Sprout & Pea

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” »

Last weekend, I returned to the garden that I helped plant earlier this summer, and I was so thrilled to see all of the fresh herbs and veggies flourishing in their little beds. The kale was rampant, the basil was fragrant and I returned home to the city with tons of it! I also brought home some pretty beautiful zucchinis (amongst other greens) with which I created one of my favorite new dishes- spaghetti zucchini.

Continue reading “Zucchini Spaghetti With Garlic & Greek Yogurt Sauce” »

There’s a first time for everything, and last weekend just so happened to be my first time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I spent my Fourth of July exploring a new city and relaxing in a nearby rural suburb with good company, delicious food, sunshine, cats, dogs and yes, even the Amish. I even had my first introduction to Johnny Cakes (also known as cornmeal pancakes) and I can’t wait to get the recipe for this new favorite tasty breakfast treat. Before the fireworks set off and after a little game of badminton, we stuffed ourselves full with burgers and hot dogs topped with grilled kale, alongside lentil salad, green beans and an array of other goodies. Continue reading “Independence Day Food Roundup” »

Ever since I made pistachio roasted asparagus, I’ve been craving that slightly sweet, savory and uniquely textured combination. I’ve eaten it on its own, and placed it over a tortilla and topped it with a fried egg, so this weekend I thought – why not mix it into one of my favorite grains – quinoa. So, Saturday night I did just that. Continue reading “Pistachio & Asparagus Quinoa” »

My absolute favorite meals are those made on the fly with leftover ingredients in my refrigerator. This week I just so happened to have a lot of leftover food and it somehow all magically meshed well together. Don’t ask why, but I had an insane amount of feta cheese sitting in my refrigerator so with that in mind, I entered my kitchen and with the food before me, I started to salivate over the idea of making some kind of pesto. Continue reading “Quinoa Pasta With Arugula and Pistachio Pesto & A Poached Egg” »

Summer has arrived! My apologies for the lack of posting this past week, but the warm weather and some fun events have stolen away any recent computer time. It has been time well spent though. I’ve catered a wedding party, planted a garden and spent a day celebrating my incredible grandfather as a member of the first graduating class of Queens College. Of course, a girl’s got to eat in between all of this. Inspired by all of the watermelons in the markets and planting some myself last weekend, I decided to make a salad out of one. As it may be well known by now, I’m a sucker for sweet and savory so I created a classic dish of watermelon and feta, tossed on some shallots and a little homemade dressing. There’s nothing like a warm summer breeze and that first bite of a delicious fresh salad, and this dish certainly hits the spot. Continue reading “Fresh Feta & Watermelon Salad” »