Monthly Archives: January 2012

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

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Today, I discovered my blog has topped 1,000 views since I first brought you Roasted Veggie Pizza. What better way to celebrate the milestone than with breakfast for dinner?

When I was little, breakfast for dinner was one of my favorite treats. Breakfast is my all time favorite meal of the day (probably because you can get away with eating things that usually qualify as dessert first thing in the morning), so getting it twice in once day was always super awesome.

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I would usually beg for pancakes over waffles because my mom, great mom that she is, would pour the batter into any shape my little heart desired. And we’re talking anything from a dog, to an octopus, to people…specific people. You have not lived until your form has been immortalized in pancake batter.

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Zucchini Boats with Cheesy-Basil Mousse

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Growing up, zucchini was one of those foods that fell in the “yucky green vegetable” category. Had these appeared before me at age 5, I might have reconsidered my feelings on zucchini.

The herbed cheesy filling compliments the sweetness of the baked zucchini. But be careful not to over cook these boats, or they’ll sink under the weight of of their creamy filling. Continue reading →

Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich with Fig and Basil

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If you’re on the fence about goat cheese, I ask you to hold your judgement until after you try this sandwich. I used to belong to the camp that feels goat cheese is a smelly, unappetizing cheese that one asks to be held off your salad or entrée.

My mind has been entirely changed by two things: first, an amazing tapas restaurant called 4 Sisters Tapas and Wine Bar in La Crosse, WI (of all places…) where I had my first true experience with plain goat cheese, and this sandwich which has made it a staple item in my fridge forever.

Goat cheese is not the mildest of cheese, I will give you that, and taken on its own, it can be a bit overbearing, but with the sweetness of the fig and honey in this sandwich, and the gooey, cream-cheese-like texture it takes on when grilled, this sandwich is a great option for a quick dinner, or a filling breakfast.

So I ask, my darling readers, that you set aside your preconceived ideas about goat cheese until you try it in the sandwich I have been obsessively eating for breakfast for the past week. Continue reading →

Lighter Chicken Pot Pies

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Happy New Year!

As we dive into 2012, which is already promising to be a succulent and satisfying year for me, I find myself wanting a break from all the sugar-frosted sweet things I’ve been consuming and jumping on the bandwagon with all those who have a new year’s resolution to eat healthier.

How long this will last remains to be seen, but I have always been an advocate for the fact that healthy food is also delicious food, and despite what Paula Dean may have to say, you do not, in fact, need to use that entire stick of butter to create a tasty meal in your own home.

With the holiday ending, I’ve also found myself swimming in leftovers. The half-carved rotisserie chicken I used to make BBQ chicken pizza, the veggies left over from the veggies and dip platter, and the puff pastry sheet I didn’t use when I made (and subsequently parked myself in front of) baked brie.

Since moving into my very first apartment, I am determined to be all grown up and economical, so I sat and pondered what the heck I could make that would use up such a random assortment of leftover ingredients. Continue reading →