Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze and Pepitas

I typed up this recipe last winter and for some reason never got around to posting it. But now that there is an autumn chill back in the air and the heat of summer has passed, it feels like it's time for roasted vegetables again.  These brussels sprouts are roasted so that they get a good char on the outer leaves while remaining nice and tender in the center. Once they're out of the oven, they're tossed with a balsamic glaze for some sweetness and roasted pepitas for a little crunch. I used grapefruit white balsamic vinegar which I bought from one of those specialty olive oil and vinegar shops, but regular balsamic vinegar makes for a fabulous glaze as well. The glaze is also wonderful tossed with roasted carrots. This is a side dish custom-made for welcoming fall, so bring on the cooler weather!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and tough outer leaves removed

1 Tb olive oil

1/2 cup Grapefruit White Balsamic Vinegar (or regular Balsamic Vinegar)

1/4 cup sugar

~1/4 cup roasted pepitas

salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Slice the brussels sprouts in half, and spread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 Tb of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.

Roast the brussels sprouts for about 20 minutes, until slightly charred and tender.

While they roast, combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer and reduce for about 15-20 minutes until it's thick and syrupy.

When the brussels sprouts are done, toss them with the balsamic vinegar reduction and a handful of roasted pepitas. Serve immediately.

Quinoa Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas

August is here, and the dead of summer is upon us!  While it's definitely my favorite time of year, the heat can be a bit de-motivating when it comes to the kitchen.  It's even too hot to grill (yesterday, it was 107)!  So tonight, I turned to a quick salad that only required cooking a batch of quinoa on the stove.  Everything else is just tossed into a bowl as-is! I loved the heartiness of the greens, grains, and chickpeas along with the crunch from the pepitas, the sweetness from the golden raisins, and the vibrancy of the vinaigrette and feta.  Now it's time to put my feet up and enjoy the AC for the rest of the evening.  Stay cool, everyone!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

3 Tb olive oil

1.5 Tb white balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon, juiced (roughly)

1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped

1 can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup golden raisins (roughly)

1/2 cup pepitas (roughly)

2 oz feta, crumbled (roughly)

1 tsp salt

Directions

Add quinoa and water to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 15 minutes, and then remove from the heat. The water should be absorbed, and the quinoa should be tender.

While the quinoa cooks, make your vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, and salt until the salt is dissolved. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil until well combined. 

"Massage" the chopped kale a bit by squeezing it firmly with your fingers a few times, until you notice that the leaves are a bit more tender. Toss the kale, chickpeas, and golden raisins with the vinaigrette, and let sit until the quinoa is done. 

When the quinoa is finished, toss it immediately with the vinaigrette, kale, chickpeas, and golden raisins. Then toss in the feta cheese, and stir to combine. Taste, and add more salt or lemon juice if desired. 

Serve topped with a good handful of pepitas.

A Multi-Generational Baby Shower

Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to throw a baby shower for my sweet friend, Alison. She's expecting a little boy within the next couple of weeks, and we had a great time celebrating his eagerly anticipated arrival. What made this shower especially fun for me was that I got to play hostess alongside my mom and grandmother. You see, our moms have been best friends since childhood (Alison's mom actually hosted a shower for my mom when I was born -- check out that vintage photo below), and our grandmothers are friends as well! So we turned this into a shower that spanned three generations of family and friends, and it was just so much fun.

Our goal was to tie in elements of baby shower trends from over the years. For our current generation, we opted for mason jars, paper straws, and cutesy favors. Our punch was popular during Mom's generation, and we were sure to include butter mints and nuts in a nod to my Grandmother's era.

For our invitation, I turned to Freshly Squeezed Cards on Etsy. How cute is that little yellow bird? And it went perfectly with the colors we wanted to use: light blue, yellow, and grey,

We kept decorations pretty simple. I made a table centerpiece using antique blue mason jars filled with white hydrangeas and a wooden "S" monogram spray painted grey for the family's last name. We draped the serving areas with white tablecloths and hung a customizable banner. I like to use clear plastic plates and metallic plastic cutlery (that looks deceptively like real silverware) for food and mason jars with patterned paper straws for drinks. This time around we also used Susty Party's punch cups and cute patterned napkins.

Food we kept fairly simple as well. Since it was an afternoon shower, we wanted easy to eat finger foods. The final menu consisted of fruit skewers, Mini Zucchini Basil Quiche, Rosemary and Lemon White Bean Dip with pita chips, marinated mushrooms and mozzarella, spiced pecans, butter mints, frosted sugar cookies. A local girl made the cookies for us, and we were thrilled at how well they turned out. They were a big hit! For drinks, we served Cucumber Citrus Water (just fill a large beverage jar or pitcher with ice and lemon, lime, and cucumber slices, and top it off with water) and a Pineapple Punch (Ginger Ale and pineapple sherbet). I placed frozen blueberry skewers in each punch cup for a little extra color and fun.

Once everyone arrived, we had a wonderful time catching up. After snacks and sips, we moved into the living room for Alison to open presents. Thankfully, she had some expert help from a couple little girls in attendance! Along with gifts, we gave books in lieu of cards. I picked this darling book, How to Catch a Star, that tells the story of a boy who longs to befriend a star. It's so sweet, and the illustrations are beautiful.

Once the afternoon drew to a close and hugs were given all around, we sent folks home with lavendar bath salts tied up with colorful ribbon and twine in little paper sacks. Because who doesn't deserve to put their feet up in a hot bath, especially a mom-to-be? It was a lovely afternoon with lovely people. Now for the countdown to meet that little baby!

Grilled Pizza with White Beans, Spinach, & Yellow Cherry Tomatoes

I've mentioned my love of grilled pizza before when we hosted a grilled pizza party for friends. It's fun to make, a cinch to throw together thanks to fresh pizza dough at the grocery store, and ridiculously versatile. Whenever warm weather and grilling season arrives, it's one of our favorite things to add back into our dinner rotation, but since this spring has been so rainy in Texas, the grill has been a bit neglected. Until now! This week has been sunny and beautiful, so when I saw this White Bean and Spinach Pizza recipe from The Kitchn, I knew it was the perfect inspiration for our first grilled pizza of the season! So without further ado, let's get to the pizza.

Ingredients

1 ball of fresh pizza dough

Flour for rolling out dough

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large garlic clove

4 oz taleggio, rind removed

Grated mozzarella

1 can of cannellini beans (though you wont need the whole can)

A handful of fresh spinach

6 or so yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Light the grill, and let it get as hot as possible.

(Warning: my grilling instructions will be a bit lacking, as my husband is in charge of the grill at our house).

While the grill heats, toss and roll out your pizza dough.

(We try to get ours as thin as we can and as round as we can, though it usually ends up pretty oddly shaped. There's no judgment here. It'll still taste good).

Also, heat the olive oil in a small pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, toss in the minced garlic and let simmer for a few minutes to infuse the olive oil with the flavor of the garlic.

Once the grill is hot, toss on the pizza dough. Close the lid, and cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes.

(We use a wooden pizza peel dusted with semolina to prevent sticking. One good quick jerk of the arm should slide it from the peel to the grill).

Once the bottom has crisped nicely, remove the dough from the grill, and flip it over so that you can decorate the cooked side with the toppings.

Brush the crust with the garlic-infused olive oil, and top with roughly torn pieces of tallegio and the grated mozzarella. Scatter with a good handful of white beans, tomato halves, and fresh spinach leaves.

(Try to avoid overloading the pizza too much so that everything will heat through and melt nicely in the quick amount of time required to cook the bottom of the crust)

Return the pizza to the grill, close the lid, and cook for another 1.5 to 2 minutes. The bottom should be cooked and crispy (a few charred spots are fine), and the cheese should be melted.

Cut into pieces (I use kitchen shears), and serve immediately!

One Pot Chicken Orzo Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Can I tell you how long I've been wanting to share this recipe with you? It's been months since we improvised this little dinner number (you know, back when blood oranges were in season), and yet here I am, only just now letting you in on the secret. I love a warm pasta salad, and this one can be pulled together using just one pan. Orzo is tossed with a citrusy vinaigrette, shredded chicken, cilantro, toasted almonds, and sweet little pomegranate seeds, and the results are pretty darn good.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 cup orzo

1 large chicken breast

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup juice from a blood orange juice
(regular orange would work fine too I bet)

2 Tb balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Heat a dry saucepan over medium heat. Once heated, toss in slivered almonds and toast for a few minutes, stirring and tossing occasionally, until the almonds begin to turn golden brown. Once toasted, remove the almonds to a bowl, and wipe out the saucepan.

Place the chicken breast in the same saucepan, season with salt, and cover with enough water to cover the chicken by about two inches.

Place the saucepan on a burner over high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil reduce the heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes or so, until cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the water to a cutting board. Return the water in the saucepan to a boil. Once boiling, add in the orzo and another pinch of salt. Cook the orzo according to package directions (about 8 minutes).

While the orzo cooks, whisk together the blood orange juice, the balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt until the salt is dissolved. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil to make your dressing. You can also shred your chicken breast once it's cool enough to handle.

When the orzo is done, strain and return to the saucepan. Pour in about half of the salad dressing and toss in the shredded chicken. With the burner on medium-low, toss the orzo, chicken, and dressing and cook until the orzo has absorbed some of the dressing and the chicken is warm. Taste and add more dressing as desired.

Once warmed through and dressed to your liking, remove from the heat and toss with the chopped cilantro, about half of the pomegranate seeds, and a couple cracks of black pepper.

Serve warm (though I imagine that it would be good cold as well), topped with the remaining pomegranate seeds and almonds.

Texas Pimm's Cup

On a trip to London a couple of years ago, I ordered a Pimm's Cup on a whim while browsing around the Borough Market, and I was hooked. Pimm's is a gin-based liqueur that's traditionally mixed with lemonade, mint, cucumber, and strawberries to form one of life's perfect drinks. Since it's sometimes fun to riff on a classic, I tried giving it a Texas twist (or more accurately, a Mexican twist, beloved by Texans). Along with Pimm's and lemonade, I added a good splash of Lime Topo Chico, a sparkling mineral water imported from Mexico. I'm not sure if it can be found outside of Texas, but if you're in the Lone Star State or if you ever see a bottle, please buy it immediately!  The combination was a delicious one, as it adds a little fizz to the drink while keeping the sweetness of the lemonade. It's crisp and refreshing, perfect for sipping on a beautiful Texas spring day!

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 oz Pimm's No. 1

3 oz Lime Topo Chico

3 oz Lemonade
a few English cucumber slices, cut into half moons (regular cucumber will also work)

1 strawberry, thinly sliced

mint leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons

Directions
Fill a tall highball glass half full with ice.

Toss in a few cucumber slices, strawberry slices, and a good pinch of mint leaves.

Pour the Pimm's, lemonade, and Lime Topo Chico into the glass, and stir.

Serve with a straw, and enjoy!

Pan-Seared Salmon over Arugula Salad

As much as I miss Boston, can I tell you how thrilled I am that warmer weather has arrived in Texas while winter lingers long past its welcome in New England? Hopefully this post finds you enjoying warmer weather as well, but if not, I'll try sending a little Texas sunshine your way, because Spring has arrived. And with the arrival of spring, so returns my excitement for making salads again!

One of the first meals we cooked in our new house was this beautiful recipe from Serious Eats. While perfect without a single tweak, I couldn't help myself from throwing in a few more things here and there. I've added a splash of soy sauce for the pan-seared salmon. And into the salad, I tossed cucumber slices for a little extra crunch and mandarin oranges for a little sweetness to balance out the bite of the arugula. I feel like mandarin oranges are a little "un-cool," but you know what? They taste good, and they add a pretty pop of color as well.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 4-6 oz salmon fillets, skin on

2 tsp soy sauce

3-4 cups baby arugula

1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 can of mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 avocado, diced

1 Tb lemon juice

2 Tb olive oil + 1 Tb olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in a tablespoon or so of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, place the salmon in the pan, skin side-down.

Cook for about 6 minutes, until the skin has crisped nicely. About 1-2 minutes into the cooking process, pour a good splash of soy sauce over the top of each fillet.

While the fish cooks, make the dressing by whisking together lemon juice and a pinch of salt until the salt is dissolved. Then whisk in the remaining 2 Tb of olive oil.

Once the salmon skin is nice and crisp and the fish is cooked about halfway through, gently flip the fillets, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until a thermometer inserted reads 130-140 degrees (130 is medium).

While the fish finishes, toss the arugula, cucumber, and avocado with the dressing. Divide onto two plates and scatter with the mandarin oranges.

Once the fish is done, remove from the pan, and place on top of the salad, skin side-up. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Spring Green Frittata

March has been a happy month around here between pie for Pi Day, Irish Soda Bread for St Patrick's Day, and the first day of Spring! To celebrate the change in the seasons, I whipped up a frittata chock full of vegetables (plus a handful of grated cheese for good measure). It's perfect for a quick dinner or weekend breakfast! And wouldn't it be lovely for an Easter brunch? Here's to looking forward to warm weather and sunshine!

Serves  6

Ingredients

Filling

1 Tb olive oil

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons

1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and sliced into 2" pieces

4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp herbes de provence

Frittata

9 eggs + 3 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tb panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Heat oil in a large (10") oven-proof skillet (I used cast-iron) over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, herbes de provence, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or so. The mushrooms should be browned and the extra moisture evaporated.

While the mushrooms cook, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.

Once the mushrooms are browned, add the asparagus and swiss chard to the pan, stirring for 3-5 minutes until the swiss chard has just wilted. 

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, stirring to combine. If you need to, shake the pan a bit or carefully tilt it to make sure that the eggs settle all around the vegetables. 

Smooth the top of the frittata with your wooden spoon, and then place it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set and cooked through.

Remove from the oven when done, and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve sprinkled with a little pinch of grated parmesan if desired.

Green Chile Cornbread

Happy belated New Year everyone! Boy am I behind! We rung in 2015 back home after travels to Paris, Austin, and finally Victoria to visit family and friends. Our New Year's Eve was quiet -- just the two of us, the dog, and a bottle of champagne. On New Year's Day, I cooked a big pot of black-eyed peas studded with green chiles and bacon. In the south, there's a superstitious tradition that promises good luck for the year to come if you eat black-eyed peas on January 1st. I love silly traditions like that, and it's a great excuse to enjoy one of my favorite legumes. I served them over this green chile cornbread, and it was a delicious way to kick off the year. Here's hoping that plenty of good luck comes to all of us this year!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1 Tb sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted shortening

2 Hatch or Anaheim green chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped (or a 4 oz can of green chiles)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Scoop a little shortening into your cornbread pan (I use a round metal pie pan), and let it sit in the oven while it heats up.

Meanwhile, sift together cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg, and stir in the milk.

Pour the milk and egg mixture into your dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in melted shortening and green chiles.

Remove the cornbread pan from the oven. By this time, the shortening should be melted. Swirl it around a bit, so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Then pour the batter into the pan. You will hear it sizzle a little bit.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

My Favorite Christmas Cookie - Snickerdoodles

My very favorite cookie, especially around Christmastime, are these wonderfully soft Snickerdoodles. Based on a recipe from The Kitchn, they're always a big hit. Soft and buttery with a cinnamon-sugar crust, I love them with a steaming mug of black coffee, preferably shared with family or friends. Throw in a Christmas tree and a crackling fire, and you've got yourself one heck of a cookie!

P.S. Sorry that I don't have a pretty picture of the cookies...we forgot to take one before eating them!

(photo from WooHome)

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tb cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, remove from the heat. 

While the butter cools, mix together your dry ingredients (brown and white sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt).

Whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract, and then stir in the cooled melted butter (you don't want to scramble your eggs).

Stir together the wet and dry ingredients, just until combined. 

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tb cinnamon. Roll the cookies into 1 inch balls, roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.

Thanksgiving Dreaming

Happy Day-Before-Thanksgiving everyone! Are your turkeys thawed? Have you started cooking yet? Is your family in town? Do you have your stretchy Thanksgiving pants ready? This year, we'll be spending the day with my husband's family, our first Thanksgiving with family in 6 years! I can't wait! But as excited as I am, I'm a little bummed that we're not cooking this year. Gosh did I love hosting Thanksgiving in Boston, spending the day cooking, decorating the house, sharing the day with friends who were also a long way from home (or celebrating with just the two of us like last year). So to help scratch that itch, I decided to put together a Dream Thanksgiving, if you will. If we were hosting this year, this would be my road map, my inspiration, and my menu.

First let's decorate! How fun would it be to make these "I am thankful for..." placemats? And I  definitely would want to recreate these adorable rosemary place setting cards. When it comes to centerpieces, I love to use seasonal produce, greenery from the yard, and candles. They make for lovely and affordable decorations, and arrangements tend to be low and spread out so guests can still see each other. I also love this leaf garland for the dining room wall.

 1) Photo from Oh My Deer, 2) Photo from Apartment34, 3) Photo from Country Living,

4) Photo from Glitter Guide, 5) Photo from Garland of Grace, 6) Photo from A Texas Belle

Now for the food! Every year, I start with these Rosemary Roasted Cashews.  It's nice to have something to nibble on while I put the finishing touches on dinner, and these are light enough so folks don't ruin their appetites.  Also, they're delicious.

(Photo from Family Spice)

 

For dinner, the star of the show is a smoked turkey. We get up early to get the smoker going, season the bird with this simple but flavorful rub, and by dinner time, we have a beautiful turkey that left the oven free for side dishes. Speaking of side dishes, how good does this Cornbread Chorizo Cherry Pecan Stuffing sound? I don't know if I could branch out from our classic family cornbread stuffing, but this recipe makes it awfully tempting. I'm also itching to make these Mashed Potatoes with Mushrooms. What an ingenious idea. For something green, I love these Seared Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Lardons, which we made last year. And for something green covered in cheese, I like to make my great-grandmother's Green Pea Casserole rather than the more traditional green bean casserole. Finally, we can't forget the Cranberry Sauce! I make this super simple recipe from Sam Sifton, the man who literally wrote the book on Thanksgiving. It made me a believer in real cranberry sauce. In addition to the homemade stuff, I always leave a little room on my plate for a slice of "can", the canned jellied cranberry sauce that I will always love, regardless of stigma.

1) Photo from A Texas Belle, 2) Photo from The Bitten Word, 3) Photo from Joy the Baker,

4) Photo from A Texas Belle, 5) Photo from Serious Eats, 6) Photo from A Texas Belle

After dinner, I would serve theses Hot Ginger Apple Toddies. It's fall in a mug, perfect for chilly evenings. They're great with a generous splash of bourbon or cognac.

(Photo from The Kitchn)

 

Finally for dessert, I would stick with a classic pumpkin pie, but if I was feeling extra adventurous, I would love to try this Salty Pumpkin Spice Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting too.

(Photo from Libbie Summers)

 

As a side note, how lovely are these Thank You notes from Rifle Paper Co for thanking the host/hostess or thanking your guests for helping you celebrate? You could also use them for guests to put on paper what they're thankful for this year!

(Photo from Rifle Paper Co)

And let's not forget the day after! I would start the day with strong coffee and this Cranberry Orange Cake with Vanilla Crumble. If you feel guilty eating cake for breakfast, maybe call it Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake. That sounds more breakfast-y, right?

Then to use up all of those beautiful leftovers, here are some of my favorites: Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Thanksgiving Leftovers Couscous Salad, Turkey Terrific sandwiches, and Turkey Gumbo.

So there it is! There sure are a lot less dishes to wash this way. As much as I'm going to miss hosting this year, it's such a blessing to have family welcome us in their home and cook for us. I'm so thankful for our families, and I'm thankful to finally be able to share this holiday with them after so many years away from home. And hopefully someday it'll be my turn to return the favor!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Fish Tacos with Roasted Poblano Guacamole

When I lived in LA, my roommates and I lived around the corner from a little Mexican restaurant that offered 2-for-1 tacos on Taco Tuesday. We were fresh out of college and loved a good deal, so every Tuesday, we walked down the street for fish tacos (or maybe carnitas) and a glass of sangria. It was a tradition for us, like a roommate family dinner along with whatever friends wanted to join in. It may have been six years ago, but any time I make fish tacos, I miss my LA friends and that little restaurant. If you're in the South Bay area of LA, pay the nice folks at El Gringo a visit for me, but if not, why not have your own Taco Tuesday at home?

These fish tacos are a fantastic quick dinner! The guacamole is creamy and flavorful from the lime, cilantro, and roasted peppers, the hot sauce (which can do double duty as salsa if you have tortilla chips on hand) is sweet and spicy, the radishes add a great contrasting crunch with the tender fish, and the cheese contributes a little tanginess to the mix. Enjoy!

 

Serves 2
 

Ingredients

4 soft taco-sized (8") flour tortillas

2 tilapia fillets

2 small (or 1 large) poblano peppers

2 ripe avocados

1 lime, juiced

~1/3 cup cilantro, minced

3 radishes, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

Habanero Hot Sauce (optional but so good - I use 2 habaneros and add cilantro)

Feta or Cotija cheese

salt

olive oil

 

Directions

To roast the peppers, preheat the broiler to "high." Rub the poblano peppers with olive oil, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler for 7 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and charred. Flip the peppers, and return to the broiler for another 5-6 minutes to char the other side.

 

Remove the peppers to a plastic baggie (or a bowl sealed with plastic wrap). The captured steam helps loosen the skin for removal. Once the peppers are cool, remove them, peel off the skin, chop off the stem, and discard the seeds. Finely chop the peppers.

 

In a bowl, mash together the avocados, cilantro, poblano peppers, lime juice, and salt to taste (try to avoid undersalting, the cardinal sin of guacamole).

 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan heats, season both sides of your tilapia fillets with salt. Swirl olive oil into the pan (enough to cover the bottom), and once the oil is hot, place the fish into the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, and let cook for another 3-4 minutes until the fish is done (it should be opaque and flaky). 

 

Remove the fish from the pan, and serve on warm flour tortillas.  I break up one fillet to make two tacos.

 

Top the fish with a generous dollop of the roasted poblano guacamole, a drizzle of the habanero hot sauce, and a scattering of feta and sliced radishes.

My 10 Favorite Things in October

Happy November, friends! Halloween has come and gone, but before I start thinking about Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to reminisce on the month behind us. October is busy for us thanks to our anniversary and my husband's birthday, but we also squeezed in some time with friends, some time with family, a date night, and a trip to New York!

1) Ewan!

How can I lead with anything other than getting to see Ewan McGregor on Broadway in The Real Thing, a fantastically funny and thought-provoking play. This isn't just a highlight of the month...it's a highlight of the year!

2) Celebrating a 30th Birthday

These days, I'm married to a man in his 30's (I'm still a cute young thing in my 20s for another nine months)! To celebrate such a momentous occasion, I cooked his favorite meal, beef with snow peas, I baked a pumpkin spice cake topped with cream cheese frosting, presents were opened, and Charlie, our dog, squirmed his way out of wearing a party hat! 

3) This Barley Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp

I love barley salads, and this one is no exception thanks to the tomatoes that become almost candy-like when roasted. 

4) Hanging string lights on our patio

 Our patio is beginning to come together, thanks to a new rug and a couple strands of string lights. They have totally transformed our little square of concrete into a cozy, magical spot.

5)These Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Roasted Broccoli, Cheddar, and Roasted Garlic Butter

 Now that chilly, drizzly weather is here, I'm craving warm, hearty dinners. These stuffed baked potatoes are definitely a favorite!

6) Celebrating a 2nd Birthday

 We loved helping our friends Liz and Peter celebrate their sweet little boy's 2nd birthday. It was the cutest Cars-themed party featuring Liz's homemade baked goods and kiddie treats (who doesn't love an excuse to snack on string cheese?), and we had a blast catching up with fellow Dallas-area LGO's.

7) Local Neapolitan pizza
For a low key "dinner and a movie" date night, we shared the Cassie with hot sopressata and mushrooms at Cane Rosso, a local chain dishing up Neapolitan pizza from a wood-fired oven. It may not have been quite as life changing as the Neapolitan pies at New York's Motorino, but gosh was it good. We also really enjoyed the fried homemade mozzarella.

8) Celebrating our 4 Year Anniversary

Obviously, these lists are in no particular order, because I do not rank the importance of my marriage somewhere below pizza, no matter how good that pizza may be. To celebrate our 4th Anniversary (the flower anniversary), my husband brought home a stunning bouquet and cooked us his specialty, Pasta Bolognese. Later that week we went out on the town for dinner at FT33 (so far, the best meal we've had in Dallas). Boy do I love this man!

9) New York bagels and smoked salmon
While we ate and drank many wonderful things during our most recent trip to the city (e.g., dinner at Gramercy Tavern and drinks at the Library at the NoMad), I think my favorite food memory of the trip was a simple board at Russ and Daughters Café featuring one of their toasted bagels, cream cheese, beautifully ripe tomatoes, capers, and thinly shaved smoked salmon. I finally understand why this dish is so famous.



10) A Mother-Daughter Slumber Party

 Last but not least, I invited my Mom over for a slumber party this month, and we had the best time. We spent the evening chatting over tea, doing at-home mani-pedi's, and watching a girly movie, and the next morning we let the nice ladies at the Salon at Eaton Court pamper us with facials and a make-over.

Barley Salad with Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp

So there's this salad I really love from the gorgeous blog What Katie Ate. It's absolutely perfect, and I won't judge you if you want to go make her recipe instead of mine. But if you're like me and have the hardest time finding Spanish chorizo, please consider my recipe as a humble substitute. You see, when I was in Boston, I could find Spanish chorizo but never Mexican chorizo. Now that I'm back in Texas, I have the opposite problem. What's the difference between the two? To vastly oversimplify it, Mexican chorizo is crumbly while Spanish chorizo slices into pretty rounds. Both are delicious and wonderful, but in this instance only one will do.

Instead of chorizo, I opted for lovely gulf shrimp seared in bacon grease. I also left out the Puy lentils. This salad is light and refreshing but plenty filling. If baby heirloom tomatoes are still popping up at your grocery store in their pretty reds and yellows and oranges, toss those in, but I'm sure cherry tomatoes would work just as well. Maybe try lime juice instead of lemon. Skip the radishes if those aren't your bag. Or go for different fresh herbs. It's a salad after all, so it's perfectly tweakable. Enjoy!

(based on What Katie Ate's Pearl Barley and Puy Lentil Salad with Roasted Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Chorizo, Green Beans, and Baby Radish)

Serves 2-3

 

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley

1 lb of baby heirloom tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), halved

Handful of radishes, very thinly sliced

Handful of green beans, ends trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces

1 Tb bacon grease

1/2 lb shrimp, shelled and patted dry

2 lemons, juiced

1 Tb olive oil

2 Tb cilantro, minced

2 Tb mint, minced

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 280F.

 

Spread the halved tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast them for 1.5 hours, until soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven when done.

 

While the tomatoes roast, blanch the green beans by bringing a saucepan of water to boil. When boiling, dump in the green beans, and lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the green beans, and plunge into a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and set aside.

 

Next, add the barley and 3 cups of water to a saucepan (I use the same one I used for the green beans to cut back on dirty dishes), and bring the water to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, until the barley is chewy and tender.

 

When the barley is almost done, whisk together the juice from one of the lemons with the olive oil, and season with some salt and black pepper.

Then heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the bacon grease, allowing it to melt and warm up. When hot, add the shrimp to the pan, searing them for about 2 minutes per side. When done, remove the shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon.

 

Pour the juice of the remaining lemon into the pan with the remaining bacon grease, stirring to combine. Let cook for a minute or so, until heated.

 

When the barley is done, drain off any remaining water, and toss it with the lemon and olive oil mixture.

 

In a large bowl, toss the barley, roasted tomatoes, blanched green beans, radish slices, and the warm lemon juice and bacon grease mixture.

 

Serve topped with the shrimp and with a good scattering of cilantro and mint.

 

Feeling Fall-ish

Even though it's October, the temperatures around here are still climbing into the 80s and 90s, and leaves are still as green as can be. But because it's October, I'm bound and determined to bring a little fall into my life, even if it's just through the internet. Here are some things that are making me feel fall-ish!

These pencils! Don't they just capture everything you love about fall?

(Photo from Amanda Catherine Des' Etsy Shop)

How beautiful is this Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza? Even though I'm sad to leave okra and tomato season behind, I sure do love when winter squash arrives at the grocery store!

(Photo from Alexandra Cooks)

I've got to get a pair of these Long John Pajama Pants. Wouldn't they be perfect for lounging around the house when it's chilly out?

(Photo from Hanna Andersson)

I would love to have one of these gorgeous cable-knit throws for curling up with a good book and one of these rustic plaid throws crisp fall picnics.

(Photos from Pottery Barn (1) and Patron Designs Scoutmob Shoppe (2))

While I may not be able to go apple picking in New England, my grandparents brought back a huge bag of apples from a recent visit to Colorado that they were generous enough to share with me. I can't wait to use some of them to make my favorite Homemade Applesauce.

(Photo from Simply Recipes)

 

I usually take a crafting break during the summer, so I'm ready to pick up my craft supplies now that fall has arrived. I love knitting (something cozy like this ribbed cowl), and I also want to make this lamp shade for the library!

Fall also means steaming mugs of hot tea or mulled cider. Two of my favorite ciders are this Mulled Apple Cider for a crowd or this Hot Ginger-Apple Hot Toddy.

(Photo 2 from The Kitchn)

With Halloween approaching, I love to decorate the front porch and the house with pumpkins. If we get in the mood to carve some, how lovely are these?

(Photo from Southern Living)

 

Once the weather gets a little cooler, I tend to crave hearty greens, especially swiss chard and kale. I love these Brown Rice Bowls with Swiss Chard and Nutty Romesco Sauce and this Pumpkin and Kale Pasta with Lemon Goat Cheese Sauce. I'm looking forward to trying these two soups: Spicy Pork and Kale Soup and Cavolo Nero and Cannellini Bean Soup.

(Photo 1 from The Kitchn, Photo 2 from Eat, Live, Run, Photo 3 from Whole Living)

Finally,  I can't wait to sit by a crackling fire. We have our very first fireplace in our new house, and I'm itching to put it to use!

(Photo from The Bungalow Blog)