Well it has certainly been awhile ya’ll. I have to say, being pregnant has certainly knocked me off of my feet literally for the past two months and I haven’t been posting as much as I would have liked, due to the fact that every smell and word about food made me run away or feel nauseated. I still have my moments, but today was the first time in awhile that I had inspiration to cook something fresh and seasonal. I had a craving for some fresh homemade bruschetta with those little pearly mozzarella things and some balsamic drizzled over it with some crusty bread… so I got cooking and came up with this easy cheesy recipe. It is to die for and I warn you now it will be hard to keep your hands and mouth off of it. You’ll be lucky if anyone else in the house gets a bite. I’m going downstairs now as I say this to get another slice of bruschetta before I start uploading the photos!

So, now that we have that out of the way (mmm this is so good!), I’m not sure how frequent I will be posting recipes in the upcoming months, but hopefully good things will come and this nausea will soon pass and I will have new energy for sharing some recipes. For now, I leave you all with this trusty recipe for my chopped bruschetta… when all else fails and its too hot and humid to eat anything else, you can’t go wrong with this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

You will need:
1 loaf of french bread or a large french baguette
8 Roma tomatoes
1-2 large cloves of garlic
5-6 fresh basil leaves
1 package of Bel Gioioso fresh Mozzarella pearls
Balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

Step 1: Rinse and chop Roma tomatoes and place in a medium size serving bowl or plastic bowl, whatever you have on hand and don’t have to bend over to pick up.

Step 2: Mince the garlic cloves and add to the tomatoes.

Step 3: Break apart the Bel Gioioso Mozzarella pearls and then add them to the tomato mixture.

Step 4: Pick 5-6 large basil leaves and rinse them. Then pat dry with paper towels. Stack leaves and roll up lengthwise. Cut diagonally with a knife and spread strips apart with fingers. Then roughly chop strips and add basil leaves to the tomato mixture.

Step 5: Add the vinaigrette in this order – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper. Drizzle ingredients over the top and then mix with a spoon until all the ingredients are well coated with the mixture.

Step 6: This is the best part…now slice the french bread into thick slices and top with a heaping spoonful of the mixture. Then enjoy it. I recommend covering the bowl with plastic wrap and marinating for a few hours in the fridge before serving. Also if you want to be more fancy you can toast the baguette slice in the oven and then top with the bruschetta mixture. But, in my pregnant world, this worked just fine cold and without toasting the bread. Enjoy!

This is a simple and delicious meal I often make on weeknights. It is healthy and hearty and my whole family loves it. It isn’t completely homemade, but I never feel a meal has to be to be good. This saves a lot of time and makes a satisfying meal your family will be sure to love. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! You can also easily make this meal vegetarian by simply not adding the chicken and only using vegetables, or adding some tofu.

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This trip happened several weeks ago, but now that the weather is so nice it felt like the right time to put this post up on my blog. It was a very lovely day, with some very lovely people. It was one of the most quaint, relaxing afternoons I’ve ever had… and I can’t wait to go back again! So, what am I raving about??… tell us… tell us… ok… so this place is called “The Farm at South Mountain”. It’s located off of 32nd St. in Phoenix, AZ. I’m sure many Phoenicians have already discovered this gem, but since I’ve only been living here for 2+ years… I was thrilled to discover it when I did. It is a 12-acre property located 8 minutes from downtown phoenix… it is an “organic oasis” as their website quotes… and they are telling the truth. It boasts, lines and lines of pecan trees, 3 different restaurants (an outdoor patio for breakfast, an outdoor cafe for lunch, and an indoor/outdoor gourmet restaurant for dinner). Menus are seasonal and organic…. they grow a lot of their own produce right on the property in their large gardens. Flowers are in bloom everywhere and there is GRASS.. yes you heard me Phoenicians… G-R-A-S-S… and its green, not brown! It’s a beautiful place of relaxation and, not to mention the most important part for me… their food is delicious! Organic breads, greens, soups.. you name it. I couldn’t believe my turkey sandwich had REAL slices of turkey on it… I believe the very words i described it as was that there was “thanksgiving turkey” on my sandwich! All in all it is a very special place… a place to go and relax and forget that you are in the middle of a dirty, fast-paced city; and just enjoy the simple things in life for a few hours. The sunshine hitting your face, the green grass, the peaceful breeze through the pecan trees.. and a delicious bite of one of those lemon bars that are to die for! You must try one.. you will not regret it. So go…. go to the farm some afternoon and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Here are some photos for you all to enjoy… and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

What we had for lunch…

(pictured above: chicken salad with glazed pecans, goat cheese, and house vinaigrette, fresh lemonade, pecan pie, and a lemon bar)

(pictured above: roast turkey sandwich with cranberry relish, and a chicken Tuscan soup)

the art gallery…

…and the gift shop.

Microwave eggs are the easiest thing since cereal and toast. Yes, I did just say the word “microwave” eggs. This may be a little frightening to imagine for some, but for those of you who are curious, you may just find yourself enjoying one of the most easy and deliciously fluffy 2 minute personal size omelet/egg casseroles you’ve ever had. If you are looking for a healthy or creative quick breakfast than your everyday toast or cereal this is perfect! And it only takes about 5 minutes from start to finish! I’ve never actually seen a recipe for one of these in a cookbook or on a cooking show, my mother used to make these as quick after school snacks or for breakfast when we were kids. I loved them then, and I am so glad I remembered them so I can love them now!

Ingredients:
1-2 eggs (may use 2 egg whites per egg for an egg white only microwave egg)
salt and pepper
1/4 c. cheese (Colby jack, cheddar, mozzarella, American, etc.)
2 mushrooms, sliced
Serrano pepper, sliced (about 5-8 slices)

The wonderful thing about microwave eggs is there is an unlimited amount of ways to be creative with the ingredients. I tend to use whatever I have in the fridge that seems to pair well together, usually a cheese, vegetable, and meat. All these ingredients of course are optional. Some of my favorite combinations include: sausage/cheese/jalapeno, bacon/cheese, zuchini/mushroom/onion/cheese, Ham/cheese/vegetable. For today, I decided on a cheese, mushroom, and Serrano microwave egg.

Step 1: Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.

Step 2: Slice 2-3 small mushrooms.

Step 3: Saute mushrooms for about 2 minutes in the skillet just until tender with a teeny pinch of sea salt and black pepper to season.

Step 4: Crack an egg or two into a microwave safe bowl (if using egg whites only, separate egg whites and yolks then add egg whites to a microwave safe bowl; about 2 egg whites per 1 egg).

Step 5: Lightly, whip the egg with a whisk or fork.

Step 6: Remove mushrooms from the skillet. Cut a Serrano pepper into thin slices (you will probably need about 5 -8 slices of Serrano pepper). Add the mushrooms and Serrano slices to the egg.

Step 7: Grate 1/4 c. of cheese (I used colby jack for this recipe). Sprinkle cheese over top of vegetables in the egg. Pop the bowl into the microwave and cook on HIGH for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the egg mixture in the center is not runny.

Waala! You now have a beautifully fluffy and cheesy personal microwave egg. Top it off with some fresh salsa and dig in! You will be so glad you did! Enjoy!

Glancing through my grocery store fliers for good bargains the other week I came across a great deal on crab legs at a local grocery store near me. Immediately my mouth began to water and for the first time I decided to take on the challenge of cooking some crab legs for dinner. I always thought it must be complicated and it was always usually too expensive to think of feeding crab legs to my family for dinner, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

I decided to make up some yummy but simple sides to go along with the crab legs as well… and I was particularly in a “buttery” sort of mood that evening so I chose to do some roasted garlic and chilli pepper broccoli as well as some tarragon red potatoes as our sides. This was all a spur of the moment, make it up as you go along kind of meal… and it ended up turning out pretty darn delicious! Try it if you dare!

A few tips to remember about cooking with crab legs that I got from a handy little website called www.helpwithcooking.com are:
*The best way to buy crab legs is frozen or pre-cooked, then frozen crab legs as this will give the most fresh flavor. Buying thawed out crab legs tend to cause them to lose their flavor and freshness.
*Thawed out crab legs can maintain freshness for about two days in the refrigerator, but it is recommended they be cooked the same day they are thawed.
*To defrost crab legs place them on a rack in a watertight container in the fridge for 8 hours to allow the ice to melt and drain while they are defrosting.

Now on to the recipe…

You will need:
crab leg clusters (1-2 clusters per person, or however many you desire)
clarified butter (recipe below)

Step 1: Rinse off the frozen crab leg clusters and set aside.

Step 2: Fill a large pot about half way or a little less than halfway with water. Salt the water. Then bring the pot of salted water to a rolling boil ( I didn’t have a steamer, so i used the good old big pot of boiling water with a colander and a lid on top method. It worked beautifully ).

Step 3: Place the crab clusters into a metal colander and place the colander into the boiling water with the handles resting on the lip of the pot.

Step 4: Place a lid over the top of the colander to allow the crab legs to steam. Steam crab legs for about 5 – 7 minutes or until heated through and you start to smell their sweet aroma… its so divine!

Step 5: Remove the crab legs from the steamer and serve immediately (its a good idea to start your sides ahead of time so they are almost finished when you start steaming the crab legs, as they only take a few minutes). The meat from the fresh crab legs is so sweet and succulent… it is a very satisfying experience! Don’t forget to place a small dish of clarified butter at each place setting to dip the crab meat in! Enjoy!

Clarified Butter

Place 2 sticks of unsalted butter into a small sauce pan. Melt over low heat, watching carefully so as not to burn it. Remove butter from the heat once the milk solids have sunk to the bottom of the pan. Strain butter through a cheese cloth into a clear storage container ( i usually use an old recycled glass jar). Discard the solids left behind. You can store the clarified butter in the fridge and use for any recipe that calls for regular butter or use it in such instances as the crab legs as a dipping sauce to enhance flavors of a dish.

Broiled Chili Pepper Broccoli

1-2 heads of broccoli, cut into big chunks
olive oil for drizzling
2 Tbsp. butter (optional)
1 Tbsp. chili pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and black pepper to taste

On a large baking tray, spread out the chopped broccoli pieces and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the broccoli pieces in olive oil until well coated. Cut up chunks of 2 Tbsp. of butter and place randomly throughout the spread out broccoli pieces. Sprinkle with minced garlic, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Broil in the oven for about 10 minutes or until tops of broccoli begin to brown and crisp, but not too much. I recommend tossing the broccoli pieces every few minutes to evenly brown them.

Taragon and Buttered Red Potatoes

4 medium sized Red potatoes
3 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. dried tarragon
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a medium sized pot place the 4 red potatoes. Fill pot with water until just covering the tops of the potatoes. Bring the pot of potatoes to a boil and boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the water from teh pot and let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. Peel the skins from the potatoes and chop into large bit size chunks. Place in a serving bowl and top with 2 Tbsp of butter, tarragon, salt, and black pepper until well coated over the potatoes and the butter is melted. Serve warm.

Eggplant Parmesan was something I never appreciated as a kid, but now it is a dish of my mother’s that I savor. Well, maybe the more appropriate term is more like devour… but this dish is delicious just the same! It is a great alternative to chicken Parmesan (which is made the exact same way, but with a pounded chicken breast instead of a slice of eggplant). This is also a great vegetarian dish and the breading can also be substituted for gluten free ingredients, which I will show you in the recipe below. Hope you enjoy this yummy dish, and try not to eat the whole pan!

Step 1: Prep 2 eggplants by peeling the purple skin off and then slicing it down into about 1/2 inch thick slices.

Step 2: Arrange the sliced eggplant into a shallow dish stacking the slices on top of each other if necessary. You may need to use two dishes to fit all the slices from both eggplants (I used two pie plates).

Step 3: Pour milk over the eggplant slices enough to just about cover them. Let the eggplant soak in the milk for 1-3 hours (the longer the better). This will help mellow some of the bitterness.

Step 4: Once the eggplant is done soaking, fill one bowl with some all-purpose flour (or Gluten free all-purpose flour), another bowl with about 4 whipped eggs, and a third bowl with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (or crushed corn flakes for a gluten free version. Line the three bowls up in this order: Flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Then spread some tomato sauce into the bottom of two baking pans like you see in the picture… just enough to coat the bottom of it to keep the eggplant from sticking. Once you have your bowls lined up use a fork to stab a slice of eggplant and dip first in the flour and coat all sides of the eggplant slice, then dip into the eggs, then dip into the breadcrumbs and set on a plate. Repeat the process until all the eggplant slices are coated.

Step 5: Heat a large skillet over meadium heat with a fairly generous amount of canola or olive oil coating the bottom of the skillet. Place 4-5 slices of eggplant in the pan and brown both sides (about 1 minutes or so per side).

Step 6: Remove browned eggplant slices and place onto several sheets of paper towel to soak up some of the oil. Pat some of the excess oil from the top and let them cool off. Repeat the frying and paper towel process until all the slices are done.

Step 7: Place the sliced eggplant in the baking pans with the sauce from earlier. Layer them on top of each other as shown in the photo (should make about 2 layers per pan).

Step 8: Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the eggplant slices and then cover each pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Step 9: Meanwhile, grate some provolone cheese (probably about 1/2 lb.). Set the cheese aside in a bowl or on a plate and try not to eat it all.

Step 10: The last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle on the provolone, and be generous… this is the best part! Make it ooey and gooey…then pop the pans back in the oven for the last 5 minutes of baking time and don’t take it out until all that cheese is melted all over!

Voila! You now have an amazingly delicious dinner to serve up to your family, for company, or to even eat all by yourself. Yes, once you taste this you will realize why its possible to think of high jacking the eggplant and running into a corner somewhere and eating it all by yourself! It pairs nice with just a simple salad. Enjoy!