Sunday Night Dinner for One ((Baked Ravioli))

Hello there! Whew! The first two weeks of school really got away from me...pretty much just focusing on getting used to waking up to an alarm clock again (insert crying/wailing emoji here).

I don't live at home with my parents anymore, but it is still nice to have a warm home-cooked worthy-of-a-Sunday tasting meal every once in a while. I love to cook and don't mind spending some extra time on a meal if it'll make it that much better, but this recipe for baked ravioli is about as easy as it gets!

I only made a few changes to this recipe to make a perfect and comforting meal for one on the last night of the weekend.

 Some of the things you'll need...minus the ravioli. I used spinach and bacon ravioli I got from the farmer's market...yum!

 

Layers of comfort. As with most situations in life, fresh mozzarella is a must.

 This kitchen timer makes cooking seem that much more adorable. Mine's from Anthropologie and is sold out, but you can find a similar one here.

Of course, Gatsby needed to test the cheese to make sure it was still good to eat.

Baked Ravioli for One (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients

-Frozen Ravioli (one serving; the ones I got from the farmer's market get quite big, so I used four total)

-Fresh Mozzarella

-Jarred Marinara Sauce (I used Trader Joe's Arrabiata)

-Your Choice of Seasonings (I used red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a small pan (I used a loaf pan) with non-stick spray.

2. Spoon enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. Layer ravioli, sauce, and bits of mozzarella twice and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

4. Bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes. Feel free to broil for a few minutes to get the cheese to brown a bit.

5. If you're like me, dump the whole thing in a bowl and eat it on the couch like a heathen. If you're not like me, place half neatly on a plate and garnish with parsley before enjoying it with a glass of pinot noir at a table like a civilized human being. Go back for seconds, of course.

While this is obviously a great Sunday comfort meal, you can definitely enjoy this as a reward for getting through an especially taxing Monday.

xoxo,

E   

Greek Craving

I went to a Greek festival a few weeks ago with friends and have had Greek food on the mind ever since. While I had my doubts that adding Greek seasoning to fries makes them "Greek fries" (an item on the menu at Greek fest that I giggled at for a minute or two), I love the unique flavors of Greek/Mediterranean foods. They can also be light enough in flavor to be perfect for a summer meal, especially if you do them tapas-style and share with friends!

 

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There is, however, nothing light about (or more delicious than) a doner kebab. I may or may not has existed almost exclusively on these bad boys while studying abroad in Germany. Related: street meat leads to satisfied taste buds and tighter pants.

 

After going out for wine and Mediterranean food with friends last week and eating the most delicious braised lamb shanks on pita, I knew I had to find some ideas to recreate these tasty bites in my own kitchen.

Here are a few recipes that I've pulled together that would definitely satisfy my Greek craving. I'll make sure to update y'all on the ones I actually make!

Clockwise, from top left: Greek Burgers, Braised Lamb Shanks and Melted Onions (I can't even handle how good this looks!), Baked Lamb Meatball Gyros, Quick & Easy Tzatziki Sauce

OK, so now my mouth is watering. Which one looks best to you? I'm thinking the baked lamb gyros are going to need to happen immediately. Have a happy Tuesday!

xoxo,

E

Strawberry Season

In case you haven't heard, strawberry season is in full swing! It's funny; as soon as spring starts...springing, I develop this sense of urgency with my cooking, knowing that I only have a certain amount of time with the local (when possible), in-season produce that I love so much. Any Saturday that I miss the downtown farmer's market between May and October feels like a lost opportunity. 

 

Strawberries for days

 

I picked up some lovely strawberries at the market this past weekend, and while I love tossing them in a bowl and munching on them solo, my goal of making at least one new recipe every week demands that I branch out.

 What to do with the beauties? Other than just pop them in my mouth by the handful...?

Here are some recipes I gather from my two favorite food blogs, Joy the Baker and Smitten Kitchen:

Spinach and Strawberry Chopped Salad (I'm not usually a fruity salad type of gal, but this combo looks delicious!)

Roasted Strawberry and Toasted Coconut Popsicles (I've actually made these before, so they don't count as a new recipe for me, but, I can tell you they are tasty!)

 

Ugly strawberries need love, too.

 

Strawberry Cream Scones (These just cry out for an iced cafe au lait.)

Strawberry Tart (Think: strawberries + pastry cream...no brainer.)

Mixed Berry Pavlova (The strawberries in this are just cut and used as topping, but it looked so light and fresh and everything I want in a dessert right now, that I had to include it.)

Strawberry Massacre

Are you taking advantage of strawberry season? Hooray for spring and all the tasty bites it brings!

All done.

xoxo,

E

NOLA

I mentioned yesterday that I spent the weekend in New Orleans at a reading conference. I visited New Orleans briefly in college with a school group. It wasn't anything crazy, though I did get the opportunity to drink a PBR at a bar/pool hall/laundromat. #innovative

To me, planning and anticipating a trip is almost as good as going on the actual trip. When you get stressed the week before a trip, just try googling a travel guide (Bon Appetit is a go-to for me) and finding a great restaurant to go to your first night there. See? Stress gone!

Needless to say, I had all our reservations set four days before we left. Food is the best way to get to know a city, hands down.

Here are the highlights...

Beignets (and iced cafe au laits) from Cafe du Monde. Eight million people (I may be exaggerating, but probably not) waiting in line every day can't be wrong.

 Pimm's cups at Sazerac. I tried three different Pimm's cups in Nola, and this one was my fave. My research is nothing if not scientifically sound.

 

Roasted head of cauliflower at Domenica. The fact that there was half left by the time the cameras came out should tell you it's that good. Yes, cauliflower.

 

Monteleone Hotel, home of New Orleans' only revolving carousel bar. I drank my pinot noir while happily revolving around a spinning bar. I now believe that wine should be standard issue at all carousels.

 

My mom, me, and my brother's roommate's mom who happened to be at the same conference. Crazy right?! She was my dinner and drinks date after my mom left on Sunday :)

Oh, and dinner at Luke that night was delicious. Get the shrimp and grits.

Not pictured here, which should be a crime: Any one of the three, THREE, lunches I ate at Cochon and their deli next door. I had this kohlrabi salad with lemon yogurt dressing and spiced cashews that dances around in my dreams. I will make it my own one day and then my life will be complete. My mom and I also split their pork ribs with pickled watermelon that was just...so good. Plain and simple. We also had the Cuban sandwich and BBQ pork sandwich at their deli, coupled with the hero of the day, the mac and cheese. I wanted to rub it all over my face and...I'll stop there.

Thanks, New Orleans. You were a ton of fun.

xoxo,

E

Brownie Bottom Cupcakes + White Chocolate Icing

Yesterday, I told you about the fun spiral sugar cookies I made for my school's bake sale. These cupcakes were my other contribution to the bake sale effort. They were a huge hit! It may have had something to do the fact that they were covered in pretty sprinkles.

Little known fact: Sprinkles have hypnotic qualities.

Brownie on the bottom, funfetti cake on top, all covered with a homemade white chocolate icing. What's not to like?! This brownie bottom cupcake recipe has so many possibilities. You could pretty much use any cake mix on top...customize is cool!

 

Another little known fact: The more times you tell yourself NOT to eat the icing, the more spatulas you have to wash because you just ate the icing.

 

Just the cupcake is amazing, but why not top it off with something equally memorable? This white chocolate icing was easy to make and was one of those flavors that just kept getting better (I switched white chocolate chips for regular ones). I'm not usually a white chocolate fan, but the flavor of this icing was amazing. Creamy, buttery, sweet, but not sickly sweet. Everything I'm looking for in an icing. I dunked the freshly iced cupcakes in a bowl of sprinkles to make sure they were completely covered.

I'm out of little known facts. The sprinkles have me in their grasp.

xoxo,
E

Spiral Sugar Cookies

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Last week, I mentioned that a bake sale has been ruling my life for the time being. The community service club at my school participated in the national bake sale sponsored by Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry. I was so proud of how organized and excited the kids were to participate in helping such an awesome cause!

Ready to go in the oven!

One of my contributions to the bake sale was these spiral sugar cookies. I think they turned out pretty cute! The color combinations are endless, so they could be used for any occasion. I went with teal/purple and orange/pink.

Most turned out great, but a few got a little wobbly.

I used four batches of this recipe and dyed each batch a different color. After rolling out the colored dough, I placed two colors on top of each other and rolled them into a spiral cookie log. The cookie logs went in the freezer for a day, and it was pretty much slice and bake after that! It was a bit of a process, but I did it over a few days. The kids loved them!

Happy baking!

xoxo,

E

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

I think everyone has that sauce or seasoning that goes on Absolutely Everything. It goes on eggs, chicken, vegetables...hell, it'd probably be good on ice cream. I know for a lot of people that sauce is probably ketchup. Not me.

For me, that thing is cajun seasoning. It's got garlic, cayenne, salt...what's not to like?!

Is it inappropriate to eat it with a spoon? Yes? Nevermind.

I used to buy a certain green container at the grocery store to get my cajun seasoning fix, but now that I know how easy it is to make my own, I don't think I'll return to that green guy anytime soon. I used this recipe, and it now lives at the very front of my spice cabinet.

 

In its rightful place of honor.

The biggest upside to making your own seasonings is you get to control how much of each ingredient goes into the mix. Mine has a little more garlic powder and cayenne than many would consider necessary. It's my theory that you could rub garlic on pretty much anything, throw it in the oven, and just about everybody will think you're a good cook.

What's your go-to spice/sauce? Have a spicy hump day!

xoxo,
E

My Current Favorite Dinner

I'm a pro at cooking something, devouring it happily, and then thinking, "Mmm mmm, that meal was delicious. I should blog about it." The problem is, I've just devoured it, so I would only be able to describe it to you with words since the only thing left of my tasty meal is dirty dishes.

Dirty dishes don't make great pictures. Someone should put that on a pillow.

 

Hello, Gorgeous.

Poor, poor me. I had to make my favorite dinner again to show you.

 

I could barely take a picture before chowing down. Just kidding, I ate half the brussels before the iPhone came out.

I recently blogged about the awesomeness of roasted brussels sprouts. You could pretty much pick any roasted brussels sprouts recipe you want; it would most likely be amazing.

 

Oh hey, legs. And I just noticed that my apartment's kitchen counter matches my kitchen floor. Weird.

 
Here's how I did it this week:

Salmon and Brussels Sprout Bowl

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cut, wash, and dry about two cups of brussels sprouts.
3. Toss sprouts in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cajun seasoning, and minced garlic (if some garlic is good, more garlic is better...that should also be on a pillow)
4.) Dump sprouts into a sprayed pan and roast for about 20 minutes, mixing up about halfway through. (I line my pan with foil so I don't have to wash it! Cutting corners is awesome!)

Roasted Salmon

1. Your oven is already preheated to 425 and has the sprouts in it. Smile to yourself because you can skip right to...
2. Wash and pat dry salmon (I use a 5-6 oz. piece). Place salmon on sprayed pan (Use foil! Down with washing dishes!) 
3. Season salmon with cajun seasoning, minced garlic, and rosemary. Drizzle olive oil and rub it in...lightly...don't get weird about it.
4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, until it's as done as you want it.

I like to mix my salmon and sprouts in one bowl (usually the one I used to toss the sprouts with oil and vinegar) and have a sprouts and salmon party! 

Happy munching!

xoxo,
E

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What is your most hated vegetable? Growing up, we never ate Brussels sprouts because both my parents said they hated them as kids. Doesn't everyone have that vegetable that gives them vivid, negative childhood memories? For me, it's peas. Just not a pea fan.

Sick.

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But recently I feel like Brussels sprouts have seen a real resurgence. The icky boiled Brussels sprouts from childhood are long gone!

If you haven't been roasting Brussels...where have you been?! They are so good that I literally eat them out of the boil with my fingers. A fork just takes too much time.

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The recipe is pretty simple. It's one of those that, once you understand the necessary components, you can tweak it lots of different ways.

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You basically need oil, some sort of acid, seasoning, and an oven set to 425. Mix it all up and roast 'em for 20-25 minutes! And then try to act like a human and eat them with a fork, but I won't judge if these Brussels become finger food.

Here are some recipes to get you started: 

Roasted Balsamic Brussels

Honey Roasted Brussels

Spicy Roasted Brussels with Blue Cheese

Have you gotten on the Brussels train?

xoxo,
E

Quick, Healthy Snacks

For me, the biggest thing getting in the way of me eating healthy regularly is...life. Doesn't life just get in the way of the things you've been meaning to do sometimes?! I mean, seriously. The only way I can eat healthily on a regular basis is if I plan for it. I love cooking and trying new recipes, but when it's 8pm, I've been running around all day, and I'm hungry enough to eat my own hand, I just want to reach for something easy.

With this in mind, I tracked down some healthy snacks that are either make-ahead or super quick so you can have a go-to for those I-would-eat-my-hand-if-it-had-butter-on-it moments. And get this, they're delicious. All of our mothers have told us to eat a piece of fruit if we're hungry before dinner, but what fun is that? Here's to elevating things a bit...

Clockwise from top left: Energy Oat Balls, Avocado Toast, Savory and Spicy Mixed Nuts

(All photos via their respective blog posts)

A few hints...

• For the energy balls (I'm doing my best not to make a middle school type joke...how am I doing?), use dark chocolate, if you use it at all (heart healthy!), and natural peanut butter (or whatever butter).
• For the avocado toast, I have to say I'm not a huge tomato fan, but I definitely eat this with Ezekiel bread, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper/chili powder. Yum!
• The spicy nuts (see the above reference to definitely not writing a joke here...) don't have any sugar. There are plenty of sugary recipes out there, and I'm guessing they all smell heavenly while cooking...but resist the temptation to add sugar to your snack! Save your sugar fix for something truly worth it! Like this! Or any of these! Also, I used two tablespoons of olive oil instead of butter and all almonds...it tastes like Chex mix! So good!

Wine/Beer Pairs

When it comes to wine, my knowledge pretty much begins and ends at "I really like red wine". For some reason, I've never been big on white wine, but I love a good (or just cheap) red.

For those of us who like wine and beer, but don't know much more than that, the kind folks at VinePair, a website dedicated to all things wine, made us this:

 

Helpful, right? You could use it to find a corresponding wine that matches up with your favorite beer OR the other way around. I've never tried a lambic beer, but I know I like pinot noir...so I'll have to give it a shot!

Happy sipping!

xoxo,

E

Roasted Rosemary Almonds

One of my new year's resolutions was to try one new recipe each week. This resolution was made with the hope of channeling my love of food into broadening my horizons and eating more cleanly, instead of, say, shoveling Girl Scout cookies in my mouth by the handful. (ps- Have you seen this? Hilarious.)

Luckily, I have enjoyed just about every new recipe I've tried, but the most recent one I've tried is definitely a keeper. It's funny how the easiest recipes are usually the most memorable. These roasted rosemary almonds are the perfect snack: crunchy, salty, a touch spicy...and pretty healthy! Plus, by making your own seasoned roasted almonds, you control the ingredients and save money! Win-Win!

I made half of the recipe to make sure that the almonds stayed fresh since I'm the only one eating them. Make them soon!

Happy snacking!

xoxo,
E

My Favorite Juice Recipes

Are you on the juicing trend train yet? I got a juicer a few Christmases ago and have loved throwing whatever I can find in my juicer to see what it tastes like.

Delicious "green lemonade"--such a pretty color and amazing for after you've had a weekend of fried food and beer :)

I've done a few three-day cleanses, kind of a modified version of the BluePrint Cleanse. I would love to try BluePrint to see how it compares, but it's so dang expensive! Plus, I can't imagine that any type of bottled juice could be as good as the kind I can make in my own kitchen.

I have this Breville juicer. I used a 20% coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond, and it wasn't too bad--pretty much middle of the road when it comes to juicers based on my research. Also, I always use these pretty glass bottles to store my freshly made juice. Keep in mind that you should drink freshly made juice within 36 hours. I've tried freezing it, and it's OK, but not great.

Here are my two favorite juice recipes...try them; they are seriously delicious!

Green Lemonade (makes 2 big glasses)
As much spinach as you want
3-4 lemons, peeled
1-1 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled
3 green apples
1 cucumber
3-4 celery stalks

Wash everything well. Add spinach first--awesome dark green color! The more spinach the better! Stir the juice well and either pour in bottles (drink within 36 hours) or serve over ice immediately with a straw because straws make everything taste better.

Carrot-Orange Juice (makes 2 big glasses)
5-6 peeled carrots
4-5 peeled oranges
1-1 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled
2 peeled lemons
2 green apples, peeled (I only peel them so the juice stays a pretty orange color)

Wash everything well and dump it in the juicer! Stir it up and either store it in bottles for up to 36 hours or drink immediately over ice. A straw is, again, mandatory.

When I drink fresh juice, I definitely notice an increase in my energy...I just feel healthier all around!

Happy Juicing!

xoxo,
E

Spring Break!? + Hurricane Cocktails!

My school's spring break starts at 3:05 this afternoon! Well, it starts a little earlier for me and my nugget since we'll be flying to the tropical island of...Delaware. Don't worry, I've got my sunscreen packed.

For some reason, our spring break is always weirdly early, but I'll take it! February is a loooong month for a teacher, despite it actually having fewer days, so ending it with a break is a happy thing.

My kids are finishing a project today, so Gatsby and I are just waiting patiently for our flight!

Sexy backdrop brought to you by my classroom

I'm so excited to see family that I don't get to see that often! I get to see my brother play lacrosse (Go Blue Hens!) and get to spend a few days with my aunts! We've already planned an Oscars party and a Mardi Gras party is in the works...yeah, I'm not too upset about not seeing any beaches during my "spring" (winter) break.

For those of you not being affected by the polar vortex (which is totally an awesome band name...), or for those of you who are over being affected by the polar vortex...here is a hurricane cocktail for your enjoyment! Laissez les bon temps rouler!

xoxo,
E

Breakfast for Snoozers

Not sure about you, but my main objective on a weekday morning is to get from the warmth and comfort of my bed to my car on the way to school as fast as possible. I know people who get up, linger over making breakfast, work out, shower, do their hair (?!), and only then get in the car to go to work. This has never made sense to me. Why spend all that time doing stuff in the morning when I could be sleeping?!

 

Heard that.

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I know it's completely inappropriate and that every online article recommends against it, but, I confess, I am a hardcore snoozer. Like 45 minutes of snoozing every morning. It's bad.

Since my goal is to get out of the house before my dog can realize I'm abandoning him for the day and start crying, I need a quick breakfast fix.

While I do tend to go with my trusty friend, Chobani, I also have a new love in my life...her name is Starbucks blueberry oatmeal, and she is beautiful.

Hello, Gorgeous.

Seriously, have y'all tried this? Am I super late to the party about how amazing Starbucks breakfast is? Steel cut oats, blueberries, seeds/nuts, agave syrup...and you didn't hear it from me, but if you ask for a packet of brown sugar, they won't say no. Just sayin'.

Any other recommendations for tasty, healthy, quick breakfast options?

xoxo,

E

Food Blog Must-Reads

One of the things that made (makes) me hesitant to enter the blog world is the blog rock stars that already currently exist. I know that in reality these people are just normal people, just like me, living and cooking and creating in their own apartments. But when you read their blogs and see their pictures with their adorable decorative tea towels and pretty tableware, it's hard to believe that they're working with the same stuff I have access to.

I've decided to take a different perspective with these blog rock stars...they'll be my inspiration to live creatively, artfully, deliciously.

Here are some of the food blogs, along with photos of their most recent recipe posts, that inspire me to make more than box mac and cheese for dinner. If you don't already read them, do it now.

Smitten Kitchen

 (I have her cookbook and read it like it was a novel. Beautiful, homemade food that makes you want to spend all day in your kitchen creating.)

Dinner: A Love Story

(This couple focuses on getting families to eat dinner together--realistic and tasty recipes.)

Joy the Baker

(She focuses on baked goods, but everything she makes looks amazing!)

Thug Kitchen

(As you can tell from the captions, not exactly for the kiddos, but great vegetarian/vegan stuff)

Now go make something tasty for someone you love!

xoxo,

E 

Buy this now.

Actually don't...actually do. I consider myself pretty highly evolved, but I am only a little ashamed to admit that I could live solely on pepperoni pizza and ice cream for the rest of my life. Granted, it would probably be a short life plagued with any number of health issues, but I could do it nonetheless.

One of my favorite jobs I've had was working in a local ice cream shop in high school. I could sample all of the ice cream and make mini-milkshakes to my heart's content! Heaven! My high school metabolism and active membership on the swimming and lacrosse team also combined to ensure I didn't weigh 400 pounds. Double heaven!!

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I've heard of the splendor of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream (of course they came to Nashville after I moved away), but hadn't had the opportunity to try it. But as I wandered the aisles of my local Fresh Market yesterday, I found several pints for $10.99...yep, $10.99 for a pint of frozen yogurt. I consider quality frozen yogurt an investment, so of course I went for it.

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But, oh that frozen yogurt...I ate half a pint before looking up. I got the lemon blueberry flavor, and oh my gahhhhhh. It was creamy and tart and sweet, but not too sweet, and yummmm. Just take it from me and set up a date with a pint of this bad boy.

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

E

ps: I was not paid in any way to do this post, but if anyone wanted to send me a case of the entire frozen yogurt collection, I would give you many hugs.