NEW WAYS to 'TOAST' Roasted Gooseberry, Ricotta, and Fried Rosemary // laurenariza.com // RECIPE SCHMECIPE
First of all I need to apologize. I promised this post FIVE MONTHS AGO and am just finally putting it up. My excuse is exciting though! I’ve been busy cooking, just not food lol … we’ve got a good ole bun in the oven that had me pretty sick for the first trimester and as unbelievably thankful as I was, I couldn’t even THINK about food for quite a while. Anyway, below is the long awaited post. Now that toasts are a thing of the past I give you FOUR of them hahahahaha!

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Let’s be honest you could put pretty much ANYTHING on crispy, carby toast an I’d eat it, and I know we ALL love the extremely popular avocado toast (which I am leaving out because there are more than enough avocado toast recipes and pictures out there to satisfy your needs AND if I see one more, my head might fall off my body) but I have a few toast combos that I think you should introduce to your rotation. Whether it is for an appetizer OR just the best afternoon snack you ever had, these are seriously so good.

Full recipes follow the preview.

1. Anchovy Butter and Radish

2. Gruyère and Green Tomato

3. Olive, Labneh, and Za’atar

NEW WAYS to 'TOAST' Olive, Labneh, and Za'atar // laurenariza.com // RECIPE SCHMECIPE

4. Roasted Gooseberry, Ricotta, and Fried Rosemary

SLOW COOKER SALMON WITH POTATOES, FENNEL & HERBS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on April 4, 2016

SLOW COOKER SALMON WITH POTATOES, FENNEL, AND HERBS // laurenariza.com // recipe schmecipe
Crock pot/slow cooker recipes have been BY FAR the most requested from my readers and friends so I decided to oblige and come up with a few! This first one is especially fun because it involves salmon which I rarely see in crock pot recipes. The key to cooking fish in the slow cooker is putting it in just 20 min before eating, which is basically the amount of time it will take to get the plates out, drinks poured, and everyone to the table.

Now, before I proceed, I feel the need to explain two things:
1) If I am being completely honest, I prefer the texture of a crispy pan-seared salmon to any other preparation (I will post a simple recipe for that soon too) BUT in terms of ease this recipe definitely has it beat and packs A TON of flavor.
2) This is a ‘meat’ and potatoes type of dish so if you are missing the greens, I suggest a fresh quick arugula salad (toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt , pepper, and a shaving of good parm) or some quick sautéed green beans or asparagus.
*I also considered throwing in some veggies with the potatoes, so if you feel so inclined as to experiment with this, I suggest a sturdy veggie with the potato mixture OR throwing more tender greens in when you put the salmon in.

GRAPEFRUIT AND THYME PALOMA

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 4, 2016

The PALOMA! If you haven’t had one yet, the future is looking bright (and refreshing) for you. Even if you don’t make my recipe (which you should because it’s awesome hahah) there is a good chance that your local, hand-crafted cocktail joint has one on the menu as they have recently become very popular. If you follow me on instagram then you probably saw my comparison to the popularity of the Moscow Mule a few years back. You also, probably then read that in particular cases I think popularity is well deserved, which I definitely think is the case here! So here it is, my spin on the classic Paloma aka YOUR NEW FAVORITE SPRING (AND SUMMER) COCKTAIL. Cheers!

BAKED BREAKFAST EGGS AND BEANS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 29, 2016

This one might sound a bit strange but I SWEAR it’s so good… AND it’s super easy to make. It also utilizes a lot of pantry items so it’s a great one for when you’ve run out of fresh veggies and such for your morning scramble or omelet. Typically, eggs and beans involves white beans but I use garbanzos for extra texture and I think you’ll really like it.

SWEETLY SPICED | CINNAMON-SUGAR & GARAM MASALA CANDY-COATED CROUTONS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 12, 2016

I would like to start by admitting this is definitely not a health-food post. I would like to follow that disclaimer up with a, “but oh man, will it knock your socks off.” Not only is it THE EASIEST dessert of all time but definitely one of THE MOST DELICIOUS. I thought it would be a good one to post before Valentine’s Day because who doesn’t want a little something sweet to end the meal AND if you haven’t thought of anything to make yet, this will definitely be the easiest as well as most impressive.

I came up with this recipe when I was helping a good friend (and fellow cook) cater a charity event in Beverly Hills and our bread pudding plans had fallen through. We worked with what we had on site and dare I say this turned out even better than the bread pudding ever could have??

Tip: I usually serve a few croutons warm over ice cream and then leave out a bowl with more for snacking, dipping, etc.

OC Weekly- FRESH TOAST!

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 8, 2016

Whelp… they had me at “BLOODY MARY COMPETITION”! So excited to attend OC’s biggest brunch event! If you live anywhere near you should come too! AND if you click here you can save $25 for a 4-pack of tickets to Fresh Toast and enjoy brunch bites, booze & more. Offer ends 2/21.

Other highlights: Bloody Mary competition called The Bloody Battle…attendees get to sample them and vote on their faves. Drink samples, live music and pop-up shops. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Ben Carlson Foundation. They are also raffling off a Saber Grill!

For more info on the amazing restaurants participating and all the other fun stuff going on click here

INTRODUCING: THE EASIEST, MOST ELABORATE BREAKFASTS… USING LAST NIGHT’S LEFTOVERS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 5, 2016

I make breakfast for Josh every morning. This information always seems to impress people, especially when they hear or see what the breakfast consists of. What I don’t think they realize is the LITTLE amount of effort I actually put in every morning. The truth is that I usually just reassemble or rearrange last night’s dinner. Now I know we all have busy schedules (especially those with children) BUT I swear breakfast takes me less than 10 minutes most mornings so even if this just becomes a weekend practice I promise it will be totally doable.

This is not necessarily a recipe post, but more of a “get the juices flowing” post. Take a look at the combos below and see what looks good and how you can rearrange last night’s dinner into an insanely impressive breakfast.

Just remember, when in doubt THROW AN EGG ON IT.

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

Lauren Ariza

Posted on January 26, 2016

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!

The Gourmess

MY FAVORITE WAYS TO ‘TOAST’

Lauren Ariza

Posted on July 10, 2016

1. Anchovy Butter and Radish

2. Gruyère and Green Tomato

3. Olive, Labneh, and Za’atar

4. Roasted Gooseberry, Ricotta, and Fried Rosemary

SLOW COOKER SALMON WITH POTATOES, FENNEL & HERBS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on April 4, 2016

GRAPEFRUIT AND THYME PALOMA

Lauren Ariza

Posted on March 4, 2016

BAKED BREAKFAST EGGS AND BEANS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 29, 2016

SWEETLY SPICED | CINNAMON-SUGAR & GARAM MASALA CANDY-COATED CROUTONS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 12, 2016

OC Weekly- FRESH TOAST!

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 8, 2016

INTRODUCING: THE EASIEST, MOST ELABORATE BREAKFASTS… USING LAST NIGHT’S LEFTOVERS

Lauren Ariza

Posted on February 5, 2016

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