Greek stuffed bell pepper

Today was the day that James had to get his one-year-old vaccines and blood work.

There were a lot of tears when the needles went in (seven pokes in all). James was pretty upset as well.

By the time we got home we were ready for dinner and needed something comforting, fast, and filling. For James, that translated into nectarines, cheesy eggs, and cookies. For us "grown-ups", Greek stuffed bell peppers.

Greek stuffed bell pepper
serves 4 (perhaps add a side salad)
4 bell pepper
2 cups artisan bread (doesn't have to be fresh), cut into small cubes
olive oil (I really didn't measure, but here's my advice: you can never have too much olive oil)
3/4 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Soak bread in olive oil. The more stale it is, the longer it needs to sit in the oil to soak it up.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops off peppers and remove insides (I keep the tops for presentation). Place the peppers, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Mix together the artichoke hearts, olives, onion, and feta. Stuff each pepper with the feta mixture. Bake 10 more minutes.
Enjoy.

Goat cheese pasta with lemon-garlic sugar snap peas

Well, the wedding is over. And I- being one of the honored yet exhausted members of the wedding party- have deemed the next six days a "recovery week." I truly believe that everyone in the wedding- groomsmen, bridesmaids, parents of the bride, etc- should all take a honeymoon. We all deserve at least a week of vacation after the wedding and events leading up to it.

It was a gorgeous affair. The weather held up (miraculously).

The couple was jubilant.

All attending were excited to be sharing in their joy.

Everything went perfectly.

But, I am spent.
This week is going to be all about resting. My kind of relaxing means sticking close to home and cooking.

I finally get to catch up with all the recipes I have been jotting down ideas for but never carrying out. This recipe is one of them.

I made the snap peas this way and then threw them in with pasta and some beans a couple weeks ago. The dish was unimpressive as a whole, but the snap peas were crunchy and flavorful. I decided they needed to be paired with something that would complement them, but not overpower. Aha: goat cheese! The result is delicious indeed, and very easy to throw together. Also, if you are like my husband and you don't understand how a meal is complete without meat, simply add a few pieces of grilled chicken.

Goat cheese pasta with lemon-garlic sugar snap peas
feeds two hungry people
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb trimmed sugar snap peas
juice of 1 large lemon (plus lemon wedges for serving)
2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)
salt and pepper
about 3 oz goat cheese
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large sauce pan. Add garlic. When garlic begins to brown, add snap peas. When they are beginning to brown, add lemon juice. Toss snap peas in lemon juice until coated and the juice is starting to evaporate, about 1 minute. Then reduce heat to low and cover.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in case you need to add it to the pasta later) and add to snap peas. Add goat cheese and toss to coat as cheese melts. Squeeze in another 1/2 lemon juice and/or add cooking liquid to pasta until you achieve desired consistency. Season with a little salt and a lot of pepper.
Serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy.

Simple Summer Salad

When I first decided to start a food blog I couldn't wait for the summer months so that I could show case summer produce in all its glory through fabulous recipes and photos (what can I say? I was young and foolish. Ah, to be 24 again!).

However, I haven't really been doing that. There was one burger, and quite a bit of sugar, but not too many fresh veggies. I will blame it on how crazy busy this summer has been already, making the ratio of Costco trips to Farmer's Market trips about twenty to one. That's not good odds. (I really should do CSA, then I would have a huge box of seasonal, local produce waiting for me to pick up every week.)

As a result of our hectic schedule, we have been eating a lot of easy and simple meals: teriyaki chicken with rice and steamed veggies, beans and rice thrown together with cilantro, red onion, and roasted corn- that sort of thing.
Oh, and a lot of grilled chicken salads.

Grilled chicken salads are our staple go-to meal during the hot summer months when no indoor heating appliance should be turned on. They are great because you can throw any veggies or cheese (or fruit) into them, and they taste deliciously fresh and healthy. We often grill up a couple extra chicken breasts that can be used later in the week, making the next meal easier also, because even a crazy busy summer should include leisurely suppers. 

Our last simple summer salad combo that I loved:

serves 2

2 large handfuls of spinach leaves

2 small to medium grilled chicken breasts, cut into slices and pre-seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon if desired

1 large or 3 mini bell peppers, sliced

1/2 cup sliced red onion

3 or 4 radishes, sliced

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

a few slices of left over crostini bread, crumbled into bite-size pieces

dressing:

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 grapefruit* 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

Split veggies, chicken, cheese, and crostini croutons evenly onto two plates. 

Whisk juices, vinegar, honey, and oil well until honey dissolves into the liquid. Pour about 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette over each salad. Enjoy.

*I know, they are totally out of season, which is why I had to use it up, it had been sitting around for way too long. You could substitute a couple more lemons or maybe some limes instead. However, the grapefruit-honey-tart-sweet thing totally worked.

First Birthday Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Well, we have survived the first birthday party of our first child. It was everything a first birthday should be: full of fun, family, presents, and plenty of sugar.

We began the festivities by taking a little dip in the pool. James was not too sure about the water at first, it was not quite as warm as tub water, and felt especially cool when it reached his belly. But soon he learned that he could splash, just like in the tub, and pretty soon he was lovin' it.

Then we sang happy birthday and he got his very own cupcake. Of which he ate the entire thing, no problem.

Although he was exhausted by the time we opened gifts, he was excited about the toys, books, and one giant red bouncy ball that were given to him.

Needless to say, by the time we pulled away from the curb at the end of night, he was completely asleep, despite the copious amount of sugar he had consumed. Which brings me to the cupcakes.

They were, if I do say so myself (and I did, and my entire family made fun of me for it), incredible. The cake was extremely moist as the result of both buttermilk and sour cream in the batter, and the frosting, oh the frosting! It was so sweet and creamy and had just the perfect amount of strawberry flavor.

I also made mango and blueberry frosting, but did not like them nearly as much as the strawberry, so they were only used to decorate the cakes. You can make the frosting with any other fruit by substituting different fruit purees for the strawberry.

First Birthday Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
makes about 16 regular sized cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes (so maybe about 20 regular sized all together?)
for the cake:
1 3/4 (about 8 oz) cup flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (I used lowfat)
1/3 cup sour cream (I used lowfat)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line or spray muffin tins.
Combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until it resembles course sand. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and sour cream until most lumps are gone. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating, and starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Pour batter about 3/4 of the way up into prepared muffin tins. Fill any tins that are not being used with water.
Bake about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let stand in the muffin tins five minutes before removing and letting the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack.

for frosting:
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp pureed ripe strawberries
1 stick butter
about 4 cups powdered sugar
Beat the butter and strawberry puree together. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. The frosting will seem runny. Cool in refrigerator about an hour before decorating cupcakes with the frosting.
Enjoy.

Red Wine Risotto with Basil

"It's summer time, and the livin's easy." -George Gershwin
Ah yes, the lazy days of summer: naps in the hammock, sunbathing by the pool, leisurely picnics in the park, evening strolls, warm breezes... life seems as if it should feel more laid back. Yet, I can't help but feel like the pace is quickening.

Yesterday, I walked into Target and there were back to school signs hanging up. What is this madness? Didn't summer just begin? We finally dig our swimsuits and sprinklers out of storage, and already we are supposed to be thinking about the school year beginning? The idea of children getting excited about shopping for pencils and calculators in July is about as ridiculous as Target now selling "fresh" produce.

And another thing that is happening way to quickly: my baby is almost one year old. I cringe when I even think about it. It seems like he was just born. (Perhaps because lack of sleep makes the last 12 months feel like one long day.)
In the midst of everything happening much faster than I would like it to, there is cooking. Cooking will take as much time as you are willing to devote to it. And sometimes a dish can only be fully enjoyed after lengthy preparation. This risotto falls under that category.

It is very simple to prepare, and really doesn't take that long (about 30 min, start to finish). But, you have to be very attentive to it the entire time. (So, I decided it was a good idea to develop this recipe as James was getting fussy and Lane was working late- why resort to common sense?) The taste and texture of this risotto make the attention it needs completely worth it.

I have one weird request for you as you eat this dish. You see, I love basil. Like, really, really love it. And I developed this recipe with mild flavors so that the basil could be properly show cased. Therefore, I ask that you eat this risotto on its own. I know it sounds odd, but I tried to eat it with a side salad and the strong balsamic vinegar ruined the subtle and delicate tastes of the risotto.
Good grief, does this strange obsessiveness mean I'm truly becoming a foodie? I hope so.

Red Wine Risotto with Basil
serves about 4 as a side dish, 2 or 3 hungry people as a main dish

32 oz container chicken broth (I prefer the "less-sodium" kinds)
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp shallot, chopped
1 cup short-grain rice
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan
handful of basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Turn burner down to medium to keep broth warm as you make the risotto.
Pour oil into a large sauce pan, add shallots and brown over medium-high heat. Add rice. Stir to coat rice in oil, about 1 minute. Add wine. Stir while wine is absorbed. (Inhale deeply, it's a heavenly scent) Turn temp to medium and begin to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time; adding each time the liquid is almost all the way absorbed. Stir every 30 seconds or so to ensure that the broth is evenly absorbed and the rice is cooked. When all the broth has been used up, turn heat off and stir in parmesan.
Serve with plenty of basil on top of each serving. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday America AND Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Fourth everyone!
When most people think of the fourth of July, they plan to light fireworks, barbecue burgers, and drink beer. When I think of the fourth of July, I think about celebrating my best friend, because today is my mom's birthday. (If I'm not mistaken, she is turning 39, again.)
I also think of flag cakes.

Almost every year of her childhood, someone made a rectangular birthday cake for my mom, smothered it in white frosting, and decorated it with strawberries and blueberries in the form of a flag. A few years ago, I decided to carry on this tradition. Each year, my cakes have become more attractive and elaborate. Last year I made one blue cake layer by pureeing blueberries and one red cake layer by pureeing strawberries. In between the cake layers and covering the cake was a thick layer of white whip cream, and the top displayed perfectly cut and placed berries to make it look just like our flag. It was truly a work of art.
This year, not so much. I'm trying to figure out the difference between last year and this year; why did I have so much more time last year?...

Well, for whatever reason, I wasn't quite as attentive to the cake this year, and I didn't coat the pan with enough cooking spray. So, of course, the cake stuck like it was glued. (This is a definite trend for me.) And, again, I ended up making trifle. Which, really, is all components of the cake that you would be eating, just not as neatly arranged. It is so simple that it hardly needs a recipe, but here it is anyway:

Flag trifle:
I used this cupcake recipe but poured the batter into cake pans instead, then cut (er, um, tore out of the pan) the cake into small chunks.
About 2 cups sliced strawberries and about 1 cup blueberries.
Whip cream:
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1 splash (tsp?) of vanilla
3 tbsp sugar
Whip the heavy whipping cream in a stand up mixer on high or with a hand-held beater until soft peaks are formed, then add vanilla and sugar and whip until hard peaks form.
To assemble: Place a layer of cake chunks into the bottom of a medium bowl. Cover with 1/3 of the whipped cream. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup blueberries and 1/3 of the strawberries over the whipped cream. Repeat with next layer. On the third layer, make a flag with the remaining berries.
Wear your sunscreen, be careful driving, don't light fireworks, drive, or operate a bbq after too much beer, and, of course: Enjoy.

Poultry Patties with Poblano Peppers and Polenta

Happy three day weekend everyone! (As for those who don't have a three day weekend, well, sorry I rubbed it in...)

The sun is out in the Northwest! Which is rare and exciting. Everyone seems to be walking with a bounce in their step and a voluntary smile on their face. The mood is more relaxed and carefree. The smell of freshly cut grass and barbecue is in the air, and all the wonderful sounds of summer can be heard: people laughing as they relax in their yards, kids playing out doors, lawn mowers, birds chirping... and, of course, kids lighting off fireworks at all hours of the night and early morning, starting June 27th. (That one I could do without.)
This is the perfect weekend to avoid making big messes in the kitchen, or even spending much time in the kitchen at all. So, here is a recipe that is twist on the classic burger, and is cooked completely outdoors. Unfortunately, the day I decided to make it was overcast, so I ended up cooking on my stove-top grill. But today (and supposedly the next few) will provide the perfect weather to whip this one up on your outdoor grill. Now, who's excited to grab a spatula and start flippin' some burgers?

Poultry Patties with Poblano Peppers and Polenta
serves 4
1 1/2 cups polenta, or yellow corn meal
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
a good amount of freshly ground pepper
cooking spray
olive oil
To make polenta (from Williams-Sonoma "Essentials of Grilling"): Combine polenta, water and salt in a deep sauce pan, whisk together. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring often until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan. (This was about 20 min for me.) Remove from heat and season with good amount of pepper. Then pour into an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. The recipe says to refrigerate 24 hours, I did about 8 and it was fine.
To grill polenta: Turn polenta out of pan onto a flat surface and cut into 4 squares. Brush both sides of each square lightly with olive oil and grill about 5 minutes each side on medium-high heat

For burgers:
about 3/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 white or red onion, chopped (use about 1/4 cup if you don't love onions as much as I do)
1 slice bread, finely crumbled or pulsed to small crumbs in food processor
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
about 10 drops Tabasco
1 egg, lightly beaten
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and use your hands to form 4 patties. Grill on the stove-top or barbecue for about 8 minutes each side over medium-high heat, or until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Toppings:
2 poblano pepper

4 slices cheddar cheese (optional)
1 tomato, cut into thick slices
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slices
salsa, for serving
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Place peppers on a sheet o foil over medium-high heat, and grill about 20 minutes, or until the skin becomes black and blistery. At this point, wrap the foil around the peppers and let them sit about 20 more minutes, off the grill. Unwrap and remove skins from peppers. Discard the skins.

To assemble burgers: place one half pepper on each polenta square. Top with burger, cheese (if desired), tomato, onions, and salsa. Enjoy.