Forage

One of the things I love about living in the Bay Area is all of the cool things everyone is working on. I feel like every other day a friend tells me about an amazing project they are starting or working on. It's exciting to continually have so many inspiring people around me. That's how I felt recently when my friend Emily La Fave launched her new venture, Forage. A new spin on meal planning, Forage delivers all the ingredients you need to recreate some of your favorite restaurant dishes from famed restaurants such as Hapa Ramen, Dosa and Alta CA. I've been trying it out for a few weeks and it's been super nice to have a gourmet way to speed up making dinner on those nights when things are hectic.

Tea Time with Mazama

I recently became aware of the new Portland based company Mazama and instantly fell in love. Started by a talented group of designers and crafters, they make the most beautifully hand-crafted ceramic drinking vessels. So when they asked if I wanted to put together a little post on their blog sharing how I would use their mugs I immediately obliged. Because I'm pregnant I was a little limited in my drinking options but decided on a lovely tea time with cookies. So simple and special, recipe below.

Tea:
I bought a delicious loose leaf tea from a favorite fair trade brand of mine called Marble and Milkweed. But you can also easily buy and mix your own bulk loose leaf tea.

Cookies:
Old Fashioned Lemon Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
2 large eggs
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside.

Put sugars and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice. Reduce speed; gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

Scoop dough using a 1-inch ice cream scoop; space cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with a spatula. Sprinkle tops with sanding sugar.

Recipe Review: Baked Falafel with Pita

Starting a couple months ago Travis and I decided to eat a little healthier, or I should say I decided and since I do all the cooking Travis had no choice in the matter. We already ate pretty good, mostly organic and local, with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. But I felt like we were eating too much meat and snacking too frequently. So I've been making more meat free meals that would be filling enough to discourage me from snacking, which led me to looking for the perfect falafel recipe. After tinkering with a few different recipes I feel pretty happy with the outcome. Find my recipe below.

These falafel are pretty tasty alone but I have to say that for me it's all about the sauces. I like to make both a lemon tahini garlic dressing (recipe below) and a fresh tzatziki, the more the merrier. And then just pile on any veggies I have. I particularly like the classics like tomato and cucumbers, but have also tried and really enjoyed adding avocado  peppers and artichokes. You can also try new things with your falafel recipe, like adding more or less of your favorite herbs and spices or even adding in nuts like this amazing version from Sprouted Kitchen.

Baked Falafel Recipe

3-4 garlic cloves
4 Tbsp fresh parsley
½ red onion
3 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or two 15 oz cans)
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin

1-2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp honey
5 tbsp flour (you can substitute gluten free options such as almond or spelt flour)
1 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Place the garlic and the parsley into a food processor and chop it up. Add the onion and process it until the onion is chopped up as well but not too small.

Add the chickpeas, coriander, and cumin. Process until everything is finely ground but not pureed. You can do this in steps if the amount is too much to be processed at once. Place the ground mix into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, honey, flour, and the baking powder, and season to taste with salt and pepper. If needed add more flour.

Form the mix into little balls and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush both sides of each falafel with olive oil. Bake them for 20 minutes then flip them and bake them again for 20 minutes.

Warm the pita bread and top with the falafel, lemon tahini dressing, tomatoes, lettuce, and any other veggies of your choice. Enjoy!

Lemon Tahini Garlic Dressing

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

4 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ cup filtered water
½ cup tahini
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 organic garlic cloves
3 tablespoons fresh organic parsley (I used curly, but flat leaved should work fine)
1 tablespoon raw honey
½ cup extra virgin oil

Put all ingredients, excluding oil, in your food processor or blender.
Puree until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Drizzle in olive oil and continue mixing.
When everything is well blended, serve on everything!

New Rue + Rue Cooks Feature

Once again it's launch day for the newest Rue Magazine. This month the entire issue is devoted to weddings and entertaining, so you'll find endless inspiration for all your summer soiree's. I also got to team up again with my friend and amazing photographer Eva Kolenko on this months' Rue Cooks. We decided to make a strawberry galette with vodka lemonade, perfect for a summer picnic. It turned out delicious as you can see below. (to see more and get the recipe visit Rue Magazine)

Rue Daily Launch

For those of you waiting with bated breathe after last weeks teaser. This week after many hours and late nights we launched Rue Daily. Where you can find all the great content you've come to expect from Rue Magazine but on a daily basis!! This recipe for Espresso and Walnut Dar Chocolate Cake by Jennifer Martiné  is just one example of the great features to come. Enjoy!

Guest Post: Colleen's French Tomato Tart

Hi there! I'm Colleen from the blog Inspired to Share, and I'm so honored to be on Maia's blog while she's off getting married! Congratulations, Maia! Since Maia and I are both foodies at heart, I thought it would be fitting to share a recipe. :) Food has a beautiful way of bringing people together and cooking has become one of the favorite ways for my husband and I to spend quality time together. Whatever your skills might be in the kitchen (I'll be the first to admit that my husband is a much better cook than me!), it's such a fun way to enjoy marriage and have fun together.

We recently got a huge basket of tomatoes from my mother-in-law's gardens and I wanted to do something fun and different with them, beyond the typical spaghetti sauce. I decided to try making a tomato tart! It's a delicious French recipe that's both simple and flavorful. Anything with goat cheese is a win in my book, and this is also a great way to use up fresh herbs! This French tomato tart is a vegetarian recipe that's delicious for breakfast or dinner!

French Tomato Tart (adapted from this NY Times recipe)

Ingredients
1 yeasted olive oil pastry (1/2 recipe)*
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs combination (parsley, thyme, & basil were my favorite!)
2 eggs
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

*Tip to save time: I made the crust a day ahead and froze it. Then when you're getting ready to cook, thaw the dough and roll flat.

Directions


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan and line it with the pastry. Keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

2. Brush the mustard over the bottom of the dough. Slice the tomatoes and arrange over the mustard in concentric circles, overlapping them slightly and filling the pie about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs. Then add chopped peppers and onions.

3. Beat together the eggs and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the tomatoes. Drizzle on the olive oil. Place in the oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy! :)

4th of July Recipe Inspiration

Happy Independence Day everyone! I wanted to share some last minute 4th of July recipe ideas with you all. I love holidays where I get to plan a fun meal and hang out with family. 4th of July is extra special in our house because it's also Travis' birthday! So maybe some cupcakes are needed. Also I won't be posting to the blog tomorrow but I will be back to regular posting on Thursday. (links below images)

1. Peach & Rosemary Fizz via A Merry Mishap
2. Sauteed Chard & Gruyere Grilled Cheese via Sprouted Kitchen
3. Nectarine & Fennel Salad via Sprouted Kitchen
4. Smashed Berry-Lime-Coconut Yogurt Ice Pops via Desserts for Breakfast

Simple Eats: Homemade Quick Pickles

Maybe it's my Scandinavian roots but I'm kind've a pickle fiend. If a menu has the mention of anything pickled on it, I'm pretty much guaranteed to order it. So it might come as a surprise that I have very little experience making them at home. So this past weekend I decided to start simple and try my hand at this recipe from Country Living for overnight quick sweet pickles. And it turned out a success, they were quick, easy and of course super delicious. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Bran Muffins

The last couple of weeks I was getting in the really bad habit of buying myself a coffee and muffin for breakfast every morning before work. So this last weekend I decided instead of being lazy and paying for a 3 dollar muffin every morning I should be making my own. And my newest cookbook, Super Natural  Every Day by 101 Cookbooks blogger Heidi Swanson had the perfect bran muffin recipe for me to try. See recipe below.

Bran Muffin Recipe

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used goats milk yogurt)

1/2 Barely melted unsalted butter

1/4 cup maple syrup (I used 1/2 cup and excluded the sugar mentioned below)

1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran or oat bran

1 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened bran cereal

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup natural cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and maple syrup. Sprinkle the bran and the cereal across the top, stir, and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top of the wet and stir until just combined. Immediately fill each muffin cup three-quarters full.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges of the muffins begin to brown and the tops have set. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the muffins out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

credit: image and recipe from Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen, by Heidi Swanson

Recipe Review: 4th of July Meal

I'm assuming many of you are getting together with friends and family this weekend to celebrate 4th of July and the 2nd best way to do that (after fireworks) is to eat a scrumptious, summery picnic style meal. So I put together my idea of the perfect weekend bbq meal. (recipe links below images)

1. Heirloom Tomato Salad 2. Hardcore Vietnamese Bánh Mì- The “Bang Me”‘ Fried Egg Recipe 3. Rosemary Lamb Popsicles w/ Mint Gremolata 4. Striped Ice Pops

Recipe Review: Berry-palooza

One of my favorite things about summer dining is the abundance of sweet glorious berries. Usually I'm so impatient I start stuffing them into my mouth, as soon as I get home from the grocery store or farmers market, but for those of you that have better self control, I thought I would feature some recipes using these sweet little nuggets of joy. (Recipe links can be found below the images)

1. Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake 

2. Mixed Greens Salad with Berries and Almonds

Recipe Review: Summer Salads

Well the weather here in Wisconsin is really keeping us on our toes, one day it's 40 degrees and windy the next 80 and muggy. It's like make up your mind already (preferably somewhere around 70 degrees with a soft breeze please) I don't know if it's going to stay this way but for the last 2 days it's been hot! Which is why I wanted to share some delicious summer salad recipes with you all so you don't have to turn on the air conditioning in May but you also don't have to sweat buckets over your stove. Enjoy!

Paris Bistro Salad via Meals in Heels

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill Dressing via Martha Stewart

Poached Salmon Niçoise via MyRecipes

Zucchini Crudo via Kiss My Spatula

Recipe Review: Wild Ramps

Ramps are one of those precious ingredients that come around once a year and you try to figure out any way you can to fit them into everything, which is exactly what I have been doing lately. There is something really special about an item that you look forward to having all year, and as soon as they show up in the grocery store, you get that jolt of excitement in your tummy (or at least I do, I might be too attached to my food though) I think there is even a deeper level of appreciation for these delectable little bulbs if you happen to harvest them yourself, which I didn't do this year but have in the past and believe me there is nothing more satisfying then hiking around the woods only to find a garlicky treasure beneath your feet. Below are a couple recipes I've found featuring ramps that I like, I've also been cramming them into everything from chicken salad,  to quiche and salad dressing this week.

 Ramp & Buttermilk Biscuits with Cracked Coriander

Seared Salmon with Linguine and Ramp Pesto

Recipe Review: Quiche

It seems like every spring I go through a quiche phase, where I make it for dinner at least once a week. Maybe it's because the weather prompts me to want something lighter but still comforting, but also I love how fancy it seems while really being quite easy to make, full disclosure: I cheat a little by buying my pie shells from a local bakery that makes and freezes them daily. I also love how versatile they are, if I have a pie shell in the freezer and eggs in the fridge I really can throw whatever else I want in to the dish and it comes out splendidly. Recent iterations have included chives, with goat cheese and bacon, or leeks and mushroom with gouda. Below are a few recipes I've found that can get you started but I really recommend experimenting with your combinations. (Links for recipes can be found below the images)

1. Leek & Mushroom Quiche

2. Chipotle Pork Quichelettes

3. Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart

Recipe Review: What I Want to Make This Weekend

So I haven't done my usual recipe review in awhile because I've been under the weather so I haven't had the energy or time to do any cooking, so instead I thought I would do a little round-up of all the recipes I want to make this weekend, since I'm feeling much better now. To see many more meal inspirations visit my pinterest board on the subject.

Pasta with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Feta & Arugula via Eats Well With Others

White Bean & Shitake Soup with Herb Oil via Sunday Suppers

Tomato Pesto Crostata via Always With Butter

Recipe Review: Mary's Sloppy Joe's

I'm super excited to share todays recipe review because the originator of this dish is my boyfriends mother, Mary, and thus is one of his favorite meals. A couple years ago Mary created a little cookbook that included all of her recipes that she's been making for years. Since then every once in awhile when Travis (my boyfriend) is craving something homey, I know just what to make and this sloppy joe recipe is one of his favorites. I've modified it just a little but it still has that homemade midwest flavor. See full recipe after the jump.

Recipe Review: Cashew Chicken

The best cashew chicken I ever had was when I went to Thailand my first year of college and ever since when I order cashew chicken I'm always hoping it will stand up to my memory of this perfect Thai dish, but of course if never does. So this past weekend I tried my hand at making my own, I went off of this recipe at Simply Recipes, and to tell you the truth I was quite impressed. I think I need to finesse it just a little bit more but I would say I'm on the right track to repeating my cashew chicken experience. (image via simply recipes)

Recipe Review: Irish Soda Bread Biscuits

Last night I set out to make Irish soda bread for todays recipe review, but realized once I got started that I did not have enough flour, which is why I ended up making this recipe for Soda Bread Biscuits instead. For me they are perfection because they have that wonderfully subtle sweet flavor that I crave (I don't like super sweet things) and reminded me a little bit of the slightly sweet rolls we would get as children on Santa Lucia day, although in reality they aren't that similar, something about them triggered that taste memory. Isn't it interesting how food can bring back such vivid memories sometimes? It's one of the reasons I love cooking so much. Recipe via Simply Recipes

Recipe Review: chicken provençal

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes because it is so simple to make and always satisfies. I don't think you can ever go wrong when pairing chicken with lemon. I would also suggest serving it with a really good crusty bread since there is a lot of juicy goodness to mop up.

Recipe Review: Bacon Pancakes

Last night for dinner I decided to make pancakes, which is my usual go to dinner when I have put off grocery shopping too long. I was also lucky enough to have some bacon in the fridge, so instead of just serving it on the side I found this recipe and folded it in to the pancakes. It was beyond delicious! definitely a dish you should only have occasionally because it is basically a dinner of butter, fat, sugar and carbs, but in my mind a life without bacon stuffed pancakes is not a life worth living.