tickle me tartare

 

No cooking, baking or kitchen needed to enjoy this fresh for summer dish. Steak tartare is the perfect appetizer for dinner parties or as a date night dare on the back porch with a bottle of wine. Trey and I enjoyed this simple, yet sophisticated supper with toasted rosemary potato bread, onions from my garden and all topped with a farm-fresh egg. If you like your meat pink, then tickle me tartare.

Steak Tartare

1 lb. high quality beef, diced

1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil

2 Tbsps. parsley, minced

1 sweet bulb onion, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

Taste of salt

Taste of pepper

1 farm-fresh egg, yolk only

1. Freeze meat for 10-20 minutes to make the meat easier to chop.

2. Combine all ingredients, except egg. Use both hands or a shaper to form the shape of a ball.

3. Finish with yolk of egg in the center. Enjoy with toasted bread or crackers.

*Optional: Add capers as garnish.

 

mama said there’ll be days like this

Some days all you want is chicken soup. Somehow the combination of shredded chicken and broth warms deep down in your soul. Instead of the traditional chicken soup with carrots and celery, I played to the advantage of my fridge stock and revamped my Mama’s Tortellini Soup recipe. With fresh spinach and my favorite Baby Bella portobello mushrooms, Mama said…Hey, don’t you worry.

Spinach and Portobello Mushroom Chicken Soup

1 1/2 c chicken, cooked and shredded

4 c chicken broth

2 c spinach, washed

1 c portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. EVOO

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1. In a large pot, bring chicken broth to a simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, sauté half of onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in EVOO. Once tender, add mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, chicken and remaining salt and pepper to broth. Simmer for 3-5 minutes before adding spinach and remaining onions and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes.

*For leftovers, add fresh spinach to broth for better results.

 

better nights with butternut squash lasagna

As the nights warm up, so does your schedule. No time to cook a healthy meal while the sun is still up. Enjoy the spring weather with your family and friends by prepping this veggie lasagna dish up to two days before. Pop in the oven. Bake. Serve with a baby spinach salad, a glass of pinot and sit around your outdoor table while taking in the last nights before bug spray and citronella candles. Butter me up, it’s springtime in Texas.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

1 butternut squash

No-boil lasagna noodles

2 c ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1. Trim 1/4-inch off the top and bottom of the butternut squash. Pierced with fork, wrap in wet paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes to soften the outer shell. Use a vegetable peeler to remove outer shell, cut in half, remove seeds and cube. *

2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook squash until tender with a fork. Drain.

3. Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend together squash, eggs, ricotta, 3/4 c Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on bottom. Using a spatula, spread a layer of squash and cheese puree over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Repeat until noodles reach the top of the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.

*Feel free to roast the butternut squash seeds like pumpkin seeds. Recipe.

Garden dog, Betsy Leigh Baker.”

 

 

#tbt travelstyle: big sur & blue skies

#throwbackthursday travelstyle to our Sept. 13-15, 2013 trip to San Jose, Carmel & beautiful Big Sur to watch Trey ask two of his friends if they want to do life together. Land in San Jose. Top Down. Highway 1 Drive to Big Sur. An incredible trip with an incredible man to celebrate an incredible couple. #EthanandHolly

first stop Bertucelli’s La Villa Deli for sandwiches almost as good as Trey’s Saturday Sub Sandwich and stacks on stacks of wine, fresh bread and cheese.

you, me & carmel-by-the-sea. Beachside cheers and luxury shopping tucked in hidden alleyways.

moment of mist & bliss along the PCH.

 morning run through the redwoods.

Enveloped by redwoods, our hotel the Glen Oaks Motor Lodge is one of our favorite hotels. Ever. Modern design inside a skeleton of an old motor lodge, each room features a private porch, heated recycled stone floors, a wine fridge, a garden of succulents and complimentary yoga mats. #namaste.

After our morning run along PCH, we stopped in Glen Oaks Big Sur Roadhouse across the street. We instantly feel in love with New Orleans chef Matt Glazer’s design of “homegrown modernism.” Everything from the wine barrel chairs to the leather wine rack, had a place and unique, West coast feel. Our morning fare consisted of:

Southern-Style Biscuits & Gravy: Two Buttermilk Biscuits with Hand-Made-Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich: Fried Egg, Smoked Bacon and New York White Cheddar Cheese

White Corn Grits: With Serrano Chile and Bellweather Farms Peppato Cheese

Of course, since he is from NOLA, we sipped on two Café au Laits in the gorgeous Cali sunshine.

#weknowwhatsup. The March 2014 issue of Food & Wine Magazine listed Big Sur Roadhouse as the place to be & eat. We knew it before it was famous.

big sir & blue skies.

pacific ocean hike revealed hidden waterfalls & a backpack of bubbly. Cheers!

my Main Man.

the wonderful reason for our trip. Two days to celebrate the amazing Ethan & Holly Kaufmann with Trey asking them for their I Do’s. #OrdainedOnline #BestBigSurViews #BestWeddingEver #EthanandHolly #LoveThem

After a night of music & s’mores, we circled back to where we started in the city of San Jose.  Morning breakfast at Naglee Park Garage.

Garden Scramble: Three Eggs, Cherry Tomatoes, Veggies & Goat Cheese

Bacon & Spinach Egg Lasagna: Layered Eggs, Spinach, Bacon, Mushrooms & Swiss Cheese

Big Sur, until next time.

 

 

i kale about you so much

Show some love to the one you are with by feeding them a healthy meal that fills them up without weighing them down. Look beyond red meat and wheat pasta and check out your local grocery store’s healthy living aisle with your favorite mealtime staples substituted with different ingredients that give you the same great taste, without the nutrient waste. My mom found a new brand of dried pasta made from sweet corn, squash and carrots to give you a #glutenfree and #paleo meal that the entire family will love. I love to make zucchini pasta, but Trey thinks the fresh vegetable texture is not comparable to real spaghetti. Now with this new dried paleo pasta in my cupboard, I can fold in ground turkey and garden, fresh kale to let everyone in my family know that #ikaleaboutthemsomuch and praise my delicious, paleo dish.

Dried Vegetable Pasta with Turkey and Kale

1 box of dried vegetable spaghetti

1 lb. ground turkey

1/c c kale, chopped

1 sweet bulb onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1/2  c dairy-free French onion dip

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, sauté  onion and garlic in EVOO until tender. Brown turkey and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender and drain. Set aside.

3. Combine onion dip and drained pasta in medium saucepan with ground turkey. Fold in kale.

 

 

cauliflower calling

Bread crumbs from my garden to my kitchen countertop.”

As my winter garden nears the autumn of its garden life span, I start to long for spring vegetables with new flavors. To get out of my over-veg funk I started researching new ways to cook old favorites. A little cauliflower calling shook up my dinner and my chicken cutlets too.

Cauliflower Breaded Chicken 

1 lb. chicken tenders

2 c cauliflower florets

1/4 c EVOO

1 egg

1/4 c buttermilk

1 clove of garlic, minced

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a food processor, minced cauliflower. Spread out on non-stick baking sheet for one hour, turning every 15 minutes. Put aside in medium bowl.

2. Turn oven up to 425 degrees. Beat egg and buttermilk together. Add minced garlic, salt and pepper.

3. Coat non-stick baking sheet with EVOO. Dredge chicken in egg mixture then cauliflower crumbs and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Recipe modified from Mom Foodie.

go for the gold

Let the Sochi games begin. With winter weather below freezing, cheering on #TeamUSA during Friday’s Opening Ceremony felt like we had a front row seat to the Winter Olympic Games. Trey and I warmed up with Ruby by our side, a bottle of another Team’s wine and my stovetop burning as bright as the Olympic Flame. Go for the gold with our Sochi Squash Soup, Medal-Winning Corn Muffins and Double Axel Chocolate-Crème Fraîche cookies. With a team of ingredients this good, there is sure to be no #SochiFail in your kitchen.

Butternut Squash Soup

4 c butternut squash, peeled and cubed

6 c chicken stock

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1/4 c heavy cream

1 onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp.  cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in EVOO until tender. Add squash, stock, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender to mash with a fork around 20-25 minutes.

2. With a slotted spoon, remove squash and puree. Mix squash puree, butter and cream in soup. Add a garnish of basil or rosemary.

Gluten Free Rosemary Maple Corn Muffins

1 c gluten free cornmeal
1 cup spelt flour (or regular ap flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c canola oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, stir together until just combined. Don’t overmix.

5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full, and bake 18-20 minutes.

6. Let them cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, remove them, and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

Recipe from Love and Lemons.

Chocolate-Crème Fraîche Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

16 oz. bittersweet chocolate
¼ c coconut flour or all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1½ c brown sugar
½ c unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Crème Fraîche Ingredients:

1 c heavy cream

2 Tbsp. greek, plain yogurt

1. Make crème fraîche 24 to 48 hours before. In a jar, combine cream and yogurt and let sit at room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 8 oz. chocolate in double boiler over stovetop. Let cool.

3. Whisk flour, baking power and salt in small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter. In a small bowl, beat eggs then gradually pour in brown sugar and butter mix. Add crème fraîche and melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients and remaining 8 oz. chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.

4. On parchment-lined baking sheets, roll dough in tablespoon-sized amounts, 2″ a part. Cook for 18-22 minutes.

Cookie recipe modified from Bon Appetit. 

paleo pasta

New year, new resolutions. I usually don’t jump the trend train and throw everything out of my cupboard that doesn’t have GF next to it or decide to live a vegan lifestyle, but for 2014, I was inspired to go Paleo. What’s Paleo? Basically sans all grains, dairy and legumes to focus on meat and veggies. Why? To go back to simpler times and to see if processed foods really are as bad for you as they say (but that’s why they are so delicious, right?). So far, so good. I have had more energy than ever before for my high-intensty spin class, I haven’t had a desire to snack and that nagging Texas cold finally seemed to pass. I packed up my new Williams-Sonoma paderno spiralizer, a sack of zucchini and a bottle of Cab for a different kind of date night dish.

Paleo Spaghetti

4 zucchinis, peeled

1 lb. ground beef

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 c baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp. EVOO

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Tomato Sauce

1. In a medium-hot pan, saute garlic and onion in EVOO until tender. Brown ground beef. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato sauce and let simmer for one hour.

2. Using a spiralizer or potato peeler, shoestring zucchini into “noodles”.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cooked zucchini noodles for 3-4 minutes. Drain. Serve sauce on top of paleo spaghetti.

santa fe: red or green

first stop: Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant, Plaza Cafe. on tap: Sierra Blanca Roswell Alien Amber Ale.

the historic diner is located downtown in the original location where it has continued to serve New Mexican cuisine since 1905. When asked ‘red or green’ go for ‘christmas’ to get a mix of both the red chile and green chile sauce. If I lived in NM, I would want it to be Christmas every day.

on my plate: Pork Menudo: hominy stew with cabbage, onion, lime and cilantro.  Served with chile and a flour tortilla.

winter walk on the plaza square after lunch to view the beauty of The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The Cathedral Bells rang just in time for us to see a bride walk through the doors to get married exactly 6 months to the date of our wedding day!

pasta prelude

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” -Henry Ward Beecher

A few days away from one of my favorite holidays. Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, National Dog Show and an entire day to spend in the kitchen with my family. As an only child, we have some unique traditions. A turkey breast to feed the three of us, cinnamon apple slices to prep our taste buds for the pumpkin pie and my daddy’s fruit salad that takes him the entire day to cut each piece of fruit perfectly. Before I head home for the holidays to feast on homecooked favs, I decided to do a semi-homemade version of a dish from my archives. Homemade Ravioli with Chardonnay Cream Sauce is still one of my favorite meals, but hard to execute after work. This recipe rewind features store-bought Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli, found in the refrigerated section, homemade sauce and a finishing touch of basil to give your stovetop and stomach a rest before the big day! Joyeux Thanksgiving!

Semi-Homemade Ravioli Dish

1 package of pre made ravioli

2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 sprigs of basil

Chardonnay Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 c minced shallots
1 3/4 c dry chardonnay
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c of shredded Italian blend cheeses

 1. Cook ravioli as directed.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter and when foamy, add shallots and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chardonnay, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream and combine well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes; the mixture will thicken slightly. Add Italian blend cheese and stir to melt.

3. Pour over drained ravioli and coat well. Finish with Parmesan cheese and basil.