key lime cookies

I have a confession: Yesterday I made chocolate cashew cookies! I know, I know, the chocolatiatus (similar to Ali's blogiatus but with chocolate). But those cookies were a late Father's day gift and are currently en route to Miami, so OBVIOUSLY they don't count! And the Pops loves chocolate and cashews so it would have been selfish of me to not make them. I am taking my hiatus from chocolate seriously though! I was in the baking mood today and had a bunch of limes I had bought to juice but knew would spoil before I got through them all so I made...





key lime cookies!


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and egg yolk until smooth. Stir in lime juice and lime zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; blend into the creamed mixture. Form dough into 1/2 inch balls, and arrange on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies while still warm.


I followed this recipe to a tee but found the dough was goopy and really more of a batter. The first batch came out like this:





They weren't bad but they were more pancake than cookie. I followed my baker's instinct and added about a 1/2 cup more of flour which gave them the correct consistency.





Lesson learned: don't be afraid to follow your instinct when baking. Recipes can differ due to elevation, humidity, temperature, etc. What works for one baker may not work for you and if the recipe is off, don't hesitate to fix it! These cookies were light and citrusy, a good summer cookie. And while I found these cookies good, they were far from my favorite. One chocolate-free recipe down, four to go! The boyfriend's brother and his wife (who is allergic to chocolate) are visiting next weekend which coincides perfectly with the chocolatiatus!

Today, as it was a free-day for me, I made enchiladas for dinner. The boyfriend (finicky eater) told me he wasn't too hungry so imagine my surprise when he cleaned his plate AND went back for seconds. I've known him since high school and I don't think I've ever seen him eat so much; he declared them "the best thing" I've ever cooked! Really?? I wasn't going to blog them but this was truly momentous.



So there it is, the "best thing" I've ever cooked! I couldn't believe how much we ate (four enchiladas each!!)

I just rubbed some chicken with garlic salt and cooked it in a pan. Then I shredded the chicken between two forks, added back to the pan and stirred in oregano and garlic. I spread a thin layer of store-bought enchilada sauce on the bottom of a glass casserole dish. I filled each corn tortilla with some chicken and shredded Mexican cheese and placed seam down. I poured enchilada sauce all over the tightly packed enchiladas and sprinkled with cheese on top. I baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

And this will probably be my last bird pictures since they seem to have left...





Too sweet!

food, in review

I had a blast this past weekend in San Diego visiting an elementary school friend. Our boyfriends bonded over golf, we shared a delicious Italian meal in Little Italy and went out to the swanky W hotel to ring in her birthday in style! I even picked up a fabulous new techno-tribal skirt at the mall which I can't wait to show you :)

Unfortunately, I was a complete waste when it came to photographing the trip! I'll try to snag some photos from my friend but for now I have nothing for you. I did, however, realize I had lots of unposted food pictures. So, I'm going to do a quick recap of the last month in food!











1. veggie pita pizza on a whole wheat pita with tomato sauce, onions, mushrooms, banana peppers, arugula, and cheddar cheese plus a fresh juice made from 3 carrots, 2 apples, 1 orange, 1/2 lemon and a one inch piece of ginger - the perfect lunch. period.
2. crockpot shepherd's pie - tasted just like it does in England.
3. pumpkin waffles using Trader Joe's Pumpkin pancake and waffle mix topped with almond butter and maple syrup - a DECADENT breakfast!
4. shrimp tacos the boyfriend made with spicy marinated shrimp, shredded cheese and salsa verde on tortillas - he was so proud that he wanted me to show you guys!
5. what I did with my portion of shrimp: served over arugula with hummus and salsa verde - I am so over arugula for some strange reason but I love hummus on my salads like there's no tomorrow :)

And because I KNOW you care, this morning the bird's nest was empty. I was admittedly a little worried that something may have happened since they left so suddenly but was glad to see them back later on in the day. I'm so happy that they are learning to fly and that their parents still watch them diligently. I just know they'll grow up to be well-rounded individuals pigeons :)

black bean burgers

This post is as per my friend Ty's request. Yesterday I made black bean burgers (inspired by this post).









Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe's red pepper spread (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of sun dried tomatoes (optional)
• 1 healthy piece of goat cheese (optional)

Mash the black beans and flour in a mixing bowl with a fork. Add desired mix ins and mash further. Form into two round patties. Heat in a pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. 

I served my burger over a bed of romaine lettuce with a hefty dollop of Trader Joe's white bean and basil hummus and a small drizzle of balsamic. On the side, a broccoli cauliflower medley that I cooked up on a pan, tossing in some pesto in the last minute of cooking. Overall it was a great light lunch and the mashed beans and hummus made it taste deceptively decadent.

The burgers them self fall apart a bit which I liked for the purposes of my salad but if I were to grill them outside, I would definitely add more flour and an egg to help them hold together. The red pepper spread, sun dried tomatoes, and goat cheese added so much depth of flavor to the burgers. They were simple, healthy and vegetarian friendly!



Meet the babies! Too cute but my poor cilantro plant is clearly the victim in all of this.

on birds, running and smoothies

Here's a birdie update:





They hatched!!! You can see one birdie butt in the first pic and the second birdie's face in the second. We're such proud inter-special grandparents! They've been rustling around and I saw them feed from Papa bird today. I tried to get a picture of it for you but Papa bird saw me behind the sliding glass door and froze up. He stared me down, he always stares me down, he's VERY overprotective!

On to running...

The boyfriend and I were so good last week with gymming it up! However, between Vegas this past weekend and me having a paid assistant-styling job earlier in the week, working out has been shot to hell. I had a free day today and decided I would run to the gym. Instead of the 5.2 mile route that would take me to the gym and back I ended up just running a 3.7 mile loop with no gym. What can I say? I'm out of shape apparently. Also, it's EXTREMELY hot outside; I had to take lots of walking breaks. Boooo! I used to run 5 miles straight not too long ago but now I'm majorly struggling. But struggling in style, check out my pink running gear...



1. Zensah Running Sleeves
2. Camelbak ChillJacket bottle which has a nifty backpack to carry my ID, insurance card, $5 and keys. Muy importante!
3. my iPod so I can listen to my tunes :)

After a hot and sweaty run, I couldn't wait to have a smoothie! And credit where credit is due, I must thank the boyfriend's friend Kyle for suggesting using iced tea in my smoothies. I had been making mine with almond milk which is great as well but iced tea and frozen tropical fruit makes for the most light and refreshing smoothie ever!







It was everything I wanted and more :)

San Diego this weekend!!!

no more chocolate!!!

I asked my friend Natalie what I should bake next and she said it should be something that is NOT chocolate to which I wholeheartedly agreed and then look what I did....





I made Rice Krispie chocolate chip cookies! What can I do? The boyfriend LOVES chocolate chip cookies and I know I shouldn't spoil him so but I won't eat an entire batch of cookies on my own and I like making stuff he likes. However, I DID put my foot down; I said "No more chocolate for at least FIVE recipes!!!" He tried to haggle me down to one but I wasn't having it! A recipe counts as any sweet I make and can include ice cream; it doesn't have to just be baked goods.

Okay, back to the cookies! Now because I substituted Rice Krispies for Trix in my Trix treats, I felt bad for Mr. Snap, Crackle and Pop. It's not their fault Rice Krispie treats are overdone. I remembered making similar cereal cookies in college so I found a recipe on the Rice Krispie website. These are best directly out of the oven (what cookies aren't?) when they're oh-so-soft and crunchy at the same time. It's mind blowing! They lose their softness quickly so nuke them in the micro for 20 seconds if you're not eating them fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups of Rice Krispies
• 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips (I didn't have enough so I broke apart some German Milka chocolate, blasphemous, I know!)

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour mixture, mix till combined. Stir in cereal and chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Delishhhh!

trix treats and vegas

It feels like FOREVER since I last blogged! This past weekend the boyfriend and I went to Vegas with some friends. You know I used the road trip as an excuse to make goodies!! Rice Krispie treats are SO yesterday so I made Trix Treats but I was sorely disappointed to find that they changed Trix shapes from fruit shapes to balls.





I used this recipe substituting Rice Krispies for Trix. This was an absolute sticky mess!!! There was too much marshmallow and not enough Trix. It makes sense because there's less surface area since the Trix are bigger therefore there's less of them per cup. I would recommend the recipe though using either less marshmallow or more cereal; it was delish but uber-sugary! Next time I will use something more similar to a Rice Krispie in shape like Fruity or Cocoa Pebbles.





Look at the mess I made! There's a reason they tell you to use a buttered spatula to pat them down. I had to eat my way out of that mess.

And on to Vegas...

Look who it is: the boyfriend!!!!!





He convinced me to play the Sex and the City slot machine. I lost $5 :( which I later won back in blackjack leaving up $10 :) I'm really not a gambler.

blazer, Free People; tube top, Free People; jeans, Siwy; flats, Report; bangles, Amrita Singh; earrings, Cara NY

We all went out and I could NOT stop dancing. It was not alcohol-induced, I just REALLY wanted to dance!!! Notice I rocked the flats at night. I normally don't but what a great idea; there's so much walking involved and I comfortably danced the night away.

While in Vegas, we got the deal of the century: a pass to eat at any Harrah's owned buffet (there's 7!!) for 24 hours for $35! I've never been so well fed. My plan of attack was to fill my plate with every veggie I could find and add just a couple of indulgent items. I must say, the Caesar's buffet macaroni and cheese was my favorite thing I ate there, I had to pry myself away from it. Yummmmmm!





Isn't the Caesar's pool gorgeous? Saturday was overcast but we managed to get sufficient pool-time in on Sunday and I'm happy to say I wore my sunblock and didn't burn :) I burn soooo easily!

Overall it was a great trip but I'm glad to be back in Los Angeles and ready to eat right and hit the gym again. I had another paid assistant-styling opportunity Monday and today! Also, the baby birds hatched. I was a little concerned that I haven't seen them move and the parents are still sitting on them but Matt googled it and that's normal, so yay!

milk chocolate cookies

Today I made milk chocolate cookies (seen here and here). They were decadent! I love how they came out so flat and cracked on the tops. I recently made chocolate chocolate chip cookies and while those were simpler (these required melting chocolate on a double broiler and such) the texture of these is so unique; a slightly crisp cracked top and rich fudgey center. They are definitely worth the extra effort!


Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 340g (12oz) good-quality milk chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt half of the coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.
Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks*.
Using an ice cream scoop (I used a tablespoon), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft). Let cool on paper on wire racks.
Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.


As noted earlier, I used a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop my cookies (I fit 6-8 per cookie sheet because they flatten a lot). I would love to try them with an ice cream scoop as suggested; I think they'd make a great over-sized cookie! The boyfriend was just happy to have some real dessert in the apartment after the black bean brownies I made last week!

farmers' market

Today Matt and I walked over to our local farmers' market. Neither of us knew whether the fresh produce would be less or more expensive than what we buy at our local grocery store, especially since it was in such a nice part of town! Either way, I brought along my Blue Avocado reusable bag just in case we lucked out...

And, oh boy, did we! I managed to knock out 95% of the fruits/vegetables on my list for about 1/2-1/3 of the price!! Here's what we got...

• 1 bunch of bok choy - $1 (SCORE!)
• 1 bunch kale - $1
• 1 bunch beets (4 beets) - $1
• 3 avocados - $4
• 1 medium sized piece of ginger, 1 onion, 1 bunch of broccoli, 1 garlic bulb, 1 zucchini - $3.50 for the bunch (double SCORE!)
• 3 tomatoes - a couple bucks

I don't remember the price of the strawberries as they were the boyfriend's purchase. I also got a "Tri Color Salad"

I tried a little bit when I got home and, while I love the small ingredient list, I found it a bit bland. It could really use some lemon or vinegar to give it a kick and at $4 it was hardly a steal. Overall I found the fresh produce to be great, fresh and cheap; plus I love supporting the local farmers! The prepared foods such as the Tri Color salad and dried fruits, etc weren't as good a deal. Later, Matt and I went to the gym where I worked out my legs BIG time! After, I used half of the bok choy, the zucchini, the broccoli and two carrots I had at the apartment to make a wonderful veggie brown rice stir fry for tonight's dinner.I'll be eating these leftovers all week!

Oh, and did I show you the bowl I bought for my fresh produce last week??





I thrifted it for $4!! The boyfriend and I are loving all of the great thrift stores around Los Angeles and the wonderful treasures they hold!

decandently healthy

Or healthfullly decadent? In either case, tonight's dinner definitely struck the balance between healthy food and comfort food. Dinner was a three cheese brown rice and veggie casserole.









my portion:



Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 8 oz package of mushrooms
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 tablespoons sun dried tomato
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 jar of artichokes (quartered)
• 4 oz light cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella 
• 4 oz goat cheese
• olive oil

Cook brown rice as per instructions and preheat oven to 350. Chop asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Saute asparagus and mushrooms in olive oil and garlic over medium heat until cooked but asparagus should be crisp-tender. Combine asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes sun dried tomato and the three cheeses (save 1/2 of the mozzarella) in a large mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated. When rice is done, stir cheese and veggie mixture into rice. Spread onto a casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly (I got inpatient and put the broiler on after 15 minutes!)

This casserole dish was truly decadent but I couldn't feel too bad about it since it was full of vegetables!! 

Dessert was inspired by Carrots N' Cake's lentil brownie post. I wasn't quite brave enough to incorporate lentils into my baking but I did find this black bean brownie recipe.







These brownies came out bee-you-tee-full! And while I liked them very much, let's just say they could not fool the masses. I'm proud of the boyfriend for trying a bite but he did NOT like them, even when covered in Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra!! So while they don't rival full butter and flour brownies, they are a good healthy alternative in my opinion. Definitely worth a try (especially since I had all ingredients on hand).


Ingredients

• 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• a handful of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a small brownie pan (I used a loaf pan because the recipe doesn't yield a lot). Combine all ingredients except for the chocolate chips in blender and blend till smooth. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. 

P.S. I'm officially the worst liar ever!! When the boyfriend came home I told him I was baking brownies but "wasn't too sure" about the recipe; he looked at me suspiciously and asked, "What healthy sh** did you put in them??" Hahahaha, he knows me too well...