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Why Did You Eat That: Accessorize Your Meal

By |July 4th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
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We get it. The Fourth of July is all about the grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, but just like any good outfit, your plate also needs accessories.  Enter the party dip and holiday cocktail.

A real crowd pleaser, queso, is sure to be a hit (except for all your lactose intolerant pals). For some reason it’s impossibly difficult to find any decent queso in CA (ironic?).  So, I took matters into my own hands and started making it at home.

I shouldn’t really have to explain this… but I will.

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. Velveeta cheese (sliced into 1 inch cubes)
  • 1 can (10 oz) of Rotel

Directions:

  • Melt cheese and Rotel in a pot. Serve with tortilla chips.

Finally, something we can thank Texas for.

I love when I receive emails like this (from my dear friend, Dev):

Watermelon Martinis

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups watermelon cubes (rind and seeds removed- duh)
  • 3/4 cup lemon vodka……  this is does NOT sound like enough….
  • 6 Tbsp lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp cointreau or Triple Sec
  • 3 Tbsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Blend together with approximately 3-6 ice cubes. Blend until slushy…

or perhaps you would just like to blend the watermelon up and mix in the ingredients for a martini.

“Id like to invite you to consider” whipping these gems up for the July 4th weekend. I feel they would be a hit any party.

Not only are these drinks gems, but so is dear, sweet Dev for sending this recipe.

Hope you have a happy, fully accessorized, Fourth of July.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Stuff It

By |June 27th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
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There comes a time in a young lady’s life when she must give up all the miso cod, chicken satay, and Chinese delivery in an attempt to become health conscious and domestic (or at least pretend to be).  Enter the stuffed zucchini.  This sounds fancy and complicated, but it’s anything but that.  It also sounds like it probably sucks, but again, you’re wrong.  With a few simple ingredients and about an hour of your life (aka an episode of Real Housewives), you can impress friends with a delicious and healthy home cooked meal.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium zucchini (we used 6 small)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3/4 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
  • 1 cup water

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease glass baking dish.
  2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Reserve about 3/4 of the seeds for the stuffing. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, chopped onion, bread crumbs, egg, and the reserved zucchini seeds. 
  3. Place the meat mixture equally into all of the zucchini halves; mixture should be piled up over the top.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato soup, and water. Ladle the tomato mixture over the filled zucchini liberally. 
  5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. You may want to place foil or a cookie sheet underneath the baking dish because it tends to bubble over and splash.

After making this delightful little recipe, I realized that I don’t like sausage.  So, if I were to make it again, I’d take out the sausage.  I’d also either add a little zest to the tomato “sauce” or I’d just use spaghetti sauce.  If I’m throwing calories to the wind, I’d also add cheese.  Bon apetit and stuff it.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Life’s Just a Bowl of Cherries

By |June 6th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
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As promised, it rained all weekend here. I don’t know about you, but when the sky is grey, my thighs get hungry. However, I’ve gotten back onboard the health train and had to deny my womanly thighs their cries for all things comfort food and instead placate them with something that was delicious, yet still healthy. While Jewish sausage and cheese omelets were being cooked up in my kitchen, I crafted up my very own delightful meal. It may look like dessert for breakfast (and as a matter of fact, tasted like it), but this breakfast was low in calories, high in thigh satisfaction. Behold, the thigh pleaser:

What you need:

  • Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
  • Cherries (sliced)
  • Honey
  • Only thing I would add? Some sliced almonds for a little crunch.

What you do:

You’re kidding, right? Yogurt in bowl. Sliced cherries on top. Drizzle honey. Eat!

So during this whole “cherry extravaganza” I also decided to partake in my own little science experiment. You know how they often reference “cherry stained lips”? Well, I wanted to know if you could, in fact, stain your lips with cherries. So, I went ahead and rubbed my ripe little lips (and cheeks) with cherries, but alas, nothing. Moral of the story? Cherries are for eating.

live and laugh at it all!

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Eat That: Strawberry Fields

By |May 30th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
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After bombarding you last week with bikinis and beach talk, I figured I should also lend a helping in hand in getting you bikini ready.  Upping the cardio and general physical activity will help, but changing your diet a bit will help you gain faster results.  Listen, I love pizza and pasta as much as the next girl, but even I had to come to terms with this.

I am by no means a “salad” girl (much to the chagrin of my lettuce producing dad), but after whipping up this delightful leafy mix this weekend, I was sold.  This spinach, strawberry, grilled chicken concoction can convert even the most carb addicted.  It’s light, delicious, and incredibly satisfying.  Perfect for summer afternoons on the patio.

 

Spinach, Strawberry, Grilled Chicken Salad:

  • Grilled chicken (I just used olive oil, Meyer’s lemon, and salt and pepper to season)
  • Baby spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Sliced almonds and/or pine nuts

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, halved
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/4 teaspoon white sugar

Directions:

  1. In a blender or food processor, mix olive oil, strawberries, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, tarragon and sugar. Blend until smooth.

You look slimmer already.

xx,

WhyDid

Bowls: Jonathan Adler, Stemless wine glasses, Riedel

Why Did You Eat That: Snack Time S.O.S.

By |May 16th, 2011|Recipes, Why Did You Eat That?|
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There will come a day when you will be forced to throw a party.  You will not be prepared.  You will have no idea how you’re going to pull it off.  You will put on a happy face and do it anyway.  Thankfully, I have some tricks up my sheer sleeves that will help you out of this little conundrum.  There is no need to panic.  To be the hostess with the mostess, you only need a few things: wine, snacks, games, good music, good company.  I can’t help you with the “good company.”  You’re on your own for that.  However, I can provide aid in the snack department.

For many of us, we aren’t able (or willing for that matter) to spend all day slaving over cute little puff pastries for our guests.  That’s why having just a few easy crowd pleasing recipes can save the day.  These don’t include any exotic ingredients that you’ll have to scavenge the shelves in an overpriced hard to locate grocery store for.  They aren’t going to land you on the next season of Top Chef.  I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here.  I’m trying to save your ass in a bind.

Caprese:

You’ve probably ordered this a time or two at an Italian restaurant.  If not, you’re missing out.  I like to use this little magical basil paste.  You can draw pretty patterns with it and I prefer not eating an entire basil leaf.  Call me crazy.

Ingredients:

  • Tomato
  • Fresh Mozzarella
  • Basil
  • Balsamic

Directions:

  1. Slice the tomato into about 1/4 thick slices.
  2. Slice mozzarella into similar 1/4 thick slices and place on top of tomato slices.
  3. Add either basil leaf or drizzle magical basil paste on top of mozzarella.
  4. Drizzle balsamic over basil.
  5. Serve and wow!

Deviled Eggs:

This one is a real crowd pleaser.  I don’t know why people are so amazed by deviled eggs, but they are.  My fiance thought I was a freaking genius when he saw me squeezing out the filling through a plastic bag, but he forgets that Martha Stewart follows The Golden Girls.

Ingredients:

  • 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
  • ¼ cup Light Mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Paprika

Directions:

  1. Place eggs in cold water, bring to a boil.  When at a rolling boil, remove from heat and let sit for 10 mins.
  2. Cool eggs with ice or cold water.
  3. Peel eggs (do this under cold water to ensure all of the shell fragments are gone)
  4. Cut eggs in half, putting the yolks into a separate mixing bowl.
  5. Mix yolk, mayonnaise, vinegar
  6. Using a ziplock bag, dispense “filling” into halved eggs.
  7. Top with paprika and place in refrigerator to cool until ready to serve.

 

Bacon Wrapped Dates

When in doubt, go with bacon. No one can turn down delicious bacon.  If your guests turn up their noses to this delightful dish, you may want to re-evaluate those friendships.

Ingredients:

  • 18 (1 by 1/4-inch) pieces cream cheese
  • 18 pitted dates
  • 18 salted and roasted whole almonds
  • 6 slices bacon cut crosswise into thirds
  • 18 wooden picks (also known as toothpicks)

Directions:

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Stuff 1 piece of cheese and 1 almond into each date, then wrap one piece of bacon around each date and secure bacon with a toothpick if desired.
  3. Arrange dates, bacon seam down and 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan.
  4. Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more.
  5. Drain on a paper towel or parchment.
  6. Serve immediately.

Now that you’re through in the kitchen, go put on something fancy, pour yourself a glass of wine and wait for your guests to arrive.

xx,

WhyDid

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