Blueberry Fennel Salad

In the summer, there's times where all I want to eat is salad, especially when it's this hot.  On hot summer days the last thing you want to feel is overly stuffed. A great salad just takes a few fun ingredients and an imagination.  I made a fennel salad not long ago, and I actually really enjoyed it.  Fennel is a very strong flavor, but if paired correctly, it can be very delicious.  For this particular post, there isn't really a recipe.  I'll put down the ingredients that I used, but feel free to be creative, and use your favorite dressing!

On a side note, my mother reminded me that I was supposed to finish those 30 questions.  Obviously I failed miserably at that, so I'm going to do my best to finish those out! With the wedding in less than two months, I can only keep my mind on one thing at a time.  The countdown is officially in progress!

INGREDIENTS:
Cucumber
Bib Lettuce
Red Onion
Blueberries
Fresh Corn
Fennel
Orange slices

1.  Mix all the ingredients you have on hand and toss lightly with your favorite salad dressing!

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Question 7: What's your dream job and why?

I'm going to answer this one really quickly, since I think it's a bit obvious to most of you.  My dream job is anything to do with Psychology.  I have loved it ever since my first Psychology class in high school, and I've worked hard to get where I am ever since then.  I am constantly fascinated by people and why they do the things they do.  Not only do I strive to have an understanding of the human mind, but I also have a passion to help those struggling with difficulties or disabilities.

Question 8: What are 5 passions you have?

1.  Obviously, as you can imagine cooking is a new and recent passion of mine.  I find it to be very relaxing, and it's a great way to get my creativity juices flowing.  That's not to say it's not also stressful and exhausting.  When I'm overwhelmed or busy, it's the first thing to be pushed aside, even though it would probably help me to calm down and center myself.  I also have a passion for eating fairly well.  I'm not going to preach to you about not eating MSG's and watching your sugar, because I'd be calling the kettle black.  BUT, I do feel a LOT better about myself when I make my own food.

2.  The people I help.   I am not at all surprised that I ended up in this profession.  I have always been fascinated with people.  I could sit at a mall and people watch for hours if I had the time.  I also think I've always had a place in my heart for those that are "different."  I remember being in high school, and people would be so mean to the kids that had disabilities.  It made me angry even then, before I actually understood the things I do now.  Back then I didn't have the guts to stick up for them, but now I do.  I would most definitely say that the entire field of Psychology is a passion of mine.

3.  Animals.  Again, is this any surprise?  I suppose this and my number 2 kind of relate.  If you think about it, animals don't have a voice for themselves.  They don't have the ability to say "stop" or "let me go."  They can't drive themselves to the hospital if they're sick and want nothing but unconditional love (and food if it's my cat).  I think some of the students/patients I work with could be described the same way.  Not only do I feel a responsibility to take care of animals of all shapes and sizes, but they are freaking adorable.  Have you ever seen a picture of a baby hippo?  I mean good lord, how can you not be obsessed!?

4.  Outdoors/sports.  I grew up playing sports, and because of that I spent a lot of my life outside running around.  People ask why I don't like the winter time and why I complain about it, but it's because I cannot do the types of activities I love so much.  Even being able to just take a walk is relaxing and makes me very very happy.

5.  Family.  I know mom, I know, I put this last.  Let me preface that I didn't put this last because it's less important or less of a passion.  I actually just didn't feel like re-numbering them.  Family is a huge passion of mine.  I grew up in a household where we ate dinner together every night (until soccer season), we went on family vacations, camping trips, and never missed a Christmas together.  I only hope my future (WAY IN THE FUTURE) children can also have the amazing experiences I did growing up.

Black Cherry Peach Glazed Ham Steak

All of this wedding stuff is certainly getting in the way of my cooking.  I have been non-stop running around for the past two weeks.  Whether it be picking up my wedding dress, getting fittings done, putting together invitations, or any of the other 101 things that still need to be done, I can't seem to find any time to cook.  Tonight however, I was determined.  With only a few things in the fridge I managed to put this simple meal together, which actually turned out to be delicious.  I am a huge fan of sweet and salty, and this recipe is the perfect balance of just that.  Normally, my family only eats ham at Christmas, so I wanted to make this recipe a bit more "summer" friendly.  The fruit was a wonderful touch and added a wonderful sweetness to the glaze.  On the side I served a cold green and black bean salad with an orange honey vinaigrette. 


INGREDIENTS:
1 Ham Steak - about 1 inch thick
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
4 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Medium Orange -Juiced
2 Tbs. Jam - cherry, strawberry, apricot - whatever!
10-12 Black Cherries - pitted and halved
1-2 Peaches - sliced

1.  In a large skillet, cook the ham steak on each side for 3-4 minutes.  In a separate small pot add in the rest of the ingredients and allow them to simmer for about 5-6 minutes. 

2.  When the ham is done, place in a baking dish, and pour glaze and fruit over top.  Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

*** If you'd like an extra thick glaze, strain the juices after cooking in the small pot and heat until it is reduced by half. 

Green Bean Salad: 
Green Beans - cooked for about 4 minutes then cooled
Black Beans - strained and rinsed
Orange Bell Pepper - diced
1/4 Sweet Onion - sliced
Tomatoes - sliced

Orange Vinaigrette
2 Medium Oranges - Juiced
2 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Olive Oil 
1 Tbs. Honey
3 Roasted Garlic Cloves - mashed
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Mix all of the ingredients together and chill until ready to use.  I like to mix my salad and let it sit in the fridge for a while before serving.  The flavors are able to soak into the veggies a bit and makes it taste a ton better! 

Breakfast of Hippies

I tend to live life by the motto, "everything tastes better with avocado and bacon."  Most of you already know this, but I don't know if you truly understand the extent to which I love these two items.  Blake and I most likely keep the grocery store alive and well just from the sheer amount of money we spend on bacon and avocados.  I see nothing wrong with this... it could be something much much worse.

My best friends family, and basically my second family like to go to a restaurant when she comes home, where they have a fantastic California Eggs Benedict.  This is where I got the idea from.  I like to think of it as the "breakfast of hippies" instead of the breakfast of champions.

I found a really easy and quick recipe for a Hollandaise sauce that can be made in a blender at Simply Recipes, so go ahead and click the link and it will take you right to the webpage you need.



INGREDIENTS:
Toast/bread
Eggs
Avocado
Green Onions
Paprika

1.  There really isn't a recipe here, but I would recommend cooking your bacon first, and making the Hollandaise Sauce.  Once the bacon is done, begin toasting your bread of choice.

2.  Place the toast, then bacon, then avocado.  After prepping that, poach your eggs (have the water boiling and ready to go). 

3.  Top your toast with an egg and top with Hollandaise and a sprinkle of Paprika, then ENJOY!

Risotto Summer Salad

Once Blake and I find something we love, we tend to stick with it.  When I first started this venture of cooking and writing about it, I discovered my skill at making salad dressings and our love of salads that don't actually have lettuce in them.  Now that spring is on it's way, I'm getting back in the mood to cook.  (I wasn't feeling it this past month).  No fear, the sun and fresh blooming flowers are officially getting me back to being motivated.  One of the staples of every picnic is pasta salad.  Just the other day, I was trying to think of a unique pasta salad that my mother in law could make for my shower next month. Truly, how many different pasta salads can you make?  Don't answer that.

On my way home from work today, I was thinking about things I already had in my kitchen, and it hit me... Risotto!  It's not pasta, but it's delicious, so why not!?  The cooking process is a bit different, but other than that, go about it the same way you would any other pasta salad you make.  I'll post my ingredients below, but feel free to adapt them to your personal flavors.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Risotto
3 Cups Water
1 Bell Pepper
6 Scallions diced (just the bottoms)
10 Cherry Tomatoes - halved

DRESSING
1 Tbs. Dijon
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or anything you like)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1.  Begin by adding the 1/2 Cup Risotto and 3 Cups water into a medium sized pot.  Bring to a boil and continue to let the Risotto cook until the water is just below the pasta.  Stir occasionally. You do not have to continue stirring it like you would when you cook Risotto the traditional way, just make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Turn the heat down to low, and put a lid on allowing the Risotto to cook for about 5 more minutes.

2.  While the Risotto is on the stove, mix together the ingredients for the dressing.  Start with the first five ingredients mixing well.  While mixing with one hand, drizzle the Olive Oil in to the rest of the mixture to ensure it is well combined.  Place in the fridge until you are ready to dress the entire salad. 

3.  Once the Risotto is fully cooked,  remove it from heat and spoon into a large heat safe bowl.  Drizzle with 1 extra Tbs. Olive Oil and stir.  Season with salt and pepper, and place into the refrigerator to cool.

4.  While Risotto is cooling, prep the rest of your ingredients.  Cut up the bell pepper and tomatoes, and dice the scallions.  When the Risotto is cooled down to at least room temperature, add in the veggies and the dressing.  Stir together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To help you get in the summery mood, I've attached a beautiful Instagram of my mother's backyard Peonies.  They were in full bloom the other day when I stopped by!

Mini Sweet Potato Gratins

I found this really cool recipe by Martha Stewart (or whoever works for her), where she made potato gratins in a cupcake pan.  I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be used up, so I figured I would adapt her recipe to fit what I had in my refrigerator.  You can check out her original, less delicious recipe here.

Potato Gratins are made with very thinly sliced potatoes, cheese, and cream.  This recipe was so easy, and I snazzed it up by adding a Ricotta cheese mixture and switching up sweet potatoes for Russet potatoes.

INGREDIENTS
1-2 Large Sweet Potatoes (I used one for one pan and had left overs)
1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp.  Rosemary (dried or fresh minced)
1 Tbs. Heavy Cream per each Gratin
1/4 Tbs. Room Temperature Butter
Salt and Pepper

1.  Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees, and greasing the cupcake pan with the softened butter.  After peeling the sweet potato, slice it as thinly as possible.  If you have a mandolin, you may use that too.  

2.  Begin layering the sweet potatoes into the cupcake pan.  Put two layers in, top with 1 tsp. cheese    mixture and top with salt and pepper. Top with another two layers of sweet potatoes and sprinkle with more salt and pepper and a bit more Asiago cheese.

3.  Continue this process until the cupcake pan is filled. Then, when the oven is ready bake for 30-35  minutes or until the top potatoes begin to turn golden brown and bubbly.  Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Roasted Grape & Goat Cheese Focaccia

Even though it was only a high of 55 degrees today, I couldn't help feeling like it was summer.  The sun was shinning and the birds were chirping.  I decided Blake and I needed to eat something that was summery and light.  Last year, I made something similar, but with cherry tomatoes instead of grapes.  I saw something like this in a magazine, and I really wanted to try it out.  The grapes were just sweet enough, that they played well against the saltiness of the bread and cheese.  And, don't get me started on how easy that bread is! What's better than fresh home cooked bread that you've slaved over all day long? Bread that took no longer than 20 minutes to make! Even if you think you wouldn't like this, I'd recommend you give it a shot.  It'd be a perfect appetizer for get togethers too.

INGREDIENTS: 
1/2 lb. Red Grapes - this amount depends on how much you want to make.
1/4 Sweet Onion - sliced
1 Head Garlic - peeled
5-6 Sprigs Rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  After washing the grapes and drying them, add them to a baking dish.  Add in the sliced onions, peeled garlic, and rosemary.  Pour enough Olive Oil to cover them generously. Stir to ensure everything is well coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  The grapes should begin to soften and the garlic should look slightly roasted. 

BREAD:
Pre-made Pizza Dough - You can find it at plenty of grocery stores
2 Tbs. Butter - melted

2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan                

1.  Put the pre-made pizza dough on a baking sheet.  Poke with holes using a fork.  Pour half the melted butter on top and spread evenly.

2.  Bake 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown.  Take out of oven and top with the remaining butter.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, and enjoy!

Pomegranate Chipotle Chicken

I cannot claim this recipe, as it was actually Blake who cooked dinner.  My good friend ...cough Connie cough....  bought me this amazing Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ sauce from Pamered Chef a while back, and it's been sitting in my fridge begging to be used.   I kept forgetting about it though, and finally this Sunday presented a perfect opportunity.  Blake was in charge of dinner, and he wanted to marinate his chicken.  We only had two options, Pomegranate BBQ or Sriracha.  Although Blake is a Sriracha lover, I'm not such a big fan.  AKA, we went with the BBQ.  He added a few cloves of garlic and a couple tablespoons of spices and off he went. 


INGREDIENTS:
2 lb Chicken Breasts/Tenderloins
1 Bottle Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ Sauce (or whatever kind you like!)
1 head Garlic - peeled
2 Tbs. Chicken Grill Seasoning (any grill seasoning will work)


1.  In a large plastic Zip Lock bag, add in all of the ingredients, allowing them to marinate for at least an hour or so. 

2.  In a large pot, over medium heat, add in the chicken breasts.  Allow them to sear for a minute or two on each side.  Add in the rest of the marinade from the bag, and cover. 

3.  Let the chicken and marinade cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through. 

4.  Remove chicken when ready and set aside.  To make a sauce out of the remaining BBQ sauce, add in chicken stock or white wine.  Allow this to reduce back down.   This will take approximately 5 or 6 minutes.  Pour the sauce on top of the chicken and serve. 

** The garlic will end up like roasted garlic, which is simply delicious!