Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter Brunch

My family is on the way down to Wilmington to see my new house and celebrate Easter.  This year, I thought instead of the usual brunch reservation, I'd invite Mike's family over and we can all have brunch at home.  This entire menu is make-ahead ready and can just be heated up for a quick brunch after church or early morning.

Menu: 
Mimosas
Biscuits (store bought) 
 with Deli Ham, Swiss Cheese, Honey Mustard
Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Yogurt

Enjoy!





Happy Easter! 



Spinach, Tomato & Feta Quiche

In honor of my future in-laws coming to Easter brunch, I thought I'd whip up a Greek inspired quiche.  Spinach, tomato, and feta cheese are a classic and always tasty combination!

Ingredients:
* 6 eggs
* 2/3 c. heavy cream
* 1 prepared pie dough
* 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
* 1 lb. fresh spinach
* 1 tbsp. olive oil
* 2 plum tomatos, seeded and chopped

Preheat the oven to 375.  Arrange the pie shell in a 12 inch pan.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and weight down with rice, beans or pie weights (this is called blind baking - it's a way to pre-bake the crust so it stays crisp; if you use beans or rice, just save them to reuse for this purpose, not to eat), and bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.  While the shell is cooking, saute spinach in olive oil over medium low until it cooks down; set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and heavy cream until well combined.  Stir in spinach, tomatoes, and feta.  Pour egg mixture into pie shell and return to the oven, cooking for 40 minutes or until just set.  If you are making the quiche ahead of time, let it cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Reheat in the oven at 325 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Wild Rice Salad

I can't even count how many times I've made this Wild Rice Salad.  It's great served cold or at room temperature, so it's perfect for making ahead or traveling to a pot luck.

Ingredient:
* 1 box Uncle Ben's original wild rice
* 1 naval orange, juiced
* 1 tbs. olive oil
* 1/4 c. dried cranberries
* 1/4 c. chopped pecans
* 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
* salt, pepper

Prepare the rice according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, prepare the orange vinaigrette by whisking together the juice of one orange, olive oil, salt and pepper.  When the rice is done cooking, fluff it up with a fork and add the orange vinaigrette a bit at a time (just be careful not to overdress the rice).  Add the pecans, cranberries, and crumbled feta.  Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

Broccoli and cheddar is probably one of the most popular quiche combinations.  If i'm making multiple quiches for a larger brunch, I like to make one that's a little less predictable, but always have a sure-fire crowd pleaser like broccoli cheddar to go along with it.

Ingredients:
* 6 eggs
* 2/3 c. heavy cream
* 1 prepared pie dough
* 4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (half of a block)
* 1.5 c. cooked broccoli and cooled

Preheat the oven to 375.  Arrange the pie shell in a 12 inch pan.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and weight down with rice, beans or pie weights (this is called blind baking - it's a way to pre-bake the crust so it stays crisp; if you use beans or rice, just save them to reuse for this purpose, not to eat), and bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and heavy cream until well combined.  Stir in broccoli and cheddar cheese with a spoon.  Pour egg mixture into pie shell and return to the oven, cooking for 40 minutes or until just set.  If you are making the quiche ahead of time, let it cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Reheat in the oven at 325 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Turkey Bolognese

Here's a quick, reasonably healthy dinner for your weeknight cooking repertoire.  Bolognese is a hearty Italian classic, which I lightened by using ground turkey rather than the usual combination of ground chuck, veal, and pancetta. Carrots, celery, and onion are the classic veggie trifecta in Bolognese and without lending overhwelming flavor, they bulk up the sauce nicely.

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients; many of these things you probably have on hand.  I used a fairly small amount of carrots and celery so I grabbed those from the salad bar.

Ingredients (serves 4):
* 1.3 lb. ground turkey or beef (the turkey I buy comes in this prepackaged size, but 1 lb. will work as well)
* 3 tbsp. olive oil
* 1/4 c. celery, minced
* 1/8 c. carrots, minced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
* 1 1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped
* 1/4 c. red wine
* 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 tsp. dried oregano

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot or skillet.  Add turkey or beef and brown, stirring often.  When it is cooked through, remove it from the pan and set aside.  If there is any excess liquid in the pan, drain it off.  Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and add carrots, onion and celery to the pan.  Saute until the vegetables are soft, then add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant (1 minute or so).  Add the wine to deglaze the pan, then add all remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every so often.  Serve over whole wheat rigatoni.  Enjoy!


Monday, March 25, 2013

Weekend Update: New Orleans Edition

My case of the Monday's is a bit worse than usual today, but fortunately it couldn't be more worth it after a fantastic (if quick) trip to New Orleans for my lifelong friend Honor's bachelorette party.  Just to be clear, her name was Honor even before Jessica Alba had a baby. 

What an amazing weekend we had!  Luckily, we had a local, Honor's friend Erica, with us to show us the ropes and help us steer clear of the tourist traps. 

Friday night Erica's grandmother (who she calls "Peach" buy the way, so cute) brought us dinner.  Delicious seafood pasta!  The rest of Friday I'm going to keep to myself, but just to give you an idea, this happened:
I've always thought glow sticks add a little something special to any get together..
Saturday we had the MOST amazing day.  Erica put together a gorgeous brunch before we headed out in the city.  A little rain wasn't going to stop us! 

The beautiful bride! 
I discovered the local beer - Abita Light, is quite tasty.  The fried Calamari didn't hurt either.  If you decide to stop in a bar, just be sure to observe the signs on the wall before ordering (especially if it says "We have no Miller Light or anything like it").  The bartender was less than impressed with my request for a Michelob Ultra.  Abita Light it is! 

Snug Harbor, in the French Quarter
That evening, Erica took us to this amazing bar in the bayou.  It's a wine store and you can buy a bottle, then take it to your table and order from a variety of tapas plates.  

Gotta love the ice bucket! 
Perfect Scallops

Jazz of course.
Champagne Cocktails for everyone - it's a celebration after all! 
Honor & Me!
Sunday morning was a little less exciting when I had to get up at 6 am for a flight.  Fortunately my day turned around in ATL when I ran into a few castmembers from Duck Dynasty at the airport!  I'm super bummed I didn't ask for a pic, but they looked like they were in a hurry. 

Happy Monday!  Here's to a quick recovery!




Thursday, March 21, 2013

Chicken Lo Mein

Well, it's official.  After skirting by on the occasional diet for the last 4 years, I finally had to break down and join a gym. Let me just be clear on the fact that I loathe the gym.  Really excersise in general just isn't for me.  The fact that this new 'hobby' is cutting into my cooking time and energy is just the cherry on the debbie-downer sundae. 

Needles to say, this week i've been all about the one pot wonders that I can make the fastest.  This is just barely a recipe, but even if I cheated on most of the ingredients, I wanted to share because it turned out delicious and the leftovers also made a great lunch. You can always grill your own chicken for this, but Trader Joe's BBQ Chicken Teriyaki (microwaveable!) became a favorite of mine while I was moving and I haven't grown tired of it just yet!





Ingredients: 
* 1/4 c. lo mein or spaghetti noodles
* 1 package Trader Joe's BBQ Chicken Teriyaki
* 3 tbsp. sesame oil
* 1/2 c. shredded carrots (from the salad bar)
* 1 (10 oz) bag angel hair shredded cole slaw mix
* 1 bag (steam fresh) snow peas
* 1 tbsp. soy sauce

Prepare the noodles, chicken, and snow peas as directed on the package.  Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat.  Add the carrots and saute until slightly soft.  Add the cabbage to the pan, stirring often, and saute until wilted.  When the rest of the ingredients are done, add them to the pan with soy sauce.  Stir well to combine.  Enjoy! 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Weekend Update

Isn't it amazing how a warm Saturday after a string of cold, dreary, windy weekends can turn your whole attitude around?  

Mike and I had the most amazing (and productive!) weekend.  We started off at Melting Pot Friday and enjoyed their Restaurant Week special.  

Mike is a professional "fonduer"

Saturday, we planted a huge garden, or as Mike says, "sewed our land".  As he also says, "'tis good to own land!"  So true.   Given our limited knowledge on gardening, i'm interested to see what sprouts! 

In effort to stop Roscoe from digging up (carrot seeds) and nibbling (tomato plants) all of our crops, we distracted him by letting him help clean out the freezer. 


Unfortunately, his distraction could only last so long before he decided to entertain himself with a full contact roll in the pollen covered grass.  Sometimes a day outside has its downsides... 



Sunday morning, we headed to church followed by lunch at Dockside.  It's crazy how easy it is to forget what a gorgeous place you live in.  A little salty air, cool breeze, and a shrimp in the bottom of your bloody mary can fix that!












Thursday, March 14, 2013

Restaurant Week

It's here!! My favorite week of the year...RESTAURANT WEEK!

I adore restaurant week.  It's a great excuse to try things you wouldn't normally eat, try that restaurant you've been meaning to for weeks, and all for a great deal. 


Have you mapped out your restaurant week attack yet?  First things first, I hit Yosake last night.  Four courses for $25, and i'm talking four full size courses.  I enjoyed my leftover pad thai for lunch and sipped the Hello Kitty cocktail with my dinner. 

Here's my restaurant week to-do list, hopefully I can squeeze it all in!

Date night: Aubriana's
   **the Basics is already a staple for me, but if you haven't been, GO! 
   ** Depending on the fullness factor and/or budget, date night part II: Ruth Chris 
Working Lunch: Bluewater
March Madness Lunch: Buffalo Wild Wing 
Post St. Patrick's Day Parade Lunch: Mixto 

Keep me posted on your RW progress! 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Orecchiette with Pesto, Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Tomatoes

Lately, I've been experimenting with different ways to use my new favorite veggie, Brussels Sprouts.  Turns out, they go wonderfully with pesto in this pasta dish! I put this pasta together, sort of on a whim and in a hurry, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Homemade pesto is so easy to whip up, but if you'd prefer, you could also use a jarred pesto. Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, but since I had some walnuts in the freezer I substituted those instead and the end result had very similar flavor and texture.  The roasted cherry tomatoes add a nice tang to the dish as well.

Ingredients (serves 6 as a side):
* 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
* 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1 bag of brussels sprouts, halved or quartered, depending on size
* 3 tbsp. olive oil
* Salt, pepper

For the Pesto:
* 1/3 c. walnuts, roughly chopped
* 1 c. fresh basil, roughly chopped
* 1 garlic clove
* 1/3 c. parmesan cheese, grated
* 3/4 c. olive oil

First prepare the pesto.  Heat a dry sauté pan over medium high heat and add walnuts.  Heat the for two minutes or so; set aside.  Add walnuts and all remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.  On a sheet pan, toss brussels sprouts and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast veggies for 20-25 minutes or until brussels sprouts are golden. Prepare the pasta according to package directions.  Once it is al dente, drain it, return it to the pot, and add roasted veggies to the pasta.  Add 3 tablespoons of pesto and stir well to combine.  Add more pesto if preferable.  Enjoy!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Filet of Beef Crostini

This crostini is a perfect, elegant bite to serve with a hearty glass of red wine. I purchased a super-thin filet so it was fairly inexpensive and also worked well with the bite-size crostini. You won't need all of the brie for this recipe, but you can also serve that on its own with crackers later.

Ingredients (makes 12 crostini)
* 1 6 oz. filet mignon
* 1 c. arugula
* 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
* 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
* 1 (8 oz) block slicing brie (I found this at Trader Joe's)
* prepared Crostini (if you can't find these, thinly slice a baguette, drizzle lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven at 425 for 8-10 minutes until crisp)

Set the brie out at room temperature to soften.  Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.  Pat the steak dry with a paper towel and add it to the pan.  Sear for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare (this was a super thin filet, a thicker cut will take longer).  Remove from the pan and wrap tightly in tin foil.  Meanwhile, whisk together balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in a bowl.  Add the arugula and toss to coat. To assemble the crostini, top with a thin slice of brie, a bit of arugula (I roughly chopped it first), and a thin slice of filet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.


Mushroom & Boursin Crostini

This recipe is actually my version of one of my favorite Crostini at Circa 1922.  The creamy, tangy cheese goes wonderfully with the earthy mushrooms. The mushrooms can be sautéed in advance and served at room temperature, or served hot.

Ingredients (makes 1 dozen crostini):
* 1.5 c. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 2 tbsp. olive oil
* salt, pepper to taste
* 1 container Garlic & Herb Boursin cheese
* prepared Crostini (if you can't find these, thinly slice a baguette, drizzle lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven at 425 for 8-10 minutes until crisp)

Add olive oil to a skillet on medium heat.  Add mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sauté the mushrooms for 10 minutes, stirring often, then set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, spread crostini with a layer of Boursin cheese, then top with the mushrooms.  Serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!


Saturday, March 2, 2013

Casual Friday Dinner for Six


Menu:
Crostini 2 Ways:
Mushroom and Boursin
Filet of Beef with Arugula and Brie
Orecchiette with Pesto and Roasted Veggies
Mini Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (store bought)
Happiness Syrah


Now that i'm getting settled in at the new place, I have been itching to get back in the kitchen. I've also been eager to show off my new house, so I decided to throw together a casual dinner party for a few friends last night.

The best part about this simple, fresh menu is that it's also very economical.  I bought everything on the menu, with the exception of the filet, at Trader Joe's for just under $55.  Not too shabby for a 6 person dinner!

Typically, I would choose one crostini but I was feeling particularly ambitious last night so I went with two.  If you're on a budget, swap the filet for sirloin, or save the filet crostini for a smaller group. This ended up being the perfect amount of food - everyone was full but no leftovers to wrap up.

Stay tuned this week for pictures and recipes!