Crispy Cauliflower Nuggets

In the words of my husband, “these don’t even taste like cauliflower.”

I gave these to Chris as an appetizer one night. They were a great way to tide him over while I finished cooking dinner, so I know they’d be perfect for the holidays too without getting your overstuffed before the stuffing. These are a great way to make cauliflower fun to eat & don't really taste like "veggies" they just taste good.

P dot S cauliflower has a ton of vitamin c in it - who knew? So make these & feel good about ’em!

Zippy Zucchini Bites

I made these zippy zucchini bites for my coworker's birthday (along with these). I call them zippy zucchini bites because I couldn’t remember the name from the original recipe I found on Pinterest when my coworkers asked me what they were. I called them zippy because they have sweet mint, spicy harissa, zesty lime & tangy goat cheese all rolled up into one little tasty bite, hence the original name. To me that warrants the name zippy, which is also just fun to say & who doesn’t love some alliteration(? <— nerd alert).

I’d make these again. You can make them ahead of time. I chilled mine overnight & then served them at room temperature. I think they’d be a perfect fresh bite for pre-Thanksgiving appetizers because they’re not heavy & really easy to eat! They're also gluten-free & a great non-carb to have on the table. Plus, any kind of rolled appetizer always looks super pretty & fancy, so your guests will be super impressed.

Crunch Celery, Spinach & Parmesan Salad

I watch food network all the time. I even watch it at the gym. Yes I do.
This past weekend I watched the Barefoot Contessa whip up her Italian inspired celery and parmesan salad. I took a nod from this great lady & made this for dinner. I added some spinach for a little extra green-age.

Gilled Artichokes

Artichokes were always a treat in our house growing up. Yes, a vegetable was a treat.  It always seemed like they'd make an appearance every now and then.  I'm pretty sure that their appearance would directly correlate to when they were in season (read: on sale).  Besides being a treat in our house they were also an event in themselves to eat because they make you work. Peeling the leaves, scraping with your teeth until you finally get to the coveted artichoke heart - the best part!  I found this recipe on The Cuban Reuben that gets some of the work out of the way in the prep and adds the grilling element that takes it to another level.

Green Beans Gremolata

I've been putting Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa FoolProof recipes to good use lately. I will definitely be making different renditions of these green beans gremolata  again. Next time maybe with asparagus instead of green beans or for a fun summer twist change up the gremolata combo with lime, cilantro & manchego cheese.

These beans are easy to make & great for a crowd because you can prep all of the stuff before you serve them & heat them up right before you want to serve.

Get the recipe & peep more photos after the jump!

San Francisco Food Inspiration

A few weeks ago Chris and I took an awesome trip to San Francisco. I think it's safe to say that we pretty much ate our way through this fabulous city. Here are some of the foods I found inspiring and maybe easy enough to recreate (or at least parts of them).

Berkeley Bagel home-made hummus, avocado, sprouts, sliced red onion & tomato at The Grove Cafe

Chris's favorite: Local Crab & Shrimp Sandwich on toasted sourdough bread at Pier 23

PIMM’S CUP made with 
pimm’s no 1, gingerbeer, cucumber. I love that they garnished this cocktail
with a shaved cucumber (kind of like this salad! totally trying this) at Pesce

The CRAB TOWER of Dungeness crab meat with avocado, cucumber,
tomato, basil and red wine vinaigrette at Pesce

Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT &T Park

Kitchen Cavatelli

I make dinner based on whatever I can find in the fridge plus pasta.  No carb dieting in our house that's for sure.

I don't eat a ton of meat and there's only so much chicken we can eat so I like to go veggie more nights than not.

When in doubt: onions + (lots of) garlic + a fresh veggie + (fresh or dry) herbs + cheese + olive oil + salt + pepper. 

Keep it simple and your wallet and taste buds will thank you later.

This kitchen cavatelli can be made with just a handful of ingredients that you can stock up and leave in your fridge.

Learn how you can make my kitchen cavatelli after the jump!