NomNom: Peanut Butter Green Smoothie

You guys have no idea how happy I am that it's finally starting to feel like spring <insert happy dance>. This winter was brutal for this area where it just seemed like mother nature just would NOT let go of winter. Rude.

It made me want to stay at home instead of venturing out in the cold and I may have cancelled out on a couple of plans with friends because it was just too dang cold outside to wanna leave the comforts of home. But my friends are the bestest so they get me. It's cool.

The polar vortex brought out the wuss in me, ok?

The freezing weather we experienced also made me want to avoid any sort of cold desserts and drinks and unfortunately my green smoothie game suffered. A bad mix of lazy and rebellion towards anything cold related.

But things are starting to get back on track and I'm back to my green smoothie regimen with a new savory, nutty, and sweet smoothie recipe. My love for peanut butter is next level (especially when there's also banana involved with it) so when I saw that it was one of the ingredients involved, I had to try it. The thing I love about this smoothie is that there are so many awesome layers of flavors that hit your taste buds starting with the banana, a hint of peanut butter, and cinnamon <----game changer for reals.

So who's with me with welcoming Spring with a super healthy and delicious drink of good-for-you-masked-greens? Let's.do.this.

Have a great week. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from Bon Appetit) Yields: 2
1 banana
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach (torn kale)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon Chia seeds (optional)

Procedure
1. Blend in banana, milk, spinach, peanut butter, cinnamon, chia seed, 1/4 cup of ice in a blender until smooth. 

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Wanted to keep it super low key so I can fully recover 100% from being sick the past week. I had lots of backed up email that needed to be responded to while I was away and also caught up on some of my favorite blogs.

2. Spent some much needed quality time with my favorite little guy, Mandu, after being away from him for so long while I was on vacation. Those big brown eyes. I mean..

3. Snacked on strawberries all weekend (finished two batches on my own!) while catching up on the latest issues of some of my favorite food magazines to get some recipe inspirations for upcoming meals to cook.

4. Decided to put myself on a serious shopping ban for a month after noticing that I have several unworn new clothes with price tags still attached. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted a pic of an unplanned purchase when I was in Berlin which is also another reason why I shouldn't spend more money. Sigh.

5. Used some of the mint leaves from the mint plant I've been growing for the past couple of months to freeze in ice cubes. I came home from my vacation to a thriving little plant, so I decided to use some of the leaves for future cold drinks. I got this idea from the Rachel Ray magazine: "Steep mint leaves in hot water for  5-7 minutes, then strain and let cool. Place fresh mint leaves in a tray and fill with the strained liquid." Perfect for hot summer days, no?

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Cocoa Bownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Confession: I used to make brownies out of the box all my life. There I said it. I actually still think the brownies out of the box are tasty but after coming across this cocoa brownie recipe from Bon Appetit that uses browned butter, I have to say that these take the cake (har har). 

I prefer my brownies to be chewy and fudgey and this is the perfect recipe to produce brownies just like that. I was blown away that the recipe doesn't call for any chocolate and the source of the chocolatey goodness from the brownies come solely from the cocoa powder. Awesome.

Adding walnuts to the brownies gives it a nice additive texture to the chewiness of the brownies and elevates a plain brownie into something glorious. I gave some to my parents to try and they gave me the stamp of approval, which is huge considering they don't like sweet things. So, if anything, listen to my parents when they say this is good stuff. Trust us.

Wishing you a chocolatey, brownie filled weekend. Xo.

Ingredients (Adapted from Bon Appetit) Yields:16
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces

Procedure
1. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).

3. Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

4. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

NomNom: Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Chicken

Everyone has their own comfort food. I definitely have a couple, with one being mac and cheese. When I was younger, I would make out of the box mac and cheese after I got home from school as a "snack"  quite frequently and it's kind of amazing that I didn't blow up as a child just from my mac and cheese indulges. Thanks mom and dad for my metabolism.

Whenever I come across a recipe for my favorite comfort food, my interest and curiosity peaks to no levels. But with mac and cheese, it's a bit of a gamble because the prep time to make it is time consuming so the trial and error part of finding that perfect recipe isn't very efficient. But if you think about it, finding that recipe is a bit like life. Stick with me for a bit--I have a point. You learn as you get older and hopefully wiser that life is a bit of trial and error and the road to get to that "aha" moment/recipe might take awhile and I see this parallel with my road to finding the perfect mac and cheese recipe. A trial and error. Yes.

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I'm a sucker for spicy food. This recipe has all the things that I love incorporated into this dish. The buffalo chicken is so, so perfect in this dish because the chicken along with the bites of cheesy mac you taste with a kick of spice from the hot sauce is pure comfort in one bite.

The hot sauce mixture set aside for the side is crucial for this dish. It really is necessary for this dish because once you spread half of the mixture in the casserole to bake, the sauce drys up a bit so you need a fresh reminder of that spicy kick from the saved hot sauce mixture.

Make this dish. Have a cold beer. It'll elevate your views on mac and cheese and make you fall in love with it all over again.

Have a great weekend. xo

Ingredients (Adapted from Bon Appetit) Serves 12 
Chicken
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 
1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika 
1 1/2 tablespoons salt 
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin 
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander 
2 cups whole milk 
3 large eggs, beaten to blend 
4 cups cornflakes, ground to crumbs in processor 
1 pound chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips 
Canola oil (for deep-frying) 

Macaroni
1 pound small elbow macaroni 
2 cups chopped green onions (about 8 large) 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided 
3 cups chopped onions 
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup all purpose flour 
4 cups whole milk 
1 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 cups packed) 
8 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups packed) 
2 teaspoons paprika 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup hot pepper sauce (preferably Frank's RedHot Original)

Procedure

Chicken

1. Whisk first 6 ingredients in deep medium bowl to blend. Place milk in second bowl, eggs in third bowl, and ground cornflakes in fourth bowl.

2. Working with 4 chicken strips at a time, place in flour mixture and toss to coat. Dip same chicken strips into milk, then eggs, then cornflake crumbs, coating with each; arrange on sheet of foil.

3. Pour oil into heavy medium saucepan to depth of 2 inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pan; heat oil to 335°F to 350°F.

4. Working in batches, add coated chicken strips to hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken strips to paper towels to drain.

5. Cut strips into 1-inch-long pieces.

Macaroni

1. Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain; transfer to very large bowl. Mix in green onions and oregano.

2. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in same large pot over medium heat. Add 3 cups chopped onions and garlic. Cover; sauté until onions are soft but not brown, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer sauce 2 minutes. Add all cheeses, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

3. Whisk until cheeses melt and sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. Mix cheese sauce into macaroni. Mix in chicken pieces. Mound mixture in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. DO AHEAD Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir hot pepper sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts; spoon 4 tablespoons over macaroni in dish. Bake macaroni uncovered until heated through, about 30 minutes, or 45 minutes if made ahead.

5. Serve, passing remaining butter and hot-sauce mixture separately.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Bought a new book to read. I'm looking for books to bring with me to my long trip to Portugal coming up and I've heard great things about The Alchemist, so this is on my next read list. I might start reading it before the trip which means I'll probably need to buy another one. Suggestions are welcome.

2. Made this AMAZING buffalo chicken mac n' cheese. The prep time to make this dish was long but the end result was so worth it. The boy and I had 2-3 servings and a lot of 'mmmm' was said in between bites. Recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine and will be coming soon.

3. Relaxed with a glass(es) of night and caught up with the latest issues of my favorite food magazines. I've had an intense week at work last week where it required me to stay after hours and all I wanted to do was just stay in and just relax.

4.Received this lovely tweed jacket courtesy of SugarLips. I love tweed jackets and the leather trimmings on this jacket is so perfect for fall.

5. Played tennis with the boy. Tennis is one of the few sports I still play and with the perfect, comfortable weather we had yesterday, it was a great way to seize the weather.

NomNom:Tomato Crostini

So this past week I started having what I thought might be seasonal separation anxiety. I know there isn't a legitimate medical diagnosis for it (I asked the boy, just to be sure) but I started feeling really anxious that summer is over. I dunno. I looked at all the the fresh basil that was still sprouting outside and felt like I just wasn't 100% ready for fall. There are still hints of summer still around whether it be from the humid weather we've been having lately or from the fresh produce I still see at the farmer's market, and that makes it even harder to let go.

I know that pretty soon hints of cool air will greet us in the morning, which also means the basil growing outside will no longer be thriving. Sadness. For this reason alone, I've been on a basil kick recently just so I can optimize this beautiful, fragrant herb I always have at hand and the most recent recipe I made was this ridiculously easy crostini. It was even better because I didn't have to make a trip to the supermarket to buy any of the ingredients needed because I already had everything in my kitchen.


This can be made to be eaten as an appetizer, a side dish, or just as a snack. It's easy, healthy, and so flavorful. Again, did I mention how easy this was?

Have a great weekend. xo

Ingredients (adapted from Bon Appetit magazine Aug 2012) Serves 6-8
2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, chopped into 1/4" pieces (I used grape tomatoes)
3 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 1 halved Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta or baguette, cut on a diagonal into 1/3"-thick slices, toasted or grilled
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Procedure
1. Combine tomatoes and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Add 3 Tbsp oil and vinegar; toss to mix well. Cover and let tomateos marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours to allow flavors to develop.

3. Rub one side of toasted bread with cut sides of remaining garlic clove; drizzle bread with oil and cut in half crosswise. Add basil to tomato mixture in a bowl and toss well.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange crostini on a platter. Spoon some tomato mixture on top of each crostini.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Made some brown butter brownies w/walnuts using a recipe from Bon Appetit while the boy assembled a new desk chair for me. Since he loves anything chocolate, this home cooked dessert was his reward;)

2. Also made pork dumplings. I will definitely have a recipe post for you on these soon because these are worth making if you love dumplings. This weekend was a rainy one in Washington, DC which usually makes me want to stay in and bake/cook.

3. Took a trip out to Ikea to look at frames, plants, and other random things. I couldn't resist leaving the place w/o eating their famous Swedish meatballs. SO good.

4. Saw the much anticipated and worth seeing movie, The Dark Knight Rises. While waiting in the long line to get into the theatre, I couldn't resist getting some froyo from Pinkberry which was nearby. Regarding the movie though, it's a must see. Lets just put it this way--this is my favorite summer movie I've seen so far.

5. Had an intense craving for sushi so the boy took me to favorite go to sushi place in MD--Yuraku.

How was your weekend?