Lemon-Pepper Kale

When I started law school, I thought it would be a bit like undergrad.  Sure, everyone told me how different it would be from all of my other school experiences, but I just sort of humored them with a, "Yeah.  Sure.  Of course it will be" and went on my merry way.  Well, four days in and I can honestly say it is nothing like undergrad.  I think I've spent more hours in the library this week than my entire four years of college combined.  Just this week I've read around 100 pages of cases and legal analysis.  Luckily I like it, otherwise I'd be looking for a bridge to jump off of.

Needless to say, with my new studying habits (complete with bonus stiff neck and sore eyes -- what a bargain!) I don't have a lot of time to cook.  Which is sort of problematic when you run a food blog.  With that said, I'm going to apologize in advance if (more like when) the posts here slow down a bit.  

Alright, with that out of the way (whew!) we can move on to more exciting things like kale.  If my brother were reading this, he'd go, "Liz, kale is not exciting."

Well, dear brother, you are WRONG.  

I had a phase last year where I went through kale like no one's business.  I ate it raw.  I sauteed it.  I always said I would make chips but never actually got around to it.  Regardless, I was sort of in love with kale.  And then I moved back home and we didn't have grocery stores that carried it.  The horror!  After having about a day where I was just inconsolable (not really, but I did miss it) I promptly forgot about kale and continued on with my summer.

Well, I found this picture on my iPhoto and have decided that I need kale in my life again.  And if that can't happen, then I need to get it in yours.  Here the kale is sauteed and garnished with a healthy dash of pepper and squeeze of lemon.  I like kale paired with acidic flavors, and the lemon does just that.  This is great as side dish or can even be used as a main if you tossed some tofu or beans with it.

Lemon-Pepper Kale

Ingredients:

1 large handful of kale

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup water

1/2 lemon

1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Heat a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the oil and saute kale just until bright green, about 1 minute.  Pour in the water and let simmer until the stalks are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the lemon and pepper, and toss to coat.

Mediterranean Couscous with Olives and Artichokes

Yesterday I spent the entire day helping my dad move his office down a floor in the hospital.  It was hours of lifting boxes and pulling carts.  Oh boy, I hurt in places I didn't even know it was possible to hurt.  I'm counting this as my daily workout, because my butt hurts WAY more than it does after sets of squats.  So, there you go.

I know posts have been less frequent here, and it's basically because I'm home and no longer cooking like a beast.  My mom makes most of the meals (we're the typical nuclear family) and I feel weird making us wait ten minutes before eating so I can snap pictures.  Not that my family would mind.  My dad always makes these weird salad concoctions (believe me, they are NASTY) and goes, 'Liz, want to take a picture of this for your blog?'.  I usually tell him that since most of the world lacks his iron stomach and affinity for gherkins, I'd better steer clear.

This salad made me think of him, though.  He's notorious for making salads with all the odds and ends in our fridge.  Marinated artichokes.  Pickles.  Left over pork.  Doesn't matter what it is -- it'll go in the salad and be smothered in Western dressing.  This couscous salad doesn't involve pickles or Western dressing (Thank God), but it does have a bit of everything in it.  Mixed together with fresh basil and a light balsamic vinaigrette, it's the perfect summer meal.

Mediterranean Couscous with Olives and Artichokes

1 2/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 tbsp olive oil
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sliced olives
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed
5 artichoke hearts, quartered 
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 cucumber, quartered and sliced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/pepper


Directions:


Cook couscous according to directions on package.


Combine all the ingredients, up to the balsamic vinegar.  In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic and olive oil until emulsified.  Pour into the couscous mixture and toss to coat.  Serve either on its own or with a main dish.

Garlic Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

I rarely make potatoes.  After making this last night and having my mind properly blown, my only coherent thought besides, "I want moreeee!!!" was "I need to make potatoes more!".

Could there be a more perfect and delightful food?  I don't care that there are like 100 calories in each tiny red potato.  Or that I am incapable of eating less than, like, eighteen of them.  DON'T EVEN CARE.  These are soft on the inside with a crispy herbed outside layer.  I think an added squirt of lemon juice would be all sorts of jazzy. 

I made these with herb crusted pork chops (recipe to come!) and they rocked my socks off.  Well, I actually wasn't wearing socks, but I'm sure if I were they would have been rocked off.  These potatoes were part of a dinner I made of a friend and my Dawson's Creek night where we sat on my floor and watched all the best Joey/Pacey episodes and mocked Dawson.  There really is no other way to watch that show.

While they do have to cook for quite a while (just under an hour) it's mostly hands-off cooking time which I think places these in the easy-weeknight-meals segment.  It makes a ton, too, so you'll have leftovers!

Garlic Roasted Red Skin Potatoes

Ingredients:

12-14 red skin potatoes, quartered

1 tbsp dried herbs (I used basil, oregano and parsley)

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

salt/pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and pat dry the potatoes.  Quarter the potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet in one single layer.  In a bowl, mix together the herbs, garlic, salt/pepper and olive oil.  Pour over the potatoes and toss to coat.

Roast the potatoes for 50-60 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Romaine with Apples, Walnuts and Craisins

I went to the doctor's earlier this week for some tests, and was put in one of those God-forsaken hospital gowns.  They're always made of cotton in the tv shows, which is totally misleading for those of us who haven't been to the doctor's office in ions.  Maybe my hospital is just cheap, but the gowns were made of this gauzy paper that ripped if you made the slightest movement.  I tried to tie mine closed at the front (as to not flash my doctor repeatedly) and then ended up ripping the gown right in the chest area.  I pulled the other side of the gown over to avoid any nip slips, which of course left me in danger of ripping the other side.

I've never been a large protestor.  I don't sign petitions or campaign on street corners beside the Greenpeace people that no one wants to talk to.  I think it's mostly because I haven't found my cause.  Until this week.  Cotton hospital gowns.  I'm for 'em.

Alright, now that I probably sent some of you running with my TMI ramblings, I'll get to the food-blog-part of this post.  I was in charge of dinner earlier this week and I knew that I wanted a salad alongside the meal.  Growing up, we were not a salad-eating-family.  We would have one about once in a blue moon, but it was not something common.  And when we did have it, you can bet it was iceberg lettuce with cheddar cheese shreds and Western dressing.

If you don't know what Western dressing is, then you clearly are missing out on one of the most delicious and nutritionally devoid dressings known to mankind.  It's similar to French dressing but with more sweetness.  It forever will be associated with summer, grilling and water balloon fights for me.

Since getting my own apartment, I have become a regular salad eater.  I make up my own dressings and   throw basically anything in my fridge into the mix.  Definitely not the salads of my childhood.  This one that I made for my family used up some apples and romaine we had chilling in the fridge.  We served it on the side, but it could be eaten on its own for a meal, too.  Just add a piece of bread and fruit, and you've got yourself a meal!

Romaine with Apples, Walnuts and Craisins

Ingredients:


For Salad:


1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
1/3 cup craisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup goat cheese


For Dressing:


Dijon mustard
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil


Directions:


For the dressing, mix together the mustard and balsamic vinegar.  While whisking with either a fork or small whisk, pour in the olive oil.  Mix until emulsified.  


For salad, mix together all of the ingredients.  Pour in the dressing and toss to coat.

Spiced Chickpea Tacos

I never used to like Mexican food.  Growing up, I would always complain when my parents would take my brother and I to the local Mexican restaurant.  My problem is that I don't like most of the ingredients in Mexican food.  I don't like tomatoes or sour cream.  I used to not like avocados.  And we all know my stance on cilantro.

And then I met Chipotle.

I know Chipotle is bastardized Mexican food, but it was a wonderful way for an older me to be reintroduced to Mexican flavors.  I found that I didn't mind heat in my meals, guacamole is one of mankind's greatest inventions and cilantro still tastes like soapy dish water.  

Despite my newfound love of Mexican food, I don't make it very often at home.  I'm not confident with the spices and rarely have the proper ingredients on hand.  I picked up some tortillas from the grocery store this week, though, and used what I had to make some fun vegetarian tacos.

Spiced Chickpea Tacos

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp brown sugar

8 small corn tortillas

1/2 cup lettuce, chopped

1/2 avocado, sliced

1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  In a bowl, mix the chickpeas with the oil and spices.  Spread on a baking dish and bake 10 minutes.  Toss the chickpeas, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Microwave the tortillas for 15-20 seconds.  Pile on the chickpeas, lettuce, avocado and cheese.  The tacos go well with cold beers and Grey's Anatomy marathons.

Do you guys like Mexican food?  If so, do you ever make it at home?

Three Bean Salad

I've been sick the past two days with a stomach bug, and I have never been more grateful for leftovers.  Usually I end up sick when I have absolutely nothing in my refrigerator.  This time, I had all of my leftovers from my party.  In one word, my fridge is stocked.

I made this three bean salad for my end-of-the-semester party.  The theme was "American Picnic" - yes, I have themes for my parties, feel free to mock - so I made some mini burgers, chicken salad and this bean salad.  Sadly, it was demoted to a two bean salad for the party due to my broken can opener.  I did consider going at it with a knife for a moment, but decided I liked my fingers more than kidney beans.

I have been eating this salad for just about every meal possible.  It is the BEST mixed with some chicken salad, lettuce and love.  I thought it might be too adventuresome for my touchy stomach, but so far I've heard no complaints.

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:


Chickpeas
Green beans
Kidney Beans
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/pepper


Directions:


Choose your own ratio for the beans.  I personally like it chickpea heavy, but that's just me.  If you're using fresh beans, soak them overnight and boil for 45 minutes - 1 hour.  If your beans are canned, rinse and set aside.  Boil the green beans until crisp tender, 4-5 minutes.  Put in a strainer and douse with cold water immediately to set the bright green color. 


Mix together the apple cider vinegar and sugar, until the sugar is dissolved.  Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking continuously until the dressing has emulsified.  Pour over the beans and let marinate for at least an hour.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spinach Frittata

I don't understand the weather in Chicago.  Two weeks ago the weather was in the 80s and I was prancing around in sundresses and flip flops.   Well, there was no actual prancing, but you catch my drift.

I drank iced coffee.  The air conditioner and I were best buds.  I even went to the beach and watched people do drunk yoga while getting an awkward tank-top tan.  Then last week temps were back in the 40s and it was freaking cold.  This week, we're back to the 60s.  

I have no explanation for this, other than the world is ending thanks to excessive driving and hairspray use.  Or, you know, global warming and all that.

If this does mean the world is ending, I feel it is my duty as a food blogger to provide you with one last frittata recipe.  Because when an apocalypse is on the horizon, it's clearly important to be well-fed.  

Spinach Frittata

Ingredients:

6 eggs

2 tbsp milk 

1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp parmesan, grated

1 cup spinach (or a handful)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the egg, cheese, and milk.  Add the spinach.  Pour into an oven-safe skillet on medium heat and cook until the top is barely runny, 10-12 minutes.  Place in the broiler and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the top browns.

Serve with vegetables or a salad.  

Crazy Good Quinoa

I read an article in the Chicago Tribune yesterday that said eating red meat significantly increases your risk of premature death.  I guess Luke Danes was right.

The article talks about a Harvard Medical School study that  showed eating red meat or processed meat (like cold cuts and hotdogs) contributing to early deaths.   Personally,  I take a lot of these new health studies with a hefty grain of salt.  I'm a proponent of having everything in moderation.  Except hotdogs because they are gross.

I dare any of you to watch Food Network's "How It's Made" hotdog episode and look at them the same way.  Impossible.

Anyhoo, today I bring you a meatless recipe.  I'd like to say that this is in keeping with the theme of the article above, but it's really more due to my being too cheap to buy meat on a regular basis.  It's so much cheaper to just live off of quinoa and beans.  Seriously.

I have a habit of roasting up a bunch of vegetables at the beginning of the week and tossing them together with quinoa or rice throughout the week.  It's quick, nutritious and generally tasty.  This recipe features some roasted chickpeas which really elevated this dish's appeal to me.  I will definitely be making this again soon and hope you all give it a try, as well!

Crazy Good Quinoa

Ingredients:

Quinoa

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted peppers and mushrooms

Marinara sauce

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package instructions.

Chop peppers and slice mushrooms.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking dish and drizzle with oil.  Season with basil and parsley and stir to combine.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the chickpeas and oil, salt and pepper.  Spread on a baking dish.  In a 325 degree oven, bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Combine all ingredients.

Curry-Roasted Cauliflower

As you might remember, I'm taking a fiction writing class.  My piece was peer edited on Tuesday and after weeks of worrying how the class would react to it, I had my answer.  They liked it!

I felt like Susan Sarandon when she was onstage for the Oscars and exclaiming, "You like me!  You rrreealllly like me!!!"

After coming down from the flattery high, though, I am now faced with the daunting task of creating another piece they will like.  And now they have the first piece they all loved to compare it with.  Which, of course, makes me about 467 times more anxious.

So, happy writing for me and my forthcoming breakdown.

In the meantime, I am going to focus on blogging (which I think I can do) and providing you all with delicious recipes.  This one is not my own, but I'm sharing it anyway.  It's a Mama Pea classic with half the ingredients missing because I was too lazy to walk across the street to the store.  So, I guess I sort of made it my own?  Maybe?  Sort of?

Anyhoo, you should make this soon regardless.  I ate all of it in two days and could have eaten even more.   

 Curry-Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:


1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala


Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Mix the cauliflower with the oil and spices in a bowl.  Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing the cauliflower several times to ensure even roasting.  The cauliflower is finished when the stalk is easily pierced by a knife.


Hey guys--make sure to stop by Steph's Bite by Bite for her TNT ONLINE BAKE SALE.  I have my white chocolate peanut butter cookies up for sale and there are tons of other fantastic goodies, too!!  Check it out!

Chickpea Poppers

Hiya friends.  This is going to be a quick post because I'm a bit under the weather.  Just last week I was happily remarking to my parents that I hadn't gotten sick all school year.  Karma's a you-know-what.

This week I found myself in a food rut and wanted to make something different for dinner.  Earlier in the week I had cooked up some chickpeas (I used dried) and I started thinking up different ways I could use them.  These chickpea poppers are like healthier chicken nuggets.  They're fun to eat and nutritious to boot.  These were my dinner along with some curried cauliflower.  They'd be great as a party appetizer, too, though!

Chickpea Poppers

Ingredients:


1 cup chickpeas
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup breadcrumbs


Directions:


Preheat oven to 375


Combine all the ingredients in a food processor.  Process until all of the ingredients are mixed together. Make sure to not completely macerate the chickpeas--you want some texture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.


Before I sign off, I want to do a quick little shout-out for my Aunt's blog.  She's doing a 40-day fast for Lent and is blogging about it over at Writing on Faith.  The posts are really interesting and she, of course, is awesome.  Make sure to stop by!

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Kale

I hope you all enjoyed the bar edition of Pet Peeve Wednesday, yesterday.  I had a little too much fun writing that, but people just get themselves into some major shenanigans when they go out.  And if I can't make fun of them, then what is life really for?

Anyway, moving on.  About five minutes after I posted yesterday, I found the most delightful photo gallery at HelloGiggles that featured various celebrities partaking in some pretty sweet photo bombs.  Just to give you a little taste of what's beyond that link, behold Tina Fey: Photo Bombing Boss.

Seriously funny stuff, guys.  Check it out.

Now, moving on to the real point of this post, I feel sort of weird following up cakes and truffles with such a healthy recipe.  I mean, this has kale in it.  I love kale, but I always feel like some virtuous bunny when I eat it.  

Healthy specs be damned, though, because this recipe is freaking awesome.  It is so good that I ate the entire thing for dinner.  Then made it again an hour later to bring to work the next day.

And we all know how much I hate washing more dishes.

Make this now.  Not tomorrow.  Not next week.  Now.

Err..you could probably wait until lunch.

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Kale

 Ingredients:


Soba Noodles
Kale
Tofu, bite sized pieces
Ginger-Sesame Dressing


Directions:


Start off by preparing your tofu.  Broil it in the oven for 10 minutes, flip the tofu.  Broil for an additional five minutes and then remove from the oven.


For the kale, heat one tbsp of oil in a saute pan.  Add the kale and cook until it turns bright green, one minute.  Add 1/2 cup of water and let the kale simmer.  Cook until the water has been absorbed, roughly 10-15 minutes.


Meanwhile, prepare the soba noodles.  Bring water to a boil and add the soba noodles.  Cook for 5 minutes, then remove.  


Combine all ingredients and add the sauce.  Give everything a little stir, and prepare for your tastebuds to sing.

Coconut Brown Rice with Brussels Sprouts

I have a slight problem.

Lately, I have been putting coconut in everything. Oatmeal? Sure, why not! Yogurt? Can only make it better! Minestrone?

Okay, I didn't put it in my minestrone, but I think you catch my drift. I'm going through a phase. A very coconut-ey phase.

I found a can of lite coconut milk in the back of my cabinet last week and used it for a pretty amazing pumpkin-coconut-smoothie. It didn't use all of the coconut milk, though, and I wanted to use the leftovers for something other than additional smoothies or overnight oats. I wanted to stretch my savory-food-muscles but realized that my ideas for coconut milk recipes were pretty limited. Luckily, I have these fantastic things called food blogs.

Have you heard of them?

I found a recipe for coconut brown rice on SkinnyTaste and it was like coconut-flavored-fate. The coconut milk lends a wonderful creaminess to the rice and it pairs beautifully with the brussels sprouts. Feel free to give the brussels sprouts a little saute, if you're so inclined. I considered doing it myself but decided I preferred minimal effort. Serve this alongside a big salad for a tasty meal!

Coconut Brown Rice with Brussels Sprouts

1 cup brown rice

1 cup water

1 cup lite coconut milk

2 cups brussels sprouts

1 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tbsp slivered almonds

Directions:

Combine the brown rice, water and coconut milk in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare your brussels sprouts. Cut off the tough stem and peel off the outer leaves. Bring water to a boil in a separate sauce pan and cook the brussels sprouts until a knife slides in and out easily, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and slice in half.

Combine the brown rice and brussels sprouts in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add the coconut and slivered almonds. Toast the coconut and almonds until they are lightly browned. Sprinkle over the brown rice and brussels sprouts. And eat!

Quinoa with Eggplant and Peppers

Hello lovelies. I have a little story for you all this Thursday morning. And if you absolutely cannot stand to hear me ramble for a paragraph or two, you can jump down to the recipe at the end. I won't judge. Too much. Anyway, story time! I currently intern at the public relations agency that represents all of the Broadway In Chicago shows in the city. The work is mainly compiling media coverage and sending it off to the client. However, I also get to attend press night for all of the shows.

Let's have a moment of silence for how awesome that is.

--silence--

Okay, back on track. Tuesday night I went to the Mamma Mia! press night. Interns are used as fillers for empty seats in the theater and we are usually given our tickets about two or three minutes before the show starts. This is always anxiety provoking for me (I hate rushing) but usually I handle it well. I was all business Tuesday night until the ushers sent me to the wrong aisle and I sort of went into a blind panic, not paying much attention to my surroundings as I whipped around to run to the next aisle. When I made that hello-whiplash-turn I collided with none other than Chicago's biggest theater critic.

Sputtered apologies and flushed cheeks followed.

I was mortified and still sort of am. Although, I do have to admit that it makes a pretty good story. And as an awkward magnet, that is something you really have to hold on to.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I have some food that I want to show you all. This is a food blog at the end of the day, after all. Like most recipes, this came from an oh s*** moment at the rapidly deteriorating produce in my refrigerator. Nothing like four dollar peppers bruising to get your chef cap on! I used quinoa as the base because no grain is a better canvas for rapidly-deteriorating-produce. This would be great with just about any roasted vegetable. Also, don't be afraid to add sauces. I used some tomato sauce on the leftovers and it was delicious.

Quinoa with Roasted Eggplant and Peppers

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cubed

2 peppers, chopped roughly

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

salt/pepper

1 cup quinoa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the eggplant and pepper on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add the herbs and then mix with your hands to coat the vegetables with oil and herbs. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip over the vegetables, bake for another 5-10 minutes until the eggplant is easily pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the quinoa simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork.

Bulgar Wheat Tofu with Lime Tahini Sauce

After three finals, four presentations, two papers, and a potentially dangerous amount of coffee...

I AM DONE WITH FINALS!

And I couldn't be happier.

There are many things that I love about winter break. Sleeping in. My family. The DVR loaded with all of my favorite shows. My parents joke that I take over the TV when I come home. I can't really refute that.

All joking aside though, there is something nice about being home. I love living in the city and there are perks of living on your own. I don't have to suffer through stilted morning conversation. I am 100% not a morning person and holding any sort of conversation before 10 AM is like pulling teeth. I don't have to share the remote. A carton of milk lasts all the way to the expiration date. Sometimes it's nice to share the remote, though. It's nice to have someone there to hear the random stories that just aren't the same when told hours later.

I still don't like the morning talking thing, though.

On an unrelated note, I have a little recipe here for you that is both delicious and nutritious. Unfortunately, it does not rhyme like the end of that sentence. I'll try harder next time.

Bulgar Wheat Tofu with Lime Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar wheat

1 package tofu, chopped

1/4 cup tahini

2-3 tbsp lime juice

Directions:

Cook the bulgar wheat according to the package's instructions and set aside. Preheat the oven's broiler while you press the tofu. Slice the tofu into bite size pieces and spread out onto a prepared baking sheet. Broil 5-6 minutes per side.

Using a food processor (or a whisk/fork) combine the tahini and lime juice. Add more or less lime juice depending on how thick you want the sauce. Pour over the bulgar wheat and tofu. Serves four.

Lots and lots of cookie recipes will be on their way! Get excited!! What are you all baking for the holidays?

Pesto Palmiers

While making this recipe I realized two valuable things:

1) My life needs more pesto.

2) My life needs more puff pastry dough.

My thighs told me that I was full of poppycock and after a moment of brief resistance, I had to agree. My wallet voiced its agreement, as well.

Puff pastry may not be ideal for daily use but it is pretty much perfect for quick appetizers. If the two met at a bar they would discover after two cranberry vodkas (because what else would puff pastry drink?) that they are totally made for each other.

There is a lot you can do with puff pastry dough. Wrap it around cocktail dogs. Fold it up with some chocolate. You can even make knots out of strips and enjoy it as its saucy self.

For my party I layered it with pesto and parmesan before rolling the ends into the center for some pretty palmiers. I have no idea what palmier means. Up until five minutes before the party, I didn't know how to pronounce it.

French Lesson #1:

palmier = palm-ee-ayy

Is your mind blown like mine? Or are you all gourmands who already knew the pronunciation? Feel free to mock if you are the latter.

Anyhoo, this is the perfect holiday appetizer. According to me.

Pesto Palmiers

Ingredients:

Puff pastry dough, thawed (one sheet)

1/2 cup pesto

1/4 cup parmesan

Directions:

Thaw puff pastry dough either in the refrigerator over night or at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the puff pastry dough. Spread the pesto out using a spatula. Make sure to leave about an inch on all four sides of the dough. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese. Roll both sides into the center. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

Slice vertically into 30 slices. Lay flat on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned.

Source: Cooking Light

Pasta with Squash and Honey Cinnamon Compote Butter

How was everyone's Halloween?!

Did you all dress up? I was planning on being a homicidal housewife but when I heard that the fake blood could stain my dress I very quickly dropped the homicidal and added a spoon to my apron pocket. Voila! 1950's housewife!

Friday night I went to an event on campus and then Saturday night was my very first bar crawl. That's going in the baby book. I learned a lot of things about bar crawls that night. First off, it is unbelievably crowded, which leads to a lot of unintentional touching. The food goes in about five minutes; which is unfortunate for those who get there after ten. And finally, if you have a wooden spoon in your pocket people will try to take it--especially people you don't know.

It was a really fun weekend, though, even with the crowds and spoon-snatchers. It was my first Halloween in the city and I'm looking forward to many more.

Unfortunately, I neglected to take any pictures and my one friend who did is hoarding them on her camera. You will see them eventually. At this rate, next Halloween.

Another thing that made this weekend (and Monday) wonderful was all the fantastic I'm-going-to-regret-this-in-the-morning food. There was the pumpkin cupcake on Friday. The cheeseburger and french fries at one in the morning Sunday. And then yesterday, all the fun size candy that I could shove in my mouth. I'm ready to get a little green in my diet that isn't a jello shot.

Save that for next weekend.

Pasta with Squash and Honey Cinnamon Compote Butter

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta

1 butternut squash

1 cup broccoli

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp honey

1 tsp honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and slice the squash into bite size pieces.

In a small ramekin, melt the butter and honey. Add the cinnamon and mix together. Pour evenly over the squash. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning over halfway through.

On a separate baking sheet, pour broccoli and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over broccoli. Roast for 15-20 minutes either with the squash or afterwards.

Boil pasta according to instructions. Add the squash and broccoli.

Soba Noodle Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

Soba noodles are my new best friend. Yes, they are made of buckwheat. Yes, they are healthy. Yes, they slightly resemble worms. Dressed up, though, they pack quite a punch.

Everything is better with the right packaging. Perfectly wrapped gifts. Men in suits. Patrick Dempsey in hospital scrubs. Alexander Skarsgard in...er...nothing. And soba noodles are no different. Except they don't wear suits or hospital scrubs; because that would be weird.

If you haven't tried soba noodles yet, do it. Not that I am trying to peer pressure you or anything, but all the cool bloggers are doing it.

<>

Seriously, though...give it a try. Your life will be exponentially better! At least the part in the kitchen...

Soba Noodle Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

soba noodles

shredded cabbage

carrot, shredded

tofu

peanut butter

soy sauce

honey/agave

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press tofu and slice into bite size pieces. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil and add the tofu in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes and then flip the tofu. Another five minutes and remove from the oven.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the soba noodles. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until tender. Remove to a strainer and wash noodles. Add the tofu, shredded cabbage, and shredded carrot.

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, and honey. Vary the ratio to match your taste. More soy sauce lends a sharper, saltier flavor which I prefer. Honey makes it sweeter. Peanut butter make it more, well, peanut butter-y.

Add the sauce and mix. Enjoy!!