Grilling, Picnics, and Bubble Tea

I hope this blog post finds you all enjoying your summertime to the fullest: the weather has gotten decidedly warmer around here which makes staying inside virtually impossible; farmers' markets beckon to me from every street corner; swimming pools and sprinklers become necessities and sun kissed tans are quickly building to darkened tan lines. Oh how I love summertime. 

I've also been enjoying the many pleasures of alfresco dining with my man. We are quickly become grill masters and have used his barbecue to cook the majority of our meals as of late. This was actually one of the first meals we made together.

Spicy grilled chicken, spring greens salad, par-boiled and grilled potatoes, and an orange salad.

A little red wine never hurt anyone either...

 There has also been a ton of picnicking too, a traditional summertime staple. Here are some pictures from our very first picnic together. We ended up staying at the park until way after the sun went down, just talking and snacking.

Macadamia crusted tapalia, veggie basil brown rice salad, lots of sliced watermelon, homemade pecan honey bread, and chocolate dipped strawberries. A picnic fit for sharing!

 And we have been blessed enough to have shared many many breakfasts together as well. He is in the process of perfecting my soft boiled eggs, something which I had never tried to master before meeting him. This is just one way in which we spend our mornings together.

 And last but certainly not least, I have now officially tried Bubble Tea! For those of you out there who have no idea what I am talking about, let me break it down for you, because it is an experience everyone has to have at least once. Picture a smoothie, in whatever flavor floats your boat, that has been blended with green tea and a little protein powder. So far, pretty awesome sounding right? But it gets better! They then add boba to the bottom of your glass. What is boba? Little spheres of heaven that burst in your mouth and provide an incredibly sensational and yet almost unrepeatable sensory overload! Really, they are like nothing else I've experienced, especially in a drink. Some people don't enjoy this overall sensory overload, but I quite enjoyed it. The protein powder kept me full and focused (I sound like a Shredded Wheat commercial, but when the shoe fits...) and the flavor combination was refreshing and ultimately a treat. I shall be visiting that place again real soon. 

I highly recommend a mango Bubble Tea when you go... which should be now... go get your keys... or better yet walk to the nearest Bubble Tea shop and enjoy the summertime weather!

I'll end all this with a recipe that I am sure Peter, my boyfriend, would be ecstatic if I shared with you all. It has been his favorite thing we have made together so far (and trust me, we have dabbled in a lot of noms.)

Spicy Orange Salad

2 oranges, peeled and sliced whichever way you choose
1 TB freshly minced parsley, or 1 tsp dried
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp salt

Place oranges in a bowl (the easiest way to peel an orange for a salad like this is just to cut of the rind with a sharp knife.) Sprinkle on the remaining ingredients, adjust the seasoning for your taste, toss with your fingers, and serve.

Spinach (did I mention Vegan?) Pesto

Another early morning before heading to work - a perfect quiet time to get some blogging done.

This recipe is inspired by something we make at Woodford, a spinach pesto that offers a vegan alternative for our interested customers. I absolutely love it and made sure I memorized the recipe in a hurry, though admittedly it is more of a technique than a recipe, as I have made numerous variations to the original below. The biggest difference between this pesto and a store-bought one is this one lacks the traditional Parmesan cheese, thus also lacks the fatty and caloric punch that most pestos pack. No need for your diet to fear this recipe, it is completely waistline friendly.

Isn't this beautiful vibrant green striking?!

Spinach pesto chicken, sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella, and a little extra spinach sandwich.

Vegan Spinach Pesto

1 pound fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup garlic confit (recipe to follow)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup garlic oil (recipe to follow)
2 cups soft, fresh bread crumbs, soaked in vegetable stock (bonus points if they are whole wheat crumbs)

Blanch spinach in boiling water for one minute, remove to ice bath to stop to cooking process. Wring out all the water and add to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add garlic cloves, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Pulse to incorporate. Drizzle in half the garlic oil while pulsing, then add bread crumbs, then add remaining oil. Continue to pulse until smooth and creamy. Adjust for seasoning.


Garlic Confit

2 cups garlic cloves, papers removed
2 cups olive or canola oil (or enough to cover cloves)

Place garlic cloves and oil in a deep baking dish, making sure garlic cloves are covered with the oil. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until garlic cloves are soft and fragrant. Store cloves in oil and vuala! You have garlic confit AND garlic oil.

** If you would like to double, triple, quad this recipe, go ahead! Garlic confit keeps in the fridge for weeks and can be added to soups and stews for a cooked-all-day flavor, smeared on toast points for an instant appetizer, and incorporated into marinades and salad dressings with ease.

Dedicated to a Friend

Story time! Pull up a chair and settle in for a tail of yesteryear. What a great way to start a Tuesday.

My senior year of high school we had a huge snow storm on a Tuesday that caused the entire town to rush to Kroger for bread and milk because white death was coming. After spending our afternoon teaching forth graders the dangers of inhaling spray paint and taking candy from strangers, (our area's Say No program at its finest,) we were greeted in the parking lot by four inches of snow. Completely unaware, unprepared, and thrilled, Alex and I trudged through the wonderland to retrieve our cars and, unable to get home himself, Alex ended up at my house. We then spent the evening talking about what we would do with our new found freedom (since our district, though stingy when awarding snow days, had already cancelled school for the next day,) ignoring homework,  and playing in the kitchen. I swear one of the many reasons why he and I got along so well is due to our ability to eat everything in sight. I will never forget how long we worked over that little pot of soup, so I wanted to share with you the inspiration behind making this soup. I was feeling particularly nostalgic when I woke up, completely unaware and thrilled, to four inches of snow and just so happened to have this soup in the fridge.

So here is how you can relive a snow day from yesteryear.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

2 TB olive oil

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribbed celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium potato, diced

2 poached chicken breasts, shredded

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

6 cups chicken stock (bonus points if it's homemade)

3 TB cornstarch, mixed into a slurry with 3 TB hot chicken stock

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add veggies and cook 10-ish minutes, or until just tender. Add the chicken, herbs, and stock. Mix and allow to come to a boil. Mix cornstarch and hot broth in a coffee mug, then whisk into boiling soup. Bring soup to a simmer and allow to cook for an hour, or until all the flavors have melded together.

Chicken Pot Pie soup topped with Ranch and Dill oyster crackers

Same soup, but served with crusty French bread - much like what Alex and I would make panini's out of.

This blog post is dedicated to my life long friend, Alex. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I wish you the best!