I'm pretty much Donna Reed.

On the menu: jalapeño raspberry salmon, Brussels sprouts, and tomato avocado salad.

I know many of you who know me well may be raising an eyebrow since you know that DK was in town mere hours earlier and I have been known to pass her creations off as my own…but this dinner was so easy I was able to pull it off solo! (ok, fine.  Greg chopped a few things.  Big whoop.)

I have to tell you, the true hero of the evening was the Emily G’s Jam of Love Jalapeño Raspberry Jam we found at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market!  

Easy peasy: I just threw a couple of salmon fillets in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees, took them out to spread a dollop of this amazingness on the top of each, and popped them back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so while the jam caramelized and worked its magic.   DELICIOUS.

Here’s the Q+DD on EGJoL: DK and I got the full story from a very adorable Emily (though not THE Emily) on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.  Local to Dunwoody, Emily G’s jam is not mass-produced, but made in small batches and hand-poured into the cutest jar you have ever seen!
They use the freshest, most seasonable ingredients available and patronize local Georgia farms whenever possible. The jams are all-natural and Emily promises you will “taste the love in every jar!”

At $8 a jar, I wish I had picked up a few more flavors. Among their most popular: Jalapeno Raspberry, Blueberry, Triple Berry, Tipsy Onion + Garlic and Roasted Red Pepper. I also tried the Chipotle Strawberry and it knocked my socks off.

I just had no idea jam was so versatile! The Emily G’s website has LOTS of recipes for each of their jams. DK purchased a jar of the tomato jam for use on BLTs, scallops, and meatloaf.  Bonus: lots of Atlanta restaurants are using EGJoL in their menus, witness by clicking here!

I’m in LOVE!  I’m a believer! Jalapeño Raspberry is my new JAM!  (Pun intended.)

Enjoy!

xx, L

P.S. Complete the meal:
1.    Salad: SO simple, SO delicious:  Romaine lettuce.  Halved grape tomatoes.  Chopped avocado.  Fresh lemon juice.  Olive oil.  Salt + pepper.  Fin.
2.    Brussels sprouts: (for the record, I was going to do asparagus.  But they were so teeny I made a game-time decision for the BS.  So glad I did because I love them and now I believe Greg is now a Brussels sprouts convert!)   I just halve ‘em, toss ‘em in a little e.v.o.o., and throw them on a tin-foiled and Pam-ed cookie sheet with a little salt and pepper and pop ‘em in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes or so.  (Sometimes I’ll dice a green apple and throw it in there for a little variety.)
3.    Bodega Norton 2007 Malbec.  (ok, ok and half a bottle of Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Shiraz.)

I started eating SS on the regular while I was in college.  When you comb out the insides of the squash after you cook it, it comes out in fine strands that resemble spaghetti.  SS is relatively tasteless and very filling, just like pasta, but it’s a much healthier substitute.

Cooking Instructions for Spaghetti Squash:

(You can bake, boil or slow cook SS, but I prefer to just microwave it.) 

- Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
- Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water.
- Cover squash with plastic wrap.
- Cook on high for 10 – 12 minutes, depending squash size.
- (Add more cooking time if necessary.)
- Let stand covered for 5 minutes.
- Use a folk to comb out the strands, like so…

You can incorporate spaghetti squash into a variety of dishes, but my preference is for it to be a marinara sauce vehicle.

In my experience, spaghetti squash is good for about two – three days (tops) after you cook it.  I usually only cook half of the squash at a time and then Tupperware-up the remains.

Spaghetti squash is available year-round in most grocery stores.   It really is a dieter’s dream, as a four-ounce serving of SS only has about 37 calories.  Plus, lugging the 4 – 8 pound squash from the grocery into your house is a workout in itself.

xx, L

(I know…I know…where was I raised?  The country?  A barn?)  I guess maybe if that was the case, I would have already had my fill of deviled eggs…  I tried them for the first time during lunch yesterday with colleagues at Bocado.  And, I thought that they were soooooooo delicious!  (Seriously, why have I not tried these until now??)

deviled eggs @ bocado

The DEs at Bocado had very fluffy + creamy + flavorful yokes.  When I called Slick to tell him that I had just tried my very first one and loved it, he told me that he personally prefers them when they aren’t so fluffy + creamy.  Whatever.  These babies tasted loaded up with mayo (which I loved!) - and I wanted MORE!  So much so, in fact, that I looked up DE recipes all night.

This one was my favorite: http://snipurl.com/xg0z1

I also really liked these two…

Sun-Dried Tomato + Chive Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg10b

Bacon Horseradish Deviled Eggs: http://snipurl.com/xg11b

Yummmmmmm!! 

inside bocado

Also worth mentioning: On the Blissful Glutton’s advice, I tried the Bocado hamburger + french fries for my lunch entree.  They were both were absolutely amazing!!  The hamburger was very similar to H+F’s mouthwatering 10:00 p.m. burger w/ its mixture of meats + double patties…but the fries!  OH, THE FRIES!  They were particularly incredible!  Not too greasy + tasted like soft baby potatoes.  (It was v. hard for me to share a bowl of them with my colleagues.)  Extremely hard. 

bocado burg

Thanks, BG for the excellent recommendation! 

I will definitely be back at Bocado soon for more deviled eggs, burgs – and to test out their creative tapas list!

xx, L

Bocado
887 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA  30318
404.704.5850
www.bocadoatlanta.com

Duh

…but I must admit, I have not even cracked our current assignment, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

As one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs says, “I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”

Luckily, my book club ladies’ love is unconditional and they didn’t appear to judge me one bit when I managed not to read a single sentence of last month’s book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, even though I hosted the club at my condo.

Luckier still, the group is comprised of some pretty spectacular chefs! So while the girls were discussing Steig, I found myself face first in all their delicious offerings.

The Club and The Carnage

There wasn’t a bad dish on my coffee table that night, so I BEGGED the girls to send me their recipes ASAP so I could share them with you now…almost a whole month later. (please refer to the Burroughs quote above.)

Anyway, better late than never!

Buffalo Chicken Dip a la Jen DiLorenzo
1. Mix: One pound chicken (cooked and shredded) and one bottle of your favorite wing sauce and layer in your oven-safe serving dish (like a Pyrex)
2. Mix: one small bottle of Ranch dressing and two blocks of cream cheese
NOTE: It mixes best if you warm the cream cheese in the microwave (be careful not to overheat!)
3.  Layer cream cheese/ranch mixture over chicken mixture
4.  Cover with shredded cheese (Jen likes Monterrey Jack).
5.  Bake at 350 until cheese is melted…and serve!

Avocado and Serrano Salsa a la Ellen Terchila
Ingredients:
1/2 Cucumber, diced
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 Serrano chilies, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 Lime

In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients.  Toss well.  Gently stir in the salt, pepper, and lime juice (take care not to let avocado get mushy!)
Serve immediately or cover and put in fridge for up to 1 day.  Return to room temp before serving.

BONUS: Ellen notes,  “I learned that this also makes a fabulous “day after” sandwich by toasting two pieces of whole grain bread, scooping on a delicious helping of the salsa, and a slice of Havarti cheese…just saying.” (You are so adorable, E)

Last but not least…

Spicy Corn + Cheese Dip a la Shanon Perry

Ingredients:
1 bar of cream cheese
1 4-5 oz package of goat cheese (S likes to get the kind that has the seasoning in it, but get what you like)
4 cups of sharp white cheddar cheese
2 regular sized cans of white corn kernels (drained)
5 fresh jalapenos – remove the ribs and the seeds, then dice into small pieces (you can obviously adjust this to your own palette)
3-4 scallions – finely chopped
S says that the following ingredients are estimates…she just likes to add and taste as she goes and suggests you do the same.
2 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp of Mexican Chili Powder

Add cheeses and corn to an oven/microwave proof bowl. Warm in the microwave for about 2 minutes to soften the cheeses.  Stir in remaining ingredients, but keep aside enough cheddar to sprinkle over the top of the mixture.  Once you’ve sprinkled the rest of the cheddar over the top of the mixture, then put the bowl back in the microwave for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted on top and the mixture is heated through – OR – you can place the bowl in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so.

Serve each of these with your favorite chip…pita chips or Fritos scoops have been tried and were proven to be a success!

I can’t tell you which was my favorite…they were ALL delicious! It’s always good to have a good go-to dip, so next time you have to bring an app or a side, try one of these!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta dip! (couldn’t resist.)

xx, L

stac + me

Stacy is a very intelligent woman and I’m confident that she can handle v. complicated recipes, but this one is honestly a no-brainer.  So easy, in fact, I whipped it up for Slick on Tuesday evening in all of 20 minutes.  And, these aren’t Rachael Ray minutes either (30 minutes actually = 1.5 hours)…  Now, I am the most popular person @ Slick’s office.  He brought the leftovers to work on Wednesday, and his colleagues loved the recipe as much as Slick, Stacy and I did.

Here’s the Q+DD on Stacy’s Candy Cookie Bars:

Ingredients

- Largest roll of choco. chip cookie dough you can find…
           (Seriously, it looks like it’s on steroids.)
- 3 regular size Heath bars
- 3 regular size candy bars of your choice

Directions

1- Pull out all the items you need onto your kitchen counter.  This recipe takes no time at all, and you’ll want to have everything within an arm’s reach. 

2- Spray a 9 x 13 Pyrex with Pam.  Evenly spread the choco. chip cookie dough on the bottom of the Pyrex.

3- Cook the dough for the appropriate time (around 13 minutes or so).  While the dough is cooking, begin preparing the Heath bars.

4- Put Heath bars into a Ziploc bag and use a pounder to chop them up into tiny pieces. (Feel free to use a hammer, like me, if you don’t own a pounder…)

5- TADA!

6- Unwrap your candy bars.  I used Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a Snicker’s bar and Twix. 

7- Use a sharp knife to cut the candy bars into small 1/4 inch slices.

8- When the dough is finished cooking, randomly place slices of  the candy bars into the dough.  Press down a little to make sure that they are not just sitting on top of the dough.  Then, put the dough back into the oven for 5-6 minutes.

9- Take the dough out of the oven and garnish the top of it with the Heath bar pieces.

10- Let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Cut into bars + enjoy!

Stacy’s Candy Cookie Bars are perfect as a delicious afterthought or a last minute dessert for pretty much any occasion.  Julia Child might roll over in her grave if she ever caught wind of this recipe, but I promise that the bars look and taste like you’ve been in the kitchen for hours!  Fact.

Bon appetit!

xx, L

I am short on time. What else is news? I volunteered to bring an appetizer for last night’s super awesome Seder and I gotta tell you – my sun-dried tomato spread was a HUGE hit!

“Passover = Jewish Easter, Pat.”  – Greg

(That is not exactly true.  We did have a hunt for the afikomen in which only the non-jewish people were allowed to participate.  A la Easter egg hunt?  IDK)

Anyway, back to the app.  It was super easy.  Here’s what you need:

8oz cream cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes
2-3 green onions
1 tbsp. garlic
salt + pepper
Tobasco

Throw all of that in a Cuisinart, blend well and let it sit over night and voila:

Domestic Goddess.

I served it with matzah crackers (duh!) but any kind of sturdy cracker will work.  
Disclaimer: if you volunteer to bring the appetizer, you cannot be late to the party.   In my estimation, that was the hardest part of this recipe.   IJS.

xx, L

slick's crock pot

Anyway, he cooked dinner for me the other night and it was delicious – pretty easy to make too.  He made a ton of pulled pork – literally a ton – so much, in fact, that we are still eating away at it almost four days later.  He’s been a total whiz in the kitchen lately! 

what's cookin' good lookin'?

I felt inspired by the crock pot + Slick’s newfound interest in cooking, so I went online to look up some other easy recipes of things we could slowly cook over the eight(+) hours we’re at work and I found these:

1- Chicken + Dumplings: http://bit.ly/bsVh5U
2- Beef Bourguignon: http://bit.ly/YIsW0  (Harness your inner Julia Child!)
3- Creme Brulee: http://bit.ly/9BAdgA
4- BBQ Pulled Pork: http://bit.ly/cQ5Nw2  (Similar to what Slick made…)
5- Spinach + Cheese Dip: http://bit.ly/bLpiov

I’m convinced that a crock pot is God’s gift to the working woman (or man, obv.) – you get what I’m saying.  I love that there is a timer on it, too, so that if you are gone for longer than eight hours, it just turns itself off.  Brilliant.  I kind of want to slow cook everything now… 

You can even make bread in a slow cooker: http://bit.ly/bvz1Dc  Amazing!  Who would have thunk it?!

AND – Wait for it…Wait for it…  Yes – got it!! 

Crock Pot Pizza (Pasta): http://bit.ly/dw0zOl = heaven!  I just love carbs (sigh)…

yes please!

God Bless the Crock Pot!  Mmmmmmmmmm!

xx, L

uncooked quinoa

The Q+DD on Quinoa: Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds.  It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass.  As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.  Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize.  In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthy choice for vegetarians and vegans.  Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.  It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.  Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. (www.wikipedia.com)

cooked quinoa

I tried quinoa for the first time at Beleza Lounge* in Midtown when I went with Anj and Christine maybe a year ago to grab tapas. 

I enjoyed the texture and consistency, and ever since then I’ve been regularly cooking with it at home.  Quinoa takes seasoning very well and is a delicious + hearty compliment to a fish or chicken dish.  Since it’s grown in popularity over the past few years, I’ve spotted it in a number of grocery stores.  However, the quinoa that I like best is multicolored and found at Trader Joes.

Here are a Few Quinoa Recipes: http://www.quinoa.net/181.html
http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=Quinoa
http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/quinoa_recipes

*Note: Beleza is a totally underrated restaurant + lounge.  I’ve been there three times and loved the tapas I’ve ordered each time.  Check it out if you are in Midtown and in the mood for small plates, fun drinks + good music.  Just saying…

Happy + healthy eating!!

xx, L

Beleza Lounge
905 Juniper St. NE
Atlanta, GA  30309
678.904.4582
http://www.urestaurants.net/

INGREDENTS:

- 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
- 8 small boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (2 lbs.)
- 1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup of cheese and basil in a medium bowl.  Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place chicken breasts on a cutting board.  Spread chicken with the stuffing mixture. 

Starting at the narrow end of the chicken, tightly roll up each breast.  Place the chicken, seam-side down, in a 9×13-inch baking dish.  Drizzle with dressing.

Bake 40 minutes on 350 degrees or until the chicken is done (165 degrees).  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake five more minutes or until the cheese is melted.  

voila!

Cool – serve – ENJOY!!

I hope it’s as big of a crowd pleaser for you as it’s been for me! 

xx, L

Yadda yadda yadda…

However, I recognize that there are times in which cooking is necessary and a smart girl always has a few tricks in her arsenal. For instance, last week was The Ginger’s birthday and and excellent excuse for my famous cupcakes!

Plus, making cupcakes is a RIOT:

Funfetti!

I’m hesitant to give away all my tricks of the trade, but doctoring up a cake mix is pretty darn simple. If I can do it, you can, too! (If you’re a super cook, you can just skip this post, because I’m going to write it r.e.a.l.l.y. simple for the culinarily challenged…like myself.)

Here’s what you need:

2 boxes yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Heins)
6 eggs
2 sticks (unsalted) butter
2 packages vanilla pudding mix
1 tub of milk chocolate frosting
1 tub of vanilla frosting
2c sour cream
Coarsely ground sea salt
Vanilla extract
Spatula
Muffin tins
Muffin cups
Hand-held mixer (I know, I couldn’t believe I had one, either!)

Suggested accoutrements:
Some type of round candy: I like the salted caramel balls by Choxie…found at Target…IF you can manage NOT to eat them all before you ice and decorate your cupcakes
Black and white sprinkles (separate)
Teeny tiny funnel

Ok, then it’s easy-squeezy. I do this in 2 batches.

1. Combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 stick of softened butter, 3 eggs, 1 package of pudding mix, 1c sour cream and a dash of vanilla extract, mix well and fill the muffin cups in your muffin tins about 3/4 full

(The box says it will make 24 cupcakes, but what they don’t mention that they will be weeny cupcakes. Fill ‘em fuller and each recipe will only make about 18 or so. Particularly if you, um, “taste” the batter. A lot. Don’t judge me.)

2. Bake according to the instructions on the box.

3. Repeat and let all cupcakes cool on cooking racks (I can’t believe I had these, either.) You’ll have about 32 nice, big cupcakes.

4. While the cupcakes are baking/cooling, spoon your chocolate and vanilla icing into two separate bowls. To each: add a tablespoon or so vanilla extract and a few grinds of sea salt. Make sure you taste along the way, so it doesn’t get too vanilla-y or, yuck, too salty. But ton’t be shy, either. The salt is perfect for cutting the supersweet frosting (Thanks to Cari of Sugar Sugar for the tip!)

5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, ice 1/2 with chocolate and 1/2 with vanilla. Then I decorate like this:

• 6 chocolate frosting with white chocolate round candy on top
• 6 chocolate frosting with white sprinkles JUST in the middle of the cupcake (use the funnel)
• 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate round candy on top
• 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate sprinkles on top

Then I arranged them in my double-decker cupcake caddy (also found at Target) and voilà!

BONUS: You’ll have about 8 extra cupcakes. Throw a couple of those bad boys in some Tupperware and a nice little note and BAM! Perfect “just because” gifty-gift for doormen, fabulous coworkers, neighbors, etc. Luckily I had some hot pink sprinkles on hand, perfect for Kindredly’s birthday last week!

I may not be a domestic goddess…
…but, as DK says, “fake it till you make it!”

xx, LK