C & C in the Kitchen

One of the best parts about having a home is dinner parties. Good company, homemade food, and adult beverages always making for a winning combination. Last weekend we had some friends over and it was so fun...maybe a little too much fun (at least Sunday morning).

I'm not a huge fan of cooking during the week. But entertaining is the best excuse to try out new recipes and spend the time I don't normally have. For me it's about trying a few new things, but also breaking out my "old reliables" so I don't get too stressed and spend the entire day in the kitchen. Here's what was on the menu. 

A friend of mine's sister is a farmer (the most adorable farmer you've ever seen). Her awesome blog, Dishing up the Dirt has some incredible recipes (Did I mention she's featured in this month's Self magazine). For an appetizer I tried the butternut squash and sage pesto pizza with balsamic glaze. I couldn't find fresh sage at the grocery store (no garden here) so I used basil in its place. I can't wait to try some of her other pizza recipes. 

Put goat cheese, artichokes, a little olive, and cherry tomatoes in the oven for 20 minutes on 350 and you've got this incredible dip. It's so easy and a real crowd pleaser. 

For the main course soy marinated flank steak was the go-to. I marinated the meat the night before giving it extra flavor. Add corn on the cob and peach and heirloom tomato salad (blogged about here) and it was the perfect meal for an incredibly mild August night. 

And last, but not least, this flourless chocolate cake is one of my favorites. Not only is it ridiculously good, it's super easy. I paired it with creme fraiche ice cream - because obviously you can't have cake without ice cream!

Happy dining! 

C & C in the Kitchen

One of my favorite things about summer is all the incredible food. Peaches, corn on the cob, avocados...I could go on. I also love dining al fresco (a photo from a recent Saturday night enjoying our deck).

I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately with fresh summer ingredients and thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. Put these three together and you've got a delightful summer meal.

image via cookingchanneltv.com

This peach salad with tomatoes, feta, and basil vinaigrette is incredible! I substituted the sherry vinegar with champagne vinegar. It seemed to make a lot of dressing, so I put away half for my salad the following day. 

image via Week of Menus 

I'm a quinoa fanatic. I could eat it every day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, you name it. I doctored up this recipe for avocado, tomato, quinoa salad with red and yellow bell peppers. We ate it for dinner and I had it for lunch the following day. Nutritious and delicious. 

image via Butter Me Up

But I can't have you just eating side dishes (that's what Dr. B tells me). These apple turkey burgers with brie and caramelized onions from my childhood friend, are TO. DIE. FOR. Even you reluctant fowl eaters will enjoy them. 

Happy cooking and eating! 

C & C in the Kitchen

I love to bake. Cooking is fine, but baking is my thing. I like that it's a science. I'm type A like that. And did I mention I'm a HUGE fan of the end result. So when Regan sent me a recipe for strawberry coconut chia seed banana bread from the Ambitious Kitchen and told me that the mini fashionista's response was "Java" (it's our fav coffee place at home with the BEST muffins), I knew I had to try it. And because it's so good, I also knew it had to be shared with you! I'm no food blogger, but here are some photos of the baking in action. 

This is a crowd pleaser, and it's pretty healthy too. That's a win-win in my book. 

C&C in the Kitchen

The Mini Fashionista and I begin nearly every morning with a smoothie, or a "shoo shoo" as she calls it!

Don't worry, we averted disaster with the carrot juice!

Our daily smoothie is a sure fire guarantee that I am packing her growing little mind and body with a bunch of healthy stuff (same goes for me).

This is what one of our typical smoothies looks like (we are Costco and Trader Joe's shoppers).

Everything goes into the Vitamix (a must have kitchen appliance for any smoothie lover), and a minute later! Tasty deliciousness...and vitamins galore! 

A few of my smoothie making tips....

Invest in a Vitamix- If you love making smoothies with frozen fruit (we also use the tropical mix with big chunks of papaya, mango and strawberries) it is the only way to go. Not only can it make smoothies, but it is also great for making your own nut butters, hummus, etc. This thing pulverizes seeds, peels, etc so you get health benefits of the entire fruit/vegetable! 

Buy in Bulk- We eat smoothies everyday, and the cost of the fruit, yogurt, etc. adds up. Costco is my go-to for Organic Kale, Carrot Juice, Frozen fruit and Greek Yogurt. 

Freeze your Greens- When your greens are on the verge of expiration, put them in the freezer! That way they don't go to waste and you won't taste any difference. 

Have good cups for the little people- I put the Mini's smoothie in a take-n-toss cup with straw. It keeps everything contained and is the perfect size. We don't "toss" them, but instead run them through the dishwasher and use again. 

C&C in the Kitchen

A topic we don't talk very often about on the blog is food, but based on your survey responses, it is a topic our readers are interested in. Both Katie and I do our share of cooking and baking, so I thought it would be fun to start a new series called "C&C in the Kitchen" where we highlight some of our favorite recipes. Nearly everything I cook is simple and requires very little to no skill in the kitchen!

This week I am starting with my go-to zucchini/banana bread. It is quick, easy and healthy! To start, here is a list of the ingredients you will need.

Cardigans & Couture Zucchini/Banana Bread
1. 3-4 ripe bananas (only 3 if they are large)
2. 2-3 zucchini (only 2 if they are large)
3. 1 egg
4. 2 tablespoons of applesauce
4. 1/4 cup maple sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar)
5. 1 tsp baking powder
6. 1 tsp baking soda
7. 1/2 tsp salt
8. 1 tsp cinnamon
9. 2 cups flour
10. 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup walnuts (both optional)

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Break bananas into large pieces and place in a large bowl (or mixer). Grate zucchini using a small cheese
grater and add to bowl. Mix on medium or hand mash/stir together.

- Add applesauce, egg and sugar and mix. I use maple sugar because unlike white sugar, it actually has health benefits (read more about them here)

- Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix.
- Slowly add flour 1/4 cup at a time with mixer on low (or the flour will go everywhere)
- Add chocolate chips and walnuts. I say these are "optional", but in my world, chocolate is a necessity!
- Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, butter, etc. and add your bread mix. I use a mini loaf pan. 
- Bake for 50-60 minutes.

And this is what you get: tasty bread that is quick, easy and relatively nutritious! Anything with vegetables has to be healthy, right? We shall save that topic for another day.

 

I would love your comments on "C&C in the Kitchen"....are you interested in us sharing our favorite recipes?