Avocado Pesto "Pasta" with Blistered Tomatoes

There is nothing quite like a warm Spring day! We have been having a few of them lately here in California (don't worry- we have rain in the forecast all week), so we have been soaking it up. The warmer weather makes me want to swap out soups and stews for some lighter meals. That's what lead me to create this amazing avocado pesto "pasta" with blistered tomatoes. It is so light yet creamy and it's perfect on its own or next to some grilled chicken or salmon. It also comes together in minutes making it the perfect weeknight meal. I hope you make this one of your go-to dishes this Spring and throughout the Summer months ahead. 

Have you ever spiralized zucchini to create zucchini "noodles"? That's probably a silly question since it's been a food craze for a while. But, I have to admit this was my first time trying it. And now, I get all the hype! They were the perfect "noodle" for this dish since the avocado pesto perfectly coats them. You could certainly use regular pasta noodles in this dish (I won't judge)! 

I used my Vitamix blender to make the pesto sauce and it worked great! You could also use a food processor as well. If you find that your sauce is too thick for your taste, you can always add an extra drizzle of olive oil and/or lemon juice to thin it out a bit. Or, if you are using regular pasta noodles, you could add some of the cooking water to the sauce. 

The blistered tomatoes not only give this dish a nice color, but they also add a slight sweetness! 

To plate this dish, I simply tossed the zucchini noodles with the sauce and piled it on the plate with the blistered tomatoes. To finish it off, I grated some fresh parmesan cheese on top and it is perfection! You could also add some fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste.

I hope you give this recipe a try and love it as much as we do! As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments below or on my Instagram :)

---

Avocado Pesto "Pasta" with Blistered Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-4 zucchini, spiralized (2 large or 4 small)
• 3 cups red and yellow mini tomatoes
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping

Avocado Pesto:

• 1 large bunch basil, washed
• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 green onions (green parts)
• ½ cup unsalted walnuts
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Put all of the pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

2. Heat the cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Gently shake the pan to get them moving. Continue cooking until the tomatoes are roasty and the skins are split or loosened. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Bring a separate pan to medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the spiralized zucchini. Toss for 1-2 minutes, until tender-crisp. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the zucchini with the pesto sauce. Toss until combined. Season with salt and pepper, top with tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: I am on the conservative side with garlic, so if you like your garlic flavor strong, add an extra clove or two.

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad With Burrata

Since moving back to Northern California, my husband and I are thoroughly enjoying the Fall season! While living in Southern California, we didn't realize how much we missed the changing of the leaves, crisp mornings and nights, and enjoying all of the yummy seasonal produce. When we were at the farmers market this past weekend, it was hard to miss all of the gorgeous beets and carrots. Their colors alone screamed fall. I had been craving easy, delicious and healthy fall side dishes, and I knew these beets and carrots would be perfect topped with creamy burrata cheese and pepitas!

I have found myself roasting any and all veggies this fall season. There is something so comforting and simple about them. What I love most about roasting beets and carrots is the slight earthyness and sweetness you get from them. I drizzled them with some olive oil and seasoned them with sea salt before popping them into the oven.

While the vegetables were roasting, I made a very simple vinaigrette to pour over the top of the salad once it was assembled. I also sauteed the beet greens in a pan so that they were slightly wilted. I had never actually eaten the beet greens before, and they were a nice component to this dish. You could also use chard or spinach if you prefer.

I love putting this dish on a big platter and layering the ingredients starting with the beet greens and topping it all off with the burrata and pepitas. It makes for a beautiful presentation. 

This dish pairs well with just about anything! We enjoyed it along side some herb chicken for a simple rainy night meal. It would also be great on your Thanksgiving table perhaps with a cup of soup or on its own for a vegetarian meal with a loaf of crusty bread. 

I hope you give this incredibly yummy and nourishing dish a try this fall or winter season! 

---

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Burrata Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 red beets with tops
• 3 golden beets with tops
• 6 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
• Burrata Cheese torn into bitesize pieces 
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds
• olive oil
• Salt and Pepper 

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. champagne vinegar (or other white wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1 small shallot, finely diced 
• 1 tsp. thyme, minced 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the tops of the beets, reserving the beet greens. Cut the ribs of the greens off, and cut the beet greens into bitesize pieces. Set the greens aside.
3. Scrub the beets clean. Half and slice the beets into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Keep the red beets separate from the rest of the vegetables if you don't want the colors to bleed.
4. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on sheet pans. Again, keeping the red beets separate if you don't want the colors to bleed. Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are fork tender and browned.
5. In the meantime, combine the vinaigrette dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine and set aside.
6. With a few minutes remaining in the vegetable cook time, heat a skillet over medium with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the beet greens and lightly sautee for a few minutes, until they are slightly wilted. Trasfer to a platter.
7. Layer the beets and carrots over the beet greens. Using your hands, break bite size pieces of the burrata cheese and place over the vegetables. Drizzle the dressing and top with fresh thyme and pepitas. Serve the salad warm or cold and enjoy! 

Pear and Walnut Focaccia Bread

This past week my husband and I finally had the opportunity to explore our new local farmers market. It is still pretty warm in California but we have had a mix of warm days with a slight chill in the in air. As we were walking there, we both looked at each other and said, "we're ready for Fall!" Much to our surprise, there was a vendor at the farmer's market exclusively selling pears. We knew they had to be good, so we picked up a few to take home and try. The pears were incredible on their own but I wanted to try them in a new Fall recipe. This pear and walnut focaccia bread turned out incredible and it also makes your house smell exactly like Fall when it's cooking. 

I found that using ripe but not overly ripened pears works best so it doesn't make the dough too soggy. 

The mix of the pears, walnuts and thyme and the cinnamon sugar make for the perfect salty-sweet combination. I added some Maldon finishing salt when I took it out of the oven and it was over the top! You could certainly leave off the cinnamon sugar for a more savory bread. 

Although this recipe may look fancy, it was super easy to make! I bought already prepared pizza dough from Trader's Joe's, which is a great short cut without compromising on flavor. 

Making a fist, dimple the dough and sprinkle the walnuts into the indentations. Then you can layer on the thyme and pears and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture.

If you want your house to smell amazing before company arrives, pop this bread into the oven a few minutes before, and you will definitely impress them when they walk in the door!

Baking it in the cast iron skillet allows you to get the most amazing golden crust without drying out the bread. The pears get slightly softened and the cinnoman sugar bakes into the dough. 

You could serve it for a brunch, afternoon snack, with a bowl of soup or salad, as an appetizer or dessert. To give it more sweetness, you could add a drizzle of honey. Or, if you wanted to make it more savory, you could serve it a long with some gorgonzola or blue cheese. The possibilities are endless, and I can't wait to hear how you serve it!

---

Pear and Walnut Focaccia Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Trader Joe's plain pizza dough (or 1 pound of your favorite pizza dough)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1-2 firm but ripe pears, sliced into thin wedges (about a 1/2 inch. thick)
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnomon 
• Sprinkle of Maldon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
2. With slight greased hands, remove the pizza dough from the package and place it on a lightly floured surface for about 20-30 minutes. 
3. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9 inch cast iron skillet. Place the dough into the skillet and evenly spread it on the skillet. With light greased hands, dimple the dough creating small indentations. Place walnut pieces into the indent, then sprinkle the thyme evenly over the dough. Arrange the pears evenly over the dough.
4. Combine the cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the pears and dough. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the top is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature for best results. 

Please note: The bread is best enjoyed right after it is baked. However, if you have leftovers, you can put it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it up. Enjoy!

One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

After a brief hiatus over the Summer, I could not be happier to be back in the kitchen and back to this ol' blog of mine! I took some time off while my husband and I relocated from living in Southern California back to Northern California. We are thrilled to get back to our roots and be closer to our families and friends. As someone who likes to cook, having to pack and unpack our kitchen was one of the hardest parts for me. We are finally (almost) unpacked, which means I can actually cook again! I found myself looking for easy, healthy and comforting meals which lead me to come up with this incredibly tasty one sheet pan meal. It is perfect for the upcoming Fall season, an easy weeknight meal, and it also makes for amazing leftovers to have throughout the week. 

I am so excited that I can finally grow a mini herb garden since our new kitchen gets a lot of great natural light. I used our homegrown herbs, mixed with farmers market vegetables and chicken. With minimal prep work involved, dinner practically made itself. 

I used a combination of all of the vegetables we had on hand: carrots, mini tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, red potatoes, mushrooms and red onion. You could certainly use any and all vegetables for this dish! 

When I first tested out the recipe, there was not enough flavor, so the second time around I added cumin and paprika. Those two spices helped to elevate the flavors without being overpowering. I also used a mix of fresh and dried herbs. 

It took me about 15 minutes to get the veggies and chicken chopped and mix up the spices. Once it was all combined, I put it all on a sheet pan and topped it with some fresh thyme. It really is that easy :)

This dish makes the kitchen smell amazing when it's cooking! What you end up with is a healthy and comforting meal all in one. Since I added potatoes to ours, we didn't feel a need to serve it over rice but you could definitely serve it over rice or your favorite starch. It is also really yummy served on top of a salad. 

Aside from the minimal prep and cook time, the best part is that it makes for very easy clean up. This time of year I am always looking for easy make ahead meals and this one definitely checks all the boxes. My husband and I will be making this meal a lot this season. :) 

---

One Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2-3 red potatoes 
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2- 1 cup of grape or plum tomatoes (I used 1 cup)
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1-1/2 cups bell peppers, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish

Spice Mix:

• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried herbs
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• Dash of worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 3-4 Tbs. olive or avocado oil (depending on the amount of meat and veggies you use)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 
2. Chop all of the veggies into large pieces. On a separate cutting board, chop up the chicken into cubes. 
3. In a bowl, combine the veggies, garlic. Add in the chopped chicken and coat the mixture with the oil, salt and pepper.  
4. In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together. 
5. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and veggie mixture. Coat evenly. 
6. Place the mixture onto the sheet pan and top with sprigs of fresh thyme. 
7. Bake for 15-25 minutes depending on your oven, until the veggies are charred and the chicken has cooked through. 
8. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad

My current Summer obsession is salads! But not just your typical lettuce and veggies, although you can never go wrong with that. I had a watermelon left over from the 4th of July holiday, so I sliced it up with some fresh cucumbers, feta cheese and mint and it cured my salad cravings. It is perfect for lunch on a hot day or BBQ out on the patio for dinner.

I started by scoring the watermelon on the diagonal and then horizonally, which created 1 inch cubes. I also cut up the cucumber and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes so all of the ingredients were about the same in size. 

This salad is amazing because it comes together so quickly! Once all of the ingredients were chopped up, I thinly sliced mint and made a vinaigrette dressing to top the salad with. 

I love all of the flavor you get from the liberal amount of freshly ground pepper and the fresh mint. This salad has the perfect balance of salty sweet. 

This recipe makes enough for two, so my husband and I enjoyed it along side some grilled chicken for dinner and it was amazing! You could certainly double or triple the recipe for a crowd. 

We have had a busy Summer so far with lots of time on the road, entertaining guests and enjoying the sunshine. It's nice to have this simple recipe at our fingertips for a quick yet satisfying meal. I had a moment today where I was feeling ready for the Fall season, and then I remembered we are not even halfway through the Summer and I better enjoy it while it lasts! Anyone else get that itch for the next season to begin? Regardless, be sure to add this to your Summer recipe rotation :)

---

Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 seedless cucumber, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 2 Tbs. fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Cut the watermelon, cucumber and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes. Thinly slice mint. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
2. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Pour over the ingredients and toss until well combined. 
3. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend. 
4. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately. 

Homemade Almond Milk

A few years ago I would never have guessed I would be drinking almond milk. I used to drink fat free or 1% milk. Until the craze of almond milk hit and I jumped on the bandwagon and haven't looked back. 

I had been wanting to try my hand at homemade almond milk because I heard how much healthier it was and how much better it tasted than store bought. I used this almond milk recipe, and it turned out amazing! It was so easy to make and it is so creamy. 

I like to add a splash of almond milk in my morning tea or coffee, blend it in smoothies, add to baked goods, and in countless other recipes. Although it took more effort than pulling it off the grocery store shelf, I plan to keep a jar of almond milk in the fridge. Have you jumped on the almond milk bandwagon or is regular milk still your muse?

---

Homemade Almond Milk, Against All Grain

Serving Size: 1 Quart

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 8 cups filtered water, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 small date, pitted

Instructions:

1. Place almonds in a bowl with 4 cups of filtered water and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and soak for 10 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the nuts and rinse well. Transfer them to a blender and fill with 4 cups filtered water. Add the date and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth.
3. Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve, a nut milk bag, or doubled cheesecloth. Squeeze to remove all of the liquid. Store in the refrigerator for 5 days.