Buffalo Turkey Burgers

Hey ya'll! I'm on Day 20 of my second Whole30 challenge and it has been a roller coaster. I've tried so many new recipes that I can't even count. I literally have been living in my kitchen, cooking, meal prepping/planning, eating, and washing dishes. Seriously, the dishes never end...I've been way more adventurous this time and I'm happy to report that it has been seriously rewarding. I've made my own almond milk, chicken stock, and coconut butter all from scratch. No packaging, no preservatives, just good old homemade deliciousness. I've seriously reduced my food waste since starting the challenge. I think that has more to do with deliberate meal planning then the actual food I'm making. But heck, I'll take what I can get. My grocery bill has jumped quite a lot, but figure I'm almost never eating out so my restaurant budget is close to zero.

Some of my favorite recipes this go around include: Shrimp over Zoodles with Sunshine Sauce, Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Avocado, Ranch, and a Fried Egg, Pumpkin Breakfast Custard with Pecans and Dates, Salmon Cakes with Tarter Sauce over Spinach, and Harvest Chicken Salad.

Most of the above recipes come from the Whole30 cookbook/guide book (find it here on Amazon), which has been a life saver. It has helped me stay organized, on track, and motivated these last 20 days.

As of today, I'm feeling so much better than Day 1. I have less bloat, my clothes fit better, my energy is up, and cravings have dropped (although they are not gone completely). I've put myself in situations where my willpower has been tested, and I've been successful! Try sitting in a kitchen while your friend bakes chocolate chip cookies, if that isn't a test I'm not sure what is. But honestly, I didn't even want to eat the cookies, because I knew that it would take me away from goal and away from the lifestyle/behaviors I'm trying to embody.

Yet again, the positives I'm seeing from eating better and becoming healthier are pouring over into other areas of my life. After my first Whole30, I mentioned that I was making better life choices. And it is true the second time around. I spent close to two hours today working on my budget. My finances have been a huge burden for the past few years. I'm in decent credit card debt and have been struggling to get the number moving down. I have a lot of factors against me including living in one of the most expensive areas in the nation, working in an industry that doesn't compensate enough based on the work delivered (although don't we all think that!), and being single, living on my own! But instead of being negative, as I have been in the past, I decided to take a more positive tone to my plan. I set a date to when I want to be debt free, January 2019! I made a plan of how I was going to get there (teaching classes off hours, spending less, and committing to my budget). And I'm not going to let the lack of things I have take a bigger portion of my focus, than the things I am blessed to have. I have so much to be thankful for and that is where my concentration needs to stay! This may include giving up my vacation travels for the next few years and tightening up my purse a little, but it will give me the freedom that I've been wanting for so long!

On that note, I'm going to leave you with a recipe that is sure to put anyone in a great mood! I enjoyed this last night and just had to share!

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

1 lb. Ground Turkey
1/3 cup Buffalo Sauce (I made my own with hot sauce, ghee, coconut oil, cayenne)
1/4 cup Cashew Meal (Almond meal or coconut flour also work)
Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Form turkey mixture into 4 larger patties. Heat a large sauté pan with a touch of olive oil in it, so the patties don't stick. Cook patties for about 3 minutes each side. Then finish in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with extra buffalo sauce drizzled over, a fried egg, on top of spinach with a side of avocado and roasted sweet potato wedges for an amazingly satisfying dinner!! Enjoy!

Summer Gazpacho

It's summertime and the living's easy... Oh what a summer it's going to be! I've been remarkably busy over the last few weeks. With work events and conferences all summer, a NY family reunion in July, and a Bachelorette/Bridal Shower weekend to plan, this summer is going to fly by. And of course I can't wait for all of these fabulous events.

My summer really kicked off this past weekend with a great trip to Baltimore. There was a nice group of old friends and new! We had gorgeous weather and enjoyed the Orioles/Blue Jays game. Staying in the Inner Harbor was beautiful. And you better believe I enjoyed something with succulent crab in it at every restaurant stop. As great as it was I'm exhausted this week. I can tell you I'm looking forward to a weekend visiting the farmer's market and posting up at the pool. Relaxation can't come soon enough.

This week's heat wave has definitely clinched the summer feel. And in this weather, I like to eat light and fresh. And what is more fresh than nice cool summer gazpacho?! Crisp and crunchy vegetables mixed together with a little zing added. 

Summer Gazpacho

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and diced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 vidalia onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves minced

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 cups low sodium V8 vegetable juice 

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 

Salt and Pepper to taste

optional toppings: feta cheese, avocado, chopped hard boiled egg (haven't tried this but saw it on Pioneer Woman sounds yummy) 

Combine all chopped veggies (reserve a small amount of each to garnish soup), garlic and cilantro and place in food processor pulsing until combined. Transfer vegetable pulp to a large deep bowl. Add juice, olive oil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Use immersion blender to combine all ingredients until desired consistency. I like mine with a little texture, not too smooth. I feel it is more satisfying that way. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve ice cold! Make sure to throw it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. 

I'm looking forward to all of the great things this summer has to offer. Hopefully more recipes to come soon! Any requests?? 

Spaghetti Squash Bake

Autumn, fall, automne, otoño. However you say it, it is my favorite time of year. The crisp air, changing colors, cinnamon, apples, pumpkins, and the smell of campfires are just a few reasons why I love the season. Oh and soup. Lots and lots of soup. From butternut squash to curried cauliflower, this time of year I'm a soup fiend. Just today, I fired up a lentil and spinach soup to pack up for my weekly lunches. But that is to share another time. 

Winter squash is one of my favorite vegetables to cook with in the fall. There are so many ways to prepare it. Spaghetti squash is one very versatile varietal of the squash family that I absolutely LOVE. In this recipe, I use it as a base layer in a scrumptious casserole bake. I pair it with smoky cumin chicken thighs, turkey bacon, spinach, topped off with a slight kick from the crushed red pepper. This yields a 9x13 pan and fed me for lunch for the entire week (and surprisingly enough I didn't get sick of it!). It is not calorie dense so use it as a side or double the portion of chicken to make it more of a main dish. A great vegetarian option, substitute the bacon and chicken for cumin roasted chickpeas. Kale would also work well if you don't have spinach on hand. 

Spaghetti Squash Bake
1 large Spaghetti Squash
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. butter 
5 thin turkey bacon slices
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and Pepper
1-15 oz. can of low sodium diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 
1/4 tsp/-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
1 bay leaf 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half and drizzle with olive oil, season with kosher salt. Roast the squash cut side up in the oven fro 25-30 minutes or until tender and easy to shred with a fork. While the squash is roasting, crisp the bacon in a skillet for about 3-4 minutes each side then set aside. In a large skillet, heat butter. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and cumin on each side then add to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side. Once cooked, remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a plate (reserving juices and butter in the pan). In the same pan, add tomatoes, bay leaf, spinach, and red pepper. Combine all ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes until flavors combine. Prepare a 9x13 pan greasing with butter. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. 

Using a fork scrape the spaghetti squash away from the skin so that it shreds. Press squash into the 9x13 pan creating the first layer of the bake. Remove bay leaf from tomato/spinach mixture. Layer half of the tomato mixture over the squash. Cut chicken and bacon into cubes/pieces. Layer all of the chicken and bacon on top of the tomato, then finish with the rest of the tomato/spinach mixture. Bake the entire casserole for about 20-25 minutes or until set and piping hot. 

I'm hoping to take full advantage of the beautiful weather and get back into the running groove. With 4.5 miles down yesterday, I feel like a running streak is about to begin. I love this time of year to run, not as much sweating and clean pollen free air! Now I just need some sunny skies and it will be damn near perfect. 

I hope you give this recipe a try, it is tasty and so easy to throw together. Alright all, I'm going to skim through my many cookbooks and internet recipes for some upcoming posts. Suggestions always welcome! 

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

A few months ago, I asked for reader suggestions on ingredients to use in an upcoming post. I received a few fun suggestions, one of which was squash blossoms. I had never tasted a squash blossom before let  alone cooked one. It was an ingredient I had been curious about, but not one I had read much about. After traveling for most of the summer, I had not frequented my local farmer's market in quite some time. So my first visit back was exciting! Peaches and tomatoes were in season and the flowers were in full bloom. The sun was shining and everyone seemed exceptionally happy to be strolling through the vendors. I know I was. As a entered the market, one of the very first pieces of produce that caught my eye was a small pint of squash blossoms. They were just so precious and beautiful I couldn't imagine that you would want to eat them. They went directly into my bag because I knew that I wanted to try them and I did not want to disappoint my loyal reader (who ahem, may or may not be my sister).

I had found a recipe at sauveur.com that used anchovies and mozzarella to stuff the blossoms. Now talk about ingredients I have never used before. Anchovies were so far off my radar, I wasn't sure if I could even purchase them in the grocery store. So trying to stay true to my adventurous spirit, I was going to really go out of my cooking comfort zone. I wanted to try and keep the ingredients as fresh and simple as possible so I stopped by the local cheese vendor. He was carrying fresh mozz but my eye strayed towards burrata cheese, which is a a fresh mozzarella stuffed with ricotta. I grabbed it because how delicious does that sound!

With all of this my adapted recipe was formed.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms
12 squash blossoms, stems and stamens removed, rinsed and patted dry
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup unbleached flour
fresh ground black pepper
1 large ball of Burrata cheese
6 canned anchovies drained of the oil, chopped
Vegetable or Canola oil for frying

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (you know it is hot and ready when you put the bottom of a wooden spoon in the oil and small bubbles appear). Cut the burrata cheese into cubes/small slices and in a small bowl combine with anchovies. Stuff each squash blossom with cheese/anchovy mixture and carefully twist petals to seal the blossom. In a shallow bowl combine flour and black pepper. In a second shallow bowl beat the egg. In batches coat blossoms with flour, dip in egg, then covered in flour a second time. Fry 3-4 blossoms at a time for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown and crispy. Immediately, place blossoms on a paper towel lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt.

These tasty little delights are best served right away. The crisp outside and the soft velvety salty inside make these blossoms so delicious. The actual squash blossom has a nice delicate flavor and texture to it. The burrata and anchovy add the saltiness (so beware you don't need to add much when sprinkling over the finished product). This was definitely easier then I had imagined and the taste was superb. The fresh ingredients and simple recipe made for the perfect lunch. Serve with a tart lemonade and a side salad and you have a beautiful end of summer meal. I felt I could have been sitting on a sidewalk cafe in Italy somewhere...if only. Tara thanks for the great idea! I hope you give it a try, I think you'll love it.

Be on the look out for my next post, Blueberry Cream Pie!

Lobster Salad...the Long Island way

Summers on the North Fork of Long Island are idyllic. In the depths of winter I dream of the breeze off the bay, sitting with the water in sight and my friends and family close by. Living down here in VA, I am constantly yearning for the peace of a Long Island summer. This year due to my Hawaiian adventure I had to cut my Long Island vacation into a short three day weekend. My beautiful, long time friend, Alyssa was celebrating her marriage to Meyer. The wedding was something you see in the movies, set on a wildflower farm and officiated by the head speech writer of Unicef. It was as perfect as they come. Their romantic love story was told and the love was palpable. A tear or two may have been shed as I looked on and saw the happiness in my friends eyes. Some of my closest friends from my childhood were there and we made the most of it. Lots of dancing, amazing food, good drinks, and most of all great company.

We continued the fun the next day with trip to the beach, a great new winery Kontokosta, and an outdoor feast at my parents house! As we passed the dishes around, drank wine, and shared delicious food I was overwhelmed by the love I felt for the people around me.

The feast was a team effort and I can tell you this will be a meal I will crave for years to come. The menu included fresh green salad with homemade champagne blood orange vinaigrette, grilled zucchini, tomato mozzarella pesto salad, quinoa spinach goat cheese salad, homemade BBQ grilled chicken, and lobster salad rolls. To top it off was last years favorite grilled peaches with mascarpone and pistachios (you can find the recipe here: Grilled Honeyed Peaches with Pistachios). My sister is killer at making salad dressings and marinades. The one featured in this meal was fantastic! She layered the flavors and transformed a fresh salad into something truly memorable. My good friend Kym, brought her boyfriend Sean along for this trip, and boy am I glad he was around. Sean was the featured chef on the BBQ grilled chicken and I think I would do just about anything to get the recipe. The chicken was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of kick to the sauce. I was in charge of the lobster salad. This is what I came up with:

Lobster Salad Rolls
2 lbs. lobster meat
1 cup greek yogurt, nonfat
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. dried dill (fresh is better, but I forgot it on my grocery run!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 potato hot dog rolls brushed with melted butter and toasted on the grill

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, combine lobster meat and dressing. Let sit for about 20 minutes in the fridge to let the flavors meld together. I do this first then make the other sides. Serve in warm toasted rolls.

I'm already dreaming about summer next year! I hope you are all enjoying the last weekend of summer. Happy Labor Day!

Hawaiian BBQ Pizza

It has been a quiet weekend in this Goldsmith household. It is exactly six days out until the big Hawaiian vacation. Needless to say, I wanted to lay low and enjoy some peace and quiet. It was a weekend of preparations, picking up last minute items (everyone needs that one extra summer dress), making lists (lots and lots of lists), and beginning the long task of packing for a seven day vacation. Seriously, no one can prep you for having to pack for the unknown. I'm trying my best to go with the flow and not worry about plans, excursions, picking the perfect restaurant, or having every detail planned. I like spreadsheets, even on my vacations. The more organized I am, the more choices I have once there, the more I can relax, right? What you don't do that too?! My family on the other hand, is not quite as keen on the idea of planning every aspect of a tropical vacation. They say, go with the flow. How bad can it be when you're in Maui? I am going to attempt to go with this approach instead of my standard spreadsheet method. But you better believe, I will have my Maui guidebook on hand, and at least a list of a few restaurants that have rave reviews from fellow foodie travelers. 

As I start this week, I have a funny feeling that my mind will already be on the beach. Since my mind is already there, I decided to cook up a semi-homemade pizza with some of my favorite ingredients and a Hawaiian flare. 

Hawaiian BBQ Pizza

2 mini pre-made pizza crusts (I used Bobli original)

3/4 cup pizza sauce

1.5 oz. grated pepper jack cheese

1.5 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup jalapeno slices (or to taste)

1/2 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup diced cooked chicken 

2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread sauce over each pizza crust and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese. Place jalapeno slices and pineapple over cheese. In a small bowl, coat chicken with BBQ sauce. Place coated chicken on each crust. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake pizza's on a pizza stone or directly on the oven rack for a crispy crust for 12 minutes (I like mine a little more well done so adjust time to your preference). 

I love the mix of spicy and sweet that this pizza delivers. It has something for everyone. I don't order the typical Hawaiian pizza when at restaurants because it includes ham or prosciutto, which I don't eat. Instead, I usually substitute with jalapenos. My second favorite pizza is the BBQ chicken pizza with cilantro and red onions. This is the love child of the two combined. 

If you have any recommendations for a fun time in Maui, leave a comment below. All ideas are welcome, I can be quite the adventurer when given free reign :) 

Summer Berry Crisp with a Twist

This week started out rough. I'm convinced the full moon has affected my normally sunny disposition and turned me into a raving mad lunatic. There is a lot of transition going on in my life right now, and when there is a time of change I struggle with staying calm, cool, and collected. But I have some wonderful friends who talked me down from the cliff and put a smile on my face. My sister gave me some great advice and suggested cooking therapy. Why didn't I think of that?! So with that, I rolled up my sleeves opened my refrigerator and checked out what I could come up with. Zucchini fritters were on the menu, as well as my summer berry crisp with a twist. The inspiration for the crisp came from this lovely recipe: Joy the Baker- Strawberry Raspberry Crisp. I had blackberries on hand and I wanted to add my own twist to the mix. And I'm glad I went slightly astray because the resulting confection was something I could groove with.

Summer Berry Crisp with a Twist
1 quart strawberries, rinsed, stemmed and quartered
2 pints blackberries, rinsed (I cut mine in half because they were huge!)
juice of half a lime
zest of one lime
3/4 cup rolled old fashioned oats
3 Tbsp. whole wheat all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 8x8 pan mix the strawberries, blackberries, juice of lime, and lime zest. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, spices, and butter. Combine until the butter turns into small pea sized shapes. Take a small handful of the crisp topping and mix with the fruit. Then top the fruit with the rest of the crisp mixture. Sprinkle almonds on top of crisp mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and crisp topping is golden brown.

This has the taste of summer with a twist of lime! It makes me excited for my upcoming tropical vacation to Hawaii! It definitely helped to turn my mood around and put me back on track. Be on the look out for a Hawaiian inspired recipe and reader requested recipes. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all are having a cool summer filled with rest and relaxation.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

So I'm sitting in my apartment and it is Day 1 of a three day detox juice cleanse, compliments of Dr. Oz. Let me tell you, it.is.not.easy! I'm hungry and I'm day dreaming of real food. Now to be honest this is a pretty hefty cleanse. It consists of four substantial smoothies chock full of veggies, fruits, and healthy fats. But for me this is an extreme decrease in my normal caloric intake. I mean I work out for a living, so I eat a substantial amount during the week. What do I decide to do in my light headed, slightly crazed state? I blog about the most amazing pie I've ever made. No seriously, I think it is the best pie I have ever baked from scratch in my entire 27 1/2 years on this planet. Thank god I had somewhere to bring it (shout out to the Crandall's for hosting yet another awesome cook out) or else I may have consumed the entire thing in one sitting!!!! As it was, I sliced myself a handsome sized piece served up with melt in your mouth vanilla ice cream. I think I'm doing this to torture myself, because the memories are making my stomach growl (it couldn't be the fact that I've only had smoothies and water all day, no definitely not).

In late spring, early summer dreaming of rhubarb is a weekly occurrence. Add strawberries into the mix and my day has been made. There is nothing better then the sweet of the strawberries and the savory of the rhubarb coming together to make something magnificent. Then add in a homemade buttermilk crust and coconut crumble, for real?! Yes, for real. I'm not sure any description of this pie will bring full justice to its outcome.

The recipe was found on one of my favorite cooking blogs Joy The Baker. Her instructions are spot on and I don't even want to try and replicate them for fear I will mess it up! Check out the recipe here: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

I will continue to dream about strawberry and rhubarb and this heavenly pie will be what I picture. Give it a try, but only if you want something tasty and completely satisfying!

Warm Mediterranean Salad

I reached a goal this past weekend, that just a few years ago I would have thought impossible. I finished my very first half marathon! That's right 13.1 miles were left in my dust! Well, OK I wasn't really stirring up dust with my pace but I was trekking along for sure. I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA. And can I tell you, I have never been so happy to see a finish line in my short racing history. It was an amazing experience, and already I am planning my next one. The long training runs were worth every minute because they helped me find that finish line. I still remember the days when a 5k seemed liked a marathon. So, needless to say eating has been on my mind all week.

This recipe started as something simple and developed into a more complex, flavorful dish as I began concocting my dinner. I've had rhubarb on my mind all week, but I just couldn't find any in the grocery stores. I've literally been dreaming of my favorite rhubarb crumble, courtesy of SmittenKitchen, and strawberry rhubarb pies from Breyermere's in Riverhead, NY. But alas, no luck. Rhubarb may have to wait until the weekend when I can scour the local farmer's market for my favorite spring gem.

So instead, I went to one of my favorite vegetables, eggplant, for my inspiration. You've seen eggplant on here before and if you've ever talked to me about one of the best dishes I've ever made, you've probably heard the deconstructed eggplant parmesan story. But I wanted to take eggplant in a different direction and since it is spring, mint popped into my head! A nice bright herb to play off the soft, velvety texture of the eggplant. Then it started to build from there. I had zucchini to bring in a firmer texture, then feta cheese for a little tang, next cumin for a little earthy kick, served over little balls of israeli couscous (a.k.a. pearl couscous). And to top of the texture building, crispy roasted chickpeas seasoned with cumin.

Hello flavor! The mint keeps a freshness to the dish and gives a light feel. 

Warm Mediterranean Salad

1 small eggplant, peeled and cubes

2 medium zucchini, cubed

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 small garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced 

1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 cup israeli couscous

1 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Pat dry and lay flat on a cookie sheet with sides. Season with 1 tsp. cumin, salt and pepper. Roast chickpeas for 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a rolling boil. Add israeli couscous and cook for 8-10 minutes or until water is absorbed and couscous is tender. Add a tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper.  While the couscous is cooking, in a very large saute pan heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add eggplant and zucchini, seasoning with cumin, salt and pepper and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add the onion and continue to cook 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and finish cooking the vegetables until tender. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the vegetables feel dry. At the very last moment, add mint and feta cheese. Add crisped chickpeas to vegetables and serve over couscous. 

I felt like a real chef creating this meal. I built flavors, textures, and presentation. While, I just do this as a hobby, I feel I am learning something new each time I create a recipe or share an experience. This blog has truly given me an outlet for my cooking journey's. I love your input and comments, so please keep them coming whether here or on facebook. Your support is truly appreciated and cherished.