menu planning: convenience is key

I don't know about you but we're either really good about making dinners and eating in or we're really bad. It all depends on how busy our lives are and if we've made time to get to the store or not. One thing always remains true, we'd much rather eat at home. So, in an effort to start this week off on the right foot, I've been planning our menu for the week with convenience in mind.  Here are a few of our favorite quick and easy recipes.

1. Savory Chili
2. BBQ Cauliflower Salad
3. Smashed Avocado on Toast
4. Protein Packed Breakfast
5. Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad
6. Southwest Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (I add ground turkey for a bit of added protein)
7. Brie Mushroom and Honey Quesadillas (legit the best cheat meal on the planet)
8. Honey Glazed Crockpot Chicken Adobo

menu planning: convenience is key

I don't know about you but we're either really good about making dinners and eating in or we're really bad. It all depends on how busy our lives are and if we've made time to get to the store or not. One thing always remains true, we'd much rather eat at home. So, in an effort to start this week off on the right foot, I've been planning our menu for the week with convenience in mind.  Here are a few of our favorite quick and easy recipes.

1. Savory Chili
2. BBQ Cauliflower Salad
3. Smashed Avocado on Toast
4. Protein Packed Breakfast
5. Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad
6. Southwest Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (I add ground turkey for a bit of added protein)
7. Brie Mushroom and Honey Quesadillas (legit the best cheat meal on the planet)
8. Honey Glazed Crockpot Chicken Adobo

last minute recipes: christmas edition

When it's this close to game time, it's all about convenience so here are a handful of my favorite (and easy!) recipes of the season. 

1. Simple Champs with Cranberries 
2. Mini Dipped Smores
3. Pumpkin Glazed Turkey Legs 
4. Avocado and Pomegranate Crostini
5. Swedish Peppermint Caramels
6. Good ol' Hot Cocoa

Enjoy! 

last minute recipes: christmas edition

When it's this close to game time, it's all about convenience so here are a handful of my favorite (and easy!) recipes of the season. 

1. Simple Champs with Cranberries 
2. Mini Dipped Smores
3. Pumpkin Glazed Turkey Legs 
4. Avocado and Pomegranate Crostini
5. Swedish Peppermint Caramels
6. Good ol' Hot Cocoa

Enjoy! 

food: savory chili

You asked for it, you've got it. Earlier this week I posted this image on Instagram and got a flood of inquiries for the recipe.  Living in California, I can count the number of times it rains a year, so we've started our own little family tradition that when it rains, I make chili.  If you live in Southern California you can vouch for the fact that it did not rain, but I'm pretty sure it misted for at least 10 minutes and it was under 70 degrees all day, so I was able to easily justify a rain day.

I've talked about my philosophy on cooking before, but I'll say it again, I believe in healthy eating, local ingredients and easy "methods."  I don't believe in recipes, I don't count calories, I just believe in making good tasting, good-for-you food. So I'll share my 'recipe' for this creation, but please know that I simply used what I had on hand and this method truly can be used for whatever you may have fresh.  I started it early and let it simmer all day, it truly gets better with every hour it sits!

Method:

• Dice and sauté one sweet onion and one red pepper in olive oil, salt and pepper over medium heat. Just throw them in the biggest pot you have as it will be the vessel for the entire dish.
• When the veggies are soft (about 3-5 minutes), add a pound of ground turkey and break it down into your desired consistency.  I like mine broken down as fine as I can get it.
• Once the turkey is cooked through, add flavor!  For this dish I used 1 tablespoon of each of the following: Chili Powder, Cumin, Curry Powder, Cinnamon and Agave Nectar. If I don't have Agave Nectar I'll use Honey or Maple Syrup.  If I'm in a rush, I'll add a few splashes of red wine to help the flavors develop faster. The moral of the story is experiment!
• Add veggies! Zucchini, Squash and Peppers are my go-to's but I didn't have any on hand so I added half a bag of frozen-roasted corn, frozen green beans and some leftover spaghetti squash. The more veggies you add, the better!
• Once all of your veggies have had a few minutes to play with the seasonings and come to temperature, add beans and tomatoes. I added chili beans, black beans, crushed and diced tomatoes.  
• Bring the entire pot to a low boil, cover and turn to simmer for as long as you can.

When ready to serve, there are endless options for garnishments. Avocados, cheese, red onion, sour cream, hot sauce, but unfortunately I had none of them on hand!  Not one to skimp out on the extras, I mixed a half cup of greek yogurt with half a lime and let me tell you, I would have never known it wasn't sour cream!

I hadn't planned on making Chili, otherwise I may have had other (more traditional) ingredients on hand but I love that every time we make this comfort dish it is just a little different than the last.  Enjoy!

food: savory chili

You asked for it, you've got it. Earlier this week I posted this image on Instagram and got a flood of inquiries for the recipe.  Living in California, I can count the number of times it rains a year, so we've started our own little family tradition that when it rains, I make chili.  If you live in Southern California you can vouch for the fact that it did not rain, but I'm pretty sure it misted for at least 10 minutes and it was under 70 degrees all day, so I was able to easily justify a rain day.

I've talked about my philosophy on cooking before, but I'll say it again, I believe in healthy eating, local ingredients and easy "methods."  I don't believe in recipes, I don't count calories, I just believe in making good tasting, good-for-you food. So I'll share my 'recipe' for this creation, but please know that I simply used what I had on hand and this method truly can be used for whatever you may have fresh.  I started it early and let it simmer all day, it truly gets better with every hour it sits!

Method:

• Dice and sauté one sweet onion and one red pepper in olive oil, salt and pepper over medium heat. Just throw them in the biggest pot you have as it will be the vessel for the entire dish.
• When the veggies are soft (about 3-5 minutes), add a pound of ground turkey and break it down into your desired consistency.  I like mine broken down as fine as I can get it.
• Once the turkey is cooked through, add flavor!  For this dish I used 1 tablespoon of each of the following: Chili Powder, Cumin, Curry Powder, Cinnamon and Agave Nectar. If I don't have Agave Nectar I'll use Honey or Maple Syrup.  If I'm in a rush, I'll add a few splashes of red wine to help the flavors develop faster. The moral of the story is experiment!
• Add veggies! Zucchini, Squash and Peppers are my go-to's but I didn't have any on hand so I added half a bag of frozen-roasted corn, frozen green beans and some leftover spaghetti squash. The more veggies you add, the better!
• Once all of your veggies have had a few minutes to play with the seasonings and come to temperature, add beans and tomatoes. I added chili beans, black beans, crushed and diced tomatoes.  
• Bring the entire pot to a low boil, cover and turn to simmer for as long as you can.

When ready to serve, there are endless options for garnishments. Avocados, cheese, red onion, sour cream, hot sauce, but unfortunately I had none of them on hand!  Not one to skimp out on the extras, I mixed a half cup of greek yogurt with half a lime and let me tell you, I would have never known it wasn't sour cream!

I hadn't planned on making Chili, otherwise I may have had other (more traditional) ingredients on hand but I love that every time we make this comfort dish it is just a little different than the last.  Enjoy!

oktoberfest: beer + mustard tasting party

Sometimes you just need a good night spent with friends.  So, with Fall upon us. I thought it would be fun to host a little Oktoberfest party! It was a great excuse to invite over friends and family for a night full of beers and brats. To get into the spirit, we kicked things off with a German beer and mustard tasting. Heading into the night, we lit the fire, ate some brats and indulged in rich German Chocolate Cake.  It was heaven.

Wondering what to wear to a backyard Oktoberfest?  I donned my favorite black jeans, a comfy tee, gold accessories (including my gold-clad boots) and an army jacket for the chilly night.  Happy Oktoberfest!

oktoberfest: beer + mustard tasting party

Sometimes you just need a good night spent with friends.  So, with Fall upon us. I thought it would be fun to host a little Oktoberfest party! It was a great excuse to invite over friends and family for a night full of beers and brats. To get into the spirit, we kicked things off with a German beer and mustard tasting. Heading into the night, we lit the fire, ate some brats and indulged in rich German Chocolate Cake.  It was heaven.

Wondering what to wear to a backyard Oktoberfest?  I donned my favorite black jeans, a comfy tee, gold accessories (including my gold-clad boots) and an army jacket for the chilly night.  Happy Oktoberfest!

simple fall salad

Even though we're experiencing a heat wave in California, I'm doing what I can to start slipping into the transition of fall. Brussels sprouts just so happen to be my favorite vegetable, so when we found them unseasonably early at the farmers market I bought enough to eat for a week!  This salad came as a simple lunch following a dinner of balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and beets.  It was super simple and beautiful as the beets turned the whole thing a beautiful beet red!  

Here are the ingredients for the perfect, simple fall salad:

• A few handfuls of your favorite spring mix
• Balsamic roasted beats & brussels sprouts
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (I do it twice to avoid unnecessary clean up) and fill with washed and quartered brussels (the smaller they are the quicker they become tender and the less likely they are to hold on to their bitterness) and wash, peel and thinly slice beets.  Toss in olive oil and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  At the 20 minute mark, toss around the veggies to ensure even roasting and douse in balsamic vinegar.  Roast for another 10-15 minutes until tender.  You'll know they're done when the balsamic has caramelized.
• Leftover chicken (really, any decent chicken recipe would do)
• Olive oil + balsamic vinegar 
• Sliced brie

Mix all the ingredients together, toss and garnish with fresh cracked salt + pepper. Enjoy!  

simple fall salad

Even though we're experiencing a heat wave in California, I'm doing what I can to start slipping into the transition of fall. Brussels sprouts just so happen to be my favorite vegetable, so when we found them unseasonably early at the farmers market I bought enough to eat for a week!  This salad came as a simple lunch following a dinner of balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and beets.  It was super simple and beautiful as the beets turned the whole thing a beautiful beet red!  

Here are the ingredients for the perfect, simple fall salad:

• A few handfuls of your favorite spring mix
• Balsamic roasted beats & brussels sprouts
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (I do it twice to avoid unnecessary clean up) and fill with washed and quartered brussels (the smaller they are the quicker they become tender and the less likely they are to hold on to their bitterness) and wash, peel and thinly slice beets.  Toss in olive oil and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  At the 20 minute mark, toss around the veggies to ensure even roasting and douse in balsamic vinegar.  Roast for another 10-15 minutes until tender.  You'll know they're done when the balsamic has caramelized.
• Leftover chicken (really, any decent chicken recipe would do)
• Olive oil + balsamic vinegar 
• Sliced brie

Mix all the ingredients together, toss and garnish with fresh cracked salt + pepper. Enjoy!  

gourmet grilled cheese: sriracha, gruyere and avocado

That's right, I said it.  Sriracha, gruyere and avocado grilled cheese.

We spent last weekend by the pool with friends and I made a trio of grilled cheese's.  We all agreed, this variation was just too good to have once so we made it again this week for a late night snack.

Following basic grilled cheese protocol, butter whole wheat sourdough and continue to layer gruyere, creamy avocado and sriracha to your heart's desire.  Pan fry on medium to high heat until you reach your desired color and crispness.  Don't forget fresh cracked salt & pepper while it's still hot.  Slice and serve.

It's truly sinfully creamy and spicy in all the right ways.  Beware, you won't be able to stop with just one. 

gourmet grilled cheese: sriracha, gruyere and avocado

That's right, I said it.  Sriracha, gruyere and avocado grilled cheese.

We spent last weekend by the pool with friends and I made a trio of grilled cheese's.  We all agreed, this variation was just too good to have once so we made it again this week for a late night snack.

Following basic grilled cheese protocol, butter whole wheat sourdough and continue to layer gruyere, creamy avocado and sriracha to your heart's desire.  Pan fry on medium to high heat until you reach your desired color and crispness.  Don't forget fresh cracked salt & pepper while it's still hot.  Slice and serve.

It's truly sinfully creamy and spicy in all the right ways.  Beware, you won't be able to stop with just one. 

a new kind of ice cream sandwich

Feeling a bit homesick last week, I thought I'd try to re-create one of our favorite local desserts. The ice cream sandwich. Not just any ice cream sandwich, the best ice cream sandwich.  The type you crave all year long (no matter the season) and the type that brings you back to the restaurant time and time again.

Unable to feed that hunger - I thought I'd try to create my take, only a more healthy version to allow for ultimate indulging.

Using miniature dark chocolate chunk cookies, frozen greek yogurt and chopped pistachios, I was able to give us a little taste of home without any of the guilt of the real thing.  I'm sure you can figure out the rest.  Scoop, plop, sandwich, roll.

A new household favorite for sure.

*all ingredients were conveniently (and inexpensively) purchased from Trader Joes

a new kind of ice cream sandwich

Feeling a bit homesick last week, I thought I'd try to re-create one of our favorite local desserts. The ice cream sandwich. Not just any ice cream sandwich, the best ice cream sandwich.  The type you crave all year long (no matter the season) and the type that brings you back to the restaurant time and time again.

Unable to feed that hunger - I thought I'd try to create my take, only a more healthy version to allow for ultimate indulging.

Using miniature dark chocolate chunk cookies, frozen greek yogurt and chopped pistachios, I was able to give us a little taste of home without any of the guilt of the real thing.  I'm sure you can figure out the rest.  Scoop, plop, sandwich, roll.

A new household favorite for sure.

*all ingredients were conveniently (and inexpensively) purchased from Trader Joes