je t'aime paris

Oh Paris. What a dream of a city. Adam and I had such a good time there. We walked for hours each day, exploring gardens and and the beautiful architecture. We just kept going, wanting to see more because at every turn something else would take your breath away. It's much bigger than I had expected, and although full of French people, it is also a very international city. It's like New York's more beautiful older sister - international and cultural, but more grown up and refined. We ate well, of course. I will never forget the crepe we ate on arrival. It was like a giant, "welcome to Paris." We were so hungry, it was so big, so delicious, so perfect. But then again, isn't everything in Paris perfect? I think it just might be...

arugula pesto and rainbow chard whole wheat pizza

Pizza is one of America's favorite foods, but often the ingredients are sugary, processed, canned, or from halfway around the world; however, it doesn't have to be that way. All toppings for the pizza above (cheese, tomatoes, rainbow chard, arugula, and garlic) were picked up at the local farmer's market and laid over a fresh whole wheat crust. It's guilt free and a great weekend dinner. Take the leftovers with you to lunch or make it for friends.

Whole Wheat Crust Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 large heirloom tomato

2 stalks of rainbow chard

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3/4 cup crumbled Hillacres Pride Arcadia cheese (raw cow's milk cheese with earthy flavors and nutty undertones)

Arugula Pesto:

1 3/4 cups packed arugula

2 large garlic cloves

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp herb salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Blend all arugula pesto ingredients together in a food processor.

3. Grease pan slightly, and roll out pizza dough. Place the dough in the pan and stretch it to fit precisely.

4. Spread arugula pesto, sprinkle cheese, and distribute chard and tomatoes evenly.

5. Cook pizza for 20-25 minutes until crust begins to brown. 

salmon & chive stuffed breakfast pastries

It was Adam's birthday this past Sunday. We were out till dawn, warranting a late morning sleep in. I let him rest and finally dragged myself out of bed to whip him up something special. I had been plotting these stuffed breakfast pastries and so everything was already in my fridge. It took about thirty minutes to throw everything together, and I have to say, they were pretty tasty. 

Ingredients (serves 2)
4 large eggs

4 puff pastry shells

4 oz smoked salmon

3/4 cup smoked gouda, grated

1/3 cup creme fraiche

10 small chive stalks, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Let your pastry shells defrost for about 30 minutes, and preheat your oven to 450F.

2. Lay the pastry shells out on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Mix together salmon, gouda, creme fraiche, chives, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

4. Cut out the center top of your pastries and fill with the salmon mixture . Close the top back up so that everything will melt inside from the heat of the freshly baked pastry.

5. Fry eggs in olive oil and place on top.