, I break them up & freeze them in food storage bags.  Then I add them to smoothies or make this dairy-free chocolate ice cream out of them by simply blending the frozen bananas with a tablespoon of cocoa powder together. Et voila, you've got a cold creamy chocolatey ice cream like treat. If you're feeling frisky add some peanut butter & thank me later.

This is a great option for vegans & those who suffer from dairy allergies or if you just want to try a lighter ice cream especially in these heat waves we've been having lately.

Happy Friday!