Easy, Elegant Entertaining

One of my ultimate favorite things to do is to celebrate life by entertaining. To most entertaining is a daunting, stressful idea...I am here to clear the air and help you realize that entertaining can be easy and elegant. The first thing you want to do is come up with your theme, this is what you'll usually center your food and decor around. Being creative with serverware is another tidbit I love to focus on, the details will truly pull in all your guests and having them saying, "Wow!" all event long.

The first thing I love to do is have a beautiful arrangement of flowers, candles, glasses as a tablescape for my guests to see. With the help of my fabulous friend, Amanda Kordes, we found some wild sunflowers that I picked, which looked lovely for our Southern Ladies Cooking Club. We then surrounded the sunflowers with beautiful glasses, antique pieces and some chocolate-berry compote cupcakes.

Chocolate Berry-Compote Cupcakes

2 cups organic unbleached flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup organic skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Combine soft butter and sugar until creamed. Add dry ingredients, mix until blended. Add milk and vanilla, blend well. Melt chocolate and add with eggs, slowly. Pour into greased cupcake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking put blueberries, blackberries and raspberries into a sauce pan with sugar on medium heat.

Berry Chocolate Icing

1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
4 cups powdered sugar
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Add soft butter into mixer, mix until creamy. Add corn syrup, mix on high til creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (if you don't have one put a metal  bowl on top of a sauce pan with a bit of water, make sure the bottom of the bowl cannot touch the water, bring the water to boil, once boiling turn heat down, chocolate will melt, stir constantly to avoid burning). Add in chocolate, put in a piping bag or ziploc bag to ice cupcakes.

Meanwhile, stir berries until the sugar has reduced the fruit into a jelly-like compote. Remove from heat to cool. Once cooled put into a piping bag or ziploc for cupcake filling.

When cupcakes are down, let them cool, then poke little holes in each cupcake, fill with berry compote and ice with piping bag. Ta da!

The next thing I like to have out when my guests arrive is a few things to snack on, when I was registering for my wedding I found this tri-bowl serving set that I just loved, it was perfect to put a few snacks in when entertaining. You could put in almonds, cubes of cheese, cherry tomatoes, dark chocolate, granola, berries, etc.

After my wedding I received some really fun serverware plates from Martha Stewart's Living collection. They are all different pattens of various leaves, this one in particular I used for some cajun jalapeno poppers that delighted any palate!

Cajun Jalapeno Poppers

My husband and I decided to make two different kinds, one had a batter on it and one was left simple. We took 1/2 package of cream cheese, cajun seasoning, fresh jalapenos (completely de-seeded and cleaned), bacon, 2 Tbs flour, 1/4 cup milk. For the battered poppers we first mixed the cajun seasoning into the soft cream cheese (and in the flour), filled each half jalapeno, wrapped in bacon then dipped into the cajun spice flour, dip into milk then back into cajun spice flour mix.

For the un-battered jalapeno poppers we mixed the cajun spices into the soft cream cheese, wrapped in bacon. We baked all of the jalapeno poppers into 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cream cheese should be bubbly and bacon should be crisp.

Enjoy all these lovely recipes and ideas for your next girl's night in, birthday party, dinner for the in-laws or for your special someone.

xo Lo

Restaurant Style Dinner

After a girl's night with my great friend Amanda Kordes, an aspiring chef, who had gone to Culinary School in Kentucky, I learned a few new tricks to help take my meals up to the next level. This particular night for dinner I had flank steak, leftover veggies, arborio rice (Italian-Style risotto rice), rye bread, leftover enchilada sauce, queso fresco and swiss cheese.With all of that I made this restaurant-worthy dish:

Savory Spice-Crusted Flank Steak

2 lbs flank steak
1 clove chopped garlic
1 Tbs flour
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch salt
pinch pepper

With the flank steak, I chopped up my garlic then I sprinkled that all over my steak. Next, I combined the savory spices and flour to create a flavorful crust. I dipped the flank steak into this spice rub and made sure every inch was covered. I put my grill pan on medium-high heat, drizzled with olive oil and laid the flank steak on the grill pan. The grill pan helps create a lovely crust, grill marks and juicy flavor.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

1 cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
5 button mushrooms
1 garlic clove
1/4 chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco

I begin by boiling my chicken stock then adding the risotto with a touch of olive oil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, I slice my mushrooms, chop my onion and chop my garlic. After about 15 minutes I add the onion, mushroom and garlic to a saute pan on medium heat. Once the risotto is soaking up the rice and beginning to fluff up, I add the mushroom mixture with a pinch of salt and pepper. I cover and turn down the heat to low.

Vegetable Ratatouille

While my steak was cooking, I decided to use my leftover veggies to create a ratatouille.

1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow squash
3/4 cup brussel sprouts
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup okra
1/4 cup black beans
Italian seasoning

I took a bowl, poured in the chopped tomatoes with the juice, Italian seasoning and all the veggies. I combined the flavors then drizzled olive oil on a baking sheet. I lined the veggies in a pretty, colorful pattern then baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Spanish Bruschetta 

2 slices of bread (any bread will work)
leftover enchilada sauce (or marinara sauce)
1/8 cup grated swiss cheese
1/8 cup of crumbled queso fresco
pinch basil
pinch oregano
salt
pepper

I cut my bread in half and grated the cheese, then combined the cheese with the sauce mixture and sprinkled the seasoning in. I mixed that together and spooned the mixture on top of the bread, I turn on the broiler and placed the bruschetta under the broiler for 5 minutes to crisp and bubble up.

My husband and I prefer our meat medium-rare, if you want to know what temperature your meat is feel the meaty part of your palm. With no clinch of your fist that is what rare feels like, then take your thumb and touch each finger, that meaty party of your hand will firm up as you make your way down to your pinky which is well-done. I took the meat off the pan and let it rest for a few minutes on a cutting board. Meanwhile I added the cheese to the risotto and stirred that up. I checked on my veggies and took them out with the bruschetta. I sliced up the flank steak and served the steak on a bed of risotto with a side of vegetable ratatouille and Spanish bruschetta toast points.

Enjoy!!

xo Lo

Lunches On The Go-Go!

During the week most people think of lunch last. I'm here to help you make a fast yet healthy lunch that you can grab on the go or take to work.

Beans & Rice with Cheese

1 can of black beans
1 cup Basmati rice
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Boil your water and add your rice with a pinch of salt. Put beans in a saucepan and heat up until they are nice and bubbly. Shred your cheddar cheese, set to the side for final topping. Once rice is done, spoon into a bowl, top with beans and finally, top with cheese. The cheese will start to melt and create a cheesy, bean goodness. This meal is stacked with protein, calcium and a healthy dose of carbs.

Grilled Italian Panini

two slices of bread
leftover veggies (cooked, from a previous meal)
sliced turkey
swiss cheese
olive oil
almonds
cookies

For this panini, my husband was on his way home for lunch and he was super hungry. I knew I had leftover zucchini, squash and onion, along with a little bit of swiss cheese, whole wheat bread and sliced turkey. I started by lightly drizzling the outside of the bread and placing on the panini press. I heated up the leftover veggies and turkey in a saute pan. Then I placed slices of cheese onto the slices of bread, added the veggies and the turkey- combined both slices and put the press on top of the sammy. After a few minutes the cheese had melted, which glued the sandwich together. I plated the sandwich with some almonds and homemade Snickerdoodles. My husband loved the panini!

Follow these recipes and surely you can create a homemade fast, delicious lunch when you've got to go-go!

xo Lo

Almond-Cornmeal Crusted Pork with Rice Pilaf & Broiled Veggies

I love a great flavored crust on pork, chicken, turkey or fish. Sometimes you find one and get stuck on using it all the time. When I made the following recipe I was determined to find a new rub that would turn into a delicious crust on my pork. I looked in my fridge and had pork chops, smoked almonds, cornmeal, brussel sprouts, yellow onion and rice. I became inspired and hit the ground running with my apron on.

Almond-Cornmeal Crusted Pork

My husband and I keep almonds in our house as a staple snack, not once did I think of chopping these almonds up and using them as a fabulous pork crust!

1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup stone ground cornmeal
2 pork chops
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of paprika

Chop your almonds, I used half plain and half smoked. Add in your cornmeal and seasoning. Have your grill pan or saute pan on medium heat with olive oil. Once the pork chops are coated on both sides, into this flavorful, nutty mixture place onto your hot pan. Cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping occasionally.

Rice Pilaf

1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbp olive oil
1 cup Basmati rice
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch of basil

Meanwhile, add some chicken stock into your sauce pan or dutch oven. Put one cup of basmati rice into the boiling liquid. Add in olive oil and seasonings, cover and stir sporadically.

Broiled Veggies
 1/2 yellow onion
1 cup brussel sprouts
1 clove garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch basil

Chop up your yellow onion and brussel sprouts into thick slices or halves. Set the veggies aside and make your seasoning mixture by adding one chopped garlic clove to a bowl, pour in the olive oil, add salt, pepper and basil. Give that mixture a toss and add in your veggies to coat. Put another saute or grill pan on medium heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add your thick disks of onion and halves of brussel sprouts, face down, that way they'll get beautiful grill marks.

Once your pork is done, make a cut inside, make sure it is mostly white with the faintest pink color. Stir up your rice, turn your veggies and serve. I hope the smoky, nuttiness of the crust on the pork will delight your palate and the comfort of the rice pilaf and veggies will please your soul.

xo Lo

Wiatrek-Style Brunch

Every Saturday morning my husband and I love to cook brunch, while our coffee is brewing in our French press I look in the fridge to see what I have to work with. Our brunch philosophy is to grab onions, any other veggies, saute and throw some fried eggs on top...yum! Today we had, smoked bacon sausage, red potatoes, yellow onion, button mushrooms and eggs. The first thing I did was to dice up my potatoes and onions to get them on the grill pan. It is important to cook the potatoes first because they take awhile, the smaller you cube them the faster they will cook. To make yummy home fries, you want them to be crispy on the outside and a little soft on the inside. Next I decided to chop up and saute the rest of the onion and button mushrooms.

Once my base was on it's way I chopped up the sausage to add that to the extra onions and mushrooms. Add some salt, pepper and continue to stir your breakfast items. Once everything is almost done, put a bit of olive oil into a hot saute pan and crack in your eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste then flip after they start to bubble. Once you flip them, turn off your heat. I plated by putting the sausage, onion mushroom mixture on the bottom, potatoes in a sidecar plus your luscious fried eggs on top.

When you cut into this egg, the yolk will flow all over your sausage, put that and some potatoes all on your fork and dive in!

xo Lo

Cornflake Encrusted Pork

How many of you love fried chicken or fried pork chops? With this recipe it'll be like eating fried pork chops but for half the calories! I had tried cornflake encrusted chicken and decided I wanted to try this recipe on my pork cutlet. My husband and I love pork so with this dinner I paired fresh strawberry, spinach salad and sauteed onions and mushrooms.

Ingredient List

2 pork cutlets
1 1/2 cups of basic cornflakes
1/2 red onion
5 button mushrooms
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh, sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
salad dressing of choice

Heat oven to 350 and allow pork to tenderize in milk for 30 minutes. Assemble your pork, in one dish put in cornflakes, in the next dish put in flour,  salt, pepper and paprika (mix together), take the pork from the milk and dredge into the flour mixture, back to milk then finally into the cornflakes. Once completely covered put the pork onto a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Put in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes.

While your pork is baking, chop your onion and mushrooms. Heat saute pan to medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil, throw your veggies in to saute. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, assemble your salad, rinse your spinach, slice your strawberries, cut your cherry tomatoes in half. If you have a salad spinner (I highly recommend one) put your spinach in there to get rid of all the water, if not pat down with paper towels. On your plate pile up our spinach, sprinkle on strawberries and tomatoes. Use whichever dressing you prefer, we used bleu cheese dressing. Once the pork is done add that to the plate with your sauteed veggies. Enjoy this simple, healthy meal!

xo Lo

Ay Mamacita! Chicken Enchiladas Suizas

Yesterday was my husband's mother's birthday, she passed away 10 years ago and would've been 57 years old. We decided we wanted to celebrate her birthday and memory by eating what she would've eaten. My husband tells me she loved hamburgers, Dr. Pepper and Mexican food...so he put me up to the challenge to make some homemade enchiladas.

After stopping by the grocery store for our necessities I got to work, if you have a dutch oven or large sauce pan grab it and follow the recipe below.

Ingredient List

3 cups water
2 cups chicken stock (always better than chicken broth)
2-3 lbs of roma tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers
1 yellow onion
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1/3 cup of Mexican crema (or sour cream...but Mexican crema is miles better)
1/3 cup Queso Fresca (white Mexican crumbly cheese)
12 white, corn tortillas (try to get the "homemade" kind)
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup vegetable, canola or olive oil (for frying)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 can of black beans
salt & pepper

The first thing you want to do is put 3 cups of water, 2 cups of chicken stock, chicken breasts, bay leaves, 2 cloves of garlic (whole) , salt and pepper into your dutch oven or large sauce pan, turn it up on medium-high heat. Once the pot comes to a boil, turn down to medium to simmer and set your timer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn your broiler on high, place tomatoes and jalapenos on baking sheet with aluminum foil underneath- put tomatoes and jalapenos in broiler for 12 minutes.

Start dicing up 3/4 of your onion, turn chicken, tomatoes and jalapeno to make sure all side are being cooked. After 12 minutes put tomatoes into a blender, slice jalapeno in half, de-seed and peel off the skin. Pour remaining juices from the pan into the blender, take out garlic cloves from the chicken pot and put into blender. Place additional garlic clove into blender as well. Puree the tomato-jalapeno mixture until smooth.

Once chicken is done take out of pot and place on a plate to cool. Discard the bay leaves and pour the chicken liquid into a bowl for later use. Drizzle olive oil into the same dutch oven or sauce pan and saute the diced onions for about three minutes, or until they are golden- on medium heat. After the onions are golden, pour in the tomato-jalapeno puree. Change heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add in 3 cups of chicken stock liquid and let the sauce cook down- about 20 minutes.

After the chicken has cooled, shred chicken and discard skin, bones and icky stuff. Add in Mexican crema and half of the queso fresca, let sit until sauce is ready.

Get oil ready for frying in a skillet or saute pan. When tomato-jalapeno sauce is ready pour 1 1/2 cups onto the bottom of a 13x9 deep, baking dish. Save extra chicken stock and tomato-jalapeno sauce for later use, think soups, rice, pasta or chicken!

Fry tortillas 20 seconds per side, immediately stuff about 2 Tbs of chicken mixture into each tortilla roll up, seam down. (This is easier as a two person job.) Once all tortillas are stuffed, sprinkle any extra chicken on top then pour another cup of the sauce on the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining queso fresca and remaining sliced yellow onion.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until hot and cheese has melted throughout. While enchiladas are baking put can of black beans into a sauce pan with olive oil and heat up. To plate pour beans on the plate then pile enchiladas on top with additional queso fresca. If this doesn't make you want to drink a margarita, I don't know what will!

xo Lo