vegetarian

Name: Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: For the Artichokes; 2 large artichokes; 1 tablespoon black peppercorns; 4 cloves garlic; 1 lemon (halved); Olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; For the Lemon Garlic Butter; 1/2 cup 1 stick butter; 2 lemons (zested and juiced); 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; Leaves from 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

August 15, 2018

This caprese flatbread recipe is an easy way to take advantage of the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes, basil, and of course mozzarella, making it the perfect appetizer bite or as an easy vegetarian dinner.

Head to the farmers market this time of year and you’ll see everyone around freaking out over the bulbous beauty of the heirloom tomatoes and just-off-the-vine-still-warm-from-the-sunshine beefsteaks.

I think they’re lovely too. But my fave tomato this time of year are the sweet cherry tomatoes I can pop straight in my mouth like candy.

Awwwww, who am I kidding? I love these baby tomatoes any time of year.

A few weeks ago I photographed the new winter menu of one of my favorite clients, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. If you haven’t yet been to Park City and Deer Valley, it’s a destination to put on your bucket list, not only for winter skiing, but truly any time of the year.

This time around we shot photos for the new menu items for their low-key bar and restaurant The Brass Tag. But where does that name come from? Back in the day aka around 1890, the silver boom was huge in Park City and local miners would hang a brass tag before entering the silver mines to work. When the day was done, if there was tag still hanging on the board, it was time to start a search for the miner. Think of it as the low-tech GPS system of yesteryear.

This easy to make caprese-style flatbread pizza was just one of the items we shot that day, and after looking at it through the lens, and then taking a bite (okay, maybe more), I knew it was something you guys would love to make at home.

continue to the recipe… about Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

July 24, 2018

This easy caprese pasta salad recipe steeps cherry tomatoes in a garlic-infused oil that becomes the dressing over any type of pasta with sliced mozzarella, capers, lemon, and basil making it a healthy potluck recipe that’s perfectly ripe for brunch, lunch, or a dinner everyone will love.

This is a re-do of one of my favorite tomato pasta salad recipes I published my first year of blogging. I’ve been making this caprese pasta salad on repeat ever since the clock struck summer, but it’s very likely that many of you haven’t ever even seen it, and that’s a darn shame because it’s just too good to miss.

So after looking at it so many times already this summer, I thought it could use a refresh. And so here it is once again, with a spit shine, some new photos, and a video to show you easy it will be for you to make it too.

I’m a huge fan of summer’s fresh tomatoes, especially when my garden starts producing my beloved cherry tomatoes I pop straight into my mouth like candy. So back in August of 2011 when I spied this recipe on the Martha Stewart Living cover peeking over the others on the grocery store rack, there wasn’t a question whether the issue would be coming home with me.

And that’s why this salad has been in my summer recipe-making-repertoire ever since.continue to the recipe… about Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

How to Make an Easy Asian Hot Pot

February 13, 2018

If there’s one simple cooking method that crosses over nearly every Asian cuisine, the hot pot may be it. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian and more. And with cooks of every level still making it every single day, that’s proof in the pot that it is indeed totally easy to crave, and to make.

This post is brought to you by McCormick

I like to think of hot pot cooking like the Asian fondue. It’s communal. It’s active. It’s social. And that’s what makes the hot pot just as perfect for entertaining as it is for a simple but fun dinner at home with the family where everyone gathers around the simmering brothy pot and jockeys for position and that perfectly cooked shrimp. Everyone gets to eat exactly what and how much of whatever they want, so long as it fits in the pot :).

Our family has a serious affair with Asian cooking and after our recent travels to Vietnam, Cambodia and Korea, we returned with even MORE passion for Southeast Asian food than before. If that’s even possible. So it’s no surprise to me then that when I checked out this year’s McCormick Spices Flavor Forecast report that identifies the top upcoming trends in food I wasn’t too surprised to see what topped the forecast for 2018: a love affair of worldwide flavors of Hot Pot cooking.

Back home here in Salt Lake City, we have a favorite hot pot restaurant where every customer heads to the back of the restaurant to a wall of self-serve refrigerated coolers stacked with racks of color coded plates to choose from nearly every hot pot ingredient you can imagine. It’s like a frigging hot pot gold mine.

To say I have some serious hot pot inspiration and aspiration is an understatement. But as usual, my cravings have set me to the task!

What Is an Asian Hot Pot?

Since this is a communal cooking affair like the classic fondue, there are a few essentials you’ll need to acquire to get your hot pot on.continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Easy Asian Hot Pot

Chunky Citrus Guacamole

June 5, 2017

Chunky with a citrus-ey accent or both lime and orange juice plus a hit of spice and just enough girth to make any chip happy, it’s the perfect combo to welcome some spring weather with a few salty corn chips and a nice cold beverage.

If it weren’t for guacamole serving as my avocado gateway, the jury is out on whether I would ever have become an avocado fan. Now, they’re one of my favorite things to eat, so how could it be there was a time I didn’t like them?

Just like artichokes, it wasn’t until I was in my late teens that I finally gave in to even trying avocados. I have no idea where my aversion stemmed from. Maybe I just had an aversion to fruits and veggies that started with the letter A?

There are as many guacamole recipes out there in the world as there are stars in the sky and we all have our favorite, and this chunky homemade version is mine.

My husband came up with this guacamole recipe years ago and it was one of the first recipes I published here on the blog when I announced the first issue of FoodieCrush magazine along with some of my favorite things. But after making this guacamole time and time again, my photos and this post were in need of an update.continue to the recipe… about Chunky Citrus Guacamole

Sriracha and Lime Roasted Cauliflower Tostadas

May 31, 2017

Meat eaters, take note: Meatless meals like these sriracha spiced roasted cauliflower tostadas can be enjoyed and even craved when prepared with a few easy techniques and simple, whole ingredients that deepen their flavor for a 30-minute dinner every diner will love and busy cooks will be happy to prepare.

Whenever I ask friends or readers what their biggest kitchen challenge is, 90% of us say that it’s finding the time to cook, especially during the week when it always feels like a circus juggling act between balancing work and family.

We have the best of intentions to provide healthful, nutritious meals for ourselves and loved ones, but when life has it’s way with us, that goal can look as far-fetched as winning the lottery, that is unless you have a few no-fuss recipes like these spiced roasted cauliflower tacos in your arsenal of favorites that are ready in 30 minutes or less—prep and cook time included!continue to the recipe… about Sriracha and Lime Roasted Cauliflower Tostadas

25 Epic Burgers You Need to Make This Summer

May 25, 2016

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or meat lover, we’ve got 25 epic burgers that need to be on your summer grilling agenda.

Summer is here, and we honestly can’t think of any food that screams “backyard cookout bliss” better than a big juicy burger. Because this is the one food item we crave most often once warm weather hits, (and since that’s already happened), we’re getting an early start.

Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or meat lover, we’ve got 25 epic burgers that need to be on your summer grilling agenda.

Check them out below, and just see if you can get through this roundup without craving one!

Remember, burgers are best enjoyed outdoors, with good beer, a fresh side salads and among the best people.

continue to the recipe… about 25 Epic Burgers You Need to Make This Summer

20 Inspiring Spiralized Recipes

March 15, 2016

Ever since blogger Ali Maffucci got her hands on a spiralizer, our lives have pretty much been changed for the better.

You see, once this genius culinary device came on the market, Ali was intrigued like the rest of us, but at the time, she realized there weren’t many resources or recipes for all of the possibilities it held. As a means to remedy that, she started her blog Inspiralized, and out if it came an entire food-blogging-spiralized-recipe-movement, that spread like wild fire.

Just about a year ago, Ali published a cookbook full of healthy and creative recipes dedicated to the tool, and even manufactured her own spiralizer and we’re obsessed (you can learn more and get one for yourself here.) She basically is to the spiralizer what Dominique Ansel is to the Cronut.

If you haven’t hopped on the spiralizer bandwagon yet, we promise you’re going to want to after you see some of these recipes. Colorful, nutritious, and surprisingly diverse, the spiralizer lends itself to endless inspiration for fun in the kitchen.

From breakfast to dinner, and everything in between, all bases are covered here. Join the crown and oogle your zoodles!

continue to the recipe… about 20 Inspiring Spiralized Recipes

Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

March 9, 2015

This easy to make flatbread pizza features ribbons of sweet potato and a tangle of caramelized onions overtop a bed of ricotta cheese, and gets finished with fresh herbs and feta. Enjoy as an appetizer or a main meal.

Some people (meat loving carnivores) get hung up on the illusion there must be a meat protein in a meal to make it “real”. I’m looking at you, husband.

This pizza just bunked that notion.

It also bunked the notion that a pizza has to be round. Or that it needs a sauce. No, no, no, it doesn’t. Your taste buds can’t tell what free-form shape delivery system of food starts as and with so many layers of flavor you’ll never miss a messy sauce.

Shortcuts like store-bought naan and caramelized onions that are made before hand take the work out of cooking this meal.

Welcome to Monday pizza night ala Meatless Monday that comes together in a hurry. And greetings to loving every minute of it.continue to the recipe… about Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Portobello Mushroom Burger with Avocado Chimichurri and Capsule Kitchen Challenge

January 22, 2015

This grilled portobello mushroom burger is not only healthier than a beef burger, it’s also super delicious and easy to make, plus, it features the most incredible avocado chimichurri sauce!

My word for 2015 is constantly ringing in my ears. “Enough. Enough. Enough.”

Now if I would just listen to it I’d be head and shoulders in front of the game instead of doing double duty trying to catch up.

But when I’m ignoring my conscience and going along my route path, I have a constant reminder to put my word “Enough” into action. Sort of like the little angel who sits on my shoulder whispering subtle reminders of “do good” and “don’t be bad!” and “it’s okay to take it easy and not go overboard” like I’m doing once again.continue to the recipe… about Portobello Mushroom Burger with Avocado Chimichurri and Capsule Kitchen Challenge

Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas Plus 5 Vegetarian Soups That Even Meat Eaters Will Love

January 5, 2015

This hearty vegetarian soup of chickpeas, kale, butternut squash and potatoes gets it’s exotic flair from the vibrant Moroccan spices of saffron, cumin and cinnamon and is so easy to make.

Happy to the new, to the year, to you!

Let’s start off the new year exactly where we should, with a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you readers. Cheers to your eyeballs, graciously deep bows for your desires to peruse this blog, and high fives for making recipes that are featured here. I wouldn’t be here without you, and, why would I want to be? It would be mighty lonely around here if you weren’t in it here with me.

Whiz, bang, boom. 2014 seems to have come and gone in the wink of an eye. Or was it just that jolly old man in the red and white suit? Either way, 2015 is already shaping up to be fit for a king.

But wait? Who wants to be some old, rolly-polly bully who sloths about his castle draped in old furs while wielding turkey legs and brandishing silver goblets of the most expensive wine as servants attend to his every whim.

Maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture here because that actually doesn’t sound half bad.

But no! This year we’re going to keep things balanced. We’re going to rely on our instincts, on our guts, and make the most of every bite of fresh, ultra-flavorful food to nourish our bellies and our souls.

continue to the recipe… about Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas Plus 5 Vegetarian Soups That Even Meat Eaters Will Love

Gluten-Free Quinoa and Cauliflower Chowder

March 17, 2014

Do you have your megaphone ready? I’m digging my husband’s out of the garage.

Yep, he has a megaphone because he’s in a band, you know, for “special effects” and stuff. He also has these weirdo 1960’s goggles and a suit covered in Christmas lights—because he’s in a band.

But that’s another story for another day.

Today’s story is that we’re all banding together and shouting at the top of our lungs—or into said megaphone if you have one handy—we’re shouting, “GOODBYE FROZEN TUNDRA, and good riddance.” Why? Because (happy dance) this week marks the official first day of spring. Yes!

But that certainly doesn’t signal the end of eating savory soups and stews. Heck, this is just the beginning.

And since we’ll probably do the winter/spring dance tease of warm one day, cold the next and I’m sure I’ll have to cover my tomatoes for at least two more snow storms, this gluten-free chowder is just one way to walk the tightrope of comfort food cravings and spring clean eats desires.

Last week I may have said I wasn’t a devout whole foodie. And now, here I am, posting whole foods. To me, that is exactly how a foodie should be. Balanced. Eating what feels right. What cures the craving.

Lightened up, but still savory, this chowder is a great #MeatlessMonday meal. Because that’s what I’m craving now.

continue to the recipe… about Gluten-Free Quinoa and Cauliflower Chowder

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

October 24, 2013

Today’s post started out as an assignment for my intern Courtney and turned into a tasty lunch for me. See, I’m smart that way.

While Courtney generally helps me with design and layout duties, this week she wanted to play in the kitchen and I said, “Go for it girlie! Let’s check out your chops!” She chose her favorite ingredient combo, created the recipe and after we played around taking pics in the kitchen she wrote this post. My stomach says she came up with a winner and I know you’ll agree after you make her vegetarian Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos.

Take it away Courtney…

There are a few things in life that make me really happy. A well designed book cover, a beautiful fall day, the sound of my kids playing nicely with each other – without me.

When it comes to food, nothing compares to the smell of diced onion and minced garlic over an open flame. I don’t know why but it makes me feel like I know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I feel legit. I feel happy. And once your onions are nice and translucent, the possibilities are endless.

While most of us associate the aroma of onions and garlic with the start of favorite comfort foods like chicken pot pie, meatloaf or just about any Italian or Mexican meal, today we’re going full-on vegetarian.

continue to the recipe… about Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

Grilled Caprese Skewers

July 30, 2013

Summer grill time certainly shouldn’t be limited to meats and burgers, bring on the tomatoes and sturdy halloumi or bread cheese for my Grilled Caprese Skewers.

“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.”

~ Abraham Lincoln

and

“We are all feeding from each other, all the time, every day.”

~ Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

I’m not usually one to pepper my blog with inspirational quotes from famous/infamous people. And you absolutely won’t see me write, “According to Webster’s dictionary…” when I’m stumped on how to introduce a post, when the creative juices simply aren’t flowing. It’s just kind of the cheater way out in my opinion, but hey, I’m not judging. And besides, doesn’t everyone use Wikipedia now?

But for the reasons I have today, I thought these quotes fell into the appropriate category because they indeed describe the lack of originality, or at least the increasing commonality, of how recipes come about and how they’re shared.

I mean, how many different ways, really, are there to cook a burger or make a classic chicken divan casserole? And what about pound cake? Prime example of how ingredients can’t be copyrighted. It’s all in how you describe the process that makes it your own.

It’s one reason why this summer I’ve been posting more basic recipes, favorite recipes, because it’s summer and I for one am craving a little simplicity. Let’s blame it on the heat.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Caprese Skewers

Avocado Caprese Wrap

July 12, 2013

Whether its a celebratory lunch for a crowd or just a quick bite for one, making Avocado Caprese Wraps are a filling and healthy way to take a bite out of summer.

I’m guessing I’m like a lot of you round about this time of summer. Fresh flavors are being craved by my taste buds sending shockwaves of recipe ideas to my hot little head. But with the daydreams of swimsuits and pool time on this hot, dry days, lighter fare is always on my mind.

I don’t know if I will ever tire of the classic caprese. Salads, sandwiches, pastas. You could turn this thing into a taco or french toast and I’d eat it. Weak in the knees. It’s what I’ve become. Prepare to see more.

And now, this wrap. It tingles my palate.

continue to the recipe… about Avocado Caprese Wrap

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter and Friday Faves

May 31, 2013

This weekend is a biggie for one 8-year-old about to be 9-year-old in our house. Birthday time!

If you’ve followed be for very long, you know my daughter Smudge prefers pie over cake any day, which means I’ll be making and adorning her favorite Yellow Cake Pie with candles for the third year in a row. This year I’m going to pardon the mousse pudding mix in favor of the homemade pudding I made in Lauren’s Chocolate Cream Pie recipe mixed with some whip cream for loft.

I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a hit once again for the twelve 9-year-olds who are sleeping over. All those girls in one house, high on sugar and water slides and karaoke? Why oh why do I do this to me and my husband? Oh, that’s right. Because I’m a mom to a rock-star-lover-girl! I’d do anything for her, especially on her birthday.

Once we’ve sent the gaggle of girls home with their own parentals, it’ll be time to get the family birthday BBQ into high-speed prep. While we have a few menu ideas on the short list, we haven’t quite made up our minds as to which direction we’re going. Traditional cookout, Mediterranean or something Asian inspired? Any input here readers?

If we go for the traditional grilling route, this Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter recipe I created for Go Bold With Butter would be tops on the list. I made them for dinner just two nights ago since my favorite artichoke producer finally showed up in Costco.

I don’t know if I’ll ever eat a choke with plain butter and mayo again thanks to the caramelized garlicky chunks I now scoop up with each leaf. More napkins please.

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the Artichokes
2 large artichokes
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon halved
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Lemon Garlic Butter
1/2 cup 1 stick butter
2 lemons zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Leaves from 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

For the Artichokes
With a serrated knife, cut artichokes into quarters and cut sharp tips of leaves off. Scoop out the prickly center part of the artichoke, and discard. Immediately rub the cut side of the artichoke with a lemon half to help avoid yellowing. Place artichokes in a large stockpot filled with cold water.
Add peppercorns and garlic cloves. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the water and add the leftover lemon skin/peel to the water. Bring artichokes to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until artichoke leaves easily pull from the head and the bottoms of the artichokes are tender.
Remove from the stock pot and drain.
Prepare a grill with hot coals or a gas grill over high heat. Drizzle artichokes with olive oil and kosher salt and pepper.
When grill is hot, place artichokes on grill and cook for 3 minutes each side or until nice grill marks appear. Remove and serve immediately or at room temperature with garlic lemon butter (recipe follows).
For the Lemon Garlic Butter
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and allow the solids to cool slightly, then skim the fat solids from the clear butter below and discard the solids. Add lemon zest, garlic cloves, kosher salt and fresh thyme and cook on medium until garlic browns slightly and becomes aromatic, about 5 minutes.
Add lemon juice to butter mixture and mix well.
Drizzle over artichokes or on the side as a dipping sauce.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter and Friday Faves

Spring Vegetable Gnocchi

April 16, 2013

Before I talk about today’s recipe, I want to send my heartfelt thoughts to those that were affected by the bombing yesterday at the Boston Marathon finish line. Thankfully my friend, and many of yours, Dara of Cookin’ Canuck and her family—in Boston to cheer on her husband Steve who crossed the finish line just 3 minutes before the bombing—have let us all know via Twitter that they are fine even with the blast happening just one block and three minutes away from them.

Timing. It’s a tenuous thing.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the families and participants, volunteers and emergency care workers who were affected, especially those that could not walk away. Special prayers to the family of the 8 year old who was killed in this manic event. That hits way too close to home. I cannot imagine.

Why did this happen? Why do any of these deranged plots happen? What are people thinking? I just can’t wrap my head around why anyone, ANYONE, thinks this is a good way to prove a point, gain notoriety or to simply create chaos through terror.

The only way I know how to address this is to love my loves and look for beauty and unselfishness in this unstable world. I hope you can too.

I’m very much a creature of habit. Or more likely a creature of cravings. When it comes to going out to eat I can rarely motivate myself to deviate from my standard favorites, especially when it comes to any sort of ethnic food. Mexican food: I always gravitate to the Chile Rellenos. Sushi: I must have Spicy Tuna anything.

When it comes to Italian, its rarely a question of what to order once the waiter rolls around: Gnocchi please. The sad thing is, at most Italian eateries gnocchi isn’t always standard fare. That’s why Sea Salt in Salt Lake City is one of my favorite spots to eat, since they have at least 5 different gnocchi recipes on the menu.

While Gnocchi alla Norma is my favorite and will make the blog sometime in the future, I’m working on spreading my wings and rallying through the rest of the menu at Sea Salt. Yep, I’m going wild around here. At least in the gnocchi department.

How it has taken me this long to get these potato pillows on the blog is beyond me.continue to the recipe… about Spring Vegetable Gnocchi

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

March 21, 2013

I succombed to peer pressure. I jumped on the bandwagon. I’m intoxicated with the sweet promise of a new fangled and healthy twist on one of my favorite meals.

My lunch crunch salad.

I have a version of a salad nearly every day for lunch and it’s often a dish I’m requested to bring to pot luck dinners. It usually includes some sort of protein (rotisserie chicken, tuna, leftover salmon or chickpeas), fresh veggies (roasted tomatoes or beets, avocados, maybe peas) and just a sprinkling of firm cheese (feta or blue are my faves.)

But it wasn’t until recently that I veered from my trusty spring mix or crunchy hearts of romaine to jump into the land of kale as my main salad base. I’ve added it to several of my favorite dishes like my Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw and White Bean and Pumpkin Pork Chili but for some reason it didn’t make it into my usual lunch crunch rotation.

Until I roasted the kale leaves for the salad.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

10 Thanksgiving Sides and a Stovetop Creamed Spinach Recipe

November 15, 2012

It happens every time we go out to eat.

I studiously examine the menu, taking into account the balance of all of the offerings before I can possibly fathom what choice I might make for my meal. Debating. Then deciding. Then debating again. Then re-reading the entire menu once more.

And by the time the waiter rolls around and lets us in on the secret that he’ll be our waiter for the night I’ve more than likely changed my mind again. Hey, I can bash on the server introduction because I used to have the same exact set-up when I was a server, but frankly now that I’m a customer it really doesn’t matter to me about the formal intro.continue to the recipe… about 10 Thanksgiving Sides and a Stovetop Creamed Spinach Recipe

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup & a Recipe Roundup

October 31, 2012

This post was originally going to be about tonight’s Halloween get together and how I’m going to make this deliciously tasty tomato soup for my Smudge’s ghoul-friends and their families before we hit the streets to trick. And treat.

But I can’t write this post without thinking of all of the people in the Northern United States without power, heat, transportation and possibly food or fresh water due to yesterday’s blast named Hurricane Sandy.
continue to the recipe… about Roasted Tomato Basil Soup & a Recipe Roundup

Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe

October 22, 2012

Creamy Avocados from Mexico might just be one of my favorite fruits.

I eat them for breakfast in my egg white omelets with a little feta cheese. I love them on turkey sandwiches with a little cranberry sauce and a thin slather of mayo on fluffy white bread. And I absolutely crave them as a base for tostadas topped with a ton of lettuce and spicy hot sauce.

I really don’t need much else.

continue to the recipe… about Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe

Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

October 15, 2012

Last Halloween I was beyond impressed with the number of creative and scary recipes I saw bounding about the blogosphere. How do people come up with this stuff?

I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was a kid. Or is it just because back then all that mattered to me was where Malibu Barbie, Francie, PJ and Skipper were going to head off to in the camper trailer and would they ever find Ken? Poor PJ, she never quite made the cut and always had to sit in the back.

This year I was inspired to throw my hat into the Halloween themed ring of fire and so I did what I always do when I need a creative consultation: I went to my partner in crime, G-Dawg—aka my husband who I think puts MacGyver to shame—and set him to task in scheming how we were going to create eyeballs out of cheeseballs.

After watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a while back where I learned the secret to the perfect deep fried anything and everything I knew I wanted to create a recipe for deep fried mozzarella eyeballs. The secret dredge worked perfectly to form golden orbs of melty, bloodshot eyeballs.continue to the recipe… about Spooky Fried Mozzarella Eyeballs Plus 5 Scary Recipes

Friday Faves and Pumpkin Manicotti

October 12, 2012

This week heralded a week of pumpkins featuring both a savory and a sweet recipe option. As it should! Eating local and in season gives a bump in stimulating the local farming economy and its also just being plain healthy. Keeping it simple and unprocessed as often as we can.

So to end out the punkin’ posts I’ll leave you with this tasty ditty of a recipe featuring my favorite orange orb all mashed up in my Pumpkin Manicotti. I know! Will I ever get tired of pumpkin and sage together? Bear with me friends because it’s highly doubtful.

Pumpkin Manicotti

Ingredients

1 8 ounce package manicotti noodles
3 cups milk
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 tablespoons 1 stick butter, divided
1/8 cup fresh sage leaves thinly sliced
¼ cup flour
1 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Preheat oven at 350°F. Bring a large stock pot of water to boil. Once water comes to boil, add oil and salt water well and cook noodles for 5-8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse noodles and set aside.
In a saucepan, bring milk to a boil, lower to simmer and add garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes until garlic flavor infuses milk. Remove garlic from mixture and discard.
In a separate small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add sage leaves and cook until crisp. Remove sage leaves from butter pan to drain and set aside. Add 6 tablespoons butter to remaining sage butter in pan, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add reserved garlic-infused milk mixture and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes, whisking so sauce does not stick or burn. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, remove from heat and let cool.
Layer a 13 X 9 inch pan with 1/2 cup of sauce.
In a large bowl, mix Ricotta, pumpkin puree, egg, nutmeg and salt. Add ½ cup Mozzarella and mix. Fill a large Ziploc freezer bag with pumpkin mixture, clip one corner with a ¼” cut and pipe manicotti tubes with Ricotta cheese mixture so a little bit overflows on ends.
Place manicotti tubes side by side in pan, repeating until you run out of shells and filling. Spoon remaining sauce on top of shells, top with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle sage leaves on top of cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and Pumpkin Manicotti

Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread plus 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

October 11, 2012

Sometimes you just don’t have time to create a complicated meal. And sometimes you have the time and just don’t want to.

Today was one of those days.

Last week Smudge and I picked up a few sugar pumpkins at the farmer’s market, both for decoration and to cook with. She isn’t so sure she’s ready to relinquish her babies—Bob, Harry and Babycakes—to me and my menu making plans just. quite. yet.

So I had to be stealthy and cagey to sacrifice the pumpkins to the oven gods to create a roasted, creamy, orange base for the simplest pizza I’ve ever made.continue to the recipe… about Pumpkin and Fried Sage Flatbread plus 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes

Friday Faves and Easy Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

September 28, 2012

You could say I’ve been obsessed with roasting tomatoes. They’ve been showing up in everything from pasta to salads, on sandwiches and in this week’s frittatas.

Roasting is beyond easy and worth the 30 seconds of prep. Take a handful or two of cherry tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic (still in their papery jackets) sprinkle with a smattering of olive oil, add some fresh herbs, give ‘em a shake of salt and pepper, pop them in the toaster oven for 15 minutes and wala, you have a superpower-infused, jammy sweetness at your fingertips.

But even better than me using this technique on super sweet summer tomatoes is when I pull this trick on dead of winter tomatoes. You know the ones. The tomatoes who left their taste at the door. Well now you have the secret. Roast them and have sweet ‘maters all year round. Don’t forget to line your baking sheet with foil for super easy clean up duties.

I gave you a version of the recipe for these babies earlier this week , but they’re so good they deserve repeating.

Easy Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
4 sprigs fresh thyme or oregano
Drizzle olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.
On a small sheet pan topped with foil, add tomatoes and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle with thyme or oregano sprigs and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

I’m headed to Tucson, AZ for the weekend to celebrate my mama’s 70th birthday young and lots of girl bonding time. Enjoy my Friday Faves and catch ya’ll next week!

1. I’m obsessed with the color orange so naturally this is a favorite time of year for me. Say hello to October and everything you can imagine that features pumpkin thanks to Kelsey’s Pumpkinmania Pinterest board.

2. Fall eats get me craving comfort food and I’m not the only one. Two of my fellow Utah bloggers created two new sites just for me. Okay, and for you. Check out a collection of food blogger’s slow cooking recipes curated by Kalyn while Barbara demystifies cooking with a pressure cooker.

3. I’ve been all frittata and fresh egg obsessed this week, but when Karen posted her potato and tomato jam frittata creation, I knew I was way out of my league.

4. Time to start planning the holiday parties! It’s all about the type design for me, which is why I am loving these paperless Kate Spade invitations.

5. There are several websites I visit over and over and over and now I don’t need to launch a web browser to get to them. Check out this free app that creates a desktop icon for your favorite websites, your blog, your facebook or twitter account…

6. Rachel and Liz have put together a food blogging event that is sure to inspire. Sign up or follow their food eating adventures.

7. After seeing Sarah’s new office I want to redecorate, NOW! How bad do I want that DIY gold glitter pencil holder? Bad.

8. There are a few bloggers out there that I follow, er, um stalk, because they aren’t just great content providers but they know their bizness. Lindsey is one of them, and she recently shared with me another organization app that keeps her clients, and herself in line and on task.

9. Ice cream sandwich iPhone case. Need I say more?

10. Thanks Julia for my favorite Twitter quote of the week: “The only vegetables that look even mildly edible are either wrapped in bacon, fried, or baked in a cake. #pregnancy”

Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to Foodie Crush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and check out Foodie Crush magazine and Cookie Cravings cookbook.

Roasted Tomato and Zucchini Frittata Recipe

September 25, 2012

I don’t have a coop. But lucky for me I know someone who does.

I’m a bit of an egghead. I know, last week I was a picklehead, now I’m an egghead and soon enough you’ll be reading about me becoming a cheesehead. Yes, a real-live Wisconsin cheesehead. But you’ll be hearing of that soon enough.

Back to the eggs.

Backyard chicken coops are the of-the-moment-hipster-hobby. It seems like the more dependent we become on our beloved digital devices (phones, televisions, cameras, computers) the more we crave anti-technology time (crafting, gardening, exercising, cooking.) And nothing seems more back-to-our-roots than farming. And the easiest way to farm for many of us is to put up a couple of chickens in the back forty—or 10 X 10 square—and enjoy the fruits of our free-range, hormone-free, freshly-laid orb.continue to the recipe… about Roasted Tomato and Zucchini Frittata Recipe

Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

August 14, 2012

He’s on a diet and in his book that means one thing. Soup for dinner. But every night?

Soup is my man’s default meal when he wants to drop a few lbs. and with his band’s final reunion gig just around the corner, he’s definitely made the commitment to come out strong and looking gooood. He’s even switched from his beloved Sierra Nevadas to light beer. HORRORS!

Thus his creativity in the kitchen has taken a nose dive. And since I’m not a big fan of soup in a can I had to take things into my own hands.

A week or so ago Smudge requested that I get her some mangoes. Wow, okay, that’s pretty adventuresome for her since mangoes are a fruit we don’t generally keep in our regular arsenal. I was impressed at the request and shot down to Costco to pick a jumbo size pack.

Why. Did. I. Do. That?

Long story short, it wasn’t fresh mango she wanted. Oh no, she wanted DRIED mango. Ah-ha! Fine then.

So what do I do with all of these mangoes? When life gives you mangoes, make mango gazpacho.continue to the recipe… about Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

10 Great Corn Recipes plus Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

August 9, 2012

Corn. It’s the new black.

It’s on every corner (ehem, gas station farmer’s market) it comes with color blocking in its DNA (alternating white and yellow kernals) and it looks good on just about everyone.

It used to be that one had to wait anxiously for harvest season to roll around before noshing on the sweetest corn in town. Now that new corn genes have been developed, its a rare day in the sun when cooks have to make do with sub par kernals of sunshine. Have you had enough with the trite phrases already?

In preparing to make this recipe, I did the usual routine of filling my pasta stock pot with water and dumped my farmer’s market cobs into the pool, husks and all, with the intention of soaking them for 30 minutes to add a little extra moisture for roasting.

Five hours later I realized I had become completely distracted—I’m not going to admit or lay blame to anything that may or may not have been being surfed on the internet— and quickly pulled my soggy cobs to safety.continue to the recipe… about 10 Great Corn Recipes plus Grilled Corn and Pasilla Pepper Salad

Pickled Strawberry with Roasted Beet Salad and a Recipe Contest

August 1, 2012

I mean seriously. This salad is sweet. Seriously sweet.

But, really, how sweet is this girl?

How much can we possibly love our little babes, especially in those unscripted moments of pure, sweet bliss, savoring the moment and creating our earliest memories of where food comes from.continue to the recipe… about Pickled Strawberry with Roasted Beet Salad and a Recipe Contest

Friday Faves and Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter

June 29, 2012

With the 4th of July right around the corner I’m torn on what I’ll be grilling up for the big BBQ shin-dig. Will it be behind door #1: my BBQ Baby Back Ribs. Or door #2: Gorgonzola Cheese Burgers? Or will it be the surprise behind door #3? Oh what could it be? What could it be?

But I have decided one thing. Whatever I make for the main will be happily setting off sparklers with my recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter over on Go Bold with Butter blog. I love this recipe so much I had to share.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter

It’s Just a Simple Cottage Cheese Sandwich

June 21, 2012

This sandwich incited a near riot in our house.

After asking which image G-Dawg thought looked best for the opening shot for this post, my husband nearly lost his mind. In only the best and most sarcastic way.

With a flourish of his hand and a big old smile, he incredulously declared, “You KNOW the cottage cheese sandwich ALWAYS has chipped beef on it! This isn’t right! You have to do away with it, now! Be gone? And if not chipped beef (you know what chipped beef I’m talking about, the cheapest stuff in the deli aisle) then at least bacon. Come on, what are you thinking?”

And then the final blow, ” I can’t endorse this. I’ll be commenting on the blog.” Oh really? Bring it big guy.

continue to the recipe… about It’s Just a Simple Cottage Cheese Sandwich

vegetarian

What Is an Asian Hot Pot?

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Butter

Ingredients

Instructions

Pumpkin Manicotti

Ingredients

Instructions

Easy Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Follow @foodiecrush on Instagram

5 Quick and Healthy No-Sweat Simple Meals