Skinny Dips

For Christmas this year Santa gave my sisters and me this Skinny Dips cookbook. It is filled with yummy, and lower fat, dip recipes. We're making a few for a tailgate tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to making a few for the Superbowl! To purchase this cookbook click here and have a great weekend!

Quick, Easy Dinner!

Tonight was the first chilly/rainy day of the season, so all I wanted to do was curl up and watch a movie, but we had to eat at some point. I thought back to a recipe I had seen on my Epicurious app on my iPhone. I couldn't find the exact recipe, so I recreated a similar dish. It is pretty simple, but very tasty.

Ingredients:
1 ciabatta loaf (my market carries the perfect size, you can find the size you need for the number of people you plan to serve)
1 6 oz. log of herbed goat cheese
1 chicken breast (sauteed and cut into pieces - this was not in the original recipe, but we wanted to add some more protein)
1 jar of roasted red peppers
1 handful of arugula
Balsamic Vinaigrette to drizzle

Layer the goat cheese, chicken and roasted bell pepper on the ciabatta. Place in the oven (350 degrees) for about 5-10 minutes, until warm. Add the arugula and vinaigrette, slice and serve. So easy and delicious!

I served the sandwich alongside some roasted asparagus! Yummy!


Tomorrow is Friday! Any plans for the weekend? I will be celebrating a fellow DinnerClub MD member's housewarming!

P.S. Sorry about the picture quality, not my best work!

Sunday Morning Delight

I think the perfect way to start off a relaxing Sunday is to sleep in and cook a delicious brunch which is exactly what I did on this beautiful morning. Cooking breakfast is a great way to slowly start your day and cook without creating too much of a fuss. For all of those who are intimidated by cooking and aren't quite sure about how to get started I would highly recommend starting with breakfast. Simple breakfast meals can teach you (in an un-intimidating way) the basics of how to prepare a meal. Below are a few tips on how to make a delectable plate of french toast and for some tips on cooking eggs go here.

- Choose your bread wisely. This morning I used sliced ciabatta bread but some other options are challah bread, sourdough baquette or (my personal favorite) Wheatfield's walnut raisin.

- Coat the pan in butter. Yes this adds a few extra calories, but the added flavor is definitely worth it.

- Season your egg mixture. I haven't experimented much with different flavor profiles but my favorite is to pour in a little milk, add a touch of vanilla extract, sprinkle in a generous amount of cinnamon and add a dash of salt.

- Add in extra flavor when plating. Before serving I add a layer of homemade jelly in between each piece, drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with crushed pecans. The extra flavors and textures add an extra kick to each bite.

Enjoy your next Sunday brunch!

Eat, Eat and More Eat

Recently I think I have come to the conclusion that I have a favorite meal and above are the images of it. While vacationing in Vail, Colorado my family and I put together this feast for a movie-night in. All of the ingredients were bought at one of our favorite spots, EatDrink! Our dinner consisted of cheese (served with almonds, pistachios, dried fruits and candied ginger), bread, bruschetta, paninis and a simple arugula salad (drizzled with olive oil and salt). This dinner, along with a bottle of wine, makes for a perfect meal to enjoy any time of the year and goes great with a good movie.

We made two bruschetta's and one type of panini for the evening and below are the ingredients we used. This meal can be tailored to anyone's palette and is best when prepared with fresh ingredients. Bon Appetit!

Bruschetta 1:
- Ricotta cheese
- Fig jam
- Prosciutto
- Crushed pistachios

Bruschetta 2:
- Ricotta cheese
- Honey
- Pine nuts

Panini:
- Mozzarella
- Prosciutto
- Pesto
- Fresh sun-dried tomatoes
-

Recipe: Guacamole!

Let me begin by saying...I LOVE Mexican food. I could eat chips and salsa for every meal! When I am feeling extra feisty, I will whip up some guacamole.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados

1 small tomato

1/2 small white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

lime juice

salt

Start by slicing all of the avocados in half. Remove the pit, and spoon out of the skin. Place the peeled avocados in a bowl.

Finely chop the tomato, onion, and garlic. Add to the avocados.

My mom swears by this all-natural sea salt. Any type of salt will work great though. Just season to taste.

Mash the mixture together (we use a potato masher, but a fork works too). Squeeze a little lime juice over the top and enjoy!

Disclaimer: This batch of guacamole was actually whipped up by mom and sister. So, I can't take credit for how delicious it looks, but we all use the same recipe.

Tasty Treat!

Last Sunday, the parents were out of town, so the sister and I took on the task of making dinner. We were eating with the brother and the fiance, so it had to be tasty! While at the grocery store, we found some blueberries and strawberries that looked delicious, so we bought them not knowing what we would make. We were flipping through one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, and decided to make cobbler. We followed the Peach and Raspberry Crisp recipe and just substituted blueberries and strawberries. The boys thought it was a strange combination, but let me tell you, they may have gone back for seconds, thirds and even fourths. It was delicious and easy!

Backyard Potluck Dinner

To me, nothing beats a night with good friends in a casual setting. On Thursday, a few of us decided last minute to get together for dinner at a friend's house. They have a beautiful home overlooking a pond, so why not eat out back? Last minute planning, combined with creative friends makes for a delicious dinner. Perfection.

Menu:

Salad with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

Garlic Baguette

Shrimp Salad

White Wine

Dressing for the Shrimp: It was delicious!! (Even when following a recipe, be aware of the amount of salt, it's always easier to add more)
Salad: Mixed greens with romaine. For the dressing we just used equal parts lemon juice and evoo, about a tablespoon of dijon mustard, 3 cloves of garlic(minced) and lemon zest. Easy and delicious!
Baguette with garlic: we just sliced the baguette, rubbed it with evoo and a head of garlic with the top cut-off. Yummy!


Perfect Setting.
Delicious Angel Food Cake Cupcakes for dessert!! So yummy and light. Perfect ending to a great meal!

P.S. We went to the The Farmhouse for breakfast this morning, followed by a walk through the Farmer's Market in downtown KC. Post coming soon.

Mother/Daughter Bridal Dinner

(From Grandma's Garden :)

This past weekend my mom, my sister (who was in town) and I hosted an intimate mother/daughter bridal dinner. We chose to dine in so we could have more quality time with old friends. We spent time together relaxing, catching up, telling stories and laughing. Our dinner was a great reminder of how simple and fun a night of dining-in can be!

The night began with drinking delicious Pomegranate Margaritas.

1 part Tequila, 1 part Roses Lime, ½ Triple Sec and ½ Pomegranate Juice (we use POM Wonderful juice, yummy!) . Garnish with a lime.

We Snacked on Guacamole served w/ Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips from Whole Foods. (perfect compliment to the Pom Margs)

5 chopped avocados, 1 squeezed lemon, S&P and a TBL of Mrs. Renfro’s Jalapeno Green Salsa.

It was a beautiful evening to be outside so we grilled Rib eye steak and mixed veggies (marinated w/ olive oil and S&P.)

The salad cooled everyone’s palette with its refreshing flavor.

Red leaf and green leaf lettuce, toasted almonds, avocados, green onions, grape tomatoes and blue cheese - dressed with a mix of a champaign vinaigrette and a red wine vinaigrette.

Any plans for this weekend? Why don't you invite some of your best friends over and stay in!

Wednesday Night Delight

Last night turned into a beautiful summer evening and I was lucky enough to spend it cooking and dining on my back patio. The menu for the night was spaghetti with pinot grigio and seafood, a green salad, baquette (served with butter sprinkled with sea salt) and a delicious desert of frozen yogurt with berries.

The table was set with bright napkins from Williams Sonoma, whimsical bug napkin rings, wicker place mats and simple glassware and cutlery. The meal was very easy but very tasty and the recipe can be found here. After cooking this for the first time last night a few suggestions that I would like to include would be to add red pepper flakes, put the clams in first (they needed a little more time to cook) and grate lemon zest and parmesan over the pasta once it has been served. This recipe was very light but highlighted the seafood wonderfully and to pair with it we prepared a simple green salad tossed in a green vinaigrette from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris (the recipe is below). For desert we tossed a mix of berries with Splenda then left it in the fridge while we cooked and ate dinner. After the dishes were cleaned up we served the berries over TCBY's white chocolate mousse frozen yogurt. It was a delicious and light way to end a perfect summer meal. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!

Green Salad Vinaigrette (serves salad for 6-8)

- 3 tblsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

- 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic

- 1 extra large egg yolk at room temperature

- 3/4 tsp kosher salt (I would recommend using only 1/4 to 1/3 tsp.)

- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

- 1/2 cup good olive oil (extra virgin)

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper. While whisking slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified

Caprese

This is a delicious, easy salad to make. You can make it as an appetizer, salad or as a side dish. This evening, we made it as a side dish to accompany our dinner.

Dressing: (Best to make it early and let it sit for a couple hours)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

S & P

Mix all ingredients together. Blend. (You can alter the recipe to match your taste i.e. less vinegar, more garlic, etc).

Salad:

2 vine-ripe tomatoes

8 oz. fresh mozzarella

5 basil leaves

Thinly slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and layer on a serving platter (or on a plate in this instance).

Chiffonade the basil (Roll the basil leaves and thinly slice). Sprinkle the basil over the tomato and mozzarella.
Lightly drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Finished product: we served our caprese salad with twice-baked potatoes and a grilled pork chop.

Bon Appetit!

The Incredible Edible Egg

For lunch today I cooked myself a very simple meal of toast and eggs and as I was cooking I thought of the sentiment, 'If you can cook an egg then you can cook.' For all of you who think you can't cook and want to try out eggs as your first cooked meal here a few tips for eggs and toast:

- Always use fresh (organic if possible) ingredients. For this meal the eggs are organic brown eggs from The Merc, the jam is homemade from the Minturn Market in Minturn, Colorado and the toast is fresh-baked from Wheatfields.

- As you are beating your eggs and preparing your ingredients put your pan on the stove (medium heat) to heat up the pan before you pour in the eggs.

- Add a little milk, pepper, and Lawry's season salt into the egg mix before you pour into the pan.

- Always add a bit of your favorite cheese to the eggs as they are cooking to add some extra flavor and texture.

- Most importantly, don't overcook the eggs. Once they are no longer juicy in the pan they should be done, you never want 'golden brown' eggs.


I hope these tips are helpful, enjoy your eggs and toast!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

E-mail subject today from a fellow dinner club member: HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

First reaction: Oh ya! Let's celebrate!

Next Reaction: I have to revamp my dinner menu to coincide with this celebration! I told my fellow dinner-club members to head over around 5:30. Hoping this would leave plenty of time to get to the store and prep. I knew I had to make my mom's black bean and feta dip: fast, easy and delicious!

Original Menu:

Sauteed Shrimp

Roasted Tomatoes

Angel-Hair Pasta

Bread

Salad

Revised Menu:

Black Bean and Feta Dip

Mexican Spiced Shrimp Quesadillas

Refried Beans

Southwestern Rice

Skinny Girl Margarita

Black Bean and Feta Dip:

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. package feta cheese

small can chopped black olives

1 bunch of cilantro - chopped

1 bunch green onions - finely chopped

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Layer all of the ingredients in a serving dish. Top with Red Wine Vinaigrette. Serve with tortilla chips. Simple, yet delicious!

Skinny Girl Margaritas:

Also tried making this margarita recipe for the first time. I must say, I was quite disappointed. I spent a lot of time juicing the limes, but found the result too tart. So I went with the traditional Gray family recipe: frozen limeade, tequila, cointreau (or triple sec) and ice in the blender. Tasty!!

After my friends left, I made dinner for the fiance. I made Mexican-spiced shrimp quesadillas, refried beans and rice. Perfect ending to the Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Delicious Salad from Sunday Dinner

We made this recipe for our family dinner on Sunday. It was delicious and very satisfying! It would be a beautiful lunch salad - just toss in some grilled chicken. The recipe is courtesy of our of our favorites: Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman

El Rancho Chopped Salad with Creamy Poblano Dressing

Serves 8

For the dressing:

1 large poblano chile

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 medium lime)

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped (We used 2 cloves)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

Kosher Salt (We used 1/2 t.)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo) (technically for the salad to cook the bacon, but we added it to the dressing)

Roast the poblano chile with a kitchen torch, over a gas burner (our choice, see pictures below) or under an oven broiler until evenly charred. Using an oven mitt, place the chile in a brown bag, close the opening, and let the pepper steam for at least 10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bag and peel off the skin, which should slide off easily. In the jar of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the poblano, cilantro, lime juice, green onions, garlic, mayonnaise, and buttermilk until smooth. We added the evoo at this point. Season with salt and more lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the salad:

8 strips thick-sliced applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

8 ears sweet corn, unshucked (timesaver: we bought a bag of frozen corn)

Croutons (we bought ours from Dean & Deluca)

2 medium heads romaine lettuce, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 cup thinly sliced celery hearts

8 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 pint yellow or orange currant or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup finely grated Cojita cheese (we used Queso Fresco)

Have a plate lined with paper towels ready. Heat a grill to medium-hot. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the pieces are browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the prepared plate. (Here is where you would grill the corn, we choose the timesaver route and bought already prepared corn).

Combine the lettuce, avocado, celery, green onions, tomatoes, bacon and corn kernels in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the salad with dressing and toss well to evenly coat the ingredients. Garnish the tossed salad with the croutons and grated cheese. Serve.