FLOWERS MAKE ME HAPPY
This past Sunday I went to the Beverly Hills Farmers Market with my boyfriend and bought so many beautiful sunflowers.
These above are called Teddy Bear Sunflowers. I asked the florist from Mayeda Farms if I could arrange these with regular sunflowers and she gave me a thumbs up. So I got home (after stopping at the market for some items, including more yellow flowers: tulips) and got to work. After, of course, putting everything perishable in the fridge!
I recently bought these vases at the supermarket, of all places. They’re really pretty and they make flower arrangements look spectacular.
I love adding a splash of color around the house.
With the tulips, I got a helpful tip from the florist at Bristol Farms. To make the tulips stand up straight, uniformly, she told me to make a grid within the vase using scotch tape. Before you do this though, you have to line the vase with large leaves (and I forgot to ask what kind of leaves they were) and this is the trick to making your bouquet look like a million bucks!
Here is what the scotch tape grid looked like…
Then filled with pretty flowers…
And I’m still enjoying them 3 days later! Flowers make me happy…
M
JAPANESE BENTO BOXES
My good friend in Tokyo, Howard, recently sent me an email with some really entertaining pictures that I wanted to share. Below are pictures of the lunches of some very lucky elementary school children in Japan. It looks like some people have a lot of time on their hands. Speaking of having some time on my hands, I just organized my spice drawer in alphabetical order.
M
KITCHEN ENVY
I find myself constantly daydreaming about kitchens. Big, spacious, open, tons of counter space, large islands…I’m obsessed. I’ve never had a big, pretty kitchen to call my own, but it is definitely on the top of my “things I want someday” list.
Here are a few kitchens that are currently causing me to drool and swoon.
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| Sunset |
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| {HGTV} |
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| {Elle Decor} |
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| {Lonny Mag} |
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| {Elle Decor} |
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| {Elle Decor} |
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| {House Beautiful} |
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| {House Beautiful} |
R
AVOCADO PESTO
Ever since I saw this recipe on an episode of Giada at Home, I couldn’t wait to try it. This dish is one of those things I can’t believe I didn’t think of myself. Pasta coated in an avocado based pesto? It’s a no brainer!
The best part about this recipe is that it is so incredibly simple, yet so flavorful. Avocado adds a rich creaminess, arugula adds a spicy touch of pepper, lime juice adds a tart burst, almonds add a lovely crunch, and parmesan adds the perfect amount of saltiness. To top all of that off…it takes less than 30 minutes to make. And you will most likely lick your plate clean. (I did)
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Linguine with Avocado and Arugula Pesto
by Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients
serves 4 to 6
1 pound linguine pasta
2 medium avocados, halved, peeled, and seeded (about 12 ounces total)
3 cups baby arugula leaves (3 ounces)
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 large limes)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan (4 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Cook’s Note)
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Directions
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Cook’s Note: To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place in a serving bowl.
Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place in a food processor. Add the arugula, basil, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Pour the pesto over the pasta and toss together. Add the cheese and almonds and toss together until coated, adding the pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce.
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bright and creamy avocado pesto ready to go on the pasta
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R
ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
I love me some tomato soup, especially when it’s a little chilly outside and your heater isn’t working. Yes, my heater is currently blowing cold air. ugh. Thankfully, I live in Santa Monica and it only drops into the 40′s at night. Still pretty darn cold…but this tomato soup warms me to my toes! It’s sweet, slightly spicy, and the carrots nicely cut through the acidity of the tomatoes leaving you with the perfect roasted tomato soup.
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Roasted Tomato Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
3 lbs plum (roma) tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
4 large carrots, peeled and quartered
3 garlic gloves, unpeeled and wrapped in foil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken stock
1 28 ounce can plum tomatoes
3 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss tomatoes and carrots in oil, salt, pepper. Add garlic wrapped in foil. Place in oven for 45 minutes.
Heat butter, onions, and garlic in a large pot until onions are translucent. Add red pepper flakes, chicken stock, can of tomatoes, basil, thyme, and roasted carrots and tomatoes with all of their juices. (squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel and into the soup). Stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 35 minutes.
Take half of soup and put in a blender. Lightly blend until coarse, but not completely pureed. Add the other half to the blender and do the same.
Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy!
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R
CUMIN-SCENTED QUINOA and WILD RICE
Like Rachel, I also like to make an abundance of one dish so I can satisfy my mindless grazing in the kitchen for days to come.
If you’d like to try something different from whole wheat pasta, oats, and brown rice, consider protein-rich quinoa (“KEEN-wah”). Because this grain is so mild-flavored and versatile, you can find a lot of easy quinoa recipes that will suit your taste. Vegans and vegetarians will love you if you serve this at a dinner party. Thousands of quinoa varieties thrive, ranging in color from pale ivory to yellow, and even purplish black. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. As quinoa cooks, the germ separates from the kernel, creating little white rings. When you see these rings, you know the grains are fully cooked.
Feel free to add more veggies to this already hearty recipe; cucumbers, grilled zucchini or red peppers are some tasty and colorful options. Or serve this as an accompaniment with your favorite protein!
Cumin-Scented Quinoa and Wild Rice (Courtesy of Bon Appétit)
Makes 6 to 8 servings
active time: 40 minutes
total time: 40 minutes
You can substitute any color of rice or quinoa to make this gorgeous (and healthful) salad, which works as a vegetarian main course or hearty side dish.
½ cup short-grain wild or black rice
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed well
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons 1″ pieces chives
Freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled, pitted
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Ingredient info: Black or wild rice and red quinoa are available at higher end supermarkets and at natural foods and specialty foods stores.
Bring rice and 1 cup water (with 2 dashes salt added) to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
Add to quinoa. Add rice; mix well. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut avocado into wedges; season with a little salt and pepper. Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.
Per serving: 238 calories, 13 g fat, 29 g carbohydrates
M
TURKEY MEATLOAF
I love making dishes that will last me a few days and that I can serve in a variety of ways. I happened to have some extra time at home yesterday, so I decided whip up a rather large batch of turkey meatloaf. I love this dish in particular, because it’s healthy, extremely tasty, and I can eat it as a snack, on a sandwich, cold, hot, warm…you’ve got lots of options with this dish.
I really like this recipe by Ina Garten. It makes A LOT of turkey meatloaf, but you’ll be glad you have a big batch when you taste it!
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Turkey Meatloaf serves 8-10
by Ina Garten
Ingredients
3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (I added this ingredient)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top and lightly drizzle with additional Worcestershire sauce. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.
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after cooking in the oven for 90 minutes
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R
BLACK BEAN SOUP
I came across the recipe here on Epicurious, and was immediately drawn to it due to the combination of the black beans, cumin, jalapeno and feta. It tastes just as good, if not better, as it sounds. Creamy (even though dairy free except for the feta topping), thick, hearty, and extremely tasty….this is a great and easy to make soup for those cold winter nights.
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Black Bean Soup
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls. Pass cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese separately.
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R
BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIE BARS with PEANUT-PRETZEL CARAMEL
With holiday parties and end of the year get togethers under way, these blondie bars are sooo decadent that you’ll be able to get 40 servings of sweet and savory deliciousness in just one batch. I used the recipe in the current December issue of Bon Appétit as a guide and tweaked a couple things. And what’s great about these blondies is that you can chill them for up to a week in the fridge. Store in an airtight container and bring to room temperature just before serving. I made these yesterday and they’re even better today. And hopefully I’ll still have some left for tomorrow!
And before you do anything, please read the following tip on making caramel…it can be tricky.
Making caramel for the Butterscotch Blondie Bars is easy if you follow the directions. Stirring the sugar just until it boils, then swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush (I didn’t have one and didn’t really brush down the sides and mine turned out fine), keeps the melted sugar from crystallizing and guarantees and silky (not grainy) layer. Watch closely as the caramel changes color; it can go from amber to black in an instant. And always use care when adding butter or cream to hot caramel; it will bubble and spatter on contact. A high-sided pot and an oven mitt are essential.
Had I read the above, maybe I wouldn’t have burned my first batch of caramel. You win some, you lose some.
Your caramel should look like this:
Ok, so now you’re ready to bake these blondies!
Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel
Makes 40 bars
Blondie
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Peanut-Pretzel caramel
3 cups roasted salted peanuts
2 cups sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups 1 1/2″-wide thin twisted pretzels, coarsely crushed
Special equipment
A 13x9x2″ metal baking pan
Parchment paper
Preparation
Blondie
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking pane with parchment paper, leaving a 1″ overhang on either long or short sides of pan (doesn’t matter over which side the paper hangs). Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned bits form at bottom of pan 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, 2–3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Slowly add dry ingredients; beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Using an offset or regular spatula, evenly spread butter in prepared pan.
Bake blondie until golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 23 – 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Peanut-Pretzel Caramel (I’d make sure the blondies are completely cool before you begin making the caramel)
Prehead oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread peanuts over sheet in an even layer. Bake, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, 5 – 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool, then lightly crush using a mortar and pestle. The original recipe didn’t say to crush the peanuts, but I found that eating the peanuts whole was unpleasant and overpowered the other ingredients. So my advice is to crush the peanuts so you get small morsels here and there and not a huge mouthful of peanuts!
Stir sugar and ½ cup water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Important: Make sure the sugar is dissolved before you increase the heat. That means a few or five minutes of constant stirrage on medium-low heat. Then, increase heat; boil while stirring very little, occassionaly swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel is deep amber, 12–15 minutes. Add honey; return to a boil, stirring often, about 1 minute longer. Add butter; stir until blended. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Stir in peanuts and pretzels. Pour over cooled blondie. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes in the fridge, run a knife around sides of pan to release blondie. Using parchment-paper overhang, lift from pan. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 10 bars. DO AHEAD: Chill for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutritional information
One cookie contains:
Calories (kcal) 252.6
%Calories from Fat 46.8
Fat (g) 13.1
Saturated Fat (g) 4.6
Cholesterol (mg) 25.4
Carbohydrates (g) 31.2
Dietary Fiber (g) 1.3
Total Sugars (g) 23.3
Net Carbs (g) 29.9
Protein (g) 4.6
Sodium (mg) 129.2
Healthier recipes to come!
M
RACHEL’S THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend up in Seattle. It was so much fun getting to see my family and catch up with everyone. And the eating wasn’t so bad either!
We started our weekend up in Anacortes, which is about 2 hours north of Seattle. My Aunt Lynne and Uncle Pat hosted 37 people at their house for Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, you heard me right. 37! My Aunt made it look so easy and the food was so delicious…I don’t know how she did it!
The morning after Thanksgiving, we ate breakfast in downtown Anacortes at a cafe called Adrift. The food was spectacular.
scrambled eggs with dungeness crab
fried agg sandwich with corned beef
we stayed at the Majestic Inn & Spa in Anacortes
After our delicious breakfast, we headed back down to my Aunt & Uncle’s house to spend some more time all together, before heading down south to my Dad’s house.
The view from my Aunt & Uncle's house. It's so beautiful up there!
We drove to the top of Mt. Eerie to marvel at the stunning views
my brother and boyfriend taking in the view
We then drove down the length of Whidbey Island and took the ferry to get back to Seattle.
Deception Pass Bridge
riding on the ferry
After our ferry ride, we went to my Dad’s where he had prepared a delicious dinner for us.
italian sausages with spicy peppers
endive salad with shrimp and avocado
The next night, we headed up to Seattle to do what? Eat more!
at Old Town Ale House in Ballard
our crazy crew out on the town
After grabbing a few drinks at Old Town Ale House, we headed around the corner to Bastille for a truly delicious dinner.
mussels
Rabbit Pate
French onion soup
cheeseburger
after our delicious dinner
The next morning, we did a little walking around downtown Seattle.
Maya actually told me about Pike Place Chowder on her visit to Seattle last weekend. It was amazing! I did the chowder sampler...they were all equally incredible.
we also tried the Dungeness Drab Roll which was very tasty, just like the chowder.
Beecher's Handmade cheese has some of the best cheese around. You actually get to watch them make it while visiting the shop.
Best mac and cheese ever from Beecher's.
walking around Pike's Place Market
a must stop if you are in Seattle
my favorite is Beef and Cheese
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I had such an amazing trip for Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for…my family and friends most of all! Getting to go home and breathe in the crisp Washington air is something I look forward to every time I step off the plane. Washington is such a beautiful state; between the mountains, the trees, the puget sound and all the lakes…even when it’s cloudy and grey out (which it usually is) it still holds its beauty. I’m already looking forward to my next trip home!
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R
Rachel & Maya
