Posts from the “Recipes” Category

With Valentine’s Day almost upon us I decided to post this fresh little ditty…. and I have three reasons for doing so:

1) I created it on Valentine’s Day a few years ago
2) It is the perfect date night food- Light, tasty, and easy to make. It won’t weigh you down on a night you might want to look (and feel) your slimmest *wink wink, AND without any super strong spices or raw onions, your breath is saved too ;).
3) It is actually the most requested dish by Josh for dinner in our household… Hence the name.

P.S. That is a photo of Josh in Italy last summer holding up a plate of emoji fish. Enjoy.

So, Happy early Valentine’s Day you love birds!

BLACK PEPPER AND GARLIC MAPLE-GLAZED CARROTS WITH ROASTD PISTACHIOS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on November 18, 2015

Thanksgiving is heeeeeeeeere! Well, almost. Man do I love this holiday- I get to cook until my head falls off, hang out ALL DAY with my family, and count the insane amount of things I am thankful for each year. (I have decided that this year I am most thankful for the good health of my family… ALL. OF. THEM. I cannot even begin to understand what a gift that is).

SO, as I was dreaming up a fun new side to work on this year, I decided to tackle one that I usually take a pass on at the buffet. This is mostly because I want to make more room FOR THE MASHED POTATOES… but I am going to be honest- I am not a huge fan of cooked carrots, something about them is too sweet and too soggy… that waaaaaaas until I made this version. I am not winning any humility contest award with that comment but it’s true haha. The savory garlic and spicy black pepper off-set the sweetness of the maple syrup and carrots, and the pistachios add that missing texture. The BEST part?! I actually think they taste better when made ahead (which is ideal on a day where stove and oven real-estate is hard to come by) and reheated briefly before dinner! Whiiiiiiich will be at 2:00pm if you are in my family. ALSO, ALSO! This recipe happens to be gluten free and vegetarian (vegan even, if you just switch out the butter for more olive oil)!!!

THE HOWL (w/ Mezcal, spiced cider, cayenne, and lime)

Lauren Ariza

Posted on October 27, 2015

Well if you have been following me since the beginning then you know I like to invent at least one fall inspired cocktail a year… because well, I am a girl and I love fall (it’s science). Anyway, this one uses a few of the same ingredients from last year’s “TOUGHEST WEEK” buuuut I have to say I think it’s better… (insert embarrassed emoji with teeth showing here). I use smoky mezcal and spicy cayenne along with some classic fall flavors AND throw a little lime in there. It’s pretty fun.

Before this whole thing becomes daunting to you let me explain that you are literally just throwing everything (bottled cider and whole spices that you can get at ANY grocery store) but the mezcal in a pot to steep (kind of like tea) and that’s it! You just mix it with mezcal after.*This one requires heating part of the mixture up and letting it cool back down (you can cool the hot mixture with ice BUT it will dilute the flavors quite a bit) so you may need a bit of patience for this one. You can make the mix a day or two before and store in the fridge (sans mescal and lime) if you don’t want to wait for it to cool that day. So here it is! THE HOWL!

‘TOM KHA’ INSPIRED SLOW COOKER STEW

Lauren Ariza

Posted on October 21, 2015

Tom Kha *Inspired Slow Cooker Stew // laurenariza.com

Tom Kha is one of my all-time favorite flavor combos, so I decided to create a version that is almost identical in taste, but uses ingredients that are a little bit easier to find, then threw it into the slow-cooker to make my life way easier!

IN PROGRESS- AGUA FRESCA COMBOS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on August 8, 2015

I had promised a plethora of “agua fresca” recipe options a little while back on both of my instagram accounts (@laurenariza and @recipeschmecipe) and I have two written out and more to come so I thought I’d post this as a “work in progress” in the meantime since summer is quickly passing us by! So here are two versions of a watermelon fresca to start!

CAULIFLOWER “FRIED RICE”

Lauren Ariza

Posted on July 2, 2015

Remember when I used to post recipes??? Gosh darn it I am so sorry it’s been so long since my last post! Anyway, if you follow my (newish) instagram account dedicated to this blog (@recipeschmecipe) then you probably saw me post about this when I was experimenting with it… Well, it’s finally here! Cauliflower “fried rice” (there’s zero rice in this btw) The method in which I cook this stuff is basically along the same lines as the Benihana type places… I use a big skillet, cook an item then move it over and cook another… and then stir to combine. This recipe serves about 2-4 as a side dish, double it for more people! Hope you like it!

“NAKED” CHILE RELLENOS WITH WITH CRISPY CHEESE AND AVOCADO & CORN SALSA

Lauren Ariza

Posted on May 8, 2015

So if you follow my newer instagram account @recipeschmecipe then you know this post is coming… but if not then let me explain. This is my take on the chile relleno. Typically they are a roasted and peeled poblano (or pasilla depending on where you are from) pepper stuffed with queso fresco and then battered and fried… and then sometimes smothered in a yummy sauce. So so so good. I call mine “naked” because I skip the battered and fried part. I didn’t initially do this for health reasons, I did it because I don’t always love that the batter can get soggy under the sauce and sometimes fried foods make me feel a little bit crummy afterwards. I also discovered that adding the cheese crisps takes care of the crispy factor that the batter is supposed to bring! So these are my version!

PINEAPPLES ‘FOSTER’

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 31, 2015

I am not a huge banana fan… and pineapple is pretty high up there in my top favorite fruits … so I basically invented this recipe out of selfish desires lolol. I have been making it for a while now but wasn’t ready to post until just recently. It’s super easy, unbelievably delicious, and makes an INCREDIBLY impressive presentation with the flambé action! You can cut a ton of prep time by purchasing pre-cubed fresh pineapple at the store too!

GINGER SOY DRESSING (aka mock Benihana dressing/Makoto Ginger Dressing)

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 10, 2015

I finally did it! My take on the ever-favorite ginger salad dressing. This one is inspired by the dressing you get on your salad at Benihana or the Makoto dressing you can buy at the stores. The only special equipment you will need is a micro-plane or small-hole grater.
Also, I saw one request for this dressing to be done without sugar (and paleo) and I try and accommodate special dietary needs when I hear of them, SO I did my best to get it as close to paleo as possible. The only questionable things are A) Rice wine vinegar– which I used a no sugar, gluten free product and have read that most paleo-practicing folks accept vinegar. If you prefer to use a non-rice vinegar I recommend apple cider although it will take the flavor on a slightly different route. B) Honey– for the most part I understand that this is acceptable in the paleo world so hopefully you agree. C) Soy sauce– another one that isn’t considered to be “out of the question” but not 100% paleo. So take it or leave it paleo friends! Haha this is as close as I could get! Xoxo

8 TIPS FOR DELIVERING HOME-COOKED MEALS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 24, 2015

If you know me personally then you know my passion for hosting/cooking for friends. It’s the best way that I know how to show my love for others. Whenever a baby is born, someone is unfortunately ill, a family tragedy occurs, I have found that bringing a prepared meal is almost always a good idea. So, in the many dealings I have had with bringing food to others I have learned a few things to make it easier on you AND the recipient.

The Gourmess

Posts from the “Recipes” Category

VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER: JOSH’S HALIBUT WITH ARUGULA AND CORN SALAD

Lauren Ariza

Posted on January 26, 2016

BLACK PEPPER AND GARLIC MAPLE-GLAZED CARROTS WITH ROASTD PISTACHIOS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on November 18, 2015

THE HOWL (w/ Mezcal, spiced cider, cayenne, and lime)

Lauren Ariza

Posted on October 27, 2015

‘TOM KHA’ INSPIRED SLOW COOKER STEW

Lauren Ariza

Posted on October 21, 2015

IN PROGRESS- AGUA FRESCA COMBOS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on August 8, 2015

CAULIFLOWER “FRIED RICE”

Lauren Ariza

Posted on July 2, 2015

“NAKED” CHILE RELLENOS WITH WITH CRISPY CHEESE AND AVOCADO & CORN SALSA

Lauren Ariza

Posted on May 8, 2015

PINEAPPLES ‘FOSTER’

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 31, 2015

GINGER SOY DRESSING (aka mock Benihana dressing/Makoto Ginger Dressing)

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 10, 2015

8 TIPS FOR DELIVERING HOME-COOKED MEALS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 24, 2015