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3/26/18

Strawberry Crumble With Almonds


Oh Hi another Monday! This is a short week for me because I'm off to LA in the next few days to celebrate my birthday with my twin and our friend Kate. Sunshine here we come!

Speaking of sunshine, it still feels like winter here in DC area, but over the weekend I baked a quick dessert that reminded me that warmer weather will be here soon.


Have you ever made a crumble? It's one of the easiest and most versatile desserts AND has a bonus of being an excellent breakfast option.

I found a recipe for Strawberry Crumble on the Diethood blog and made only a few changes to it:

1) I used regular flour instead of almond flour
2) I added a handful of sliced almonds to the topping

This was an incredibly easy dessert to put together, and the aroma of strawberries and brown sugar mixed in with a bit of cinnamon filled my condo!

You can make this recipe in advance because it reheats really well. Make sure to have vanilla ice cream to go with it. And coffee.

3/19/18

Dinosaur Kale & Ricotta Spread With Chickpeas & Tomatoes

Do you have too much kale? I have a quick recipe for you for Dinosaur Kale & Ricotta Spread inspired by Jamie Oliver.



Dinosaur Kale & Ricotta Spread
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bunch of dinosaur kale, stems removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup ricotta

Directions
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add kale and garlic, season with salt, and saute until the kale has wilted.
2. Using an immersion blender, puree kale with garlic and the rest of the ingredients in a wide mouth jar.
3. Adjust the seasoning.

Idea #1: Serve the spread with home cooked chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes and more ricotta.


Idea #2: spread this concoction on toasted challah, top with cold corned beef and sliced avocados. SO good!


What would you do with kale!?

3/16/18

Weekend Inspirations: Ricotta, Cucumber & Hard Boiled Egg Toast

If you, like me, are dreaming of the weekend and a big breakfast with a mug of coffee, and maybe a cactus (because why not?), I have just the idea for you!

Ricotta, Cucumber & Hard Boiled Egg Toast

1) Start with home baked bread
2) Toast the bread and slather it with ricotta
3) Season with truffle salt: why not be fancy?
4) Add sliced Persian cucumbers
5) Add 8 minute hard boiled egg (the center of the egg is not completely cooked)
6) More truffle salt
7) Add halved cherry tomatoes
8) Serve with coffee



3/12/18

Meatless Monday: Raw Beet Salad With Pistachio Butter, Citrus & Dates


Oh hey, it's another Meatless Monday! I'm barely awake after 4 nights of poor sleep, but have a bright and cheerful (and accidentally VEGAN) recipe to share with you today: Raw Beet Salad With Pistachio Butter, Citrus & Dates.

It all started with a broken arm 4 years ago...that led me to start ordering my produce from Washington's Green Grocer and building a great relationship with Lisa, the company's co-owner. In a very sweet gesture, Lisa sent me a copy of Six Seasons and two frozen pizzas to celebrate our anniversary in my latest produce order. I was very touched!

The first recipe I made from the gorgeous book was an adaptation of Beet Slaw With Pistachios and Raisins.

Here are a few things I changed: I used dates instead of raisins and added citrus segments and diced avocado. 

Look at the gorgeous colors! I recommend julienne'ing the beets instead of grating them for a more appealing look and better texture. I'm not sold on the mint in this salad, and would probably leave it out next time.

Pistachio butter was simple to make and would be great on top of challah or spread on a toast and topped with avocado and sprinkled with salt. 


If you've not given beets a chance yet, do it now!!!

3/8/18

Long Weekend in Savannah in 10 Photos

If you are looking for a fun long weekend getaway, I highly recommend going to Savannah, GA. A few weekends ago I flew to Savannah to meet my friends Jenny and Laura whom I've known for 16 years! This was my second time in Savannah, but the first for my friends. Below are ten things to do!

1. Find an AirBnB in the city. We booked a great one near the Forsyth Park (the famous fountain below), and absolutely loved the architectural details of the house, beautiful kitchen, backyard for sipping Puerto Rican coffee each morning, ability to walk to most places, and our host who was very quick at answering all of our questions.


2. Sandfly BBQ: this was our first lunch in Savannah. Luckily we got a table inside where it was air conditioned. Get all the pork, brisket, chicken, and sausage. Mac & cheese and coleslaw were great; the fried okra needed more seasoning or Ranch dressing. The sweet potato fries were perfectly crunchy and not greasy.

We walked some of this off on the way to the grocery store (more on that later).


3. Brunch at The Collins Quarters: brunch is probably my favorite weekend meal. Just like most places in Savannah, The Collins Quarters doesn't take reservations, but we only had to wait about 30 minutes on a late Saturday morning. Not to worry: there are plenty of cafes and parks around to wait.

I ordered a Bloody Mary and a lamb burger; Jenny had smoked salmon toast, and Laura had a quinoa dish. The food was great, and we had the perfect opportunity for people watching because of our outdoor table.

Because the food took a while to come out, the manager automatically comped our drinks: a nice touch!


4. Dinner at Atlantic: we were lucky to be able to snag a table for dinner at Atlantic. Make sure to come close to when the restaurant opens. Speaking of open, the open kitchen is beautiful and stopped me in my tracks when I saw a massive carrot cake. Alas, we had other plans for dessert and did not order it. {Make sure to check out their bathrooms with a beautiful blue tiled floor and orange lockers.}

Atlantic was casual and fun, and felt like a neighborhood place you'd visit often. Their romaine wedge salad blew me away: bacon wrapped dates, hazelnuts, and a creamy blue cheese dressing. For the entree, I chose a duck breast and was not disappointed.


5. Dinner at The Grey: located in the old Greyhound terminal, this was a fun way to spend our last night in Savannah. The service and food were superb, and our waitress gave us a great recommendation for breakfast the next day.

I decided to be brave and order a whole roasted fish (head, bone, skin, and all) and loved it! The other highlights were octopus, foie & grits, and farmers cheese cheesecake. Laura loved her chicken with curry, almonds, and currants, and Jenny enjoyed the special of the night (I think it was halibut). The smashed potatoes, were lovely too!


6. Breakfast at B Matthew's: yes, I started with another Bloody Mary. It was a vacation: don't judge. My entree was superb: fried green tomato Benedict on a homemade biscuit with potatoes instead of a fruit salad. The eggs were perfectly cooked, and I loved the fancy little greens on top. Bonus: it fit with Meatless Monday!


7. Forsyth Farmers' Market: such a fun Saturday activity! Yes, I have super white legs. I never get tan. Anyway....I bought a King of Pops blackberry ginger lemonade pop: refreshing, not overly sweet, and thirst quenching.


8. Breakfast at AirBnB: not each meal needs to be at a restaurant. As I mentioned, our first day we went to a nearby grocery store and bought chips and dips and meats and cheeses and wine for a "picnic dinner" at home and also provisions to make breakfast. Below is a turkey/pepper/onion/cheese frittata, baked plantains, toast with Nutella, salsa, tomatoes, strawberries, and a Rose cocktail. Such fun!!


9. Wormsloe Historic Site: only 7 miles away from Savannah is this beautiful nature reserve with massive trees, a hike trail, and water views. So glad my friend Mary's sister Noel recommended we check this out.


10. SCAD: check out The Savannah College of Art and Design museum or some of the buildings scattered around the city. 


Leave a comment to let me know if I missed something ;)

3/5/18

An Ode To Molly Yeh's Scallion Pancake Challah: Meatless Monday



It's the second week of March. How are your New Year resolutions coming along? I'm doing pretty good when it comes to making new recipes. Here's one I made last week: Molly Yeh's Scallion Pancake Challah. I saw this recipe on food52, printed it out, and made it with just a few changes.

This challah was so easy to make: only one rise, no complicated ingredients, AND it has scallions in the middle of each braid part. The toasted sesame seed oil gives the challah a hint of unexpected fragrance, and I used the everything but the bagel Trader Joe's spice mix to round up the flavors.



Look at the texture!! I would add a bit more salt next time I make this recipe. 2/3rds of the loaf are safe in my freezer because I know myself: I would not be able to resist eating the whole thing in just a few days.

Over the weekend, I made breakfast of toasted challah slices with an Israeli inspired salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and white onions; hummus, and a hard boiled egg. And coffee. By the way, shout out to Melissa Maya Pottery who made this gorgeous mug I bought as a Hanukkah present from my parents. LOVE it. 



Here's to more successful recipes!!