Beet and Mango Spring Rolls

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this enough, but I love Whole Foods. And I don’t think I’ve mentioned this at all, but I’ve recently moved to Austin and have found myself in Whole Foods headquarters. There’s something special about wondering the aisles of a grocery store late at night. When you can actually hear the music over the rustle of the shopping carts, and employees have the time to smile and ask you if there’s anything you would like to try. It’s like Disney World closed for the day in order to host a private party just for you. Everything screams “be our guest.”

All this aside, I stopped off at the mecca of Whole Foods on Sunday to grab a drink, and soon realized this was no easy task. For one, you can’t just pop into the mothership of Whole Foods without paying your dues. For another, you can’t just drop by Whole Foods on a Sunday afternoon and expect to get anywhere fast. It’s the amusement park of grocery stores and you must be “this patient” in order to stand in line. While waiting in one of these said lines for a build-your-own juice that I had so generously, and now regretfully, offered to pick up for a friend, I studied the menu board. I realized that many of those smoothies/juices could double as delicious meals when left unblended, so when Monday rolled around, I realized that the order I had transcribed for my friend would make for some delicious spring rolls. So thank you Kaska for being my inspiration, and thank you Whole Foods for making all my food dreams come true. I’ll still wait in your lines, but might I suggest a Fast Pass for frequent shoppers.

Makes about 4 spring rolls

Rolls:

Rice wrappers

1/2 cup chopped beets (I went the easy route and took these from the Whole Foods salad bar)

1/2 cup chopped cucumber (same with these)

1 mango, diced

6-8 basil leaves, ribboned (tutorial in directions)

Half a bag of vermicelli noodles

Head of kale

Sauce: 

Sesame seeds (optional)

Soy sauce

Sriracha sauce

Sesame oil

Lime

• Cook vermicelli noodles according to package – about 5 minutes in boiling water.

• Mix ingredients for sauce as you see fit. I like my sauces to be heavier on the sesame oil and sriracha, but I’ll let you be the judge. Peanut butter would also be a nice addition.

• Ribbon the basil leaves. Do this by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, rolling them up, then slicing vertically (shout out Mrs. Sheffield for this tutorial!

• Dip the rice wrappers one at a time in warm water for about 5 seconds. Layer with kale (I would suggest ripping the leaves off the center vein as it tends to be extra crunchy), vermicelli noodles, mango, beet, cucumber, and basil.

• Roll, slice, and dip.

Cracker Jack Cookies

Today marked the first play-off game for my “super social” softball team. “Super social” meaning we’re better at drinking beer than playing ball.

I felt this milestone had to be celebrated with dessert, and what better treat to complement a softball game than Cracker Jack cookies. As someone who works in marketing, I want to give a head nod to whichever marketing genius got this product placed into “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Free marketing that went down in history, I hope someone got a raise.

I’ll refrain from making any cheesy comparisons of these cookies to baseball terms, but do know that they are pretty good. Plus, if you’re the one making these, you get first dibs on that coveted Cracker Jack prize.

Keeping in Cracker Jack spirit, I’ll even reward you for reading this post. Fun fact: In 2004, the Yankees tried to replace Cracker Jack with Crunch ‘n Munch, but after the public outcry they immediately switched back. It’s just not the same without Sailor Jack and his trusty dog, Bingo.

1/2 cup, unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup, light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup, sugar

1 teaspoon, salt

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon, vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup, all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon, baking soda

4 cups, Cracker Jacks

Directions

Borrowed from: Eat My Words

• Preheat oven to 350.

• Mix butter, sugars, and salt in large mixing bowl. Then, add in egg and vanilla.

• In separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Stir into butter-sugar mixture.

• Fold popcorn into dough until popcorn is coated.

• Drop tablespoon-sized scoops onto greased pan. Bake for 8-9 minutes (I undercooked mine to keep the popcorn crispy.)

 

Then, take these out to the ball game!

Peanut Butter, Bourbon, Potato Chip Cookies

These cookies are too good to pass up. And they even come with a whole softball team’s worth of approval. They’re chewy, crunchy, sweet, and salty, all rolled into one pop-in-your-mouth bundle. Pour a shot of bourbon for yourself and get to work.

1 1/4 cups, all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon, baking soda

1/4 teaspoon, baking powder

1/8 teaspoon, ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon, salt

4 tablespoons, unsalted butter

1/2 cup, peanut butter (I used reduced sugar and it tasted just fine)

1/2 cup, granulated sugar

1/2 cup, packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons bourbon, plus more to taste

1/2 cup, potato chips

Directions

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.

• Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

• Incorporate peanut butter and butter. I cut in the butter cold, similar to how you make scones. Beat in granulated and light brown sugar, then add egg and bourbon.

• Gradually add in flour mixture until combined.

• Fold in potato chips. Add more as needed.

• Arrange balls of dough on ungreased baking sheet. Brand with fork if desired.

• Bake for 10-11 minutes. Dough should still be pliable when removed from oven.

Watermelon Gazpacho

I’ve fallen in love with a man about seven decades too late. His name is Ernest. Ernest Hemingway.

I don’t know why I’ve never read anything of his beyond The Old Man and the Sea. Maybe it was because I hated that old man and his sea. Or maybe I should have gone into it with a mindset other than, “This is the shortest book on the required reading list. Read it as fast as you can because you have a project due on it tomorrow.”

Regardless of the reason, I’m currently reading The Paris Wife, which is Ernest Hemingway as told by his wife, Hadley. It’s a historical fiction, so I have to take everything with a grain of salt, but the way Hemingway is described with such a zeal for life makes me not want to sit down. It was while reading this book, in fact, that led me to making this soup.

While visiting Spain, Hemingway and Hadley sit down to a lunch of gazpacho, good hard bread, and fish poached in lime. Doesn’t that just sound like the loveliest lunch? I had to have it. Just the watermelon, mint version of it. The beautiful weather today left me no other choice.

Try not to slurp.

4 cups, diced seedless watermelon

1 peeled diced cucumber

1 plum tomato

1/3 cup, fresh mint

1 tablespoon, olive oil +more for serving

1/4 cup, lime juice

1 teaspoon, vinegar

1 packet sweetener (optional)

Sriracha, to taste

Salt and pepper

Directions

• Dice watermelon and cucumber
• In a small pot, boil enough water to cover the tomato. With a knife, make a small “X” at base of tomato in order to make skin easier to peel. Boil for 30 seconds, or until skin begins to split.
• Submerge tomato in ice water for a few minutes. Once cooled, peel off skin. Dice tomato and scoop out seeds.
• Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings as desired.
• Serve drizzled with olive oil

Asian Pear, Sriracha Butter, and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

So many good words in that title. Butter, cheese, sriracha? I hope I have your attention.

This recipe came about when a coworker decided to instate the first of what I hope to be many, Fried Cheese Fridays. And while we may be grilling instead of frying, you get the picture. This was fried cheese fate for me as I’ve been steadily building a Pinterest grilled cheese board hoping that this day woud come. The board is even respectfully named Grilled Cheesus (Glee anyone?) At least the good, pre-PSA version of Glee.

This blog, solely dedicated to the making of grilled cheeses, is also fabulous for inspiration.

Grilled Cheese Social

While doing my grilled cheese research, or more like oogling pictures of oozing cheese, I stumbled across a recipe for sriracha butter, or might I say sriracha mixed with butter, and after that I was done for. One Asian pear and a couple slices of mozzarella later, and I was grilled cheese happy.

Supplies

2 slices of bread (I used ciabatta)

2 slices of Mozzarella

1 Asian pear

Butter

Sriracha

Directions

• Butter one slice of bread with sriracha butter. Layer pear slices, a piece of cheese, and repeat. 

• Top with buttered slice of bread.

• Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side in a medium-low heated frying pan.

Do your happy dance.

Fajita Turkey Burgers

Grilling season is finally here, except you wouldn’t have known it last week here in Austin when it was 30 degrees…in April. So I took this grilling recipe and brought in indoors. It was my first time using a stovetop grill, and my lack of patience and lack of experience resulted in some pretty sad looking burgers. I managed to get some good grill marks on one patty though, and it thus became my model for the rest of the photo shoot.

I love turkey burgers because they fill me up without making me feel like I need a 3 hour nap. I wanted to find a recipe that jazzed up the traditional turkey burger, and the fact that this one had some spice to it made it all the better. I used the Central Market Hatch Chile Salsa Verde, and found myself trying to incorporate it in everything else I ate for the rest of the week. While cooking with tomatillos is something on my to-do list, I’m glad I bought pre-made salsa verde this time around.

Note to reader: these burgers taste better eaten at dusk in a backyard with beer. Or maybe that’s just me.

Serves 4

Adapted from: Naturally Ella

1 lb ground turkey

1/3 cup salsa verde

1/2 green pepper

1/2 onion

1/2 tbsp butter

4 slices jalapeno jack cheese

4 buns

Directions

• Pre-heat and oil grill as needed. Prep veggies.

• Combine turkey and salsa verde in bowl. Form into 4 patties and place on grill.

• Combine onion, pepper, and butter. Depending on what kind of grill you’re using, either place in foil packet or directly on grill.

• Cook until patties are no longer pink and veggies are soft.

• Serve with cheese and additional salsa verde.

Chicken, Avocado, and Black Bean Frittata

I’ve always had trouble with eggs, hence the name of this blog. Boiling, flipping, frying, and deviling all give me difficulty. This usually strikes people as odd, since cooking eggs seems to be the first thing everyone masters. Slapping some pb&j on bread, and whipping up scrambled eggs are some of the basic survival skills for man. But somehow I missed out. Maybe I was spending too much time perfecting my cereal box pour.

But when it comes to frittatas, I’ve got eggs beat (pun possibly intended.) Frittatas are the easy-going brother of the stuffy omelet. There’s no flipping, folding, or following the rules. You empty out the pantry, mix it in a skillet, and let the oven do the work. The result is a feast of frittata that makes you feel like you have your life together when you reheat it for breakfast. Just try casually telling your coworkers that you had a frittata before getting in, that’s probably more productivity then some people will have all day.

Servings: 6

1/2 medium onion , chopped

1 large avocado, chopped

1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1 can black beans, drained

1 can mild green chilies, 4.5 oz

5 large eggs

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350.

• Saute onion with oil in 12-inch, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

• Mix in green chilies, black beans, avocado, and chicken.

• In separate bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, and spices together. Pour into skillet.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

• Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.

Eat and repeat.

Cinnamon, Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

When I say chia, you say pudding. No? Maybe not yet at least.

I previously used chia seeds in my poblano risotto, and even after sprinkling them over my cereal I still had a surplus. So I decided to give chia’s sweeter side a try and make a dessert.

I always have a problem, or maybe it’s a talent, with overeating dessert. No matter how full I might be, I can always find that magical extra stomach reserved specifically for dessert. Chia seed pudding might be the answer to my addiction.

Because chia seeds are high in fiber, they help keep you fuller longer and prevent you from overeating. I can actually say I got that “can’t-eat-another-bite” feeling without having to sneak multiple servings. I even used the leftovers as the “milk” for my cereal the next morning, and it took on a comforting yogurt-and-granola quality.

If you bake at all, this recipe only requires 3 ingredients, and if substitutes don’t bother you, the only thing you need is chia seeds. Just combine, stir, and chill, and you have a dessert where you can enjoy extra helpings instead of extra effort.

2 servings

Adapted from: An Edible Mosaic

1 cup milk (I used almond)

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1-2 packets sweetener (I used Stevia)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sea salt to taste

Directions

• Combine ingredients in a small bowl. 
• Refrigerate for a few hours until desired consistency (I ate mine after 2 hours and it was pretty milky, overnight it became more yogurt-like).

Wheat Berry and Cauliflower Salad

Remember me? I went on a short hiatus. Okay, I dropped off the face of the earth. But while I was gone, I met this wonderful grain. It’s nutty, hearty, and probably best friends with farro as they seem to have a lot in common.

Meet Wheat Berry.

These are grains of wheat without their husks. They have 6 grams of protein per serving, and Wikipedia tells me that it’s the primary ingredient in an Eastern European Christmas porridge. And I think that’s cute.

I adapted this recipe from this month’s issue of Bon Appetit, which my former roommate subscribed me to as a Christmas present. Girl after my own heart.

I know cauliflower isn’t always the most craved of vegetables, or even food for that matter, but I found myself digging around for the hunks of tender cauliflower. Almost the same as digging the marshmallows out of my Lucky Charms. Almost.

4 servings

1/2 cup wheat berries

1 Tbsp lemon zest

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp light mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon

6 Tbsp olive oil

1 head cauliflower

1 can butter beans

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbsp tarragon leaves

Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Cook wheat berries according to package directions (I bought the I’m-hungry-now 15 minute version.) Mix in beans at the end to warm. 

• Whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, Dijon, and 5 of the 6 Tbsp oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

• Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add cauliflower, cook for 10-12 minutes.

• Add 2 Tbsp water and cover for about 2 minutes until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

• Combine beans, parsley, tarragon, wheat berries, and dressing. Garnish with lemon zest. 

Eat and repeat! This makes surprisingly good leftovers.

S’mores Cookie Sandwiches

I can respect a dessert whose name demands seconds from the start. But there’s something about being around a campfire, with some remnants of stick in your marshmallow and your toes slightly singed, that makes outdoor s’mores that much better. So because I couldn’t do the fireside version justice, I made some tweaks to allow this s’more to be the next great indoor treat.

If (or when) I make these again, I would make the following changes. Feel free to do these the first time around.

• Don’t break up the graham crackers as finely. Leave them in chunks for a crunchier texture. 
• Add less chocolate chips. I know, blasphemy, but as is these can cause even the sweet tooth to ache (for more.)

Adapted from: A Bitchin Kitchen

• 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 and 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup graham crackers, finely or roughly chopped (almost a bag’s worth)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 jar marshmallow creme

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375.

• In large bowl, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add in egg and vanilla.

• In separate bowl, mix together flour, graham crackers, salt, and baking soda. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture on medium-low speed.

• Fold in chocolate chips.

• Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

• After cooled, use marshmallow creme to bind two cookies for one, awesome sandwich.