Vegivore

I received my NY Magazine in the mail about a week ago, finally got around to reading it (I should probably just cancel it) and was overjoyed to see a slew of pages devoted to a new trend I happen to be really enamored with: the vegivore.
What is a vegivore, you ask? Its someone who eats vegetarian fare- not because of their aversion to eating animals (even though that can play into it) but because they love and appreciate the taste of vegetables.
Now I was never a vegetable lover, and I think that has lots to do with what I ate growing up. With an over-abundance of meats, rice, and fried treats, veggies were hardly on the table, and even when they were, weren’t my primary food of choice. And I don’t just blame it on my childhood- as soon as I went away to college I could have easily changed that pattern and immersed myself in lovely greens. But even then veggies only came into play in the occasional salad or as a small peek in my mainly carb and meaty meal.
That has changed. Over the past few years I’ve learned to love vegetables- not because of their health properties (even though those are great too) but also because they’re just tasty. A thinly sliced zucchini, oven roasted squash, the taste of that first cob of summer- it’s all so fresh and delicious.
In that vein, I recently wanted to try eating mainly vegetarian to give my body a break from the meat, but also add much needed veggies to my diet. Making the initial switch has been pretty easy- I barely miss meat in my dinners- but finding recipes has been a challenge at times. It’s really forced me to plan out my meals ahead of time and make the most of what I’ve got in my fridge and pantry. It’s also forced me to think a little outside the box and have some fun with my food.
Just last night I had wild rice stuffed acorn squash with oven roasted cayenne sweet potatoes with caramelized onions and toasted pecans. It was heavenly! So warm and comforting and the perfect fall recipe.

I’m hoping to try my hand at tofu soon. Wish me luck!!

One Year Ago

This time last year I had a crazy idea. I liked to cook, and I liked to be online, and I liked to take pictures. I thought, “I should put all of this together and try something… new”. So I created this blog and began to document all of my trials in the kitchen. It’s been fun- beyond fun… but I’ve been so lazy this summer!

Luckily, my laziness only extended to getting in front of the computer to blog, but not to cooking in general, because boy did I cook this summer! My biggest cooking challenge? No oven! So I needed to get creative with my stove and find lots of way to keep myself cool.

Peach Ice Cream

My biggest accomplishment this summer? Ice creams and sorbets! Thanks to an awesome Christmas present (thanks, Steve!), I was able to try out tons of different Icy treats. My faves? Peach Ice cream was decadent and slightly reminiscent of the yummy stuff me and my mom love to buy in bucket loads down by Gaffney, SC. Chocolate sorbet was another winner. What a treat!! Icey-cold chocolatey goodness… and sorbet means no fatty cream!! It was wonderful. Third-prize ribbon goes to the rhubarb ice cream which was sweet, tangy, and velvety. It’s a must for next summer. I know I’ll be craving it once those first signs of summer start to pop up next year.

My Peaches in their ice bath

Another biggie for me this summer was burgers. I became a burger-holic. Pesto burgers, Italian burgers, All-American burgers, Down-south burgers, BBQ burgers, Mexican burgers, Turkey burgers… I was obsessed. And I became quite the perfectionist. I truly believe, and I mean this sincerely, that I perfected a moist and delicious turkey burger this summer. (My award is still in the mail.) But seriously, I could not get enough of burgers- and that was absolutely not a bad thing!

My Perfect Turkey Burgers with Avocado and Feta Salad

I also got big into using my grill pan to make my new fave: chimichurri skirt steak. I’m in love!! And you all know how much I love my parsley- this recipe brings it to another level. Especially when I was receiving bi-monthly fresh care packages from my dad the farmer. My dad loves to grow his vegetables and herbs in his huge garden and gifted me with, among other yummy things, a huge bag full of parsley. I used that whole bag the next day, and when I let my dad know he was shocked! That was a huge bag of parsley!! And that was a delicious chimichurri sauce!

The yummy Chimichurri Sauce

All in all, it was a good summer. I’m looking forward to a fall full of cooking and full of blogging.

It’s Official!!!

So even though I’ve been a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher for a few months now, a few weeks ago I got the coveted email telling me I could now order my MOO business cards. A few day of patience and I received my cards in the mail:

Aren’t they cute? I love them, and to me they’re so much more than cute business cards. They signify the last few months that I’ve spent immersing myself in blogging and cooking, virtually meeting some amazing bloggers and readers, and being able to share so much about myself and family… and this is only just the beginning!

Pesto Burgers

I’m not posting these because it’s Memorial Day or even because it’s National Hamburger Month. I’m posting these because I love this pesto and because I need to let you know how easy it is to make a plain burger really exciting.

Just for some background: just like Sunday Tomato Sauce and Pasta Tosses are my go-to in the Fall/Winter for creative but easy dinners, burgers and salads are my go-to in the Spring/Summer. I just love to have fun with them and try a million different options. And I always make my own burgers. I just love being in control of every single bite (and I know I say this a lot, but I mean it- it’s so easy!!). And- I love to have fun with tons of different toppings. I started off really basic this month but have so many plans to make a million different burgers before fall arrives (oh, the possibilities are endless).

This pesto burger just kind of happened. I wanted to make sliders and wanted each of them to be totally different. I had pesto on hand and used smoked mozzarella as the cheese. They turned out really great. The next day, I was so happy with them that I made chicken sliders for dinner and really enjoyed. Like I said, this pesto goes with everything- the possibilities really are endless!

Pesto

Even though my dreams of walking over to my fire escape, lifting the window, and picking a hefty bunch of fresh basil may not come true this summer (hey I’m not giving up- just being a little realistic) it doesn’t mean that I still don’t get to indulge in one of my summer favorites: pesto.

I think I’ve always loved pesto- simply because I can’t remember a time I didn’t like it (I remember all too well when I didn’t like mustard or cauliflower or…). I even remember it being the first meal my Aunt had when she arrived in Italy to visit me. My Aunt Liz loves Italian food so visiting me in Italy was like her going home in a way. She wanted to taste the best of the best and I brought her to my favorite Florentine restaurant: Il Contadino.

It was a tiny, hole on the wall kind of place. With a fixed price menu, awesome house wine, and super helpful staff, it was my diamond in the rough. One of my fave Florentine finds.

Doesn't she look a little skeptical?

Needless to say, Liz was not impressed. Liz wanted the fancy place, the restaurant people flew to eat at from all over the world. But that’s not what I wanted her to taste. Florence was a city of simple elegance. Like its food, the restaurant was no fuss but all substance.

Liz ordered the pesto and was dismayed when it came over fettuccine. Fettuccine? That is not how we serve it at home. But nonetheless she swirled that thick creamy sauce into the pasta and took a bite. I could tell from her face- she was in heaven. This may not have been her dream restaurant but the pesto was a winner.

And all pesto is not created equal. I spent all last summer dumping ingredients into my food processor, without caring for quantities, and coming out with a subpar pesto. This summer I learned my lesson. Find a simple recipe and follow.