FALL IS HERE!!!!!! Oh man, I love it when the seasons change and I am READY for this one- The season of soup, sweaters, and pumpkin candles. Ahhhh the best. So, for this post I busted out the stock pot and ladle to ring in Autumn’s arrival. The best part about this soup is that it is way easier to make than it tastes. This is by far one of my all-time favorite soups, so comforting and savory. Seriously, you have to make this one.
This pasta dish is among my favorites, it’s super light and fresh [for pasta that is] and might be the easiest thing you will ever make. You literally just cook the pasta and toss in all your fresh ingredients.
Empanadas. These little savory pies are typically filled with a mixture of meat, raisins, olives etc. and are super yummy. I decided to go a separate route this time and make a vegetarian version. I also added chopped green grapes instead of raisins for a fresh twist. You can make or buy your pastry dough … I’ve made mine many times in the past and, honestly, I would save yourself the hassle of making it from scratch if you’re in a rush. There’s not a huge difference and most grocery stores sell good quality pie crusts in the refrigerator section.
I have been on a strange salmon kick as of late- I make it all the time at home, and order it where ever I go. It’s honestly becoming a bit of an issue.
Anyway, recently we went to a little jam in L.A. called Lemonade where they offer a salmon salad stuffed avocado that was pretty darn good… and since I sear filets of it all the time at home I have ended up with a lot of salmon left overs over the past few weeks. So I took inspiration from the Salmon stuffed avo and our constant left overs and created a recipe more tailored to our ‘Ariza’ taste buds. I think it turned out pretty tasty, light, and fresh. ** I stuffed tomatoes instead of avocados for textural reasons (and added the avocado to the filling) but if you prefer an overall soft dish then an avocado is a great call. Someone please explain to me why I decided to be so “wordy” with this post?
We’re kiiiiiiind of really big Breaking Bad fans in this household [and to prove it I have this for you >> Joshuaariza.com >> A few Illustrations my designer-husband put together for fun and was later contacted by AMC for permission to make into a limited edition book for the cast and crew]… Woop woop! Bragging? YES… I’m his wife, that’s my j o b .
Anyway.. Every Sunday night we have a few friends over to watch the newest episode of Breaking Bad and I always make a few treats for everyone to nibble on while they sit at the EDGE OF THEIR SEATS. One thing that I really like to serve is the ever-classic popcorn, and my favorite part about it is putting my own twist on it each week. I usually use whatever herbs or cheese I have on hand, but so far this has been the crowd favorite. So here it is… Rosemary Popcorn With Olive Oil & Lemon Zest.
I have a lot of people ask what my thought process is when coming up with my recipes, and my answer is always something suuuuper interesting along the lines of, “I dunno, I just look in my pantry for what I have available and figure it out,” OR “I find something new at the market and go home and experiment with it”… pretty inspiring huh (if I had emoji’s on my blog I would post that one face with the teeth that makes it look like it’s embarrassed). Anyway, most days I come home from work and assess the pantry/fridge and then make it work. SO I decided to post something that was exemplary of that… I literally came home from work today, threw my bags down, took an inventory of my kitchen, and got started on this post. This is not really a recipe post, but more of a ‘thought process’ post. I wan’t you to get more out of your kitchen than planning recipes ahead of time ALL the time… and I wan’t to help you start organizing your options in your head. Hopefully this helps with that… I dunno, could be a bunch of bologna that makes zero sense in the end though. You be the judge.
Oh heyyyyyyy. It’s been a while since I last posted and I apologize… BUT my peace offering is a cocktail! Yeew! This one is super fun and refreshing…. perfect for the summer months that we’re so blessed to enjoy.
This one is just SO easy and SO quick I had to post it. It’s a simple concept, but I think that’s what side dishes/starter bites should be…easy, so you can put your focus into other things: the guests, the main dish, the laundry etc. I do have to warn all the ‘detail sticklers’ out there though that I am giving rough measurements… RECIPE SCHMECIPE FOLKS!
Oh MAN! I am so sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. Things got a little crazy recently and I haven’t had time to post. No excuse! But I am working on some fun new recipes as we speak and I promise to get some up ASAP! I can’t tell you all how thankful [and surprised] I am that you check my blog so often! It really means the world and I’m sorry for not posting often enough lately. Here is a picture of me and the babe-tron transforming ourselves from tent-livers to cocktail-party-attendees in the meantime. Lot’s of love! See you soon!
xoxoxox L.A.
Well I thought I was going to get another post in before the trip was over, but I couldn’t find a ton of WiFi in the woods… go figure!
The trip (aka #campariza if you follow me on instagram) has concluded and it was a DREAM. What a blessing to have gone on it and even better, experienced it with my main squeeze. We definitely roughed it most of the time but I was able to squeeze in a few real meals for us along the way (like my CAMPFIRE CHICKEN WITH ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, POTATOES, & DILL). This breakfast I put together is really nothing too special, but for camping, I felt okay about it! Here is a little scramble from our stay in Big Sur… and YES that background is the view from our campsite/tent!!! It was insane!
** The ingredients in this are super inter-changable: use whatever things you like in a scramble. I used a lot of leftover ingredients from the last recipe I posted (link HERE) and like I mentioned in my last post, I am NOT using measurements, as you really wouldn’t be free as a bird and camping if I did!