Spiced Up!

Every year after Thanksgiving, things just start to feel more festive and the world seems to burst with holiday cheer. Where this goodwill and jubilance goes during the summer, fall and bitter winter days I haven't a clue, but for a brief month, everything is white snow and happiness. So how to celebrate as a foodie? Spices! Think of every food as a vessel into which will be inserted the essence of Holiday cheer... ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves... suddenly a simple biscuit becomes a manifestation of merriment. Here, I'll start you off. Use this simple recipe and go to town... or Grandmother's house...

Ingredients

(makes 12 biscuits)

2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic pastry flour

2 tablespoons cane sugar

2 tablespoons honey

3 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt (about 1/2 a teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick room temperature unsalted butter cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

A few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream (can substitute with milk) for brushing

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F

1.Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt

2.Blend in butter with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal

3. Add buttermilk and mix gently until a soft dough forms

4. Roll out onto floured surface and cut with knife into rectangle that is about 1.5in high. Cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then into thirds width-wise until you have 12 biscuits.

5. Place on greased baking sheet and brush tops with cream (or milk)

6. Cook 10 minutes or until tops are a lovely golden brown

(Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com)

NOW......

Before you add the cut in butter, feel free to try any of these holiday-inspired additions in any combination desired (mix them in with the cane sugar then add both to the dry ingredient bowl):

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons nutmeg

2 tablespoons cracked pepper

Have more ideas for holiday goodness? Add them in the comments section, we love hearing from you!

Xo and Ho Ho Ho

Eggplant Spaghetti!

Hey everyone. I know, I know, have taken too long of a hiatus from this blog! For now, to tide you over, this is my take on a low-carb spaghetti dish, behold.... Eggplant Spaghetti!

Ingredients

1 Eggplant - Peeled and cut THIN (1/2-1/4inch) lengthewise then cut into long strips of "spaghetti"

4-5 cloves garlic

1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil - rough chopped

1/2 Jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup parmigiana sauce

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese - large dice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Salt and pepper as desired

Directions

1. On medium high heat, sautee olive oil and garlic until you can smell the garlic aromas

2. Add in eggplant "spaghetti" and cook until transparent, stirring often

3. Add 1/4 cup parmigiana cheese, mozzarella and fresh basil and cook 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to desired amount (must be done after addition of parmigiana cheese, it's salty in itself!)

4. Melt in butter and stir until mixed through.

5. Add Marinara sauce and cook another 2 minutes in pan. Transfer to bowl, sprinkle with rest of parmigiana cheese and garnish with a few leaves of fresh basil and ENJOY!

Xo

Oh My Gawsh, it's Squash!

So if you've been keeping up with my twitter updates and most recent twitpics, you should know by now that I haven become absolutely OBSESSED with squash as of late... squash in crepes, butternut squash soup, squash roasted, toasted... if there's squash involved, I'm there. SOoOoo... in an effort to consolidate my most recent squash recipes, here below are some easy preparations for my most favorite fall feast (also, for those diet-conscious, they're all "figure friendly" as Rachael Ray puts it, as well as nutritious and simple to prepare!) So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 medium sized shallot - diced

7 cloves garlic - diced

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 large butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded and diced) or 2 medium sized butternuts

Roughly 5 cups organic chicken (or vegetable) stock

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Directions

1. In a large dutch oven, sautee garlic and shallots in the butter until they become clear and can smell aroma of the garlic/shallots

2. Place in diced butternut squash and cover in chicken/vegetable stock (about 5 cups, or until the butternut squash is covered)

3. Mix pot so ingredients get distributed throughout then cover and allow to come to a boil

4. Once mixture is boiling, put in simmer for 30 minutes (the longer the simmer, the longer the flavors can combine together so don't be hasty with this step, no matter how good it smells!)

5. Blend soup batchfuls at a time and place blended mixture into large bowl

6. Add cumin, garlic powder (nutmeg is also a nice spice to add but is optional) and salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly

7. ENJOY!

Roasted Delicata Squash Chips

Ingredients

2 medium sized delicata squash, peeled, de-seeded and cut into thin strips lengthwise.

About 1/4 cup olive oil

About 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Cut the thin strips of delicata squash into 1 1/2 inch pieces and lay out on cookie sheet

3. Drizzle with a healthy amount of olive oil until each "chip" is fully coated (can even brush the olive oil onto the chips to allow for perfectly even coverage)

4. Sprinkle chips with kosher salt and cracked pepper

5. Sprinkle cinnamon onto each chip lightly (trust me, delicious)

6. Allow to roast for up to 45 minutes or until the chips turn a golden brown.

7. Enjoy - I dare you to eat just one!

*Another recipe I am currently testing is roasted acorn squash, to attempt, follow instructions above but cut squash into thick wedges (skin on!) and instead of cinnamon coat with a combination of 2 tablespoons dijon moustard, 1 lemon rind + juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup champagne vinegar....

Hope you try my simple squash preparations! Feel free to add more of your own in the comments section below!

Xo

Kale Walnut Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

Kale Walnut Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette - a perfect fall meal or side dish!

Ingredients

3 Bunches fresh kale (cut off white roots and sliced diagonally across width into thin strips)

4 cloves fresh garlic

Fresh ginger (~1 tablespoon cut into small dice)

1/2 cup walnuts (rough chopped and toasted)

3 Tablespoons Organic Unsalted Peanut Butter

2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

~1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Boil water and place kale in large pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove and strain with colander.

2. At the same time toast the walnuts in small saute pan until light golden brown (they become almost almost opaque in color.)

3. In Medium skillet sauté garlic and ginger in olive oil until can smell aroma. Add in kale and saute 4 minutes. Add in walnuts along with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl.

4. In separate bowl add peanut butter and white wine vinegar. Stir until combined through. Add salt to taste and pour over kale.

And there you have it! A perfect fall feast :)

Xox

Spaghetti Squash

DELISH! A FALL MUST-TRY!!!!
Ingredients1 Medium-sized Spaghetti squashAt least 1 cup olive oil 7 Cloves garlic1/2 cup pine nuts2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp pepper (or 3 tablespoons pink peppercorns)1/2 tsp kosher salt2 tbsp dried oregano 1/2 cup feta cheese5-8 leaves fresh basil (a "bunch")
1. Slice spaghetti squash lengthwise and place halves "spaghetti" side up on ungreased cookie sheet2. Brush with olive oil until halves are completely covered3. Cook for 1 hour at 350F or until insides are completely soft4. Let cool and remove stringy spaghetti-like insides5. Rough chop 7 cloves garlic (or as much as you want, there's a lot of "pasta" so this is not that much) and place in medium sized sautee pan with olive oil, I like to keep my pieces on the larger size just because I am a garlic lover but please feel free to adjust garlic amount/size to your liking!6. In separate small sautee pan add 1/2 cup pine nuts and toast on medium to low heat (until you smell aroma of the nuts - be careful they burn easily!)7. Back to sautee pan with garlic... when garlic begins to give off fragrance add in 4 chopped tomatoes
8. Add in "spaghetti" with 2 tbsp unsalted butter (can substitute for a drizzle of olive oil)9. Add 1 tbsp pepper, (OR for a twist add 2-3 tbsp pink peppercorns if you can find!) 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 2 tbs dried oregano, 1/4c capers, 1/2c feta cheese. Stir on low heatAdd pine nuts. until ingredients are mixed through.
10. Turn off heat and add 5-8 leaves or one bunch (rough chopped) fresh basil - amount depends on preference - save a tiny bit of the chopped basil - can add a little on top when serving as a garnish11. Serve hot and ENJOY!
Xo

The Art of Simplicity - Food and Our Move Away from Natural Taste

So today's post is not a recipe but rather an idea that has been idly churning in my head for a while and finally came to the surface today when my Uncle visited my house with the last of his garden crops: tomatoes, bok choy, jalapeno peppers, beets.

Normally, I would prepare a sauce, perhaps with some lemon juice, salt olive oil, but my uncle stopped me and instead offered that we slice the tomatoes, steam the bok choy, roast the beets and slice the jalapenos. I scoffed at the perceived tastelessness of the meal I was about to consume but what I had neglected to remember was that these crops had been just plucked from the vine this morning, and as such were as fresh as could be, still covered in a fine layer of soil, still warm from the mid-September sun.

What resulted from this preparation was a meal so tasteful, so decadent in its natural sweetness and richness that I had almost felt as if I had never tasted a tomato or beet before. In truth, I came to recognize the error of my ways, the error of understanding local produce and transforming it into... well... what it is: simple, unadorned, divine. So next time you reach for the condiments and sauces, think again, and remember that as long as your produce is fresh, the naked taste alone, if you really make an effort to mindfully eat it with a note towards natural flavors, will be more sweet and more satisfying than anything additions from a bottle could provide.

Xo

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe: Welcome To Fall

Here is a delicious and simple recipe for butternut squash soup that is an absolute go-to when you feel like making something that will warm your belly on a chilly fall afternoon. Festive for halloween in orange and adaptable for your dietary needs, without further ado please enjoy my recipe for butternut squash soup....

Ingredients

1 medium sized shallot (rough chopped)

1 stick butter

5 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)

1 medium sized butternut squash (skinned, seeds removed and cubed)

4-5 cups organic chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (optional-per soup bowl)

1 teaspoon Nutmeg (optional-per soup bowl)

Directions

1. In a large pot sautee the shallot and garlic together with 6 tablespoons butter (if you have dietary restrictions 1-2 tablespoons would suffice, though the extra few give it a creamier texture that I rather prefer, it really isn't too much butter for an entire pot of soup!)

2. When shallots have turned clear and you can spell aroma of garlic, add in butternut squash cubes along with four cups chicken stock (could be up to 5 cups, just enough so that it covers the tops of the butternut squash.)

3. Once mixture is boiling, turn down heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Let soup cool at least 30 minutes and when it is sufficiently cool place in blender (do this in portions, trust me all of the soup will not fit into the blender unless yours is super size!) With each blending portion, add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Optional: When serving, can add a dollop of greek yogurt along with a sprinkle of nutmeg (a complimentary flavor.)

ENJOY!

As always, feedback is highly encouraged and warmly welcomed.

Xo