A Promise

Last week, I made Mac & cheese for a friend, with the intention of sharing the recipe with you and telling you about how delicious it was. When I pulled the Mac and cheese out of the oven and took my first bite, I realized that I couldn't share the recipe with you. The recipe, though delicious, wasn't a right fit for this blog.


I started this blog because I love cooking, and I wanted a way to share my love of cooking with chefs of all skill sets. As much as I love reading food blogs, most blog writers target cooks who have a lot of expertise and a lot of time. I wanted to start a food blog for my friends who just graduated college, started a new job, and have never really cooked.

Unfortunately, my Mac and cheese from a few nights ago did not live up to those standards. To be featured on this blog, a recipe needs to be relatively straightforward and delicious. My Mac and cheese recipe had too many complicated steps and the result was lack luster. I'd rather post no recipe at all than post a recipe that is too difficult and disappointing.

And for those of you hoping for a Mac & cheese recipe, don't worry...I'm on the hunt for an easy and tasty recipe!

Crispy Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I have a love/hate relationship with leftovers. Part of me loves the fact that I can cook a delicious meal once, and then eat it the next day and maybe even the day after that. However, I also want to eat fresh food, particularly fresh produce, with my meals. This means I typically end up putting together some easy side dishes when I am reheating my leftovers. In my opinion, there are few vegetable dishes easier than Steamfresh, but these balsamic Brussels sprouts are. I dump all the ingredients on a pan, use my hands to toss, and put them in the oven for 40 minutes. Even though they take a while to cook, they are so easy, and so delicious, that I don't mind the wait. I love the taste of the syrupy balsamic vinegar on the Brussels sprouts, but feel free to just roast the Brussels sprouts plain.

Crispy Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (makes approximately 2 servings)

1.5 cups Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts. Pull off any yellow leaves.  Cut the Brussels sprouts in half.  Place the sprouts on a baking sheets.

Pour the olive oil, salt, and pepper over the sprouts.  Toss with your hands to evenly coat.

Place Brussels sprouts in the oven for 30 minutes.  Periodically toss to ensure even cooking. 

After 30 minutes, pour balsamic vinegar over the Brussels sprouts.  Toss with a spatula.

Continue cooking for 10 more minutes or until Brussels sprouts are crispy.  Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies because of their rich toffee taste and chocolate chunks.  This cookie takes that toffee flavor and makes it the sole focus.  When I saw the recipe in Cook's Illustrated, I knew it would be a winner.

What I love even more about this cookie though is that you are always likely to have the ingredients on hand.  This recipe calls for ordinary ingredients, but the cookies are anything but ordinary.  This is the cookie I'm going to reach for when it is late at night, and I just need a warm cookie and a glass of milk.  

Brown Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups packed brown sugar (the fresher, the better)

2 cups and 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a skillet, heat 10 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until melted.  Then, continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma (about 2-3 minutes).  I recommend using a lighter colored pan so that you can easily see the butter.
2. Remove skillet from heat and pour the browned butter into a heat-proof bowl.  Stir in remaining four tablespoons of butter until completely melted. Let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat over to 350 degrees.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, Silpat, or coat them with butter.  
5. In a shallow bowl, combine 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and the granulated sugar.  Toss with your hands until well combined.  
6. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  
7. Add remaining brown sugar (1 3/4 of a cup) and salt to the melted butter.  Mix using an electronic mixer (either hand-held or standing) on low speed until no clumps remain.
8. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix on low.
9. Add flour mixture, and then mix on medium-low speed until the flour is combined into the dough.  To make sure there is no excess flour, use a spatula to stir the dough one last time.
10. Spoon the dough into balls roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter (about two tablespoons), and use your hands to shape them into a ball.  
11. Roll the dough in the sugar mixture.  
12. You should have roughly 24 cookies, with 12 cookies on each cookie sheet.  
13. Bake the sheets one at a time for 12-14 minutes.  Rotate the sheet at the 6 minute mark.  
14. The edges of the cookies should have set, but the centers should still be puffy.  Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool. 

Back to Basics: Quinoa

Just a few years ago, no one could pronounce 'quinoa' correctly.  Now, it is a increasing staple in people's diets. For me, it's a perfect basic--quick and easy to make, but lots of great uses. I serve it as a side at dinner, I add it into my salad, I even turn it into a hot cereal.

Below is my basic recipe for quinoa, but there are lots of ways you can dress it up:

• Quickly sauté shallots, garlic, etc before adding in quinoa. 
• Add fresh herbs, toasted nuts, or dried fruit to your finished quinoa.
• Toss your quinoa in a light dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

I'm eating my quinoa tomorrow in a salad with arugula, peaches, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar. 

Quinoa Recipe:

1 cup dry quinoa

1 cup water

1 cup chicken broth

1.  Rinse quinoa off under cold water with a fine mesh strainer.

2. Add quinoa, water, and chicken broth in a saucepan.

3.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium.

4.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

5.  Drain quinoa (you can reuse your fine mesh strainer).

6.  Return quinoa to the hot pan, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.  

Perfect fluffy quinoa.  

The New Normal

I moved across the country. I started a new job. I lived out of two suitcases for five weeks. I moved into a new house.  I spent seven hours putting together furniture from Ikea. I made countless Target trips. I unpacked eight boxes (thanks Dad!). And finally, after six weeks, I feel settled.

I now have groceries, cookware, and plenty of time to cook dinner. And, at 3pm this afternoon, I had a craving for peanut sauce and noodles.  

By 7:30 pm, I was sitting in my kitchen with a big bowl of steaming noodles, gingery peanut sauce, grilled chicken, and matchstick vegetables.  

Please note: you will want to make extra of this recipe so that you can have delicious left overs later in the week for lunch. 

Whole Wheat Pasta with Peanut Sauce and Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Black pepper

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

Peanut Sauce

3 tablespoons creamy, all-natural peanut butter

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced garlic

Juice from 1 lime

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth

Matchstick vegetables (I prefer bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers)

1.  Season chicken breasts with black pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts.  

2.  Heat pan on medium, and add olive oil.

3.  Once pan is hot, place chicken breasts in pan.  

4.  Cook chicken on one side until bottom is well-browned, and more than half of the chicken is white and firm.  Also, fill a pot with water and place on high heat for the pasta.  

5.  Flip chicken, and continue to cook until done (there should be no more pink in the chicken).

6.  Move chicken to a cutting board and lightly cover with foil. 

7.  When the pot of water is at a rolling boil, add the pasta.

8.  In the pan from the chicken, add all ingredients for the peanut sauce and cook on medium.

9.  Stir peanut sauce occasionally.  

10.  When the noodles are done, add then to the pan with the peanut sauce.  

11.  Slice the chicken breasts and add them to the pasta.  

12.  Stir until well-mixed.

13.  Serve the pasta in bowls.  Add matchstick vegetables of your choice.  Add a little Sriracha.  Enjoy.

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend!