Pumpkin Mousse Parfait

Hurricane Sandy made herself known here in Virginia. I have been sitting in my apartment for two and half days all bunkered down. I lost power for close to 24 hours and only ventured out once today after the worst was over for a much needed cup of joe. There was no stopping me from finding fresh, hot caffeine. I mean really a girl has to have some standards of living.  But on a more serious note, my thoughts are with all my friends and family up in New Jersey/Long Island.  I hope you all faired the best you could through the storm.


So now that the power is back on and I've had some time to whip something quick up, I am sharing with you my post Sandy celebratory dessert! That's right I had to use up what was in the fridge since the room temperature cream cheese was only going to last for so long. This literally took me a total of 5 minutes to put together so there is no excuses for not having a sweet treat.

Pumpkin Mousse Parfait (makes 4 parfaits)
1 8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. all spice
1 sleeve triple ginger cookies, crushed/crumbled (I used Trader Joe's Brand)

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Using an electric mixer, mix on high for 2 minutes until completely combined and smooth. In a glass or small bowl, layer 1 Tbsp. crushed cookies, then 2 Tbsp. pumpkin mixture, repeat and garnish with a full cookie.

If you don't have triple ginger cookies you can substitute with granola, crushed vanilla wafers, or crushed graham crackers. Any of these would be a tasty mix up! This is a nice, light dessert to finish off any meal. It is best to make the filling first and refrigerate then assemble right before serving. Otherwise, the cookies will become soggy and lose texture. I may just pack some up for tomorrow mornings breakfast (1/2 cup filling topped with 1/4 cup granola, yum!).

Fried Green Tomato BLT's

Good morning friends! It is a beautiful Sunday morning and the air is crisp with fall. As I sit here on my couch with my feet over stretched on my new coffee table and a my newly installed wireless router being put to good use I feel like I'm finally making my little studio apartment a home. This will be my third year in this apartment and I think I'm finally settling in. I just resigned a 15 month lease, eeeck did that feel like commitment, and I'm starting to realize that it's the little touches that make a difference. Thanks to my parents and grand-parents for the early birthday gifts (table and router). I can always count on my family to know what I need.

I'm getting ready for a day up at the apple orchard picking apples with friends and exploring the pumpkin festival. Believe me this blog is going to blow up with everything apple. But I thought I'd share this great end of summer recipe that blew my socks off. It was one of those meals on the fly where nothing was planned but everything seemed to come together. I made this on a Thursday night when the last thing I wanted to do was cook something complicated. I looked at what I had....these gorgeous end of summer green tomatoes that I had purchased at the farmer's market the previous weekend that were just at the beautiful ripening point.  I had known I wanted to make fried green tomatoes with them but I knew that wasn't enough for an entire meal. I checked the fridge and I had some delicious looking turkey bacon and the light bulb went off. Turkey Bacon Fried Green Tomato BLT sandwich. Oh yea, this could be good. And so it began....


Turkey Bacon Fried Green Tomato BLT  (makes two sandwiches)
3-4 small ripened green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices (they should still be slightly firm to the touch so they don't break down while frying)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. Paprika
3-4 tbsp. olive oil for frying
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked until crisp
lettuce
garlic aioli for serving
4 slices whole wheat toast

Take three shallow bowls and line them up next to your fry pan. Heat olive oil in fry pan (you will need to do the tomatoes in batches so be sure to add a touch more oil each time). In first bowl, mix 1 egg and 1 tbsp. water whisk gently. In second bowl, mix flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. In third bowl, mix bread crumbs, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. In assembly line fashion, dredge the slices of tomato in bowls one, two, and three placing into fry pan. The tomatoes should be fried for about 3-4 minutes each side or until the outer crust is golden brown and the inside is cooked through. Assemble the sandwiches so that you have aioli on each side of the toast, lettuce, bacon, and then green tomatoes (I used two but if you want a bigger sandwich go all out!). This will help bind the sandwich together to make it easier to eat.

Here is my classic garlic aioli that I use for everything! It can make the simplest meal feel gourmet.

Garlic Aioli
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and voila!


I talked about this recipe for literally a week after I made it. The sandwich definitely stuck out in my mind!
 If you have any great apple recipes feel free to help a sister out! I'm going to have a lot of apples and I'm not sure what to do with them. Post a comment here or if you follow me on facebook that works too! I'll be sure to highlight where the recipe came from in my next post. Love you to all! Now go outside and enjoy this weather :)

Grapefruit Margaritas....Grilled Honey Peaches with Mascarpone and Pistachios

Well I'm back at it after a wonderful, relaxing vacation. What a great way to cap off the summer. My friend, Jen, looked absolutely glowing on her wedding day. She literally exuded happiness. It was such an honor to be able to stand up for her. It was great to see all of my friends in one place celebrating friendship, family, and love. Scott and Jen congrats! I hope you're having a great time in Thailand :)

After the wedding festivities died down, I spent the large part of my vacation eating incredible food and drinking incredible wine at the local vineyards. I was only able to squeeze in one beach day, but it was a perfect day so it was worth it. I ate everything from real NY style pizza to lobster rolls to authentic greek fair to a delicious homemade feast made by the beautiful Doreen (aka the best Mom on the planet).  I made a small contribution to the feast so I thought I would share these winning recipes with you all. Many of you were there to taste the end product so feel free to leave a comment on what you thought of them! Follow these links for the original recipes: Grilled Peaches and Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

These cocktails, to me, were the perfect summer drink. Sweet and tart at the same time with a wonderfully vibrant color.

Grapefruit Margaritas (makes two large pitchers) 

4 cups Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice (100% juice)

1 1/2 cups Lime Juice (freshly squeezed)

1 cup Triple Sec (or orange liqueur of your choice)

2 cups Silver Tequila

Ice

Kosher Salt (garnish for glass)

1 lime, sliced (garnish for glass) 

Fill two 2-quart pitchers with ice. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, triple sec, and tequila. Stir until completely mixed. Rim each glass with kosher salt and garnish with a lime. Enjoy your margarita on the rocks!

This next recipe was quite the find. It's the perfect summer dessert, not too heavy and not too sweet. Use farm stand fresh peaches for the best results. The best ingredients make the best dishes. You can find mascarpone cheese in the specialty cheese section of the grocery store. It is cross between a cream cheese and creme fraiche (either of these would work as well if you can't find mascarpone). 

Grilled Honey Peaches with Mascarpone and Pistachios (Makes 12 single servings) 

6 large ripe but slightly firm Peaches, pitted and halved

4 Tbsp. Honey, divided

1/2 cup toasted Pistachios, chopped

2- 8oz. containers of Mascarpone Cheese 

Place halved peaches on a large baking sheet. Using a pastry brush (silicone works best) brush the cut side of the peaches with honey (1 Tbsp.). Grill peaches cut side down on a grill or grill pan for about 5 minutes or until the peaches are heated through and there are nice grill marks present. In a bowl combine mascarpone cheese (at room temperature) and 2 Tbsp. of honey. Remove the peaches from the grill and place back on the baking sheet. Top each peach with about 2 Tbsp. cheese/honey mixture, sprinkle with pistachios, using remaining honey drizzle over top. Serve warm. 

Eggplant, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomato Sautee with Israeli Couscous

I'm averaging one blog post a month...man am I a bad blogger or what?! Well at least I saved up all my writing juices for this next recipe. It's a doozy! I thought up this recipe as I was groovin' to some summer jams for a road trip play list I was putting together. I'm prepping for my journey up north this coming Wednesday. One of my dearest friends from high school is drinking the kool aid and getting hitched! I'm so psyched for all the festivities and to be a part of her big day. Congrats Jen and Scott!! Then to top it all off I'm spending a week at home lounging at the beach, going on the boat, and hitting up all the North Fork vineyards have to offer. I CANNOT WAIT!! So I thought I would leave you with this scrumptiously fresh recipe that will definitely be seen in my kitchen again. If you're lucky I may even blog from the beach with a seafood recipe. We'll just see how ambitious I am :) I couldn't think of a good name, so the ingredients will just have to speak for themselves!

Eggplant, Mushrooms, Cherry Tomato Sautee with
 Israeli Couscous, Pine Nuts, and Goat Cheese 
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 small red onion, sliced
3/4 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted*
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. basil, chopped
1 cup Israeli couscous (prepared using directions on the box)
Salt and Pepper to taste

*To toast pine nuts, add nuts to a dry saute pan over medium high heat. Toast for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to stir to avoid burning.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat. Add red onions cooking for 2-3 minutes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add eggplant and mushrooms cooking for an additional 5 minutes (they should be nice and caramelized with a beautiful golden brown crust). Add cherry tomatoes and garlic, cooking until tomatoes are heated through. Serve vegetables over couscous garnished with a sprinkle of goat cheese, a sprinkle of pine nuts, and basil.

This has the perfect combination of textures, smooth and velvety from the couscous and cheese, crunch from the pine nuts and the fresh hit you get from the basil tops it all off. If you don't have israeli couscous on hand orzo, acini di pepe, or any small pasta would work great. I usually can find israeli (aka pearl) couscous in the international foods section at my grocery store. I had this as my main entree but it would go great as a side dish to steak or a nice meaty fish. I think the key to this dish is the fresh ingredients from the farmer's market. You can't beat the produce mid summer at your local market. This summer is shaping up to be the best yet. Let's enjoy it while it lasts...fall will be here before we know it!

Peach and Ginger Hand Pies

Summer is flying by...I feel like I blinked once and already we are half way through the dog days of summer. I have been enjoying almost every minute of the deliciously long days. I could go without the 106 degree plus humidity days, but for those special 80 degree sunny, breezy days I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have been indulging in my local farmer's market and basking in the loot I bring home each weekend. This week I had some prized peaches, golden cherry tomatoes, large red heirloom tomatoes, the freshest mozzarella balls you've ever seen and yummilicious green beans. So, I had to make some pretty special recipes to highlight these pretty special ingredients. And I must admit I don't think I disappointed, although I am the only judge so take it with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

I started the week off right, with this open faced caprese sandwich. Fork and knife definitely required before diving in. 

Next up, with my peaches being at their peak ripeness I decided to make some little hand pies. Of course, I had way more filling then I needed so I accompanied them with a mid-sized rustic galette. I used my ever handy Mark Bittman, "How To Cook Everything", as a guide but didn't follow the recipe exactly. And no I didn't make the crust from scratch. Sometimes, you just have to use pre-made. I didn't have any biscuit cutters on hand, which would have been ideal for cutting the dough, so instead I used the top of a clean, empty 15 oz. can. It worked perfect, proving you don't always need the fancy tools to get the job done right. 

Peach and Ginger Hand Pies/Galette

4 ripe medium peaches, peeled and sliced

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1/3 cup sugar (more if peaches aren't sweet)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes and divided

1 egg whisked, for egg wash

2 pre-made pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

For Hand Pies-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine peaches, ginger, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Roll out one pie crust until thin, using can to make small circles. Place small circles on lined baking sheet, put a small amount of peaches in the middle so there is still room around the edges. Place one small cube of butter with the peach mixture, top with a second circle, sealing off the edges by pinching together. Create two small lines as vents, then brush with egg wash. Continue until you have made six small pies. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until crust is just turning golden brown. 

For Galette-- Roll out second pie crust, and place remainder of filling and dot with the rest of the butter. Use egg wash to brush the sides of the crust. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is slightly bubbling. 

These pies came out delectable and they are the perfect individual portion size. Just enough to satisfy that ever present sweet tooth. The ginger adds for a nice depth of flavor that is enhanced by the cinnamon and nutmeg. These definitely aren't your average peach pies. I hope you give them a try, because I don't think you'll want to miss out on this. I hope you all are having as great as summer as I am. Keep cool, until next time ;)

Turkey Burgers with Maple Mustard Dressing on Ciabatta Rolls

So my friends...I have decided to come out of my weeks and weeks of hiding to share a delicious Turkey Burger recipe. I have been traveling out of town literally every weekend for the last month for some wonderful events. I was able to see my beautiful cousin graduate from college along the Hudson river, celebrate one of my closest friends bridal showers at a waterside restaurant, run a meaningful and emotional 5k in honor of my little cousin, and celebrate the marriage of my wonderful cousin in Newport, RI. And on top of that my new job has proven to take every last bit of energy I have left during the week. So to say the least, I have not been cooking up the most creative or elaborate meals these past few weeks. But I did throw together this keeper last week and thought it was the perfect summer meal to share. 

So for everyone out there that is lucky enough to be blessed with an outdoor space that includes a real grill, this is an ideal grilling recipe (just make sure to spray the grill with cooking spray as the turkey patties come out sticky to start). But for the others, that share in my tiny studio small stove I really want a big kitchen lifestyle, a grill pan works just fine. This recipes serves up 5 small turkey burgers or 3 larger ones. If you want to use the full pound of turkey, still only use one egg, just increase the amount of spices and ketchup/mustard. 

Turkey Burgers with Maple Mustard Dressing on Ciabatta

1/2 lb. Ground Turkey (93% lean) 

1 egg

1 Tbsp. Ketchup

1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 tsp. italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. paprika 

Dash of Salt and Pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

Ciabatta rolls for serving 

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Form into 5 smaller patties. Pre-heat grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle olive oil over each patty. Place the patties olive oil side down on the pan, cooking for about 5 minutes, drizzle olive oil over each patty again, flip and cook for additional 5 minutes or until the center is no longer pink and burger is still tender. Do not overcook, it will dry out the burger!  

Maple Mustard Dressing (adapted from a recipe from Sandra Lee)

1/4 cup light mayo

3 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. real maple syrup

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread onto ciabatta buns before serving! 

Add ons to top things off:

1 slice muenster cheese

1 thick slice of tomato

handful of spinach leaves

Quick tip: Cut the buns in half, brush with olive oil and grill on pan prior to cooking turkey burgers for a nice toasty bun! Serve with corn on the cob, and some veggies for a complete delicious meal. 

And don't forget the summery wheat beer, too! This is a new favorite of mine. Even the label reminds me of summer! 

Blackened Chicken with Quinoa Salad

So, I know four posts isn't a new recipe everyday of the week and that was the challenge that I put upon myself. But I think five new recipes in one week might be an all time high for me. And the fact that each recipe was yummy and one that I would try again sounds like success to me. I hope you enjoyed the challenge and may even challenge yourself to try some Pinterest recipes. The last two recipes are combined into one meal since they compliment one another so well. 

This was a great weeknight meal that did not take much to put together. It was full of flavor and texture and all around goodness. The original pins came be found here:  Pin #1 and Pin #2. The original recipe for the chicken can be found here. 

Blackened Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 4 thinner pieces

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp. olive oil.

In a small bowl combine the spices. Rub spices over each side of the chicken breasts. In a medium saute pan heat olive oil and cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. 

The chicken has a delicious spicy, crunchy coating that works really well with a cooling avocado garnish. For the avocado garnish, simply combine the flesh of one avocado, 3 tbsp. plain fat free greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. 

Quinoa Salad

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth 

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 (15 oz.) can of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn 

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until onions are slightly translucent. Add quinoa, broth, cumin, and cayenne pepper brining to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for another 18 minutes or until the broth is absorbed and quinoa fully cooked (careful not to overcook because the quinoa will burn at the bottom). Remove from heat and add black beans and corn. I served at room temperature but this would be good hot or cold too. Checkout the original recipe here.

Give it a try, you know you want to ;)