super tasty

chronicles of deliciousness.

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My orange tree

Didn’t know you could grow citrus in the Northeast? You can! My sister sent me a great little orange tree, a couple years back. It stays inside by the slider in winter, where there’s plenty of sun, and moves out onto my balcony in the summer. And it has provided me with some delicious oranges, I have to say! 

When oranges trees bloom, first you see pretty little white blossoms that make the house smell heavenly. I actually noticed the scent, before I even saw the flowers, this time. When the flowers fall off, an orange begins to grow in the same spot. 

Here’s a shot of my two new oranges that started growing in May. One of them has survived, and is getting pretty big now (2nd photo). The other was the unfortunate victim of my cat Freckles :) Already dreaming up what super tasty things I can make, once it has fully-ripened...

Early May

Late July

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Gnocchi di Patate con Asparagi e Piselli

Can’t take credit for this one. But I also couldn’t not share... Eataly’s latest gnocchi features asparagus, peas and smoked ricotta. And it’s as yummy as it is photogenic: Green as springtime, flavorful as all get out, perfectly paired with a glass of "Bollicine Rose" NV, Serafini & Vidotto (Chardonnay, Pinot Nero)

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New herbage

Nothing brightens up a dish more than fresh cut herbs, from your own garden. Few things can top fresh tarragon on your eggs, or fresh basil on a tomato mozzarella salad. And you don’t need a big yard, to make it happen. I live on the Hudson River, so I put little herb pots out on my balcony. As long as you have some sunshine, and water them daily when it’s hot, you should be set. I also find that using fresh herbs really replaces the need for salt. I generally don’t even use salt when I’ve got fresh herbs, which are a much healthier way to season a dish.

Happy planting!

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Favorite summer brekkie

I love breakfast, but when the weather is warm the thought of big, carb-loaded meals seems coma-inducing. Fine for a sunday, tough on a weekday. But I like to get my protein in the morning, so I’ve been eating a lot more Greek yogurt. One of the things that I find takes it to another level is the inclusion of some fresh chopped mint, almonds, fruit and a drizzle of honey. Maybe give it a go...

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blueberry muffins with lemony goodness

April is finally here! And it is so welcome, after record snowfall and cold temps here in the Northeast. As we start to shed the layers of winter, our thoughts turn to all things Spring-ier. Easter is upon us, and I’ve decided to make something lighter, in keeping with the change of seasons. These blueberry muffins seemed like they could use the zing of some fresh lemon zest, to brighten them up. Here’s what you’ll need, to make them...

Muffins 2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt zest of one lemon 1 egg 1 cup milk 1/2 softened butter 1 cup blueberries (frozen will work, if fresh are not available this early in the season)

Glaze 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup butter, melted

For the muffins, start by mixing the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Spray your muffin tins/cups with a cooking spray, and preheat the over to 375ºF. With a mixer, beat the eggs, melted butter and milk. Add your bowl of dry ingredients above, until just combined. Stir in the blueberries, being careful not to burst them. Put them in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. At the 20 min. mark, stick a toothpick in one. If it seems set, and comes out clean, they’re done. If the batter seems liquid-y still, give them a couple more minutes.

For the glaze, Combine your lemon juice and butter. After the muffins have come out of the oven and are still warm, dip the top of each in your butter/lemon juice, and dip lightly in the sugar. Hope you like ‘em :)

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Zucchini "spaghetti" with turkey meatballs

I’ve never met a noodle I didn’t like. Ramen. Udon. Spaghetti. I even love the word “noodle”. But I’m eating and cooking a lot healthier these days. And have also been dabbling with a paleo diet, for months. I feel great, eating so healthy. But I've also definitely had some spaghetti-esque cravings.

So when I saw this funky kitchen gadget called a “spiralizer”, I started thinking maybe I could find a new way to get my pasta & red sauce fix, without the carbs that usually come with it.

There were several spiralizers/spiral slicers for sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond. A huge one with a crank, that looked like it could make ribbons of the Great Pumpkin. A motorized version that had more parts than my car. Not knowing if this would be a fad for us, or a revelation, I went with a sturdy, hand-held model by Gefu, on sale for $19.95.

Fast forward a couple hours, and we were eating zucchini “pasta”, with marinara and turkey meatballs. And you know what? It was fantastic! As a huge noodle lover, I never would have believed I’d say this, but… I didn’t miss the pasta. The flavor is definitely different, but it’s delicious. And I wasn't asleep from a carb coma, 20 minutes post-meal. Win-win.

I've already found lots of cool uses for this thing, so there will be more recipes to come. But this one is good and simple, to start with. Also, zucchini is already a good partner for most Italian dishes and red sauce, so it’s a baby-step towards no-carb that doesn’t really deviate from flavors you already know pair well. Here’s what you’ll need:

Spiral Slicer/Spiralizer (I got the Gefu Spirelli model) 2 medium zucchini 2 tablespoons truffle butter or olive oil Red sauce of choice Turkey meatballs Grated Parmesan

Crank your spiral doodad through both of the zucchinis. Mine’s pretty easy to use, only took a couple of minutes. Add the resulting zucchini ribbons to a pan with 2 tablespoons truffle butter or olive oil. Cook on medium low, covered with a lid, for a couple minutes, to steam. Remove lid and stir. Try not to overcook the zucchini. When it’s just cooked enough, but still firm enough to twirl around a fork with sauce, remove it from the pan.

Plate with sauce & meatballs. Sprinkle with parmesan. Uncork a nice red. Enjoy dinner (& your ability to stay awake through an entire movie afterwards :)

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Dark chocolate avocadohhh brownies

You can always tell when I’m working a lot. My food blog gets no love. But perhaps an upside to this ridiculous Northeast winter is being snowed in on the reg. Being snowed in means working from home. Working from home means being able to cook and bake. Polar vortex aside, I’ll put that in the win column, every time :)

And with Valentine’s Day approaching, I wanted to make something sweet. Challenge being, I've been eating pretty healthy these days. So when I found a recipe for these brownies, I discovered that with some alterations, I could make them healthier, but still super tasty. You can’t even taste the avocado, but it lends a nice smoothness and creaminess to the batter, while providing a much healthier alternative to butter. I also reduced the amount of sugar significantly, so the dark chocolate flavor really comes through. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate and don’t like desserts that are really sugary, these might be right up your alley.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 large, ripe avocados: Mash 2 together & 1 separately 12 ounces high-quality dark chocolate ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract (the good stuff :) ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons avocado oil 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

Brownies: Spray a 9x9 inch pan with non-stick spray. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Melt 8 ounces of the dark chocolate in a small pan on the stove top. I recommend doing this on low so you don’t scald it, and stirring every couple minutes. Combine melted chocolate with your 2 mashed avocados in a large bowl. Add granulated sugar until slightly mixed (do not over mix, since the chocolate is hot). Now add your avocado oil and mix until batter is smooth.

Chop up the remaining 4 ounces of dark chocolate, and fold that into the ingredients above. Spread brownie batter in the pan. Bake for 30-32 minutes, or until the middle is set. If you’re not sure, take a toothpick and stick it into the middle. If it slides out without batter clinging to it, you’re probably good to go. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: Whip your remaining mashed avocado until it’s creamy and lump-less, using either an electric mixer or some fast fork-work. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar, (Slowly! Or you’ll end up wearing it :) Continue to mix until smooth. When the brownies have cooled, frost the top. Enjoy!

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Cantaloupe coconut juice. Hudson River sold separately.

It's finally starting to feel like Spring in the Northeast (at least during the day). And while I loved all the stews and hearty meals this cold winter inspired me to cook, and the time I spent cooking them, my focus is shifting with the seasons: Back to quick, healthy meals and shakes that allow me to spend more time outside, less time in the kitchen, and take advantage of whatever's fresh and ripe.

We're generally taught to choose fruits and veggies with deep, bright colors, for optimal health benefits and vitamins. So cantaloupe is easy to overlook. Don't let it's pastel color fool you though: One serving of cantaloupe will give you 30x the beta-carotene you'd get from oranges. They're also full of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, folate, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. 

So if you're bored with your morning OJ and like cantaloupe as much as I do, here's a quick & tasty idea: Throw some fresh chunks of cantaloupe into the blender with coconut water. 

And get outside, already :)

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Avocadohhh toast

I've been obsessed with avocados since I was 3. We were living in Coral Gables, Florida at the time and had an avocado tree in our yard. Soon we moved North to a little beach town in New England, and I spent months out of every year pining for them. They're not as tough to get these days, and their fan base has grown as the awareness of their health benefits becomes more apparent.

Avocados are a superfood. I put them in everything from green shakes to pudding (Sounds weird, but it's seriously amazing. There will be a post :). I think avocados are best in simple recipes that let their flavor really come through. This one's a quick and easy favorite:

• 1/2 an avocado

• Fresh dill 

• Few squirts  lemon juice

• 1 piece of bacon fried & crumbled

• 1 slice of whole wheat bread

• Truffle butter

• Dash of herbal salt (I like Seasonello, an Italian sea salt with sage, rosemary and garlic. Not hard to find at Italian markets).

I don't like warm/cooked avocado, some people do. If you're like me, toast the bread on it's own, with a very thin layer of truffle butter. Truffle has a very strong flavor so you can use just a little bit, and it will still add great flavor.

Mash the avocado in a bowl, adding  lemon juice and fresh dill. Snip in as much as you like. Crumble the bacon in, mix it  together, and top the toast with it. Add a little more dill, and a shake of herbal sea salt.

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If Prince were a potato

They grow some ridiculously photogenic veggies out in Oregon. Last night's dinner was quite the looker. Prepared with fresh rosemary, sea salt and a little olive oil with truffle.

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Pumpkin pancakes w/apples & smoked gouda chicken apple sausage

We're just a day away from the beginning of autumn. Already a chill in the air here in the Northeast. Pretty soon it will be too cool for balcony brunches.  I'll miss summer, but fall is honestly my favorite season. Apple picking, cider, stews, baking, hiking the cliffs of the Palisades while the leaves are gold and orange, hot cocoa & a walk in Central Park, whiskey by the fire. Autumn = all things cozy. And today's brunch stars fall flavors: Pumpkin and apple. The smokiness of the gouda in the sausage provides a nice counterbalance to the sweetness of the apples & syrup. Highly recommend that salty/sweet combo.  For me one of the best things about cooking and sharing a meal with friends is the experience of slowing down for a bit, and just enjoying the company I'm keeping. And I've got guests so, no recipe this time. Just the hope that you take the opportunity to slow down while welcoming fall, too. Work, email, etc will all be there on Monday.  Today, just relax and have some pancakes  :) 

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Turmeric lemon rosemary chicken w/feta, avocado & vermicelli

I don’t normally cook a lot in August. It’s usually really muggy here in the Northeast. But this month has been absolutely gorgeous. Not too hot, nice breeze off the Hudson River at night. Perfect weather for balcony brunches, lunches and dinners. Gotta make the most of them, before fall swoops in and forces us to wear socks and head indoors.

So tonight’s al fresco dinner was a light, Mediterranean-esque dish. It was also an experiment (always a fan of those :) and made for a quick, healthy, dinner on the balcony. Here’s what you’ll need:

Few shakes of turmeric

2 chicken breasts

Nonfat butter spray

1 cup raw baby spinach

Few snips of fresh rosemary

2 whole grain vermicelli nests

Half an avocado

Half a lemon

Few crumbles of feta cheese

Seasonello (or similar) herbal salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. I like to use nonfat butter spray while baking. Keeps chicken (and fish) moist, while adding very few calories. This allows you to add other super tasty ingredients that may be more caloric, without summoning a food coma. All about balance, right?

Spray the chicken generously w/butter spray, shake the turmeric over it until you get a thin, yellow coating. Now cut and squeeze fresh lemon over the top. After squeezing, arrange the lemon slices over the chicken. Add a little fresh rosemary and a shake of salt. A note on salt: I have some great, old-school Italian markets near me, and they’ve introduced me to the difference between a really good herbal sea salt from Italy and… everything else. Which honestly pales in comparison. I use Seasonello, an aromatic herbal salt from Bologna. Highly-recommend investing in a good herbal sea salt. You’ll taste the difference. There are several varieties of Seasonello but the one I use has fresh rosemary, garlic, sage and pepper. Make sure you shake lightly, as you’ll need a lot less sea salt than you would table salt. 

Pop the chicken into the oven for the recommended time, following package directions. Next, boil some water. Vermicelli is a quick and easy side, as it cooks in only 4 minutes when you plunge a nest of it into boiling water. So boil the water, add the vermicelli, cover and set the timer for 4 minutes. It can cook while you’re prepping all else.

Next arrange the spinach over two plates. When the vermicelli is ready, drain it in the sink and split it between the two plates, on top of the spinach. The pasta will steam the spinach just enough to warm it, without overcooking. After a few minutes, stir the spinach and noodles together, adding a little butter or nonfat butter spray. 

When the chicken is ready, add it on top of the noodles. Cut up half an avocado and split it between the two plates over the chicken. Add crumbled feta over each, then a shake of herbal salt, and you’re good to go. 

Serves 2. Pairing: Matua Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). Nice and crisp, holds up well to the lemon in the chicken. Enjoy :)

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Salmon w/blueberry red wine reduction

I love using fruit in seafood dishes. Especially in spring and summer. You get a tasty, light meal that allows you to take advantage of whatever's ripe. And there's nothing here that will make you swoon for the wrong reasons. Yummy as it is, this dish is also very healthy: 5 of the ingredients are antioxidant-rich superfoods! A note on blueberries: Being from New England I'm partial to the big, sweet varieties from Maine. If those aren't available just make sure you find some that are ripe and sweet. A note on wine: I used Pinot Noir, which was great. Pinot tends to be jammy, allowing it to blend well with berries. Other good options include Zinfandel or Beaujolais. Avoid anything too big or tannic like a bold Cabernet, as that will overpower the other ingredients. Added bonus: No need to worry about picking a wine. You already did! Finish drinking the one you cooked with. Just make sure you pick one that's super tasty :)

• 2 6-oz. Wild King salmon filets, skinless

• Non-fat butter spray

• 1 medium shallot, minced

• 1 tsp. olive oil

• 1.5 cups ripe, Maine blueberries 

• 1/4 cup light-bodied red wine 

• Dash of black pepper

• Bunch of kale

Preheat oven to 350. Spray the salmon with a little non-fat butter spray to keep it moist. Place it on a baking sheet. Tent some foil over the fish, taking care not to let the two touch. Secure foil tightly, to properly steam. Steam for 16-18 minutes or until salmon flakes easily. While the fish is baking, heat olive oil to medium in a pan, allowing it to get hot, but not quite smoke. Add shallots and sauté until opaque, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add blueberries and wine, simmering until it reduces and thickens about 50%. Remove from heat. Arrange kale on 2 plates. Top each with a salmon filet. Top with blueberry wine reduction (which also makes a nice dressing for the kale). Add pepper to taste. Serves 2. Enjoy!

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1st blood orange on my tree

Notes that arrived with my blood orange tree, a gift from my sister, said it would take roughly a year and a half to bear fruit. This was a birthday gift Laura sent me in October 2011, so they were spot on. January-February are apparently the most likely months for blood oranges to appear indoors. This one popped-up in late January. Turns out, after an orange blossom falls off (see my previous post), the little nub underneath grows into an orange. I started out with three, one under each of the flowers. Unfortunately two didn't make it. Possibly, feline-related incidents :) But I'm thinking this one's got a good shot. At almost three months, he's a survivor. Cue "Eye of the Tiger" (If you're under 30, you probably didn't get that. Substitute "Beyoncé" and it will all make sense.) 

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Orange blossom special > Cue Johnny Cash

Woke up to a nice surprise: The lil blood orange tree my sister sent is blooming. Smells amazing, too...

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Making sugar cookies at Christmas always makes me think of my Mom-Mom. Merry merry, all :)

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Avocadohhh Ice Pops

I adapted these from a recipe I found in a cookbook from the 70's. They're easy to make, and super refreshing on a hot Summer day. They actually taste more like mint and lime than avocado, but the avocado adds a nice creaminess, cutting the acidity of the citrus. This recipe makes just the right amount for a traditional ice pop mold (10 pops). You can find an ice pop mold and popsicle sticks at most home or cooking stores. 

2 cups water

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

2 medium avocados (nice & ripe)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Start by boiling the water on the stove. Reduce heat and add the sugar and 5 chopped mint leaves. Let simmer until sugar dissolves. Take off the stove and let cool completely (or if you're impatient like me, pour it into a pyrex/freezer safe bowl and stick it in the freezer for a half hour or so :) Mash the avocados completely and combine them in a large bowl with the water, sugar, lime juice and the rest of the chopped mint. Pour mixture into the ice pop mold and put it in the freezer. After 45 minutes or so the popsicles should start to set a bit, and you can add the popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Remove from freezer and let thaw for a few minutes, in order to loosen the pops from the mold. Enjoy!

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