Jul 2, 2013
I like dill year-round, but for some reason, it just seems to “speak to me” more in the summer months. It’s just such a delicious addition to fish or chicken, soup, and veggies too. One of my favorite side dishes lately has been Dill Red Potatoes (I’ve had them twice this week with red potatoes being on sale)!
Dill Red Potatoes
3-6 red potatoes (serving 4), sliced approximately 1/8 inch thick
2-4 T. chopped dill
juice from one lemon
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1. Place the potato slices in a foil lined glass baking dish, then drizzle with olive oil.
2. Add the dill, squeeze the lemon juice, and toss evenly.
3. Season with salt and pepper and place in a 350 degree oven. Bake for around 3o minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
If I weren’t trying to cut down on starches, I could eat these potatoes every. single. day… Do you have a favorite way to use dill (or red potatoes)? Let me know! I’m always looking for new ways to try both!
Jun 23, 2013
I love eggs. I love soup. And I’ve always loved egg drop soup, just never tried to make it. This week on a whim, I decided to do a little research and see how hard it was. As it turns out, it’s not hard at all. In fact, it’s ridiculously easy!
Ridiculously Easy Egg Drop Soup
4 c. chicken broth
1/4 t. ground ginger (even if you don’t like ginger, trust me)
2-3 T. chives or chopped green onions (either option is tasty)
kosher salt
white pepper (optional, I don’t like it, but several of the recipes I consulted listed it)
1-2 eggs
soy sauce (just a splash)
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
In a medium stockpot, bring the chicken broth to a boil and add the ginger, salt, white pepper (if desired) and chives (or green onions). Reduce the heat to medium.
Note: If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can always “make” some with chicken boullion cubes and water. If you’re going that route, use 2 cubes.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water until smooth, set aside. Pour the cornstarch/water mixture into the broth and stir well (this just helps thicken it up a little). Rinse out the small bowl you used for the cornstarch (fewer dirty dishes), and crack the eggs in it and whisk. Slowly add the eggs, using a whisk or spoon, to the chicken stock and stir. Repeat until you have the desired amount of egg “threads” (I ended up using 3/4 of the egg mixture). Add just a splash of soy sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that the broth is salty by nature, so, although I’m a salt freak, season carefully and taste as you go.
Pour into bowls and serve. Ridiculously easy, right? I told you so. Now that I’ve made this warm, delightful soup from scratch, I’ve been kicking myself for ever paying for a bowl… It takes less than 10 minutes to make AND it’s delicious. Might be my new favorite go-to dinner!
Any other egg drop soup fans out there?
May 16, 2013
Every summer, I countdown the days until the Hatch Green Chile Festival… It’s usually at the end of August, and my Market Street brings out the big chile roasters to celebrate! I end up buying bags of hatch chiles to freeze for the year… it’s probably my favorite weekend of the summer (wow, I *MIGHT* be lame), but I truly love the chance to stock up on the hatch chile deliciousness!
Since I constantly have a stash of green chiles on hand in the freezer, I’ve really mastered the art of the “easy, qu
ick, hatch green chile sauce”. It’s great for topping chicken or fish, or tossed in pasta too! It’s unbelievably fast and easy, so it’s the perfect addition to any weeknight meal. Just how I like it – Unique, spicy, and super easy!
Quick Hatch Green Chile Sauce
(this recipe serves 2-4, depending on how much sauce you’re using. It takes less to top chicken or fish and more if you’re tossing in pasta)
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup hatch green chile, diced
1 T. flour
1 + cup Chicken stock
kosher salt and pepper
Heat a small skillet over med-high heat and add a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Add diced onions and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add the diced green chiles and cook for a minute more. Add the flour in batches, stirring in with the onions and chiles constantly. Add chicken stock, a little at a time, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Reduce heat to medium and occasionally stir the mixture. When it thickens, add chicken stock as needed to reach the desired consistency. 
I like the sauce to be thick enough to leave a “streak” when I break it apart with a spoon… Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over your protein or pasta and serve! Enjoy!
May 10, 2013
When the weather warms up, nothing beats a crisp, delicious bowl of greens! I love Caesar Salad
, but I’m not a big fan of store-bought Caesar Dressings ( some preservative in them gives me the shakes)… Instead, I like making my dressing from scratch, and this version is a lot easier than others I’ve found (who has time to coddle egg yolks? Not this gal! ). I also really like Greek yogurt, so I think this recipe is pretty fantastic.
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
1/3 c. lowfat Greek yogurt
2 anchovy fillets, mashed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 t. Worcestershire sauce ( or “woo sauce” as my grandmother used to say)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
For the Salad
1 large head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 French baguette, cubed into bite-sized pieces ( this time I opted for larger slices, but you can do whatever works best for you)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Loosely chop the anchovies and then mash them. As you can see in my photo to the right, I like working the anchovies into a paste by applying pressure with a knife (it just mixes better in the dressing). In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the mashed anchovies, garlic, lemon juice and “Woo sauce”. Whisk in the olive oil and half of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread the bread cubes on a non-stick baking sheets and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 5 minutes or so until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. 
** Side bar: I freaking LOVE my cheese grater. It’s got this removable measuring cup that attaches to the bottom and makes measuring freshly grated cheese SUPER easy. It’s awesome. End side bar. ** In a large bowl, toss the romaine with half of the dressing and remaining cheese. Add the croutons and serve, passing the remaining dressing at the table.
Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver’s in Food & Wine, March 2011
May 3, 2013
Shake things up this Cinco de Mayo weekend with a tart and delicious Grapefruit Margarita! This version is perfect for spring – easy, delicious and refreshing!
I made these using the fabulous Mason Shaker, and I think its Southern charm added just the perfect, festive flair! The recipe for this batch yielded enough for two glasses (plus a little top off for each). If you want to double the recipe, I think it would definitely fit inside the Mason Shaker (it’s a great size)!
If you need even more ideas for planning your May 5th Par-tay, check out my board on Pinterest!
Grapefruit Margaritas
Serves 2
1 c. Simply Grapefruit juice (If you want a sweeter taste, go with fresh-squeezed juice from two Texas grapefruits)
1/4 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice (3-4 small limes)
3 T. Grand Marnier
1/4 c. silver Tequila
1 t. light agave nectar
ice
Margarita salt (or Kosher salt) to rim the glass
1 lime, sliced into wedges for serving
Use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of the glass. Roll the rim in margarita salt (or kosher salt). Trust me, you’ll want the salt – it goes very nicely with the tartness of the grapefruit! Add a little ice to each glass.
In the Mason Shaker, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, Grand Marnier, Tequila and agave. Give it a good shake and divide the delicious liquid between the glasses. Enjoy, and happy happy Cinco de Mayo!
Apr 29, 2013
I love eggs. A lot
. For breakfast, if there’s a choice between ANYTHING and eggs, I choose eggs. Always.
My trainer at the gym keeps trying to get me to switch to egg whites, but I just can’t make the leap. I’m in an egg co-op, so every month I’m spoiled with amazing, huge, organic local eggs. I can’t justify eating ONLY the whites – it would be too heartbreaking to put those delicious, golden yolks to waste!
Most of the time, I make scrambled eggs (because I can make and eat them AND get out the door faster than crunching through a bowl of cereal). Occasionally, though, I treat myself to eggs over medium (on the weekends). I love a runny egg, but I’m not very skilled in frying them (oh how I’ve tried)! Instead, this is my sure-fire way of making a nice, runny egg (in less than 5 minutes).
In a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add your egg(s). This time I got a double yolk (score!). Add 2-3 T. of water and cover with a lid (preferably one you can see through). The eggs will steam, and soon after the yolk is covered in white instead of yellow, they’re ready to go! 
You can cook for a minute or so after they turn white on top, but any longer than that and they won’t be particularly runny… Remove and serve with your favorite sides (in this case crispy bacon and skillet red potatoes). Enjoy!
How do you like YOUR eggs?
I like dill year-round, but for some reason, it just seems to “speak to me” more in the summer months. It’s just such a delicious addition to fish or chicken, soup, and veggies too. One of my favorite side dishes lately has been Dill Red Potatoes (I’ve had them twice this week with red potatoes being on sale)!
