Gin et Jus

{Fancy Gin and Juice}

Okay, okay, you caught me. I have just snazzed up a regular Gin and Juice a la Snoop Dogg with some European ingredients and translated it into French, but that doesn't make it any less special.

Ever since seeing Snoop Dogg (Snoop Lion?) at Coachella in spring 2012, I have been semi-obsessed. Swaying along, not being able to see through the cloud of smoke growing over the massive audience, and wishing I had a nice, cold gin and juice with me.

I'm sure Snoop doesn't make his gin and juice like I do, but since I've lately been really into gin (preferably Hendrick's). I've always loved Orangina (since traveling to France with my dad when I was 12), and recently picked some up at my local Trader Joe's.

Upon cracking open the slightly fizzy, pulpy orange carbonated beverage, I thought to myself, "There is only one thing that could make this better: gin." Thus Gin et Jus was brought to life.

Ingredients:
2 oz Orangina
2 oz good gin (Hendrick's if you have it)

Mix together and serve over ice. Better if stirred, not shaken.

Avec ma tête sur mon fric, et mon fric sur mon esprit...
(With my mind on my money, and my money on my mind...)

Crispy Salmon with Mango and Avocado Salsa

{Crispy Salmon with Mango and Avocado Salsa}

Eureka! This may be the most luscious, delicious salmon dish you've ever tried. I promise.

Easy Bruschetta Balsamic Tomato Salad

{Easy Bruschetta Balsamic Tomato Salad}

You can call it a sauce, you call call it an Italian salsa, but I like to refer to it as a balsamic tomato salad.

During the summer, nothing is better than tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Yes you can roast them or sautee them, but who wants to eat something warm when it's hot out. Not I (especially in this hot SoCal weather). Here's a perfect dish that goes fantastically on a crusty baguette on a hot summer night especially with a glass of Pinot Noir.

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
4 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP olive oil
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of dried oregano
Dash of dried basil

Chop up the tomatoes in cubes. The smaller you dice the tomato the more it will soak up the vinegar. If you prefer a more subtle vinegar taste, you should chop the tomatoes in larger cubes. Mince the garlic cloves. Throw tomatoes and garlic into a bowl.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Drizzle with vinegar and oil. Toss all together and pile on top of a crusty baguette or eat with a spoon - I enjoy it either way.

It's the perfect dish for summer. It's filling, satisfying, and refreshing. Enjoy!

Blackberry, Feta and Arugula Summer Salad

{Blackberries, feta and arugula}

I was recently inspired... by a trip to the market.

Whilst innocently perusing the produce section of my local market, I stumbled upon the holy grail of fruit: blackberries and blueberries on sale for $1.50 a carton. Naturally I grabbed two cartons of blueberries and two cartons of blackberries, intending to use them as an afternoon snack.

However, one of my favorite favorite things to do during the summer is to incorporate fruit into salads. I have had a block of feta cheese hanging out in my fridge for far too long to continue being ignored - I had originally wanted to pair it with beets, and recently bought a head of peppery arugula which to be honest, always goes bad before I can use all of it. Alors, I was inspired.


This salad is the perfect balance of sweet from the berries, salty from the feta, peppery from the arugula, and tangy from the dressing. It's something that you definitely need to try because the subtle sweetness of the blackberries is almost highlighted by all of the other ingredients. I was worried that it would get lost, but it doesn't.

Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 carton of blackberries
2 TBSP crumbled feta cheese
2 handfuls of arugula
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside.

Toss in a medium sized bowl with the arugula, blackberries and feta. Serve immediately or the greens will wilt.

*You can substitute the blackberries with any other berry and the feta cheese for goat cheese.

{A perfect complement of flavors}

{The perfect bite}

Favorite Summer Snack: Balsamic Avocados

{Balsamic Avocados}

My personal love for avocados started growing up taking summer vacations in Baja California, Mexico. A man drove a fruit truck and delivered fresh avocados to us every day. Although I have a slight allergy to them (cured with an allergy pill), I can't get enough. Since starting to cut complex carbohydrates, I have been looking for ways to make avocados the star, rather than just a condiment or compliment.

It's officially avocado season in southern California, which means it's time to reinvent the fruit with extremely bold flavor profiles that can stand up to the soft, buttery texture of the avocado.

My favorite way to eat avocados (other than smearing it on a toasted slice of sourdough bread) is to drizzle it with balsamic vinegar, salt, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. This dish is a very light and healthy way to get those healthy oils, and a great way dish for you to serve at a dinner party as an appetizer.

Balsamic Avocados

Ingredients
1 avocado
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar (amount will vary based on avocado size)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of lemon pepper
Pinch of garlic powder

Halve the avocado and remove the seed. You can use your knife to cut into the seed and twist to remove. Using a large spoon (or a butter knife if you're avocado-savvy) pull the entire half of the avocado out of the skin.

Place the avocado facing upwards on your dish so that it looks like an avocado bowl. Drizzle with your vinegar, and sprinkle with salt, lemon pepper, and garlic powder. If you're looking for a twist, chop up some shallots or roasted garlic for an extra crunch.

Enjoy at room temperature immediately.

Happy Hour: Hot and Sticky Vodka

{Stoli Jalapeno flavored vodka}

Freaking out here... I have a love for all things spicy, and now that Stolichnaya vodka has come out with their hot and sticky vodka flavors, I think I know exactly what I will be drinking all summer. Originally released in the 1960s, the two re-released flavors are a hot pepper flavored vodka, and a sticky honey and herb vodka.

"The brand is thrilled to reintroduce pepper and honey flavored vodkas, Hot and Sticki™. These spirited and timeless remixes are the perfect complement to our existing premium flavored vodka portfolio," said Val Mendeleev, CEO of SPI Group. "We hope our fans will enjoy these delicious and versatile offerings in a variety of mixed drinks."

Here are a few recipes for the new vodkas (that I borrowed from Lushworthy):

Slutty Brownies

{Slutty brownies and Essie "As gold as it gets"}

I know. I know... The title of this post sounds like a horrible frat party... but bare with me.

Two things: (1) I am starting to be able to drink martinis like water - delicious olive water. This may or may not be good. (2) I forgot how much I love Oreos (sometimes with peanut butter, like LiLo in The Parent Trap)... but I digress.

This weekend in lieu of a cake for my Dad's 55th birthday, my sister (our little baker) decided to make "Slutty Brownies." This is how it works in our family in terms of preparing holiday meals: I am a competent baker and she is a more-than-competent cook, but she is definitely the baker extraordinaire in terms of creativity while I like to "wing it" with savory dishes. Together, we'd make a perfect team on Top Chef... or Chopped... or The Next Food Network Star... but I digress, again.

Funny side note: my dad used to get my sister and I to drink our milk by feeding us cookies. So cool but it's amazing neither of us is obese.

Here's why these brownies are slutty (according to my soon-to-be-21-year-old sister): they're super easy to make, and you can shove a lot of stuff in them. Appropriate for our father's birthday? Absolutely. Here's how you make them:

Weekend Wrap-Up: Happy Birthday Dad!

{Roasted bone marrow with croutons and a parsley salad}

Today is my lovely father's 55th birthday. Not only does the man not look a day over 40, but also he is one of the most caring, loving fathers out of anyone I know. Okay, I'm a little biased - but he really is one of the most awesome dads in the world. Ask my friends. He also is one of the most humble people I know - he insists that instead of taking him out to a fancy restaurant, that my sister and I cook a "low maintenance, home made meal." Of course since he is so special to us, we find ways to spruce up the annual birthday dinner. This year with roasted bone marrow, pork with a white wine cream sauce, white wine risotto, and garlic haricots verts.

 It may be one of the best meals that we ever threw together (and I may or may not have thrown in some cute pictures of my dad from childhood until now)...

Get Baked (Goods, that is)

{Best Cookbooks for Baked Goods}

Since trying to minimize my intake of complex carbohydrates, the cravings have started, and Pinterest is not helping the temptation. Today I came across this article on Bakerella which counts down the top cookbooks that you need to read if you love sweets. Oddly enough, I don't usually crave sweets (until I cut them out of my life completely).

I have to admit the ones that I'm looking forward to reading the most are Les Petits Macarons and Tartine Bread - but there I go again, showing off with my obsession with France. So go on - get baked (goods).

Four Ingredient Authentic Pizza Margherita

{Cheese, cheese, cheese}

Ever since returning from Coachella, I have been craving pizza, and only pizza. Earlier last week I had to do a repeat offender of my butternut squash and arugula pizza (except with an added goat cheese and prosciutto), but I only used half of my dough. Woe is me. So, since I have a slight obsession with mozzarella cheese, I decided to return to the basics: the perfect cheese pizza but grown up a.k.a. pizza Margherita. If you've never made pizza the authentic way, I highly recommend trying this recipe.

Banana Bread (with Extra Bananas)

{Yum - moist, delicious banana bread held by my beige nails}

Just because I call them "nanners" does not mean I'm not grown up enough to edit and make my own banana bread when I'm bored on a Saturday afternoon. Now, I tried to follow this recipe, but unfortunately I had way too many bananas and not enough of the other ingredients... so in true "Amy fashion," I improvised...

You're not really supposed to improvise with baked goods, but hey, come on, who could it hurt? Just my sensitive stomach. So whatevs. Instead of granulated sugar, I used brown sugar. Instead of sour cream, I used plain Greek yogurt. I nixed the walnuts, and didn't have any vanilla (to my surprise). Shh... I also doubled the bananas - instead of using two bananas I used four. Yes, four bananas. And voila, the most moist and delicious banana bread that I have ever made.

{Moist banana bread over-populated with extra bananas}

{Prepare for your close up, bread.}

Baked Garlic Parmesan Kale "Chips"

{Baked garlic Parmesan kale "chips" - held by my beige nails}

It's official: I've fallen in love... in love with kale. First, it was the kale quiche; then it was the kale smoothie; now it is the kale chip. I had read about the mythical kale chip, how this once unpopular vegetable crisps up in the oven to absorb flavors and create some airy sort of munchie  that resembles our favorite junk foods. These baked garlic Parmesan kale chips will rival your favorite junk food and (yes ladies) it's nearly free of calories.

Quick Fix Meal: Quinoa Chicken Salad

{Quinoa Chicken Salad}

It's always difficult to pull together a healthy meal that doesn't take too long to cook. This past weekend my boyfriend and I decided to stay in and make dinner, which usually is some mish-mash meal consisting of random sides like shrimp cocktail and balsamic tomatoes (or whatever else looks good to him at the store).

This night we actually planned it well - I had quinoa and broccoli, he picked up chicken and aromatic veggies and herbs. It turned out delicious - the chicken was moist, the flavors meshed together extremely well, and the dish was hearty and still healthy.

Much Ado About Kale Smoothie

{Kale-Almond-Vanilla Smoothie}

Confession #1: I should have gone to the gym after work but instead I decided to paint my nails, blog and eat leftover kale quiche (and a few glasses of wine). Confession #2: There is a lot of kale in those pre-chopped bags that you buy at Trader Joe's - I think I may turn into a head of kale if I keep eating it for every meal (quiche functions as breakfast, lunch or dinner right?). Confession #3: I enjoy putting stuff in the blender and making it taste delicious - hence my kale-almond-vanilla smoothie that seriously tastes like melted ice cream (seriously).

Crustless Kale, Onion and Cheddar Quiche

{Kale, onion and cheddar quiche}

Lately I have been playing the "what can I cook before it goes rotten" game for dinner. I recently read an article that said that Americans waste $2000 worth of food per year (that I could be spending on shoes or concerts), so I have really kicked my improv cooking skills into high gear and throwing together what sounds edible that night. Tonight: an abundance of kale plus an abundance of eggs meant that I was winging a quiche. Yes, winging a quiche... from scratch... no recipe. What could go wrong?

Smith & Ratliff's Butternut Squash & Arugula Pizza

{Butternut squash and arugula pizza c/o Smith & Ratliff}

You know those days: you've had a hard day at work and you just want to come home, crack open a Guinness and cook something delicious with friends that you've been dying to cook for weeks? That was me today. I finally tackled the recipe that my roommate and I had been yearning to make: butternut squash and arugula pizza.

Spring Has Sprung

Spring is here, and Los Angeles graciously has bestowed upon us a hint of great weather. Unfortunately I'm spending it indoors working for a living. This spring has a lot in store for me in terms of personal entertainment that I'm really really looking forward for. From little things like friends visiting and the Mad Men premiere next weekend, to big events like Coachella and celebrating my good friend's last few months in Los Angeles before vet school, spring 2012 is going to be a spring to remember.

A word from the wise:

• Wear sunscreen: Nothing ages you faster than a sunburn. Wearing sunscreen daily even if you're not outside a lot is key to looking young (and not having to wear a lot of makeup when  it's practically melting off anyways). However, layer on the sunscreen and get outside for some quality vitamin D.
• Don't fear lipstick: A fresh brush of lipstick is my favorite look for fall. Brush on some bronzer and a tart orange lipstick to look sweet and bright.
• Eat healthily: This spring eating light will keep you from getting sluggish in the hot afternoons. Try my smashed cauliflower, veggie "pasta", or balsamic salmon for a meal that doesn't skimp on flavor.
• Buy a new dress: How much prettier do you feel when you're wearing a new dress? Buy yourself at least one new dress this spring to make yourself feel pretty and confident.

Weekend Wrap-Up: St. Patty's Pot Luck

{It's sinfully delicious to roast bacon wrapped around seasoned asparagus}

This weekend was St. Patrick's Day also known as an excuse to eat, drink, and be merry. My roommate and I hosted the St. Patrick's Day fete this year, and we couldn't be happier with how our little party turned out. We sampled delicious appetizers, drank festive drinks, and even made it out to a local pub despite all of the rain, cold and gloom Los Angeles decided to throw our way.

Roasted Curry Cauliflower

{Roasted curry cauliflower}

I was craving Indian food the other day, but since I just spent nearly an entire paycheck on repairs for my baby blue beamer, I decided to try to improvise in the kitchen. I recently bought an abundance of cauliflower (which I turned into smashed cauliflower last week), and I had eaten a delicious, tender curry cauliflower at one of our business lunches. Why not embark on Indian cuisine? - I thought (even though I had never tried anything of the sort before...).

Smashed Cauliflower

{Cauliflower Jacuzzi}

I finally went grocery shopping. After eating out for about two weeks straight and burning a hole in my pocket and virtually melting my boyfriend's credit card, I've decided it's time to get healthy again and start cooking. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I buy as many fruits, veggies and lean proteins as I can because let's be honest the temptation to order take out for lunch at work is too strong. I try to keep my pantry and fridge stocked with as many fresh and healthy ingredients as I possibly can to avoid joining the obesity epidemic.