Brussels Sprouts I Didn't Hate

In a perfect world, I would be completely caught up on all the recipes I have been planning on sharing for the past few weeks. I would have gorgeous pictures to share with you and fabulous stories to go along with each recipe and you would be thinking to yourself, "Now that is one organized chick."

But the world is not perfect {Proof: I am not on an all expense paid trip to paradise sipping a frosty cocktail.}. And I am majorly backlogged on the things I've been meaning to share, mostly because like most people I have about 362,085,176 other things going on and sometimes at the end of a long day the last thing I feel like doing is staring at a harshly lit computer screen and trying to be charming. So there, I've confessed.

Today I'm organizing myself {and my stockpile of cooking magazines}, but before I dive head first into all that mess, I've decided that I must share with you a recipe for something that caught me totally off guard yesterday. It was one of those accidental discoveries. Serendipitous, if you will. :)

There I was, sitting cross legged on the floor starting to go through the aforementioned pile of magazines, when I looked up and realized that the morning had completely flown by and it was almost time to go to work. {I've been working in the afternoon, which gives the false illusion of more time to get things done.} I needed to make something for lunch unless I wanted to eat left over Chocolate Pound Cake from my Mother's Day Brunch. And I wanted to. I really did. But I've been trying to be good and the last thing I needed was to be all hopped up on sugar and then crash right there in front of my students. Not good.

So, I went to the kitchen and played the "What is in the Fridge & Pantry That Can Be Combined to Become Somewhat Nutritious & Edible" game. {Never played before? I highly suggest it.} I couldn't avoid the obvious: Brussels sprouts that had been sitting on the bottom shelf for far too many days. Bleeeeeeeh.

I really dislike Brussels Sprouts. I mean really. They are a pain to prep and they smell bad. I can never find a good way to cook them. Until yesterday.

In that ridiculous pile of magazines that were strewn all over the floor, I had come across an old issue of Clean Eating with a recipe for... you guessed it... Brussels sprouts. I gave it a shot and can you believe I actually found them to be kind of tasty?! Sprouts still won't be my go-to veggie, but the glaze made them edible and pretty enjoyable, and that's good enough for me.

Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Peanut Glaze
adapted from Clean Eating Magazine


You'll Need:


1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed of outer leaves, stemmed & halved
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter {or whatever nut butter you prefer}
2 tsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
Juice from half a lime
1 dash cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sesame seeds {optional}
olive oil

1. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, 1 1/2 tbsp water, tamari, brown sugar, and lime juice. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add halved sprouts and saute until just starting to caramelize, 1-2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic.

3. Add a splash of water to the pan and stir. Pour in peanut butter mixture and stir until sprouts are coated. Cook for a minute or two longer until sauce has thickened slightly. Sprinkle a dash of cayenne pepper {more if you like a little more heat}, and stir for another 30 seconds. 

4. Sprinkle sesame seeds into sprouts. Serve immediately and give yourself a pat on the back for eating brussels sprouts without gagging! :)

Make Ahead Mother's Day

My Mom is one of a kind. She is stubborn. She likes to argue. She is generous to a fault. She has an unnatural ability to be ridiculously chipper at the crack of dawn, and used to insist on talking {and even singing} to me in the wee hours of the morning even though she knew very well that I am merely a shell of my functional self until at least an hour or two after I wake up.  She drives me crazy and drives me to succeed, sometimes all within the same breath. She is irreplaceable.

We spent the weekend celebrating her and the other wonderful women in my life {Grandma, Aunt, Mother-in-law...} the best way I know: With food! And tea! And champagne! And brunch! And a few extra pounds that we all probably put on that were definitely worth it. ;)

Saturday afternoon, the ladies in my family gathered at The Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach for a tea party. They served dainty {and delicious!} little bites that went perfectly with the occasion.


Almost too cute to eat. Almost.

 Sisters in Lilly!

Sunday morning, I hosted a brunch at my place where we lounged around, chatted, and of course, ate some more! The best part was the fact that almost everything I served was make ahead, so I had plenty of time to enjoy the company.

Clockwise from Upper Right: Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread & Chocolate Pound Cake; Ham, Cheese & Hash Brown Casserole; Blueberry Breakfast Bake; Easy Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Bread

We also had refreshing Green Tea & Pineapple Coolers {which I'll be sharing with you later this week} and Cream Cheese Biscuits - the only two things I didn't make ahead.

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen this weekend, but it was just a tiny fraction of the time my mom has spent going out of her way for me throughout the years. I'm grateful for her today & always!

Me & my Mama!

Citrusy Supper

Remember a while back when I mentioned that my tastebuds tend to trend with the season? Well, today's recipe is a perfect example of that. Bright, citrusy flavors, fresh fish, light flavorful slaw... can we say sunshine on a plate?

Unlike yesterday's dinner {which was worth every single semi-fussy step & dirty dish}, Tuna with Citrus Gremolata sounds kinda fancy but is really pretty simple. The ingredients are simple & cheap and most of the directions are along the lines of "chop & toss into a bowl". {Who doesn't love that?} You will need that zester again, but if you don't already have one, I urge you to go out and buy one anyway because it's quickly making it's way onto my list of favorite kitchen tools.{Watch your back, citrus press!}

The Rainbow Kale slaw that I served alongside the fish is just another way for me to incorporate some of the less "go-to" veggies that should get more recognition. Lately, I've been hearing a lot more about kale's nutritional fabulousness, and I'm excited about that because it makes it easier to find more creative recipes that incorporate it. As a side note, the original recipe from Whole Foods includes a red bell pepper, which I omitted because I nearly passed out when I saw the '$4.99 for 1' price tag at the grocery store. I think my rainbow will just have to lack in the red department for today, thankyouverymuch. However, if you're willing to shell out some extra dough {or find a yummy looking bell pepper at your local farmer's market that won't break the bank}, then by all means go for it.

Ok, enough of the chatter. Here's the good stuff!

Tuna with Citrus Gremolata

from Food Network.com

You'll Need:

• 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 orange, zested
• 2 large cloves garlic, very finely chopped or grated
• 2 tuna steaks
• 1 tbsp rosemary, leaves chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 lemon, juiced

For Gremolata:

1. Before cooking the tuna, combine the parsley, lemon zest and orange zest in a small bowl. Stir in the finely chopped garlic and reserve.

2. Cut the tuna into bricks about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, 3 pieces per portion. Season the tuna with rosemary, salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. When ready to cook, heat a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare, 3 to 4 minutes on each side for opaque fish. Douse the pan with the lemon juice.

4. Arrange the fish on a platter, scatter the gremolata over the top and serve.

Rainbow Kale Slaw

adapted from Whole Foods Market Recipes

You'll Need:

• 1 small bunch lacinato (a.k.a. dinosaur) kale, thick stems removed and leaves thinly sliced into ribbons
• 1/2 a small shredded red cabbage, quartered and cored
• 2 naval oranges or Clementines, peeled & segmented {*Note: I'm not gonna lie, segmenting oranges is kind of a pain, but practice makes perfect!}
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Approx. 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 orange juice, fresh squeezed or from carton
• 1/4 balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine kale, cabbage, orange segments, onion, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

2.In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, orange juice, vinegar and pepper. Pour over the kale mixture and toss to coat.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days

Eat Your Veggies

I think I may finally be caught up on sleep after my weekend-o-health-wreckage. Thank goodness, because yesterday made for a long, rough, grouchy Monday.

Today, I started Phase 2 of Wholesome Living week: Healthy eats. And I've gotta tell you, the dinner I made tonight was so yummy that the last thing I was thinking about was it's nutritional value. {I may or may not have licked the bowl it was so good.}

This recipe was adapted from one I found on a blog called Clean Green Simple {which I highly recommend checking out as a healthful & tasty recipe resource}. The blogger, Jessica, makes all vegan recipes, but from what I've seen they're all highly interchangeable with whatever you have onhand or whatever your particular dietary restriction may be. Jessica's version used kale for the pesto, but the bunch of kale in my fridge is currently spoken for in a recipe that I'll be posting later this week, so I used spinach instead.

Can you fit anymore healthy goodness into one dish? Possibly. I still have the rest of the week to experiment. ;) But in the meantime, I hope you'll dig into this one.

Basil, Walnut & Spinach Pesto Pasta
adapted from Clean Green Simple

You'll Need:

• 1 lb quinoa pasta (or any pasta, really)
• 4-7 cloves garlic, minced (I just grated it on my microplane)
• 2 cups fresh basil
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 3/4 cups unsalted walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2/3 c. water (I found I needed just a splash more to get things moving in the blender)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bunch asparagus, stems removed, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add onion mixture to food processor or blender.

3. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add asparagus. Heat the asparagus for 4-6 minutes until tender crisp.

4. While asparagus cooks, add water, salt, spinach, basil, and toasted walnuts to blender or food processor and blend until smooth, drizzling a steady stream of olive oil while the blender runs. {I'm not entirely sure how much I added, probably about 1/4 cup, just enough to get everything moving smoothly in the blender.} Taste and season accordingly.

5. When asparagus is ready, combine all ingredients, including halved cherry tomatoes in pasta pot or large bowl and toss together gently.

I sprinkled a tiny bit of parmesan on the top, but truthfully, it didn't even need it. Enjoy your veggies!

Detox.

After a weekend of lots of hours on the road, moving the entire contents of my little sister's dorm multiple times {from hallway into the freight elevator, from freight elevator to downstairs hallway, from downstairs hallway to loading dock, from loading dock to rented minvan, from minivan back into my mom's house...}, far too many cocktails, and far too few hours of sleep, my body is begging for some TLC. Seriously. I slept for 11 hours last night and am still not feeling quite right.

Despite my intense urge to restore the balance, I was not a shining example of wholesome eating today. Since we didn't get in until late afternoon Sunday, we never made it to the grocery store and, consequently, my lunch consisted of Rice Krispies with about 3 whole drops of rice milk that were left in the carton. We did a little grocery shopping after work but I was so tired & hungry by the time we got home that I ended up eating about 1/2 lb of grilled shrimp and raided my supply of chocolate chips to finish it off. Ridiculous.

So, my goal for the rest of the week's meals is simple: Healthy, healing foods. It wouldn't hurt if they just so happen to be delicious, too.

Should I come up with anything fabulous, you know I'll be sharing. But for now... I have a date with my comfy couch. I'll leave you with a little inspiration for healthy choices from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life website.

Prep Praises: Talenti Gelato

Oprah has her favorite things, and I have mine. Her viewing audience may be a tiny bit larger than my reading audience, but that's not going to stop me from sharing some brands and products that I think are brag-worthy. :)

Today, I'm bragging about one of my {many} food weaknesses: Gelato. I would no sooner choose a favorite family member over another than a favorite gelato, I just love the stuff that much. But in my opinion, this particular one is a stand out and deserves every bit of favoritism.

Source

My husband and I both like our ice cream and gelato exactly the same way: Vanilla. Plain. Some might even say boring. But my taste buds are purists when it comes to treats of the frozen variety. {My mother and sisters are horrified at this fact. They're from the "chunky, bits & pieces laden ice cream" school of thought. There's always a black sheep in the family...}

Anyone can make something taste good when it's loaded with chocolate chips, and cookie chunks, and ribbons of caramel. The true test is to strip it down to the basics, and then see if it's still delicious. And this Tahitian Vanilla Bean gelato is. Oh, how it is.

As I was standing in my kitchen eating spoonfuls of this last night {Stop it. I feel your judgemental eyes.}, I started assessing exactly what is so fabulous about this gelato. It is, after all, just Vanilla. How complicated can it be to get that right?

For one, the texture is SO smooth. I hate it when food people start talking about how something is so "silky" or "velvety", but there's just no other way to describe it. It's some rich stuff. Another difference is the vanilla flavor. It actually tastes like real vanilla. Like, with little bean flecks and all. It might have something to do with the fact that they import their vanilla beans from Papua, New Guinea, which apparently has the highest quality beans available. I don't know if that's true, but my tastebuds agree.

Whatever my friends over at Talenti do {No, I don't actually know these people. But anyone who makes something this tasty is definitely my friend.}, I hope they keep doing it. They make one yummy product. Run, don't walk, to your nearest store and check out their flavors. Their Caribbean Coconut is another fantastic option. Not that I've had every flavor or anything... ;)

*As a complete side note: Their containers make fantastic storage containers for leftovers. How eco-friendly. :)

Easter Treats on the "Cheep"

My husband's plan to eat a little healthier this week must've really had an effect on my energy levels, because here I am with yet another post for the week. ;) {A personal record, I think!}

Who wouldn't be excited, though, by all the fun Easter preparations going on? In the food blogging world, I've seen a multitude of charming Easter projects, recipes, and treats. Check out some of my faves:

Coconut Bunny Cake. :)
Source: Baked Bree



Easter Chick Cupcakes!
Source: The Pastry Affair



HOMEMADE PEEPS!!!!!!!
Source: Twig & Thistle


If that doesn't inspire, then I don't know what will!

For me, it doesn't take much to spark the desire to get in the kitchen and crank out some new confections. But the truth is, trying out all these cute little projects can really impact the pocketbook if you're not careful. So, I set out this week to come up with cost effective Easter treats to share with family & friends.

I had some strict criteria for my search: They needed to be inexpensive, cute, and appeal to both young & old. After thinking it over, there was one well-loved snack that fit the bill perfectly: Rice Krispie Treats!

When I saw a version of these on The Novice Chef a few weeks ago, I knew it wouldn't be long before I made a batch of my own. With a little creativity, some embellishments, and some Easter chick cookie cutters {ok, it's actually a rubber ducky cookie cutter, but it doesn't hurt to use your imagination.}, these quickly became the perfect answer to my penny saving project. I handed them out to my co-workers, my students, and even the people at my husband's office, and everyone loved them! Mission accomplished. :)

Rice Krispie Treat Pops: Easter Edition

Adapted from Kellog's Rice Krispie Treats, and inspired by Jessica's post from The Novice Chef

You'll Need:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• - OR -
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies® or other puffed rice cereal
• 1 package Candy Quick or other candy coating
• Sprinkles, food coloring, lollipop sticks

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add rice cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool.

4. Use desired cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

5. Heat candy coating 30 seconds at a time, until completely melted. (I only used 1/2 the package each time just to be safe.) If using food coloring, stir in a small amount until desired tint is reached.

6. Dip or spread coating onto cut outs, and embellish with sprinkles, etc., while still wet.

7. Wrap up in pretty packaging, and make someone smile! :)

Happy Easter, everyone!