3 Special Sauces Every At-Home-Cook Should Master

Entertaining

To continue with my resolution to make more meals at home this month, I’m turning my attention to sauces — that versatile, last second add-on that packs a serious punch of flavor to any dish. You can quite literally use special sauces on anything from chicken to fish to leftovers! Use them as a dipping sauce with bread or slather them on a sandwich, mix them with roasted veggies or top grilled fish or meat.

Here are three special green sauce recipes from around the world and created by my friends at Good Eggs that’ll bring any dish from bland to party-in-your-mouth-amazing.

Green Olive Salsa Verde

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Salt Packed Capers
About 4 tbsp. of Red Wine Vinegar
A tablespoon of Shallots, diced
A handful of Arugula roughly chopped
A handful of Parsley, roughly chopped
A handful of toasted Almonds, roughly chopped
A handful of Castelvetrano Olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Rinse the capers of their extra salt in a strainer and place in a big mixing bowl, along with the chopped greens, chopped olives, almonds, vinegar and shallots and a few glugs of olive oil.

Major pro tip for de-pitting olives: to easily remove the pits from the olives, put the olive on a cutting board and place the flat edge of a chef’s knife on top of the olive. Using the heel of your hand, rap the knife a few times until the olive has softened up and the pit slips out easily.
Salt and pepper to taste and adjust the acid levels as you wish.

Green Goddess Aioli

Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 cup of olive oil
1 anchovy fillet
1 clove of garlic
A bunch of chives
A bunch of tarragon, leaves removes from stems
A handful of parsley, leaves removed from stems
The juice of one lemon
Salt & pepper

Place egg yolk in the bottom of a mixing bowl and add a few drops of olive oil. Whisk vigorously until the olive oil is fully incorporated. Keep adding a tiny bit of olive oil and whisking it into the yolk until you have a pale yellow, fluffy aioli. Your arms will be tired, but it’s well worth it!
In a blender, add the herbs, garlic, lemon, anchovy and a few glugs of olive oil. Whir together until it’s a smooth puree.

Gently fold the herby puree into the aioli with a spatula. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste.
Serve as a dip for veggies, alongside simple steamed shellfish, spread on toast or add a dollop to a green salad.

Chermoula

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of cumin seedds
A big handful of parsley leaves & stems, coarsely chopped
A big handful of cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
About half a cup of olive oil
A small chunk of peeled fresh ginger (about the size of a peanut)
A few squeezes of lemon

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until it has the consistency of a chunky puree. Adjust acid, salt and pepper to taste.

Chermoula is delicious stirred into a fresh batch of labneh, a topping for broiled fish or a marinade for chicken.

No matter how you use them, this trifecta of green sauces will never do the at-home-cook wrong. January’s traditionally ~~bland~~ healthy dishes just got a flavorful upgrade in our house.

original photography, recipe and styling by good eggs for apartment 34

A Picture-Perfect Thanksgiving Salad

Recipes

With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s time for the recipe mad dash. Have you finalized your menu yet? Sure, this weekend is the official start to the over-indulge season, but why not try to save a calorie or two? Thankfully, Good Eggs agrees with our squash obsession (they’re filling, delicately sweet and gourd-geous!) and has come up with a picture-perfect Butternut Squash, Kale and Farro salad recipe – just in time for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients (2-3 servings):

1 Butternut or Kabocha Squash
1 cup of Farro
1 bunch of Curly Kale
1 clove of Garlic, crushed to a paste with salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 fillet of Anchovy, finely chopped
A few squeezes of Lemon
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°. In a pot, add the farro, about 3 cups of water and a small-ish handful of salt (small-ish handfuls = three hearty pinches in our world of non-exact measurements). Put pot over high heat on the stove and let the farro cook at a rolling boil until some of the grains are bursting open, but it’s still al dente (about 20 minutes). Strain immediately.

While the farro cooks, cut the squash in half, carefully scoop out the seeds (reserve if you wish to roast them) and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut the squash into large chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cinnamon, a glug of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Roast for about 25-30 minutes.

De-stem, wash, dry and roughly chop the kale. Place kale in a large mixing bowl and dress with the anchovy, olive oil, a few squeezes of lemon and a splash of red wine vinegar (just vinegar works if you want to skip the lemon). Massage the kale gently for a minute or two to make sure all of the leaves have some dressing on them and then set aside.

When the squash and farro are done, add them to the bowl with the kale and toss all of them together. Add a glug of olive oil, more lemon/vinegar if you’d like, salt and pepper to taste and you’re done!

We’re SO putting this on the Thanksgiving table! Need a cocktail for your Thanksgiving? CLICK HERE.

photo and recipe c/o Good Eggs

Tasty Tuesday: {A Cozy Roasted Veggie Risotto}

Recipes

Our resident food contributor Zoe is here again to share a mind-blowingly beautiful cauliflower risotto. It’s doused in creamy Kerrygold butter and cheese and topped with roasted sage and hazelnuts. We’re running to the store to make this recipe immediately!!

The crisp air of autumn takes a while to arrive in San Francisco and I found myself daydreaming of falling leaves and the smell of veggies roasting in the oven. I particularly love them with olive oil, burnt sage and roasted nuts. Luckily, I took a trip to Seattle where the colors around the city pointed to the transition from summer to winter with perfection and I have been cooking cozy dishes everyday since then!

This creamy roasted cauliflower risotto with sage and hazelnuts is my favorite! I made it twice in the last few days and served it for a casual dinner party with my closest friends last weekend. It’s a cold-weather winner. Now that fall storms have arrived in San Francisco I think I just might have to whip it up yet again!

Roasted Cauliflower, Sage and Hazelnut Risotto with Kerrygold Cheese

Ingredients (serves 4 larges portions or 6 small)

1 cauliflower head, trimmed and chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
1 bunch sage, leaves picked
1.5 litres hot vegetable broth
60g Kerrygold Pure Irish butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cup aborio rice
1 cup grated Skellig Kerrygold sweet cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the cauliflower, oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes, add the hazelnuts and half the sage and roast for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
2. Place the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5min.
3. Chop the remaining sage and add to the pan with the rice. Gradually add the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously for 20 to 25 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and rice is al dente.
4. Stir through cheddar, cauliflower mixture, salt and pepper and serve.

This dish has us daydreaming not only of falling leaves and roasted veggies like Zoe, but also of our trip to Ireland with Kerrygold earlier this year! The cheese in the risotto, the idea of a heart-warming, home-cooked meal brings us right back to those Irish farms where we shared some of the most delicious dishes with friends. You can check out more details of our trip to the Irish countryside here.

original food styling + recipe for apartment 34 by zoe armbruster

Your Must-Make One Pot Dinner

Recipes

Entertaining season is here and it’s true, our dreams lie somewhere between whipping up a Martha-approved spread – one for the books! – and reality: barely making it through the workday with enough energy to eat, let alone cook. But thankfully, the good folks at Good Eggs have a simple and stunning one-pot roasted chicken that is sure to knock guests’ (and your own!) socks off. With brown rice and grape pilaf – all cooked in the same pot! – it’s as impressive sounding as it is tasty. Consider this your fall entertaining savior when you want to be like Martha, but just ain’t got time for that!

Roasted Rosemary Chicken with Brown Rice and Grape Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 lb. of Chicken Legs
3/4 lb. of Chicken Wings
1 bunch of Autumn Royal Grapes
A few sprigs of Rosemary
1 1/2 cups of Short Grain Brown Rice
A big handful of Walnuts
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a big cast iron skillet inside. Salt and pepper the chicken. When the oven is hot, remove the skillet and add a glug of olive oil to it. Then add the grapes and chicken – taking care to not crowd the pan too much with ingredients. Give the pan a little shake to distribute the olive oil on the grapes, tuck a few sprigs of rosemary between the grapes and chicken and place skillet inside the oven.

While the chicken cooks, make a batch of brown rice. In a deep pot, bring a cup of rice and three cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let it sit. When all of the water has been absorbed (about 20-25 minutes), taste the rice: if it’s super raw in the middle, add a splash of water and continue to simmer. If it’s al dente but largely cooked, turn off the heat and let it steam with the cover on for a few minutes.
After about 35 minutes, the chicken should be done – check to see if the juices run clear and the flesh is white but still juicy. Remove chicken and grapes from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon, taking pains to leave the drippings in the skillet.

Dress the rice with a few tablespoons of the chicken drippings, along with a handful ocoarsely chopped walnuts and the grapes. After the chicken has rested for a few minutes, plate together and serve!

Gorgeous, right? Not to mention, it looks soul-warming with everything cozied up in one pot. Make it for an impressive autumn-inspired dinner for two or save it in your fall-winter entertaining arsenal. This dish could easily be a beautiful alternative to the tried and true turkey. Yeah, we just said turkey in October…let the feasting games begin.

original photography and styling by good eggs for apartment 34

Tasty Tuesday: {Gluten Free Fig Tart}

Recipes

A few weeks ago we introduced our newest contributor to the team, Zoe. She’s an amazing food stylist and recipe creator who is passionate about cooking food that features quality ingredients and is as healthy as it is delicious. We’ll add beautiful to the list too! With just days of fig season left, we’re right there with her on baking this Gluten Free Fig and Crème Fraîche tart! You’ve got to cherish everyone one of those sweet little jewels while you can. Thankfully, today, Zoe is teaching us how…

I’m in love with figs and have recently been obsessing over the hundreds of different kinds of tart combinations – from sweet to savory. So one afternoon I decided to make these delicious gluten-free mini tarts with fresh figs and crème fraîche. They were enjoyed over a magical moment catching up with a girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen in years. The tarts are so light and fresh that we managed to save two for after dinner and enjoyed a second round, post-meal. Shhh, don’t tell!

This recipe features a gluten-free crust alternative that has a lovely nutty finish which pairs deliciously with the figs. This is also a particularly healthy dessert – perfect for enjoying these last days of indian summer and officially welcome fall. You may want to try it with bee pollen sprinkled on top, a superfood that is delicious with tarts, yogurt or granola!

Gluten Free Crème Fraîche Fig Tart

Ingredients:

Shortcut Pastry:
3/4 ground almonds
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup apple sauce
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of sea salt

Filling:
3/4 cup crème fraîche
3/4 cup cream cheese
2 Tbsp sugar
Grated zest of 1large lemon (or two small ones)
Juice of 1 lemon
15 to 20 fresh figs, rinsed and quartered

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients with the butter, apple sauce and honey and knead the dough until it becomes a smooth pastry. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

2. Roll out the pastry (the easiest way is to roll it out directly on baking paper) and place it carefully in a greased tart pan and prick it with a fork (I used several small pans). Bake in the oven for 20min at 375°F.

3. In a bowl, stir together the crème fraîche, cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.

4. Fill the cooled tart shell with the cream filling and arrange the figs in circles. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle bee pollen on top right before serving (optional).

For more of our favorite recipes, including gluten free options, CLICK HERE!

original photography and recipe by food contributor, Zoe Armbruster

Summer’s Signature Drink – the Aperol Spritz

Entertaining

Well friends, it’s official. The first day of Fall is here! But it has me feeling a little torn. Now I luv summer as much as the next girl. Long days, warm temps, dreamy afternoons spent on a beach {or at least dreaming of one}. But I also love when the seasons change. It always feels like a breath of fresh air. A new beginning if you will. And just because summer is saying see ya, doesn’t mean entertaining season is ending. Oh contraire! We’ve actually been enjoying a seriously gorgeous Indian Summer in San Francisco right now. So I say set aside a little time to gather friends and enjoy that waning evening light while we still can! In fact, we did exactly that last weekend and the results were equal parts yummy and lovely – if I do say so myself!

Our mission was simple. Gather some of our favorite ladies for an impromptu happy hour. The ingredients for a successful happy hour aren’t complicated either. Copious amounts of easy to snack on food, a killer outdoor patio and a fabulous drink of course. But remember, just because something’s impromptu doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty! Today we’re revealing our tricks to creating a stunning little feté in no time flat {seriously!}.

Step 1: Set the scene. An outdoor patio decked with a farm table and bench seating is easy and relaxed. We were lucky enough that our table happened to be marble-topped but any wood table would be just as pretty. A string or two of cafe lights are extra nice touch. You can leave them up pretty much all year ’round. A few simple flower arrangements plucked straight from the garden are also a thoughtful detail.

Step 2: Don’t skimp on your place settings. When you want to up the ante for your gathering, paper and plastic just won’t do. But again, you don’t need to slave away. We relied on the services of Mrs. Peasy Party Box Rentals who provides gorgeous plates, flatware and glasses for rent! She’s got pre-designed boxes featuring gorgeous items like Heath Ceramics dishware and vintage cutlery. Or you can do what we did and simply mix and match your own set up. The best part? You can drop it all off dirty so your end of party clean up is pretty much done before you even start. It’s genius.

Step 3: Create a humble feast. For our happy hour we decided to create the charcuterie board of champions. But again the task required little else than a power shopping trip at Trader Joe’s and an epic 3-foot long wood board. Cured meats, crackers, cheese, olives, pickles, fresh berries & figs, dried fruit, nuts and our little trade secret – fresh flowers created a truly stunning display. Piling everything high makes your board so pretty you almost don’t want to dig in and mess it all up. Almost.

Step 4: Serve a signature drink! The true star of our party was our cocktail – the Aperol Spritz! Now this drink is near and dear to my heart. A traditional Italian apertif, Chris and I enjoyed a Spritz (or 5 or 6!) in Venice – the drink’s actual birthplace – during our honeymoon and I’ve loved them ever since. They’re totally refreshing – a true before dinner sipper. And the best part? They’re super easy to make. No professional mixologist skills needed here. You’re not concocting homemade syrups or adding tinkshers with eye droppers. The recipe is so simple every party guest can whip up one for themselves – yet another way to take some pressure off of you! Don’t worry – we’ve got the recipe for you at the bottom of this post!

But first we have to give you the final step in our happy hour master plan.

Step 5: Sit back, relax and have a grand old time!! There’s nothing better than some quality catch up time with girl friends. Even with today’s overly packed schedules, offering a chance to enjoy a refreshing drink, a bite to eat and some great conversation is pretty irresistible. We’re quite confident your girls will show up for a gathering like this #squadgoals.

Recipe: The Aperol Spritz

3 parts prosecco
2 parts aperol
1 splash of seltzer

Add a few ice cubes to a wine glass. We actually used oversized square cubes in our drinks. Pour in your prosecco. Then add your Aperol. Top with a generous splash of seltzer. Give your drink a swirl, garnish with orange slices & an orange peel twist if you like. Betcha can’t enjoy just one!!

FOR MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES, CLICK HERE

FOR MORE ENTERTAINING IDEAS, CLICK HERE

original photography for apartment 34 by ashley batz // florals by natalie bowen designs // dishware by mrs. peasy // styling by apartment34

This post is in partnership with Aperol. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% our own. Thanks for supporting partnerships that help keep Apartment 34’s doors open!

A Farmer’s Market Recipe for The Books

Recipes

What is it about farmer’s markets that just puts on a smile on your face? We’re lucky enough to live in an area teeming with them! And every neighborhood seems to put it it’s own twist on the tried and true farmer’s market formula. Last week we headed to Old Oakland’s farmer’s market in the heart of Downtown Oakland for a change of pace and to get inspired by the gorgeous produce currently in season. There’s something about strolling in the sunshine through aisles of beautiful fruits and veggies that completely takes away the chore (and bore!) of coming up with what to cook for dinner. You actually feel like you’re doing something fun – because you totally are! Trips to market {with a super cute market bag, of course!} are one of our favorite things to do ever. And with our new food contributor, Zoe, by our side, we were all set to dream up a simple and delicious recipe highlighting locally grown food!

Currently, plump tomatoes abound – perfect for Caprese salads or fresh salsa – juicy plums are making their way to the market and look SO Instagram worthy and eggplants, of all varieties including many we didn’t know existed, are just begging to be cooked up into something yummy. Naturally, we couldn’t leave without throwing a little bit of everything in our bag because the truth is, you can never have enough fresh ingredients to cook with. One of the best things about the neighborhood markets is their accessibility. With only $20 bucks on hand, you literally can get a sampling of everything. You can even throw in a bouquet of fresh flowers to boot!

Zoe, our new recipe whisperer, was super inspired by the speckled, funny shaped Chinese eggplants so we picked a handful of them up for dinner. Zoe has a simple, healthy approach to food that we love. She came up with a recipe for those Chinese eggplants that’ll change how you cook them forever! It’s loaded with flavor yet still highlights the main ingredient – those gorgeous purple veggies. Make it as a side for any upcoming meal and enjoy!

Miso-Ginger Caramelized Eggplants

Ingredients:
A dozen Chinese eggplants of all sizes
3 Tbsp sesame seeds for topping

For the miso dressing:
2 Tbsp miso paste
2 Tbsp mirin (sake would also work, you just need to add 1 tsp of sugar with it)
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients for the miso dressing together.

Wash, dry and slice the eggplants lengthwise. Score their flesh with a knife and spread the dressing on top with a brush.

Place the eggplants on an ovenproof dish in the oven for about 25min or until golden brown, broil during the last 3min to get them slightly caramelized.

Spread the sesame seeds over the eggplants and serve.

While it seems like we can stumble upon an amazing farmer’s market around nearly every corner in the Bay Area, many many areas of the country are not so fortunate. And it turns out there are areas that go without right in our own backyard. We recently learned through Naked Juice’s Drink Good Do Good program that 58,000 people in SF alone live in what are known as Food Deserts {a city neighborhood without access to fresh produce}. No access to fresh produce means our neighbors aren’t able to lead the healthiest lives they can live. By raising awareness of this lack of access to fresh fruits and veggies, Naked Juice is donating pounds of produce to these underserved communities. Cool, right? They’ve also made it really easy for us all to play a part. Just by posting an Instagram holding a fruit or vegeatable with the #DrinkGoodDoGood, Naked Juice will donate 10 lbs. of produce to Wholesome Wave on your behalf with the goal of donating 500,000 lbs of fresh food. That’s a selfie we can actually endorse.

So this weekend we encourage you to ditch brunch or the dinner out. Instead, go support your local farmer’s market Saturday morning and enjoy the plethora of summer produce before it’s gone. The prices of produce and the quality of the food is just so much better than you often find at the grocery store. Plus, by shopping them, you’re supporting local growers and eating healthier. Double yatzee! We’re excited to launch our new Market to Table recipe series in partnership with Naked Juice. Be sure to check back every week to see what we cook up next! You can also learn more about the Drink Good. Do Good initiative here.

original photography and recipe for apartment 34 by zoe armbruster

This post is in partnership with Naked Juice & the Drink Good Do Good campaign. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep apartment 34’s doors open.

#SipsforSummer: {A Rosé Wine Slush?!}

Recipes

Yeah, that was our exact reaction too! A Rosé slushie?! Is there such a thing or has the heat gotten to us and we’re only halucinating? No, this isn’t a mirage! While we were initially sad to see the Sips for Summer series come to a close, we’re thrilled that the finale is featuring this delicious recipe.And of course the group of ladies at Glitter Guide would save the most fun sipper for last. Look no further rosé lovers {#roséallday!}, your Rosé Slush, aka quite possibly the best summer cocktail ever invented, awaits you…

Once you wipe the drool from your computer, hop on over to Glitter Guide for the full recipe!

Have you missed out on the rest of our #SipsForSummer?? You can see the archive of recipes RIGHT HERE.

photography and styling by Caitlin Kruse

#SipsForSummer: {Honeydew Ginger Crush}

Recipes

Phew! Things are heating up around here! Temps have hit a summer high and we’re knee deep in finalizing home renovations. Thank gawd, Camille Styles is basically reading our minds! This Honeydew Ginger cocktail {by the pool, no less!} is exactly what we need right now. A little dip and sip sounds ah-mazing. We’ll be shaking this cocktail up as soon as the clock hits happy hour. Now we just need to find a pool!

You can find the recipe for this yummy cocktail here. Don’t forget to hashtag your #SipsforSummer on Instagram!

image via camille styles // photography by buff strickland

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