just add arugula

Caprese salad is pretty much a staple in my kitchen. Fresh ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, sweet basil a drizzle of balsamic – whats not to love? Except without the leafy greens, it doesn’t always satisfy my craving for a big salad. So this weekend, with a little bit of arugula I was able to remix of one of my favorite salad sides.

{ caprese salad remix }

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved OR cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 6-8 bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried basil*
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• arugula

Combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil in a mason jar and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place tomatoes and bocconcini.

in a large serving bowl, cover with dressing and toss. Just before serving add the arugula and toss. Enjoy!

*Dried basil could be substituted for the basil paste sold in the produce section of the grocery store. I would not use fresh basil for this salad, simply because once it is combined in the dressing it can get a little soggy/gooey. Not particularly appetizing.

just peachy. a peach cobbler recipe

It’s no secret that I’ve gotten away from the weekly recipes. But I’m still trying new things all the time, so I will just have to come up with a better way to keep up with things here on the blog. Since the peaches are so ripe and delicious, I have made two peach cobbler recipes over the last few weeks and this one is my favorite. Besides being super easy, it is simple and lets the peaches really shine.

{ peach cobbler }

• 8 peaches (about 2 1/2 pounds) cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• vanilla ice cream, for serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the peaches with 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of the flour and transfer into a baking dish. In a food processor, combine the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour and 1/4 sugar with the butter, baking powder, and salt. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add cream and pulse until moistened. Dough should not be really smooth. Drop large spoonfuls of batter over the peaches. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking dish and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 50 to 60 minutes. And no good cobbler should be served without vanilla ice cream!

*After the cobbler came out of the oven, I sprinkled a little raw sugar over the top for extra sweetness.

**If peaches are not in season, you can use two 16 ounce bags of frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained.

week 1: my big fat greek salad

Aaaand…after another long hiatus from the blog, I’m back. Mostly because I could not wait to share this ah-mazingly delicious salad. The recipe comes from my old pal over at Madaket Home (def check out her wonderful blog).

{ thanks mack for the pic! yours was much prettier than mine! }

This past Friday BW and I were looking for something a little different to cook at the house. This salad set the mood for the entire meal. We served it alongside hummus and gyros – which were also so delicious that I had to share that recipe too! – and it certainly rivaled one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants here in town….at least that’s what BW said!

{ my big fat greek salad }

• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 hot house cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 5 ounces of good feta, cubed

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil in a mason jar. Shake until the ingredients have come together and then set aside. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, onion and feta. Toss with dressing and refrigerate for several hours to let the flavors meld. And in the meantime…whip up these delicious gyros!

{ image }

{ gyro burger pitas }

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound lean ground lamb
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon dried savory
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• dash of cumin

Preheat grill to medium high heat and oil grate lightly with olive oil. In a large bowl combine beef, lamb, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, savory, allspice, coriander, salt, pepper and cumin. Knead with hands until all of the ingredients are well combined. Form into 4 thin patties. Cook patties on the grill for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Serve on pitas (we wrapped ours in aluminum foil and warmed them on the grill) with tzatziki sauce and greek salad and enjoy!

week 4: homemade granola

A few weeks ago I was traveling for work. Before a meeting, I stopped at the hotel restaurant to grab a quick bite, have a cup of coffee, read the paper, etc. SIDE NOTE: by “read the paper” what I really mean is skim through the style section and play Sudoku, as to appear professional amidst the other business travelers. Anyway, as I’ve mentioned before, when it comes to breakfast I choose savory of sweet every time. But on this particular morning I wanted something light. I opted for the homemade granola. It. was. awesome.

Since then, I have been craving homemade granola! I adapted this from a few different recipes I found online. It contains coconut – which I don’t even really like – but it is a must! Even if you don’t like coconut, be sure to add it. It really takes on the maple flavor of the syrup and adds a light texture. This recipe is so easy that it is definitely becoming a weekly staple at my house.

{ homemade granola }

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

While granola is in the oven, dice dried apricots. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins, dried cranberries and apricots and mix until evenly distributed. Store cooled granola in an airtight container.

week 3: asian beef with peppers

{ image }

I’ve been a little bit behind in getting this month’s recipes posted, so this is coming a little bit late. It’s been a very exciting two weeks and the blog has not really been top of the priority list, but hopefully this recipe will make up for it, because it is delicious! I’ve tried stir-fry recipes in the past, but this is by far the best. I highly recommend it! Another classic from the trusty from Pioneer Woman. Since you are make it at home, you can control the amount of oil and veggies, which makes it much healthier (and much more delicious) than the Chinese take-out version. I served mine with rice noodles, but you could mix it up by swapping the rice noodles for white or brown rice.

{ asian beef with peppers }

• 1 ½ pound flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red chile paste
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 whole medium onion, sliced
• 2 whole red bell peppers, cored and sliced
• 1 package, rice noodles
• red pepper flakes, for garnish
• cilantro leaves, for garnish

For the full recipe

week 2: pan-roasted chicken & mushrooms

Although chicken is probably the easiest, most obvious protein, I don’t cook it often. To be completely honest, I just feel like chicken is so…boring. So you’re never going to hear me just “throwing some chicken breasts in the oven” Not. My. Thing. That’s why I loved this recipe, it’s so much more than just roasted chicken breast. The chicken is so moist and the flavors are so rich and developed. I used chicken breasts with skin on and bone in, which enhanced the flavor even more.

{ roasted chicken & mushrooms }

• 2 boneless chicken breast with bone in, skin on
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 fresh white mushrooms, halved
• 2 shallots, quartered
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 springs fresh thyme
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup water
• ½ lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place a cast-iron skillet on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with the oil and lay the chicken in the oil, skin-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes until the skin begins to crisp. Remove chicken. Throw in the mushrooms, shallots and white wine. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Add the chicken and thyme and rosemary sprigs. Stick the whole thing in the oven and roast for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked, and the mushrooms and shallots are soft and roasted.

The last thing to make is a quick sauce using the flavors left in the bottom of the skillet. Take everything out of the pan and arrange on a dinner plate to keep warm while preparing the pan sauce. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Stir in the water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, scraping up the flavors with a wooden spoon. Reduce the liquid down to until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the pan sauce over the dish and enjoy!

NOTE: The final dish looked MUCH more delish! But I was so busy in the kitchen I didn’t get a chance to get a good picture.

week 1: mussels in white wine sauce

BW loves mussels. I however am not much of a fan. They always SMELL ah-mazing. Buttery, garlic-y, salty broth perfect for dipping crusty bread. But when it comes to the mussels themselves…I could go without. Sunday while we were roaming around Fresh Market looking for something to make for dinner I spotted mussels. And while they are not a favorite of mine I know how much BW loves them, so I decided to give them another shot. Spoiler alert….I still don’t like mussels. I did however love using some (and when I say some, I mean practically a entire baguette) great crusty bread to soak up the yummy broth. And according to the people who actually enjoy mussels, this recipe is spot on. Inspired by a post here, this will probably be my one and only attempt at mussels. Sorry, BW. But please don’t let my dislike of these little sea creatures discourage you from trying this recipe.

{ mussels in white wine sauce }

• 2 pounds of mussels

• 1/3 cup flour

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 8 cloves of garlic, minced

• 8 ounces can plum tomatoes, chopped

• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves, chopped

• 1 cup white wine

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Soak mussels and flour in a bowl full of water for 30 minutes. This lets them disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels. Remove the “beard” from each with your hands. (there’s a chance that not every mussel will have a beard). Scrub the mussels under running water if they are dirty. Discard any mussels that are open or whose shells are not tightly shut. If a shell is slightly open, try tapping it with your finger. It should close up, if not then discard.

Heat butter and oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Add the mussels to the boiling broth. Cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened. Shake the pot, with the lid on, a couple times during cooking to prevent burning. Discard any mussels that didn’t open. Toast your bread (drizzle with some olive oil or butter). Pour mussels and broth in to a shallow bowl. Serve with the toasted baguette.

NOTE: Although I whipped this up early in the month, I am just now getting a chance to post it – oops.