Wine and Dine: Shroomtown

Well hello there world, it's been awhile! Yesterday I took my last final and got a much needed break from the craziness of work.  To celebrate, Shana threw a fantastic wine tasting party! Okay, so it wasn't really for me.  But, it was just what I needed - fun times with all my closest gal pals.  For the occasion, I made goat-cheese stuffed mushrooms to pair with my wine assignment, Cabernet Sauvignon.  Although I didn't come out the winner overall and was stripped of my crown, {good job AGK} I thought these made a great appetizer! Nom-Nom

Ingredients
Olive oil
3 slices white sandwich bread
1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt
2 packages (10 ounces each) white button mushrooms, stems removed

Directions 
- Preheat over to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a food processor, pulse bread and garlic until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside.  To food processor, add goat cheese, parsley, and red-pepper flakes.  Season with salt, and pulse filling until combined.
- Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs.  Place on prepared baking sheet; bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

*Thank you Martha as always.

End of night.  #somuchlove

FFF's "Super Granola"

My friend Tara, a.k.a. "Fun Fearless Foodie", was raving Saturday about a granola recipe she made.  Never one to sit on a yummy recipe for too long, especially one coming from the only chef I know, Sunday morning I was revving up the oven and baking away bright and early.  I used a slight variation of her recipe {different nuts and dried fruit}, but  as she says, you can use whatever combination you are craving and it's sure to be delicious.  The recipe is especially great because it's all natural and contains no refined sugars.  I brought it into the office to share, and it was a hit amongst all the picky eaters.  Click here to follow Tara's NYC foodie excursions.

"Super Granola" the Fun Fearless Foodie Way

Ingredients: 
4 cups organic rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup organic pure honey
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (I used craisins, apricots, and goji berries)

Directions  

(Yield: 8 cups)

1) Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and brush with a light coat of coconut oil.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2) Add the dry ingredients into a large bowl and toss.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, almond butter, and honey.

4) Pour the oil mixture into bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until coated evenly.  Keep stirring until all the oats are coated.

5) Spread the granola mixture onto the prepared sheet tray, making sure it is in an even layer.

6) Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove and stir the granola, this will ensure it browns evenly.  Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until it is golden brown and toasted.  The grains will be slightly soft.  Keep an eye on it to make sure nuts don't burn.

7) Break up with your spatula and allow to cool.  Once cool, stir in dried fruit.

8) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated to preserve freshness.

TA-DA..

The Final Product

Additional note: We started a chia seed experiment in our office by planting some of the seeds from the granola to see if we can grow our own little chia pet.  I'm excited to see what happens, but will be a tad concerned if something I've been ingesting over the last year will also grow in grimy soil and a lil NYC sunshine.  I'll report back later on the outcome.  

Will it grow?? Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia

Lizzzz Lemon Loves Lentils

 If you don't understand the reference in the title, then you must check out the Oprah "30 Rock" clip here.  It will have you giggling, or at the very least spontaneously shouting "Lizzzzz Lemon" like me and LW.  Anyways, I'm sure Oprah would have added the recipe I cooked up last night, thanks to Kara Shelby's recommendation, to her favorite things list {had she not decided to get greedy and start her OWN network}.  The recipe was quick to make and filling {two of my most important requirements}.  The dish can be served steaming hot, room temperature, freezing cold, you name it - it works.  Perfect for those summer BBQs.  

LEMONY LENTIL SALAD W. ASPARAGUS & SPRING HERBS
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of pre-made steamed lentils, rinsed
1/2 pound of asparagus, trimmed
1/8 cup of chopped almonds
4 scallions, white and light-green parts only, finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill fronds

1/4 cup of mushrooms 

* The original recipe called for walnuts instead of almonds, crumbled feta, and parsley.  Kara and I both used different ingredients from what it called for, and enjoyed, so use whatever your heart's desire!

 

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1 inch of water to a boil.  Place the asparagus in the basket to steam for 5 minutes.  Run the asparagus under cool water, then slice into 2-inch pieces and set aside. 

2.  In a medium saucepan, heat the rinsed lentils with the EVOO for 3-4 minutes.  Add the almonds, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, mushrooms, dill and salt. 

3.  Remove from heat.  Plate.  Enjoy!  

 

  {FOR DESSERT: Fresh berries and lychees}

Crispy Quinoa

Big Girls Small Kitchen offers quick go-to recipes for the working New Yorker {obviously it can be for any busy mom or working girl, but the small kitchen stipulation may not apply}.  Absent the fact that I love the witty title of their blog, I'm always intrigued to make one of their easy, healthy options.  Tonight I finally took the plunge.  Though it pains me to say it, since it comes from my least favorite chef, "YUM-O".  I added my own twist to this recipe, subbing the wild rice with quinoa and throwing in some steamed kale.  Everyone should get to their kitchen and fire up that stove pronto!

Quinoa with Crispy Mushrooms, Craisins, Toasted Almonds + Kale

Ingredients
1 cup of Quinoa
About 1/2 cup olive oil
10 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cups of kale
1 clove garlic, minced with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dried craisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a large, heavy pot bring at least 2 cups of water to boiling. Salt it well. Reduce to simmer and add the quinoa.  Cover, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the mushrooms: heat a heavy frying pan (cast iron works great) for about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. You might have to do this in more than one batch. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip the mushrooms (as best you can – I don’t expect you’ll flip every one on its own). Cook another two minutes, then scrape out into a bowl. Add another tablespoon oil and repeat with remaining mushrooms if not all the slices fit the first time.  

Next, add two tablespoons of water to the frying pan, add kale and cover to steam until bright color. 

To make the dressing, combine the minced garlic with the honey, vinegar, and mustard. Whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Taste for salt.

In a serving bowl, combine the quinoa, mushrooms, kale, craisins and all but a few of the almonds. Add about half the dressing. Toss well, and taste to see if you’d like more dressing.

Garnish with the remaining almonds. Serve cold or room temperature.

All Hale Kale

After a short hiatus, kale has made its way back into the kitchen at 5D.  Just before I left work yesterday I stumbled upon the below recipe.  I've been wanting to try the Trader Joe's version for sometime, and knew this was just what the detox doctor ordered after a weekend full of eating.  The salad was made in less time than it took for my rose petal face mask to dry, and is filled with an abundance of nutrients.  What else could you ask for?

Kale, Cranberry, Chickpea, Edamame Salad

Ingredients

Dressing
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced or crushed
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad
4 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale, ribs removed (this is about 4 ounces of kale)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup dried cranberries, such as Craisins, soaked in boiling water to hydrate
1 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
Mint
Basil
A few carrot shreds (if you have them, for color)
Garnish: Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a large salad bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Into the bowl throw the kale, chickpeas, cranberries and edamame. Mince a handful of mint and a handful of basil leaves and toss them in, along with some carrot shreds, if available.
3. Toss salad well to combine, and garnish with cherry tomatoes.
4. Serves 6 as a side salad, or 2-3 as a main dish for kooky kale-lovers (THAT'S ME)

AFTER

BEFORE

Brussels Sprout Pesto Pasta

Last night I was feeling lazy and didn't want to go on a grocery run  to cook dinner.  I decided to go on a hunt for a recipe that included only what I had on hand.  Thanks to Epicurious and Pinterest all you have to do is type in the ingredients you have and you are bombarded with a slew of options, never having to leave the confines of your cozy apartment. I'm not a huge fan of pesto, but am a fan of trying different things.  When I saw a pesto that was brussels sprout based instead of the usual basil, I was sold.  The following is what ensued:

Brussels Sprout Pesto Pasta

2 Cups of Brussels Sprouts
1 Package of Tofu Shirataki Noodles (or you can use regular spaghetti)
1/4 Cup of Slivered Almonds
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Lemon
*The recipe called for Parmesan cheese but I didn't have any.

Add-Ins:
1/4 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Cup of Broccoli
1/4 Cup of Cauliflower
*Capers would have added a nice saltiness had they been on hand, but please see above regarding laziness.

On a greased cookie sheet put the add ins on and season to taste.  Put in the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Steam the brussels sprouts in a sauce pan with 2 cups of salted boiling water.

Once the brussels sprouts are tender and a bright green, put them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer them to a food processor with the garlic and olive. Blend well.  Add in almonds, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Puree until a smooth consistency.

Next prepare the shirataki noodles.  Rinse well.  Then you can either put them in the microwave for 2 minutes on high or on the stove stop to get all the moisture out.  This step is crucial since it is what eliminates the smell that people often complain about.  They are SUCH a great alternative to pasta though, so I'd highly recommend the substitution. 

Mix everything together in a bowl.  Pour glass of wine.  Turn on Glee. Vi-ola!!

B-Bar: Not the One on Bowery...

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. My usual week day morning meal includes greek yogurt, granola and a banana or oatmeal with a scoop of peanut butter.  I've been getting a little bored with the combinations lately so I was ready to try something new.  In swoops my lovely sister to the rescue, who sent me the following recipe that is easy, delicious and healthy.  It's a combination of some of my favorite elements.   Bon Appétit!

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars aka "B-Bars"

2-3 Ripe Bananas, mashed

1 1/2 Cups of Quick Oats

1 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

1/4 Cup of Raisins or Craisins

Cinnamon to taste

* I also added a smidge of vanilla extract

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees

2) Mix all ingredients together well. 

3) Put mixture in circle shapes on a greased cookie sheet. 

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes

Makes 15 cookies/bars at about 60 calories per serving.

A Very Pemstein Passover

Chag Sameach everyone! I hope you all had yummy passover seders blessed with all sorts of bitter herbs, finding the afikomen and manichevitz.  Passover is one of my favorite holidays.  What with it being a mitzvah to have at least four glasses of wine and having an excuse to eat matzo for eight days, who wouldn't love it?

Chocolate Covered Matzah

It's always great to celebrate holidays with friends, a.k.a my NY family, when I can't be home in Atlanta with the Haynes clan.  I attended, for the second year, passover seder at the Pemstein's.  Like all great Pemstein events, it did not disappoint with the highlights being a flawless service led by Rabbi Pema, the gifted culinary skills of Yessica, and a female dominated Cranium match up.

Homemade Macaroons

For the occasion I brought a salad, pomegranate infused carrots (a DeeDee Lynn special), chocolate covered matzah and homemade macaroons.  Check out the links for recipes!  The highlight of the meal  for me was Jess' spinach casserole.  It was a different take on the spinach entree that would make Popeye proud.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 packages of chopped spinach - defrosted and drained
2 eggs beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup matzah meal
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
Directions:
Mix all together and turn into casserole dish.  Bake 1 hour and 30 mins at 350 degrees.  Add melted margarine/butter to top when reheating.  Add salt and pepper for taste.

Hope the next seven days fly by for everyone if you are keeping passover!  Don't forget to fill up on fruit for some extra fiber to keep things in motion ;)

Pistachio Pudding Puh-lease

** Raise your hand if you are sick of A) my alliteration titles, or B) posting about things today.  Hand goes up.  Don't worry this is the last for both, well definitely B, the cheesy titles I just can't help**

I found this recipe on one of the many blogs that I follow for "G.R.I.T.S" (girls raised in the south).  It's been a relaxing and cold weekend, so I decided baking would be a great way to end it.  If you are a fan of pistachios, or looking for something to bring to a St. Patty's day celebration this is a great option. 

1 Box White Cake Mix
1 Small Box of Pistachio Pudding
4 Eggs
1 1/4 c. Water
1/4 c. Oil
1 tbsp. some type of extract (I used almond extract)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. After removing the pan, run a knife around the edges gently to loosen the cake. Place your plate on top of the pan and flip it over. It should come out easily. If it doesn't, better luck next time :) 

If you really want to get fancy, you can also add an almond or orange juice glaze:

1/4 c. of powdered sugar

splash of almond extract

splash of milk

Mix and drizzle. 

She added some green food coloring, but it creeped me out a little, so I just settled with the natural green hue from the pistachio pudding mix.  She also suggested to add some pistachios to the mix, which I agree would have given it a bit more texture. I think I will try that the next go around.  Happy Baking!

Weekend Update

This weekend was packed with music, food, and running around.  Friday was a long day to say the least.  I was extremely swamped at work and only functioning on four hours of sleep after the debacle of which was our holiday party Thursday night (that will be a separate post later this week).  Having a lapse in judgment a few months ago, I decided to get tickets to a concert, not taking into account the 8 hours of straight dancing I was going to do the night before.  I begrudgingly dragged myself to the Upper West Side, but I am BEYOND glad that I did.  We went to see Ghostland Observatory at Terminal 5, which was an electro funk dance party extravaganza.  Lauren's friend Dan had gone to see the band in DC and so we decided to tag along and check it out. The. concert. was. amazing.  The Austin, Texas based band is comprised of two guys, a guitar, a synthesizer, and a trippy light show.  The intimate venue was perfect for the crowd, with two levels of standing/dancing room.  If I were you I would try and find the closest Ghostland Observatory concert, as well as checking out Terminal 5 - I'll be there in February for Girl Talk!!

Saturday morning I started the day out with a group brunch at Jane in the West Village.  Jane is owned by the same group as one of my favorites, The Smith, so I've been wanting to try it for a while.  Over the last couple of years my food buds have changed a good bit, and one of the things I have learned to love are mushrooms.  Thus, I got the mushroom omelet and it was everything that I had hoped for.  This, coupled with the good company and bloody mary's, was a perfect start to a beautiful winter day.  After brunch we headed into SoHo.  One of my favorite places to get jewelry is at the Young Designers Market on Mulberry Street.  It is an old gym that is filled with 20-30 vendors who are contemporary designers throughout the city selling their items at wholesale prices.  For the past six months I've been looking for a designer who I love, Elma Blint, and she was finally there!  Unlike me, she comes out of hibernation for the winter and cut me a deal on some goodies since I had been so anxiously awaiting her return.

Saturday night I headed uptown for dinner at Sojourn in the UES with Weiss, Mel, Shay and Katie Kitchen who was visiting from DC. The restaurant has on old wine cellar feel with current hits playing in the background, its the place to be on Saturday night above 60th street.  The tapas style menu makes it perfect for a group.  We shared a bunch of appetizers and I partook in the artichokes and baby bok choy, which were both great.  For dinner I got the roasted butternut squash salad which was perfect for a cold winter night.  After dinner we went to Loreley to celebrate Kara's boyfriend Brett's birthday and then headed over to the West Village Gallaway Hooker, which has less of an offensive odor than its sister bar in Midtown.  All in all, a perfect day!!

Today I went to brunch with Hillya at Balaboosta in Soho.  It had a homey decor with tile flooring, black and white family portraits, and dark wood bookcases filled with cookbooks. Surprisingly, there was no wait when we got there, most likely due to many people's fear of the cold that has swept the East Coast.  We were torn by two dishes on the menu so we opted to share both, the poached egg on grilled challah and green eggs scramble.  The poached eggs were perfectly paired with mushrooms and butternut squash (you can tell I don't veer far when I find something I like).  The scramble were equally delicious, though I was a little hesitant to eat green eggs, despite Dr. Seuss.  The best part of the meal was the quinoa hash that accompanied the green eggs.  I absolutely love quinoa because its healthy, filling, and easy to cook up with any ingredients.  Balaboosta took it to another level with the way they prepared this healthy grain, think of a McDonald's hashbrown and then take away the cup of grease.












After lunch we walked around Soho and I again fed my shopping addiction, but it was worth it.  We stumbled upon a store called Brandy & Melville on Spring between Broadway and Mulberry. It got its start across the pond in Europe with over 50 stores, and has since had a strong hold in the LA market.  The style of the clothing is extremely west coast-esque with cropped sweaters and cinched sleeves.  Thankfully the prices were also west coast-esque, they were giving away clothes by New York shopping standards.  Following this great find, we went to check out the Kardashian's new venture DASH NYC, which was less than thrilling and more than tacky. 

    I winded down the day with attempting to make some holiday treats for the office.  My co-worker brought me peppermint Hershey kisses last week, and I got to thinking that it would taste great melted over rice krispie treats.  And it would, had I not burned the chocolate.  Lessons learned: a) don't turn away from the stove, and b) don't mess with a classic.  Luckily I hadn't used the entire bag when I first prepared my topping, so I was able to scrounge enough for half the batch.

That was my weekend in a nutshell.  I hope you all had a great one as well!!  And I will leave you with this image of the adorable Sophia who I watched last week while Lanie was out of town.

Meat-less, Pasta-less Deliciousness

Most of you who know me know that a) I don't eat meat, b) I overdosed on pasta in high school, so I seldom eat it, and c) I love to cook!  A few years ago, I hosted a Rosh Hashanah dinner at my apartment and decided to search for a vegetarian main course that everyone could enjoy.  I stumbled upon a healthy recipe from the Food Network for "Vegetable Lasagna Casserole".  I've made it once or twice since then and it's always a crowd pleaser.  Last week a co-worker was looking for a recipe to make and I immediately thought of this favorite of mine.  Tonight, since it's been awhile, I decided to make it for dinner as well.  Here is the recipe if you are ever in need of a good lasagna:

Ingredients:

• 2 small zucchini
• 2 small summer squash
• Kosher salt
• 2 red bell peppers
• 7 ounces ow fat goat cheese
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives
• 2 teaspoons fresh Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 jar tomato sauce (I used tomato basil)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 

Preparation:
Slice zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick strips. Lay the strips out on baking sheet pan and salt generously. Set aside.

Roast the peppers over a gas flame or broil on a sheet pan until completely charred, about 8 minutes. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover, and set aside until just cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Rub the skins off the peppers with your fingers to remove most of the charred skin. Core and remove the seeds, then slice the peppers lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch strips.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the goat cheese, olives, thyme, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Thoroughly wipe excess salt and moisture from zucchini and squash with paper towel.

Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8- by 11-inch baking dish. Begin layering, remembering to season with pepper between each layer. Start with the zucchini and then summer squash and all the peppers. Dollop spoonfuls of the cheese over the peppers and then spread it out to cover. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Repeat with the remaining zucchini, squash, goat cheese, and sauce.

Sprinkle top layer with Parmesan and bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover. Continue baking until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes more. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before slicing.