Nutty Monkey

On my way to gift wrap 20 coffee table books for an interior decorating firm (just call me Odd Job Jane) I spotted a juice bar and went in for a breakfast smoothie. I ordered their “Mr. Almond” smoothie which I practically inhaled through a jumbo straw. Naturally, I went home and adapted the recipe for this here blog and gave it my own silly name, Nutty Monkey. I was anti-smoothie for most of my life, but this smoothie has changed my mind.
 

Pan-Seared Peaches with Tarragon Basil Syrup

Seared or grilled peaches is a dish that's been on my summer cooking wish list for years, but sadly I never get around to it. Since I'm writing recipes for a living now, I'm spending a lot more time in the kitchen, testing and experimenting. Last weekend, I finally seared a peach. I took it one step further by making a tarragon and basil infused simple syrup to drizzle on top of the sweet, warm stone fruit. I seared my peaches in a pan with some butter because I didn't feel like setting up the grill just for one lonely peach, but if you prefer to grill your peaches, just brush them with olive oil and sear them on both sides for a few minutes until they develop nice grill marks and are warmed through.

Asparagus, Kalamata and Bread Salad

This salad makes me sad that most people I know don't like olives. I made it the other night as an eat-whatever's-in-the-fridge dinner and loved it. It was unexpected and the ingredient amounts were undocumented. That's ok, because salads are quite easy to put together. Here's my "non-recipe" for Asparagus, Kalamata and Bread Salad.

Chicken with Cilantro Chimichurri and Pickled Onions

Turks and Caicos is still on my mind. I had a chicken satay by the beach and even though the carrot slaw it came with was overpowered with cloves, my Dark and Stormy covered palate loved it anyway. Maybe it was the crystal blue water and white sand in front of me or the warm, salt filled air. When I got back the Brooklyn, all I wanted to eat was that chicken satay. I found a recipe that failed me miserably, made me realize I hate curry and left me with a bunch of extra cilantro. I don't like to see cilantro go to waste because I love it (I used to despise it), so a chimichurri was definitely in my future. It's an easy sauce for just about any meat or vegetable; I went with pan-seared chicken and asparagus. The pickled onions are a nice touch in this dish. If you don't like cilantro, try eating some near the beach in Turks and Caicos.

Avocado Fries

The avocado fries at Brooklyn restaurant, El Almacen, were the inspiration for this recipe. I had never had fried avocado before and was under the impression that avocado shouldn't be cooked. But apparently, it should definitely be breaded and fried. I hope my readers don't think that I bread and fry everything. I really don't. I do it just for you guys. Anyway, it's finally spring time and our porch is decorated with big, white, flower-filled planters, a white bench, white Adirondack-style chairs and maybe soon a white umbrella. Our porch might get invited to a P.Diddy party.

Turkey Bacon, Spinach and Smoked Cheese Egg Muffins

When I don’t have time to make breakfast at home, I end up eating a croissant and hot chocolate in front of my computer at work and feeling like I failed myself. I came across an article in Bon Appetit about the genius of egg muffins and thought they’d be a great way for me to get my morning protein all week long even when I hit the snooze button too many times.

Creamy Beans

Stop what you’re doing right now, go to your kitchen cabinet and find a can of black beans or pinto beans. If you do not have any, please go buy a can and come back home immediately. Make this recipe, take a spoonful, and join me in disbelief that canned beans can be so freaking good. We all know that butter makes everything better, but who knew that a pat of butter and some extra cooking time could transform a boring can of beans into beans that make you go “oh wow....oh WOW...no way!”

Crispy Pan Fried Fennel

I'm not sure why I've never breaded and pan fried fennel before now. Fennel is one of my favorite vegetables, and anything tastes ten times better when covered in bread and fried in oil. Since I'm going on a beach vacation in about nine weeks, I have to hold off on covering foods in bread and frying them in oil. But if your beach vacation has already passed, you should immediately buy a head of fennel and try this recipe, even if you don't like fennel.

 

Tamagoyaki

I’m baaaaack. I really dropped the ball on this whole blog thing didn’t I? I’ve been eating boatloads of delivery pizza and salads from Chop’t lately and haven’t been cooking enough. I did make another round of salmon fritters but I certainly couldn’t post those again. But a recipe for Tamagoyaki has been staring me in the face for weeks and on a rainy Saturday I decided I was finally going to make it happen. Tamagoyaki is a Japanese egg log that is slightly sweet and totally fun to make and eat.
 

Dad's Eggs and Bread

I remember my Dad making his famous Egg and Bread "mish mosh" when we were younger. He'd fill a mug with chopped up soft boiled egg and cubed toasted bread. Why deal with the burden of a knife and fork and the task of constantly monitoring your bread to egg ratio when you can spoon yolk-soaked bread and soft egg whites into your mouth? Over the recent holidays, my Dad made a big bowl of it for us and I was happy to take pictures of it on his sunlit marble counters.

Cold Ramen Salad with Egg

Noodles are one of the first foods on my mind once the weather reaches “Feels like 15 Degrees”. I love a hot bowl of thick, buttery ramen at Chucko Ramen in Prospect Heights or a pile of pad thai at Cheers Thai in Williamsburg. My brother’s been raving about Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles in Chinatown which I’m hoping to try soon. Here’s a cold noodle salad I made with some leftover ramen; it makes for an easy lunch. What's your favorite noodle shop?

Lemon Spaghetti

When I worked at Wish Cafe, a fusion restaurant in Stamford, Connecticut years ago, my co-worker used to order the lemon papardelle whenever she was off duty. The dish sounded tempting to me, but I always opted for the truffled potato pillows and fried calamari watercress salad, menu items that I couldn't or wouldn't make at home. When Alan ordered spaghetti with lemon at our neighborhood restaurant a few weekends ago, I tried a bite and was surprised how something so simple could be so pleasing. However, making it at home wasn't as simple as I assumed it would be.

Bacon and Eggs with Kale

Here's a way to make kale unhealthy. By cooking everything in bacon grease, we can infuse rich salty goodness into our eggs and kale, making them a little less boring for the weekend. Trust me, I don't eat like this every day. For the past two weeks, I've been saying NO to wheat, dairy and sugar on weekdays and have shed a few pounds just in time for the Thanksgiving binge. Aside from that, I just feel energized and healthy. You'll be seeing some of my wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free recipes as soon as I stop being so busy ("busy" meaning that I spent all last weekend reading Gone Girl in time to see it in the theater this weekend).

Salmon Fritters

I've always had a fear of leftover cooked fish and all its cold clamminess. That is, until, when recently faced with some leftover salmon, I searched the internet for “what to do with leftover fish” and changed my world forever. Leftover cooked fish can be used in fish tacos, stews, salads, sandwiches and fish cakes. Who knew? The key is to either gently bring the fish up to room temperature or reheat it for a very short amount of time.  Salmon cakes sounded the most appealing to me so I faced my fear. 

Late Summer Bruschetta

Working at a food company means that I often get to eat really delectable lunches. A few weeks ago, one of my bosses put together some crusty bread with homemade mayonnaise, heirloom tomatoes and basil while my other boss took pictures of us eating it. Let's hope a picture of me stuffing lunch in my face does not surface. I decided to borrow that combination of flavors for a late summer bruschetta using some heirloom tomatoes from my trip to Long Island this past weekend. 

 

Creamy Summer Farro Salad

I recently tried this farro salad from Bklyn Larder, a cheese and provisions shop in Brooklyn, and I’ve been itching to recreate it at home for many weeks.  As I ate it, I tried to note all the flavors to make sure I got as close to the real thing as possible.  I typed up what I like to call a guess-cipe, a guessed recipe that I can test and tweak in the kitchen.  I’m happy to report that I did a pretty good job matching the flavors.  The creaminess of the mayo adds a nice fat factor, the lemon juice brightens it up, the farro’s nutty texture is super fun and the vegetables bring some crunch to the party.  There are two months of picnic weather left and this is a crowd-pleasing salad to have on your gingham blanket.

Pickled Grapes

I'm always looking for an unusual, yet simple recipe.  One food blogger that I follow writes a beautiful blog called Not Without Salt.  I like her pro-salt blog title as well as the feeling I get when I read her words and look at her photographs.  I picture her life being one big lush, misty Washington morning with a cup of coffee in a mason jar.  When she posted a recipe for pickled grapes, I flagged it and took the next opportunity to make them, which was a summer dinner party at home.

Basil Juleps

I write to you from upstate New York where Alan's super awesome band, Ten Minute Turns, is rehearsing for an upcoming recording session. Being secluded in a rural area is giving me time to make blog posts, read, write and learn about stock trading, my newest obsession. Last month's obsession was part-time veganism. A month before that, it was jewelry making. I like to dabble. No matter what you're getting into on the weekends, do it with a basil julep. Alan and I made juleps with herbs from our porch-garden. He made his with mint and I decided to go out on a limb and make one with basil. Here's how to do it (no fancy julep cups necessary, but highly encouraged)...

Black Bean and Green Burger

A black bean burger is not by any means juicy.  If you slapped it on a bread bun, you'd be on a high speed train to dry town.  But if you put this flavor-packed patty on a bibb lettuce bun, you're in store for a cooling, fresh, energizing burger experience. You can even eat two of these bean beasts and still feel like you can run a marathon, not so for your standard meat burger.  Save your meat burger for the weekend and spend your weeknights with a Black Bean and Green Burger.  Don't fret if you're sans Cuisinart; you can make these burgers with a bowl and a wooden spoon too.  So make your shopping list and look forward to a guilt-free burger night.

Almond Milk Margarita aka Lazy Man’s Horchata Margarita

We discovered a little bar a few blocks away from us called Dick and Jane’s.  It’s been there for three years but we never knew it as it’s tucked away on a side street behind thick, black wooden barn doors.  They serve a cocktail there called Tigre Blanco which is a horchata margarita.  Horchata is a sweet, rice-based Mexican drink.  The bartender lines the rim of the glass with a smoky, limey salt similar to my favorite cabinet dweller, Tajin, a lime and chili infused salt.  I used and raved about Tajin in this corn salad last summer.