09

May

Cumin & Orange Scented Carrots

This last weekend I visited the farmer’s market and picked up some of the most adorable carrots. An inexpensive and easily accessible  vegetable,  I often forget about it, which is a shame because it’s in season right now. Well, thank goodness these pretty ladies caught my eye. I wasn’t sure what to do with them at first. My typical inclination is to roast vegetables, but I thought a sauté would be perfect. I remembered a carrot and avocado salad that used cumin and thought it was a good place to start.

Continue reading →

22 days ago Short URL Comments

Fancy Fake-Out/Food

///

28

Mar

Asparagus with Lemon and Heat

Asparagus is perfect this time of year. In the past, I’ve always made it the same way – roasted on high heat and served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Although this method is delicious, I wanted to try something new.

Ever since making this meal, I’ve fallen in love with the combination of lemon and crushed red pepper flakes. I thought it might be a nice complement to asparagus and add a bit of freshness.

The citrus of the lemon and heat from the red pepper make this quick side dish flavorful. Pretty enough to serve for friends, it comes together in 15 minutes or less. Not too shabby for a weeknight meal. Continue reading →

64 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Fancy Fake-Out/Food/Vegan

//

23

Feb

Turkey Burgers with a Mango and Avocado Salsa

For Christmas this year, my husband gave me a cookbook with the intention that he would make me meals out of it. While it hasn’t happened as often as he may have hoped, he’s managed to craft a few tasty dishes. One of the items he successfully made was fish tacos. They were delicious, but to me, the real star of the dish was the mango and avocado salsa that went on them. It was easy to put together and absolutely delicious. I wanted to eat it all the time and thought a turkey burger would be the perfect vehicle for it. Sometimes, I’m really on to something.

Don’t believe me? Try them for yourself.

Continue reading →

98 days ago Short URL 2 Comments

Fancy Fake-Out/Food

//////

30

Jan

B-A-N-A-N-A-S Pancakes

We haven’t talked about Pinterest* here, but we probably should. I adore it.

At first, I wasn’t sure how to use it, but decided it would work best for me if I used it to organize things I found online. As I come across recipes or items I like, I pin them, so that I won’t lose track of them later. While this is the way I primarily use it, I also like discovering what other people have pinned.

Every day, I discover new sources of inspiration with just a few clicks. Can you tell I’m addicted? Recently, I came across a pancake recipe mimicking bananas foster in my news feed. I couldn’t get it out of my head. It looked delicious. But instead of making the posted recipe, I did a twist on my go to pancake recipe using orange and cinnamon, two ingredients I had on hand. The flavor combination was inspired by this recipe from Melissa D’Arabian.

The hybrid of these two great recipes is a really special take on pancakes. Warm and filling, it’s perfect for a cozy night in. Continue reading →

121 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Fancy Fake-Out/Food

25

Jan

Jicama, Almond and Orange Salad

Around Christmas, I ate at Blanc Burgers + Bottles in Leawood. Instead of my usual fries, I opted for a salad with my burger. The arugula + citrus caught my eye, and after I ate it, I couldn’t get it out of my head.

A week later, I was still thinking about it and thought I could make a similar version at home. My grocery store didn’t have blood oranges, and I didn’t want to invest in another expensive olive oil, so I used plain navel oranges instead. And, they worked just fine.

My version is delicious and simple to put together.  The most intimidating element might be the jicama. If you’ve never seen, eaten or cooked with a jicama, you’re in for a treat. Although not the prettiest person at the party, it’s a tasty ingredient. Jicama has basically, no flavor. It’s crunchy and porous, which means it will take on the flavors of other ingredients easily, while remaining firm. It looks like this.

To use a jicama, peel it and then, slice it. Here’s how the julienned slices looked.

Continue reading →

127 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Fancy Fake-Out/Food/Vegan

23

Aug

Spring Salmon Salad

Before I started this blog, I never really created my own dishes. I would make small modifications to existing recipes, and that was about it. But ever since I started writing here, I’ve slowly begun to develop my own recipes.*  With each dish I create, I get a little bit braver. 

A few weeks ago, I had a huge breakthrough. I ate something at a restaurant and was inspired to create my own take on it at home. It was huge, people.

The inspiration came from Trezo Vino, a Leawood, Kan. restaurant that recently had their menu updated by Bluestem’s Colby Garrelts. On the day I went, their flatbread special was topped with smoked salmon, capers, creme fraiche, arugula, cucumbers and red onions. The pairing of these flavors is classic, and I wondered how they would taste in a salad. The answer is lovely. The result is decadent, but light, and I think it would be perfect for dinner or brunch with your favorite ladies. Continue reading →

282 days ago Short URL Comments

Entertaining/Fancy Fake-Out/Food

/////

17

Aug

Cinnamon Sugar Peaches

This dish isn’t really a recipe, so much as an easy way to jazz up peaches. Cinnamon and brown sugar combine to create a light syrup for sliced peaches. Chopped walnuts add crunch, and a honey-yogurt sauce adds a bit of cream. The taste is warm and decadent, but the ingredients are fairly virtuous. Try it tonight with dinner or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Continue reading →

287 days ago Short URL Comments

Fancy Fake-Out/Food

///

03

Aug

Cookbook Review: Tart & Sweet

I did it. I canned jam.

I’ve been wanting to try it for a while, but have been too nervous. I’m not really sure what I was afraid would happen. It’s not as if there is some sort of terrible side effect to canning, like monsters or warts. Maybe it’s because, I’ve heard it’s such a pain? Who knows?

I suppose it doesn’t matter that I was scared to do it. The important thing is that I did it, and now, I have blueberry honey jam at my house, four jars to be exact. Would you like to try some? Continue reading →

302 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Fancy Fake-Out/Food/Vegan

//

30

Jun

Squash, Elevated

I built something in the kitchen this week, a beautiful squash tower. Inspired by this torte and a potato napoleon recipe of Bobby Flay’s, it was delicious and quick to put together. But in my opinion, it is glamorous enough for company. (The inspirational recipes are awesome, but much more labor intensive. Save these for the weekend or lazy days.)

To make the tower, I grilled thick slices of yellow squash, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled them with freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt. Then, I layered the slices, spreading a thin layer of the most lovely sheep’s milk cheese in between.  Warmed on the grill, the cheese melted a little making this wholesome side seem decadent. It was hit. Continue reading →

336 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Fancy Fake-Out/Food

26

May

Dinner Party & Salmon via Sophie

This week I hosted one of the most laid back dinner parties I’ve ever had. I’m not even sure you could refer to it as dinner party it was so relaxed. It felt comfortable, just a few friends over for dinner.

Instead of scouring my cookbooks for the right recipes, I made some easy, but elegant favorites. We had the prosciutto/fig/brie pita pizzas, salmon with a pea puree and this strawberry tart. It sounds fancy, doesn’t it? We had dinner at 7:00, and I started cooking at 6:50. Let me tell you this never happens at my house, never.

Continue reading →

371 days ago Short URL Comments

Entertaining/Fancy Fake-Out/Food

Blog at WordPress.com.
Theme: Esquire by Matthew Buchanan.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 31 other followers