Cauliflower and Black Bean NACHOS!

Please allow me to introduce you to my new favorite food.....

They are cheesy, spicy, and have all of the flavor of your very favorite late night bar food... except they are carb free, and nutritious! No, I am not joking. I replaced tortilla chips for sriracha roasted cauliflower and then piled them high with all of my favorite nacho toppings. They lasted about 5 minutes. RK and I gobbled them up so fast!

Cauliflower nachos for the win!

Ingredients:

For the cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower cut into thin florets

Sriracha sauce

Olive oil

Taco seasoning

For the nachos

Black beans

Tomatoes

Pickled jalapeños

Shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded jack cheese

Iceberg lettuce

Avocados

Green onion 

Fresh cilantro

Salsa

Sour cream or greek yogurt

Method:

No, there are no measurements.... this is all completely to your taste! 

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut the cauliflower into florets and then slice each one into thin-ish slices. They will fall apart a little bit, which is fine. You want to get the florets thin, but not all falling apart into tiny pieces. The cauliflower will replace tortilla chips, so you want them to hold some toppings! 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Toss the cauliflower with a little olive oil, sriracha, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. 

Spread the cauliflower in a single layer in the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until the cauliflower is roasted and browned. 

Once the cauliflower is roasted, top with cheese, black beans, and pickled jalapeños and put back in the oven to bake until the cheese is melted and the black beans are hot. 

Then, pile on the toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Carb-free, Guilt-Free, Taste-full Eggplant Pizzas

Ok, this recipe was so delicious that I didn't even stop stuffing my face long enough to take a photo! (Rich took an embarrassing photo of my stuffed face that shall remain unpublished.) Fortunately for me, that gave me the perfect reason to make it again today! I'm a little obsessed...

As I said yesterday, Rich and I are trying to eat healthier for our upcoming vacation(s). Well, I am eating healthier and since I usually make the dinners in this family.... Rich is getting into bikini shape too! Next up, couples waxing. Butt (yup, I did that) as I've mentioned, when I decide to eat healthy, all that I want to eat is pizza. Quite honestly, all that I EVER want to eat EVER is pizza. 

I am a big fan of the Pinterest famous cauliflower crust pizza. It's absolutely delicious, but it is SO much prep work. Anything that requires a food processor is a pain in my ass, which makes me a pain in Rich's... it's a rabbit hole of pain. So, I like to stick to kitchen appliances that require very little cleaning. And while the zucchini pizzas I have seen floating around the internet look really yummy, they are way to small. I mean, I need to mush two of them together to make them "bite size!"  So, no. Then, I remembered Julia Child's eggplant pizzas! 

Tranches d'aubergine a italienne. A' perfecto is what I call them. They are so easy and so delicious!I actually really dislike eggplant! (Please note that I did not say "hate" eggplant because I save that word for foods like salmon.) But, it's true. Eggplant is not something that I usually reach for in the kitchen. But, I think I have finally found an reason to show it a little love. 

Now, even though this recipe is from Julia Child (after all, the best are other people's), I made this my recipe my own... which you should do, too! I had some extra mushrooms in the fridge that I sautéed and put on top and I also added some kalamata olives and fresh basil. 

Ingredients:
1 large globe eggplant
About 1 tablespoon salt for drawing out excess water from eggplant
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

Hot red pepper flakes

(Again, you can add more toppings if you want to...)

Method: 
Slice the eggplant into 3/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 30 minutes to draw out the excess water that makes eggplant have that awful, mushy texture. Wipe the eggplant fry with a paper towel to remove the water and all that salt. Don't skip this step or your pizzas will be wayyyy to salty!

While the eggplant is sitting, you can make the pizza sauce! (Recipe below!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of each piece of eggplant with olive oil and place on a parchment paper lined backing sheet. Roast the eggplant for about 25 minutes. I flipped the eggplant halfway through baking so that both sides got golden brown. 

Once the eggplant is roasted, top each piece with pizza sauce, grated cheese, and toppings of your choice and bake for another 8 minutes or so until the cheese is melted and slightly browned! Then top each pizza with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes! 


For the pizza sauce:
You can totally use your favorite store bought sauce, but if you are feeling fancy here is my recipe.....

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces of cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper

Method:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and water. Cover and bring to a simmer. 

When the tomatoes are beginning to cook down, about 20 minutes, remove the skins, they should slide off easily, and dispose. Once all of the skins are removed, remove and dispose the garlic cloves and crush the tomatoes until they are smooth. 

Continue cooking, uncovered for another 25 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is a deep red color. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!!!!

Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Mr. Keith took me on a very nice date night last week to Osteria Mozza courtesy of Alloy Entertainment and Warner Brothers... the producers of his new TV show. Yes, my man definitely has figured out the way to my heart. Use of his gift cards on me. It was our first time eating there and I must say that it was well worth the wait.  I know... we were wayyyy behind the bandwagon on that one, but holy food coma was it AMAZING. It totally lived up to the hype and we had such a wonderful meal. The view wasn't too bad either, as we found ourselves sitting next to the entire cast of Scandal... with Scott Foley in my direct eye line. Ah. The teenage girl in me was having flashbacks to pretty much every TV show that I ever used to watch. Thankfully, my husband was also in my direct eye line and he was the most handsome distraction in the restaurant. Though I'll admit, I kinda had a two-for-one view.

Besides my usual buratta indulgence, I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and ordered a sweet corn ravioli which pretty much changed my life and my opinion of corn that is sweet. I have always loved it, but always thought of it as something to be gnawed on... not enjoyed in a delicate pasta. So, it got me thinking what else I could add sweet corn too. The answer? Pretty much everything... including this amazing summer salad!

Thinly sliced zucchini and sweet corn make up this perfect salad to start any summer meal with! It is super fresh and light, but packed full of flavor with a little bit of spice. You could also add some chicken to make it a husband approved meal. I served it beside some heirloom tomatoes, grilled lobster, and lemony pasta with pecorino cheese! In my opinion (and the opinions of my dinner guests that night... ) the most perfect summer meal!

We were lucky enough to share the meal with our friends Rob and Krista who brought some amazing French wine. All in all, it was a night to dine for...

Sweet Corn & Zucchini Salad with Feta

Ingredients:
4 ears of sweet corn, husked
4 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup feta cheese,  crumbled

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Kosher salt

Method:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes until bright yellow and tender.  Let cool and then cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.

There are two ways that you can prepare the zucchini. You can use a mandolin to thinly slice it lengthwise. Or, you can hop on the Spiralizer trend and use the flat blade to create thin ribbons. I did this method because I thought it was prettier, but either way will work great! If you do not have either piece of equipment, you can use a veggie peeler to create thin ribbons.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and kosher salt.

Combine the zucchini, corn, basil, arugula, and parsley in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the feta cheese and serve immediately.

I shared the leftover corn cobs with our current foster sheep... errr puppies....

They are 8 week old chihuahua poodles and in need of new homes!!! 

I know, SIGH... they are the most adorable creatures EVER!

xo

Post Detox Green Chicken Soup

Why yes, it does say "post detox" in the title. Which means yes, I actually did a cleanse. I know... I am as surprised as anyone!!! I had very little faith in myself going into this whole thing, but I actually made it through and I feel absolutely amazing! I started out doing a three day cleanse though Pressed Juices and loved it so much that I actually added two days and did a five day cleanse! I was definitely hungry at first, especially being around food non stop. Cooking and cleansing is tough to say the least, but it was totally worth it. 

This soup is perfect for coming off of a cleanse! Orrrr just because soup is delicious. It's super healthy, packed with immunity boosting greens and lean chicken breast. I made a huge batch of it so that it would be ready when I was done my cleanse and so that I would have extras to freeze for the next time I wake up with a sniffle in my nose.

POST-DETOX CHICKEN SOUP
Recipe from Chalkboardmag.com

Ingredients:

For the soup:

½ bunch kale (washed, stem removed and leaves shredded)
½ bunch swiss chard (washed and shred leaves only. Keep stems)
1/2 leek (mostly white part, washed very well and sliced into strips)
2 cups green cabbage (shredded)
2 stalks of celery (washed and slivered)
6 cups fortified chicken stock (regular chicken stock, reduced to ½ its volume)
couple minced cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

To simmer the chicken:
2 chicken breast (bone-in for more flavor)
2 carrots (peeled and cut into thick slices)
2 stalk celery (washed and cut into big slices)
Swiss Chard (sliced stems)
½ cup leek (washed and sliced)
½ cup Spanish onion (cut into chunks)
cold water- to cover chicken and veg


Method:

For the Chicken:

Add all the ingredients in stockpot and cover with cold water. Start on high until it comes to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let the chicken cook for 25 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and chill until cool enough to handle with hands. Pull chicken into shreds. I saved the stock for the soup... I just reduced it by half so that it was much more flavorful.

For the Soup:

Place all the shredded greens and garlic into a separate pot. Cover with fortified chicken stock and cook at medium high heat, until it begins to boil (you won’t see it very well, as the greens will cover the broth). The greens will soon cook down and diminish in size. Let soup simmer slowly for 10 more minutes. Stir in shredded chicken breast and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes. Adjust seasoning. I like to keep it low in salt after co ming out of detox.

Green Minestrone for a Summertime Cold

Wanna know what's worse than sweating in 90 degree weather.......??
Sweating in 90 degree weather because you have a fever and feel like death.

UGH!

Summertime colds are the very worst time. They are way worse than winter colds because at least when you have a winter cold you can wear sweatpants.

In front of me I have two glasses of OJ because one is obviously not enough, 5 dogs piled on my lap, 97 or so crumpled up tissues, a scary movie playing on netflix because only scary movies are appropriate for me to watch in my current state of horror, and one Bon Appetite Magazine from which I found the recipe for my only reason for surviving today...

Green Minestrone. 

It is soup for summertime colds and it is delicious. Like, really, really delicious. It is quick to make, so you don't have to have the stove top on all day long. And it is packed with bright, seasonal produce and herbs!


Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 cups veggie broth or chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandolin
1 1/2 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 shallot finely chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Shaved parmesan to serve, optional

Method:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the leeks, onion, fennel, and celery until softened, but not taking on any color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the broth and bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10- 15 minutes.

Add the carrots and the peas and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While soup is cooking, process the parsley and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a food processor to a course paste and transfer to a small bowl. Mix the shopped shallot into the parsley paste.

Serve the soup topped with the parsley pesto, thinly sliced red onion, and shaved parmesan.

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Mushrooms, Kale, and Goat Cheese.

Yesterday morning I was given the most magical glimpse into what a happy person I will be once fall is finally here. I know, I know, technically fall IS here, but tell that to the Native American Summer we're currently experiencing. And with the weather expected to hit 93 degrees tomorrow, Al Roker can take that weather report and shove it where the sun don't shine. Ok, I know that was kind of rude, but mother nature is a rude, 93 degree hearted bitch and what goes around comes around. And since I can't find her, I'm going to punish Al Roker for it. (Sorry, Al. She must be a real crappy boss.)

Anyways, yesterday morning was all foggy and there was a chill in the air. It made my heart happy. It made me want to bake and watch Home Alone and be all around joyful and pleasant. Unfortunately, Richard was at the gym because "joyful and pleasant" usually doesn't happen for me before 11am. Or my first glass of wine, whichever comes first. And some days you'd be surprised which comes first. So,  it really was such a good morning... until it was 85 degrees and then, well, it wasn't.  I love summer, but  enough is enough! I wanna cook some pumpkin shit, ya know?

So, I did. Nothing holds this ginger back.

We got some delicata squash in our CSA this week. What on earth do I do with these? I thought to myself... I mean, besides adding them to our transitional gourd display (it's almost time for pumpkins. goodbye gourds I've never heard of!). So initially I thought These are much too pretty to eat. But, you are what you eat, right? And pretty is a nice thing to be, so I decided to cook them. Now,  I know what that which saw in Hansel and Grëtl! Delicious, pretty youth. (Author's Note: Please do not eat children.)

Anywhoo, I think this is a good time to transition into the recipe...

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Wheat Berries, 

Mushrooms, Kale, and Goat Cheese. 

Ingredients:
1 delicata squash, cut in half with the guts scraped out
1 cup wheat berries, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 cup kale
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Goat cheese
Kosher salt and pepper

Method:
Cook the wheat berries according to package instructions, which most likely say something like "Bring a pot of water to a boil and simmer the wheat berries, covered, for about an hour until tender." Something like that... Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Cut the delicata squash in half. Scrape out the guts, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn it upside down on a cast iron pan and roast the squash at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until tender. Mine started to caramelize on the edges and it was delicious.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the stuffing.

Sauté mushrooms and onion for about 7 minutes until golden and the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms. Add the garlic and kale and sauté for another 2 minutes until wilted and fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, cooked wheat berries, and chopped parsley.

Once the squashes are roasted to perfection, fill them with the wheat berry mixture and crumble some goat cheese on top. Then place back in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cheese gets a little bit melty and delicious.

Enjoy!

Juice: Day 4

Today I lived in my car and this juice was a perfect on the go snack in the coolest grown up sippy cups ever! (Thank you Cindy Kieth!)

Day 4:
1 apple
3 beets
3 large carrots
1-inch piece ginger

Happy Juicing!

30 Days of Juicing... Starts NOW!

Say what?

Now, before you get your panties all in a bunch.... I am NOT in any way, shape, or form even hinting at a juice cleanse. Have you met me? I would rather die. And juice cleanses CAN kill you. Buttttttt, seeing as I have decided that it is fall now (have you heard?) and I was less than kind to my body this summer, I thought maybe a little nutrition and T.L.C. might be nice. This is not a cleanse, a weight loss plan, or anything of the sort (yuck!) it is simply a way to try some new juices that are vitamin and nutrient dense! Plus, these juices sound seriously delicious.

You see, I was perusing Williams Sonoma earlier, as I do, and came across their plan for 30 days of juicing. I am not an idiot, I know that it was a ploy to sell me a juicer that I already have, but that made it all the easier to avoid the sales pitch (though I have been begging Richard for a Vitamix since forever and if Santa ends up bringing me one instead I may go back up the chimney with that sexy silver fox.) But rather than worry about that, I have begun obsessing over a new plan that I will most likely fail at. I am not very good at committing to things (Rich cover your ears), but, again, considering what I put my liver through over the past few months, I thought that this was a very good idea. And for the record, I make no promises some Kettle One won't find its way into one of these juices. After all, my liver has come to expect a certain workload and I wouldn't want it to think it has let me down.

So, here I am. I am going to blog EVERY DAY with a new juice recipe. I am serious. It's happening. You are welcome to join us... Richard and I, that is. I am not sure if he is as motivated as me, but as my husband he is well versed in that all too true idiom, "happy wife, happy life..." so he really doesn't have a choice. He did, roughly a year ago, but he chose me, and now WE chose juice. (See what I did there?)

Here it is. Day 1:

Day 1:  2 pints blueberries 2 pints blackberries Seeds of 3 pomegranates

Believe it or not.... it was delicious.

Clamshell Mushroom Toasts with Goat Cheese & Fresh Thyme

Richard and I are creatures of habit.  Especially in the morning. We wake up at 7am. We walk the dogs. Rich makes a french press of coffee and turns on the Today Show while I make open faced breakfast sandwiches. Then we eat, drink our coffee and watch the news in perfect sync. (Unless we are hungover or have that rare "Vicky Christina Barcelona" morning of either passion or pugnacity. Though we still squeeze in the coffee and Today Show.)

But, this morning, I shook our world up a bit. You see, we got our CSA delivered as we do every Thursday, but this week, along with the end of summer/ beginning of fall produce, we were given a little package of very cute (and kind of weird) mushrooms. I swear they were alien fingers wearing turtle shells as thimbles, but apparently they are called clamshell mushrooms.

What the hell do you do with clamshell mushrooms? Other than laugh at and photograph them?

Nobody knows! So, as with most things that I don't know what to do with, I put them on toast.

Breakfast sandwich OUT... Cute mushroom toasts IN. (Routine broken. Mind blown.)

good day, sunshine.

Ingredients:
Clamshell mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
A few springs of fresh thyme
2 slices of whole grain bread
Goat cheese

Method:
Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Sauté sliced mushrooms and onion until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread and then spread goat cheese on them while they are still warm so that the cheese gets nice and melty. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and pile them on top of the toasts. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Have a lovely Thursday!

Garden Vegetable Soup

I have decided that it is FALL! It's official. I'm done waiting... and sweating! I went to Starbucks this morning (as I only do from mid September-November...) and ordered a Pumpkin Spice latte and it set me over the edge! Both into fall and into an over-caffeinated, gourd-based decorating spree (there was some dried corn involved, too. After all, it is FALL!).

 

it's that time of the year!

Now, I may have a friend or two who is less than thrilled about my seasonal enthusiasm, (ahem... Marco....), which Rich calls my "seasonal affective disorder" because he says I try to bring about the changes in season through my decorating. But, here's what I have to say to you (and Marco), "Come over and eat a pumpkin whoopie pie while sitting at my lovely, gourd covered dining room table, and shut your mouth!"

I know that it is going to be in the high 80's this weekend, but I will be holed up in my house with the A.C. blasting, brainstorming for my Thanksgiving day menu. You might think that I am kidding.... I am not. Trust me, the only thing that I'm kidding about is that I haven't already started thinking about what I am going to serve on my perfectly decorated Thanksgiving table. I just really love fall!

I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but this time of year just gets me verrrrry excited! Maybe it's a little too early to talk turkey, but it is not too early to break out the fall decor. It's after Labor Day, so something has to fill the hole in my heart left by my inability to wear white jeans (which isn't a seasonal thing for me, white jeans just never work for me and that hurts my heart!)

Anyway, I made a soup a few weeks ago and, looking back, maybe I was jumping the shark a little bit. I mean, I pretty much had to strip down to my skivvies and surreptitiously sip soup slowly as I sat about 2 inches away from the A.C. (which Rich assures me is the least sexy way to see me unclothed). I did all of that just to avoid spontaneously bursting into flames from severe overheating. But, seeing as it was in the 60's this morning,  I decided to give this whole soup-making thing another try. Here's the thing, it's the end of summer vegetables and there's starting to be a (very) slight chill in the air, so take off your judging pants (or shirt... this could get fun) and give soup a chance.... I promise to hold off on the pumpkin recipes for at least another week!

Ingredients:
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced
1 potato, peeled
1 onion
3 stalks celery
5 carrots, peeled
A few leaves of kale (I used curly)
1 zucchini
15 green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 gallon (or so) of chicken or veggie stock (you know me, I use no chicken- chicken broth because it is the bomb dot com)
2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes
A few sprigs of fresh parsley
A few fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

If you have some extra veggies that you are dying to add... go for it. Get crazy, be creative, the sky is your limit (I am such a motivational blogger! Woo!)

Method:
Chop all of the veggies into bit sized pieces... about 1/4 inch. Then, in a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and saute all of the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they are translucent, but not browned.

Add the stock of your choice, tomatoes (with their juices) and fresh herbs, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the soup, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes.

Serve. Hot. Enjoy.

Post Labor Day Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

I am blogging today from a very different place than usual. You see... we went to Palm Springs for  a pretty epic Labor Day weekend, and my brain has decided that it still needs a day or two of vacation before getting it together. Four days in a gorgeous house with a huge pool and 7 of your absolute favorite friends really takes it's toll on a girl. I am tired, extra freckly, and feel a little bit like a fish must feel when you deprive it of water... dead. So, we're just gonna roll with this and see how it goes....

Upon our return last night, the Mr. and I walked through our front door, explained to our dogs that the only kind of attention we were capable of was the cuddling kind (mostly of each other, while they watched, confused and sad), then planted our lazy (but nice) asses immediately on the couch with absolutely no intention of moving for at least 12 hours. We succeeded with flying colors because, well, let's be honest, we are very dedicated when we put our minds to something. We ordered not only one meal, but two. Yup, we had two meals delivered to our couch yesterday. It was more of a pre-dinner  and late dinner.

It really worked for us, but it got me thinking.... maybe since I am a chef (surprise!) and I put my body through a little more abuse than usual over the past four days, I could pull it together, lose the Chinese delivery guy's number, save a few bucks, and make my own crave-worthy Asian peanut noodles while keeping my waistline in mind (it is possible, both for me to think and for me to do). I finished that thought (and my second round of delivery food) and decided that, once again....this was a plan worth succeeding at. So, here we go....

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients:
Peanut Sauce-
1/2 cup chicken broth (or no-chicken, chicken broth for vegetarians)
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp organic honey
1 tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
3/4 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp siracha sauce (or more to taste if you like spicy)

Chicken-
10oz (2 small) chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 tbsp siracha sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, grated
1 tsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

8oz rice noodles (you can find them in the Asian section of your super market)
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
1 1/4 cups ribboned carrots (the original recipe called for shredded carrots, but I used a vegetable peeler and shaved mine into pasta like ribbons, which added a great texture when mixed with the noodles... and helps to cut carbs!)
1 cup grated broccoli stems (again, the original recipe called for shredded broccoli slaw, I used the stems of a head of broccoli and grated it. This worked great and I saved the crown for another use.)
1 cup bean sprouts
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
Sliced lime and cilantro for garnish (optional)

I know, this seems like a TON of ingredients, but the dish comes together super quickly!
And obviously, if you want to make these vegetarian... leave out the chicken.

Method:
Marinate chicken with siracha, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and tamari sauce. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

To make the sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir every few minutes and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is smooth and well blended. Set aside.

Prepare the rice noodles according to the package directions. Most likely, you will place the noodles in a large bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit for 8-10 minutes until tender.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Add shredded broccoli and carrot ribbons to the skillet and sauté for just two minutes. You still want them to be crisp!

Toss rice noodles, broccoli, carrots, and chicken together with the peanut sauce. Place on a bed of bean sprouts and top with sliced green onions, chopped peanuts. Garnish with lime wedge and cilantro.

Makes about 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.com


P.S. (as in Palm Springs....)
I though about it and due to my braggy first paragraph, I feel it is only right to share a few photos from our Palm Springs getaway. I love photos and I love sharing, so here you go!

 

 

My friends are better than your friends. Well okay, I don't know that

for a fact. I just know that mine are pretty fantastic.

Actually Good Zucchini & Banana Muffins with Flaxseed & Spelt

This is miracle.
Seriously.

Right now blogging is just about the last thing I want to do. You see, the Mr. and I are leaving for Italy in just under two months and having just started planning our trip (finally), the only thing I want to do when I sit in front of a computer is go to TripAdvisor.com and book romantic bed and breakfasts in Piedmont, make dinner reservations in Emilia-Romagna, and map out our to-do list in Rome, Florence, and Venice. I mean, the fact that I have even typed half of a paragraph is blowing my mind. I am a woman obsessed. And honestly, how could I not be?! We've been dreaming about this vacation for as long as I can remember and now that it's almost a reality, it might be taking over my life.

If we're being honest... 20 minutes or so just passed while I cheated on you with TripAdvisor.... oops. 

Even though I haven't blogged in almost a week, I will have you know that I have still been working it in the kitchen. I've taken photos, jotted down recipes, fed my husband..... all of the things.  But even now,  I sat down to blog and a B&B in Barolo just confirmed our reservation and suddenly my mind is drifting yet again. 

Lucky for you, I am eating a left over muffin (because I am too lazy to make myself lunch) and remembered that I have a recipe to share. Hopefully I will end up sharing it at some point... ADD is a very real thing in my life right now. Ok, two more things and then the recipe will come. Promise.

1. This overcast weather is a tease. It's really turning my rain loving lady brain on in the worst way and I really don't like being disappointed. Plus, this humidity? Gross.

2. I got a new job today!!!! Well, it's not a new job.... it's my same job, but rebooted and better in    every single way possible! I will still be working as a personal chef, so discretion is key, but if I could tell you, you'd be totally happy for me... so, I am very excited!!! I will get to have dinner with my husband again, work less hours, not commute to Malibu (thank god!!!) and make more money! Ah!

Ok, so on to these muffins......

If you can't tell, we have been on zucchini overload lately. Between our garden and our CSA, I've needed to get creative to use them all up! You can only eat grilled zucchini so many times and I haven't been able to figure out how to put it into ice-cream yet (gross) so I decided to put my baking face on (it's mostly my face, just swap light makeup for a light dusting of flour). 

I made zucchini bread a while back and while it was delicious and pretty healthy, I still had a hard time eating it because it didn't have that much nutritional value. I always say that everything in moderation is A-OK, but I don't really love eating anything that my body doesn't get any value from. Well, except for ice-cream, obviously. And alcohol. Thankfully wine has SOME good properties about it, such as lycopenes and making me a blast at any party. Anyways, I was super excited to come across this recipe for zucchini muffins because not only are they packed with nutrition from the zucchini and banana, but they are also packed with whole grains. I used whole wheat flour, spelt four, which contains more nutrition and protein than wheat flour, and ground flaxseed, which is super high in omega-3s and other beneficial nutrients..... and not only did they pass my test, but they passed the husband test, which is very tricky for baked goods!!!

  Zucchini & Banana Muffins with Flaxseed & Spelt

Ingredients: 
Nonstick cooking spray (I used spray coconut oil)
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
3/4 cup organic spelt flour 
1/2 cup ground flaxseed 
3/4 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (from 1 large zucchini)
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (from 1 large banana) 
3/4 cup non-fat milk 
1 large egg, lightly beaten 
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 

whole grains are the best grains.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add zucchini and banana and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix! Over mixing the spelt flour will cause your muffins to be crumbly instead of moist because the gluten in spelt flour break down very easily.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let muffins cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins. 
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart 

 

hey, muffin.

Zucchini Lasagna & My Favorite Weekend Ever

I know... that's a pretty weighted statement......

"My favorite weekend ever."

......And I am standing by it. Saying that the last three days were epic would actually be an understatement. Richard and I were visited by my cousins Katrina and Stephanie all the way from Canada (you know, the undeniably most epic country ever!). I had not seen them in 8 years, but one of the best things about family is that the second you give each other a jumping up and down while squealing full body hug.... you are instantly best friends as if not one day has past since the last time you were together**

**Please note that one of the last times we were together I was 12 years old and we were so misbehaved that I was STILL grounded even when we got home from our family vacation to Canada. My cuzzys and I have always had a knack for getting ourselves into some pretty awesome trouble when we are together.

We definitely went at about 1,000 miles per hour from the second they got into town on Saturday morning.... guzzling champagne (8 mimosas at brunch is acceptable, right?) indulging in fabulous meals, pulling all nighters (who needs sleep when you have 8 years to catch up on) and starting dance parties like it was our job (which as much as I wish it was, it is not). My husband deserves a medal. Seriously. But judging by the fact he's currently drooling on the couch, it looks he's happy to settle for a nap. His third of the day. Apparently he needs one per decade he's been alive. Or one per Bacsalmasi he had to spend the weekend with...

So, since my brain is still drying out and re-forming from the weekend, and words escape me, a photo recap is obviously necessary.

These are my cousins. They are the best (minus Jessica... we missed you!)

this is what three girls look like watching the sun come up.

the absolute most fun.

  

Ok, just looking at the photos makes me a bit exhausted. Oy. Anyways, if you can't tell (surprise, surprise)  I am functioning on a few (thousand) less brain cells than I had last Friday, so I am going to keep this short and sweet. My body was in need of some serious nutrition today and this delicious vegetarian recipe did just the trick! Packed with veggies, super simple to make, and really.... if I didn't tell you it was PASTA FREE, you wouldn't even notice. It's also the perfect way to use up the three pounds of zucchini you bought to grill for dinner (but because you got distracted with dancing and hugging dinner didn't happen). Did I mention my husband deserves a medal?

Ok, let's get to the food....

Ingredients:

For the sauce

Use your favorite store bought sauce (I LOVE Rao's.) Or use my recipe found here. 

For the filling

1 pound small-curd cottage cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables

3 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, patted dry with paper towels, and coarsely chopped

1 pound shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 4 cups)

Method:
Ok, there are quite a few steps, so don't get intimidated... it's much easier than the number of word's I am about to type.....

Make your sauce. Or set the jar nicely on your counter and feel accomplished in your own way. Both work great.

Combine the ingredients for the filling. The cottage cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prep your veggies. I recommend grilling the zucchini to avoid it getting soggy, but if you prefer to broil it in an oven, that will work too. Either way, rub each slice with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill over high heat (or broil) until well cooked. I like the zucchini to be a bit crispy.

Next, in a sauté pan over medium/high heat, sauté the mushrooms and artichokes until browned.

Ok. All of your components are ready.... so start layering! On the bottom of a baking dish, spread some tomato sauce and 1/2 of the mushrooms and artichokes. Then layer with the grilled zucchini. Next, spoon 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the zucchini. Then more artichokes, sauce, zucchini.... you get it. Layer all of your ingredients until they are gone. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and throw that sucker in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the melted mozzarella is golden brown. Let the lasagna sit at room temp for at least 15 minutes so that it can set before serving or else it will be a runny mess.