Brunching, Lunching, and Easter Festivities

March 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment

photo credit: parkerfordchurch.com

Happy Spring!!!  I love Easter, because it usually signifies that warmer weather, fresh air, and deeeeelicious spring produce are all right around the corner!

Need last minute menu adjustments or add-ons for any Easter celebrations this weekend?

Well you’ve come to the right place.   Menu planning for me is such a treat, and actually one of my favorite creative outlets.  Here are a few to peruse – and all the recipes can (of course) be found right here!

Feeling Brunch-ey?  Any of these can round out a brunch menu beautifully (or be the star of the show!):

Looking for more of a lunch/dinner sorta deal?  Try your hand at any of these delicious dishes!

If nothing else, these should get your creative (and culinary!) juices flowing!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Enjoy!

~K

Filed Under: Appetizers, Biscuits and Cobblers, Breads, Breakfast, Brownies and Bars, Cake Pops, Cakes, CHOCOLATE!!!, Cities By Fork, Clean Meals and Snacks, Condiments and Butters, Cookies, Cupcakes, Dessert Tables, Desserts, Donuts, Drinks, Elm City Market, Frosting, Fruits and Veggies, Giveaways, Guest Blogs, Holiday, Ice Cream and FroYo, Kid Friendly, Main Course, Muffins, Pancakes, Party Food!, Pasta, Pastries, Pies, Random Musings..., Rolls, Salads, Sandwiches, Sauce, Side Dishes, Snacks, Soups and Stews, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian

Salsa Verde

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment
salsa verde 2

 

Guys, homemade salsa is the bees knees. The be all and end all. The top. The piece de la resistance. All of it rolled into one.

 

All in all, it flips my hair back.

 

OK. Have you had enough with the cheesy sayings? Good! Time to get cooking then.

 

Salsa is such a wonderful condiment – healthy, fresh, full of good for you veggies, and SO versatile (Particularly when made from scratch! No preservatives, hidden sugar, sodium, and other gnarly stuff!). Serve it with tortilla chips, folded into your eggs, as a side for your grilled steak or chicken, top roasted or grilled vegetables with it – the possibilities are endless!

 

This is the second salsa recipe I have on the blog, and both are so very worth making at home instead of buying in a jar. The flavors, freshness, and flexibility it lends to making your salsa just how you want it can’t be beat.

 

For the recipe and the rest of this post, head on over to the Elm City Market Food Blog!

 

Enjoy!
~K
Filed Under: Clean Meals and Snacks, Condiments and Butters, Party Food!, Sauce, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Spinach and Kale Pesto… the Pesto Powerhouse

August 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Whoa I love pesto.  I might put it right up there with cupcakes and pies.  Anything involving herbs, greens, olive oil, and aromatics pretty much just gets me going. Now some might say I’m a frivolous chick – I do sometimes plan my outfits around shoes as you know, and sometimes I dip pretzels into salted caramel because I just HAVE to. But this sauce?  (This one too! Oh and this one!)  It’s a pesto that can go on just about anything and is SUPER good for you.  Kale is an amazing source of all things nutritious and holy, and spinach is right up there as well.  Add in the garlic and olive oil, and well you have yourself a pesto powerhouse.  See?  I’m sensible annnnd I multitask.  Amazing, I tell you.

I made this for my clients this past week, and loved it so much I made it again for us at home.  Make this one soon guys – and even when basil is out of season, and you’re craving herby green goodness on your pasta, chicken, salads, or whatever, you can still whip this up!

Spinach and Kale Pesto

  • 1 1/2 C fresh kale
  • 1 1/2 C fresh spinach
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4-1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4-1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse together everything except the olive oil.

Turn the processor on, and slowly pour in the olive oil, through the top, until it reaches your desired consistency.

Taste for seasoning, and add anything you think it needs.  Yes, even the kitchen sink.  Store in the fridge (will last a week or so!) and put on everything you want.  Maybe not cupcakes, but just about everything else will do.

Enjoy!!

~K

Filed Under: Clean Meals and Snacks, Condiments and Butters, Fruits and Veggies, Sauce, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Spicy Broccoli & Carrot Slaw

August 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

20120731-203241.jpg

I love broccoli. Really do. BUT I must confess… I rarely use the stems when I cook it! I always feel a bit bad about that. This week, I fixed that problem – with broccoli slaw! A little less waste coming out of my kitchen, and tons of flavor! I could eat this slaw plain
and by itself; its bursting with flavor and some spice from the ginger and chili sauce, and the broccoli is a nice change from your traditional cabbage based coleslaw.

For the rest of this post and recipe, jump over to the Elm City Market Food blog!

Filed Under: Condiments and Butters, Fruits and Veggies, Party Food!, Salads, Side Dishes

Sea Salt and Caper Compound Butter

July 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

20120711-184950.jpg

A few notes about this picture.

1. I LOVE steak. Doesn’t a piece of steak like that bring out the cave man in you? I couldn’t help it, I just had come from a KILLer workout.

2. My eyes were in fact bigger than my stomach.

3. I did not eat the entire thing (about half, and savored every bite!).

4. Butter makes everything better. Compound butter makes everything AMAZING.

Seriously on #4 though… its true! Compound butter is so awesome, feels gourmet without any extra work, and the possibilities are endless. For sweet, try blueberries and orange zest, or raspberries and lime zest… and slather on some pancakes or muffins for breakfast. Savory? Mix any fresh herb with some sea salt, and SO yum. Compound butters add loads of flavors to meats and veggies without tons of extra work, and really are perfect for the summer when breaking a sweat in the kitchen is beyond your wildest nightmare, or even if you aren’t sure what to do with those extra herbs you have!

Black Pepper and Caper Compound Butter

  • 4 T unsalted butter, room temp
  • 2 T capers, rough chop
  • 1/2 t sea salt
  • A healthy dash or two of freshly cracked black pepper

Combine all four ingredients together with a fork until thoroughly mixed.

Refrigerate in a bowl, or wrap in plastic wrap “log style” so that it can be easily sliced up.

Whoa. Wipe the sweat from your brow, and congratulate yourself for how hard you worked.

Spread onto fish, chicken, steak, grilled portobellos… and enjoy!!

~K

Filed Under: Condiments and Butters, Sauce Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

My New Favorite Salad

May 21, 2012 By 2 Comments

I made this salad for a baby shower that I catered this past weekend.  (Another delicious recipe coming from that this week!  Stay tuned!)  I was originally going to do one of my classics – pear, gorgonzola, and pecans… but I just wanted to “fancy” it up a bit, and as I was walking by the Marcona Almonds at the market this weekend, I immediately knew that I had to use them.  If you’ve never had Marcona Almonds, please buy some today.  They are SO delicious and incredible.  Marcona Almonds are spanish almonds, sauteed or fried in olive or sunflower oil, and sprinkled with sea salt.  Oh.my.god. Definitely a treat – but totally worth it.

Salads can sometimes be the forgotten about, thrown-together-at-the-last-minute part of a meal, but putting just a little thought and a few simple but high quality ingredients can really make a salad the star of any meal!  This one would be delicious even just with simple grilled chicken or fish.  The dressing here is also a great basic salad dressing that you can use on any and all salads!  I love making my own dressings – you have so much more control over salt, fat, and sugar content, but it’s also fun to play with flavors, textures, and ingredients in dressings that way!

Pear, Marcona Almond, and Manchego Salad with Honey Dijon Champagne Vinaigrette

  • 1 bag/container mixed greens
  • 1/2  C Marcona Almonds
  • 1 pear, cored, sliced thin
  • 2-3 oz manchego cheese (I used a spanish raw milk manchego from Elm City Market… amaaaaaazing)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 C Honey Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below), depending on how “dressed” you like your salads

Pour the greens into a salad bowl.  Top with the almonds, pear, and cheese (reserve a few almonds), and drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Toss to combine, and top with the reserved almonds.

Serve immediately.  Enjoy!!

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 1 small shallot, minced fine
  • 2 t dijon mustard
  • 2 t honey
  • 1/4 C champagne vinegar (or white balsamic)
  • 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t pepper

Combine all in a salad dressing container or tupperware container, put the top on securely, and shake it up!  A delicious dressing for all of your salads that keeps very well in the pantry!

Enjoy!

~K

Filed Under: Condiments and Butters, Salads Tagged With: , , , , ,

The MOST Amazing Peanut Sauce ever. The end.

March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’ve found it.  I’ve found it, made it my own, and could eat it straight by the spoonful.  Condiment schmondiment – this is a main course.

I have a confession.  I LOVE Thai food.  Just ask Alex, if we are ever looking for take out food, or at a loss with where to go if we want to go out, my answer is more often than not, “let’s get Thai”.  My love affair with Thai food began with peanut sauce.  To this day, I judge a restaurant on its peanut sauce, no lie.  So needless to say, it has been something I’ve been looking to conquer at home for quite some time.

THIS IS THE ONE.  I revamped this recipe, and absolutely love it.  Try it – serve it with grilled chicken, dumplings or spring rolls, toss with pasta and veggies to make a noodle dish.  Or be like me and drink it.

Peanut Sauce

  • 1 C peanut butter
  • 1/2 C hot water
  • 2 tablespoons red chili paste
  • 2 t fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 T brown sugar
  • juice and zest of one lime
  • 1/4 C low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T fish sauce
  • 1 t sesame oil

Combine all ingredients except for the hot water in a food processor, and pulse to combine.

Turn the food process on, and pour in the hot water, while its running.  Blend for another 15-30 seconds, and you’re done!  Garnish with scallions, cilantro, or chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!

~ K

 

Filed Under: Condiments and Butters Tagged With: , , , ,

Strawberry Sauce

February 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day!  I hope you all feel loved and treat yourself (or get treated!) to something just a little bit decadent today!

This is a super simple, fresh, and absolutely delicious sauce to go over your favorite pancakes, ice cream, cake, waffles – I could keep going.  It’s a nice alternative to syrup when it comes to pancakes, and really brightens things up!  It also takes (bonus) five minutes to put together.  So easy!  You can double this recipe for more, and store in the fridge for later use.  And feel free to substitute other fruits – blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

If you use something like this homemade fruit sauce over let’s say, a box mix of pancakes, or a store-made/bought dessert, it totally adds a touch of “yes, I made this allllll myself” to any dish, and believe me – your guests, your family, or whoever you are aiming to feed, will be super impressed.

Strawberry Sauce

  • 1 pt fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced in half
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1-2 T vanilla sugar (or regular sugar if you don’t have vanilla sugar)

Ready, this is hard – so pay attention.  (Ha, not.) Throw all ingredients into a small sauce pan, and heat on medium – low until the sauce is bubbly, getting a bit “jammy”, and fragrant. Annnnndddd you’re done.

Enjoy!!

Filed Under: Condiments and Butters, Desserts Tagged With: , , , , ,

Almond Butter

August 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I finally did it!  I’ve been saying forever that I am going to start making my own nut butters, b/c they are so dang expensive at the grocery store (particularly Almond Butter, which is my fave!).  This is so easy!  And so delicious.  There is something very satisfying about making your own “_____” – you can insert anything here – sauce, dough, cakes, bread, whatever it is.  But lucky for us, almond butter is probably one of the easiest “homemade” things to make.

Almond Butter

  • 4 C roasted, unsalted almonds (you can roast them yourself, or buy them already roasted)
  • 1/4 t salt
  • THAT”S IT!!

So the process takes roughly 15 minutes.  Put the nuts in the food processor, and turn it on.  After about 30 seconds they will look like this:

Give it another 3-5 minutes, and they will look like this:

At this point, you may need to go in there and break it up with a spoon, as the mixture gets very thick and pasty.  Eventually – keep processing it will happen – it will begin to smooth out, and look like this:

Process for 1-2 minutes longer, and you’re done!  Transfer to a container, and enjoy:)  On a spoon, on toast, an apple – you name it.  YOU made it!!  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Clean Meals and Snacks, Condiments and Butters, Snacks Tagged With: , , ,