Texture is everything to me when it comes to food. Some of my favorite textures to eat are crisp apples, al dente pasta, crunchy potato chips, ice cream with a little milk poured on top (don't ask)...and I'll stop there because the list goes on and on. Risotto is not excluded from my list of best textured food awards. It's super creamy and luxurious and makes you feel like you are eating something really special. I know it can be intimidating, but in all honesty it's really easy to make! Time is your only commitment. Since I love risotto so much, I combined another one of my favorite flavors of pesto to make the perfect springtime version of a classic risotto recipe! My pesto risotto is going to make your tummy really happy from the first bite.
Happy Hump Day! I kinda miss that camel commercial...I haven't seen it in a while. But it always made me laugh even though maybe it really wasn't that funny. There is just something about animals talking that always cracks me up. Maybe it's because I used to secretly wish my pets and my stuffed animals would talk back to me when I was little and used to tell them I would keep it a secret if they did??? Yeah, that's not weird at all. But anyway, the good news about hump day is that the weekend is in sight and maybe you have some big Valentine's Day plans...or maybe not and that's okay too because really the best part about Valentine's Day is having an excuse to eat as much chocolate as you want and no one can judge you! We will be staying in Saturday night to celebrate the big V-Day and will probably end up having my anytime roasted potatoes as part of our menu!
Poor potatoes. They get such a bad wrap. People are all like potatoes will make me fat. And yeah they will make you fat if you smother them with butter and sour cream and cheese or deep fry them in grease. But if you cook them right, they are quite healthy and have lots of nutritional value that your body needs like they can lower blood pressure, contain the vitamin B6 (which is good for all sorts of stuff), contain potassium, fiber...the list goes on. And I happen to be a potato fanatic.
Happy Martin Luther King Day! I have a treat for y'all this week! I know we have all been back in healthy mode since the holidays officially came to a close, but if you are anything like me you might be already feeling a little uninspired and are in need of some new and delicious inspiration to keep yourself on board the healthy bandwagon. That's why this week is all about me sharing with you how I get inspired to stay healthy and I'm doing so with some of my favorite bloggers! These ladies always have gorgeous healthy recipes that are not only delicious, but totally doable for you at home! It's going to be healthy foodspiration at it's best!
I'm kick-starting the week with Claire Thomas from The Kitchy Kitchen. A Los Angeles native, Claire is a self-taught chef, a commercial director, food photographer, cookbook author, and a writer. On Claire's blog, you can find your soon to be favorite recipes, fashion must-haves, travel adventures, and amazing DIY tips for the home. This lady does it all! She also has a You Tube series called 10 Second Living, where she talks tips and secrets on all things in the kitchen!
Yesterday was my first day back on the health train. Over the holidays I completely abandoned any sense of trying to watch what I eat. I thought it was appropriate to eat sugar everyday sometimes even at breakfast and working out...what's that? I had a reality check yesterday and gave myself a little pep talk about how that kind of behavior cannot continue into 2015. After all, I'll be 31 next month and my metabolism isn't what it used to be! I planned out meals for the week, exercised (ouch), and drank tons of citrus detox water, which will be on the blog Thursday! This morning I woke up feeling ten times better from just one day of eating fresh! Spicy roasted broccoli is one of my favorite go to healthy side dishes because it's full of nutrients, so tasty, and it might be the easiest dish to make, maybe ever.
When dinner rolls around you've been to work, possibly starting working out again, and by now it's pitch dark and the last thing you want to do is prep a big meal. You need simple, you need fresh, it needs to taste good, and you need as few ingredients as possible.
Okay people, Christmas is a week and a day away so we have to get serious about what's going to be on the table for Christmas dinner. I am torn between a traditional Christmas dinner or full fledged Italian. Decisions, decisions. If I go the traditional route, which for me means a standing rib roast with a bunch of veggies served on the side, these pepper jelly roasted carrots will be making an appearance no doubt about it.
Canean loves carrots, like they are probably one of his favorite vegetables, raw or cooked. Maybe he's part rabbit. For some reason when I was growing up I didn't eat too many cooked carrots, I guess because my mom isn't that crazy about them. I started making them myself more in a, they go with a roast in a crock pot kind of way, and then got smart and started roasting them in the oven.
In New York my friend Sarah took us to a place called Shorty's where they have really good cheese steaks and the bread is from Philly making them super authentic. We definitely went for the sandwiches, and not that my sandwich wasn't delicious, because it was, but what I really fell in love with were the fries. Old Bay fries to be exact. I love Old Bay so I am not sure why it has never occurred to me before to sprinkle some on my fries. So that's what I did this week I made you a healthier baked version of Old Bay fries and kicked it up a notch with some Bloody Mary ketchup!
Sooo, I'm thinking brunch. Fried eggs on top, runny yokes...the whole bit, maybe some green onions sliced on top of that... You feeling me yet?
