TROPICAL SALSA

I love everything about Summer. The slow days and the late nights. The sun and the sand. Happy hours on the patio and even the HEAT. And give me all the fresh Summer produce. Summer is just the best. And so is Summer cooking! 

I've been hoarding all of my food pics on my phone with then intent of rapid fire posting this Summer because I have missed sharing on this little space. 

If there was ever an official salsa for Summer, this would be it! The original recipe comes from Tiffani Thiessen's Pull Up A Chair, but I tweaked it a bit and added some more spice! And because I was feeling EXTRA, I pulled up a YouTube video and taught myself how to cut out a pineapple and use it as a serving bowl. This salsa was a huge hit at a cookout two weeks ago and I think it's even better when it sits overnight! The flavors are insane and I will be making this on repeat for the rest of the Summer. Not to mention it's just so freaking pretty in this pineapple bowl! 

The best part about this is that all of the work is in the chopping and you just toss everything into a bowl. I honestly eyeballed the amounts here and just kind of added more of what I liked- like extra jalapenos for a kick! Scrape out the seeds if you don't like the heat, but I can't get enough. We are LOVING Late July Chips in our house. I picked them up for our Super Bowl nachos in the Winter and now they are the only chips I'll buy. The lime + sea salt ones are my personal fave. 

Now, whip this up for your next Summer shindig and while you're at it, teach yourself how to craft a pineapple bowl! 

TROPICAL SALSA
recipe adapted from Tiffani Thiessen

1 cup diced pineapple
1 cup seedless watermelon
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced papaya
1/2 cup diced english cucumber
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1-2 jalapenos, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/2-1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let it sit and mingle for a few hours before serving. 

Antipasto Kabobs

Going into the weekend with all the heart eyes and pumpkin beers right now. I'm also hoping for an October crispness in the air so that we can enjoy our back patio fire pit and make some s'mores! It's almost Happy Hour time and happy hour on Friday, truly is the best hour- especially when you have a good snack to go with it. 

I'm completely obsessed with these Italian bites. I took them to our big neighborhood party this past weekend and they were a huge hit. They are filled with ALL THE GOOD ITALIAN THINGS and the presentation is automatically cute with everything perfectly lined up. They are also easy to grab which is great for a mixing and mingling setting. What more do you need!? I found these perfect sized bamboo skewers at World Market and they were deifnitely worth the extra trip. A drizzle of pesto on top would totally take these over the edge in all of the best ways. 

I'm already looking for an excuse to make these again.  

Antipasto Kabobs

recipe from Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers

1 package cheese tortellini, cooked according to instructions

Sliced salami

Green olives

Fresh basil leaves

Grape tomatoes

Fresh mini mozzarella balls

Cook tortellini according to the instructions on the package. 

To assemble kabobs, I did salami, tortellini, green olive, basil, tomato, mozzarella. I finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and a tiny bit of salt and pepper. 

Cranberry + Cinnamon Brie en Croute

This has been the holiday season of baked brie! I made this for Thanksgiving, two Christmas parties and on Christmas day. It has become a cocktail hour favorite for our family holidays because it is just so unbelievably GOOD. A simple wheel or wedge of brie gets dressed up with sweet, sugary cranberries and wrapped up in puff pastry. I have made this with both a wheel and a wedge and I have to say, I prefer the end result of the wedge- it's much meltier. 

Cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon are my fillers of choice, but you can branch out in any direction you like! Fig preserves would be delicious and I have also had this with an apricot and walnut topper, too. I served my baked brie with french bread crostini and honeycrisp apple slices. The apple slices were the best!

If you are looking for something to add to your New Year's celebrations tonight or tomorrow, I promise this will be a favorite. 

Happy New Year's Eve to all!

Cranberry + Cinnamon Brie en Croute

1 wedge of brie

1 sheet puff pastry

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

Defrost puff pastry for 15-20 minutes and unfold. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet, lay puff pastry flat. Place brie on top of puff pastry. 

In a small bowl, mix cranberries, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon cranberry mixture on top of brie. Fold puff pastry over the wedge, making sure there are no holes or air pockets. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until pastry is browned, puffed and brie is nicely melted.

Sweet Pea Crostini

Small bites. I love them. And I believe everything tastes better when it's bite size and all you need is one hand to eat it, leaving the other available to hold onto a cocktail. Some nights I just want to whip up a bunch of appetizers, open the wine and call it dinner. This is a perfect girls' night in my opinion and now I'm starting to wonder why my girlfriends and I don't do tapas themed nights more often. 

I was looking for a light and fresh starter for Easter and I remembered this sweet pea crostini that has been patiently waiting to be debuted. Crostini is always a crowd pleaser and sweet peas are the perfect Spring vegetable. Mint gives this pesto spread a refreshing finish and prosciutto adds a nice salty punch. This is the perfect small bite for Spring!

Now, who wants to come sit on my screened in porch for a tapas and wine party?

Sweet Pea Crostini
recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Sweet Pea Pesto:
2 cups water
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen organic sweet peas
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 ounces finely diced prosciutto

Crostini:
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
Good extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3-4 cloves garlic

Warm water in a medium saucepan with red pepper flakes until it comes to a rolling boil. Add frozen peas and cook until they are tender, about five minutes. Drain peas in a mesh strainer

Place peas in a food processor with mint, salt and pepper. Puree the pea mixture. Place pea mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to cool. 

Meanwhile, for the crostini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet. Using a kitchen brush, brush olive oil on each slice. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crostini is nice and crisp. When the crostini is done toasting, rub with garlic cloves to give a hint of garlic.

To finish, whip the whipping cream until still peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pea puree. Top each crostini with about one tablespoon of pea puree and some diced prosciutto. Serve immediately.

Baked Brie with Cranberries, Cinnamon + Pecans

Christmas may be over but we continue to celebrate in our house long after December 25th. For the entire 12 days of Christmas to be exact! This Christmas has been extra special for us and I never want it to end. 

The celebrations continue this week as we say hello to 2014! As we get ready for a cozy night in with friends, I'm menu planning for New Year's Eve- babies and bubbly included! I am loving the idea of several small bites instead of one big meal. 

If you are still in need of some tasty bites to add to your New Year's Eve spread, I have the perfect addition. This is a wonderful holiday appetizer that everyone seems to love. I made this last year for my family's pre- Thanksgiving dinner cocktails and appetizers and we added it to our pre- Christmas dinner menu this year as well. I made a second batch when we celebrated Christmas with Mark's family this weekend and even the smallest people in the house gobbled it up! 

In a big crowd, one just doesn't seem to be enough. So go ahead and make an extra! Your dinner guests will thank you.

Baked Brie with Cranberries, Cinnamon + Pecans

1 wheel or wedge of Brie cheese

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

a few shakes of cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt butter. Add nuts and a few shakes of cinnamon. Saute for 3-5 minutes until nuts are toasted.

In a baking sheet, lay out puff pastry and place brie on top. Place cinnamon/butter/nut mixture on top of the brie followed by the brown sugar then the cranberries. Wrap the brie with the puff pastry. Brush with egg to finish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until pastry is brown and nicely puffed. Serve with crostini and apple slices.

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Whipped Ricotta + Herbs

Today's recipe comes to you courtesy of The Glitter Guide. This cute little website offers all kinds of cheerful things and has become one of my favorites. If you don't already subscribe, it's a fun, easy read and always puts a smile on my face.

This recipe is SO EASY, and it seems silly to give it its own post, but it's also too good not to share. I have made this twice already- two weeks ago for a progressive dinner party and last week for our pre-Thanksgiving dinner happy hour. Both times it was a giant hit and when someone asked for the recipe, they couldn't believe how easy it was. I'm hosting an annual girls Christmas dinner in a few weeks and I do believe I'll be adding this to my heavy hors d'oeuvres menu. 

Make this a night ahead for extra flavor!

Whipped Ricotta + Herbs

recipe from The Glitter Guide

Ricotta cheese (full fat)

Fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used rosemary, sage and thyme)

Sea salt

Good olive oil

Whip ricotta in a food processor for 30 seconds. Chop up fresh herbs and fold in with the ricotta. Add a dash of salt to taste. Before serving, drizzle with good olive oil.

I served my ricotta with toasted baguette slices. (Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until nice and toasted) My other favorite way to enjoy it? With a spoon. 

Cranberry Crostini with Blue Cheese, Walnuts + Arugula

The Christmas season is officially upon us and I am looking forward to spending the week decking the halls and making merry! Our Thanksgiving was certainly a special one this year and we have so, so much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving day started with my favorite event of the year- The Turkey Trot! It's just not Thanksgiving without this favorite lovie tradition. We spent the day with my family at my parents house and little Will just loved his first Turkey Day celebrations. 

We started off our Thanksgiving feast with a little cocktail hour (per usual) and I made the appetizer and drink menu. It's not a Nido holiday without a signature sip! These cranberry margaritas from How Sweet It Is are TO. DIE. FOR. I am looking forward to many more of these over the next several weeks. 

To round out the margaritas, I made some whipped ricotta with herbs, and these lovely little bites we have here. I altered the original recipe just a tad and they were a hit! I love the melty blue cheese with the tiny sweet bite of cranberries. I'll be finding reason to see more of these crostinis this holiday season!

Cranberry Crostini with Blue Cheese, Walnuts + Arugula
recipe inspiration via epicurious 

1 french baguette, 1/4" slices

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

8 ounces blue cheese or gorgonzola, crumbled

1 shallot, minced

1/3 cup dried cranberries

baby arugula

olive oil

sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice baguette and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil on the top of each slice and bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine walnuts, blue cheese, shallot, cranberries and toss together. 

Spoon mixture on top of baguette slices. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until cheese melts, about 4-6 minutes.

Finish with a leaf of arugula on top.