Category Archives: Recipes

Mother’s Day Brunch & Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Yesterday we celebrated Mother’s Day with a family brunch. A tradition for our family, it’s nice to come home when the weather is just starting to get warm and the mountains turn green, and have a mimosa with the whole extended family.

We had found these flowers a while ago online and had to order them for Mom. We signed the card “Love Adam, Kiley, Jamie, Lily, Rosie, & Olive” so the florist must have thought my mom was a nut with a ton of kids…but she’s just a crazy dog lady. But they came out so cute!

I guess our whole family is filled with dog people….

Kiley and I made a new recipe – Blueberry Crumb Muffins. Classic blueberry muffins with a crumb topping were the perfect pastry for Mother’s Day brunch!

You need 3 bowls: 2 for the muffins (separate dry and wet ingredients) and 1 for the crumb topping. Once ingredients are combined and well-mixed, spoon the batter into greased muffin tins so each is 3/4 full. Make sure to distribute the blueberries evenly (they can sink to the bottom of the batter).

Add the crumb topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (For me, 30 minutes was perfect.)

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Sweet, moist, and fruity – the perfect blueberry muffin.

Blueberry Crumbs Muffins

Adapted from Food & Wine

Makes 18 muffins.

Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Crumb Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray.

Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and canola oil and beat with an electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat in the whole milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat at low speed until the batter is smooth. Stir in the blueberries.

Crumb Topping: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then pinch the mixture until it forms pea-size clumps.

Spoon the batter into 18 of the cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of each one and bake for about 30 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving or store in airtight container.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiches

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As promised, I’m sharing what I made with leftovers from my Spinach and Strawerry Salad. I love to use up ingredients from a recipe, and this one wasn’t too challenging because I had two ingredients that I could eat every day if I had to – spinach and goat cheese.

Also, a reminder – my oven was broken. So this was as an added to challenge for what to do with my leftover spinach and goat cheese.

Personal quiches were staple in my diet when I studied in France. It’s also how I learned to love goat cheese because it was in everything I ate.

So the result of my leftovers: crustless personal spinach and goat cheese quiche …. made in the toaster oven.

Sautee spinach and place on the bottom of mini pie tins. (If you don’t have small tins, try a muffin pan.)

Top with beaten eggs (2 eggs per mini quiche), goat cheese, salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until top starts to brown. (You can also cook in your toaster oven!)

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

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While I recover and travel home from Vegas, I couldn’t leave you hanging. So, I have a quick recipe for you. While on a not-so-strict salad diet before my trip, wanted to get a little summery with a Spinach and Strawberry Salad. I’m obsessed with Panera’s Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad, and I’ve tried some similar recipes from my favorite bloggers.

So last week, I kicked off the warm-ish weather with my own healthy salad.

The ingredients were pretty easy to throw together:

Spinach
Strawberries
Walnuts
Goat Cheese
Rotisserie Chicken (White meat)
Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing (Kraft)

I cut up the white meat, added it to the spinach with some strawberries, topped with walnut and crumbled goat cheese. Tossed to perfection with some raspberry poppy seed dressing (the first dressing I PURCHASED in a while) and this was a sweet introduction to summer.

And my theory is that no ingredients should go to waste. What did I do with the leftover spinach and goat cheese? There are plenty of options, but I’ll tell ya tomorrow.

Vegetarian Burrito Bowls

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My oven is broken. Yup, it’s true. So now I am limited to restaurant dining, visiting Kiley’s daily, Crock Pot specialities, or stovetop cooking. My recipes are limited because I really love my oven (and I never realized how much I use it). So until my pilot light is fixed, I need to sort through my recipes to find the no-oven-required ones.

Last night, I threw together an easy meat-free meal. I wanted to use up my rice. (I really hate cooking rice if it’s not in a microwave bag – I know, lazy.) And this recipe requires some Mexican-esque staples that are already in the pantry, fridge, and freezer.

They may not be Chipotle Burrito Bowls, but they are pretty darn good. And super easy. And don’t require an oven.

Basically, it’s just your protein (black beans) mixed with sauteed onions and garlic.

Then add to your cooked rice with all your Mexican fixings (corn, salsa, cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole).

(If you have leftover rice – or want to just cook the whole box ahead of time – freeze leftover rice in Ziploc bags for later use. You can divide by serving size and then all you have to do is heat them up in minutes for a quick meal.)

Vegetarian Burrito Bowls

4 cups rice, cooked
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans
1 cup salsa
2 cups cooked corn
hot sauce (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions.

Saute onion and garlic in oil until lightly browned. Meanwhile, cook beans in a saucepan until heated through.

Once onions are browned, add beans and cook for an additional minute.

Serve over rice. Add salsa, corn, and cheese. Top with hot sauce, sour cream, or guacamole if desired.

Anti-BBQ Recipes: Pulled Pork and Broccoli Slaw

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I’m finally switched over to WordPress.org! The design is still a work in progress, so you may see some subtle changes over the next few weeks. Hopefully it’s not distracting!

This past weekend we had some friends visiting for a mini BBQ, without the grilling (our grill was destroyed during Sandy, R.I.P.). Instead, we took it easy and made pulled pork sandwiches in the crock pot and had a few simple apps.

The pulled pork turned out amazing. Our secret was adding a can of beer to the crock pot.

In addition to the spices (chili powder, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper) we added a can of beer (the darker the better) to the Crock Pot and cooked the pork on low for 6 hours. Then drain, shred the meat with two forks, and add back to the crock pot with the barbecue sauce.

Kiley made our new favorite picnic side dish – Broccoli Slaw. It got rave reviews at our last party, and once again, everyone was complimenting. So here, it is – our not-so-secret recipe.

If you’re making this for a party, it’s probably best to double the recipe. But the ingredients are simple: broccoli slaw (from the produce section), purple onion, celery, ramen noodles, and sunflower seeds.

Chop everything up real small, crumple the ramen noodles, and add the dressing (oil, white vinegar, sugar, and ramen flavor packets).

It’s best made the night before so that the noodles have time to absorb all the liquids.

Broccoli Slaw

2/3 cup veg. oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 pkg. ramen chicken flavor noodles
1 pkg. broccoli slaw
1 small purple onion, minced
2 small stalks celery, chopped

Crunch uncooked noodles. Mix liquids and add flavor packets. Mix ing. and add liquids. Chill overnight.

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese with Gruyere

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As I mentioned, I made my favorite meal for Sunday dinner. Unlike my traditional mac and cheese recipe, Ina Garten (AKA Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa) makes hers with Gruyere cheese, making it more gourmet and delicious. Gruyere is a hard yellow cheese and very expensive, so I don’t make this version often. But when I do (or my mom does), it’s a treat and the best comfort food there is. (I’m pretty sure Ina made this as part of Barefoot Contessa’s “comfort food” episode.)

While you cook the pasta, heat the milk. In a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in flour, then the warm milk. Stir for a minute until thickened.

Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add cheeses.

[TIP: Since Gruyere is so expensive (about $1 per ounce when I bought it), I switched the cheese measurements Ina suggests and used 8 oz. Gruyere and 12 oz. cheddar.]

Once cheese is melted, stir in the cooked macaroni. I used cavatappi (the curly tube macaroni).

Spread in a baking dish and top with sliced tomatoes. Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and sprinkle on top. [I used regular Panko bread crumbs.]

Bake for a half hour until browned, bubbly, and melty.

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese

Kosher salt
Vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups) [JLV substitute: 8 oz. Gruyere, 12 oz. cheddar]
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed) [JLV substitue: Panko bread crumbs]

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Peanut Butter Cookie Balls

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Sweets in the form of “balls” or “pops” or anything bite-size are popular for good reason. It’s easy to love desserts that make you feel a little less guilty because of the size….even if you end up eating twelve of them to compensate. This is always my problem with cupcakes from Baked by Melissa in the city – cute, tiny, and you only eat a few, so they aren’t that bad for you, right? Whatever you have to tell yourself to enjoy your treats more… But on top of that, they are fun to make!

I’ve posted about cake balls before, and I think cookie balls are even easier to throw together. There is zero baking involved so they are a great treat to whip up for a party (or in our case, to celebrate Easter!) and EVERYONE loves them.

I make two versions of cookie balls: Oreo and Peanut Butter (AKA Nutter Butter). For Easter, we made the peanut butter version. (If you’re brining them to a gathering, beware of people’s peanut allergies – learned that the hard way.)

All you need for these are a few simple ingredients: Nutter Butter Cookies, cream cheese, peanut butter, and chocolate. (For Oreo balls, just use Oreo cookies instead of Nutter Butters and don’t add any peanut butter.) These are best made in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, just mash and mix the cookies well!

To start, throw all of the cookies in the food processor and pulse into crumbs.

Then add cream cheese and peanut butter. Pulse mixture until it is smooth and creamy. It will end up looking like a cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Cookie Balls | Jai La Vie

Then, roll the mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet. They should be about the size of a truffle. (Wax paper optional.)

Refrigerate cookie balls for 5 minutes (or longer if you need).

Melt chocolate and remaining peanut butter in a double boiler, stirring constantly.

Once chocolate is melted and smooth, roll the cookie balls in the chocolate until they are covered. Place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with wax or parchment paper).

Add sprinkles or decorations on top if desired.

Refrigerate for at least one hour. (Best if refrigerated overnight.)

Now the only challenge is what to do with your extra melted chocolate, because it’s a shame for that to go to waste. Find fruit, pretzels, or cookies to dip.

We found some pizzelles in the pantry … just another accessory for our cookie plate.

And I promise, everyone will love them!

Peanut Butter Cookie Balls

1 package Nutter Butter cookies (16 oz.)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 package chocolate chips or melting chocolate (10 oz. or more)

Add all cookies to food processor and pulse until broken into crumbs. Add cream cheese and half of the peanut butter. Continue to pulse until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Roll mixture into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes.

Melt chocolate and remaining peanut butter over double boiler, stirring constantly. Once chocolate is completely melted and smooth, dip peanut butter balls, completely coating them in chocolate.

Place cookie balls on a cookie sheet or plate lined with wax or parchment paper. If desired, add sprinkles/decorations.

Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

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Our new favorite appetizer for holidays is stuffed mushrooms, using Ina Garten’s recipe. We made them for Christmas and again this Easter – both times everyone commented how great they were. Ina’s not-so-secret ingredient is mascarpone cheese, which makes them a little creamier and really separates them from your classic stuffed mushrooms. Even Grandma – whose own stuffed mushrooms are amazing – said that these were really good and asked for the recipe.

Wash the mushrooms and remove the stems.

Chop the stems finely and set aside. (We used a hand chopper – worth the investment!)

Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage, breaking up with a spoon.

Once sausage is cooked, add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the panko crumbs then swirl in the mascarpone. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture.

Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer in a baking dish and bake for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

If you’re preparing for a holiday, these also taste great if you cook them the night before and reheat in the microwave the next day. Still delicious!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

by Ina Garten

16 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
2/3 cup panko crumbs
5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Dressed Up Filet

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As a 24-year-old on a budget, Filet Mignon is hard to come by. Luckily, Mom and Dad were generous with cleaning out the freezer so Tom and I enjoyed a great steak dinner last night.

I like to spruce up my steak (because throwing it on the grill is just too easy). I added a rosemary and sea salt rub and then served with a red wine sauce. I made similar steak accessories in college and I’ve been trying to recreate them since. (Pinterest didn’t exist back then, so many of my recipes are long lost.) So, I’ve experimented with my own ideas and we enjoyed delicious “dressed up” filet for a classy Wednesday night.

First, I started with the rub – it’s as easy as it sounds. Add your own favorite spices, but I think rosemary and sea salt pair well with a filet.

Rosemary & Sea Salt Steak Rub

dried rosemary, chopped fine
sea salt
pepper
garlic salt

Press the rosemary into the steak and top with remaining seasonings. Rub ingredients into the meat and cook spice side down. Add additional seasoning on the other side.

While I waited for Tom to actually cook the steak (cuz the man of the house likes to cook the meat) I prepared the sauce.

Red Wine Steak Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worchestire
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine

Sautee onion and garlic in oil until soft (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in Worchestire and tomato paste.

Slowly whisk in wine. Let simmer on low until reduced by half.

Serve underneath steak, or drizzle on top.

And voila! Just adds a little more fancy flavor to an already fancy and flavorful steak. I served with potatoes and broccoli, as well as a quick tomato and cucumber salad (with olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and grated asiago).

Peanut Butter Oat Bars

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Real quick, just have to share my weekend recap: We finally went skiing/boarding! The lift ticket on my jacket told me I hadn’t been on the slopes since 2007 – even longer for Tom – but after the first nerve-racking run, we both remembered how to do it and now I’m craving more. Ski trip next year?

First time on that board in six years…and I survived!

Yesterday, my friends hosted a Sunday dinner – something we always claim we should do every week but it turns into a once-every-few-months type of occasion. These nights are what make me so happy to be living here, only a few blocks from friends, doing what we love most: eating, drinking, and hanging out.

Of course, I offered to bring dessert. There was a lot of Pinterest searching and cook book browsing until I finally settled on a recipe I haven’t made in ages – Peanut Butter Oat Bars.

I even had all of the ingredients, so I was whisking away in the kitchen while Tom made some updates to the bedroom with our new TV mount. Productive Sunday!

His & Hers Power Tools

And so I started scooping, beating, cracking, stirring, spreading, piping, and cutting…

Beat together butter, sugars and peanut butter, then add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Brown Sugar Tip: If your brown sugar is rock-hard like mine always is, put it in the microwave (in a microwave safe bowl) with a cup of water sitting next to it, heating for 30 seconds at a time until it becomes soft enough to scoop.

Combine all dry ingredients and add to the mixture slowly. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread into greased 9×13″ baking pan.

Tip: save the butter wrapper and use it to grease the pan!

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes, or until top is browned and center is solid.

Yes, I need to clean my oven.

While the bars cool, prepare your icing. Mix together peanut butter, powdered sugar, and a little milk. Depending on desired consistency, you can add more milk to thin it out or more sugar to make a thick icing. Spread or pipe onto cooled peanut butter bars.

(I put the icing in a plastic baggie and snipped off the corner so i could pipe into a criss-cross pattern.)

Ignore my nails, I’m overdue for a mani.

Finally, just cut into bars and serve!

Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Adapted from Taste of Home Cook Book

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Icing:

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter with a mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture and mix well.

Spread into a greased 13 x 9-in. baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients and beat together. Add more powdered sugar to get desired thickness. Drizzle over the top of peanut butter bars. Cut into small squares.