broccoli pesto

September 5, 2013
the main event
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340 grams (12 oz) broccoli
2 cloves garlic
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup half and half
30 grams parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for passing
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

1. Steam the broccoli until tender and then place in a food processor.
2. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, half and half, and parmesan cheese to the food processor and blend until smooth and incorporated.
3. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Cook the spaghetti to al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water.
5. Toss the spaghetti with the broccoli pesto, adding cooking water as needed until it reaches desired consistency.
6. Pass finely grated parmesan cheese and black pepper to garnish.

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watermelon lime vodka cleanse

September 4, 2013
drink this
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A cleanse from the work week, more specifically. And hey–in the realm of cocktails, this one actually has some health benefits. There’s potassium, lycopene, vitamins A and C, and a bit of fiber. So there.

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1/2 seedless watermelon, cubed
2 limes
vodka

1. Using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, puree the watermelon until smooth. Feel free to strain, but it is lovely just how it is.
2. Add ice to a tall glass or jelly jar.
3. Pour vodka over the ice and squeeze lime juice into the glass.
4. Top off with watermelon juice, stir, and sip away.

guacamole

September 2, 2013
appeteaser, the underwear diet
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A while back I posted my favorite guacamole recipe, which calls for little more than the avocados themselves. This is typically my go-to approach for this simple starter, but here I deviated a bit. The avocados I bought were, for some reason, on the bland side, so I added a few more ingredients to the mix.

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2 Hass avocados, medium dice
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tomato, small dice (I only had cherry tomatoes so feel free to use whatever  you have on hand)
1/4 small red onion, minced (or 1 shallot, minced)
kosher salt, to taste

1. Place the avocados into a medium bowl and, using 2 knives, cut the pieces so that the avocados break down. Be sure to leave some chunks (unless you prefer it smooth).
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the avocado and stir.
3. Adjust seasoning as needed.

tomato, avocado and artichoke salad

August 28, 2013
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
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The night before a big day of travel, my S.S. and I gorged on a big beautiful margarita pizza. We ordered a salad to make up for it, with little intention of enjoying it.

While the pizza was tremendous, the salad stole the show. Big hunks of plum tomatoes were tossed with avocado and hearts of palm. The dressing was simple (lemon, olive oil, and maybe oregano?).

Fast-forward to life after vacation: I am still thinking about that salad. I need that salad. Here we go:

4 vine-ripe tomatoes, large dice
2 avocados, sliced or medium dice
artichoke hearts, halved or quartered (of course, my local grocery store doesn’t stock hearts of palm; this was a good substitute)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: not great the next day (avocado browning isn’t as big of a problem as the avocado breaking down and muddling the flavors). Eat same day.

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Thank you, Il Porto, for making our night–and for the inspiration!

moving day fruit salad

August 27, 2013
ramblings, the main event
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When life gives you stress, and a pint of blueberries, make fruit salad. And not just any fruit salad, but a big old mess of a fruit salad. Find whatever fruit you have on hand, combine, and eat. Hit it with a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice for a bright, tart finish.

“Have some fruit salad!” I encouraged my father.
“No–it looks too sloppy!” he replied. Yeah, but it was good.

photo (33)Sliced bananas, sliced plums and blueberries with lime juice.