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.

Cheddar & Chive Zucchini Gratin

My very favorite thing about zucchini is its versatility.  Grilled, sliced or shredded, it's a great addition to practically practically any savory or sweet dish.  But from time to time, it's important to remember this veggie is flippin' fabulous all on its own and it deserves the full spotlight every now and again.  Particularly when that light comes with panko and cheese.....yum.

Peach, Pistachio & Sweet Corn Salad

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

Summer Radish Toast

Hi. My name is Paul, and I am the second foodie, also known as 'the hubs'. You may have seen me in the background of photos, patiently waiting for Annika to take a picture of her wonderful creations while the food gets chilled. But hey, that’s cool – I still get to eat amazing food on a regular basis. So this is kind of an awkward circumstance...writing on behalf of my wife on her blog. However, because I had a major hand in creating this dish, Annika asked me to write it up. So here it goes...

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!

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.

Mediterranean Chicken Phyllo Cups

There are two things that I love about being invited to a dinner party.  First, I don't have to clean the house.  Second, I don't have to worry about the main course.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore having people come over whom I get to feed.  But there's a delightful ease to being a guest...the host assigns you to appetizer/vegetable/dessert duty and all you have to do is take your assignment and run with it.  It's a great time to try new dishes, knowing the weight of the meal doesn't rest alone on your shoulders.  So when the hubs and I were assigned to appetizer duty for a dinner party last night, I was tickled Greek.  Literally.

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 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.

Sweet Potato & Mascarpone Ravioli with Browned Butter & Fried Sage

Is it me or does winter seem extra cold this year?  I mean, how many days of negative wind chills are really necessary?  Isn't there a quota out there that once met means winter is over?  Apparently not, because the cold just keeps on coming.  Our electric company even sent out a notice forewarning of higher than average bills for the coming month due to the lower than average temperatures we've been suffering seeing.  But it's OK because the hubs and I have been making the most of it.  Fires every night with a glass of red wine and plenty of warm, delicious dinners make every chilly day much more comfortable.  But even if you're not going through a deep freeze, you'll love these homemade Sweet Potato & Mascarpone Ravioli.

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!

Hazelnut & Brown Sugar Roasted Hens w/ Butternut, Grape & Sage Stuffing

After the spending an abundance of summer days in front of the barbecue, there is nothing that the hubs and I enjoy quite like a roast bird.  Not only does it make an excellent and super fancy-shmancy dinner, but the oven also helps heat the house.  Cooking absolutely has its perks.  Warm home, delicious dinner...that's a win-win combo.

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.

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.

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.

Spring Vegetable Spring Rolls

I have been going ga-ga over all the delicious spring vegetable dishes cropping up on my favorite food blogs.  I mean, who doesn't love fresh asparagus and peas in an easy skillet lasagna or hiding within a tender dumpling?  I love trying these sweet spring greens in every sort of recipe I can find.  All of these delicious dishes inspired me to create these Spring Vegetable Spring Rolls.  Double the spring, double the yum.

Grilled Zucchini Pesto Roll-Ups

I spend a lot of time thinking about food.  In fact, most people I live with (a-hem) would call it an unhealthy obsession.  Along with my obsession, I also have a compulsion....to think up new flavor combos, try unique spins on the classics or just make something flipping delicious.  This recipe falls into the third category.  In fact, it wasn't something I had ever planned on blogging.  Rather, it was just a throw-together-from-random-refrigerator-ingredients well-planned appetizer that I made for a get-together with some friends one evening.  Before I could set down my toothpick, the hostess made me swear to post this on my blog.  So this one goes out to the lovely hostess...salut!