Whirlwind

This year has been a whirlwind, with having my first child and working, sadly, my blog has taken a back seat (and a little bit of my cooking). I have cooked some fun, creative dishes and, of course, I forgot my camera in the diaper bag, or in the laundry basket, or next to my bed. You may have noticed my new blog name, I wanted to re-vamp my blog. I am hoping to take it the next level eventually. I just felt like this name was more me. I mean what is better than homemade béchamel or whipped cream?

But, I am getting better at keeping my head afloat now. My little girl is 11 months old, her 1st birthday party (expect a special blog featuring this celebration!) is around the corner. 

Lately, my time has consisted of playing with my daughter, work, and focused on moving (back to Colorado we go!) In the midst of that craziness, I've realized how important it is to take time for what I love. Cooking. There is something about taking a bunch of beautiful, random ingredients and conduct them in a symphony of flavor that produces something that makes you smile. One morning, it was that perfect temperature outside that I wanted to start my morning off with a cup off coffee on the front porch. Mind you this mellow morning lasted about 30 seconds, until my daughter wanted to play in the grass. But hey, I had 30 seconds... :) 

To give my plain 'ol coffee a little bit of fancy, I topped it with a whipped vanilla meringue. Added the perfect pop of sweetness, and just made me feel special. 

After my daughter made it pretty clear this was not a morning of relaxation, I decided to introduce her to pancakes for the first time. Since, she is still being introduced to a lot of foods I chose to kick out the sugar, add in goat's milk (what we've decided to transition her to once she turns one), and I had some mascarpone cheese in my fridge, along with some oranges that needed zesting. And voila! Halen's Pancakes. 

Halen's Pancakes

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 cups goat milk (buttermilk or whole milk would work deliciously)
1 tsp vanilla 
zest from one orange
2 Tbsp butter
honey for serving
berries for serving

I started by combining the dry ingredients together. Then I whisked the vanilla, milk and orange zest into the eggs. Then I combined wet and dry ingredients together, I added the butter, being careful not to over mix. Let the batter sit for a few minutes. I got my skillet hot, placed a bit of butter and then I made silver dollar size pancakes for Halen using a tablespoon. For my husband and I, I used a 1/3 measuring cup. 

Once the pancakes are done, I drizzled the adult pancakes with honey and placed a few blueberries and strawberries on top. For Halen's I placed them on her tray along with the berries. Needless to say, she approved! 

My friend's birthday was this past weekend, and with the rising heat I decided a regular cake just wouldn't do. I had seen these watermelon faux cakes on Pinterest and decided to give it a go. I bought a small watermelon, sliced almonds and fruit all from Trader Joes to make this springtime gem. 

Dana's Watermelon "Cake"
one small watermelon
2 kiwis
a handful of raspberries
1 cup sliced almonds
Homemade Whipped Cream 

I sliced the watermelon to model the shape of a small cake, making sure the top and bottom were flat. Then I made my whipped cream. I iced the cake and used my hands to stick the almonds onto the sides of the cake. I sliced up some kiwis and fanned them out on top. I finished by placing a few raspberries on the very top. 






Homemade Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp sugar

Whip the heavy cream on high, add in sugar. Let beat until peaks start to form. Do not over beat, or you will get butter. 








And for a perfect centerpiece to any dinner table, any celebration you can always make a personalized flower pot. We did this for Valentines Day, and we love using it for all different flowers. Made from yours truly, my dear Halen girl. 

Chicken Tostadas

Now that spring is in full throttle it is time for those meals that are fresh, seasonal and healthy for your summer-in-the-making-bod :)

Chicken Tostadas
4 organic chicken thighs
4 organic Ezekial wheat tortillas
1 small can of green chiles
2 cups of washed romaine lettuce
1 can black beans
1/2 cup queso fresco
1 avocado
2 green onions
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 lime
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt
pepper

This meal is so refreshing, will fill you up but still leave you feeling great afterwards. It is better to purchase smaller portions of organic meat then load up on hormone-spiked, manufactured meat. Thigh meat is always flavorful and almost always less expensive. Queso fresco is a nice variation to other cheeses, keeps it light and flavorful. The green chiles and chipotle chile give tons of flavor. The Ezekial tortillas (as well as their other bread products) are incredible for you, packed with fiber and nutrients.

First you'll create your marinade by squeezing out the fresh lime juice, slicing up your garlic cloves and chopping up the chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Then add the chicken and toss, let this marinate for about 30 minutes- two hours. Once the marinading process is done, add to a pan on medium-low heat. While the chicken is cooking, rinse your romaine lettuce and roughly chop- set aside. Chop up your green onions, avocado, crumble your queso fresco and place in small bowls for assembling the tostadas.

Flip your chicken, add your green chiles to a small sauce pan and raise the heat to high, add some salt and slightly char the green chiles. Place the green chiles in a small bowl and set aside. Add the black beans to the same sauce pan, add salt and pepper and heat up. Once the chicken is done, set aside to cool on a cutting board. Add the tortillas either straight onto the burners or onto a pan, heat until crispy. Once the tortillas are crisp, chop up your chicken and start adding the toppings to the tortillas- usually beans start as the base, then chicken, cheese, chiles, avocado, onion and romaine lettuce. Squeeze fresh lime juice on top with a drizzle of olive oil and you are ready to dig into a fantastic spring meal.

Enjoy! xo Lo

Mediterranean Seafood Salad

Now that April is finally here, spring has sprung! Which means it's time to kick up our healthy diets and hide away all those heavy, holiday foods. Combining seafood, a light pasta and greens is an excellent way to rejuvenate your body with energy, protein and antioxidants.

Mediterranean Seafood Salad
1/2 pound calamari
1/2 pound shrimp
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
5 cups herb salad (you can find this packaged together at your grocery store, if not you can pair together any of your favorite herbs: I love fresh dill, arugula, endive, radicchio and spinach)
1 bag of frozen speckled butter beans
1/2 lemon
4 cups chicken stock
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/2 green pepper
3 scallions
olive oil
salt
pepper

First you want to slice your veggies and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper then place them on the grill for about 4 minutes per side. While the veggies are grilling, heat up your chicken stock to cook the orzo. Once the veggies are grilled, place the squid and shrimp on the grill for two minutes per side. Once they are done, place them on a cutting board to cool before you add to the salad. Heat up your butter beans in a few tablespoons of chicken stock, until tender. Add the herb salad to your large serving bowl, add in the grilled  veggies, cooked orzo, then slice up your squid into rings- add that in and lastly place your beautiful shrimp atop your lovely, earthy, scrumptious salad.

This salad would be perfect for any girls night in, in-law dinner, or just a romantic evening- pair with a bottle of Becker Chardonnay (my favorite) and you're perfecto! Ciao!

xo Lo

“Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” -Chinese Proverb

This was my last meal as a non-meat eater. I had some flounder fillets, panko breadcrumbs and some various veggies. For an easy, quick meal I combined all these fresh, healthy ingredients together.

Flounder + Veggies
flounder fillets
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
frozen carrots
frozen brussel sprouts
1/2 fresh tomato
salt
pepper

Cook the fish last because it cooks very quickly. Heat your pan on medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil and add in your frozen veggies, after five minutes add salt and pepper. Stir occasionally and allow the veggies to get crispy. Once the veggies are close to being done, take your flounder and dip in the milk and straight into the panko breadcrumbs. Place on another skillet, on medium-high heat with the other tablespoon of olive oil. Let each side cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Once everything is cooked, slice up some fresh tomato, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper - plate the rest of your meal and enjoy. This simple, healthy meal should leave you feeling energized and happy with your dinner decision.

Enjoy! xo Lo