I made this salad for the first time a few years ago and it was just too pretty and delicious not to repeat. A lot of folks on instagram asked for the recipe so I decided to nail down the ingredients in the dressing and post it. This salad, like basically every recipe I post, is great because you can really interchange ingredients where needed/desired. It is a very seasonal salad though, so I suggest making it in the end of spring or summer if you want the freshest flavors!
I tend to like almost EVERY kind of food out there, but ONE food that I have never particularly warmed to is cantaloupe. So, I never really buy it, or order it, or eat it if it’s included in my meal. Then last week, I saw the most perfectly round, ripe, and beautiful cantaloupe at the store and decided to buy it on a whim. When I went to slice it I knew that I would have to dress it up in some way to make it more exciting, so I worked with what I had on hand and came up with this salad… I have now had it FOUR times in just over a week, along with five other friends who have made it at home and loved it. It REALLY is a winner. The tangy champagne vinegar, herbaceous basil, and mildly spicy Aleppo pepper flakes take this cantaloupe to new levels. It is incredibly hard to stop eating. If you want to change up your BBQ side dish this is a great place to start!
*A quick note: Aleppo pepper is a milder chili flake that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. I bought mine online and honestly, 9 times out of 10, find myself using it over traditional chili flake. It is SO SO SO good. The fact that you can use more in a recipe than chile flake enhances the pepper’s flavor without blowing out your tastebuds. And it lasts a long time. You will not regret having this as a staple in your house I promise.
I never really had french toast until I was an adult… definitely not a staple in the Rooney house growing up, but when I discovered it was bread fortified with egg and then smothered with syrup I was definitely IN. I came up with this recipe over the weekend and it was a huge it. Hearty, crunchy, sweet, and packed with protein. Josh claims it is the best french toast he has ever had. Hopefully you will like it too!
Not sure if there is a person out there who can’t get down with a farro salad. I have made them a million different ways from PACKED with ingredients like my *very ancient* (but still yummy) recipe FARRO SALAD WITH SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, PEPITAS, & FETA to this slightly more simple one. The thing I like most about farro salads is, if I have the farro, the rest of the ingredients sort of fall into line… whatever they may be. Also, it’s super filling, yet light, and always impresses a crowd. Which, by the way, is the amount of people this recipe feeds: A CROWD. The only extra step with this one is the quick pickled onions. But I swear they’re quick and I swear they’re worth it. Not to mention you will have 1/3 of your dressing done and done!
Alright first of all, I am aware that I haven’t posted since April. Yikes. But I am also aware of the fact that my favorite season is upon us and I refuse to let it pass me by without creating my annual fall-inspired cocktail. I am bringing back two elements from previous years- smokey Mezcal (from 2 years ago- “The Howl”) and festive clove bitters (from last year’s “The Hurry Back”). Together mixed with spicy-sweet chile de arbol simple syrup and tangy blood orange I think this one is really special. Also, I hope you are picking up on the Dia De Los Muertos vibe I am trying to put out there. Happy fall!
Whelp, it’s official, EVERYTHING tastes better with this pesto on it. My favorites including- sweet potato toasts, breakfast egg and rice bowls and roasted veggies and penne (inspired by a dish my friend Emily introduced to me a year or two ago. It is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes now. Hi Em!). I will include what’s in that big bowl of goodness and how to make it down below.
Also, I should note that I don’t include pine nuts (a classic pesto ingredient) in my recipe. I just liked the way it turned out without them, but if you are big on that pine nut flavor feel free to add them in! I would sub out half or all of the cashews.
Hearty sweet potato, savory filling, fresh zippy sauce on top, and a little crunch to finish. No matter what you choose for the stuffing, these little buddies are a win. I went the vegan route for this recipe (you won’t miss the meat I swear!) but you can use anything you like. I have made them with ground turkey before and they were fabulous, next I might try lentils and diced cauliflower! And before you look at the instructions and feel overwhelmed just note that all you really need to do is: bake your potatoes, sauté your filling and blend your sauce. That is really it!
Here it is! My annual fall cocktail. This year’s is a take on one of my all-time favorite drinks called The Last Word. In this one I added clove bitters, tangerine juice and a sage leaf garnish to give you all the cozy fall feels. The name of the cocktail is inspired by Humphrey Bogart’s supposed last words- “Goodbye kid, hurry back.” So here it is. The Hurry Back.
I love all things curry (which may already be obvious from my previous post and many others in the past). My husband and I have been cutting back on meat and dairy for a handful of reasons, so a lot of meals at home have been on the vegan side lately. One particular meal got a lot of interest after I posted on my personal Instagram so I decided to nail down the ingredients for two of the most requested dishes in the meal. This first one is the chickpea curry and the other will be a carrot ribbon salad with smashed pistachio vinaigrette coming soon! This curry is savory, spicy and super filling; if you are a meat eater- I promise you won’t miss is here. ***Keep in mind that this dish tastes great the day of but EVEN better the next day.
I think one of the top five requests I receive for new recipes is appetizers. And I get it! The hunt for a new appetizer to bring to your next gathering can be a bit of an effort. This one came about when I was hosting a courthouse wedding last summer. I had made up a recipe for curried chicken salad a while back and it’s always a hit so I just needed a classy way of delivering it from platter to mouth haha. Then the thought came to me to use endive as the vessel for the salad, and then to jazz it up a little more I added the pomegranate seeds… which are now one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. You definitely have a few other options with this recipe. I have served it with crackers, on toasts, and made sandwiches with it at home. So if you aren’t into endive don’t let it stop you from making this!
