Sprout & Pea

Summer has arrived! Almost. There are still a few cool days that keep rearing their heads but that is quite alright with me. Those ever so slightly cool evenings make for a perfect night to have friends over for a meal and some red wine. My friend and I have spent this past week tag-teaming inventive recipes using our giant box of Lancaster Farms CSA veggies. Friday night after work, she and I and a few other friends gathered in my kitchen and “impromptued” a perfect fall-into-summer dinner.

Continue reading “White Bean Puree With Sautéed Mustard Greens & A Poached Egg” »

After a winter of very heavy meals and far too much eating out, I am looking forward to a creative summer in my kitchen. With the cool temperatures dragging on, I’ve been in a bit of an inspiration lull over the past few months, but that all changed last night when my first CSA delivery from Lancaster Farms arrived.  This is my first time joining a CSA. My reservations have always lied in the excess of food that would come along with a weekly delivery that feeds a family of four. So, when two of my friends showed their interest in splitting a half share and we calculated the cost to work out to about $3 per week for each of us, all of my hesitation went out the window and we signed up that day. Continue reading “Red Scallion, Thyme & Ricotta Bruschetta” »

Until a few days ago, hazelnuts were rather foreign to me. It’s a nut that for one reason or another, I have never experimented with in the kitchen. That all changed when I was preparing a rather bland salad at work and was kindly offered some of the protein packed nuts to help liven up my greens. I was amazed at how much they enhanced my boring lunch in flavor and texture and how satisfied I felt from a light meal. So on my way home that night, I picked some up and started tossing around ideas of how I might incorporate them into my dinner.

Continue reading “Quinoa Pasta With Toasted Hazelnuts & Brussels Sprouts” »

After a glutenous Passover Seder a few weeks ago, my body needed to reboot with something light and refreshing, but of course I had plans to attend another giant feast the following day at my friend’s Easter Brunch. So I took it upon myself to bring along a dish that was a bit on the healthier side- carrot, ginger and scallion salad. I had never made this before but it’s a snack that I often pick up from the Whole Foods salad bar (for entirely too much money). Rather than looking up a recipe, I grabbed the main ingredients and improvised on a dressing. Continue reading “Carrot, Ginger & Scallion Salad” »

The weather has been all over the place lately and with that, so have my eating habits. It seems that this warm one day, freezing the next pattern also seems to send me into a pattern of home-cooked healthy meal one day, mac and cheese at my favorite local spot the next. On one such recent warm day, my body had had enough of eating out, so when I awoke to the sun shining, I immediately jumped from my bed and headed to the market for some breakfast inspiration. Low and behold I cam across a vegetable that I have been itching to play with. Continue reading “Warm Sorrel & Sunchoke Salad With A Poached Egg” »

Thai food is my weakness in the winter. I say weakness because when I’m craving it, I always order in from my favorite spot down the street and enjoy an ultra veg night on my couch with a good movie and a glass of wine. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but after ordering thai food a few too many nights in one week, I decided it was time to take this craving and turn it into something productive- and a bit healthier. Continue reading “Vegetable Thai Quinoa” »