bacon, books + bite sized treats

Don't you just love how a book can take your imagination to a different place?! Am I the only one who watches a movie or reads a book and gets lost in thought? It's like I lose touch with reality and get transported to a fantasy world of limitless possibility.  How can I hold on to that thought/feeling?! It's a new goal - live in this place of euphoria!

I'm in a cooking book club with this great organization called the Cooking Chicks in Chicago. Every month they pick a food memoir of sorts and then each person brings a dish from the book or a dish inspired by the book. This month's book was Apron Anxiety. I'm telling you, Alyssa Shelasky has an amazing way with words. It seemed fitting to me to create a dish inspired by a simple sandwich her chef used to make that became a bit of a ritual for them. Since tomatoes are in season right now, this is a great appetizer to serve at your next BBQ, party, or to just make for eating. They're awesome and bite sized and before you know it you've scarfed 12 of these bad boys. Because lets be real, what's better than bacon? Bacon with fresh tomatoes and cheese is a good start, mmmmm…

BLT bites

yields about 60 bites

ingredients:

2 pints cherry tomatoes (20 oz - about 60)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

12 strips of bacon cooked extra crispy and broken into bits

¼ c. mayonnaise 

1 green onion, finely chopped

garnish plate with spinach or basil leaves (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, bacon bits, mayo, and green onion and mix until well combined. Place in ziplock bag or piping bag. Set aside until ready to fill.

Cut the tops off the cherry tomatoes and gently squeeze the seeds out with your finger. To make them sit flat on the plate you can very thinly slice a layer off the bottom of the tomatoes too. No worries if you cut through and make an O shape… the filling will still stay put and no one will notice. Place sliced tomatoes on a paper towel and let sit for a few minutes to absorb the extra moisture. This can be done the day before to make assembly quicker. If doing that, be sure to pull the cream cheese mixture out of the refrigerator a few hours before serving so it softens up. Cut the tip off the bag and fill the tomatoes. 

Tomatoes can be filled a few hours before serving, just place in the refrigerator before serving to keep cold. 

improv style:

seem like too much work to cut and de-seed 60 cherry tomatoes? you can just place this filling on top of tomato slices and serve as an appetizer course at a sit down dinner. similarly, you could serve the cherry tomatoes whole with the cream cheese mixture as a dip for veggies, crackers and bread slices. 

you can add in your favorite mixins. a goat cheese or blue cheese would be delish. you can add pepper, red pepper flakes, or a little hot sauce to liven it up. i like the balance the green onion gives the mixture but if you're not a fan, leave it out. you could add in some basil or rosemary to freshen it up. it's a very simple and easy dish to change up! 

looking to lighten it up? use lowfat or fat free cream cheese and mayo with turkey bacon instead or maybe even some greek yogurt?! 

tip: how to cook bacon, the easy way

This is life changing people. About a year and a half ago Matt took me to the Guy Fieri road show and I learned a little trick from him that blew my mind! 

Cooking bacon in the oven. Take cold bacon and a cold oven and avoid the pops, splatters, and skin burning effects of stovetop bacon cooking? Yes please! Biggest bonus?! All of your bacon cooks at the same time! No more multiple pans or batch cooking here! Plus, much easier clean up by using tin foil!

It's so easy to do! 

oven bacon

1. line baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil

2. place cold bacon onto sheet* with a little breathing room between each strip. *make sure the sheet has a lip so that the grease doesn't drip on the bottom of the oven. grease fires are never a good thing :)

3. place sheets into cold oven and turn on to 400º F

4. bake for about 20 minutes flipping halfway through

5. it will look like the above picture when ready. pull out and place on paper towel lined plates to drain excess grease

6. crunch, eat, enjoy!

Every oven runs a little different so cooking time may vary. It also depends on the thickness of your bacon. The thicker the bacon, the longer it takes. Listen to your nose, it will smell when the bacon is ready… Also, don't do this in a preheated oven. Don't ask me why, but it doesn't work the same. Made that mistake once and I will never do it again! If you want, you can place the bacon back in the oven on warm or about 200º F for a few minutes to keep it warm while the rest of breakfast gets finished. 

This tip will be your new best friend for tomorrow's post!

millions of peaches

Being a Seattle girl, I couldn't resist! 

Peaches are all the rage right now. My favorite part about the end of Summer is peaches. I am willing to accept that the days of warm sunshine are coming to an end just because of these sweet and juicy little gems! Every year growing up, my mom would make us something called peach surprise. It was something I always looked forward to. A mark that back to school would be happening soon. I enjoyed my last few days of Summer break with frosty, deliciously sweet and tangy peach surprises. 

My mom makes them with frozen lemonade concentrate but I had a bunch of peaches and lemons so I made it from scratch. Whatever method you prefer works. Just make sure you make these while peaches are still around. If you, like me have a tendency to buy lots of fruit and then have it go bad on you, this is a great way to use up some peaches a little past their prime. No one can see the bruises when you blend them up anyway! 

peach surprise

yields 2 servings

ingredients:

1 peach

¼ c. sugar

juice of 2 lemons

zest of 1 lemon

2 c. ice cubes

¼ c. water (if needed to get it blending well)

In a blender combine first 5 ingredients. Turn that sucker on and blend away! If your blender needs a little help to get things going, add in a little bit of water. Just be sure to gradually add it so it doesn't get too runny! I needed a ¼ c. but you might need more or less depending on the power of your blender!

improv it:

mom's recipe:

fill the blender  ⅔ the way with ice

1 peach

½ can frozen lemonade concentrate 

blend + serve

think of this as a peach and lemonade smoothie. you can make it with fresh lemons, lemonade, or frozen concentrate. like things a bit sweeter? add more sugar. not a huge lemon fan? leave out the zest or substitute with your favorite citrus fruit. a banana would add some fun tropical notes to the drink.

make this an adult cocktail by adding in vodka or rum  OR, make it extra special/fun and pour some prosecco over it for a fun twist on a belini! i bet it would make a fantastic frozen wine cooler type drink too by adding in some pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. reisling or moscato would work nicely too if you're into sweeter wines. i've never done this boozy but I'm totally making this for the holiday weekend now that I'm talking about it!

cocktail contest!

I entered into a contest. I want to win. But mostly, I want to share this cocktail with you because it's AMAZING. The non-adventurous eater is probably thinking I'm out of my mind with this one. TRUST ME, herbs + berries = magic.  I served the leftovers at my cook book club (sin alcohol) and it was a huge hit. Then I sent the recipe to a friend and he too said it was delish! I'm telling you guys, make this, now!

Also, vote for me! Shameless plug, but mamma needs some $$! You'll note the cocktail recipe on the site is different from here. That was a spirit contest so I plussed up the gin amount for them. I prefer a subtle nod of gin with lots of sparkly goodness (aka, the recipe below). Cheers!

blueberry basil fizz

yields about 1 cup blueberry basil syrup

to make blueberry syrup:

1 ½ c. fresh blueberries (frozen works too)

1 c. water

2 TBSP sugar

1 bunch of basil leaves with stems (about 25 leaves)

In a small sauce pan, combine blueberries, water, sugar and bring to a soft boil. Let cook until blueberries burst. Turn off the heat and add basil leaves + stems, let steep in the blueberry mixture for 10 - 15 minutes. Pull the basil leaves out and pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, Pressing all of the blueberry goodness through the strainer. Chill until ready to serve.

for the cocktail:

yields 1 cocktail

ingredients:

½ oz gin

1 oz blueberry basil mixture

½ c. crushed ice

top with prosecco (about ½ c.)

garnish: fresh blueberries and torn basil leaves.

Combine gin, blueberry basil mixture and ice, shake or stir. Pour into a glass and top with prosecco. Garnish with torn basil leaves and fresh blueberries. I like to serve it in a stemless champagne flute but a rocks glass looks pretty too.

improv style:

first thing, this is a cocktail, you don't REALLY have to measure. just dump, dump, mix and sip! this is just my guide to the cocktail, choose your own adventure!

this can be made with just gin, berry mixture and sparkling water, likewise with just prosecco + blueberry basil syrup. if you want a refreshing summer drink sin alcohol, just mix about 2 TBSP of the mixture with ½ c. sparkling water. sparkling coconut water or even coconut milk would be delish too.

not a blueberry or basil fan? try blackberry rosemary, raspberry thyme, lavender blueberry - you see where i'm going here. 

good herbs for this: mint, rosemary, thyme, lavender, basil, or rosewater (technically not an herb, but it's in the plant family). 

good fruits: any berry, citrus fruit, stone fruit. 

fun mix in's: flavored sparkling water, gin, vodka, sparkling wine, white wine (fancy wine cooler anyone?!), coconut water, iced tea?! 

basically i'm saying everyone could use a little fruit + herb action in their life. Especially in beverage form.  

winner, winner chicken dinner!

A few months ago I was lucky enough to take a bucket list trip to visit one of my best friends in Peru. I've been wanting to see Machu Picchu for a long time and the fact that Meg moved to Cusco made it the perfect, stars aligned moment to bite the bullet and buy the ticket! 

The colors and flavors of Peru took my breath away. I wasn't really familiar with the cuisine until I did a little research. Depending on where you're at in the country, they're known for different things. Cuy - Guinea pig, alpaca, ceviche, potatoes (over 3,000 varieties), and quinoa to name a few. We were lucky enough to have the chef at our hostel create a feast of peruvian dishes for us to try. I guess that's the perk of being best friends with the owner's girlfriend :)

We feasted on lomo saltado, aji de gaina, potato dishes of all sorts, Mazamorra morada - a purple corn pudding that tastes like Christmas, ceviche, peruvian fried rice, and 3 other amazing dishes that I didn't catch the name of. We feasted like kings. My favorite was the lomo saltado - a simple steak dish with peppers and onions served with french fries AND rice. Everything in Peru seemed to be served with two forms of starches. 

One thing I really enjoyed were all the different ways they used and prepared quinoa. For our first meal in Cusco, Meg took us to one of her friends restaurants. Almost immediately upon sitting down they brought us some little nuggets of chicken crusted in quinoa. Um, GENIUS! I immediately proclaimed to Meg that this would be making an appearance on the blog, and here it is!

I love the idea of using this seed (although I think of it as a grain) to create a healthier, protein + fiber packed chicken finger. I baked mine but if you're feeling naughty, frying would make them spectacular. That's how they were served to us in Peru and I have to say, I preferred the crunch frying gives it. And lets be real, how naughty could it be when you're using such healthy things?! 

quinoa chicken fingers

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

4 chicken breasts or 8 - 10 chicken tenders

2 eggs beaten

2 c. cooked quinoa (I used red but you can use any type)

1 c. panko bread crumbs

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt + pepper to taste

drizzle of olive oil

In a shallow bowl, beat eggs and set aside. In another shallow bowl, combine: quinoa, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt + pepper.

Pat your chicken dry with some paper towels and then dunk them in the egg mixture. Pick one piece up at a time, allow the excess egg to drip off and then dump it in the quinoa breading mixture. Pat hard so that you get as much of the coating to stick to the chicken breast. Place on a baking sheet (TIP: I like to put my wire cookie cooling racks on top of the baking sheet so that they bake up extra crispy). Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated. Depending on how much mixture sticks to the chicken you may need to add more breading. This isn't science, just dump some more of the breading ingredients and continue dipping. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and place in oven. 

Bake at 350º for about 20 - 25 minutes depending on thickness (15 - 18 if using chicken tenders). Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

improv style:

you can make this gluten free by using all quinoa or using GF bread crumbs. i served this with a roasted red bell pepper sauce but you could add all sorts of fun seasonings/flavors to the chicken tenders before baking. consider using this spice mix or your favorite curry spices lightly dusted on the tenders before dipping into the breading. also, marinading the chicken in some buttermilk or dairy with spices would be a great idea. give the meat some flavor while tenderizing it!

you could even serve these as little chicken nuggets by chopping up the chicken tenders into bite sized pieces. this is how we had them as an appetizer in Cusco. next time i make these i'm totally doing bite sized pieces. 

i used red quinoa but you could use brown quinoa or even experiment with other grains/nuts. additionally, i used panko bread crumbs but experiment with your favorite or whatever you have on hand. i liked a 2:1 ratio but maybe you'd like more or less bread crumbs in the mixture? if you like your tenders extra crispy, i recommend frying them in a little bit of oil instead of baking. watching your cholesterol? you can whip up egg whites instead of using whole eggs.

these can also be frozen before baking and kept in an air tight bag/container for a few months. so make a double batch and freeze half so you can have tons of chicken on hand for later!

genius!

This isn't so much a recipe but a trick that is so obvious I feel silly I didn't think of it a long time ago. Ice cubes made out of coffee! You no longer have to deal with the painful last sips of a watery iced coffee. It's so simple I'm not leaving you with a recipe but I do have TONS of improv suggestions!

improv style:

consider making the ice cubes out of your favorite coffee additives (think creamer, almond milk, flavored milk, soy, boozy laced ice - baileys anyone?!). i like my coffee black which is why i just freeze extra coffee when i have it but the combinations are endless! 

why use the ice in just iced coffee? i've been blending them up with peanut butter + chocolate green smoothies. consider serving your adult beverages with iced coffee ice… hello fancy/delicious/awesome white russian!

not a coffee drinker? this principle applies to your favorite iced beverages. i mostly drink tea… why not freeze up some iced tea to keep your beverage from diluting?! or, if you're making iced tea, freeze some lemonade or fruit puree so as it melts, your beverage takes on new flavors! the possibilities are endless. 

this is a fun idea for every day but an even more impressive idea for your next party. what's your favorite improv combo of "fancy ice"?!

berry salvage

I've been on a bit of a fruit kick the past few weeks. I've gotten a TON in our CSA and I couldn't be happier. The thing is, I've had a pretty insane 2 weeks of traveling and work and that left me with a pint of  "I need to do something with these strawberries now or they're getting tossed". Since they were a little past their prime in regards to eating them plain, I decided to go back to a dessert my mom made me a few years ago.

It might sound a little weird or gross, but trust me, this dessert is to die for! Plus it has fruit so it's healthy, right? You start by making a pretty typical caramel but then you hit it with some aged balsamic at the end for an awesome acidic kick that transforms the dish. A couple minutes of that caramel cooking with fresh sweet strawberries makes for a sensational sauce. For those more adventurous in the kitchen, I know you're vibing with me right now. Top that sauce off with some chilled, lightly sweetened lemony mascarpone cheese and you've got yourself a lighter summer dessert that will impress your ______ (friends, family, man, whoever). The best part? I think a few basil leaves sprinkled on top makes it even more amazing. It's got that whole fresh, caramely sweet thing going on and I like it. Best part? It comes together in 15 minutes start to finish! 

strawberry balsamic caramel + lemon mascarpone

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

for the sauce:

½ c. packed brown sugar

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP aged balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt

1 pint of strawberries cut in half or slices (however you prefer)

for the cream:

8 oz mascarpone cheese chilled

juice of ½ a lemon (about 1 TBSP)

zest of a lemon

2 TBSP powdered sugar (to taste)

to garnish:

basil leaves or some lemon zest

in a medium sized bowl, combine cheese, lemon juice + zest, and powdered sugar. stir or whisk until incorporated. place in refrigerator and let it chill while you make your caramel sauce. 

in a large pan place sugar and butter over medium heat. when the mixture melts and starts to bubble, keep a close eye on it. you'll want to make sure to cook it until the sugar dissolves but you have to be careful not to burn it. this will take about 7-8 minutes. once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is caramelized, pour in your vinegar. it will bubble and go crazy, don't worry, it's supposed to. stir until combined and calmed down and then add in your strawberries and cook for 1 more minute. this will let the strawberry juice combine with the sauce and warm them up a bit. 

place a scoop of the mascarpone mixture in a bowl and drizzle your balsamic strawberry caramel over the cheese. top with basil leaves (if desired). 

improv style:

this can be done with regular granulated sugar if you don't have brown sugar. cooking method is the same but it might take a little longer to melt. you might also have to add some extra liquid to thin it out depending on how thick you like your caramel.

i love the italian flavors here but if you're not a fan of herbs with dessert, you can totally leave out the basil. lemon and mascarpone play so nicely with this mixture but if you're trying to be budget conscious, mascarpone can be substituted for vanilla ice cream. this is actually really good over ice cream and takes even less time since you don't have to make the cheese mixture. just put your lemon zest and juice in with the caramel sauce and you'll get the same flavors. if you want to do the whole cheese thing, you could try substituting for a combo of goat and cream cheese or just plain goat. ricotta would be interesting too (i'm not a huge fan of the texture but if you are, i think it would play nicely here).

strawberries really shine and hold their shape well but i'm sure this would be great with blackberries, blueberries, probably even raspberries. use what you have on hand! don't have aged balsamic? that's ok, you can totally use regular balsamic vinegar -or- you can cook your balsamic down until it's a thick syrup and you'll achieve a similar flavor/consistency. i personally think aged is a lot less harsh and has a more round and sweet flavor than non-aged which is why i use it. again, it's all about what you like so just go with that! nothing complicated, just a few simple ingredients that come together to make something magical!