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Mezcal Con Pepino

September 27, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

A few years ago my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary in Cabo San Lucas at the beautiful Resort at Pedregal. Our vacation was at the end of October during Dia de los Muertos- what a beautifully celebrated holiday with heartfelt emotions and incredible food! We were treated to many days of holiday treats during our stay- including fresh oysters, local fruits and drinks by the pool.

One evening there was a special culinary event with impressive displays of food and drink. Among the baskets of dried crispy snacks- nuts, corn and roasted grasshoppers!- there was a tasting station of mezcal. This smoky alcoholic beverage is made by harvesting the core of the agave plant. It is then cooked inside earthenware and distilled in clay pots. My husband and I were somewhat new to mezcal and enjoyed tasting the varieties with a squeeze of lime.

I have to say that ever since that trip, there has been steady experimentation of mezcal cocktails in our house. The cocktail that has become a household favorite is the Mezcal con Pepino- it’s perfectly refreshing, smoky from the mezcal, tart from the fresh lime, a little spicy from the hot pepper and cooling from the muddled cucumber. Also known as the perfect TGIF year round drink. Very recently, my husband kicked up this house favorite by making a rosemary simple syrup and replacing the recipe’s agave syrup with his new herbaceous syrup- what a smart move. Not necessary, but if you’re feeling like kicking this drink up a notch, you’ll be glad you did.

Mezcal con pepino- with muddled orange bell pepper

Oddly enough, if you’ve got all the ingredients to make this delicious cocktail and discover that your kids ate all the cucumbers- I can assure you that you can safely substitute an orange sweet bell pepper. The result is a drink the color of a Hawaiian sunset and just as refreshing as the cucumber!

Cheers!

Christina

Mezcal Con Pepino Cocktail

This refreshing cocktail hits all the notes- sweet, tart, smoky, spicy, crisp. What more could you ask for? The agave nectar can be substituted with plain simple syrup- although a house favorite is an herbaceous rosemary infused syrup.

Cook's note- In a pinch, orange bell pepper was substituted for the cucumber and it was surprisingly delicious with a beautiful orange color!

Course Beverages

Keyword cocktail, mezcal

Servings 2 drinks

Ingredients

2 ounces Mezcal
2 ounces fresh lime juice
.75 ounces agave nectar or simple syrup
2-3 slices cucumber
2-3 slices serrano or jalapeno pepper
Tajin
Sugar

Instructions

Put lime juice on rim of a glass and coat in tajin and sugar.
Muddle the cucumber and serrano into a cocktail shaker.
Add in mezcal, lime juice, agave/syrup.
Fill with ice and shake.
Pour over ice and garnish with lime and additional tajin.

Anytime Frittata

August 24, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Frittatas are a perfect way to use up veggies that may be past their peak freshness, small chunks of random cheeses in your fridge drawer, or leftover cooked meat. I like to make a frittata for dinner the day before leaving for a trip or for breakfast before hitting the farmer’s market to restock. It’s easy, versatile, and a family favorite. The combinations are endless!

My favorite pan to use is the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 12-In. Everyday Pan With Cover- I have two, I use it so much- scrambled eggs, quesadillas, dutch baby pancakes, grilled cheese, etc. It’s the perfect pan, and without a long handle, fits in all ovens. And it’s affordable and on sale ALL the time!

A few easy steps to a satisfying and healthy meal:

Add veggie/herbs/meat/whatever filling into nonstick pan.

Add any cheese you have sitting in your cheese drawer- shredded cheddar blend, gruyere, dollops of goat cheese, crumbled feta.

Crack eggs in bowl (8 eggs makes for a thinner frittata, 12 makes a taller, more filling frittata- both are great!) add a splash or two of cream, half and half, or milk. Add some seasoning- salt and pepper, mushroom magic powder, italian seasoning, some dried herbs, whatever you want. Adding hot sauce is always a nice flavor kick. Whisk together until it’s one homogenous mixture.

Pour egg mixture evenly on top of veggie filling.

A great option: Hearty veggie and wilted greens

Bake in a hot oven at 350 until golden and slightly puffy, about 20 min.

Let sit for a few minutes, then slice into wedges and enjoy!

Anytime Frittata

Frittatas are a perfect way to use up veggies that may be past their peak freshness, small chunks of random cheesees in your fridge drawer, or leftover cooked meat. I like to make a frittata for dinner the day before leaving for a trip or for breakfast before hitting the farmer's market to restock. It's easy, versatile, and a family favorite.

Course Breakfast, dinner

Keyword frittata

Ingredients

8-12 eggs
2 TB milk or cream
¼ cup shredded cheese, any kind
1-2 cup(s) cooked greens or veggie mixture
½-1 cup(s) cooked sausage, ham, bacon (or leave out and use more veggies)
salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp magic mushroom seasoning (optional)
few dashes hot sauce (optional)
2 tbsp grated parmeasan cheese (or reserve 2 tbsp of shredded cheese for top)

Instructions

In a nonstick, oven-safe pan, cook veggies in a little olive oil or butter. Alternatively, if you have leftover cooked veggies, simply add those to the pan. Add cooked meat, if using.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over top.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs, cream, and seasoning and hot sauce.
Pour egg mixture evenly over the veggie, meat, cheese. Finish with grated cheese, if using or additional shredded cheese for a nice crust.
Bake at 350° until golden and slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
Let sit a few minutes, then slice in wedges and enjoy! We like ours with sliced avocado and hot sauce or salsa.

5 Day Post-Vacay Reset- “The Meal Plan”

August 19, 2019 by Christina Shoup 1 Comment

Here is the meal plan for a 5 day reset. Any of the dishes with an * will be a recipe on the blog in the coming days. Any dishes with ** already has the recipe posted on the site and can be found in the categories pull down menu or on the recipes menu bar and scrolled to find the blog post with the recipe. I am a few weeks in now and still following the original rules for the most part. I’ve added in organic chicken for more protein as well as matcha green tea in the afternoon. It’s all about moderation- the 80-20 rule works great for me! I hope you enjoy.

Day 1

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs with mushroom magic seasoning, cinnamon raisin ezekiel toast with almond butter

Fresh juice- carrot, apple, ginger

Snack– Lara bar

Lunch

Green Salad with Avocado, Garbanzo Beans, Tomato, Slivered Almonds, Apple-Cider Shallot Vinaigrette

Snack- Hummus with snap peas and red bell pepper, plum

Dinner

Grilled Wild Salmon with Lemon Pepper, Dill, Salt, Quinoa Brown Rice Medley, Roasted Broccoli with Olive Oil and Lemon, Glass of Red Wine

Day 2

Breakfast

Smoothie- oat milk, coconut water, Greek yogurt, frozen mango, frozen pineapple, greens blend (chard, spinach, kale), banana, touch of honey

Hard boiled egg

Snack almonds, apple

Lunch

Avocado toast- ezekiel bread, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, aleppo pepper, everything seasoning, lemon juice

Fresh juice- greens blend, apple, celery, cucumber, carrot, parsley, lemon, ginger

Snack– olives

Dinner

*Grilled Southwest Grain Bowl with Roasted Poblano Dressing

Strawberries

Day 3

Breakfast

*Oatmeal (oats, unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, chia seeds, toasted unsweetened coconut, slivered almonds, fresh berries)

Latte w/ almond milk, touch of honey

Snack– Rx Bar

Lunch– leftover Southwest Grain Bowl w/ Poblano Dressing

Dinner

*Veggie and Greens Frittata

**Melon Salad with Feta, Jalapeno, Mint

Day 4

Breakfast

Leftover frittata

Smoothie (oatmilk, Greek yogurt, mixed berries, banana, mint)

Cold Brew Coffee (unsweetened almond milk, touch of honey)

Snack– almonds

Lunch– Sweet Greens Curry Grain Bowl

Dinner

*Shrimp Taco Salad

*Blistered Shishito Peppers

Day 5

Breakfast

*Overnight Oat Bowls

Cold Brew with unsweetened almond milk, touch of honey

Snack: Smoothie (oatmilk, Greek yogurt, fresh peach, mixed berries, banana, mint, greens)

Lunch- Leftover frittata, apple slices

Dinner

*Roasted Veggie Medley with Jerk Seasoning, Dates and Goat Cheese, Hummus, Cucumber slices, Green salad

Post-vacay 5 day reset- the “rules”

August 18, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago my family and I enjoyed a fantastic family trip to Vancouver and Whistler. Canada is one special place! Besides those friendly Canadians and spectacular nature with beautiful waterways all around, there was lots of delicious seafood and local produce to enjoy. We indulged in all of that. But, we also indulged in all the bread, alcohol, and treats – that’s part of vacation fun!

As much as I love being away with my favorite people, we all enjoy coming home to our space that we love so much, and getting back to routine- whatever that means during the final days of summer!
Before we returned home, my husband and I decided we needed a little reset in our diet. And, as fate would have it, look what landed on my doorstep that I forgot I had pre-ordered months ago!

In our family, we are generally very healthy eaters, eating the majority of food cooked at home and with care to feed ourselves a balanced diet. But, lately I’ve personally had lots of aches and pains, not to mention chronic tennis elbow for over a year (which I’ve now learned isn’t even inflammation and just a damaged tendon in my elbow that needs some repair.) But being 42 years old and waking up achy and not feeling my best despite a pretty balanced diet and lifestyle- anyone in the same boat?! I decided to tackle a few issues to improve my overall health. Nothing extreme, but it was time to make a few tweaks to feel as healthy as possible (new mattress/pillow coming soon, removing a few toxins in our environment, etc.) Three kids who aren’t slowing down anytime soon means mama cannot slow down anytime soon! And for me, extra coffee to get through the day just isn’t an acceptable solution.

Enter our 5 day Post-Vacay Reset… these “rules” are loosely based on an anti-inflammatory/Mediterranean diet with the intent to not only decrease/cut out inflammatory foods but to increase the amount of anti-inflammatory foods in our daily diet. I wrote these rules on our last (rainy!) day of vacation and dragged my family to Costco straight from the airport (yes, I did this) followed by a solid trip the next morning to the local farmer’s market. In the time it took my family to put away the Costco haul, I had a delicious healthy dinner on the table (grilled wild salmon, brown rice + quinoa, and roasted broccoli).

The “Rules”

NO to…

White stuff (four, rice, potatoes)

Meat/poultry

Refined oils and sugars

MINIMAL…

Dairy (only using Greek yogurt as a protein source for smoothies and overnight oats)

Alcohol (glass of red wine)

YES to…

Lots of whole fruits and veggies

Juicing

Eggs

Seafood (mainly wild salmon, wild canned tuna, shrimp)

Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil

Nuts and seeds

Whole grains (oats, farro, brown rice, quinoa)

Touch of…

Honey/Maple syrup

*used organic when possible and available

Don’t you love a plan that has more “yes” instead of “no”? I have to say that after 5 days of an eating reset, my husband and I both felt better. We continue to enjoy this plan as a base for eating most meals, every day. The exception is that life sometimes includes a few treats and that is something we will continue to enjoy. We’ve added back organic chicken a few times a week, allowing for an increase of healthy protein as we ramp up our workouts.

Next post… the meal plan.

Cheers to healthy eating!

Christina

House Granola

July 21, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Beautiful clusters of oats, seeds and coconut

Homemade granola is such a staple in our house, I often forget what the store bought version tastes like, but I vaguely recall it resembling overly sweetened cardboard. But for some reason I always bought it. I liked the idea of having granola on hand. I remember a lovely bed and breakfast on our honeymoon that had a giant bowl of homemade granola displayed in the kitchen (along with a big jar of biscotti but that’s another post!) and not until 10+ years later did I make that happen on a regular basis in my own kitchen.

Extra large mason jar with scoop

I also realized that when we are on vacation at nice resorts and I see housemade granola on the menu, I always make sure I order it at least once during our stay. I figure if the Chef has a house granola, I have to try it! And I’m almost always glad I did. It feels like a light and healthy way to start the day, especially since most days I’m an egg girl.

I’ve tried many many granola recipes, and at one time or another, I’ve declared them the “best granola recipe.” But, while they were all really good, this recipe is the one that has become a house favorite. So, below, I present to you my House Granola. It’s inspired by many recipes out there, but mostly by one of my favorite cookbooks Cooking at Home with Bridget and Julia.

A perfect breakfast: House Granola with Fresh Peach and Oatmilk Latte

House Granola

Granola has been a staple in our household for longer than I can remember. Everyone in our house likes it served differently, but my favorite is with almond milk and sliced fresh peach or banana on top. It's also delicious over Greek yogurt flavored with a little maple syrup and orange zest or juice. With the crunchy clusters of oats, seeds and nuts and the chew of the cranberries and apricots, it couldn't be more satisfying. This version is inspired by one of my favorite cookbooks Cooking at Home with Bridget and Julia.

Course Breakfast

Keyword dried fruit, granola, pecans

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups pecans raw, unsalted, roughly chopped
1/2 cup flaked coconut unsweetened
1/2 cup sunflower seeds raw, unsalted
2 tsp cinnamon
3 pinches flake sea salt, such as Maldon can use 1/2 tsp kosher salt instead

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
4 tsp vanilla
2 large oranges finely zested with a microplane

After Baking Add-Ins

2 cups dried cranberries, cherries or golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil until liquid, about a minute. Add rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until throughly combined.
Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and fold together until all oats, nuts and seeds are well coated.
Place mixture on prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly, pressing firmly with a spatula.
Bake on an upper middle rack until slightly golden, about 40 minutes. Be sure to spin your sheet pan after 20 minutes to ensure even baking.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle on dried fruit. Let sit until granola is completely cool and gently mix together, taking care not to break up too many of those granola clusters. Stores well in a sealed container for several weeks.

Happy Tomato Season!

July 14, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Tomato Pie- the best kind of pie there is!

It’s late July and the local farmer’s markets in the Bay Area are overflowing with summer’s bounty. I don’t usually have a go to list from week to week (depends what is on the meal plan!), but one staple from June until at least late September are tomatoes. Only three out of my five family members even like tomatoes but that doesn’t stop me from making all things tomato. And as it turns out- it doesn’t stop five out of five from eating dishes with tomatoes in them. Funny how that works! So many ways to use them: fresh cream of tomato soup, tomato salsa, gazpacho, tomato sauce… but my all time favorite way to eat ripe summer tomatoes is in Tomato Pie. This is my childhood in a pie shell.

Recently a farmer selling me tomatoes asked what I was planning on doing with the tomatoes and because July 4th was just days away- Tomato Pie was definitely on the holiday menu! It’s a summer staple.

There are a few but critical easy steps to ensure a delicious tomato pie!

Step 1:

Roll out dough into 9″ pie dish and prick all over with fork. This can be store bought- Trader Joe’s has a decent one or my favorite is an egg and butter based Pâte Brisé that is very easy to work with.

Pate Brisee

Step 2: Blind bake

Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Blind baking the shell

Step 3

While crust is baking, slice tomatoes and give them a gentle squeeze to remove some juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides.

Salting and draining tomatoes

Step 4:

Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Let sit while crust is baking and you prepare the topping.

Successful blindbaking- golden and no puffed up spots!

Step 5:

Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed. Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves.

Beautiful local tomatoes

Step 6:

Sprinkle fresh basil and chive over the tomatoes.

Fresh herbs

Step 7:

Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.

Sharp cheddar, mayo, scallion and a few seasonings for a delicious topping

Step 8:

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

I hope you love this as much as I do!

Cheers

~Christina

Tomato Pie

This savory pie is the best of summer. Ripe, in season tomatoes seasoned with fresh herbs sit in a flaky crust with a cheesy topping. What's not to love?

Course Main Course, Side Dish, vegetarian

Keyword herbs, pie, savory pie, tomato

Servings 8 servings

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

1 9" pie crust baked
3-4 medium tomatoes thickly sliced
handful cherry tomatoes sliced in half
2 tbsp fresh basil julienned
1/4 cup chives minced
2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
1/4 cup mayo
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Roll out pie dough into 9" pie dish and prick all over with fork. Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden.
While crust is baking, slice tomatoes and give them a gentle squeeze to remove some juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides. Let sit while you prepare the topping.
For the topping: Combine cheese, mayo, scallions, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed. Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle herbs evenly over tomatoes.
Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.
Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

Liquor Cabinet Foraging

June 28, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Photo Apr 20, 6 32 48 PM

Back in my early twenties, when my friends and I wanted a drink, liquor cabinet foraging was a pretty regular occurrence. I was legal, working hard and with little responsibilities, a cold drink after a long day was a treat. There was really never any “plan” to the beverage of choice other than what we had on hand- Is there a beer in the fridge? Perfect- I’ll take it straight from the bottle. A little rum to mix with the flat two-liter bottle of Coke? That will do. Some kind of box wine leftover from camping? Great. The bar was low and I didn’t care much if it paired well with my frozen dinner.

Fast forward to my real adulting years with many responsibilities, more refined taste buds in food and alcohol, and deeper care and appreciation for what I put in my body. With a slower metabolism in my forties (ugh) and a busy life, there is always a plan for the beverage I’m thinking of consuming. Are we sitting at a baseball game on a sunny Saturday afternoon for 2+ hours? A cold beer in a tumbler mixed with a little limeade is not a bad idea. A Friday night where all my people are at home and the Warriors are on? An old fashioned “sipper”- as my husband calls it- is in order. Hubby and I are celebrating a good week at work? Corking a bottle of our favorite B cellars wine is a treat.

Recently, I made a nice restaurant-quality dinner at home- and I wanted a restaurant/fancy bartender quality cocktail to start the meal off. This is when I did old-school liquor cabinet foraging. I basically pulled out my favorite bottles in the cabinet, some citrus from the fruit bowl and some sparkling water from the fridge and got to work. I may have regretted this decision of careless mixing except that it ended up being one of the best cocktails I’ve had in recent memory. This baby also would have commanded a $15 price tag in a nice establishment. I’ve since made it a few times and always have these ingredients on hand to ensure my liquor cabinet foraging game is strong.

Summer Sipper

A refreshing gin, citrus and floral sipper born out of liquor cabinet foraging. The results were very drinkable. Enjoy!

Course Beverages

Keyword cocktail, gin

Servings 2 drinks

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

2 ounces Hendrick's Gin
2 ounces Aperol
2 ounces St. Germain
4 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
2 Lemons squeezed, about ¼ cup
splash Lemon La Croix Sparkling Water

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake it like you mean it for 30 seconds. Add a splash of sparkling water and strain into two glasses.

It’s Raining in May- Keep Calm and Roast a Chicken!

May 19, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Perfect job for the cast iron pan

It’s supposed to be sunny and warm outside- it’s mid-May in California after all. The sun is coming, we just have to wait several more days. For now, keep calm and roast a chicken! There is something so satisfying about knowing how to roast a chicken. It’s simple, comforting, and can produce meals for days and broth for weeks. Zuni Cafe’s late Chef Judy Rodgers is credited for this easy technique for Roast Chicken and it’s so easy to replicate at home. All you need to do is plan ahead and make sure to salt that chicken the day before. The old saying goes- you get what you pay for. Buy the very best whole chicken you can afford. It will pay dividends with the meat and the quality of the broth. Some chickens have a nice clean poultry flavor, and some just do not.

Meal #1

This chicken gets a lot of use! Meal #1 includes cut up chicken, roasted veggies and a side salad. Meal #2 takes the chicken off the bone and gets stuffed into chicken tacos with black bean and corn salsa or gets used as the star of a cobb salad. Meal #3 turns into a risotto dish with herbs and mascarpone once you make that homemade broth!

Risotto with Spring Peas, Herbs, and Mascarpone- this was a hit with my family!

Speaking of broth- this is one of the few reasons I own an Instant Pot. I’m not a huge fan, but definitely use it for a few kitchen tasks that would otherwise take constant monitoring or more time than I want to spend. This chicken broth is a great base for many future recipes. In cooking school, I learned the best chicken stock is a neutral stock- one without garlic, ginger or even salt. This way it can be used for a variety of dishes and seasoned appropriately according to the intended dish. In true wannabe Barefoot Contessa style, these quart containers of chicken broth live in my freezer and it makes me happy knowing they are there.

Cheers,

Christina

Simple Make-Ahead Spring Menu

April 19, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Spring has definitely sprung in Northern California! The temperatures in the Bay area have my kids barefoot and jumping in the chilly pool after school. In the non-food world, Spring to me means baseball season is in full swing, NBA playoffs are underway, it’s light outside until after dinner, and the windows and doors are open from morning till evening. In the food world, it means- local strawberries (with fresh whipped cream), blueberries (eaten straight out of hand), rhubarb (makes a delicious fruit crumble or simple syrup for a mixed drink), and spring onions, green garlic, and asparagus (delicious in a frittata)- all popping up at the farmer’s market.

Over the beautiful spring weekend, we celebrated our daughter’s Confirmation. Because we needed to keep the meal short and sweet in order to get to the church on time, I decided on an easy, make-ahead meal that satisfied adults and kids alike. It needed to be ready when guests arrived, not too messy as we were all in dresses and suits, and not too heavy as we were going to be sitting for the ceremony for nearly 2 hours. The following menu was a hit!

Menu planning and a prep list is key to a relaxed gathering!

I feel instantly better when the table is set or the serving pieces are ready

The more I think about this menu, the more I think it would be a great Easter or Mother’s Day menu, too. And, the bonus is that local salmon season is almost here and I read recently that it is on track for being a prolific season with lower prices than in the past. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my favorite salmon recipes!

Gougeres

Gougeres with Gruyere Cheese- light and airy and addictive

These tasty little French cheese puffs are so easy and an impressive start to the meal with a glass of champagne. They are a bit more impressive looking and seem to have more “puff” when they are piped from a pastry bag, but I can assure you that just scooping them with a small-sized ice cream scoop will work just fine- they taste the same!

Macaroni and Cheese

That delicious crunchy top

Any homemade recipe will do, but in cooking school, we made some pretty tasty versions- one of my favorites was with roasted poblano and scallion. Whatever version or add-ins you include, be sure to: put the macaroni mixture in a buttered casserole dish and top with crunchy panko breadcrumbs that have been toasted in a pan with butter and garlic and then tossed with grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees till golden and bubbly. *I made this for the kids but the adults didn’t mind a little pile next to their salad with salmon!

Slow Roasted Salmon

Slow Roasted Citrus Salmon

Alison Roman’s Slow Roasted Citrus Salmon with Herb Salad is the recipe I pretty much went off of. However, I used a sheet pan, half the amount of olive oil, turned up the heat to 400 degrees for the last 5-7 minutes and skipped the herb salad on top. I served it on top of an arugula salad with sliced strawberries, toasted almonds, shaved manchego cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. A perfect light Spring main dish.

Carrot Sheet Cake

There are dozens and dozens of really tasty carrot cake recipes out there. Layered, chock-full of nuts, pineapple, raisins, etc, 3 layers, 5 layers- I love them all! Since we had more kids than adults at our dinner celebration, I thought it best to have a simple single layer carrot cake with nothing else in the batter but warm spices and carrots and a nice thick layer of cream cheese frosting. It was a hit with kids and adults alike and the best part- it’s SUPER simple to make!

My favorite single layer carrot cake comes from America’s Test Kitchen Complete Series Cookbook (pretty much my kitchen bible) and if you have access to this- be sure to try this recipe! I cannot easily share the recipe because it’s in a cookbook and even the digital version requires a paid membership (which I personally think is well worth the money, along with a subscription to NYT food app, but this one from Fine Cooking (my favorite cooking magazine) is pretty close if you leave out the nuts and currents!

Whatever your family celebrates- religiously, culturally or traditionally, I hope you enjoy this beautiful weekend and great food with your friends and family.

Cheers!

Christina

Everything Muffin

April 8, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Last week I made these little muffins when I should have been packing for a big family vacation. I knew we had an early morning flight and the idea of a snack size pack of nuts and a drink from the beverage cart makes this already nervous flier even more uncomfortable. I think because I cannot control much up there in that flying metal tube in the sky, that at least I can control one small part of the journey- a good meal on the plane. My family always makes fun of the extra carry on I always have but 30 minutes into a flight, I’m their favorite person. “Oh hey mom, whatcha got in there?” Yes, this comes from the kids and my husband.

Some of the standards are cut up fruit, veggies, mini sandwiches, crackers and cheese, homemade muffins or banana bread, and always a secret candy stash to pass the time. I often bring these items in a Pack It foldable lunch bag to bring with on the plane and it’s so handy to use later at the beach to keep food or drinks cold.

These muffins that came with us on our trip were inspired by my sister. On a recent girls trip to Chicago, I got off the plane only to find my sister waiting at the gate with these muffins- for me! What a treat. My sis is a wonderful mom and although we left the kids at home, apparently she doesn’t travel without food either!

I hope you try these- they are very adaptable and easy to make. Feel free to change the flours to Cup 4 Cup Gluten-free flour, or swap the walnuts for pecans, omit the coconut, add in applesauce. Swap ⅔ c maple syrup for 1 c sugar. You cannot really go wrong.

Cheers!

Christina

Everything Muffin

These hearty muffins manage to keep their moisture and hold up well for travel- either on a plane or a school lunch bag. They are a healthy and satisfying treat for breakfast or snack. I hope you try these and enjoy!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
1 cup walnuts
1 apple unpeeled, large dice
1 banana large dice
3 eggs room temperature
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 14.5 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar

Dry Ingredients

1 3/4 cup white flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Dry Ingredients:
In large mixing bowl, combine both flours, coconut, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients:
Place raisins in a heatproof bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. In the meantime, pulse walnuts in Cuisinart till ground. Add apple, banana, raisins with soaking liquid and coconut oil and pulse till combined. Add eggs, flax meal, vinegar or lemon juice, pumpkin puree and sugar and pulse until combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. If more moisture is needed, add a splash of dairy or non-dairy milk. Fold in chocolate chips.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill regular or mini muffin trays with batter. Bake mini muffins for 20 minutes and regular sized muffins for 22 minutes, or until set.
Makes 24 mini muffins and about 18 regular muffins. These keep well in a covered storage container in the refrigerator for many days or frozen for several weeks.