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  • Green chili and sweet potato frittata

    Green chili and sweet potato frittata

    Frittatas are just too easy not to try them with everything. This one has green chili and sweet potatoes and is just the thing for a fall breakfast.

    Ingredients:

    Two tablespoons butter

    One small onion , diced

    1 cup chopped sweet potatoes

    3/4 cup raw, diced green chili

    Five eggs

    3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

    Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

    Parmesan for the top (about 1/2 cup)

    Directions:

    Sauté the onion and the green chili for a few minutes in a cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the green chili, and let cook about 2-3 more minutes. Add the salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk the eggs and cream together and pour over the green chili mixture. Allow to cook on medium heat for about a minute, so a crust forms. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place the skillet in the oven, preheated at 350, for ten minutes.

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  • Ratatouille with homemade sauce and garden herbs

    Ratatouille with homemade sauce and garden herbs

    I’ve been wanting to try ratatouille for a long time, but there are so many recipes out there the choices were just daunting. So, as usual, I read as many ratatouille recipes as I could get my hands on and then set out to make my own creation, using what I liked most from each recipe. I knew I wanted to attempt the pretty layered version instead of the chunky stew version, and I knew mine needed a more marinara-like sauce rather than one made of just a few Roma tomatoes.

    This vegetable dish will stay in rotation at our house but will change based on what we have available. I did use eggplant this time, but only because I wanted to make a traditional version. I’m not an eggplant fan and will omit that next time (or replace it with something I like better). As far as recipes with fresh vegetables go, I think this version of ratatouille is a new favorite.

    Ratatouille

    a buttery, herb-laden version of this classic dish

    • 1 32 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes (preferably Italian)
    • 2 large bell peppers, red, yellow or orange
    • 4 tbsp butter
    • 8 cloves garlic (or more! )
    • 1 large white onion
    • salt (to taste)
    • 1 large handful of herbs (I used basil, oregano, marjoram and thyme )
    • 1 medium eggplant
    • 1 large zucchini
    • 1 large yellow crookneck squash
    • 3 Roma tomatoes
    • 1 large onion
    • 3-4 tbsp avocado oil

    For the sauce

    1. Place the canned tomatoes, butter and white onion (cut in half and placed face down) in a pot. This is a variation on Marcela Hazan’s sauce, so simmer the tomatoes, butter and halved onion together for about 40 minutes, smashing the tomatoes as they soften. Rough chop the bell peppers and add them about five to ten minutes in. Add the garlic about halfway through (minced). Clean and de-stem the herbs, rough chop them and toss them in to simmer another 20 minutes or so, on low. Add salt to taste. Once the sauce tastes like you want it, take it off of the heat to cool slightly. When it is no longer boiling, remove the onion and use an immersion blender to purée all of the herbs and peppers into the sauce. Set aside.

    For the casserole

    1. While the sauce simmers, slice all of the veggies except the tomatoes and onions, and place them in a large bowl. Liberally salt them and toss, then allow to sit for ten to 20 minutes. Drain the water out and place them on paper towels to dry. In a skillet, heat up several tablespoons of avocado oil and sauté the veggie rounds lightly, working in batches. Place about a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a heavy casserole dish and start placing the veggies around the bottom of the pan in layers, adding more sauce as needed. Cut the tomatoes and onions into round slices and begin to place them in the pan also. 

      Once all of the veggies and sauce are in the pan, bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

    Ingredients:

    • One large can of Italian, whole peeled tomatoes
    • Two bell peppers, orange, red or yellow
    • Four tablespoons butter
    • Lots of garlic — I used close to 8 cloves
    • One white onion
    • Salt, to taste
    • Herbs of your choice, several large handfuls (I used basil, oregano, marjoram and thyme)
    • One large zucchini
    • One medium eggplant
    • One large yellow crookneck squash
    • Several Roma tomatoes
    • One large red onion
    • Several tablespoons avocado oil (amount will vary)

    Directions:

    For the sauce: Place the tomatoes, butter and white onion (cut in half and placed face down) in a pot. This is a variation on Marcela Hazan’s sauce, so simmer the tomatoes, butter and halved onion together for about 40 minutes, smashing the tomatoes as they soften. Rough chop the bell peppers and add them about five to ten minutes in. Add the garlic about halfway through (minced). Clean and de-stem the herbs, rough chop them and toss them in to simmer another 20 minutes or so, on low. Add salt to taste. Once the sauce tastes like you want it, take it off of the heat to cool slightly. When it is no longer boiling, remove the onion and use an immersion blender to purée all of the herbs and peppers into the sauce. Set aside.

    Meanwhile, slice all of the veggies except the tomatoes and onions, and place them in a large bowl. Liberally salt them and toss, then allow to sit for ten to 20 minutes. Drain the water out and place them on paper towels to dry. In a skillet, heat up several tablespoons of avocado oil and sauté the veggie rounds lightly, working in batches. Place about a cup of the sauce in the bottom of a heavy casserole dish and start placing the veggies around the bottom of the pan in layers, adding more sauce as needed. Cut the tomatoes and onions into round slices and begin to place them in the pan also.

    Once all of the veggies and sauce are in the pan, bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

    How to place the veggies

    More vegetable-forward recipes can be found here, here and here.

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  • Vodka cocktail: Thyme n’ Lime

    Vodka cocktail: Thyme n’ Lime

    I’ve been wanting to make herb-infused vodka for awhile now and finally tried it with some excess thyme that somehow survived the brutal summer it’s endured in my garden. Herbs are so fun to use in different ways, and if you have a garden you know you can really have a lot of them! I strained it after three days and it really made a nice, subtle, earthy difference in the flavor of this cocktail, which is kind of a limey, peachy, bubbly concoction. The herbs in the vodka gave it just a little extra bite that made it a really special drink.

    For the vodka:
    Soak several sprigs of thyme in about 16 oz vodka for about three days in a sealed container (I used a jar). Strain into a clean bottle or airtight jar. This looks gorgeous sitting on the countertop. You can adjust for however much you want to use. I use an empty vodka bottle of my choosing to keep it in, and a little chalk label. You can keep this in a jar if you’d like, or even your favorite pretty decanter.

    The cocktail, for two:
    In a shaker, combine four oz of the vodka, two oz peach liqueur, and the juice of two limes (fresh squeezed). Add a few cubes of ice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. You can also stir this, just make sure to stir very well.

    Strain into two gorgeous glasses and top with a dry champagne or a sparkling water (not flavored, as it will take away from the taste of the thyme, which really needs to stand out here). Add sprigs of thyme for garnish. I just love how I can smell the fresh herbs while I am drinking! Enjoy!

    For more cocktail recipes, click here.

  • Thyme n’ lime — an herb-infused vodka cocktail

    Thyme n’ lime — an herb-infused vodka cocktail

    I’ve been wanting to make herb-infused liquor for awhile now and finally tried it with some excess thyme that somehow survived the brutal summer it’s endured in my garden. I strained it after three days and it really made a nice, subtle, earthy difference in the flavor of this cocktail, which is kind of a limey, peachy, bubbly concoction.

    For the vodka:
    Soak several sprigs of thyme in about 16 oz vodka for about three days in a sealed container (I used a jar). Strain into a clean bottle or airtight jar.

    The cocktail, for two:
    In a shaker, combine four oz of the vodka, two oz peach liqueur, and the juice of two limes (fresh squeezed). Add a few cubes of ice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.

    Strain into two glasses and top with a dry champagne. Add sprigs of thyme for garnish. Enjoy!

  • Gluten-free scones with cinnamon and brown sugar filling

    Gluten-free scones with cinnamon and brown sugar filling

    It’s rare that I come up with a recipe in the pastry or bread category that comes out perfect the first time. Now, this is a pretty basic gluten-free scone recipe, but I altered the ratios of butter, cream and yogurt and played with the spices and extracts for a flavor I knew I’d love. These scones came out perfect… biscuit-y without being too crumbly, the perfect dryness of a scone with enough moisture to hold it together.

    Gluten-free scones pairing

    The cinnamon sugar mixture leaked out and formed crunchy, crispy, chewy little sugar morsels and the tops of the scones had just the right amount of crunch. These were incredibly easy to make and when paired with a slice of bacon and a cup of coffee — total heaven. They also go great for a brunch with a mimosa.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups gluten free flour blend (add a teaspoon of xantham gum if yours doesn’t have it). I used this kind and added xantham gum.
    • 1/4 cup coarse granulated sugar
    • 2 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/8 tsp. cardamom powder
    • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
    • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • 6 tablespoons butter (cold)
    • 1 tsp. almond extract
    • 1/2 tsp. butter extract
    • 1/2 cup whole milk grass fed yogurt (plain)
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 eggs

    For the filling:

    • 3-4 tablespoons butter
    • 1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 2 tsp. cinnamon (more or less, to taste)
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 2 more tablespoons butter for drizzling the top
    • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for dusting the top

    Directions:

    In a medium sized bowl (that will fit in your fridge), mix together the dry ingredients. Chop the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and cut it in with a pastry cutter or a fork, only until it is partially mixed and you can see large bits of butter. Add the eggs, cream, yogurt, lemon juice and extracts and mix just until it comes together. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours, or overnight.

    When you are ready to bake them, mix up the rest of the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

    Dust your countertop with gluten free flour and dump the dough out on top of it. Dust a little bit of flour on top of that, and knead it with the palm of your hands, just a few times, until it stays together. Press it down into a rectangle about an inch thick. Spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture on it, and then fold it in half, making sure the cinnamon filling is in the middle. Press it down to about an inch thickness again. Brush melted butter over the top and sprinkle about two tablespoons of granulated sugar on top. Cut into triangles, however large or small you’d like. I cut mine pretty thin to make about 13 smallish scones. Place them on a baking sheet (lightly greased or sprayed) and bake at 400 degrees for about ten minutes.

    For more gluten-free baked goods, click here.

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  • Coconut Madelines: a Gluten Free Dessert Cookie

    Yesterday I was craving coconut macaroons, but I really wanted to try out my new Madeline pan. So, these coconut madelines were born. These are good enough to have with your morning coffee for a luxurious treat and fancy enough to make for company. I used a combo of gluten-free flour and almond flour and made them a bit cakey. The combo of coconut cream, mascarpone cheese and butter make them extra moist, and the addition of lavender simple syrup takes the flavor up a notch (you can’t taste the lavender, it just gives it a little extra something). These were devoured by the kids and adults alike. Click here for an affiliate link to my Madeline pan: https://shopstyle.it/l/bwd2D. Recipe below:

    Makes 24:
    1/2 c. gluten-free flour (I love the one Pillsbury makes)
    1/2 cup almond flour (a fine one would work best)
    1/8 tsp. sea salt
    1/2 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 cup granulated sugar
    Stir all of the above together until thoroughly mixed in a large bowl.

    In another bowl:
    2 large eggs. Start beating them with a hand mixer and slowly pour 1/4 c, lavender simple syrup (regular simple syrup will do, and if you don’t have that maple syrup will also work) into the mixture, beating until creamy. While still mixing, add:
    1/4 c. Mascarpone cheese
    4 tablespoons coconut cream (from a can of full-fat coconut milk that’s been refrigerated)
    1/2 stick melted butter

    Once that mixture is creamy, add in:
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1.5 tsp. coconut extract
    1 tsp butter extract

    Stir with a spoon until just blended.

    Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture gently and stir until just blended. Add one cup of unsweetened coconut flakes (I used bobs red mill). Again, stir until just blended. I split this recipe in half and added about 1/2 c. chocolate chips to one half.

    Preheat your oven to 375 Fahrenheit and brush melted butter over the cups in your pan. Scoop one small melon baller’s worth (about a heaping tablespoon) of dough into each cup and bake for ten minutes. Allow to cool on a baking rack before dusting with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

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  • Green chili and sweet potato frittata

    Green chili and sweet potato frittata

    Frittatas are just too easy not to try them with everything. This one has green chili and sweet potatoes and is just the thing for a fall breakfast.

    Ingredients:

    Two tablespoons butter

    One small onion , diced

    1 cup chopped sweet potatoes

    3/4 cup raw, diced green chili

    Five eggs

    3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

    Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

    Parmesan for the top (about 1/2 cup)

    Directions:

    Sauté the onion and the green chili for a few minutes in a cast iron or other oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the green chili, and let cook about 2-3 more minutes. Add the salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk the eggs and cream together and pour over the green chili mixture. Allow to cook on medium heat for about a minute, so a crust forms. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place the skillet in the oven, preheated at 350, for ten minutes.

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  • A vodka cocktail with thyme, lime and champagne

    A vodka cocktail with thyme, lime and champagne

    I’ve been wanting to make herb-infused liquor for awhile now and finally tried it with some excess thyme that somehow survived the brutal summer it’s endured in my garden. I strained it after three days and it really made a nice, subtle, earthy difference in the flavor of this vodka cocktail, which is kind of a limey, peachy, bubbly concoction.

    For the vodka:

    Soak several sprigs of thyme in about 16 oz vodka for about three days in a sealed container (I used a jar). Strain into a clean bottle or airtight jar.

    The vodka cocktail, for two:

    In a shaker, combine four oz of the vodka, two oz peach liqueur, and the juice of two limes (fresh squeezed). Add a few cubes of ice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.

    Strain into two glasses and top with a dry champagne. Add sprigs of thyme for garnish. Enjoy!

    For more cocktail recipes, click here.

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  • Thyme n’ lime — an herb-infused vodka cocktail

    Thyme n’ lime — an herb-infused vodka cocktail

    I’ve been wanting to make herb-infused liquor for awhile now and finally tried it with some excess thyme that somehow survived the brutal summer it’s endured in my garden. I strained it after three days and it really made a nice, subtle, earthy difference in the flavor of this cocktail, which is kind of a limey, peachy, bubbly concoction.

    For the vodka:
    Soak several sprigs of thyme in about 16 oz vodka for about three days in a sealed container (I used a jar). Strain into a clean bottle or airtight jar.

    The cocktail, for two:
    In a shaker, combine four oz of the vodka, two oz peach liqueur, and the juice of two limes (fresh squeezed). Add a few cubes of ice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.

    Strain into two glasses and top with a dry champagne. Add sprigs of thyme for garnish. Enjoy!

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  • Galette with cherry-blackberry filling

    Galette with cherry-blackberry filling

    Last night I made what I’ll call a lazy galette… lazy because I used a store-bought crust but I’ll tell you the cherry-blackberry combo made up for it! Recipe below:

    For the galette

    One store-bought pie crust rolled out on a sheet of parchment paper and baking sheet
    2 cups pitted cherries
    1 cup blackberries (fresh)
    1/2 stick butter
    4 tablespoons sugar
    About a tablespoon of cinnamon
    Top with home made whipped cream or ice cream if desired!

    Combine the fruit and the melted butter with the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl until the fruit is coated evenly. Spread the mixture over the crust and roll the edges over some of the fruit. Brush the crust with a little bit of melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is just golden. My fruit mixture spilled out a little, but I was able to drizzle it on top!

    For more dessert ideas, click here.

    Post contains affiliate links.

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