Baked Cucumber Chips

So you know how sometimes you can't tell the difference between cucumbers and zucchini at the grocery store and so you end up with 3 cucumbers and you and your husband don't even like cucumbers (and your baby tolerates them slightly, at best)?

No...just me?

Oh. Well...that happened. So I needed to find something to do. And I found a way to make baked cucumber chips. Which intrigued me. 

They're actually super simple to make and you can have fun playing around with different seasonings! I originally intended for James to enjoy them but the texture was tricky for him. Luckily, Michael really ended up liking them and they were gone before I knew it! I'm always down for a healthy way to have a crunchy snack.

Perfect Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots have changed my life.

I mean...as much as carrots can change your life, I suppose.

You know me, I'm never super excited about veggies. Carrots are one of the few I like, but up until now I thought I only really liked raw carrots but NOW...oh now I know the magic of roasted carrots.

(Thanks to Michael's stepmom Jeanne who brought some over with a dinner she made for all of us and totally turned my vegetable world upside down.)

Guys...they're delicious. They get all caramelized around the edges and have the perfect combination of sweet and salty. They're tender but still with some crunch. They're an awesome side dish and super easy to throw together. And I've made them a ton of times already and now I want to make them again!

Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Sweet and oh so flavorful...roasted garlic and caramelized onions are a few of my favorite things (I tried to plug them into the song but couldn't quite make the rhyme scheme work so just pretend I'm clever and I did it and we all had a good chuckle, mkay?). I also adore mashed potatoes. So putting them all together is pretty much side dish nirvana.  (Especially when you're serving them with french dip sandwiches. That's a good meal, right there).

It's so ironic that I have so many mashed potato recipes on this blog but, in reality, 99% of the time I make mashed potatoes I sort of just wing it and mix stuff up not according to any particular recipe. That's real life, folks. BUT sometimes you wanna mix things up and do something specific and special and that's what happened here with these lovelies.

Creamy mashed potatoes with all the flavorful and somewhat sweet deliciousness imparted by roasted garlic and caramelized onions totally make the time that goes into them worth it! Michael even enjoyed them and generally he's pretty meh on mashed potatoes. Highly recommend!

Zucchini & Tomato Skillet

I know. I disappear for 2 weeks and then I come back to you with vegetables. Like...who am I even?

Don't worry, I'm still me. I made this for Michael :P

BUT I tried some and actually didn't mind it. And it was a super simple thing to throw together as a healthy side dish for the boy. You're gonna agree-trust me!

Michael was a little wary at first...he said it looks like minestrone soup (of which he is not a fan). I informed him that it was literally just some garlic and chopped tomatoes and zucchini with some seasonings. He gave me a suspicious look and took a bite...

...and he was pleasantly surprised! "This is REALLY good, actually!" he said.

*huff* I can't believe he doubted me.

SO don't you all start doubting me either! This is seriously the simplest (and most adaptable) weeknight skillet idea that works as a side or it could even be an entree if that's your thing (whether you're a vegetarian or if you wanted to mix in some cooked meat with the veggies). You can also of course mix up the vegetables according to your preference but the zucchini and tomatoes really worked out nicely. The zucchini ended up perfectly tender and the tomatoes started to cook down so that they almost became a sauce--which I didn't expect (I suppose I should have but I didn't). Anyway--flavorful, quick, easy, healthy. These are words that describe this one skillet dish that I hope your family likes as much as mine does! :)

Black Bean Pico de Gallo

I miss Mexico.

You know-we went there for our honeymoon and it was the best time ever. Well, it also had the tastiest food ever. I've never been huge on Mexican food but that somewhat changed thanks to our trip-especially when it comes to salsas and dips and such, we had those with/prior to pretty much every meal and they were SO GOOD! My particular favorite was a black bean pico de gallo we had at the Cactus Club. So one day I decided...I'm going to make my own! And it was a fantastic idea.

Anyway, my missing of Mexico has only be exacerbated by the fact that we've been to a couple Mexican restaurants (people are very excited that I'll now go to them) and my cousins had been making pico de gallo/salsas a lot lately during our Sundays in the summer. Then, one day, Michael asked me to buy him salsa con queso and tortilla chips and I said to myself, "Kayle-this is the time. Let's recreate your favorite pico de gallo!"

First a couple tips: This is totally adaptable based upon your palate. Know that. Also--use smaller (cherry or roma) tomatoes so that your pico de gallo doesn't turn out as watery as mine. Trust me on this. Also, um....make sure your jalapeños are chopped very small, your onions are pretty darn small, and that the tomatoes are diced on the smaller side too. And, finally--DO NOT SKIMP ON THE SALT. I'm normally very wary about the salt shaker for health reasons (and it's also kind of like I'm a recovering salt addict...I used to just straight up eat salt y'all and the sad part is...I'm not grossed out by it because I know that's delicious stuff. But soooo bad for you!)-but salt is really your friend with this, it's going to make the biggest difference with the flavor and just...you need it. You will thank me for this. Promise.

And c'mon people...this is a bowl full of vegetables and beans-it's still healthy!

Now you're probably wondering, "Was it everything you wanted it to be? Was it delicious? Did you love it?" 

....

YES YES YES!!! This came out as good as I could have ever expected! Mind you, it would have been nicer if I was staring at the beach and if Michael and I were in relax-y vacation mode but...still...for non-honeymoon fare, it was pretty darn good. Fresh and sweet and and cilantro-y (although that is another thing you can totally mess with to get it to your liking) and delicious (mine wasn't spicy at all because I don't like spicy so I used the lower amount of jalapeño--if you like spiciness feel free to up the amount and/or use the seeds!) And it was demolished pretty much in one sitting with Michael, me, and my brother all circled around it in my living room like crazy savages.

Yepp. That good. You're gonna love it!

Crispy Potatoes

Michael's mom makes ridiculous amounts of food. Like...always. Anytime we're eating there she makes, like, 8 things at once. It is insanity. Delicious insanity but...still. One of the more common meals we end up eating over there is breakfast/brunch (or 2nd breakfast or elevensies...they enjoy LoTR). And my fave thing that makes an appearance during these "breakfasts" are her potatoes. They're super crispy and sort of spicy (to me anyway, which means to normal people they're probably not very spicy at all) and I've seen her make them and I'd witnessed how simple and quick they are to make!

So I was like...duh...let's do this.

All you need to do is stand in the kitchen and watch your adorable, 4'10" future-mother-in-law quickly chop up some potatoes and...oh...wait...you don't have your very own Mama Maria?

My bad. We'll discuss the method where you make these yourself and you don't just keep your fiance's mom company in the kitchen while she whips them up with enviable speed (whilst also having like 10 other things cooking at the same time...seriously...I do not know how she does it. She sets an impossible standard. But I digress.)

Something pretty awesome about this method of cooking potatoes (aside from how easy it is) is that it's completely up to you how you want them to taste. Season according to your personal preferences! Michael's mom uses paprika and salt and pepper--maybe you want rosemary! Or truffle salt! Or maybe chili powder--it's entirely up to you. And then you can serve them aside eggs or crepes or with steak. And they're crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and so rustic looking and they taste like maybe a cowboy made them for you...like...in a good way.

Because, in my case, it's usually a sweet little Italian woman making them for me.

Or me. Or YOU?! :D*

*See you at brunch!

How to Freeze Celery (for Soups/Stews)

I don't like celery. 

I know...this isn't how you expected this post to begin. Stay with me, though. So-I don't like celery. And Michael can only eat so much before he's over it. BUT sometimes I like celery in things--such as soup. But then I always have leftover celery. And it's like...gahhh...what do I do with all of this?

Freeze it. Use it for future soups. DUH!

I came up with this idea while making this soup for Michael and I crossed my fingers that it would work...and it did! It's actually pretty simple-and is going to save you time in future recipes! You just chop up some celery (I could write poetry to my new chopper) and spoon into an ice cube tray. Freeze it. Pop little cubes of frozen celery out. Put them in a bag. Keep frozen until ready to use! And then--just pop them into whatever you're using. Generally the celery is just saute'd or cooked in a soup so really it will just add a smidgen bit of extra time to that step. Other than that it's pretty much normal. This is such a game changer.

How to Freeze Celery (for Soups/Stews)

Author: Kayle, "The Cooking Actress"

3-4 celery make approx. 6 cubes of frozen, chopped, celery.

Ingredients:

• celery

Preparation:

• Thoroughly wash celery and dry. Chop the celery up.
• Spoon chopped celery into a clean ice cube tray. Freeze (about 1-2 hours).
• Pop the frozen celery cubes out of the tray and place in an airtight container/freezer bag. Label how many celery are within the container (3-4 celery make approx. 6 cubes for me). 
• Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use as usual in soups or stews--just add a little bit of extra cook time. 

Look how cute the little chopped celery is. Knowing that I just saved myself future effort makes me seriously giddy :D

Black Bean Soup {Panera Copy-Cat}

Michael has become obsessed with Panera's black bean soup. And we live about 3 minutes from one so this has become a dangerous fact. So-in an attempt to save us money and Michael's health, I decided to try to make a homemade version of the desired soup. And it worked out pretty darned well, if I do say so myself!

Once Michael tasted it he gave me a couple small changes to help make the recipe closer to the original (which are reflected in the recipe below) but he was a pretty happy camper. He gobbled this soup up on its own or with some pita bread. He probably would have loved it even more if I'd put sour cream and cheese on it but...shhh...don't tell him.

When asked to describe the black bean soup Michael said it was a nice, thick, soup. Flavorful and hearty and "fills up your belly". Perfect for a cold night! (And omgeeee has it been cold lately! I think all of us dealing with winter right now NEED and deserve soup!)

Baked Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

Crispy hash browns are the beeeest.

Amirite?

But messy fried hash browns are no bueno for our kitchens and our waistlines. This recipe is the solution!

You guys also know how much I love Parmesan cheese, yes? It's like my favorite cheese. So when I was that this recipe not only makes crispy hash browns baked in a muffin tin but that there's Parm up in there? I was SOLD. And I will tell you that they 100% live up to the hype!

First of all-yes. These are super duper crispy. And yes-they taste amaaaazing.

But they're also little portable cups! So I feel like they're perfect for kids or entertaining and because they're cups they have sort of this fun little area on the top where you could place a cooked egg or a dollop of sour cream with chives or whatever! Make it fancy! Or don't. You can be like me and just dip them in ketchup while sitting on the couch and watching The Originals on TV. Really, you're gonna have a good morning either way.

Evolution Fresh Juices #MC #Sponsored

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Evolution Fresh. I received coupons for Evolution Fresh juices to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Have you heard of Evolution Fresh yet?? Ooooooh are you in for a wholesome, delicious, treat! Evolution Fresh offers a huge variety of juice flavors that help quench that summer thirst-while keeping you bikini ready and feeling good! 

Evolution Fresh peels, presses, and squeezes raw fruits and vegetables (even though the fruits and veggies used in the juices are raw--the juices are technically not). After chilling, blending and bottling their juices, they use High Pressure Processing (HPP) to help protect flavors and nutrients.(Click here if you want to watch a video showing how the process works.) 

If you check out the Evolution Fresh site you can find a verrryy long list of different juice varieties-however I was only able to sample what was available at my local store (although note that I REALLY want to try the organic orange juice, tangerine, and apple berry!) Although each variety I sampled was super flavorful and tasted extra healthy-our favorite to drink straight was the organic strawberry lemonade! Michael and I would grab a couple bottles to take with us when we hit the pool. And you know how quickly you can feel overheated, worn out, and dehydrated on a hot summer day at the pool? Our little lemonades helped keep us feeling refreshed and happy!

I found that for the Organic V, Essential Greens, Super Green, and Protein Power they were best used (for our pickier palates) in smoothies or....POPSICLES! (Side note: my brother flipped his lid for these! He's super into fitness and health lately so when he came over and found these in my refrigerator he immediately asked permission to make a smoothie. He then sang the praises of Evolution Fresh and asked where he could find some!)

Here's my little non-recipe for the popsicles, but really...you can just make popsicles out of any variety you want, with or without blending anything else in!

Crispy Baked Onion Rings

Kayle's onion evolution:

• Youth-no likey.
• Adolescence-in theory they were kind of sort of ok, but only when raw.
• Beginning of young adulthood-Likes onions in salads and is a BIG fan of scallions (aka green onions) pretty much all the time. Will eat onions in stuff (such as soup, mac n cheese, etc. etc.), but still not into onion rings.
• Now-OMG onion rings are soooo yummmyyyyyyyy! 

I recently hopped on the onion ring bandwagon (as my earlier list shows) and I find I especially love crisp onion rings made with Vidalia/sweet onions. Because....mmmm just SO good! But...onion rings are fried. Therefore....not something that I was too happy that I've begun to like. Because my waistline does not need me to suddenly add a new fun food to my diet that's bad for me.

BUT this recipe saves everything! It's ok! It's ok that I like onion rings! These onion rings, however, are MUCH more than just ok.

They. Are. PHENOMENAL!

I was so scared making these, because Michael tends to scoff at any recipes that try to healthify a beloved food (he LOVES onion rings). But my worries were unfounded because he looooved them! 

They are so crispy, so flavorful, there's seriously nothing not amazing about them! You'll never believe that they are baked not fried! I mean...maybe you will believe it, but you will not miss the fried ones because these are just sooooo good. Agh I could just squeal and talk about the tastiness forever, but....why don't you just see for yourself? MAKE EM.

Pan Fried Zucchini with STAR Fine Foods

Now, I'm gonna be honest...I do not understand the concept of frying vegetables (not counting potatoes because...well...obviously). As someone who is not a veggie fan, I figure the whole point is for them to be healthy, right? Well...apparently there are humans out there who just enjoy the flavor of vegetables-such as my boyfriend, the Michael. I don't know if I'd ever even heard of fried zucchini until I heard him salivating at the idea of it on a menu (at some early point in our relationship). I just didn't understand. But hey, to each their own.

Well, a couple years into us being a couple, I started this blog. And now I'm like supposed to try to make him happy by cooking him stuff he likes. And I'm gonna be real-I like it-I get this weird proud feeling when I whip up something he loves. Like, "Yeah....I'm awesome...go me." So, when I found myself with some leftover zucchini I said, "I'm gonna make up a recipe for fried zucchini for Michael. How hard could it be?"

You're probably expecting me to fall on my face after thinking that, huh? *phew* Thankfully, I got lucky! The recipe turned out perfectly, so it is worthy to be shared with all of you! Michael was really excited and def. a big fan of them (unsure of whether or not they're as good his mom's....I'll settle for that they're both good in different ways...) He raved a little, which of course made me glow in pride :).

Added bonus to these? I pan fried them in STAR's Grapeseed oil. I HIGHLY recommend using grapeseed oil because 1. it's a bit healthier 2. it's pretty much flavorless 3. (most importantly) it was the most painless frying experience I've ever had. It didn't smoke, it didn't spit at me, I escaped this whole experience unburned and without making a huge mess! WIN.

'Tis the season for parties, and I suggest you impress with some fried zucch's. You'll be glad you did.

(so will your guests)

Roasted Skillet Potatoes

I love cast iron skillets. They're so awesome and versatile and also like super rustic.

They make me think of old timey people in wagons, sitting around a fire...which makes me think of the best game ever (AKA Oregon Trail)...

OMG how much fun was Oregon Trail?? I remember I always made myself a doctor (because then you were both rich and useful) and made my "family" coming out with my my preschool boyfriend and our imaginary children...so you can imagine the childhood trauma that resulted when, of course, someone would succumb to dysentery. Every darn time.

But...I'm off topic.

We're here to talk about my love for potatoes. Beautiful, browned, perfectly seasoned and roasted in a skillet potatoes. Which I'm pretty sure are delicious whether it's the 19th century or the 21st.

Skillet Breakfast Potatoes

I'm going to share a tale of food blogging/photography woe.

I know my food photos could be better. I look at other photos and read tutorials and tips and tricks, because I want to improve. And I'm getting better, but I know I'm not doing a lot of things I need to and the photos are still not as good as I'd like for them to be. But, I have a few things working against me.

1. I don't have like...a real camera. I've got a point and shoot. Now...it's a good point and shoot, and I like it, and it's easy to use (which is part of what scares me about DSLR's) But I've seen the photos those good, like...actual photography cameras can take. And they're just...so good.
2. Space....I have none. I literally can only photograph in the tiny corner by my kitchen window and my oven. A lot of food styling tips are difficult for me because I can't use a table or a counter, I use a stool. Yepp...a stool. I set a stool up in that corner and put stuff on it. Gettin' creative in this tiny apartment.
3. I think my brain is just broken when it comes to food styling. I think it's the same reason I suck at scrapbooking. I dunno.

Anyway, the point of this story is...in spite of all this...I really really really like these photos.

Also send me a DSLR :P

Now that I've complained, let's chat about potatoes, hm?

I love em. LOVE EM. These especially.

It was morning when I made these, and I was busy washing dishes and such, but I wanted to get on these so I asked Michael to play sous chef and chop up the potatoes for me. Poor dear...it took forever. He did such a good job, though! What a champ! After all that hard work, I think these potatoes had extra pressure to be so delicious, so that they were worth it.

Uh yeah...consensus says worth it.

These potatoes are perfectly seasoned (ok...you'll realize when you scroll down I didn't write down amounts for seasonings that's because...I just used my instincts. That's part of what makes them so great, right?!) and wonderfully crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Seriously...don't just eat them for breakfast. They're too good to be relegated to only one meal. Eat em for lunch. With dinner. 

Really all that matters is that you eat them.

BBQ Potatoes

It's always a happy day when Michael turns to me, after trying a new recipe, and says,

"I like these. You can make these again."

Oh I can?

Thanks babe.

I really can never have enough potato recipes. 

Potatoes are my friends (but not in a Finding Nemo "fish are friends not food" kind of way. Potatoes are most certainly food.) What makes these so cool is:

1. You can make them on a grill if you are so inclined and oh hey summer is nearly upon us!

2. They are cooked in broth, which makes them incredibly tender and taste ohh so rich and good.

3. You literally put slabs of butter on top of them prior to cooking. Uhh yeah.

So you should eat em. Maybe grill some steak too. Be a meat and potatoes guy/gal like me. All the cool kids are doing it.

I'm gonna have to cut this lil post-y short now because I have to go strap on my fake baby belly to play a woman who's 8 months pregnant in a feature I'm filming.

HOW FUN IS THAT!? :P

Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'm having a very strange phase lately, you guys...

to put it simply...

I've been eating spinach.

I KNOW! It's like...I don't even know who I am anymore! 15 year old Kayle (let's face it...birth through age 19 year old Kayle's) is staring at me, wide mouthed with horror. Here is how that conversation might go:

15 y/o Kayle: OMG WHAT ARE YOU LIKE DOING? EATING SPINACH!? EWWW SO GROSS! 

Me: Calm down...seriously...just...calm down. Not just right now. Overall. You need to chill out. Trust me. But also...it's really not gross. You haven't even tried spinach.

15 y/o K: IT'S GROSS AND BITTER AND MUSHY AND COMES IN A CAN AND POPEYE EATS IT! THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW!

Me: Oh my heavens was I seriously this loud and excitable?  *grabs 15 year old self and shakes* YOU CANNOT TAKE LIFE LESSONS FROM CARTOONS! Also, spinach can be eaten other ways.

15 K: I had a leaf of it raw once...it tasted like a leaf. WHO WANTS TO EAT LEAVES!?

Me: FOR PETE'S SAKE CALM DOWN! Ok, you're not 100% wrong there. Just...trust me kid...something about combining spinach with other stuff-say, garlic-makes it not gross. I promise.

15 K: Why can't you just eat like an entire thing of oreo's instead?

Me: *sigh* These lessons are just gonna take time. Go back to high school...you've got a lot of stuff coming your way. Oh but have fun in the musical! Try not to flirt too much with the boys, you look ridiculous.

15 K: *fully ignores me and goes off and does all the stupid things she'll do that'll eventually lead to me now*

As you can see...we've come a long way. Anyway, like I was saying-I've been eating spinach. You already know about the pies/pastries I've been making, and I've also been putting a few leaves in my salads lately (but not too many because 15 year old Kayle is right...they do just taste like leaves and I am not a giraffe).

So, all of this spinach eating made me think about a mashed potato recipe I made a while back. It used kale and...it was fine but...well...kale is super bitter. I could hardly handle it even when camouflaged with mashed potatoes. But spinach, to me at least, has a much more mild flavor so I thought "Hey! Let's see what we can make with that!"

Success! These potatoes are full of delicious flavor (yay roasted garlic, scallions, and parmesan cheese!) but without the guilt! These potatoes have fiber, nutrients, and a touch of good fats. A perfect side dish to make your taste buds and your belly be in complete agreement (even if you and your 15 year old self are not).

Baked Cheddar and Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Ok people....these are (possibly) like...the best mashed potatoes I've ever made.

I attribute part of this to the large quantity of cheese.

And my beloved scallions.

And for some reason, I find, when things are baked (baked mac n cheese, for example)-I tend to like them more. Plus, it makes this recipe perfect for entertaining! You can just whip everything up, put it in the casserole dish, then wait to bake it when/where your event is! Everybody wins! In fact, I'm planning on making this again for Easter.

Just imagine digging into this: you break past an irresistible cheese crust and find your way to these incredibly luscious, creamy, cheesey, mashed potatoes. And then you eat. And eat. And eat.

Because what sane person could stop??

Super flavorful, without being over the top, these really are sure to be a hit with just about anyone.

Michael said that I could have even added more cheese.

But then again, I think he'd always feel that way. :P