Friday, July 29, 2011

Lucky charms!

Yesterday I stopped at this precious vintage store on South First Street here in Austin. I bought this one-of-a-kind vintage locket and I am obsessed...hence the reason for this post. My favorite accessories and clothing come from vintage stores or my mom or grandma's closets. The first two necklaces on the left are from my mom and the last one is the one I bought yesterday.

Here are a few of my favorite vintage stores:
Austin
Lovely
1506 South First Street
Austin, Texas 78704
Feathers
1700 South Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78703
New Bohemia
1606 South Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78704


Dallas
Dolly Python
1916 North Haskell Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204


New York City
The Dressing Room (make sure to go downstairs, staircase is hidden so ask if you can't find it)
75A Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
Housing Works
(multiple locations)
Arthritis Thrift Shop (this is where I found my wedding dress!)
1383 3rd Avenue (between 78-79th Street)
New York, NY 10021 Pin It

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Ahi Tuna

If you cannot tell from the previous posts, my husband and I are major seafood lovers. We are always looking for the freshest fish at the supermarket. Unfortunately the fresh fish selection was lacking at the grocery store we went to. Instead of going to a different grocery store, we found these frozen tuna steaks for $5 each and decided to give them a try. We are not huge fans of frozen fish however this tuna was exceptionally good (except if you buy your frozen fish from Wal-Mart, we have made this mistake once and will never do that again. They do have good produce though.).
Ingredients
2 Tuna Steaks (If you buy the frozen tuna steaks, make sure you thaw the fish overnight so it is ready to cook the next day.)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray.
Brush both sides of the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill each side for 3-4 minutes.
The center should be medium pink or the tuna will be tough and dry.
Allow the tuna to rest for 5 minutes and serve.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

"Breakfast" Pork Chops

Growing up this was a meal we had a on a weekly basis. Now that my husband and I finally have access to a grill, this is something we like to make when we are sick of the usual steak or chicken.
Ingredients
1 package of center cut THIN pork chops (sometimes called breakfast pork chops, usually 4 to a pack)
Adkins seasoning
Directions
Obtain a large platter to spread your pork chops on (usually 4 to a package).
Generously season front and back of each pork chop with Adkins seasoning.
Grill on medium to high heat for 4 minutes on each side OR for a more crispy texture, you can cook them on one side without turning them. The pork chops are so thin that they are able to cook all the way through without flipping them. Grill the pork chop until you get grill marks which is about 3 minutes, then turn the pork chop 90 degrees and cook for an additional 3 minutes on that same side. Unfortunately, this time we flipped our pork chops so it did not have the crispy flavor that I love. They were still good though. It is just personal preference. Refer to the blog, "Dad Cooks Dinner," for more grilling tips.
I served my grilled pork chops with grilled corn topped with cotija cheese, parmesan topped tomatoes (see recipe from yesterday) and salad.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Parmesan-Topped Grilled Tomatoes

I made this last night and it is a great accompaniment for any dinner. It is light and refreshing and takes less that 15 minutes to cook and prepare.
YIELD-2 (+Leftovers)
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized tomatoes
Fresh basil, chopped fine or Dried sweet basil leaves
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper
Shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
Rinse tomatoes with cold water and core the stem out (see picture).
Then slice the tomatoes lengthwise in 3/8" slices=probably 4 slices/tomato. (I actually cut the tomatoes in half and read the recipe wrong. They were still good but I think they would have been much more scrumptious if I cut them into smaller slices. You will be able to taste the basil and parmesan better on a thinner tomato slice!)
Sprinkle tomatoes with fresh basil and/or dried basil leaves.
Sprinkle tomatoes with garlic salt and freshly ground pepper.
Top the tomatoes with a generous portion of parmesan cheese (do not be stingy...you should not be able to see the tomato except for the rim).
Spray rack or grate of grill with non-stick cooking spray.
Grill on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. Watch closely and do not let the cheese melt all over the grill or get too brown. You do not flip the tomatoes obviously!!!!



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Monday, July 25, 2011

Things To Do in Chicago

This is a continuation of my post from Friday. Don't worry my cooking posts will be back tomorrow! Over the next few weeks though, I am making it a goal to share with you my secrets in some of the most fabulous cities here in the US! The first city is CHICAGO. We went here from a Friday-Sunday in March. It was not the most ideal time to go to Chicago but we still managed to have a great time.

If you want to save money, TAKE THE TRAIN to and from Chicago's O'hare airport. Not only is it convenient but it is also an experience.
Stay at the Dana Hotel. It is pricey but usually you can get a room for less than $200/night. The location on State Street is perfect.  Tell them you want a corner room when you check in. Even though we paid for a cheaper room, they will usually upgrade you for free to a corner room if it is available. I do not remember our room number but make sure your room faces State Street otherwise you will be on the backside of the hotel and it is nothing special. Our room was surrounded by windows on all sides. The bathroom was also awesome.
You have to have a famous Chicago dog. We found the best Chicago dog at PORTILLO'S!! Besides ordering the famed hot dog, you have to get the chocolate cake shake. Amazing!
Since the River Boat Architecture tour was closed for the season, we decided to take a segway tour instead. I must say that this was a great way to see a lot of places in such a short time. We used CITY SEGWAY TOURS and saw the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Grant Park, Millenium Park, Shedd Aquarium, and Soldier Field. Soldier Field was awesome because the gates were open so we got to ride around the entire stadium. The guide also told us which museums were worth paying the entrance fee to but I forgot which ones he recommended because museums are really not my thing. PS- If you go on the segway in the winter, make sure to bundle up!!!! It was freezing. The good thing was we were the only ones on the tour so we made quite a few pit stops to warm up.
For deep dish pizza, LOU MANALTI'S is the place to go! After talking to lots of locals, this seemed to be everyone's favorite. Pequod's is another pizza place that is highly recommended but it is off the beaten path.
We bought tickets in advance and went to an improv show at SECOND CITY. The show was hilarious and this is something you have to do while you are in Chicago. For those of you who have never heard of Second City, it is where most of the Saturday Night Live Cast members are discovered!
Go get drinks at Coit Tower if you want to have amazing views of Chicago. Beware your ears will pop on the elevator to the top. Ladies-the best view of the city is in the bathroom!! I made my husband go to the men's bathroom because I could not believe the view in our bathroom. He came back and told me I was crazy and that there was no view. Ha ha.

Make sure to eat dinner at GIRL AND THE GOAT (see my previous post). Don't forget to go shopping on Michigan Avenue and all the side streets!!!  
Things we did not get to do but have heard are awesome: River Boat Architecture Tour, Wrigley Field

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Friday, July 22, 2011

Chicago's Best Restaurant

My husband and I have been on some very memorable trips. I spend hours upon hours planning these trips and a lot of time is spent finding the perfect restaurant in whatever place we are visiting! In March we took a weekend trip to Chi-Town and ate our way thru the city. The highlight of our trip was dinner at GIRL AND THE GOAT! I read countless blogs about the best restaurants in Chicago and this restaurant seemed right up our alleyThe acclaimed chef Stephanie Izard who won Season 4 of Top Chef has created a unique and innovative menu that is sure to please all foodies!  I made reservations two months in advance and could only get a reservation for 5:30pm on a Friday night. I am so glad I did because it was the most amazing dinner experience ever! The next time you go to Chicago, DO NOT MISS this restaurant. My pictures, once again, are not the best because the lighting was terrible.
 Homemade bread with miso butter-hmmmm, delish
Flatbread goat pizza (special for the night)
Grilled baby octopus, guanciale, wax beans, radish, favas, pistachio-lemon vinaigrette

Girl and The Goat
809 West Randolph Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 492-6262

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Unique Wedding Gifts

I thought I would change it up and post something totally unrelated to food! We got a wedding gift the other day and it reminded me to share some of my favorite wedding gifts! Of course it is great to receive things from your registry but I love the creativity and thoughtfulness that went into these gifts. A lot of my friends are getting married this fall including my best friend and I feel like I spend hours trying to find the perfect gift! If this is you, then hopefully this post will be helpful!
Monogrammed linen napkins (set of 12)-so classic
Beautiful glass platter with our invitation engraved, you can get this done at Tiffany & Co.
Set of Spices-this gift inspired me to start cooking! This is such a clever gift and perfect for a newlywed couple.  You can find all different gift sets at Penzey's Spices.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

One of my good friends gave me this recipe at my kitchen shower last year. She knew I would like this recipe because I love queso and Velveeta! I like to make this casserole at the beginning of the week because it makes for great leftovers.
Ingredients
Rotisserie chicken (already cooked) or 4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 package of Light Velveeta Cheese (I used an off brand-Easy Melt Light because it was cheaper)
1 can of mild Rotel
1 carton of sliced mushrooms
1 can of 99% fat-free Cream of Mushroom soup
4 celery stocks
1/2 white onion
3/4 package of whole wheat or all grain spaghetti
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut rotisserie chicken into bite size pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop celery, onion and mushrooms and boil with spaghetti.
Combine Velveeta, Rotel & Cream of Mushroom soup in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 4 minutes, stirring occasionally (every 2 minutes), until Velveeta has melted.


Combine spaghetti noodles, velveeta mixture and chicken into 8X11 casserole dish. You may have more sauce than you need so use your judgment and add as little or as much as you want! For me, the more the merrier!
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove foil and top with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
This is your final product, minus the cheese! YUMMY!!! Pin It

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Whole Grilled Trout

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After eating whole branzino, trout and red snapper at some of the finest restaurants, I wanted to see if I could cook a whole fish at half the price. I chose to cook a whole trout however you can substitute any whole fish in this recipe. My trout turned out beautifully, costing only $7.50 for two and was comparable to the whole fish you order at a restaurant.  It is important for you to ask the butcher to BUTTERFLY the fish (remove all the bones). This takes skill so some butchers may not be able to do this. Beware that if you cook trout, you will not be able to butterfly the fish because the bones are so fine and it is impossible to take them all out!

Ingredients
2 Whole Trout
2 Lemons (sliced)
Fresh Rosemary
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

Light the grill as the preparation of the fish will not take long!
Lay fish out on a large platter. Generously cover both sides of the trout with olive oil. This will ensure the fish will not stick to the grill. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish as well as the inside.
Stuff fish with sliced lemons (3-4 lemon slices per fish) and fresh rosemary.
Optional-you can always put a dollop of butter in each fish for a more distinct taste.
Grill fish for 4-5 minutes on each side. Make sure to flip the fish with TONGS as you do not want the lemon slices and rosemary to fall out of the fish. You can also cook the fish in a grill basket.
Your fish is now ready to eat!!! The skin should easily peel back and the meat will come right off most of the bones. Be careful though to not choke on the fine bones!
This is my husband's fish after he devoured every ounce of it except for the head, skeleton and bones! For those of you who are afraid to try a whole fish, you are missing out!

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

Whenever you have company over, this is easy to throw together and something everyone will enjoy.

Ingredients
Small filet of smoked salmon (not lox), found in the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery store
8 oz package of cream cheese (1/3 fat)
Keebler Club Crackers
Fischer & Wieser Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (found at Central Market, $8/bottle)

Line a small glass bowl with saran wrap.
Put softened cream cheese into the bowl and refrigerate until firm. You should do this ahead of time to ensure you get that perfect circle shape!
Next take the saran-wrapped cream cheese out of your glass dish. Flip the cream cheese out of the saran wrap onto a platter.
Garnish the cream cheese with a dollop of the chipotle sauce and place 1/2 cup of chipotle sauce in a separate dish.
Place the crackers and salmon on a separate dish.
Now it is time to assemble your appetizer. This is something you can show your guests how to do if you do not want to make all of them! This is like having a fancy version of chips and dip!
Assembly:
Take a club cracker and put a smear of cream cheese and chipotle sauce on it. Add a tiny slice of the smoked salmon to the top and you now have a bite of goodness!!
Saran-wrapped cream cheese in glass bowl
Fischer & Wieser Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Presentation before assembly!
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Friday, July 15, 2011

Final Verdict on Uchiko

Uchiko was amazingg!!! Even though all the critics are going nuts over this place in Austin, I was still nervous that it would not live up to all the hype. Let's just say Uchiko surpassed all my expectations. I do not even like sushi and I loved this place. They recommend that you order 5-6 dishes for two people. We ordered five dishes and got dessert (not to be missed).  You could tell our waiter was passionate about his job and proud to serve all these well-articulated dishes. A special thanks to Char (you know who you are) for recommending the best dishes ever!
Pre-dinner drinks

Crispy Brussel Sprouts
My husband's favorite dish

Yokai Berry
Fresh summery salad made of atlantic salmon, dinosaur kale, asian pear and suzu (whatever that is)

Tiger Cry Roll
I actually ate this roll because it is rolled with rice paper instead of seaweed! It has wagyu (beef), red pepper, charred green onion, and yuba.

Suzuki Yaki (Grilled Mediterannean Sea Bass)

Fried Milk
Best dessert ever! 
If I were asked what my last meal would be, this might be it. It is better than the Cereal Milk ice cream from Momofoku Milk Bar (in NYC). That is a bold statement coming from me!


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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Best Trendy Austin Restaurants






MY FAVORITE TRENDY RESTAURANTS IN AUSTIN




Parkside-Located in the middle of sixth street! This place is moderately priced and serves solid food. I will focus my review on its sister restaurant, Backspace, because it is amazing.
Backspace-I think this maybe my favorite restaurant in Austin because it reminds me of New York. I have a hard time going to a restaurant twice when there are so many restaurants I want to try. However, I have been to this restaurant 5 times since living in Austin. This restaurant is located right behind Parkside. It is still relatively unknown because there is no sign and little advertisement. Their menu is small which is nice because they really have perfected everything on the menu. Wood-fired pizzas are their specialty and you can't go wrong with any of these pizzas. Their extensive wine list will not disappoint you either! This place is tiny with only 20 seats so plan on waiting for a table or call ahead if you have a large party of 6 or more.




The_Backspace_Austin-CamilleStyles
Justine's-My husband and I love this restaurant. It is on the east side in a very unassuming location. We like to say it is a diamond in the rough. The atmosphere makes this place cool. It is always crowded with locals and is one of the few places in Austin that has great French food. 

Second Bar+Kitchen-This place is very trendy and a place to be seen. The food stands up to the large crowds this place draws. I have been here several times and I always try to get something different. I think their fries with truffle sauce were the highlight of my last meal. I also love their fresh, wood-fired pizzas and short ribs. This place does not take reservations so either go early or plan on waiting 1-2 hours. We got drinks and appetizers at Bar Congress while we waited which made the time fly.
second-bar-kitchen-review-260.jpg
Enoteca/Vespaio-Both of these restaurants are connected together and great if you are in the mood for Italian. Vespaio is the fancier version of Inoteca. They are located on South Congress which is always a fun area to grab dinner and walk around. You will definitely not leave here hungry.The menus are a little different but all of the food comes from the same kitchen. This is where my husband introduced me to Linguini del Mare and I have been a fan ever since.


La Traviata-I would not classify this restaurant as trendy. However, it is a place that serves solid Italian food in a great location. This place has been around forever and is on Congress close to sixth street. Their mussels are some of my favorite! I recommend getting a reservation if you want to go on the weekend.

East Side Showroom-This restaurant is super cool. It is also on the east side. This restaurant is how I want to decorate my house one day. They took a junky space and transformed into a romantic and inviting space that still keeps its original charm. The lighting is amazing! Be mindful that this place is expensive if you want to have the true dining experience. We tried a few of their inventive drinks on their cocktail list and will definitely be back to try more! The food was just as creative as the drinks and they try to use all local ingredients!


Perla's-This place has awesome seafood. I don't think there is anything bad on the menu. It is a very casual place on South Congress. Beware the service is hit or miss. Make a reservation if you want to sit inside in the air conditioning.


Uchiko-I am prematurely putting Uchiko on my list of favorite restaurants. I am going there tonight so I will give you an official review tomorrow. It is one of the newer restaurants to the Austin dining scene. This place is all the rage right now because their chef, Tyson Cole, just got the James Beard award. It is less expensive than its sister restaurant Uchi.


Runners Up:
Haddingtons- This place almost made the cut of my favorite Austin restaurants. It is classified under the gastropub genre. Last time I went there they took my favorite entree off their menu hence why it is not on my favorite list anymore. Our waitress assured me though that their WHOLE STUFFED TROUT will be back on the menu in the fall and winter. The trout is stuffed with fresh bread crumbs that are soaked in a butter sauce. I do not know how to describe it any better other than to say it is heaven and you have to try it. Just call ahead to make sure it is on the menu since the menu changes seasonally. The side dishes are equally amazing. 
Fabi+Rosi-This precious restaurant is located in a house in Deep Eddy. The prices are reasonable and the quality of food is superb. To my surprise this place was not that crowded for a Saturday night which is why I was hesitant to put this as my favorite restaurant. I think ambience is important and although this place is charming, I would have liked to seen more people there on a Saturday night. The mussels were delightful as well as their rockfish!
  
Wink- My husband and I went to happy hour from 5-7 in the wine bar and ended up eating dinner here instead of the main restaurant. We actually liked this experience more because got to talk at length with our server. The highlights of our meal were the macaroni and cheese and mussels! We tried the small portion of sweetbreads (thymus gland-ew!) and we decided it is not our thing. However, they tell us that if you want to try sweetbreads this is the place to do it. This place is expensive. In order to off set the costs I bought a restaurant.com gift certificate for $3 which was good for $25 off our meal.

Stay tuned for my favorite BBQ and mexican restaurants as well as bars and brunches. There were just too many places name in this one post!
Places I can't wait to try in the upcoming weeks that also have great reviews are Congress, Barley Swine, Jack Allen's Kitchen, and Foreign & Domestic.
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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Reuben or Corned Beef and Cabbage, Yes Please....

Because my work days are long (12+ hours), I can usually work fewer days than the average 5 day work week. That leaves me more meals I have to cook for myself. Of course I can go out to eat but everyone is usually working. I love to keep a baked corn beef in the house because it is fabulous for lunch and dinner. Reuben sandwiches are the best and I can never get enough of corned beef and cabbage! Every time I make this recipe, the corn beef somehow disappears within a day. It is to die for! My mom deserves all the credit for discovering this recipe because there is no way I could have come up with this on my own!  

Baked Corned Beef 
Ingredients
3-4 lb. packaged corned beef (or as big as you can find)
1 pkg. pickling spices (this will be included with the corned beef)
Brown spicy mustard (Gulden’s is great, French’s spicy brown mustard is good too)
Brown sugar
I am still kicking myself for not taking a picture of the entire corn beef! I will swap photos when I make this again!  As you can see I made this for dinner with cabbage and corn.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Unpackage the corned beef.  Rinse all the goo off and retrieve the package of pickling spices. 
Place rinsed corned beef fat side up in a roasting pan with a cover.  Even if the pan is too big, like a turkey roaster, that’s fine.   You may also use a casserole dish, but you must be able to cover it well with foil, so no steam escapes. 
Add about ¼” of water to pan with corned beef in it.  Sprinkle spices on top of fat.  Cover and bake for 3 hours.  No less!!
Take out of oven, and uncover carefully (away from your face).  Do not get a steam burn!!
Remove meat from juice. Toss the juice. Trim all fat from the top of the meat and wherever else you see fat.  It will almost melt off.  The corned beef may become small, but the fat is terrible, you must get it off now.  The spices will come off with the fat. You will not need them. 
Place in a clean casserole dish. While the corn beef is still hot, spread top and sides with spicy mustard.  Sprinkle brown sugar all over.  The sugar will start melting.  You can never get enough of this mixture.  


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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Candied Carrots

I love to make these carrots! They are impossible to mess up and turn out great every time. These carrots are perfect to accompany almost any dinner entree. If you are in charge of bringing a side dish or vegetable to a party, this would be a great dish to bring.

CANDIED CARROTS
As you can see, my photo needs help! I will post a new photo when I make these carrots again.
Ingredients
3 lbs. petite baby carrots (these should already be cleaned and ready to use in the package)
Sauce:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup LIGHT brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbsp water (you may not need this ingredient)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Spread carrots into casserole dish.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a pan and heat until butter and sugar is melted into a sauce, stirring often.  You only need to heat sauce until thoroughly blended.  Pour sauce onto carrots.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1.5 hrs.  Check with a fork…. carrots may be soft and done after 1 hr.
Makes ~20 servings.  Delicious!!
HINT:
·      If you are traveling to someone’s house with this dish…..look out, it can slosh all over your car.  Put newspaper on the floorboard, then the casserole dish.
·      For serving 2 people:  1 lb petite baby fresh carrots, 1 ½ Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp. white sugar, 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, &  2 tsp. water.  Mix up (melt) your sauce in a small saucepan, then pour over carrots.  Bake covered in an 8x8 square pan at 325 for 1 hour.  After an hour, check carrots with a fork to see if they are soft.
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Monday, July 11, 2011

Porky

I never thought I would be able to make pork tenderloin until I tried my mom’s famous recipe! I tried to impress my husband by making him this for Valentine’s Day a few years ago! While he did eat every bite, he later mentioned that he does not like PORK! UGH.  This is something I can’t wait to serve at a dinner party and my husband will just have to fend for himself!
  
MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN
Yield: 8
3-3.5 lbs. of boneless pork tenderloin  (1 large piece)
(if you buy several small, narrow pieces then bake time will be less)

Marinate for 24-48 hrs. in the following marinade:
2 cups  Zinfandel wine
6 cloves minced garlic or (1 Tbsp. from the jar)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. dry mustard powder (yes, this is the correct measurement)
¼ tsp. cayenne  (red pepper)
Marinate in a large ziplock bag.  And then put bag into a casserole dish, just in case the bag leaks.  Turn every now and then. 
Grill:   20-25 minutes
Bake:  425º 20 minutes, then cover with foil, & reduce heat to 375º.  Bake 30 minutes more.  Make sure to not overcook otherwise the meat will be tough.




Hints:
·     For easier mixing, blend dry mustard powder & cayenne with a little of the liquid from the recipe, into a paste, then add the rest of the ingredients.  This helps to blend powder & liquid better.
·     You may want to make 1½ times the marinade and save the extra ½ for a sauce over the meat.  (remember to throw out the marinade that your raw meat has been soaking in). 

I served my pork tenderloin with a Sister Schubert roll, roasted asparagus and candied carrots (recipe to be posted tomorrow)
PS- I am still working on perfecting all my pictures!


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Friday, July 8, 2011

Staple

TGIF!!!! This has been a really long week of early mornings for me. I figured I would end this week with a simple tip on how to cook baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Wash Potatoes (do not dry).
Use a fork and poke holes around the potato. This prevents the potato from "exploding."
Sprinkle outside of entire potato with garlic salt.
Place in the oven for 1 hour. Time may vary depending on how big of a potato you have. If you have a bigger potato, expect to bake it for 1 hour 15 minutes-1.5 hours.

You will now have a potato that has a crunchy skin but soft inside. My husband and I literally scrape our plates every time we cook our potato this way. This beats heating a potato in the microwave!
Note that this recipe is for sweet potatoes too. The balance of salty on the outside and sweet on the inside is delicious! 


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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Refreshing Summer Salad

Right now strawberries are dirt cheap at the grocery store! This is a light summer recipe perfect to serve with any meal.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
1/3 cup oil
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup sliced strawberries (see below on how to pit strawberries)
½ cup walnuts (halves & pieces)
½ cup feta cheese crumbles
In small clean jar with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, honey, cinnamon, lemon juice, mustard, and salt and shake well. Refrigerate until serving time.
Combine spinach and strawberries and toss together. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and toss gently to coat. Serves 6.
 


I served this salad with a filet (grilled by my husband), sweet potato, and sourdough bread with fresh garlic cloves.

  • I always clean and pit the strawberries before slicing them. This strawberry huller is another great kitchen tool that I use all the time.










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