St. Thomas

Destination Weddings. They pose kind of a love-hate relationship. For example, I love that I get to travel somewhere exotic and new; hate the money aspect of it. But the wedding was for a good friend of mine from boarding school, and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn't have been more thrilled to be a part of their big wedding day.

Our hotel - Marriott Frenchman's Reef & Morningstar Resort

View from the hotel

Oceana Seafood & Wine Bar - Wedding and Dinner Venue

The lovely Bride and Groom in front of Oceana

Entering St. John at the Cruz Bay Port

Trunk Bay on St. John - Named of on the Top 10 Most Beautiful Beach in the World (there was a scene from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that was filmed here). The beach even has its own underwater snorkel trail!

Strolling around Charlotte Amalie looking for Gladys Cafe to chow down on some West Indian food

Ended up at Mountain Top afterwards where we had Banana Daquiris and took in views of the British Virgin islands (Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, and Virgin Gorda) and US Virgin Islands (St. John and St. Croix)

It was a fantastic vacation - full of old friends and plenty of new ones. It was a small intimate wedding, 11 people in total including the bride and groom, and it was perfect. We didn't explore the island for everything it had to offer, but we definitely took in the views. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing, and I can't wait to take another trip in the near future!

Seattle

I've finally made it! I have been slightly (I use the term lightly) absent from the blog for various reasons, but I'm back!

I mentioned moving a few posts ago, and I  finally did it! I moved from Boston to Seattle at the end of August, and I'm fully moved into my new apartment. I can't wait to start cooking again and post about my adventures around the city. Summertime in the NW really is wonderful - no humidity, and so many activities to partake in (read: farmer's markets galore!)!

I'm living with one of my best friends from home, and this is a picture of the sunset of our first roommate outing at a restaurant called Little Water Cantina. Do you see the mountains in the very far distance? I've missed the west coast so much. So, so much.

Boston

Needless to say, this week has been indescribable. But the strength and support this city has shown, goes beyond anything one could even fathom. This is the city I love. #BostonStrong

  

DIY: Growing Green Onions

In my off-time, I peruse Pinterest quite avidly. I came across this pin last week and knew I had to try it out! Not only is it a great way to save money, but I've been wanting to start growing my own herbs and vegetables for a while. The great thing is, even though it is still gloomy and not so sunny in Boston, the green onions continue to grow.

All you have to do is save the bottom bulb portion of the green onions, place them in a jar, and fill the jar with water. And presto! They start growing! I've been changing the water every 2-3 days, and the onions have been growing wonderfully. See below!

Day 2

Day 5

Day 9

 

 

If you look at the shortest green onions, I added them to the bunch this morning! See how quickly they grow?

Honey Soy Sauce Chicken Drumsticks

Today was gorgeous! It was so nice I even got to wear a dress after coming home from work! Major :) But on my way home, I was feeling lethargic, yet again, and I couldn't decide what to do for dinner (aka whether to buy or to cook). I could eat leftover salad (seen here and here), or I could eat something yummy but relatively healthy that would satisfy what I was looking to eat. This is where these drumsticks come into play.

Drumsticks are a very easy way to get juicy and tender meat on the table. You can eat them as is and serve them with a side dish, or cut them up and toss them into a salad. Generally speaking, I usually marinate my chicken with olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. But I'm always open to trying something new; I liked this recipe because of its flavors with a somewhat Asian flair by using soy sauce and garlic, mixed with the sweetness of honey.

Recipe (makes 2-3 servings):
6 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 1-2 cloves, depending on size)
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Directions:
1. Combine the soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger in a Ziploc bag. Place the chicken into the bag, and seal the bag, removing as much excess air as possible. Refrigerate to marinate for at least one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Lay chicken on a parchment-lined (or aluminum foil lined) baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly to 160 degrees. Every 10 minutes that the chicken is baking, take the pan out from the oven and brush more of the sauce on each drumstick, and then place back into the oven.

4. For the final 3-5 minutes that the chicken is baking, change your oven setting so that you broil the drumsticks, leaving the skin crispy. Top with sesame seeds and serve.

Asian Slaw Salad with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

I'm feeling very lethargic today, and it's most likely because I've worked 32 hours in the past two days. I know I'm going to need more energy this week for work, because it's going to be even busier than the last. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I knew I had to make it because a) it has peanut butter, b) it helps me eat more veggies, and c) it makes so many servings that I can bring it to work for lunch. :)

Recipe (makes 6 servings):
Dressing:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced

Slaw:
2 cups green cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups purple cabbage, roughly chopped
2 cups carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces
1 cup edamame, shelled and cooked
2 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped or use whole
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

 

Directions:

1. To make dressing: combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until peanut butter dissolves. Set aside.

2. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Nectarine Basil Salsa

As I'm typing this, over half of the salsa is gone. Whoops? I like salsa. But salsa can get boring pretty quickly. Most salsa's involve tomatoes, so most are red in color. Did you know that you should technically remove the seeds inside of a tomato before cooking with it because the seeds cause some people to get sick? Interesting....but what I mean by most salsa's involve tomatoes is that even though you may have a black bean salsa or corn salsa, it still a tomato based salsa with added black beans or corn. Boring! This recipe excited me because a) it's a fruit based salsa, and b) no tomatoes are involved! Yummmmm

Recipe (makes 2-4 servings):
1 nectarine, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeno, minced
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
4 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Directions:
1. Dice the nectarine. Add sugar is the nectarine is not juicy, and let sit for a few minutes.

2. Add red onion and jalapeno to the nectarine. Stir in honey and lime juice. Add a sprinkle of salt or sugar (or both) depending on how you want the salsa to be flavored.

3. Just before serving, cut basil into ribbons and sprinkle over the top. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

 

Bacon and Brussel Sprout Salad

I love brussel sprouts. And when I say love, I mean I've only ever had them roasted. But still, I love them. Isn't that enough? I saw this recipe and I was stoked because it's a brussel sprout salad. But, when I actually started making the salad, I realized it was raw brussel sprouts. And that's when I got wary. I got nervous because the cabbage family is known for having having distinct flavors when the vegetable is raw (For example, broccoli. Know what I mean?)  But lo and behold, raw brussel sprouts are not to be wary of. The dressing makes it quite delicious. And who can forget the bacon? Anything made with bacon is infinitely better!

Recipe (makes ~10 servings):
1 lemon
1 orange
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
4 dozen brussel sprouts
1 cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, grated
1 cup almonds

Directions:
1. Cook and crumble the bacon.

2. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and orange into a small bowl with the shallots. Pour olive oil into the bowl, in a steady stream, whisking to form an emulsion (it should appear creamy). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Use a mandolin to shave the brussel sprouts into thin slices so it resembles a slaw mixture (do not include stems).

4. Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until chopped coarsely. Add 3/4 cup almonds, cheese, and bacon to the shredded brussel sprouts; toss to combine. When ready to serve, toss with the dressing, and sprinkle with remaining almonds, cheese, and bacon over the top.

Roasted Salmon with Avocado and Grapefruit Salsa

Happy Monday!

Today is the start of a long work week for me. I'm working a mix of super early mornings, and super late nights, so I have to figure out what to cook for the few lunches and dinners that I'll be at home for. (That's actually how its going to be for the next few weeks)

The hardest about about working in the food industry is that you're always surrounded by food. I'm sure you're looking at me like "blah blah blah, life is so hard." But really, hear me out. Yes, the food is different every night, but what's being served may be something that you don't like to eat, something that doesn't fit your health regimen, or it's just hors d'eurvres (not even a real meal!)

So here is to putting time and effort into being healthy. Cheers!!


Recipe (makes 2 servings):
1/4 pound salmon fillets
1 large grapefruit
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cubed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons red onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
ancho chile powder*
olive oil
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

*I used Cayenne pepper since I wasn't able to find ancho chile powder, and it still turned out yummy!

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh & Fast Cookbook

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place fillets on a baking pan, skin side down. Brush both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle  the fillet with salt, pepper, and ancho chile powder. Place in oven and roast until almost opaque in the center, about 18 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut off the peel and all of the white pith from all around the grapefruit. Working over a bowl, use the knife to cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the bowl. Remove the grapefruit segments from the bowl and cut crosswise into 1/2 in pieces; return to the bowl.

4. Gently mix in the avocado, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Cut the fish in half and divide among 2 warmed plates. Spoon the salsa over the top and serve right away.

Blackberry Cobbler Pancakes

Happy Easter Sunday!

I hope everyone has a fun day and enjoys the lovely spring weather (it's about time!) :)

Easter Sunday is definitely a big brunch day in the city. But sometimes, brunch is better at home - you don't need to wait for a table, you can eat whatever you choose, and it probably costs half of what you would pay at a restaurant. For me, nothing makes Sunday better than eating pancakes for brunch. I found this awesome recipe because I was looking for a new take on pancakes. (There's also Earl Grey Vanilla Pancakes with Honey Tea Syrup) Something different about this recipe is that it uses cake flour in addition to all purpose flour, which makes the pancakes extra fluffy.

The directions below are from the original website, and for me, everything went dandy until it came to actually cooking the pancakes. I noted my alteration and how I ended up making the pancakes, but if the original way works for you, hooray!!

Recipe (makes 7-8 servings):
Cobbler:
2 cups blackberries
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pancakes:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Additional melted unsalted butter for cooking

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Put 1 cup blackberries in a ramekin. Cut the remaining 1 cup blackberries into pea-sized pieces, and set aside.

3. To make the cobbler: In a mixer, combine the butter, quick oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon; mix until clumps have formed. Spread 1/4 cup of the mixture over the blackberries in the ramekin.

4. Bake for roughly 20 minutes, until the blackberries have burst, and the top has slightly browned.

4. Whisk cake flour, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a small bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter.

5. Heat griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Brush bottom of pan with additional melted butter.

6. Working in batches of 2-3 pancakes, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the uncooked cobbler on the griddle, then pour 1/4 cup batter on top.

Alteration: I followed the directions above for the first 3 pancakes that I made. It got real messy. I realized that by sprinkling the cobbler onto the pan first, there was nothing to hold the cobbler together for when you flip the pancake over, and the cobbler would end up all over the pan. So moving forward, I put a bit of batter onto the pan first, then the cobbler, then more batter. Essentially, I made a cobbler sandwich with the batter, and it worked out much better.

7. Sprinkle each pancake with a few of the pea-sized blackberries. Cook until bottoms brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until sides brown, about 1 minute. Divide pancakes among plates.

8. Top pancakes with fresh cobbler and syrup.

Care Packages

Nothing makes you feel more loved than receiving a care package in the middle of the week. Am I right? Or am I right? After coming back from Seattle the other week, I've felt a surge in energy and a big sense in motivation (more on that to come later), but a little sad to not see the faces of my lovely friends everyday.

 Fast forward to last night - I was just coming off a long day at work, with an exceptionally early morning today, I was thrilled to see a package from my best friend Renee (who I'd just seen in Seattle)! I got the warm fuzzies, and was absolutely stoked to find what was in the package!

 

 

Local Seattle chocolate in Hazelnut Crunch, Fig Fennel & Almond, Organic Fair Trade 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate, and Organic Salted Almond Dark Chocolate

 

Happy Friday! :)

Turkey Sandwiches with Ginger-Avocado Relish

Sandwiches are synonymous with lunch. But the difficult part is keeping them exciting. There are a ton of different types of deli meats at the meat counter at the grocery, but at the end of the day, cold cuts are cold cuts. You can only add so much lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard to keep you wanting more. And thus comes this sandwich! The avocado mixed with wasabi and green onions keeps you wanting more, and the bread grilled with sesame oil is absolutely fantastic!

I didn't make any alterations to this recipe, but there are alternative cooking methods to cook this recipe even faster if you're short on time.

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh +Fast Cookbook


Recipe (makes 4 servings):
4 green onions, white and pale green parts, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 avocado, firm but ripe, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast cutlets
4 slices country bread
4 large leaves butter letuce
asian sesame oil
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the green onions, olive oil, vinegar, 2 teaspoons of minced ginger, and the wasabi. Gently mix in the avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper; and set aside.

2. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat cooking over high heat. Brush the turkey with sesame oil on both sides, and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger over one side of the turkey. Grill the turkey until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Alternative #1: Instead of grilling, you can broil the cutlets, or even saute the cutlets in a fry pan.

3. Brush sesame oil over one side of bread. Grill the bread, oiled side down, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Alternative #2: You can forgo grilling the bread and stick the bread in the toaster without the sesame oil.

4. Arrange 1 bread slice, grilled side up, on each plate. Arrange sliced lettuce over each, and then top with turkey. Spoon the relish over and serve right away.

Birchbox #2

Sometimes I think I secretly signed up for monthly Birchbox's just to get a package in the mail every month...

 Theme of the Month: March Madness

Left to Right: Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream, Couture La La Perfume, Whish Shave Cream in Blueberry, Seroe Normat Dry Shampoo, and a Madewell Nail File