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.

 

subscriptions & strawberries

PTL. I can finally feel the sun warming my long, winter worries away. The delayed Easter holiday really pushed back the spring schedule. I see afternoons of lotion, La Croix and lounging yardside in my future. For a printemps preview, I soaked up some rays during my lunch hour with spinach, spice and one thing real nice: the Europe issue of Travel + Leisure. This light dish is as unexpected as the hidden alleyways in Paris. See if you can spot what spices up my spinach and strawberry salad. Some kind of wonderful.

Spicy Spinach & Strawberry Salad

2 c spinach, washed

1/2 c strawberries, sliced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. EVOO

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. In medium-sized bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and onion.

2. Drizzle EVOO and balsamic vinegar over salad and mix well. Finish with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

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.

 

 

pizza et vin

It’s Friday! Time for a carpool trip to Blockbuster for two or three overpriced VHS tapes starring Freddie Prinze Jr.,  some Nerds Rope Candy and my best girlfriends. I wish. Sigh for circa 1998. Netflix may have replaced Blockbuster and Ryan Gosling for Prinze, Jr., but nothing can replace pizza night. Carbs and cheese delivered right to your door. What more could a girl want? Wine. We always want wine. Enjoy a grown-up girl’s night in with the best pizza et vin guide and if you’re lucky, She’s All That streaming on Netflix. #LaneyForPromQueen

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.

#tbt travelstyle: unBELIZEable

#throwbackthursday travel to an unBELIZEable vacation with my family and fiancé. From snorkeling with dolphins to shopping in straw markets to discovering a hidden restaurant, we made the most out of our 8 hour adventure in the country of Belize. You better BELIZE it!

beachside bliss on a small island getaway. Look at that #StarfishLove

snorkel before. hey dolphin following our boat. snorkel after.

a few of my favorite things. Baker’s, Beers and one hot Babe. We always ask for local beers and Belize had an amazing collection. Lighthouse Lager & Belikin, known as the Beer of Belize.

you + me, belize at sea.

climbing for coconut. Showing off our fav sunscreen, SunBum. Seriously the best skin care. Get it. Wear it. Love it.

people and places. To Do: 1. Shop the straw market for handmade souvenirs. 2. Take a water taxi to enjoy the Belize views. 3. Drink Belikin and repeat as necessary. 4. Stop and smell the Ixora, my favorite flower found all over the Caribbean. 5. Visit St. John’s Anglican Cathedral. Constructed in 1812, it was the first church to be built in the colony of British Honduras. 6. Stroll the streets and meet the people of Belize. 7. Find hidden water alleys for breathtaking view of blue. 8. Hold something ancient. 9. Blessed by Belize beauty in all things.

trey discovered a hidden, local hangout that serves incredible food. Jerk chicken, red beans & rice, coastal potato salad, all served with the best sauces we have ever tried. Oh and of course, a few Belize brewed beers.

end the day with a water alley view and Belize hot sauce as a traditional souvenir for Trey.

our signature goodbye with a little tequila. Belize, until next time.

très chic et faim

Qu’est-ce qu’un bon livre?

#TGIF. The weekend is finally here. Enjoy the small taste of spring weather this Saturday by ordering your café au lait at Barnes & Noble so you can pick up a little Paris for the park. These are some of my favorite Parisian paperbacks that offer a unique marriage of fashion et food. Forget your library, de livres of love stories were written to be stored next to your Le Creuset or Louboutins.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard

In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman—and never went home again. Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pavé au poivre, the steak’spink juices puddling into the buttery pepper sauce? LUNCH IN PARIS is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs—one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine.

Forever Chic: Frenchwomen’s Secrets for Timeless Beauty, Style, and Substance by Tish Jett

For any woman who last saw forty on her speedometer comes a sparkling new primer for aging—the French way—with grace and style. Frenchwomen of a certain age (over forty) are captivating and complex. They appear younger than their years and remain stylish throughout their lives. American-born journalist and blogger Tish Jett has lived among the French for years and has studied them and stalked them to learn their secrets. Exploring how their wardrobe, beauty, diet, and hair rituals evolve with time and how some aspects of their signature styles never change, Jett shows how Frenchwomen know their strengths, hide their weaknesses, and never talk about their fears, failures, or flaws. After all, in France, beauty, style, and charm have no expiration dates!

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas

Forever a girl obsessed with all things French, sweet freak Amy Thomas landed a gig as rich as the purest dark chocolate: leave Manhattan for Paris to write ad copy for Louis Vuitton. Working on the Champs-Élysées, strolling the charming streets, and exploring the best patisseries and boulangeries, Amy marveled at the magnificence of the City of Light. Part love letter to Paris, part love letter to New York, and total devotion to all things sweet, PARIS, MY SWEET is a treasure map for anyone with a hunger for life.

Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic by Isabelle Thomas and Frederique Veysset

One city always seems to win the award for most-wanted style—Paris, where people walking down the avenues mix timeless and trendy pieces in a way that appears effortless. French fashion writers Isabelle Thomas and Frédérique Veysset break down the “je ne sais quoi” of Paris street style, describing the essential elements that should be in everyone’s wardrobe. Starring both fashion icons and anonymous women met on the streets of Paris and richly illustrated with hand-drawn sketches and Veysset’s striking photographs, Paris Street Style is an inspirational fashion guide that will allow you, no matter where you are from, to cultivate an everyday style of timeless glamour, careless, easy chic—votre style français.