Grilled Sweet Potato Rounds with Fresh Mint

A few weeks ago we celebrated my 30th birthday. Yup....the big 3-0 folks. For once the hubs did not permit my nonchalant, "just another day" attitude that was my signature for every 20-something after I could legally get into a bar. He got together a group of friends and planned the perfect shindig - old school steakhouse followed by a tequila bar...the perfect combination of classy and scandalous. It was a night of delicious debauchery, but one that also blew out eating-out budget for the month. It was totally worth it, especially considering the awesome cheap eats that we can do at home to balance that big ticket night out a bit.

Peach, Pistachio & Sweet Corn Salad

Summertime and the living is easy!  So lunch should be as well.  Helloooooo simple salad!

Rosemary & Olive Oil Farinata

Here we are people.  The moment of truth (or post, if you will).  Italian time!  I've been itching to recreate some dishes from our international adventure at home, and here we begin with one of my very favorites.  Move over crackers....meat and cheese have a new favorite partner in this household!

Indian Spiced Lamb in Yogurt Sauce

You've all played the Forever food game, where you pick one type of cuisine to eat for the rest of your life because you love it just that much.  For the hubs that's Mexican...my man would eat chilaquiles, enchiladas and huevos rancheros every day and be completely satisfied until his dying day.  And honestly, I could too...as a runner up.  Without a doubt, my Forever food is (and always) will be Indian.  Tender basmati, chewy naan, sweet lassi, flavorful masala, rich yogurt, spicy chilies....I could go on forever.

Pea, Prosciutto & Parmesan Risotto with Seared Scallops

It's March, meaning enough time has passed since New Year's for a truly rich and decadent dish.  I always try to hold out on these for a while, my attempt to assist all you resolutioners out there to turn those shining ideas into habitual healthy choices.  But I seriously cannot wait any longer to share this one.  The starter crops of fresh asparagus and peas are just too tempting for this veggie-lover to resist.  And in case those don't float your boat, how about tons of parmesan cheese and savory prosciutto?  Or oodles of creamy risotto?  Yeah, now I have your attention.

Barbecue White Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This past weekend the hubs and I ate our way through Savannah, Georgia...and what an scrumptious frenzy it was.  The abundance of assorted cornbreads, freshly caught seafood, buttery grits and local liquors was enough to make a gal think about calling off another week of work and just keep eating.  Needless to say, this is not that rich Southern food.  After an overabundance of bacon, butter and other animal bi-products, the hubs and I needed reprieve from their richness.  So this week we're enjoying some of our healthy basics - delicious, nutritious and in this instance meatless.

Mom's Favorite Beef Stew

Dear Old Man Winter, you've made your point.  Please leave.  I will happily forfeit next winter in advance if you would only end your relentless blustering.  Sincerely, the Craig family.  PS - Have I mentioned the pups frozen paws?

Yeah, I'm so over snow.  Maybe if there were a mountain nearby for skiing I would be singing a different tune, but I am stuck in the flattest stretch of midwestern plain around.  I mean, geeze.  The only thing keeping me sane right now is soup...pots and pots of it.  Vegetable, roasted cauliflower, lentil sausage and pesto white bean help the days ease a bit more warmly by.  But when I need a big bowl of comfort food, there is only one soup that can warm my heart and soul...my mom's beef stew.

Weeknight Coconut Masala

The other day I was having a long belated conversation with one of my favorite punxs (a.k.a. college girlfriends) regarding healthy weeknight eating.  She was trying to get off the fast food track and back onto the healthy homemade route.  A task that is often much easier said that done, especially when you're looking some delicious ethnic comfort food.  I don't know about you, but I have been having serious Indian cravings this winter.  The extended cold and overbearing piles of snow make me jones for the spice and heat of garam masala, cayenne pepper and golden turmeric.  Factor in that this is a make-ahead sauce that can be kept ready for action in the refrigerator and you've got a weeknight meal that can't be beat.

Sun-Dried Tomato Relish

No, there's nothing wrong with your eyes.  You're seeing red, and that red is a relish.  The pickle corporations do not have a copyright on this name, meaning it can still be applied to any spreadable and flavorful concoction regardless of color.  Any chopped vegetable or fruit can become a relish, including sun-dried tomatoes.  And this spread is so delicious, it's honestly borderline inappropriate.  So please allow me to expand your color horizons and introduce you to the relish we're smearing on pretty much everything coming out of our kitchen nowadays.

Roasted Sesame Stir Fry

There is nothing quite as disheartening as an atypical ingredient in a new recipe you're all jazzed to try.  Fenugreek?  Cardoon?  How about jaggery?  Definitely not your standard pantry dwellers.  Lemongrass is one that I struggle with in particular, always wanting that truly authentic flavor but never being able to find it at a local market (anyone in Ohio reading this, hook a foodie up).  Typically I steer clear of these oddballs, but here I embrace my favorite specialty oil - roasted sesame.  Trust me, this is an ingredient you need to try, especially in this deliciously healthy and easy little stir fry.

Roasted Beet, Kale & Quinoa Salad w/ Goat Cheese & Almonds

I have an affinity for neglected vegetables.  Celery root, jicama, dragon tongue beans...whatever it may be, please pass them my way and I'll see to it that they are eaten.  My newest favorite: beets.  Pickled or roasted, greens or bulbs, I cannot get enough of this fantastic little root.  And once I accidentally discovered they keep for practically ever in the refrigerator, we've been having bi-weekly roastings to tide us over on the weekdays.  And this salad is my current go-to dish for these delicious red beauties.

Rosemary Apples On Horseback

Everyone loves to nibble.  Be it savory popcorn or sweet miniature chocolates, tidbits satisfy in their own special (little) way.  What better holiday is there than New Year's to nosh around a room, sipping something bubbly and eating food off of toothpicks?  I absolutely love counting down the hours with hors d'oeuvres, board games a few close friends.  And this year's appetizer is sure to knock their slippers off!

Roast Vegetable Gravy - a.k.a. The Last Gravy Recipe You'll Ever Need

For better or for worse, everyone has a signature dish for which they are known.  Gourmands may be recognized for something spectacular such as tartare, artisan bread or decadent chocolates.  Others are known for frozen pizza, refrigerated crescent rolls or the ever popular blue box mac & cheese.  Be they on the high or low end of the spectrum, the hubs and I enjoy all of these food items on occasion.  As for me....well, I'm not exactly sure of where I fall on this spectrum for I am known for a holiday condiment.

Adobo Double-Cornbread

Soup, stew and chili are all wonderful in their own right, but they're not complete until they have a big, bready accoutrement to accompany them down the hatch.  Crackers are lovely for their crunch, baguettes for their chewy texture and breadsticks for their dunk-ability.  But perhaps my favorite of all carbs to serve alongside a big bowl of *insert soup here* is cornbread.  There is something about that crumby, grainy, subtly-sweet and corny bread that feeds my soul in a way no other can.  And this little adobo cornbread is without a doubt my new favorite.  Move over, ciabatta....momma's got a brand new bread (recipe).

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Quinoa Patties

Call me Doug, because I'm in love with patties.  It's cool, because the hubs shares the mad Patty love.  I mean, delicious flavors squished together, then pan fried to toasty perfection...what foodie could possibly resist?  We pride ourselves on being equal opportunity eaters and will sample any patty that comes out way, but there is a special little corner of our hearts devoted to quinoa patties.  That delightful little grain has a way of turning out extra delicious and toasty.  So when I had a mad craving for caramelized onions a few weeks ago, I thought I'd give them a go in patty form.  Little did I know I was happening upon the ultimate steak side.  Beef or tofu, this is a winner dinner with paired with your favorite grilled protein.

Grilled Pepper & Corn Salad

Ahh, the joys of corn on the cob.  Juicy yellow kernels of sweet perfection bursting in your mouth as you munch.  The ears are so good, it totally makes up for the butter facial and slightly singed fingertips from trying to put the corn holders into the ends waaaaay before its cool enough to handle.  Grilled corn is divine, the epitome of summer eats.  But sometimes, it's nice to nix the cob and keep your dignity at the dinner table.  That's when a grilled corn salad like this one comes in super handy.

Grilled Polenta Watermelon Squares with Goat Cheese & Salsa Verde

Have you seen the melon at the market lately?!  I mean woah.  It's enough to make a foodie loose her melon mind.  We've been plowing through our share of this year's crop  with frothy lassis, cold soups and wedges cut as wide as a six year-old's smile.  But when we have a tapas night, I always go to for these little bites.  A little quirky, super tasty and darn cute on a plate, these Grilled Polenta Watermelon squares are a wonderfully refreshing amuse-bouche for a summer evening.

Spicy Pomegranate Salmon

Sometimes there are things in life that just seem to good to be true.  A front row parking space any sporting event, an unexpected register discount at a blowout sale and double yolk eggs are just a few things that set my heart a flutter in ways that I cannot begin to express.  But for Northwestern natives, nothing beats an amazing deal on fresh salmon.  This week our local market is having a preposterously gargantuan sale on Sockeye.  Two days into the week, we've already gone through one pound and are going back for a second.  With so many ways to prepare this delicious fish, I am perfectly content to continue eating it until we have both grown gills.  Grilled, broiled, baked or breaded....any way you fix it, this fish is amazing.  But have you ever tried it in a spicy pomegranate sauce?  Oh, be still my heart.

Brie Stuffed Mushrooms & Joe's Barbecue Corn

The hubs and I have been working on emptying out the freezer for a while.  He also had quite the hankering for ribs a month ago.  In an ingenious negotiations tactic, I promised him that once we ate through the last of the pot stickers, pulled pork and sweet potato fries that I would make a rack of ribs.  I could kick myself for not trying this stratagem sooner.  Ribs are the perfect man-motivator for just about anything under the summer sun.  Before I knew it, he was attacking all leftovers, remnants and rainy day reserves with the same enthusiasm the pups reserves for her hickory-scented rawhide.  Within two weeks, I was carting home a full rack and the fixins for some superb sides.  But not just any ol' sides....some manly grillin' sides.

Portuguese Pork with Bell Peppers & Broccoli

As the name of this blog aptly covers, the hubs and I are foodies.  If we're not eating, we're thinking about our next meal.  However, we are also known around town for our moonlighting as wine-o's.  That saying about the way to the heart being through the stomach definitely applies.  With all this food and wine, we're almost super duper classy....almost being the key word.  Sure, we love red wine and yes, the wine store recognizes my number on their caller ID.  But then we take notes on our fancy schmancy wines while playing Wii ping pong.  You see, almost...but not quite.