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Category: Food

Weekly meal planning: update
It’s Sunday evening (8:10pm, to be precise) and for the first time in weeks I feel ready to take on the upcoming week energized and not stressed out feeling that I didn’t accomplish everything that I wanted to over the weekend. I think there are two types of “weekend people” — some people use the weekend to relax, and just recuperate from a tiring work week, and some (crazy) people view the weekend as the only time they can really get stuff done. I definitely am in the latter group, and sometimes drive myself crazy trying to get through a to-do list of about 45 things (for Saturday morning). I’m often left feeling like I have wasted my weekend if I sleep in (seriously, if I’m still asleep at 7am on Saturday morning…panic). Just “taking it easy” ain’t really my thing, and staying as organized as possible is what gets me through it, and meal planning has definitely become my saving grace throughout the week. Nothing like having a rough day at work, then coming home to a hungry husband, a fridge full of random food, and no idea what to cook. I’m lucky that I loooove Jonathan’s cooking, but I also loooove to cook myself. Enter: weekly food shops & meal planning.

I had fallen off the weekly meal prep wagon for the past few weeks, since we had house guests and were eating out so much, but I’m back on track and am even more resolved than I was before to keep up with it. As is always the case when I plan out my weekly meals, my grocery costs are way down and my “intelligent recipe-based shopping” is preventing me from wasting food, too! No more buying random stuff and trying to figure out what to cook as an after-thought.

It took me a little over an hour to plan out this week’s meals, another hour to order the groceries (hello, distracting internet), and then about 30 minutes to wash all the fruits & veggies when the groceries arrived this morning. I’ve kept the recipes pretty simple this week, and will probably add in some salads here and there to keep things fresh.

So, here’s what’s on our menu this week:

Monday
- Breakfast: Apple slices & peanut butter + copycat McMuffins
- Lunch: Carrot sticks w/hummous + BLT Bagel
- Dinner: Roast chicken
- Dessert: Giada’s lemon & ricotta cookies
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese w/berries + sliced swiss cheese
- Lunch: Black bean soup + English muffin grilled cheese
- Dinner: Baked salmon & asparagus
- Dessert: Mousse au chocolat
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Copycat McMuffin & fruit
- Lunch: Greek salad & homemade pita chips
- Dinner: Oven roasted garlic chili shrimp, avocado, cilantro rice
- Dessert: Homemade salted caramel popcorn
Thursday
- Breakfast: Bagel w/turkey & swiss cheese & granny smith apple slices
- Lunch: Homemade chicken & vegetable soup
- Dinner: Turkey meatballs w/marinara sauce & pasta
- Dessert: Cottage cheese w/sliced fruit
Friday
- Breakfast: Avocado toast w/soft-boiled egg & cherry tomatoes
- Lunch: Leftover spaghetti & meatballs
- Dinner: Homemade pizza w/bresaola + portobello mushrooms & garden salad
This week’s grocery bill was a little over £100, but mainly because we had a few pricy items to stock up on..like..ahem…tequila. As usual, I don’t really plan out the weekend’s meals since we often go out to eat, or just eat leftovers. Besides, this Saturday is my birthday 🎉 so maybe Jonathan has something planned for me…that involves him taking me out to a nice restaurant and showering me with gifts? 😉

Anyway, I hope you all had a productive weekend (or a relaxing one, if that’s your thing!) and are also looking forward to this beautiful new week. Enjoy!
July 12, 2015
Easy baked salmon
Ok y’all, so I need to keep it real for a few minutes on what goes on behind the scenes on any given weeknight in my kitchen. When I’m working on blog posts, I try to organize my weeknight dinners around what I’m writing about that week, so I can write, photograph and actually enjoy the recipes that I publish. This takes time, though, by the time I’ve gathered all the ingredients, shot the photos that I want, and actually prepared the food. Even when I’m not cooking for any particular blog post, I love spending an hour or so bringing dinner together: it’s my daily “me time” and I love having a creative outlet to try new things and explore different flavors.

Sometimes though, after a long day at work, I just don’t have the energy to do anything more than throw a bunch of ingredients together, pop them in the oven and hope the result comes out delicious. It can be really tempting to make an easy go-to dish when I’m too busy or not in the mood to really cook, and fast is usually synonymous with pasta.

When I want to get a healthy meal on the table, packed with flavor and nutrients, without having to give it too much thought, I really need a quick recipe that packs a big punch. This simple baked salmon recipe is just that type of dish: comes together in under 5 minutes, then bakes for about 12-15 minutes, so it can be on the table in easily under 30 minutes! You can serve it with my creamy mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus or just with some rice and a side salad.

No need to bother with any fancy marinades or bread-crumb toppings. Just a few ingredients that you’re likely to already have on hand and you have a perfect 20-minute weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
- 2 salmon fillets
- 2 teaspoons of butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: serve with spinach & basil pesto
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F
2. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and sugar together.
3. Place your salmon fillets in your baking dish, topping with 1 teaspoon of butter (or olive oil) on each fillet.
4. Next, drizzle the lemon juice + sugar mixture on top of the fillets.
5. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, then bake for 12-15 minutes.
Note: The sugar is optional, and is mainly used to help caramelize the salmon a bit.

Optional: serve with my basil & spinach vegan pesto (as pictured).
July 6, 2015
4th of July: Summer Entertaining
Happy 4th of July, y’all!

You guys, I have been so excited about today’s post because I love love (love) American holidays and all that goes with them! Living outside of the States for the past 10 years, Independence day and Thanksgiving have been my two days every year to celebrate all things American. Nationality and identity are complex, but no matter how long I’ve lived abroad, I always feel very American. Speaking of very American: can we please just take a moment to enjoy this red-white-and-blue bouquet of flowers that I found at my local grocery store!? Talk about patriotic flowers!!

Today’s post is a round-up of some of my favorite things that might help you celebrate the July 4th holiday, followed by two of my absolute all-time favorite Summer entertaining recipes: homemade BBQ sauce, and cranberry & raspberry champagne cocktails.

This weekend is triple exciting for me as my in-laws are in town visiting from Paris for the first time since we moved to London, and one of my good friends is also in town with her beau. Family + friends + Independence Day = BBQ party!

I knew I wanted to post a summer entertaining + July 4th recipe, but couldn’t decide on the recipe to choose because there are just so many great ones (potato salad, baked beans, BBQ beef ribs, coleslaw, some kind of summery drinks…). So, I ended up choosing two recipes 🙂

I am also super excited to announced that I have teamed up with a few other bloggers to share even more fabulous summer entertaining ideas with you. So please check out their posts for more summer-inspired recipe ideas!
- Renee @ joyineveryseason.com has started off the series with her fabulous baked beans recipe (plus some gorgeous red, white & blue decorations), so please check that out on her website here: http://www.joyineveryseason.com/side-dishes/the-best-baked-beans4th-of-july-decor/
- Phoebe @ theolivetreekitchen.com followed-up with her delightfully refreshing and fruity summer ice and drinks, here: http://theolivetreekitchen.com/2015/07/02/summer-ices-and-bbq-drinks/
- Sam @ itdoesnttastelikechicken.com has contributed her classic black bean burger recipe, here: http://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/2015/05/14/jerk-sweet-potato-black-bean-burgers
As for me, keep reading for not one but two recipes: both super simple and great for summer entertaining!

It’s pretty impossible to select just one recipe to post, but my main priority was to keep it simple. Sometimes I start writing recipes and realize, about 18 ingredients in and 26 steps later, that ain’t nobody got time for that! Summer entertaining is really about taking it easy, kicking back and enjoying life with friends and family… not spending hours slaving in the kitchen on elaborate recipes.

And that’s exactly what I did this July 4th: enjoyed our terrace for the first time this year with actual sunshine, with Hubby, his parents, and one of my best friends and her cheri. Absolute perfection.

If you’re curious, this is what I served at our 4th of July BBQ:
- Grilled chicken w/homemade BBQ sauce
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Oven-roasted asparagus
- Mac n cheese
- Decomposed Greek salad (fancy way of saying: each ingredient was served in separate bowls, to accommodate picky eaters…Jonathan).
- Dessert: Greek yogurt & raspberry parfaits
So, on to the good stuff: the first recipe is for my homemade BBQ sauce. It’s so easy and it scores pretty high on my OMGTHISISAMAZING-ometer! I couldn’t stop dipping veggies into the sauce to taste it, and literally couldn’t even wait long enough to take decent pictures before slathering it on the chicken. This stuff is the bomb diggity and is heaps better than anything store-bought. Trust me.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Instructions: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, cooking on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Slather on your favorite meat and grill (or bake) your little heart out!

The second recipe is actually a cocktail, and is one of my favorites because they can be made in advance. A practical and semi-fancy party drink for a crowd, that can be made in advance…. um, yes, please!

These cranbery & raspberry champagne cocktails bring just enough fancy to your summer entertaining menu, without being too much of a hassle to prepare. These are great if you don’t want to go the classic punch bowl route, but also don’t want to be stuck whipping up cocktails for your guests all day. Because again, nobody has time for that!

I’ve been creeping these vintage glass bottles for a while on Amazon, and recently decided to just go ahead and order them, and I’m so glad that I did! They’re adorbs, and perfect for these make-ahead cocktails because they come with lids!!!! I got the 200ml bottles, but you can get any size you want. Ikea also sells a similar product, which is a bit bigger (though no lids).

Cranberry & raspberry (fancy pants) champagne cocktails

Ingredients (per cocktail):
- 3-4 raspberries
- 100ml of Cranberry juice
- 75ml of Champagne (or any sparkling wine)
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
Instructions:
1. Add your raspberries to your bottles (or glasses if you prefer and will serve right away)
2. Then add the following in this order: simple syrup, cranberry juice and champagne
3. Tightly close the lids, and store in the fridge until ready to serve (to get maximum fizz from the champaign, you should serve within the next 4-5 hours).
I decorated my little bottles of champaign cocktails with little twine bows, and served with straws. This is the only recipe where drinking champagne from a straw is allowed 😉

Happy 4th of July, y’all!

Xx
July 4, 2015
Spinach lasagna rolls
Hey ya’ll! I’ve really been looking forward to making lasagna because it’s one of my all-time favorites, and it was also one of the first recipes I really learned to do well. Besides, it’s just one of those feel-good comfort foods that you can make anytime, so you never need to justify this dish — just do it!

Before I got married, my lasagna recipe was pretty much tomato sauce, a bit of cheese, spinach, mushrooms and lasagna noodles. I almost never used meat, and always jam packed it with as many veggies as possible. Alas, now that I need to work with Jonathan’s more meat-loving palette, I’ve integrated more meat into the mix, albeit in small amounts.

This recipe is a somewhat lighter version than your classic lasagna because it’s not smothered in cheese and cream, but doesn’t skimp on flavor as a result — it’s perfection. In France, lasagna is usually made with a béchamel sauce… soo good, but soo much butter! My version can also be made without the sausage and it’s pretty good, too, for a vegetarian option. I just double the spinach and add about a cup of chopped cooked mushrooms to the filling instead of the chopped sausage.

Give this one a try and let me know what you think! And if anyone knows where to find curly-edged lasagna noodles in the UK or France, then please leave the details in the comments below 😉

Also you guys, I’m super excited to tell you that I have teamed up with a few other bloggers to post about 4th of July & summer entertaining recipes and ideas!
- Renee @ joyineveryseason.com has started off the series with her fabulous baked beans recipe (plus some gorgeous red, white & blue decorations), so please check that out on her website here: http://www.joyineveryseason.com/side-dishes/the-best-baked-beans4th-of-july-decor/
- Phoebe @ theolivetreekitchen.com just followed-up with her delightfully refreshing and fruity summer ice and drinks, here: http://theolivetreekitchen.com/2015/07/02/summer-ices-and-bbq-drinks/
- This Friday, we will also be sharing a vegan recipe from Sam @ itdoesnttastelikechicken.com so keep an eye out for that!
As for me, I’ll be back on Saturday with a few more 4th of July ideas to wrap up the series! See you then 🙂

Ingredients:
- 3 cups of homemade marinara sauce
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup of parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 200 grams of ground sausage (any sausage is fine, though I use only turkey or beef).
- 1 cup of fresh spinach
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Topping:
- ½ cup of shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- Basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
1. Put a pot large enough for your lasagna noodles on high heat to boil.
2. Prepare your baking dish with a layer (about an inch) of the tomato sauce. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the rolls.
3. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Combine the three cheeses in a bowl, then add in the egg and garlic powder. Stir until uniform.
5. Heat a skillet on medium heat, then add in the olive oil and minced garlic. Sautée for 1 minute, then add in the fresh spinach. Continue to sautée for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the spinach has cooked down, then add the cooked spinach to the bowl with the cheese mixture.
6. In same skillet used for the spinach, add in the ground sausage.
7. By this time, your water should be boiling and it’s time to add in the noodles. Boil them until they are al dente – not mushy! For my noodles, this takes around 6-7 minutes.
8. Once cooked, drain the pasta well into a colander removing all excess water & pour on a very small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Don’t add too much oil, otherwise your rolls won’t hold together when you bake them!
9. While you allow the noodles to cool down a bit, lay down a piece of wax paper (or a clean & oiled cookie sheet) to place your noodles on for assembly.
10. Once cool enough to not burn your fingers, place the noodles on the wax paper.
11. Thinly layer on the cheese & spinach mixture evenly, all the way to the edges of the noodles.
12. Spoon on the ground sausage in the middle of the noodle – if you go too close to the edges, it will just fall out.
13. Roll up each noodle and place it in the prepared baking dish.
14. Once all of your rolls are in the dish, spoon more sauce on top of each roll, then sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella.
15. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is browned.
Notes: The options for non-pork sausage are quite slim where I shop, so I usually get whatever they have available, which are usually in the form of sausage links. To mince them, I just throw them in my stand blender and pulse a few times to get a nice uniform ground sausage. I hope you enjoy, because these spinach lasagna rolls are the bomb!
July 1, 2015
Marinated Grilled Chicken skewers
What a week this has been! I’ve gone out after work pretty much every day this week, mostly for work-related functions, so needless to say my home cooked meals were…well… let’s just say that Jonathan made dinner a lot this week. Though I did make an amazing black bean & pulled beef brisket soup with creamy cheddar quesadillas a few nights ago, so I didn’t leave the poor guy to fend entirely for himself. I’ll be making the aforementioned recipe again very soon… just wait until I post that – it was screen-licking good.

But I digress…because today’s post is about a different recipe: quick and easy marinated grilled chicken skewers. I should mention that I had no intention of even blogging about these little amazingly simple yet perfect snacks – when I tasted them, though, I knew that these needed to be shared with the world. They’re that good. Since I haven’t been 100% on kitchen duty this week, we found ourselves with a few random ingredients that needed a home in some kind of recipe (ie, before they went bad…). I’m obsessed with boneless & skinless chicken thighs – we are definitely a dark meat family – but I had like, a kilo of the stuff left to use up. Jonathan whipped up a delicious smoked paprika & lime juice marinade, then I threw them on a few skewers, heated our grill pan and let the magic happen.

I’m all about simple, no-nonsense recipes during the week, and this one perfectly fits those requirements. Serve it with a bowl of rice (cilantro rice, maybe?) and you’ve got yourself an easy meal that’s sure to please all the chicken lovers in your life.

This recipe couldn’t be easier, is full of flavor and is sure to make everyone around your dinner table happy. Baked, grilled or even in a pan on the stovetop…these chicken skewers are the real deal. Go make them now!

Ingredients:
- 4 medium-sized boneless & skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup of peanut sauce* (optional)
- Sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- Green onions (optional garnish)
Instructions:
1. Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces
2. Marinate the chicken in the olive oil, lime juice and smoked paprika for at least 30 minutes (overnight if you have the patience)
3. Place 5-6 pieces of chicken on each skewer
4. Grill for about 5 minutes on high heat or until cooked through (or for about 10 minutes if you’re using a stovetop grill pan.)
5. Place them on a piece of paper towel to remove any excess oils
6. Serve garnished with green onions, sesame seeds and a bit of lime juice drizzled on.
*I played around with this sauce so much before I got it just right that I didn’t note down the exact proportions of soy sauce, curry paste, etc. I’ll make it again and be a bit more studious next time, but in the meantime, check out this recipe for homemade peanut sauce: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/thai-peanut-sauce/
June 26, 2015
Kale & red berry smoothie
It’s Monday, and if you’re anything like me, then you need a little boost of energy after the weekend. Enter: the kale & red berry smoothie! ☀️

You might remember that I’ve recently changed my mind about kale and I’ve got a bunch of the stuff just begging to be used in some delicious recipe, sitting right in my fridge.

I’ve been on a health kick lately. Okay, confession: I’m always on a health kick of some sort! I love trying out new healthy recipes, and trying to turn my favorite dishes vegetarian. I’m not a big sweets lover, and would live off of just fresh veggies (and fruits, if you’re counting tomatoes) if I could. But I can’t because I also have a big strong husband to feed, and he needs a lot of protein and carbs to get through his day. And truth be told, so do I! It takes work to eat a fully veggie-only diet and still get all of the nutrients you need, and I certainly don’t have enough discipline for that. When I was single, I lived off of foods with a marina sauce base. Lots of pastas and salads, and more salads and pastas, and from time to time fish or meat if I had dinner guests or went out to eat. One of the reasons that I’ve really been wanting to start this blog is to archive my recipes for inspiration on those days when I’m just not quite sure what to make for dinner. Because lack of inspiration always leads to one meal: spaghetti! But I can’t always have pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner… ! When I need to change it up with a more conventional way to start off my day, I’ve gone a bit crazy for smoothies.

They’re super fresh, mega flavorful, and pack a big punch of energy. All of this, with just a few ingredients and ready in about 5 minutes – what’s not to love?

My first smoothie attempt was a huge success so that motivated me to work on a second fruitier masterpiece. I tweaked it a bit to get the right proportions, so this was the perfect mix of sweet and sour that I was going for. Go ahead and give it a try – don’t be afraid of playing around with the ingredients until it’s just like you like it!

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
- 1 cup of kale
- 1 cup of frozen mixed red berries
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Instructions:
1. Blend all ingredients until uniform in color and smooth (about 1 minute, depending on your blender). Drink this awesome kale smoothie immediately 🙂
Notes: If seeds in your drinks gross you out like they do for me, then just pour your mixture through a sieve to filter out the seeds!
June 22, 2015
Black bean kale quesadillas
Happy Friday, y’all!

This recipe was meant to be “Black bean quesadillas” but then I thought… what if I had something other than beans & cheese for dinner, you know, to healthify this recipe a little bit? Then I looked over to the two uneaten bags of kale sitting in my fridge and I realized that I should stop avoiding them and see if I could sneak them into this recipe. The only reason I even bought them is because they were on sale, and I thought I should finally give Kale a try.

See, I have had a bit of a hang up with Le Kale, until only very recently. I know it’s supposed to be a super food, and be super good for you, but something about just how fashionable it became turned me off. When I was living in Paris, Kale was pretty much the coolest thing ever! Parisians were obsessed with le Kale, and were putting it in everything. Everything! People are even out here walking around in t-shirts with “Kale” printed on them! So naturally given all the hype, I thought this was another food fad that would come and go. You see, I’m a spinach lover, and I’ve resisted this food trend for a while thinking that Kale and Spinach offer essentially the same benefits and nutrients (which is more or less true). Then, I tasted a kale Mac ‘n cheese recipe. And everything changed. The stuff’s delicious, y’all!

For a pretty good breakdown on the Kale vs Spinach debate, check out what Huffington Post has to say about it:http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/02/kale-vs-spinach_n_3534191.html

So here’s how I transformed my classic black bean quesadillas to a nutrient-packed (and trendy 😉) vegetarian meal, perfect for getting dinner on the table in under 20 minutes and still keeping it totally healthy. You guys — these black bean kale quesadillas are legit!! Easy, filling and healthy – make these now…! 🙂

In other blogging news, I’m super excited to announce that I’ve started building a Yummly recipe catalog (which you can check out here) and have also become a Yummly publisher! It’s super convenient to have all of my recipes in one place, and I can also look up other amazing recipes from other sources — win win!

All you need to do is browse the picture index on my Yummy publisher page, and when you see a recipe you like just click it and yummly will bring you back to the recipe here on seefoodplay.com.

If you want to add one of my recipes then just click the “Yum” button to share 😉

Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 cup of Kale, sautéed in olive oil & a dash of garlic powder until tender
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 flour tortillas
- 1 cup of homemade salsa (or jarred salsa if you are in a hurry!)
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions:
1. Mix together your kale, beans, salsa and cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add some olive oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium for about 30 seconds.
3. Place your tortilla in the pan, then add a few ablespoons of the bean mixture to half of the tortilla, then fold over the other half to create a half-moon shape.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until nice and golden.
5. Repeat steps with the remaining tortillas and bean mixture.
6. Serve with a few cherry tomatoes and some fresh chopped cilantro.
June 19, 2015
Oven-roasted asparagus with garlic
Hello, my name is Veronica, and I’m addicted to asparagus. Seriously, we eat the stuff several times a week and just can’t get enough of it! It used to be my “weekly splurge” when we lived in Paris because it was oh so expensive there, but I buy it like it’s going out of style now that we live in London and I can get enough for two at around £2! Google tells me that it’s often thought of as a “luxury vegetable” – I didn’t even know such a thing exists…! I totally understand why, though, because whenever I make them I feel like I’m feasting on some precious food treasure that I don’t want anyone too many people to know about, lest there be an international shortage of these delightfully green weird-looking things. Asparagus is one of those foods that can be really amazing, or horribly offensively disgusting. Can you tell that I feel strongly about this vegetable?

Lots of people do know about asparagus and how amazing it is, though, and everyone has their own way of preparing it. I’m just going to put this out there: there’s a right way and a wrong way. I try not to be too “my way or the highway” when it comes to cooking, but some things are just oh so wrong.** Boiling is the wrong way, and grilling/roasting is the right way.

My husband Jonathan wasn’t really a big veggie fan when we first started dating and this was a serious cause for concern for me: about 99% of my favorite recipes have either tomatoes or mushrooms in them (this is only a slight exaggeration) and these are two things that he used to despise.

Most of my veggies are prepared in the oven, though (or grilled) and this made all the difference! Whenever I ask which veggies he wants for dinner these days, his answer is almost always: broccoli, asparagus or corn! Yes, miracles do happen. He tolerates mushrooms now but still won’t go near a tomato (except for when I got him to eat green tomatoes once, after convincing him they were cucumbers. I know..terrible wife, but it worked and he liked them!).

Anway, on to the good stuff: how to make perfect asparagus the right way.

Ingredients:
- 150 grams of Asparagus
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of Good Olive Oil*
Instructions:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil, and preheat your oven to the maximum temperature or broil feature.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, use a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife to peel about 1 inch of the bottoms of your asparagus.
3. Once the water is boiling, throw in your asparagus for 15 seconds. Yes, 15. Not 30 and certainly not longer. The blanching process will essentially only cook the very outer layer, and will leave the inside nice and crispy.
4. Strain your asparagus well, and transfer to a baking dish large enough so that the asparagus stalks aren’t touching.
5. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper and garlic powder and drizzle on the olive oil.
6. Roast for 10 minutes, then serve immediately.
They will come out crispy on the tips and softer but not mushy on the stalks. Otherwise known as perfect oven-roasted asparagus with garlic. Enjoy 🙂

*you can taste the quality of your olive oil in this recipe, so now’s the time if there ever was one to use your good stuff.

**Funny story… as I was writing this post, I thought “hmm I wonder if there are actually people out there saying that one should in fact boil asparagus? And if so, who are these crazies?” The number one recipe that came up massively surprised me, and even caused me a moment of self-doubt. Have I been getting it wrong all this time?? Nahhh – I stand by my belief that asparagus should never be anything-but parboiled. Can you guess where the first recipe for boiled asparagus is from, though? Google it for yourself and see if you’re as surprised as I was… 😉
June 17, 2015
Vegan spinach and basil pesto
When Jonathan and I first started dating, he would often cook for me (that definitely didn’t last too long lol). His Man Menu was usually some sort of meat or fish (fried/grilled in a pan) with a canned vegetable or rice. If he was feeling fancy, though, he would make me a special treat: Pasta Pesto (announced in an Italian accent as he arrived with a piping plate to the table). The recipe was simple enough, and honestly not bad: once your spaghetti noodles were cooked to an al dente perfection, drain, then stir in your jarred pesto sauce and about ½ cup of cream. Mix well and serve to your lovely girlfriend.

Bless his heart… he meant well and that’s one of the (many) reasons I fell for him, but I never really liked pesto, and pasta sauce out of a jar is basically a sin in my book. After all, why go for all the preservatives when you can make the same thing from scratch with only a few ingredients?!

Jonathan loves pesto though, and religiously orders it whenever we are in Italy (because we go every year!! I will never stop being amazed by the fact that we get to spend a few weeks in Italy each summer. Even after 10 years of living in Europe, I gotta admit: some things never get old.)

I have never been a big fan of pesto and I will always opt for a tomato-based sauce for my pasta when given the choice. Whenever I try to change it up, I’m disappointed and wish I had just ordered the spaghetti al pomodoro, pasta alla norma, or the Bolognese that I know I will love. Some non-tomatoey recipes, though, have a special place in my heart, and this pesto is one of them.

I’ve been trying to really seriously plan our meals to make sure that we’re eating well-balanced and diverse meals, and I realized that almost all of my go-to recipes have meat (and dairy) in them. So, in the spirit of incorporating Meatless Mondays into our routine, I decided to try my hand at one of Jonathan’s favorites! And thus, the vegan spinach and basil pasta recipe was born. You didn’t think I would waste this opportunity to sneak in some veggies, did you? 😉

To be fair, I didn’t plan to make this pesto vegan, but we didn’t have any parmesan on-hand, so I just skipped it and hoped for the best. The result is so surprisingly creamy and full of flavor that I can honestly say I didn’t miss the cheese (or tons of olive oil) one bit. The addition of spinach adds an extra dose of vitamins, and the basil gives it that pestoey zing and freshens it up.

This vegan pesto recipe is legit you guys, so much so that I’m wondering if I’ll ever go back to making “regular” pesto. Traditional pesto is usually made with a ton of parmesan cheese and olive oil, and to be fair, is pretty darn good too. This stuff, though, is full of flavor with just enough garlic and just a splash of olive oil. So you can have a totally guilt-free bowl of pesto and (whole grain) pasta without thinking too hard about all of the calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 cup of basil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup of pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- around ¼ cup of water
Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in the food processor, except for the water.
2. Slowly add in the water until reaching the desired consistency.
3. Serve over cooked linguine or penne (or whatever you prefer — those are just two of our favorites)
Note: If it’s too thick, then add a tablespoon or two of water, until you get the desired consistency.
June 14, 2015
Eggplant parmesan rolls
Spring is finally (kind of, sometimes) here, and all I can think of making are veggie-filled recipes that are light and fresh. This is one of those recipes that I really hesitate before making, because Jonathan doesn’t eat 95% of the ingredients (ie, eggplant and tomatoes). Being the lovely and supportive husband that he is, however, he always at least tastes my tomato-mushroom-eggplant-random other vegetable he’s never heard of recipes and sometimes he even likes them! (remember those Stuffed portobello mushrooms?). This one definitely falls into the category of recipes that Jonathan didn’t think he would like, but did. Add one point to Team Vegetable.

I’m not even a big fan of eggplant myself, but I luuuvvvv eggplant parmesan and this: aubergine millefeuille (or my take on it: eggplant parmesan rolls). It can be served as a starter or main dish, is vegetarian-friendly, and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Sometime last year on one of me & Jonathan’s “date nights” we went to La Bouteille d’Or, a fabulous little Parisian restaurant with views on Notre Dame. When we got there I remember thinking that I’d fallen into a tourist trap because I was surrounded by groups of…well… tourists. The lighting was a bit too bright for my tastes and the atmosphere wasn’t really that cosy chic that I was hoping for. As soon as our waiter arrived at our table, however, we knew we were in for a treat: he was super professional and attentive, making sure everything was perfect during our meal. When we looked at the menu, we had our second pleasant surprise: the prices were great (especially for the neighborhood!! Hello there, view of Notre Dame), and there was a fixed price menu for even better deals. All of our food was good, but my entrée was really the star of the show: mille-feuilles d’aubergine. I remember forcing Jonathan to taste it and even he said it was good! The recipe is very simple (like a lot of French cuisine) and comes out extremely flavorful with just a few basic ingredients. It’s kind of the French version of eggplant parmesan and it is sooo good. Tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, mozzarella, eggplant… yes, please!

Ingredients:
- ½ eggplant*
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Bread crumbs**
- Marinara sauce***
- 10 cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
- Extra olive oil (to drizzle on top)
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350degrees F // 180 degrees C.
2. Spread about 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce in a small baking dish, set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder and olive oil.
4. You eggplant should be cut in half vertically, in 1/4 inch thick slices (using a mandoline if possible).
5. Layer on the following for your eggplant rolls:
  - A spoonful of marinara sauce
  - A spoonful of chopped spinach & basil
  - A spoonful of mozzarella
  - A spoonful of breadcrumbs
6. Carefully roll up the eggplant slices, and place them crease-down into the baking dish.
7. Drizzle a bit of the olive oil & garlic powder mixture over each one, then season with salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and some extra mozzarella on top, then add a halved cherry tomato to each roll.
9. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and golden.
10. Garnish with more fresh basil, and serve immediately.
*What to do with the rest of that eggplant, you ask? Well, you could double the recipe and make some extras for your lunch or freeze them. Orrrr… you could make Roasted eggplant caviar
(I’ll be adding the recipe for that, soon! Picture the easiest and most flavorful (vegetarian) eggplant dip…ever!).

**I don’t use pre-packaged breadcumbs, but they’re of course fine. If you want to go the fully homemade route, then try this: Place 1 cup of corn flakes, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, and a tiny pinch of hot cayenne pepper, then grind in a food processor until about the size of breadcrumbs.

***If using my marinara sauce, no need to cook the sauce: simply combine all of the ingredients and then spoon the cause onto the eggplant slices. You might want to run the sauce through the food processor first to get it nice and smooth.

This makes two servings as a starter, but can be doubled to make a main dish.

If you don’t usually like eggplant then I suggest giving this recipe a try – it might just convert you!
June 12, 2015