Arugula Pesto

I'm having a moment with Pesto. It's always been my favorite of all the condiments and lately I CANNOT STOP. We always, always, always had homemade pesto on hand growing up and I used to find the small spoons out of the silverware drawer and sneak tastes.

Pesto for breakfast, pesto for lunch and pesto for dinner please. 

For breakfast on eggs and avocado, for lunch on a lettuce wrap and for dinner on naked burgers with a giant slice of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella. The main components are something green, something nutty (NUTS), a little garlic and a lot of olive oil. Many recipes call for grated parmesan but I've been leaving that out and not missing it one bit- making it Paleo and Whole30 friendly, too! This also makes it better for freezing if you make a bigger batch and don't sneak it by the spoonful straight from the fridge. 

Arugula gives this pesto a spicy and nutty punch alongside the usual suspects of basil and olive oil. I opted for walnuts and added fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up. Pesto forever!

Arugula Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cups baby arugula

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

olive oil

juice of 1/2 large lemon

salt + pepper to taste. 

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add the arugula and basil. While the processor is going, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle, until you reach the desired consistency. Finish with fresh lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Olive Oil + Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies

You guys. 

THESE COOKIES. 

Every now and then, I find myself needing a cookie. The craving comes on fiercely and nothing else seems to do. I have always loved cookies, but it wasn't until I discovered the New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies that I truly appreciated the art of cookie baking. Since my obsession with cookies blossomed, these Snickerdoodles stole my heart, and most recently, these chocolatey little loves right here. 

A dear friend of mine took a healthy helping of gelato and sandwiched it between two of these cookies. She's a genius.

Olive oil gives a richness that isn't always present in cookie batter and surprisingly, the taste isn't overpowering once the cookie is baked. And sea salt on top ...my favorite component of a perfect cookie. A little chewy on the outside but soft and chocolatey on the inside. Basically, 50% cookie, 50% brownie and 100% impossible to just stop at one. 

I'm now wishing I had a batch of these already made so that I could sit down, Santa-style, and enjoy a few with an ice cold glass of milk. I don't even like milk. 

Olive Oil + Sea Salt Brownie Cookies
recipe from Butterlust

1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. hot water
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1.5 cups 60% cocoa dark chocolate chips (Ghiradelli is my favorite)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the olive and sugar and mix on medium until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to mix well between each one. Add the cocoa powder, flour and salt and mix until a dough forms. 

In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda into the hot water. Add the dissolved baking soda and water mixture as well as the vanilla to the batter, and beat until just combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes or overnight. 

Using a tablespoon, scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough onto your cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set. 11 minutes was the perfect amount of time in my oven. 

Saturday Summer Cooking Demos at Pour Olive

For all of you reading in Charlotte, my favorite Dilworth spot, Pour Olive, is hosting Saturday cooking demos all Summer long. This Saturday (June 28), from 2-4pm, find out how to include Pour Olive's premium oils and vinegars into your fourth of July eats. 

Come hungry and thirsty. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and adult beverages will be served. 

Avocado + Olive Oil Hair Mask

My love affair with all things avocado is no secret. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then every snack in between. Currently, my favorite breakfast consists of two poached eggs and half of an avocado with some sea salt and lime juice. I throw sliced avocado in my lunchtime salads and when grilled chicken needs a little kick in the pants, I mix up some avocado with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt, lime juice and sea salt and we have avocado mousse. Heaven and Christmas and my very first NSYNC concert and all similarly wonderful feelings right on my plate. The little guys are filled with tons of good vitamins, nutrients and the "good fats". Call me crazy but ever since I have added avocado to my daily diet, my hair is shinier and my skin is clearer. I swear to you, I am not making this up.

Well my haircare loving friends, avocado scores again! This time, starring in an at home hair treatment. 

I have AP to thank for this incredible concoction of creamy, dreamy avocado smashed with the nectar of culinary life (olive oil) that leaves your hair extra shiny, healthy and oh so princess like. I have been singing songe of praise to the angel choirs of the hair gods regarding this hair mask since I talked about it HERE, but I never posted an official tutorial. And since my hair is due for some of this delicious TLC, I thought this would be the perfect way to round out the week.

Adjust this recipe accordingly, depending on how long your locks are. 

My hair is long and I used slightly over half of a large, ripe Haas avocado (the big ones).  

1. Mash the avocado, then whisk in approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil. I recommend doing this over the kitchen sink so that you don't clog your bathroom sink. 

2. Run the hair mask through your hair, coating your whole head. 

3. Wrap it up in a shower cap and hang out with your guacamole head for 30 minutes or so. 

When you're ready, hit the showers! Rinse out the mask in its entirety, and shampoo and condition then style as you normally would. This hair mask is recommended once a month.