Fast, Delicious, Balance

Hello again, Friends!

My last three and a half months have been an absolute whirlwind! Contemporary Photography saw its busiest dance season to date. We have been working nonstop! Add in sick kids, two needy huskies, and a house to maintain, it’s been chaos. With all of that, fast cooking is a must.

Spring has sprung and with that I’ve really been craving bright and fresh dishes. This very fast recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. It’s healthy and well balanced to boot.

what you do:

1. Cook the couscous as the box instructs (I love couscous in my soul), when its done stir in some pesto.

2. Cook your chicken however you prefer it. All I did was hammer it flat, heavily seasoned some flour, made sure the chicken was covered, and threw it in a skillet with some avocado oil and cooked until done.

3. In a separate bowl, add in beans, tomatoes, avocado, corn, and maybe some fresh basil.

4. Top with pesto, basil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

An important note here is that I mostly measured all of this with my heart. Also, feel free to add more chicken and more of everything if you’re feeding more people. This recipe is absolutely going into my rotation and honestly probably took me in the ballpark of 15 minutes or so.

As always, thank you for stopping by my teeny, little corner of the internet.

Have a fabulous day!

That Little Tart

Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day Eve Eve!

Normally, I’m not a sweets kind of girl but I figures with this holiday so quickly approaching, I’d make a rare dessert. I even had a bite or two. Today, I’m making a classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises). But first, let’s start with the crust. This crust is perfect because it’s not too sweet, a little buttery, but is still sturdy enough for cream and strawberries.

what you do:

In a food processor, add in flour, sugar, and salt. Then add in butter in cubes. Pulse until you get a crumby texture and then add in your egg. Mix until your mixture becomes a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap for about 30 minutes or until you’re ready to use.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. After the 30 minutes, flour a work surface and roll out your dough. I used a 12 inch pie pan because for some reason I couldn’t find my tart pan. Either works. Grease it and lay out your dough in it. Before baking, add foil to the top and something to weigh it down. I used a small cake pan so that the dough would not rise. Bake for about 20 minutes or so, and remove foil. Let cool.

Over medium heat, warm up the milk and vanilla so that it slightly simmers. It’s so important not to let it get too hot or your filling will curdle. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch. When the milk is just simmering, pour it into the egg mixture, and whisk until incorporated. From heat and put it in a bowl to cool completely.

Then, add your filling, and half your strawberries. Place strawberries in a circular motion to make a pretty design. I used a drizzle of honey on top for a lovely glaze. Chill this for an hour before serving.

I hope this Valentine’s Day brings you lots of sweetness!

Marvelous Mezze

Hey there, All!

One thing is for certain about me when it comes to me and eating is I like to pick more than sit down and eat. At the moment I am very busy with work and kiddos and have very little time for anything let alone eating. So, what I’ve been doing is putting a 15-minute Mediterranean Mezze board on my counter and pick at it as I want it and have time.

But wait. What is a Mezze board? By definition it is:

Mezze (or meze) is an assortment of small dishes eaten as appetizers or a light meal. Its contents vary by region, but the concept of grazing on a board filled with savory goodies remains the same.

Simple, right?

Picture it. Do laundry, have a bite, clean a room, have a bite. Honestly as a stay-at-home mom and running a business this is the way to do it. I never sit and I run around all day. Yes, there’s something to be said for making yourself sit and enjoy your food. However, this current week is go, go, go and there’s no time for that. So, let’s take a few minutes and make it. Here is how I made mine…

what you need:

• Pita

• Baguette

• Olives

• Artichokes

• Hummus

• Tzatziki

• A meat, I used sopressata

• Feta

• Roasted red pepper

• Cucumber

• Cherry tomatoes

  The beauty of throwing this together is there is no specific formula. I had most of this already in my house.

Believe me when I say this is a fast appetizer or light meal to throw together because I didn’t have much time to do so. I do recommend having olives, artichoke, and roasted red peppers in your cabinet ready to pull out for such an occasion. Mediterranean and Greek food is my favorite, so I usually always have things like feta, pita, and cucumbers. But feel free to make this board your own. Especially if you are a little board (pun intended) of charcuterie. Even though it isn’t that far off, still a little different.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Friends!