Watermelon Salad

Who wants to break a sweat while making dinner? Not me - especially in this heat! So this week I am beating the summer heat by cooking dishes that don't require my stove top or oven. Last night I made a watermelon salad, and it was easy, healthy, refreshing, and most importantly delicious. This salad packs a punch without the calories - sweet watermelon, tangy lime juice, spicy serrano chiles, and salty feta cheese. These complex flavors really shine through. It may sound odd but, trust me, this recipe is a keeper!

Cucumber Grape Gazpacho

A cold and rainy weekend is behind us, and the sun has come out. So, I am taking advantage of this nice weather and will be relaxing outside and soaking up the sun's warm rays. It's a perfect time to whip up a batch of this cool, refreshing, super easy, and healthy cucumber grape gazpacho. This gazpacho pairs nicely with grilled pork and a crisp, light sauvignon blanc. Come on, get into the kitchen - nothing can be easier than this!

Pesto Pasta

I'm settling into my new home in Utah, which means I've been busy unpacking and organizing my kitchen so that good food can be prepared, eaten and blogged about! So far I'm loving the change in scenery. The weather here is gorgeous - blue skies, sunny days, bright green foliage, and snow capped mountains are the views from my windows. It's been hectic trying to reorganize my life, so cooking fast and easy recipes is a must, and light and refreshing meals are a plus to help wind down after the long hot days! Here's a classic dish that hits all the marks - pesto pasta!

Skillet Granola

I love starting my day with a bowl of granola, plain yogurt, and berries. This is my favorite spring/summer time breakfast, because it's cool and refreshing and so simple to make. Pick your favorite dried fruit - raisins, apricots, cherries, craisins, or coconut (currently I'm using cherries and coconut). Then add your favorite nuts - almonds, cashews, peanuts, or macadamia nuts (I'm using peanuts). Use a non-stick skillet to cook this dish in less than 5 minutes! Cook up a batch and store it in an air-tight container for a tasty and wholesome breakfast. With milk or yogurt it will keep you full for hours!

Leftover Challenge #3: Korean Grilled Pork Salad with Crispy Rice Cakes

It's my last week in DC - the hubby and I are shutting down the house and getting ready for the big move across the country. Some of you may know that I LOVE Korean food. I have been lucky to live and eat in the DC metro area, which has some of the best Korean food in the country. Because of my seven years in this area I constantly have cravings for good Korean BBQ. So this week's leftover challenge is inspired by my favorite Korean BBQ place, Honey Pig in Annandale, VA.

Leftover Challenge #2: Chicken Curry Naan'wich with Mango Chutney

I'm still digging through my freezer trying to find inspiration for a good dinner, while using up my stockpile in preparation for the big move out West. The other day I found chicken thighs, chiles, and naan bread in the freezer; apples, mango, onion, raisins, and curry powder in the pantry; and a container of yogurt and mayonnaise in the fridge. The end result - a tasty sandwich with Indian and American flavors.

Cured Meat and Melon Crostini

I updated the classic pairing of prosciutto and melon into this fast and easy yet elegant appetizer!

Leftover Challenge #1: Chicken Chorizo Pizza

My husband and I are leaving DC and heading west to Salt Lake City. We have less than three weeks to go, and my husband challenged me to raid the freezer and use up our stockpile of food. This challenge I couldn't resist! I am a freezer hoarder - I buy and cook in bulk, store almost anything edible in that frozen box, and always come back weeks later to find happiness with a great, quick meal.

This week I dug deep into to my freezer and found Trader Joe's pizza dough, chicken thighs, chorizo, and chile verde. The other essentials I had tucked away in the fridge and pantry. The end result was this flavorful pizza that blew our leftover expectations (and taste buds) out of the water!

Made It! Chile Verde Chicken Enchiladas

I enjoy eating a good enchilada any day of the year, but this occasion was always reserved for restaurant outings. I never had attempted to make them in my own home. So I was excited to try this Chile Verde Chicken Enchilada recipe. Let me just start this review by saying that since I usually only eat enchiladas while dining out- so my expectation is comfort food - rich, gooeey and slathered with melted cheese. I'll be honest this recipe didn't meet my expectation for comfort food but was I pleasantly surprised by the flavors and could easily settle for this healthy runner-up.

I wanted to re-create my ideal enchilada. My first goal was to make the filling creamy, so I added cream cheese. This was a big mistake as the cream cheese overpowered the chicken filling and made the consistency of the filling chalky. Next time, I will use more Monteray Jack cheese to give it that ooey-gooey texture that I was craving so badly. I loved the bold vibrant flavors of the chile verde. The tangy-ness of the tomatillos. The sauce was light and flavorful. Overall, this is an excellent recipe for a healthier enchilada, but it cannot be compared to the authentic versions.

Chile Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Let's celebrate this Cinco de Mayo with amazing enchiladas! What's not to love about the enchilada? Take a great filling, wrap it up in a tortilla, slather it with a chile sauce, and then top it off with ooey gooey melted cheese - sounds like a winner to me! I make huge batch of these a couple of times a year, portion them out, and freeze them so that my husband and I can whip up a fiesta at a moment's notice.

Banana Oat Muffins

I adapted this Banana Oat Muffin recipe from a friend of a friend's award winning banana bread recipe. These muffins are moist, delicious, and full of healthy ingredients (oats for fiber and flax seeds for omega-3s). I love the individual portions of the muffins, which can be easily taken from the freezer and defrosted for a snack anytime of day.

Head over Heels: Silicone Mat and Parmigiano Reggiano Crisps

I am head over heels for my silicone mat (mine is by Silpat), which makes baking hassle free by preventing baked goodies from sticking to the pan. I am the first to admit that my skills are not in the realm of pastries and sweets, but as a savory cook this item is still a must have in my kitchen. No need to grease a sheet pan to prevent sticking - just throw the mat down and get baking. The best part is the easy cleaning - wash with warm water, a soapy sponge, and dry. There's no need to spend valuable time scraping off baked, charred bits!

Use the silicone mat to make Parmigiano Reggiano Crisps in less than 5 minutes!

Roasted Beet Salad with Croutons and Blue Cheese

My friend Ingrid has been on a beet craze since making my borscht risotto, so when I had her over for dinner a couple of weeks ago I made this roasted beet salad just for her! This is a great salad that is full of contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures. The sweet, warm, soft beets paired with the bitter, cold, crunchy greens and tangy, rich blue cheese makes every bite of this dish a joy to eat!

Curried Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

It's technically spring here in DC but it feels more like fall, and these cold and rainy days have me cooking up some soup. This is the first time I have made this version of butternut squash soup, and I must admit that I love the curry addition to this classic fall dish. The soup's bold flavor and creamy texture gives it a decadent feel, but the secret is that it's actually low fat and healthy - not to mention easy and super tasty!

Made It! Seared Steak with Tamale Polenta and Avocado Cilantro Salad

I made my version of Lisa's Seared Ribeye with Tamale Polenta and Avocado Cilantro Salad the other day. When I went to make the dish, I ran into one major problem, but don't worry...all ends well :) The grocery store didn't sell masa flour! I opted to use a regular Italian polenta instead, all the while wondering if I would get that tamale taste without the lye in the flour.

I put that out of my mind and set out to the kitchen. The prep time was literally five minutes (salt and pepper meat, toss a salad, pour the polenta into hot water, grate cheese). Cooking time was also surprisingly fast...the 5 minutes it took to sear my steak was basically it! I used an instant polenta, so while the meat was resting, I quickly made the polenta and mixed in the cheese and salsa (I left the sour cream out and I still thought the end result was creamy). I did not miss the masa flour since the salsa gave the polenta so much flavor. The salad was a nice addition to offset the richness of the polenta and meat. The end result was a delicious, hearty meal that really tasted like a deconstructed tamale.

Holy Guacamole!

What's not to love about guacamole? Heart-healthy avocado is transformed into a rich, creamy, and delicious dip or garnish. I have been eating wonderful, simple homemade guacamole since childhood (thanks, Mom!), but this recipe is my husband's, adding a little pizzazz of texture and flavor to accentuate the avocado.

Seared Ribeye with Tamale Polenta and Avocado Cilantro Salad

This dish was inspired by a taqueria favorite, the beef tamale! I took all the delicious flavors and reinterpreted it into a refined and elegant meal, perfect for your next dinner party. I used masa de harina, a commonly available dried corn flour that is used to make tortillas and tamales, in which the corn is soaked in lye water. This gives a slightly alkaline flavor and increases the availability of lysine and tryptophan, making the corn more nutritious. I used the masa to make a "tamale" polenta - a savory, rich, and comforting foundation for the dish. I layered perfectly seared ribeye steak on top of the polenta and topped it off with a mound of buttery tart avocado cilantro salad. These flavors balance one another and create a dish so delicious, it will be a huge hit for your next fiesta!

Fresh Salsa Made Easy!

Why buy salsa in a jar when you can whip up a fresh batch in less than five minutes? Here is my recipe for you to enjoy!

• 1 can (16 ounces) diced tomato, strained
• 1/2 - 1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 slice (1/2" thick) onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed
• 1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh cilantro

Place the above ingredients in a food processor or blender or immersion blender and pulse 10-20 times until well incorporated with no large chunks remaining. Adjust the amount of chile according to your heat tolerance, and season with salt to taste.

Borscht Risotto

I love the flavors of borscht, with the sweetness of roasted beets, the richness of beef short ribs, and the temperature contrast of cold sour cream against the warm comforting soup. So why not take the concept and join it with a creamy risotto? The result was delicious and easy, and it can be a great vegetarian dish as well! So why not make this hearty bowl of borscht risotto to finally banish your winter blues?

Just Desserts: The Perfect Creme Brulee

Believe it or not, but one of the very first dishes that got me baking and cooking was this creme brulee. I was in my senior year of high school and assigned a project to pick an interest and devote one month to studying, learning, and cultivating this interest. A friend (who also loves food) and I decided to study eating etiquette from eastern and western cultures. We dined around San Francisco, met restaurant owners, chefs, and pastry chefs, and researched French and Japanese cuisine. We then took our inspirations and headed for the kitchen. This classic creme brulee is one of the few from the many we created as a part of that high school project that I continue to make today. It's really easy to make and virtually fail proof, granted you work slowly and carefully. The result is a creamy, rich, decadent dessert I reserve only for special occasions.