Gruber Farm CSA Week 1 / Honey Balsamic Green Beans & Onions

It’s finally back! In the beginning of the Fall CSA, I expected to see the last bit of the Summer harvest. I was right!

Week 1:

• sweet potatoes
• cucumbers
• okra
• green onions
• corn
• apples
• green pepper
• zucchini
• yellow squash

Oh, the variety! On Tuesday, I immediately dug into the box and baked some sweet potato fries to have with dinner. Later I had an apple for dessert. It really is amazing to taste the difference in quality with local produce.

For dinner Wednesday evening, Amanda brought over homemade turkey meatloaf. To accompany it, I made a new green bean recipe.

Honey Balsamic Green Beans and Onions

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the beans from the water and add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then stir in the vinegar, honey, onion powder, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook to desired degree of doneness, about 5 minutes.

Don’t let the blanching step fool you; this recipe is pretty darn easy to make. After adding the balsamic and honey, the onions begin to caramelize which gives the dish an overall sweetness. We loved it and would definitely make it again.

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

The Night We May Have Overdosed on Sriracha

Sriracha is a funny, inexplicable obsession. It burns as you eat it, but you keep adding more, hoping for a taste of the slight hint of sweetness. As you add more to your food, your eyes well up, your nose starts twitching, and sometimes, you just cry. But it’s a joyful cry, I promise you that.

Amanda and I took adding Sriracha on our food to a whole new level last week when we made an entire meal centered around it. It burned so good. I found all three of these recipes on pinterest, but, as always, altered them to our personal nutritional standards and likings.

Sriracha Panko Encrusted Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
• 1/3 cup Sriracha
• 1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 inch peeled and grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 large egg whites
• 1.5 cups panko crumbs

Preparation:

1. In a large ziploc bag,  combine the Sriracha, rice vinegar, minced garlic and grated ginger. Place chicken tenderloins in bag and shake to saturate. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425*. Set up a dredging station with bowls. Fill the first with egg whites and the second with panko crumbs. Taking one chicken strip from the marinade at a time, dip in egg white, then roll into panko crumbs until coated.Place the breaded strip on a clean plate and continue with the rest of the chicken.
3. Once all of the strips are breaded, place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. After 15 minutes, turn the oven on to broil and broil for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into strips
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 (5.3 oz.) container plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp. Sriracha
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Combine cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss spice mixture on potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn potatoes with a spatula and bake an additional 10 minutes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, make dipping sauce. Whisk together Greek yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove potatoes from oven and serve with Sriracha dipping sauce.
   

Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha, Honey, and Lime

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut each Brussels sprout in half. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together Sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Remove Brussels sprouts and add to a bowl. Toss with Sriracha mixture.

This dinner was awesome. Despite having Sriracha in all of it, it wasn’t as spicy as we expected. Our favorite part was definitely the dipping sauce – we put it on everything. I’ll definitely make it again to use on other vegetables or fish.

I’m proud to say that after having my first bottle of Sriracha for only a week, it’s half gone. Crazy, right?

What is your favorite condiment? What’s your favorite way to incorporate it into a meal? What’s the strangest way you use it?

CLIF Mojo Bar Giveaway For National Trail Mix Day!

Last week I posted a list of my favorite healthy snacks. Luna bars, in particular, are made by CLIF, the maker of Mojo bars. CLIF Mojo bars are sweet and salty trail mix bars that come in six different flavors:

• Chocolate Almond Coconut
• Honey Roasted Peanut
• Mixed Nuts
• Mountain Mix
• Peanut Butter Pretzel
• White Chocolate Macadamia

Mojo bars are 70% organic and contain 8g of protein with no trans fats or processed sugars. They’re a great on the go snack, and are sweet enough to satisfy your dessert craving!

In celebration of National Trail Mix Day, August 31st, I’m hosting a giveaway! Five of you will each win FIVE Mojo bars!

• Honey roasted Peanut
• Mixed Nut
• Mountain Mix
• Peanut Butter Pretzel
• Chocolate Almond Coconut

To enter, all you have to do is…

Tell me something nice.

Yep, that’s it. Giveaway ends Friday, September 7th, when I’ll randomly pick a winner. Good luck!

Cúrate in Asheville, NC

Friday afternoon, in need of  a getaway, my littlest brother and I traveled to North Carolina to visit my grandparents. On Saturday, the four of us drove up to Asheville to walk around the city and have lunch.

Cúrate is a Spanish tapas bar in downtown Asheville. As my degree from College of Charleston is in Hispanic Studies, I was excited to experience some traditional Spanish cuisine. Cúrate, meaning “cure yourself” had just what we needed: delicious food and wine.

To drink, my grandmother and I both had a glass of the 2010 Peitán, Albariño, which is similar to a Pinot Grigio. Grandpa had a Highland Gaelic Ale and Jake had not one, but three Coca Colas. Oh, teenagers.

I was so sad when I realized I forgot the battery for my DSLR at home, so I apologize that these pictures are from my cell phone. :( Here we go!

Out of all the tapas, I was most impressed by the garlic shrimp. The sauce was so good, I kept dipping extra bread in it. I also really loved the Summer salad and would like to recreate that at home while watermelon is still in season. The Spanish tortilla tasted just like ones I’d had with friends from Spain. The eggplant was the most unusual dish, and I mean that in a positive way. I’ve never thought to drizzle eggplant with honey or rosemary.

Before our meal, my grandfather was sweet enough to mention that I had a Charleston-based food blog. Thanks to that, two of the dishes (the Summer salad and eggplant) were sent out on the house. The head chef, Katie Button, came out to introduce herself as well. She was sweet and seemed very glad we were there. I was impressed by her generosity and taking the time to come say hello. It’s the little things that make a restaurant special. We’ll definitely be back!

Do you like tapas-style restaurants?

Which of the above dishes would you enjoy most?

CSA Week 9 / Fun With Melons…and Salsa!

You know the drill. Gruber Farm CSA time!! As each week goes by, I become more and more obsessed with having a weekly box of produce. The convenience. The variety. The freshness. Need I say more?

Week 9 contents:

• jalapeno peppers
• tomatoes
• green peppers
• green beans
• corn
• mini watermelons!!

How cute are the watermelons? Boding and I couldn’t get over them.

We kissed them.

We loved on them.

We cradled them like babies.

Then we tossed them up in the air with joy. (I’m not ready for children.)

And then we put them away so we could use the other goodies to make SALSA!

Xtina’s Sweet & Spicy Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp. honey (secret ingredient!)
• 1 tsp. salt
• juice of 1 lime

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.

When I finished making the salsa, I had my roommate do a blind test with my salsa versus Publix’s salsa. She preferred mine! I was so excited. I felt like a younger, prettier, less pretentious Martha Stewart.

After our silliness with the watermelon and salsa, we made a seriously simple dinner:

Cumin-roasted chicken topped with salsa and sliced avocado, corn on the cob, and Trader Joe's spicy soy & flaxseed tortilla chips.

These chips have 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 500 mg of omega 3’s per serving. They’re definitely a better alternative – no perservatives either!

How do you like your salsa?

Chunky? Pureed well? Spicy? Fruity?

Cilantro: love it or leave it?

CSA Week 7 / Broiled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey

The further we get into the Spring season, the better the assortment of produce I receive from Gruber Farm. When I opened last week’s box, I thought “Woah, best week EVER.” Ehhh wrong! This week is even better. I’ve been really happy with Gruber Farm thus far because you get a good assortment of many different types of produce versus a few different things.

Week 7:

• red potatoes
• yellow corn
• onions
• patty pan squash
• a pumpkin? some sort of squash…
• string beans
• peaches (!!)
• turnips

I always dig into the fruit first. It’s the most appealing to me and easiest to cook…or not cook at all. This time I cooked!

Broiled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey

This “recipe” doesn’t require drawn out steps; it’s easy as pie. But not a peach pie.

All you do is turn your broiler on low, slice or halve the peaches however you prefer, and pop them in the oven. Watch them!! Let them brown a little, but be careful – they will burn and you will end up with crunch. Not fun.

When they’re browned to your liking, remove them from the oven, drizzle them with honey, and top them with goat cheese crumbles and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Eat them while they’re warm!

Top them with ice cream. But don’t tell me about it. I’ve given up desserts.

This doesn’t count as dessert right?

What’s your favorite fruit-based dessert?

Why is there a phrase “easy as pie”? PIE IS NOT EASY TO MAKE.

Citrus Walnut Beet Dip and Bad Xbox Dancing

Let’s face it. Beets are a weird vegetable. They grow in the ground, which makes them taste like dirt, and when you cut into them they bleed all over you. What other vegetable does that?

AND THEY MAKE YOUR PEE PINK.

Well, some of you. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, “an estimated 10-15% of all U.S. adults experience beeturia (a reddening of the urine) after consumption of beets.”

Are you one of the 10-15%? I am and I don’t mind it. I also don’t mind sharing that fact with you. Sorry!

Over the weekend, I furthered my love for this creepy vegetable by making a dip.

Citrus Beet Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can beets
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup  plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. coriander

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a food processer and puree until smooth. Enjoy the pink stuff!

Three of my favorite things: wine, beets, and blogging!

My poor friend Robert was hanging out with me on Saturday when I decided to make this and boy, did he think I was disgusting. I guess it was payback for when I (briefly!) made him carry my purse at Target. He didn’t seem to mind much, but what did bother him was my extreme case of a.d.d. while in the store.

You see, we went for gum. Just gum. That is all.

We left with:

• a jewelry organizer
• two pairs of green socks (I love socks!)
• more spandex pants
• wine
• huge box of clif bars
• popchips
• and the gum

$64 and an hour later, I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or entertained by my ability to destroy Target. He said I was going to be an expensive wife. I think that’s a compliment.

Later that evening, I spent, oh, maybe 6 hours playing Just Dance. My calves were so sore on Sunday morning. In case you ever doubted my hyperactivity, feel free to watch this clip (of a clip) of when I was dancing. Maybe one day I will show you the full footage.

“My watch is weighing me down.”

Who wants to come over and dance?!

Mellow Mushroom Beer Kitchen

Typically, when one thinks of Mellow Mushroom, they think of giant, freshly-made, gourmet pizzas. Little did I know, Mellow Mushroom has an extensive beer selection with two dozen specialty beers on tap and a hundred more in bottles. I have been trying to hone my beer-tasting palate, so I jumped on the opportunity to go to a four-course beer fusion dinner last Wednesday.

I met my friend Boomer, who helped promote the event, for Happy Hour at the downtown Mellow Mushroom. One of the perks of this restaurant is their beer club, in which members of said club are encouraged to drink every single beer they serve. (Not all at once – you will die.) After accomplishing this feat, members are rewarded with an engraved mug, their name on a plaque, and discounted beers – 20 oz. beers for the price of a 16oz. It may take me 6 years to complete this mission, but I figured I might as well start. Choosing from such a huge list is not easy – I can barely decide when I have 2 options.

Lucky for me, I didn’t have to choose the beers during dinner. Each course, prepared by Chef Mark Yoder, was accompanied with a different beer that was infused in the dish.

Course 1

Beer: La Chouffe Petite-Belgian light wheat

Dish: Crostini with goat cheese topped with marcona almonds, dates and a honey-beer reduction

This was, by far, my favorite course. Not only did I love the beer, but goat cheese + honey? Yesssssss. Perfect appetizer.

Course 2

Beer: St. Peters English Ale

Dish: Lasagna-with béchamel and sautéed mushroom filling. Mushrooms were deglazed with beer.

I am scared of mushrooms. Really scared. But I did try one tiny one and it was full of flavor. This was my first time trying béchamel sauce too.

Course 3

Beer: Highland Clawhammer-marzen style oktobefest

Dish: Beer-braised short rib, lentils, a potato cake, and collard greens. Greens were cooked down with beer and balsamic vin.

I am a huge sucker for lentils so I dug right in. The potato cake was essentially a Spanish tortilla, which is one of my favorite things to make (and eat!).

Course 4

Beer: Framboise Lambic

Dish: Pumpkin bread pudding-with Framboise and cinnamon whipped cream.

Yay for fall flavors. I was in love with the very fresh cinnamon whipped cream. Please admire all the beer glasses around my dish. Beer Heaven.

After all that food, Boomer declared that he had a food baby. He so obviously has not read this post where I describe my hatred for that term. Cringe. He’s cute enough to be forgiven.

For more information on Mellow Mushroom of Charleston, visit their

• website
• facebook
• twitter

What’s your favorite beer?

What’s your favorite beer-infused food?