#inspiredspoon

[theinspiredspoon]

Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken + Sauteed Vegetables

It's Wednesday, but it honestly feels so much later in the week than just that. I woke up so early this morning, made a quick breakfast and rushed off to work completely exhausted. I was in the city the night before (more on that to come) for a particularly #spoonworthy meal, so waking up this morning was brutal. To the point where I literally almost fell asleep on the highway (I know, so dangerous). Naturally, I stopped at Starbucks for a latte, and felt a million times better. 

Problem was, when I got home, I didn't want to do anything but lay on my bed for about an hour, and I definitely wasn't making any plans for dinner. I didn't feel like eating out, but I also didn't want to make something super time-consuming. 

I remembered this really simple roasted chicken recipe that I pinned a long time ago, and I figured it was something I could whip up relatively quickly. 

So...this dish was born. I made a really simple chicken, using only olive oil, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, thyme, and pepper. I garnished it with a few simple sautéed vegetables, and made a whole-wheat biscuit to give the meal a bit more texture. Plus, I love carbs. 

The chicken was really moist with a crunchy skin, and I have to sheepishly admit that it was pretty to eat. The whole-wheat biscuit was so simple--literally took me only 25 minutes total to make. They're really versatile, you can taste the olive oil and the little bit of sugar in them, but the salt also gives them a bit more of a savory kick. 

I'm planning big things for them in the morning, to have with my coffee, and maybe a bit of berry jam. Mmm..just thinking about it gets me excited for breakfast. 

Nonetheless, it hit the spot. I didn't have to do too much work--both meal prep and cleanup were relatively easy. 

So if you're bored, hungry and don't know what to do about it, or you suffer from a similar ailment, make this. Promise you it's #spoonworthy. But in this case, I guess you'd use a fork. But that just doesn't sound as good. 

xx

Ashley

[theinspiredspoon]

Mocha Choca Latta-ya-ya

Happy Friday everyone! I've been slightly MIA for the last couple of days, sorry about that--work has been absolutely nuts. But, what better way to celebrate the end of the work week than with some homemade iced coffee? Complete with a mason jar, of course. 

Sometimes we just need a midday pick-me-up, and something as simple as making yourself a cup of coffee can do that for you. Like I said, work this week has been crazy. Between taking deep breaths to stay calm (10 breaths to be exact; that'll do the trick), and smiling to keep stress down (trust me, it works), I'll whip up something quick in the morning to start my day off right. 

And speaking of jars, I just recently learned about this super cool company, JARS by Dani, a company started by 24 year-old Dani Beckerman. Though she was pre-med in college, she took another path and began making layers of decadent sweets in nothing other than the average mason jar. She's worked hard to create a business out of her own passion for baking, and it's something that I certainly can appreciate. Staying inspired can give way to big things--or little ones, if we're still talking mason jars. 

Cheers!

xx

[theinspiredspoon]

Whole-Wheat Waffles + Smashed Berry Compote

I've always preferred waffles to pancakes since I was a little kid. I have memories of going out to breakfast with my family on Saturday mornings, drinking freshly squeezed orange juice, and ordering a Belgian waffle that was far too big for my five-year old self to eat. 

I haven't made waffles in years, but this morning I whipped out my super-old (probably made in 1960, no lie) waffle iron to make a nostalgic breakfast. Typically, and especially at school, I would buy the pre-made mix where you only add water. But the last time I made those, I happened to look at the label to see what that Aunt Jemima was actually putting in her food. Unsurprisingly, I found hydrogenated this, refined that, and I realized that I was a bit sick of ingredients that I could neither define nor pronounce. 

This morning, there was definitely the temptation of whipping out that little red box, throwing a little water in there and calling it a day. But I resisted Aunt Jemima calling my name. Instead I found a simple recipe that I could make myself.

Usually I would go for the classic maple syrup, but there's so much sugar in traditional syrup that I thought maybe a compote would be a touch healthier. I had a bunch of fresh berries on hand, so I threw some raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries into a pot and made a little smashed berry compote. 

It was my first time trying to make a compote, but for a college student that really doesn't know all that much about cooking...not too shabby.

The waffles turned out really fluffy, and didn't give me that terrible full stomach that the store-bought kind usually does. The final verdict? Healthy, and a light breakfast option.

Check out the recipes below:

Whole-Wheat Waffles:

2 large eggs

1 ¾ cups milk

¼ cup oil or butter

1 tsp brown sugar (you can use honey if you prefer)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

⅛ teaspoon salt

Preheat waffle iron. Mix together eggs, milk, oil/butter, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Once wet ingredients are fully integrated, add flour slowly. Add a bit of cooking oil (coconut, olive, or butter if you prefer) to the pan. Pour batter into waffle iron. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Berry Compote: 

2 cups mixed berries

¾ tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the raspberries fall apart and the sauce is thickened, remove from heat. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Happy Hump Day!

xx

[theinspiredspoon]

Brown Butter + Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ah, the fabled brown butter. I actually had no idea of what it was actually until I did further investigation today. I'd had foods with brown butter in them before, but I had never actually made it on my own. Until today. I've been itching to try a new technique, or a new recipe, so when I felt like making chocolate chip cookies earlier this evening, I decided to mix it up a bit. 

The brown butter technique is actually really easy--essentially you just warm your butter in a saucepan and whisk it until it turns a rich amber color. After it simmers a bit, it develops the most distinct and aromatic nutty fragrance that honestly smells as good as a Diptyque candle (my kitchen even smells like it now). 

You see, I started with the recipe for my classic chocolate chip cookie, and even added a handful of pecans because I was in the mood. 

Then I got really ambitious (inspired, if you will). I have been absolutely dying to try making a stuffed cookie. So I figured I would stuff some of these delicious brown butter cookies with a dab of Nutella.

Ermahgerd was it good. 

Hands down, best cookie I've ever made. Seriously. It was that good. 

Have you ever tried brown butter? What'd you think? Message/comment about it!

xx

[theinspiredspoon]

Links I Love

With summer on this horizon, I've been dreaming of alfresco dining, and summer evenings spent with friends. Here a few of my favorite posts and articles that are currently giving me some summer inspiration:

1.  Loving the sea glass place cards for this potluck dinner party over on Style Me Pretty.

2.  The most delicious-looking homemade granola bars on the Sprouted Kitchen.

3.  John Birdsall's article about food nostalgia has got me thinking of Proust. And trying out these lovely iced lemon cookies.

4.  The folks over at FOOD & WINE must be reading my mind with a kale recipe roundup…

5.  Emily Schuman's savvy entertaining tidbits over on Cupcakes and Cashmere.

Enjoy the weekend!

xx