Roasted Carrots with Paprika and Scallions

So guys, I grew these carrots... it's a pretty big deal and I am so proud! In honor of my darling heirloom carrots, I thought a carrot recipe was in order.  A celebration of carrots, if you will. Today I decide to roast these babies with some paprika, scallions, sea salt and topped them with fresh cilantro... delicious! I have to be honest though,the carrots I roasted for this recipe were not the carrots I grew. My cute carrots were just a bit to small and better suited to snacking, hopefully next year I can get a bigger bunch! But anyway, about the carrot recipe at hand, this is so yummy and the perfect quick side for a weeknight dinner. I just picked up a couple bunches of carrots at the store and within 30 minutes I was snacking on warm, sweet, caramelized carrots!

Roasted Carrots

about 10 carrots 

drizzle of olive oil 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

5 chopped scallions 

fresh cilantro 

To start, peel your carrots and chop them into manageable pieces. Next, throw them on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the paprika, sea salt, garlic salt, and pepper and toss with your hands so all the carrots are coated with the spice mixture. Lastly, sprinkle with about half your chopped scallions before popping them in a 400 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes. When the carrots come out all caramelized and bubbly, sprinkle them with the remaining chives and a bit of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately! 

Quick Spaghetti Pomodoro

This is such a quick,and easy weeknight dinner its ready in under thirty minutes and tastes so delicious and fresh. I make this all the time for my family and it never disappoints, I mean how could pasta ever disappoint? All you need is some tomatoes, parmesan, garlic, and my secret weapon, basil olive oil! This sauce comes together so quickly, and with a last drizzle of basil flavored olive oil it always tastes fresh and like it's come straight from the garden!

Pomodoro Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

half of a yellow onion chopped 

1 minced garlic clove 

28 oz. can of crushed san marzano tomatoes

salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary 

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 

3 tablespoons basil olive oil 

1 lb of pasta 

To make your sauce, start with by adding your butter into a saucepan. Chop the half of an onion and mince your garlic and add it to the melted butter over medium heat. Let the onion soften while you fill a pot with water to boil your pasta. Next, add the crushed tomatoes into your saucepan, add a sprinkle of salt and let the tomatoes heat through. Once the tomatoes have been cooking for a few minutes add your crushed rosemary and garlic salt. Let the sauce cook over medium low heat and give it a few stirs before you add your parmesan cheese. When you add the cheese stir well until it's all incorporated, depending on how processed your cheese is you may get some lumps, but they'll slowly melt and it's still delicious. The higher quality of parmesan the fewer lumps! Once the parmesan is incorporated turn off the heat and drizzle in the olive oil stir and taste for seasoning, salt if needed. The basil olive oil really gives this such a freshness, and it's not as hard to find as you might think. I've found it at tj-maxx many times as well as ordering it on line, Nudo is one of my favorite brands. Not to fear though, if you can't find basil olive oil the sauce will still be delicious with out it! Lastly, pour your sauce over your noodle of choice and mix well, serve immediately with extra cheese! 

Edamame and Chickpea Salad with Basil

I love chickpeas so much, when I was little I used to pretend to feed them to my toy horses and just eat them all myself. I thought they were the most delicious thing ever. Well, I still think they're pretty delicious, especially in this salad - with edamame, parmesan cheese and fresh basil...yum! This is a salad that's super easy to whip up last minute but is also yummy if it sits for awhile in the fridge, I always make this for quick barbecues in the summer. This salad is definitely a staple at our house and I hope it becomes one in yours too. I used canned chickpeas and frozen edamame so, although this has fresh summer flavors it can be made all year long! 

Edamame and Chickpea Salad with Basil 

*Serves 4-6 as a side*

30 ounces or two cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

16 ounces frozen shelled edamame 

Juice of one lemon (2-3 tablespoons)

1/4 cup of olive oil (I love to use basil infused olive oil for this, but you don't have to.)

Heaping 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 

1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil 

To put your salad together start by microwaving your edamame according to package instructions, (you can find shelled frozen edamame at almost any grocery store). While the edamame microwaves drain your chickpeas and add to a bowl. Take your edamame out of the microwave and add it as well, mix the two together so they're evenly dispersed. Next, toss the lemon juice and olive oil into the salad and add cheese. Lastly, mix your salt, pepper and chopped basil into the salad, taste for seasoning and serve! 

ENJOY!

Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

This potato salad is so good and so fresh. Bonus, there's no mayo so you can feel good about eating the whole bowl... right? Anyway, tomorrow is Pioneer Day here in Utah. It's the day we celebrate the pioneers coming into the valley and settling in this place we now call home. Although for a lot of people its just "pie-and-beer-day", which is great too, any reason to have a party is enough for me! I almost wanted to make a pie, but decided to widen my horizons. SO, why not a fresh, out of the ordinary potato salad at your pioneer day, "pie and beer day", whatever day celebration! This is the perfect salad to bring to a dinner or barbecue with friends and impress them instantly. Fresh and tangy with dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and roasted potatoes, AND arugula! This salad just can't be beat.

Roasted Potatoes 

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon pepper

Throw your cut up potatoes onto a sheet tray and drizzle with your olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat well. Then bake potatoes for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. While they're cooking you can get started on the vinaigrette.

Mustard Vinaigrette 

1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard

1 teaspoon creamy dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon chopped chives 

1 teaspoon minced tarragon

arugula 

To make your vinaigrette, put your mustard and apple cider vinegar in a bowl, stir to combine. Slowly stream in your 1/4 cup olive oil while stirring until you have a thick, salad dressing like consistency. Then sprinkle in your salt, pepper and herbs. Stir to combine and set aside until potatoes are finished cooking.

To bring it all together, mix slightly warm potatoes with dressing and add a couple handfuls of baby arugula and toss gently. Add extra salt and pepper if needed, otherwise you're ready to serve. It's really good slightly warm, but is delicious cold as well.

ENJOY!

Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon Butter Sauce

So, over the past year or so I have become obsessed with chicken thighs - mostly because they're always flavorful, and unlike a chicken breast they're never dry! This recipe is so simple and classic it can be used in millions of different ways. I like to serve mine with rice or roasted potatoes and a simple arugula salad on the side. It would also be great with pasta, or shredded in a salad, or whatever your heart desires! 

Herb Roasted Chicken

Serves 4-6

6 Bone in, skin on, chicken thighs 

4 Tablespoons softened butter 

1 Tablespoon chopped chives 

1 Tablespoon chopped thyme 

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Sprinkle of salt and pepper 

To make your chicken, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lay the 6 chicken thighs in a 9x13 pan and season with salt. Next, make your butter herb rub. Put the softened butter in a bowl and combine with the 3 herbs and some salt and pepper, mash with a fork until well combined. Smear the butter mixture across the top of the 6 chicken thighs and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the chicken juices run clear. To get the skin extra crispy, when my chicken finishes baking I throw it under the broiler for about 5 minutes to get that pretty brown color. 

Aww, look how delicious and juicy that thigh looks! I have to say, the chicken is great, but my favorite part of this dish is the buttery, lemony sauce. I love to pour it all over my rice as well as the chicken. I could probably just eat it with a spoon!

Lemon Butter Sauce 

1 Cup chicken broth 

1 Tablespoon cornstarch with equal parts water 

3 Tablespoons butter

Salt

Pepper

Sprinkle of herb mix (above) 

Squeeze of lemon juice 

Start your sauce when the chicken is close to being finished. Pour chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, add the cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with equal parts water before adding to broth, to avoid lumps). Whisk well while adding a tablespoon of your butter and let the sauce boil for 2-5 minutes until you can see it's beginning to thicken. Add your last 2 tablespoons butter, and whisk until combined. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not as thick as gravy. Turn off the heat and add in your herbs (same as chicken mixture), and salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, a nice big squeeze of lemon juice. Mix and serve immediately over chicken thighs. 

I served this with basmati rice cooked in chicken broth for added flavor. It's simply 1 cup rice to 2 cups chicken broth and a pat of butter, bring to a boil and then cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. 

There you have it, a simple yummy dinner easy enough for everyday, but pretty enough for company, enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Salad With Grilled Corn

Well it's that time of summer where the first bunch of heirloom tomatoes are showing up at the farmers market here in Salt Lake City. I get so excited for these colorful beauties, I have to buy them if I see them anywhere, no expense spared! This is a simple delicious salad that is kind of a play on the classic italian caprese salad. Except, instead of cheese, basil and balsamic, you have corn, cilantro, avocado and fresh lime juice... so delicious!

This salad is really all about the tomatoes, which is why I have to beg that you only make this in the height of summer, because winter grocery store tomatoes just really won't do. You want juicy, warm bites of sunlight, something only a vine ripened tomato can give you... can you tell I love tomatoes?

Anyway, this is a simple, delicious salad that is quick, easy, and ready to eat right away. The perfect side for a summer BBQ.

Heirloom Tomato Salad With Grilled Corn

Serves 4 as a side dish

5 Ears of yellow corn

4 Tablespoons melted butter 

4-5 Medium sized heirloom tomatoes 

1 Small bunch of cilantro 

1 Avocado 

Lime Paprika Dressing 

Juice of 1 Lime 

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon paprika

1/2 Teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons olive oil

To start, shuck your corn and brush each cob with melted butter. Preheat your grill or grill pan to a medium high heat,and place buttered corn on the heated grill, let it cook for about 15 minutes, turning periodically, to get an even char across the cobs. Take your corn off the heat and set aside while you roughly chop your cilantro, and cut tomatoes into thick wedges. When the corn has cooled a bit cut it off its cob and combine with other ingredients on a plater, or in a shallow serving bowl. Lastly, slice up your avocado and add across the top of your salad. Sprinkle the entire bowl with a bit of sea salt and finish by mixing the lime vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and pouring it over the top of the salad. serve straight away, or make just a couple hours before hand if needed.