Recipe Creation: Sweet Corn + Cherry Tomato + Basil Frittata

Summer produce is my favorite: peaches, tomatoes, corn.... corn.... corn. Did I say corn?  If you don't already know by now, I have a complete corn obsession.  I would happily eat an ear a day, and often do.  As much as I love it straight off the cob, I also enjoy experimenting with corn and tossing it into different dishes.  This frittata is one such example and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  Each forkful tastes like a bite of summer.  I also love this dish because it can be served for any meal and it's very baby + toddler friendly.  It's a one dish delight.  Enjoy!

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 basil leaves, torn
• 1 ear corn, cut off cob
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• salt & pepper, to taste
• olive oil (for greasing)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9-inch pie dish with olive oil.
-In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the water.
-Add the corn, tomatoes and basil to the pie dish and pour in the eggs.
-Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
-Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan while still warm.
-Let cool, slice + serve.

Recipe (Re)creation: Butternut Squash, Kale + Manchego Pizza

You can think of this one as the ultimate harvest pizza.  As fall is upon us and the leaves are starting to change, I begin to crave all my favorite fall and winter veggies. Roasting vegetables and throwing them in pastas, salads, and soups is always a delicious option, so why not throw them on pizza? I found this delectable recipe here and made a few changes to suit my tastes.  I love manchego cheese, so I used that instead of fontina, and omitted the salsa.  I also cheated and used store bought pizza dough from Whole Foods.  While I do love the idea of making the dough from scratch, it just isn't realistic for me on a weeknight.  Otherwise, I stuck to the original recipe and just love how this pizza turned out.  Happy eating!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. pizza dough
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 tbsp. pine nuts
• 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. shredded manchego cheese
• 1 small bunch of kale, torn

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and remove pizza dough from fridge.

-Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the garlic and place in tin foil.

-Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.  

-Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium skillet and add the butternut squash.

-Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes. 

-Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

-Once the garlic is tender, remove from the oven and let cool.

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees F for the pizza. 

-Place the sage, pine nuts, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese in a food processor and blend until a thick pesto is formed. 

-Knead the dough and form it into a flat disk about 12 inches wide.  

-Place on a greased baking sheet lined with tin foil.

-Brush the dough with olive oil and spread evenly with pesto.

-Top with shredded manchego, then add the butternut squash, and top with more manchego.

-Place pizza in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.

-Meanwhile, place kale in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. parmesan.

-Remove pizza from oven, top with kale, and bake for another 5-6 minutes.

-Once the pizza is done and the kale is crispy, remove from oven.

-Allow to cool, cut into slices and serve immediately. 

Recipe (Re)creation: Grilled Peach + Prosciutto Pizza

I just took a fabulous cooking class at Sur La Table and we focused specifically on grilled pizzas.  The hands-down winner of the night was a grilled peach and prosciutto pizza.  I ended up eating two of them (yes, two) and was determined to make them at home.  I added mozzarella, caramelized onions and some lightly dressed arugula leaves to the top and had myself a culinary masterpiece.  While we did learn how to make our own dough (I will post this later), it is a little time consuming and must be made a few days in advance, so I used Whole Foods store-bought dough.  The key is the leave it out so it is room temperature when you are ready to start forming the crusts.  That way it will be much easier to work with and you will be much happier with your results.  You don't even have to own a BBQ to make these pizzas- any grill pan or griddle will do!

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil (for brushing peaches and grill)
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large white peach, pitted and sliced
• 8 oz. pizza dough, room temperature
• flour (for forming crusts)
• 2-3 sliced prosciutto, torn
• 2-3 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 3/4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

-Preheat your grill or grill pan over high heat and brush with olive oil.
-Heat a large non-stick skillet and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
-Add the yellow onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
-Remove the caramelized onions from heat and set aside.
-Next, brush peach slices with oil and place on grill.
-Cook until they develop grill marks, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
-Carefully remove peaches from grill and set aside for later.
-With floured hands, form the pizza dough into a ball.
-Pinch the dough with your thumbs and forefingers to stretch it out.
-Once it is round and flat, place the dough on a floured surface
-Brush one side with oil and place the oiled side down on the grill.
-Cover, and cook until grill marks appear (about 3 mins).
-Then oil the top and flip again until the other side also has golden grill marks.
-Remove from heat, top with torn mozzarella, prosciutto and peaches.
-Return pizzas to the grill, cover, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
-Mix the arugula and remaining olive oil and balsamic in a small bowl.
-Top the pizza with caramelized onions and arugula salad.

Enjoy!

Restaurant (Re)creation: Arii Moana's Chilled Cucumber + Coconut Soup

I just got back from an amazing trip to the Bora Bora and this dish was inspired by a soup I had at the Four Seasons' signature restaurant, Arii Moana.  It was love at first bite.  It's the perfect soup for a balmy evening, totally ingredient driven, light, and refreshing.  Naturally, I went back home on a mission to bring Bora Bora's finest to my very own kitchen.  This soup is simple, straightforward, and perfect for spring!

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut yogurt (plus extra for garnish)
• 2 large organic cucumbers, sliced in rounds and halved
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

-Cut 1/4 of one of the cucumbers off, finely dice and set aside for later.
-Next, add the remaining sliced and halved cucumbers to a high powered blender or Vitamix.
-Pour the coconut milk and yogurt into the blender with the cucumbers.
-Add the shredded coconut and salt and blend to your desired consistency.
-Ladle into bowls and top with diced cucumbers and a dollop of coconut yogurt.

~Enjoy~

Recipe Creation: Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

This recipe was inspired by my brand new Vitamix!  I got it for Christmas and have been hooked ever since.  I literally can make breakfast, lunch, and dinner with that bad boy. Soups, in particular, are a breeze with the Vitamix.  This soup is loosely based on a Vitamix recipe, with a few changes and improvisations.  Also, I tribute my friend Casey with the idea of adding sweet potato chips to the top.  I will never again throw away the peeled sweet potato skins!  Enjoy!

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup low fat evaporated milk
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large shallot, peeled
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with foil.

-Peel the sweet potato (keeping the skins) and cut into 1 inch cubes.  

-Place the sweet potato, garlic, and shallot on one side of the baking sheet.

-Place the sweet potato skins on the other side of the sheet and distribute evenly.

-Drizzle all the veggies generously with olive oil and season with salt.

-Roast for 10-15 minutes, then remove the skins when they are crispy.

-Continue cooking the other veggies for another 10 minutes, or until tender.

-Warm the chicken broth and evaporated milk in a bowl in the microwave.

-Add the spices to the creamy broth and pour the broth in your Vitamix (or blender).

-Next, add the veggies and blend, starting at the lowest setting and working up.

-Blend until creamy and smooth and serve topped with crispy sweet potato skins.

Recipe (Re)creation: Fried Egg and Avocado Pita

This is what I would consider a weekend creation that is easy enough for a weekday and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It's sort of like the all-purpose meal and is the ultimate comfort food.  It was inspired by an avocado that was sitting in our fruit bowl looking perfectly ripe and ready to eat.  It was given to my husband by a coworker whose family has an avocado farm, so I knew this was going to be amazingly fresh and I wanted to put it to good use.  While scouring recipes and ideas, I came across this one on What Gaby's Cooking. I just tweaked the quantities and proportions a bit and it was an instant hit.  The citrusy smashed avocado blends perfectly with the creamy yolk, and the best part is: it can all be sopped up with the pita.  One bite of this takes me straight to my happy place- whether it's the weekend or not.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe avocado
• 1/4 of a lemon
• 2 fresh eggs
• 2 pitas
• salt & pepper

Directions:

-In a bowl, mash the avocado until it is fairly smooth.  

-Squeeze with a little bit of lemon and season with salt and pepper.

-Meanwhile, heat up pitas, either in the oven or in a toaster.

-Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low heat.

-Crack an egg into a cup and gently pour into the skillet.  

-Cook until whites are set and the edges of the egg start to brown.

-Repeat with the second egg and set aside.

-Spread each warmed pita with avocado, and top with a fried egg.

-Season with salt and pepper.

*Optional- for an added kick, top with hot sauce or red chili flakes.