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.

Great-Grandma's Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

I've said this before, Sunday's are family day. Sunday's are also the day I find myself searching for a favorite old recipe. That recipe usually elicits a stream of memories from my childhood. This recipe is no different. My childhood memories of Sunday's include church with my grandparents followed by Entemann's coffee cake, Ball Park hot dogs on the stove top, a glass of coke, and playing on my great-grandfather's farm with my cousins (it was the 80's and 90's we didn't know about processed foods back then). I remember the flowering mimosa tree by the back tractor barn and knowing that as soon as the flowers came to full bloom, a trip from my cousins Tim, Chris, and Stephen was not far off. They would travel from upstate NY to the island each summer for a visit.  Stephen could be found in my great-grandfather's blueberry patch just sitting for hours eating the juicy berries. As kids, we would sell the excess strawberries in a make shift farm stand on the small farm road, praying a tourist would stop and purchase our goods. My sister and I would even result to doing gymnastics to catch their attention. Summer's on Long Island will forever be a part of me and I look forward to my visits each year.

Beautiful surprise along the trail--Mimosa Tree 

This Sunday was no different for me. I had a wonderful weekend soaking up the beautiful weather. First, with a run around Roosevelt Island and pool time with my amazing friend Sarah. Second, dinner and mini-golf with my great friends Kristen, Steve, and Jay. And lastly, spending Sunday morning hiking the Billy Goat trail in Great Falls, MD again with my girl Sarah. Bless her for listening to me ramble on about my newest obsession and providing me with countless hours of advice. If I haven't told you lately, I have the best friends in the world! And after a long hike, followed by a rather large lunch from the Italian Store (yes, they make authentic chicken parmigiana subs thank the lord!), I decided it was time to break out the family cookbook and put my oven to use. My great-granmother's blueberry crumb coffee cake was the perfect solution to my recipe finding quest. 

Family cookbook hand written by my mother

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cup milk

1 egg (room temperature)

3/4 cup white sugar 

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and stems removed 

For crumb topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup softened butter

1 tsp. cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl combine sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another medium bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add egg and milk to combine. Slowing fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Carefully fold in blueberries. Fill an 8x8 or 9x9 prepared pan (cooking spray OR greased/floured) with batter. 

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for crumb topping. Use a fork or your hands, work the butter into the flour and sugar. Small crumbs should form. Crumble topping over batter. Cook for 30-35 minutes at 375 or until a toothpick comes out clean (if you're using an 8x8 pan it will take a little longer to cook through since it will be a thicker cake, this is what I used and it took about 40 minutes). Allow to cool for at least a half an hour or as long as your will power holds out. 

This is the perfect coffee cake to serve warm for breakfast or as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea. My mother would make this as soon as blueberries came into season each year. The smell brings me back to those summer Sunday's at home with my family.  

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.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe!

Days like today make me stop and thank god for everything I have been blessed with. I am a runner, or at least other people tell me I am. I started running about 4 years ago and have learned to like it, not love but like. I put my mileage in and the time to do the races I think will challenge me. Two years ago, I proudly finished the Army Ten Miler with my dad and uncle. This year, I am training for the Marine Corps Half Marathon. I never in a million years would have thought that I could finish a half marathon but with my training about half way over I know I can do it. I am confident I will put my best out there on the race course. I think about all of the runners in Boston today, the spectators, and those who lost their lives. I think of the time and effort it takes to run 26.2 miles, the dedication those runners had and the support from their friends and families in the spectator stands. And it just hits too close to home. The horror they must have felt approaching the finish line to be greeted with terror. It angers me that a good portion of those runners were not able to cross that line, were not able to complete their dream. Then I think of the wars that rage everyday in far off places. Places I can only imagine about and the terror they see day in and day out. It doesn't lessen the hurt and pain of events like today, but it puts into perspective how lucky we are to live in a country where our safety is not often feared. I will try my best to never take for granted the safety that has been bestowed upon me, and the men and women who serve everyday for me to have it. 

If you know me at all, you know tragedy has stricken my family more than once. I have become accustomed to "dealing" with death. I don't say healing because I think some wounds never heal, but I've learned to cope. Today I remember words I have said to myself often, "I will not live with regret". I am blessed to be alive and I don't ever want to take for granted each day that I am gifted. 

With all that being said, and with the need to not feel regret for today, I wanted to be productive and share a terrific recipe. Something a little less heavy hearted, and a little more uplifting. This is a must try for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations. I hope it brightens your day a little and leaves you wanting to do more with what you have. 

Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

3 fillets Tilapia, rinsed and patted dry (mahi mahi or haddock would work as well) 

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin 

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

2 tsp. paprika 

Mango Avocado Salsa (see recipe below) 

Corn Tortillas

Lime wedges, for serving

Combine all spices together and mix well. Sprinkle spice mixture over both sides of fish and rub vigorously into the fish. On a grill pan drizzled with olive oil (about 2 tsp.), over medium high heat, cook tilapia for 3 minutes each side or until tender (fish should easily flake when a fork is pulled over the fish). Time may need to be adjusted based on the thickness of the filets. 

Mango Avocado Salsa

1 large mango, cubed

1 medium avocado, cubed

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1 small jalapeno, minced

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 

1/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

juice from 1 lime

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and toss gently. 

Serve fish over corn tortillas and topped with mango avocado salsa. Add a pitcher of sangria or margaritas and a celebration it is! 

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by today's events near or far. Take a minute to reflect on what you hold most dear to your heart today, then take a moment to tell someone you love them. 

Cupcakes, Krispies and S'more

It is the first really warm day of the year with temperatures reaching almost 80 degrees here in VA. With that summer is definitely on my mind and that includes fresh ingredients, glasses of white wine, and nights with my friends. I have so many great things to look forward to this coming summer including a trip to Hawaii, attending one of my best friends weddings, lots of races, and what looks to be weekends filled with good times and good friends. This weekend was a great kickoff of what's to come. Saturday night was spent playing with puppies, and grilling out with my dear friends the Crandall's. Sunday was day two of grilling this time with the Johnsons, Chomenkos, and more playing Dance Central and Fruit Ninja! I was in charge of dessert both nights and what says summer more than s'mores and oreos?! Saturday featured S'mores Krispie Treats and Oreo Icebox cake, while Sundays showing was Oreo stuffed cupcakes and round two of S'more Krispies. I wanted something quick and easy that wouldn't keep me in the kitchen all day. Well, I couldn't have picked better recipes because they were just that, easy. My semi-homemade skills were out in full force. Didn't quite get a picture of the S'mores Krispies but there were rave reviews, so I highly recommend giving them a try even without a sneak peek. Oh and by the way, we completely passed over spring because even the cherry blossoms refuse to come out in full bloom. It's straight ahead to summer!

S'mores Krispie Treats

1 box Golden Grahams Cereal

1 big bag Mini Marshmallows

3 Tbsp. Butter

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips divided

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and add marshmallows stirring constantly. In separate bowl,  combine melted marshmallow mixture, golden grahams, and 2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips. Stir until all ingredients are combined. In a 9x13 pan (make sure to spray with cooking spray) press mixture using wax paper until tightly packed. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top of mixture and press again. That's it! 

Oreo Stuffed Cupcakes

1 box Golden Butter Cake Mix (prepare as directed on box; eggs, butter and water needed)

24 Oreos 

1 can Vanilla Frosting

Sprinkles to Decorate 

In a paper lined cupcake holder, spoon out 1 Tbsp. of prepared cake batter into each cup. Top batter with one Oreo, then top Oreo with another heaping tablespoon of batter. Bake as directed on box (I found I had to cook mine 2-3 minutes less because there was less cake to bake). Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate as you please, the more color the better! 

Tonight it is all about Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers....post coming soon! Have a recipe you want to share? Comment below and I'll give it a try, posting my results! Tell your friends to stop by my blog, I'm trying to reach my 3,000 visit by May 31. Do you think I can do it? 

Greek Style Chicken Burgers

As I sit here writing this post, I am simultaneously stuffing my face with the product of the recipe to be shared. Seriously, I couldn't even wait to finish my dinner before writing this post. It's that good. I was wandering the grocery store aisles today and had an intense craving for chicken burgers. Which is kind of weird since last week I made a kickin' buffalo style chicken burger. Think buffalo chicken wing meets burger with some blue cheese dressing slathered on top. So you would assume my craving would be satisfied right? Wrong! So into my cart went ground chicken, and some nice crusty rolls. You're probably thinking, really that's it? I know...but my inspiration only went so far. After getting home, I rummaged through my fridge to find tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, a red onion and spinach. My buffalo chicken burgers were a product of my Rachel Ray 365 No Repeats cookbook, and looking at my ingredients I vaguely remembered seeing a spanikopita burger listed in the very same cookbook. So there lies the rest of my inspiration. I adapted the recipe based on what I had on hand (I am trying to cut back on grocery bills, so the less waste the better!). The end result is a keeper my friends, I say a keeper!

READY! 

Greek Style Chicken Burgers (makes 4 large burgers)
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cups fresh spinach
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
a dash of ground mustard
a dash of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
4 crusty rolls
Toppings:
Tzatziki sauce
sliced tomato
sliced raw red onion
spinach

In a saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add onion and garlic and stir. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add spinach and cook until wilted, then remove from heat. In a bowl combine chicken, oregano, onion powder, paprika, ground mustard, poultry seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the spinach mixture and feta cheese to chicken using hands to combine completely. Divide into 4 chicken burger patties. In the same pan you used to cook the spinach heat remaining olive oil and cook burgers for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

SET! 

Toast buns cut side down on a saute pan until golden. To assemble, spread tzatziki sauce on the bottom bun, then top with burger. Arrange spinach, tomato, and raw red onion on top bun. I suggest cutting this baby in half because it is one delicious mess of a burger.

ENJOY!