Sprout & Pea

 You know those days where everything in your tiny little world seems to stand still for just long enough to take it all in? Those days where you just feel grateful for it all? Saturday was one of those days for me, and it was a simple day too. I woke up, met my cousin for brunch and we enjoyed some delicious poached eggs with herbs and cheese outside on a rare 60 degree day in Brooklyn. We caught up, walked around, did a little shopping, and explored neighborhoods by foot. On our walk, I received a phone call from one of my most favorite people- just to say hello and that he was thinking of me as he biked around where the wind took him on this unbelievably beautiful day. Continue reading “Fennel & Apple Salad With Shallots, Toasted Pecans & Pecorino” »

There’s no telling what is in store for 2012 and frankly I find that exciting. I do know that my last days of 2011 and first days of the new year were spent in sunshine with loved ones and good food, and if that’s any indication for the direction this year is headed, I’ll take it. I flew down to Miami to ring in the new year with my best friend Farah, her new hubby and their gorgeous new house. When Farah started talking about menu planning, I immediately took the reins and tossed out dishes that I was itching to contribute. She wanted to make an orzo pasta salad and I took that as an opportunity to give myself a little creative challenge. Continue reading “New Year’s Orzo Salad” »

It happened again. Another supper club left me with a plethora of goat cheese in my refrigerator. One would think that I would learn to stop overestimating by now, but I can’t help but always air on the side of safe rather than cheeseless. So I once again found myself staring at the ingredients in my kitchen, trying to come up with a meal to toss the rest of this tangy delicious fromage into. Continue reading “Quinoa Pasta With Roasted Red Beets, Shallots, Goat Cheese & Toasted Pine Nuts” »

I’ve come across avocado pasta in my internet food scouring several times over the past few years and I’ve always been tempted to make it, but I’ve also always been a bit weary of the idea. Something about the thought of a warm avocado sauce left an uneasy feeling in my stomach, although as a lover of baked avocados and of guacamole, I’m not so sure why. Continue reading “Quinoa Pasta With Avocado Sauce” »

I love nights when spontaneity takes over and before you know it you’re sitting down enjoying a big home cooked meal and a million laughs with a few of your closest friends. Sunday was one such night, and I wanted to make something special for the wonderful folks gathered around my table, so I decided to get fancy and break out the truffle oil. I also had a big butternut squash laying around that I had forgotten to include in a veggie roast the other night, so I wanted to figure out a way to incorporate it into the meal. Continue reading “Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Toasted Pecans, Pecorino & Truffle Vinaigrette” »

I’ve seen kale chips in health food stores but for some reason have always been turned off by the idea of them. I love sauteed kale and I usually make it with a little lemon, olive oil and garlic. So, when a friend of mine asked me how to make kale chips I knew it was time to get over my hesitation and experiment. Since I love the flavors in the sauteed kale that I make, I thought why not just do the same thing and bake them, and that’s just what I did. After 15 minutes of baking, I was a convert. I had found my new favorite snack and so had my friend who was visiting from Australia. Continue reading “Kale Chips With Lemon & Garlic” »