weekly scenes

Life has taken a turn for the busier. You'll have to forgive me for the silence that has ensued because of it. I know I've barely shared a peep, but I must admit, I don't feel entirely horrible about it. It's important to get out and experience life that is not set behind a computer screen. With the recent shift in weather, I've been making it a point to do so. I've been chasing dreams, laying in the grass, cooking up a storm, biking EVERYWHERE just because I can, and trying to make it to as many yoga classes as possible.

I do want to call out a few special moments that have happened recently though....

1. Adam's band had their first show! It was such a fun night of free beer, free souls, and free rock n' roll.

2. We finally bought a vine! Now I just want more. :)

3. This little one is back in my life and we've been having a ball. This shot was taken while enjoying the weather at Penn Treaty park on a Saturday afternoon.

4. My new favorite thing is to pick up fresh fish from Ipolito's Seafood. They got what's good.

5. Check out this post I did on cream vs. oil moisturizer! I'm a total convert.

6. Yes, succulent vines do exist. And yes, I will own one someday.

7. God I love this girl. She is one of the best, kindest, funniest, good-to-be-around people you'll ever come across. Anyone who gets to meet her in their life is damn lucky. I'm so happy to have been one of those people!

8. I almost started a chicken farm in our way-too-small of a backyard when I met these babes (or should I say chicks) at Greensgrow. 

9. Adam & I started a food blog! Go check it out!

Oh, and I'm heading to San Diego next month! Anyone with suggestions of where I should go, visit, stay, eat, etc. please drop me a line in the comments! I hope everyone's spring is off to as glorious a start as my own. Much love. xx

paleo squash & seafood bisque

Like everyone else, I've been eating healthier in the New Year. This is one of my many recipe creations in the venture to do so. It is a spin on seafood bisque with squash-based broth and no dairy. The seafood dresses it up, and adds healthy protein. Each bite feels like an indulgence. Things just shouldn't taste this good, and be this healthy.

Ingredients:

1 Onion

1 Large Garlic Clove

2 Acorn Squash

5 Cups Water

1 Tsp. Vegetable Bouillon or a Bouillon Cube

.4LB Scallops

10 Clams

16 Shrimp

2 Tsp Moroccan Seasoning

1 Tsp Tumeric

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Safron Threads

Ghee & Olive Oil for Sauteing

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the acorn squashes in half and lay them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Dress with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until caramelized.

2. Remove squash from the oven. Once cooled, scoop out the innards and set aside.

3. Using hot olive oil, saute chopped onions and garlic in a large stock pot.After they are cooked through, add squash, water, and spices. Important, do not salt until the very end. Oysters add a lot of saltiness to a dish and you don't want to overdo it.

4. Using a hand blender, turn the squash and onions into a fine liquid. Let simmer.

5. In a separate saute pan, caramelize scallops and shrimp in ghee. Set them aside in a bowl when finished.

6. Toss oysters into the squash broth and cover the pot. The steam that is trapped with your lid will cook the oysters. Remove the lid once all have opened. After 5-7 minutes they should be done. 

7. Kill the flame and mix in scallops and shrimp.

8. Taste for seasoning and add as much salt/pepper as is needed.

9. Serve!

adam's clam pasta

Alright, alright, this is not the healthiest recipe ever to appear on this blog, but sometimes you need food that is straight good for the soul, and that, it is. Clams, I did not know, are surprisingly easy to cook - and cheap! We spent $8 on a dozen, but felt like royalty slurping them down. The air of elegance is pleasantly deceiving when you go to take out the wallet. Paired with my favorite ancient grain pasta, Adam made a zesty, Marsala stewed tomato sauce to top it all off. If you're looking to impress guests, this is good one to whip out.

Ingredients (serves 2):

12 Top Neck Clams

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Onion, sliced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

8oz Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Marsala

1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Thyme Sprigs

2 Tbsp Herb de Provence

1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flake

1 Tbsp White Pepper

Juice from 1 Lemon

1 Bag Ancient Grain Fusilli

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, and yellow pepper. Deglaze with Marsala, and add 2 cups of water, bouillon cube and tomato sauce.

2. Once boiling, toss in clams, and cover pot. Cook until clams open up. Remove from pan once cooked.

3. Boil pasta until almost aldente. Strain, and then toss into your sauce and let the pasta cook the rest of the way.

4. Spoon pasta onto a plate and then place clams around the border to serve.

down home crab and polenta stuffed catfish

One weeknight Adam and went to the grocery store looking for some dinner inspiration. We wandered around the Wholefoods produce section with zero bursts of genius, and then turned to the fish station where the brilliant idea hit me, "why don't we stuff something...with polenta!" And so this recipe was born. 

I can't tell you that it has any particular health benefit, besides the healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, but it's tasty! Since we wanted to use polenta we decided to go the elevated down home route - we chose catfish as our base, and threw some crab, jalapeno, and hot sauce in there. The polenta mixed with crab renders a creamy filling without the use of any dairy product. It's filling without dense or fatty ingredients, and goes great paired with a simple vegetable. We threw ours over a kale and white bean salad, and it made a great weeknight dinner.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1Lb Catfish

1/2Lb Lump Crab

1 Cup Polenta

1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped

1 Medium Shallot, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Tsp Cayenne

1 Tsp Dry Mustard

2 Tsp Mesquite

1 Tsp Onion Powder

3 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Hot Sauce

1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. While making your polenta, throw in the jalapeno and shallot, and let the mixture cook down.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together crab, polenta, spices, hot sauce, and white vinegar.

4. First cut your catfish in half, to have two identical fillets. Turn the fillet towards you, and cut horizontally through the thick end to make a pocket for your filling.

5. Spoon the polenta and crab mixture into your pockets, filling generously.

6. Place the filled catfish on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and stick in the oven to bake.

7. After 20 minutes, remove from oven and place a pat of butter atop each fillet. this will caramelize and give a crispy texture to the outer layer of fish. 

8. Replace everything in the oven for another 5 minutes or until cooked.

venice

Third Stop: Venice

Venice, the most beautiful city on Earth. Full of  secret alleyways, glittering facades, and romantic shuttered windows, we spent a day and a half there, but not long enough. We wandered around, got lost in the labyrinth, ate the best meal of our lives, and visited a Salvador Dali exhibit that blew our minds. The hostel was horrible, but there was a bed, and that was all we needed besides each other in this city. We could have wandered around for days and been equally elated every moment. 

weekly scenes

This past week has been strangely relaxing. At times the pace may have ticked a bit too slowly, but it's good to get the heart rate down every once in a while. I'm not so sure where this week will fall into the scope of things. Preceded by big events and knowing that exciting things are coming up, it's that strange lull in between: the calm before the storm and the settling after the earth quake. 

The good thing is that with a new-found pace I was able to catch up with old friends. There was a road trip through PA on a beautiful fall weekend, and I managed to pack in a fair amount of hiking. The outdoor air is just beginning to change, and each breath of it feels so good. The crispy air in my lungs, it's about to be my favorite time of year.

1. Baked goods from Kristina Boggs

2. Oliver, the adorable new kitten

3-4. Monday night dinner

5-7. Fishing and hiking in Tyler State Park

8-12. Hiking the Appalachian trail with old college friends

goat cheese polenta towers

We were in the mood to treat ourselves to something a bit more elegant than usual. Although the presentation may be deceiving, it's not difficult to make, but it is a great blend of flavors and a sight to see. Goat cheese polenta topped with eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, and sauteed shrimp - indulge yourself, you deserve it.

Polenta Ingredients (makes approx 5-6 servings):

3 Cups Water

1.5 Cups Cornmeal (you can use instant or finer consistency cornmeal if you would the process to go faster)

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Clove Garlic

1.5 Tbsp Goat Cheese

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Topping Ingredients:

1.5 Cups Homemade Tomato Sauce (or store bought)
half of one large eggplant

12 Shrimp

1 Clove Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Heat about 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan and add half of the chopped garlic. Stir about a minute until fragrant. Add the eggplant. Drizzle olive oil over the eggplant and stir. Cover the pan for a few minutes so steam builds up, this will help the eggplant soften without having to pour gallons of olive oil into the pan as eggplant acts like a sponge and will just soak it up. Remove the cover, stir. Add the tomato sauce and sauté for 5 minutes, lower heat and let simmer.

2. Heat butter in a medium pot and slightly brown garlic.

3. Lower heat and add water/cornmeal. Stir vigorously until polenta reaches desired consistency.

4. Heat a sauce pan over high heat. Add olive oil.

5. Place shrimp and minced garlic into the pan.

6. Cook shrimp until dark pink on both sides. Then add butter to get a nice crispy brown coloring on the outside.

7. Salt and pepper to taste.