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.

Chimichurri Turkey Burgers with Avocado

I have always been a sucker for condiments.  Ketchup, barbecue sauce, pickled jalapenos, tomato relish, pesto, creamed honey...if you can spread it, I can overindulge.  Where most would be happy with a tablespoon or so, it seems I always need about a quarter cup to satisfy my craving.  This is also the reason I hoard emptied food jars like a crazy person...it seems there are always more sauces like this delightful chimichurri that need to stored. 

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.

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.

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.

Grilled Chicken Cornbread with Peaches & Pepper Jack

So the hubs was out of town last week, which meant I really got to play in the kitchen.  Perhaps it's the fact that we're still pretty-newlyweds, but I usually try to stick with dishes that he will enjoy throughout the week.  Granted, he gives me a pretty wide berth with things like Watermelon Habanero Gazpacho and Pesto Pomegranate Pasta.  But when he goes out of town, I tend to get even wackier.  Why not have an artichoke white wine sauce with my turkey meatballs?  Sure I'll try a goat cheese, strawberry and asparagus breakfast burrito.  (For the record, both of those were delicious.)  But one of my little creations absolutely took the cake last week!  Or should I say cornbread?  This will be recreated for the hubs without a doubt.

Peachy Hazelnut Crusted Chicken

What's the first thing you crave when you see fresh peaches at the market?  You probably imagine sinking your teeth into that fuzzy exterior, the scent of freshly baked peach pie and crumbly dutch cobblers.  Thoughts of sweet and tender fruit dance like sugar plum fairies around in your head. Odds are you are not being swept away by thoughts of sriracha and a gas grill...unless you're me.  As soon as these pop up in the produce section, I pounce thinking of one thing:  barbecue sauce.  It's time to pull out the chicken and hazelnuts to make my all-time favorite chicken recipe - Peachy Hazelnut Crusted Chicken.  Oh yeah.

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.

Watermelon Habanero Gazpacho

For some unbeknownst reason, I've been churning out an inordinate amount of soup lately.  Not one, not two but three within the past week.  That's a new June record for this foodie.  All three are delicious recipes that I've been meaning to post for some time.  The two previous posts have been hot soups, but this dish is a nice cold summer soup.  I've been waiting for this year's watermelon crop to hit the markets to share this refreshing Watermelon Habanero Gazpacho.  Perfect for an outdoor picnic or served poolside on a hot day, this spicy and refreshing recipe is fabulous for summer weather.

Roasted Mexican Soup

It seems that every year, some crop is absolutely gorgeous.  Right now, I'm totally stuck on the glorious ears of  corn that are cropping up left and right (pun intended!).  These gorgeous ears can't make it to my mouth fast enough.  We've been grilling them up left and right, using our special family recipe and other fabulous creations.  But what I've been making more than anything is Roasted Mexican Soup.  I absolutely love this stuff in the summer.

Hummus & Avocado Pasta

Happy Tuesday!  Sure, this weekday does not contain the same giddy delightedness as Friday, but it's one day closer than Monday.  And man oh man...have I been having some Mondays.  I've broken dishes, lost keys and collided with every knee-high piece of furniture in our house.  I even attempted to pull off the yogurt I spilled on my pants at work as the "new" hombre effect (so far, it hasn't caught on).  With all of these ridiculous mishaps, I've been enjoying the uneventful Tuesdays that follow.  But even with this lingering case of the Mondays, we've still managed to stay well fed.  I just opt for recipes that require less knife work and am sure to steer clear of deep fryers.

Cinco De Mayo Baked Breakfast Peppers

Feliz Cinco de Mayo, todo el mundo!  (And thanks for your assist on that one, Google translate.)  I absolutely love this holiday.  I don't really need an excuse to eat Mexican food, but will take advantage of one when it comes strolling by every year.  We've been embracing the Mexi-spirit all weekend by sipping La Palomas and noshing on Chopped Guacamole.  But I would have to say that breakfast is my favorite time of day to head south of the border.  Nothing quite wakes you up like a side of spicy salsa with your eggs.  So in honor of today, we're sharing our Baked Breakfast Peppers with a Cinco de Mayo twist.

Grilled Tilapia with Strawberry Salsa

Strawberry season is upon us!  Pull our your oatmeal, bust out the shortcake and grab a pint of vanilla bean.  It's the time of year to garnish everything with these deliciously sweet, bright berries.  Brillant, juicy and fresh, I will eat them on any and everything sweet or savory.  One of my absolute favorite things to make is spicy Strawberry Salsa.  Incredibly flavorful and delicious, this is a perfect garnish over a fillet of simply grilled tilapia for a delicious, nutritious and fruity-licious dinner.

The Best Ever Pad Thai

In our home, I am typically the foodie that does the cooking.  The hubs studies and writes medical journals, while I dabble in the kitchen.  However, when he has the time he is a fantastic chef with a few signature dishes that knock off my socks.  His Pad Thai is one of those dishes.  I have never attempted to make it, but he does frequently.  And let me tell you, we've stopped going out for Thai food.  

Arrabbiata Caprese Pizza with Shrimp

Do you ever have a hard time choosing between two different types of pizza?  Lord knows I do.  Ask the hubs and he will tell you that I am the absolute queen of indecision.  When we go out to brunch, I'm the annoying one who asks the waitstaff which dishes they prefer, if their cheese is broiled or melted, and if they substitute egg whites free of charge (and all this helps me pick between my final two or three runners-up).  The hubs then quickly follows up with a simple "eggs benedict" much to the relief of the person taking our order.  Indecision seems to be my lot in life.  But just like it typically helps me get the perfect breakfast, it also helps me made delicious new recipes such as this amazing pizza.

Jalapeno Pepper Pasta

Long, long ago I taught three year-olds at an early childhood development center.  And they did not like bell peppers because "peppers are hot".  Last week I went to grab fajitas with a co-worker, who ordered hers without peppers because "peppers are hot".  Typically, I laugh manically and try to explain that bell peppers are pretty much the opposite of hot.  Sweet, fresh and bright are better words to describe their flavor.  However, there are times when my little three's class and co-workers are right...and peppers are hot.  Jalapeno, habanero and serrano will all set your mouth ablaze.  It just so happens that the hubs and I love both bell and hot peppers.  So it is with fond recollection of these individuals that I bring you this recipe tonight.  We're making bell peppers hot, folks.

Pulled Pork Tostada with Jalapeno Lime Cabbage

Lately I've been delightfully distracted by Deb at Smitten Kitchen.  Not only does she work in a teensy weensy apartment kitchen, but she likes to jazz up homestyle favorites and works with ingredients common to your local market.  This woman and I are on the same page when it comes to food, and I relish in reading her little corner of the blososphere.  This post is an ode to her conc and the inspiration a like-minded lady can provide from a tiny amount of counter space.