Recipe: Super Simple Summer Salad

Food

One of the things I’ve missed most about living in a pandemic is going out to eat. I am a self-confessed food snob and there’s nothing I love more than a delicious meal served in a special restaurant. I also have so many friends in the restaurant industry and I hate to see them struggle.

At the same time, I do have a renewed relationship with my kitchen. Prior to the pandemic, cooking had really fallen off my to-do list. It had started to feel impossible. But with this new slow pace of life and nowhere else to go, cooking has become my renewed outlet. It’s funny, I’ve realized it’s like any habit. If you cook at home consistently it just becomes easier, quicker, and more fun. But cooking and food are also all about sharing. I’ve shared a lot of my cooking adventures during quarantine on Instagram – and you may have seen the recipe for the only cake I’m baking while we stay at home.

Today I have a deliciously easy summer salad recipe for you. You can throw it together in no time and it’s a perfect complement to virtually any other dish – grilled chicken or fish, burgers, pork chops, pasta. It’s light and fresh and delicious on hot summer nights (or foggy ones as is most typical in San Francisco this time of year). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Sugar Snap Pea and Fava Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella
adapted from Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone

Ingredients:
2C sugar snap peas, trimmed and blanched
1.5C fava beans shelled and blanched
Thinly sliced spring onion or shallot (I had a shallot on hand)
Fresh mint, roughly torn
Fresh basil, roughly torn
1 lemon, zest and juice
1.5T champagne or white wine vinegar
Olive Oil
1 Ball buffalo mozzarella
Flaky sea salt and pepper

Directions: Toss together the sugar snap peas, fava beans, mint, basil. Feel free to toss in any other greens you might like – arugula for spice, spinach for sweetness. Whisk together a quick dressing with thinly sliced shallot, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss to coat the salad with dressing, tear mozzarella into chunks and scatter through. Sprinkle with lemon zest, a touch more flaky sea salt and pepper before serving.

If you like the look of this salad here’s a link to the cookbook it came from. In fact, here are all the cookbooks I’ve been returning to during Shelter In Place.

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photography by seth smoot

3 End-of-Summer Recipes to Try Now

Recipes

I’m just thankful Maia is willing to share some of the fruits of her labor – literally – in the form of amazing end-of-summer recipes inspired by what’s coming out of her garden right now. Even if you have to get your produce from the farmer’s market (like I do), fMaia is going to help us make the most of this seasonal bounty. Continue to scroll for three mouth-watering recipes.

First up is a recipe for Savory Zucchini Muffins. It’s a twist on the usual sweet zucchini bread, that as anyone who grows zucchini knows, you get sick of pretty quick. The best part is that these can easily be frozen in a ziplock freezer bag and brought out months from now when you’ve recovered from your zucchini overdose. You could also easily sub out half the flour with whole wheat flour to make them a little heartier. These little babies are great for breakfasts on the go or packed into school lunches.

RECIPE: SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS
Makes 12 Muffins
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
½ cup greek yogurt
½ cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
½ + 2 tbsp cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini (drained of excess liquid)

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and oregano.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt and egg.
4. Stir the garlic into the melted butter.
5. Whisk the melted butter mixture into the other wet ingredients.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mix, and gently combine. Don’t over mix the batter.
7. Stir in the shredded cheese (leaving out 2 tbsp for topping) shredded zucchini and chopped basil.
8. Spoon even amounts of mixture into a greased muffin tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.

I’ve already established how much I love peaches. As the season comes to a close (boohoo!), my friend Maia is back with the perfect to make good use of the final crop. This recipe for homemade peach granola is going on my must-make list this week. It’s as yummy for dessert as it is for breakfast. You better get your cook on before all the peaches are gone!

RECIPE: DRIED PEACH GRANOLA PARFAIT

INGREDIENTS
3 cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
2 cups Mixed Nuts – combo Almonds, Pecans, & Walnuts
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Vanilla greek yogurt
Dried peaches – You can buy them or if you want to make your own, follow the directions below.

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients.
4. Combine & thoroughly mix so all grains and nuts are coated.
5. Spread out on a cookie sheet
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning with a spatula halfway through.
7. Let cool completely
8. Spoon the vanilla yogurt into a small bowl, top with granola and dried peaches. Drizzle with a little maple syrup for an extra treat.

Oven Dried Peaches
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (if your oven goes lower you can do 170 degrees)
Slice peaches
Soak the peaches in lemon juice for a few minutes to keep from turning brown
Place on cookie sheet
Bake with the oven door ajar for 6-8hrs

While I’m a little sad to see summer go, there’s something about so comforting about fall. After the summer’s calling to constantly wander, spending an afternoon cozied up on the couch feels refreshing. And we all know couch-hanging must be accompanied by appropriate snacks! Thankfully, tomatoes and jalapeños are overflowing at the farmer’s market. This salsa is perfect for said couch hangs or better yet, late summer get togethers. And it’s so simple to make, you can whip up a batch with all the fresh and delicious produce available right now. I plan to make some big batches and freeze the extra for a little taste of summer in the middle of winter. That is if I can keep myself from just eating it all up right away! PS, this would go SO well with our homemade chilaquiles recipe.

RECIPE: SIMPLE ROASTED SALSA

INGREDIENTS
5-6 medium tomatoes
1 large onion
1-2 Jalapenos
2-3 Cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
Juice of 1 lime
Small bunch of cilantro
Salt
agave (optional)

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes & jalapenos
3. Cut the tomatoes and onions in quarters
4. Place tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes. Until tomatoes are splitting and juicy and all veggies are a little dark and blistered on top.
5. Let cool
6. Add all veggies to a blender and blend together. Add lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste.
7. If you’re tomatoes weren’t very sweet you can add a smidgen of agave.

For the entire Tasty Tuesday archive CLICK HERE.

original photography for apartment 34 by maia m. smith

5 Smoothies to Jumpstart Your Day

Entertaining

Hello there, summertime. I’ve missed you and love you oh so much. Sunshine, beach time, warm night. But actually one of my favorite things about this time of year is the food! I count down the months until peaches, berries, watermelon and cherries pack the market shelves. So today, I’m celebrating the season delicious summer-inspired smoothies. You know the smoothies I’m talking about. The ones filled with fresh produce from the farmer’s market—so fresh you can taste it in every slurp of the straw. Is there any better way to enjoy summer? I think not. (And there’s also no better way to detox after an over indulgent fourth of July week! I’m talkin’ more about the cleanse I’m currently trying on Insta-stories right now btw).

To make sure you’re armed with the best smoothies fruit (and in some cases, veggies) can make, I rounded up five of the most delicious—not to mention beautiful—recipes the great interwebs have to offer.

I have a major crush on blood orange everything. Every time I see the item included in the recipe, I’m instantly attracted, and this Blood Orange, Berry and Spinach smoothie is no exception. Filled to the brim with citrusy goodness and superfoods like chia and hemp seeds, your day will be off to an amazing start with this in your to-go mug.

Ah, the classic green smoothie. In this case, the Green Goddess smoothie. It’s loaded with all the goods—spinach, apple, banana, chia seeds, almond milk and for an extra creamy twist, avocado. Your belly will be nourished and full for hours.

This Wild Blueberry Zucchini smoothie is, first of all, a very pretty color. Second, it’s extremely intriguing because I’ve never thought of zucchini as a smoothie veggie. But if this thing tastes even half as good as it looks, I’m sold.

I feel like a good strawberry smoothie is a cult classic as far as blended fruit goes, but this one is actually a Strawberry & Mango Coconut Water smoothie. I love a good coconut essence, so this is one I’m definitely going to add to my weekly rotation. Plus, there’s also a handful of spinach mixed and I always appreciate a little hidden green.

I never thought I’d be one to add whole nuts to a smoothie, but this Mango, Banana & Cashew smoothie recipe has me rethinking everything. Turns out when you soak or boil and then blend cashews, they’re marvelously creamy. Not to mention a healthy dose of good-for-you fats.

If you weren’t a smoothie drinker before, I bet you are now, yes? These all look so mouth-watering. Prefer to chew rather than sip your breakfast? Then you might enjoy our equally healthy and rather gorgeous smoothie bowl recipe. Smoothie lovers, this one is dang good too.

If you’re looking for something a little stronger than a smoothie, find all the margarita recipes you’ll ever need right here. Cheers!

recipe 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Your 4th of July Menu Handled

Entertaining

With the 4th falling smack dab in the middle of the week this year, it’s not really the rollicking vacation we’re accustomed to. But if there’s one thing we will have enough time to do – it’s eat! I might be stuck in 60 degree weather and the fireworks may be shrouded in fog, but oh I will eat well. I’ve pulled together my favorite BBQ-friendly recipes to ensure your 4th of July menu is on lock. No judgements when I grill with with my Patagonia jacket on.

Yes, burgers are a 4th of July mainstay but these babies offer a little more kick. They feature a spiced patty that’s cooled by a yummy tahini yogurt sauce. To whip these up you just need a few extra ingredients including baharat spice blend (that you can either buy or make yourself) and yogurt to make the topping. Click here for all the details.

Since the 4th is dominated by all things unhealthy, a good salad helps balance things out. This one is filled with tasty pumpkin and sunflower seeds as well as avocado so it’s filling too. Perfect option for any vegetarians in your BBQ crew. The recipe is here.

For drinks, why not shake things up with a white sparkling sangria. We named this one the Star Spangled Sangria so it seems very on theme. I highly recommend a dry white an dry sparkling wine to keep this baby from getting too sweet. Save that for dessert!

For dessert I say more is more. Ice cream is kind of requirement. You can have some fun and make your own homemade ice cream sandwiches – or you can go really big and make your own strawberry ice cream. This is a fun project to do with the kids in the morning – you’ll teach them patience as they’ll have to wait until the evening to enjoy the fruits of their labor!

And then, for those in hot climates (you lucky ducks you) or for anyone who prefers lighter fare, these berry coconut milk popsicles are light, refreshing and seriously delicious. They’re also seriously guilt free. Sweetened with honey, they’re the perfect dessert for anyone who doesn’t want a ton of sugar. These are also another fun one to make ahead of time with the kiddos. The recipe is here!

Regardless of where you are, what you do and what you eat, I hope you have a fun (and safe!) Fourth!

3 Spring Pasta Recipes to Try This Week

Recipes

It’s been a little while since we talked food around these parts, but I suspect you all still like to eat, yes? Me too. And preferably not leftovers off of my toddler’s plate. I firmly believe there is nothing better than enjoying a meal made with fresh, in-season ingredients. Farmers’ markets are now brimming over with some awesome spring produce so this is the time to take full advantage. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up I know we’re supposed to be focused on all things grilled, but really, how exciting does a charred piece of meat ever get? I’d turn to a lovely meal of fresh pasta any day of the week. So I’ve gathered three spring pasta recipes that you can either whip up for a weeknight dinner or even serve over Memorial Day – very European style (yes, I realize Memorial Day is a very American holiday, but I’d always rather be in Italy so pasta it is!).

Bucatini with Zucchini, Olives & Macadamia Nuts: While it might sound a little odd to put macadamia nuts in with pasta, their rich fatty texure and smooth flavor can mimic pine nuts and works wonderfully. I love the addition of big salty olives to this dish. If you can find early season tomatoes, go for it, otherwise just skip ’em.

Ingredients for basil pesto:
1 large bunch of basil
1-2 cloves of garlic
40g pine nuts
30g Parmesan, finely grated
freshly ground black pepper
a small pinch of freshly grounded sea salt
50-60ml of good quality extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Place basil, garlic, pine nuts in the food processor bowl first. Whizz until fine and then add the rest of the ingredients: grated Parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil and mix them all together with a spoon.

Ingredients for the pasta:
350g fresh pasta – I love a local whole wheat bucatini made by Bay Area-based The Pasta Company
4 zucchini
200g green olives
200g yellow tomatoes
100g macadamia nuts
a handful or two of pine nuts
good quality olive oil
a handful of grated parmesan
fresh basil leaves

Directions
Boil the pasta in lightly salted water with a spoonful of olive oil. Drain, pour some cold water through it and place back in the pan. Add the pesto and mix it in well so it covers the whole pasta. Pour some oil in a pan, heat it up and add sliced zucchini, cook until just softened. Add them to the pasta and heat it up slightly. Take it off the heat again and add the rest of the ingredient: olives, halved tomatoes, macadamia and pine nuts. Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.

One-Pot Spring Pasta with Smoked Salmon: This dish evokes the flavors of blinis with smoked salmon and sour cream, but this time over pasta instead of a tiny canapé! Peas and asparagus lighten and brighten things up. I’m into it.

Ingredients
12 oz. linguine or other long pasta
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb.), trimmed, cut into 1″–1½” pieces
1 lb fresh peas shelled (or 1 (10-oz.) bag frozen peas)
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream, divided
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more
6 oz. smoked salmon, sliced into ½” strips
1 cup basil leaves

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, 7 minutes (or 2 minutes less than package instructions). Add asparagus and continue to cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add peas and continue to cook until cooked through, about 1 minute more. Drain pasta, asparagus, and peas together, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Transfer pasta and vegetables to a large bowl. Add butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 tsp. pepper, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt. Toss, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid bit by bit as needed, until a smooth sauce coats pasta (you might not need all the liquid).

Divide pasta among bowls. Top with salmon, basil, and remaining 1/4 cup sour cream. Season with lots of pepper.

Penne Pasta with Ramp* Pesto, Peas & Walnuts: This recipe is full of bright fresh flavors including wild ramps, lemon and chile flakes (if you like heat). It’s most likely what will be on my plate tonight!

Ingredients

Fresh penne pasta
1/2 C sugar snap peas
1 package pea shoots
lemon
Ramp pesto
grated parmesan
walnuts
salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil
chile flakes

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 5 minutes or according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, trim the sugar snap peas, removing the strings and cut the sugar snap peas in half. Coarsely chop the pea shoots. Cut the lemon into wedges for serving.

In deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sugar snap peas and sauté until nearly tender-crisp, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the pasta is ready, add it to the pan with the sugar snap peas, along with the pesto, half of the cheese, and the reserved pasta water. Toss over low heat until the cheese has melted, 1 minute. Fold in the pea shoots last. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heap the pasta on plates and sprinkle with some of the remaining cheese, the walnuts, and chile flakes, if you like. Serve warm, with the lemon wedges for squeezing.

* Wild ramps are in season this time of year. They are kinda like a cross between a spring onion and fresh garlic. Simply substitute ramps for basil in the typical pesto recipe (and skip adding additional garlic) and you’ll get a really bright flavorful sauce.

Do you have a favorite spring pasta recipe?

For more spring meal inspiration, CLICK HERE. If classic Memorial Day recipes are more your thing, CLICK HERE. And if you need cocktail ideas, CLICK HERE. This one is my very fave.

photography & recipes via bea’s cookbook, epicurious and good eggs

Six Picture Perfect Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo

Entertaining

Well hello there, May 1. And just like that, another month is upon us. Thankfully, May welcomes us with one of the very best days of the year – Cinco de Mayo – and it is just 5 days away! If you haven’t previously noticed, I thoroughly enjoy all things pertaining to tequila. I don’t think I’ve ever met a margarita that I don’t like. Ok correction – any that come out of machine are really bad. But that’s because it is SO easy to make a really good margarita at home.

To ensure you’re fully prepped for this Saturday, I’ve rounded up my favorite margaritas from over the years and a couple recipes from friends.

Most likely our most popular margarita recipe to date, the Grapefruit Margarita is as delicious as it is pretty.

If you want a margarita with a little sweet and a little spice, you’ll like the Tiki Rita. It’s got a few more ingredients than the tried and true, but it’s worth the fuss.

If you’re one of those people who only drink margaritas blended, I will forgive, but you must at least make your own. This Slushy Coconut Mint Margarita should immediately transport you to preferred tropical location.

The Coralina Margarita combines a margarita with my other favorite thing – red wine! This margarita recipe was created by Riesler Morale, a mixologist from Mexico City and offers a touch of sweetness with simple syrup and a sugared rim.

I wouldn’t think to add veggies into margaritas, but this Garden Margarita by my friend Ashley at Craft & Cocktails adds fruity and herbaceous notes with Earl Gray tea and apricot liqueur. This would be a good option for someone who thinks they don’t like tequila.

This cocktail is technically a Paloma – which mixes a larger proportion of grapefruit juice with tequila – but I’m throwing it in here just to mix things up. And this one, by Sugar & Cloth, adds a kick with jalapeno simple syrup!

As a little bonus recipe, I also wanted to share an option for the tequila averse among us. I got your back pregnant mamas (or perhaps you want a Cinco de Mayo option for the kiddos). This Pineapple Mint Agua Fresca recipe is sure to be a winner.

What are your Cinco de Mayo plans? Since it’s on a Saturday this year, we can really celebrate from sunup to sundown. Though I wouldn’t recommend starting your margaritas quite that early. But I’m all for breakfast burritos!

If you need some tacos to go with your margs, CLICK HERE for the perfect recipe.

Tasty Tuesday: Simple Roasted Salsa Recipe

Entertaining

With the last days of summer upon us I’m savoring all my favorite summer flavors. This salsa is the epitome of late summer get togethers. And it’s so simple to make, I can whip up a batch, straight from the garden (or farmer’s market) right now. This year, my plan is to make some big batches and freeze the extra for a little taste of summer in the middle of winter. That is if I can keep myself from just eating it all up right away!

RECIPE: SIMPLE ROASTED SALSA
Ingredients

5-6 medium tomatoes
1 large onion
1-2 Jalapenos
2-3 Cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
Juice of 1 lime
Small bunch of cilantro
Salt
agave (optional)

Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes & jalapenos
3. Cut the tomatoes and onions in quarters
4. Place tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes. Until tomatoes are splitting and juicy and all veggies are a little dark and blistered on top.
5. Let cool
6. Add all veggies to a blender and blend together. Add lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste.
7. If you’re tomatoes weren’t very sweet you can add a smidgen of agave.

Be sure to check out the rest of Maia’s farmer’s market fresh recipes RIGHT HERE and the archive of my favorite fall recipes HERE.

Happy snacking!

original photography & recipe by maia mcdonald smith

Recipe: Homemade Peach Granola Parfait

Entertaining

I’ve already established how much I love peaches. As the season comes to a close (boohoo!), my friend Maia is back with the perfect to make good use of the final crop. This recipe for homemade peach granola is going on my must-make list this week. You better get your cook on before it’s too late!

I eat granola for breakfast almost every morning. I make large batches of my favorite granola recipe that I learned from my mom and then I change it up slightly by adding different toppings like fresh fruit or flavored yogurt. This particular iteration, in my opinion, would be just as enjoyable as a dessert as it is for breakfast.

RECIPE: DRIED PEACH GRANOLA PARFAIT

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300

Mix dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients.

Combine & thoroughly mix so all grains and nuts are coated.

Spread out on a cookie sheet

Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning with a spatula halfway through.

Let cool completely

Spoon the vanilla yogurt into a small bowl, top with granola and dried peaches. Drizzle with a little maple syrup for an extra treat.

Enjoy!

Oven dried peaches
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (if your oven goes lower you can do 170 degrees)

Slice peaches

Soak the peaches in lemon juice for a few minutes to keep from turning brown

Place on cookie sheet

Bake with the oven door ajar for 6-8hrs

Be sure to check out Maia’s Savory Zucchini Muffins! And our entire archive of recipes HERE.

original recipe & photography by maia mcdonald smith

Savor the End of Summer with these Awesome Zucchini Muffins

Recipes

Today we have extra tasty treat for you. My dear friend Maia is stopping by to take Tasty Tuesday to the next level. Maia is a bit of a renaissance woman. That’s a fancy way of saying she’s really good a lot of stuff. She’s a graphic designer, photographer, art director (of Rue Magazine no less), mother, founder of the fab online children’s shop Bitte, and also a great cook. Now that she bought her first house with an enviable yard, Maia has also become something of a amateur gardener this year. Color me impressed. I’m just thankful Maia is willing to share some of the fruits of her labor – literally – in the form of amazing recipes inspired by what’s coming out of her garden right now. Even if you have to get your produce from the farmer’s market (like I do), for the next few weeks Maia is going to help us make the most of this end of summer bounty. First up: the prettiest Zucchini Muffins that you ever did see.

If you have a garden, this time of year can be a little overwhelming. Trying to harvest and use everything up before it gets stolen by critters or rots can sometimes feel like a full time job. But I always hate to waste any of the goodies too. So I thought I would share a few recipes that will help you make the most of your late summer harvest. Or if you’re not the gardening type, you can still do a lot of fun things with a big haul from the weekend farmer’s market.

First up is a recipe for Savory Zucchini Muffins. It’s a twist on the usual sweet zucchini bread, that as anyone who grows zucchini knows, you get sick of pretty quick. The best part is that these can easily be frozen in a ziplock freezer bag and brought out months from now when you’ve recovered from your zucchini overdose. You could also easily sub out half the flour with whole wheat flour to make them a little healthier for easy breakfasts on the go, or packed into school lunches.

RECIPE: SAVORY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Ingredients
Makes 12 Muffins
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• ½ + 2 tbsp cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (drained of excess liquid)

I cannot thank Maia enough for sharing this beautiful recipe with us. Be sure to check back weekly through September for all her delicious ideas.

For the rest of our Tasty Tuesday archive CLICK HERE.

original photography for apartment 34 by maia m. smith

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