Roasted Tomato Pesto

I am not ready to let go of summer yet! Don't get me wrong, Fall is my favorite season, but it seems to be creeping into summer earlier and earlier every year (kind of like Christmas decorations coming out in September)...craziness! The pumpkin craze has taken over the blogisphere and grocery stores already...especially Trader Joe's. I was in there on Sunday and found pumpkin-flavored items all over the store. I was so tempted to get them all, but knew it was too soon, just too soon!

Plus, there is still an abundance of summer produce available, so I quickly let go of any Fall cravings and continued on with summer! Tomatoes are still going strong, and several different types. I found some great Roma tomatoes and other small garden tomatoes and decided to make a pesto. Yep, you can literally make pesto with anything!

There are two ways I LOVE to eat tomatoes, raw, and roasted or charred. By roasting tomatoes, it brings out a hidden sweetness that pairs well with many flavors, including garlic, fresh thyme and pine nuts.

The weather this weekend was absolutely gorgeous! Pure quintessential North Carolina weather at its best! It was definitely a sit-outside-all-day kind of day on Sunday...with pauses in between for football :)

I made the below pesto based on a recipe I learned in a cooking class at Whisk (highly recommend their classes by the way)! The recipe is super easy and pretty difficult to mess up. The pesto is great with crackers, crispy bread, cheese or even cucumber slices.

So as the Hubby and I prepare to say farewell to another NC summer, we plan on enjoying every last second of its beautiful and delicious bounty!

Roasted Tomato Pesto

Yields: 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

1.5 pounds Roma tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with foil. Mix the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme and pinch of sea salt on the baking sheet. Throw on the garlic cloves and roast for 30-35 minutes, until the garlic is soft. If the garlic cloves are smaller, take them out around 20-25 minutes so they don't burn. Set the tomato mixture aside to cool. Peel the garlic cloves and add back into the tomato mixture.

In a small dry saute pan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until fragrant and slightly browned. Quickly remove from the pan and let cool on a cutting board or room temperature surface. (Watch the pine nuts closely as they will burn quickly)

Once everything is cooled, blend the tomato mixture, pine nuts, remaining olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and a bit more sea salt to taste in a food processor. Serve with a soft cheese, crackers or cucumber slices.

Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar

Feeling creative today! Could be the beautiful weather, or the fact that I have an abundance of vibrant produce in my kitchen right now. Either way, I decided to throw some interesting ingredients together for a new appy. 

Life is too short to eat the same thing over and over again. I'm always in the mood to get creative in the kitchen. You never know when you might find something new that you love!

Recently, I attended a pesto cooking class at a local kitchen store called Whisk, where I had the pleasure of meeting several lovely people. One such person was Roxanne of Gourmet Grapes and Olives, a specialty online olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop. She sent me some of her favorite bottles to try out, including a dark chocolate balsamic vinegar! I was so intrigued by the vinegar that I was determined to come up with a new dish to feature it.

Since peach season is going strong right now, which I am loving, I thought I would start there to add to my peach repertoire. Next, I did my usual peruse around the kitchen to see what I had in stock and decided I needed something salty and nutty to add to the sweet and savory. So, Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar was born. If you don't have dark chocolate balsamic vinegar laying around (which I am guessing most people don't), any aged balsamic will work here. I bet a fig infused balsamic would be great!

Get a little creative today and try a new combination of flavors....you might just surprise yourself!

Peaches and Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar

Yields: 1 small appetizer 
Prep Time: 3 minutes

1 peach, quartered
3 slices prosciutto
Parmesan shavings
Quality balsamic vinegar
Cracked pepper to taste

Assemble all the ingredients on a plate and enjoy right away. 

30/30 - #18 Seven Layer Bean Dip

Bringing in #18 on the Top 30 list is another dip that I like to make for larger get togethers - 7-Layer Bean Dip. It is a labor of love, but usually gets devoured where ever I take it. 

I was tired of buying it, when I knew I could make it and add in many more layers of flavors. The recipe came together after several attempts and stays in my stack of "repeats" for party appetizers.

You can see the full recipe for 7-Layer Bean Dip here.

30/30 - #23 Sweet Potato Fries

We are rolling right along here with my Top 30 on Kettler Cuisine. Chiming in at #23 are Sweet Potato Fries. I seriously could eat them every day of my life and be quite happy. If these sweet and crispy treats are on a menu, you can guarantee I will order them!

Probably my favorite in the area is at Bull City Burger and Brewery. Not only can I get sweet potato fries, but a freshly ground burger on a gluten free bun with a side of house-made pickled vegetables too! 

But this post isn't about the amazing food at Bull City (another time). Today, I am sharing the recipe to make sweet potato fries at home. Yes, I am a health nut, so there is absolutely no deep frying in my kitchen. (The Hubby still seems to think he will convince me to do it one day). It is tough to make sweet potato fries at home and still get that crunchy outside, however, the recipe on My New Roots is the closest I have tried. The cornmeal and butter coating is pretty freaking delicious! I like to add in additional spices to my "shake and bake" mix - cayenne and cumin. Until tomorrow...

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe over at My New Roots

Add 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder and 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder to the cornmeal mix

30/30 - #25 Spicy Pimento Cheese

I may be a heathy eater and cook, but I am still a Southern girl at heart, which means I LOVE Pimento Cheese. Unfortunately, the store bought brands sort of freak me out after reading the ingredient list. I was sure that I could come up with my own version. Most of the credit for this recipe goes to my dear mother, but we have both tweaked it over the years.

For those of you that are just catching up, I am counting down my Top 30 favorites to celebrate my up coming, milestone birthday, the big 3-0! Pimento Cheese marks #25 on the countdown.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of the cheese that you select for the Pimento Cheese recipe, like I do in the original post. Quality cheese adds so much more flavor to the pimento cheese, instead of masking low-grade cheese with tons of mayo. The Hubby and many friends usually can't get enough of this and eat it by the spoonful.

Spicy Pimento Cheese

Yields: 4.5 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes

You can find the recipe for Pimento Cheese here.

30/30 - #27 Roasted Red Pepper Dip

The boys are away this weekend, so the girls are getting together to play! Girls Night is the best - good food, lots of wine, silly chatter and usually some sort of prime entertainment like Best of Friends. 

Another great thing about getting together with the girls is that we can bring healthier snacks and not worry about any complaints from the boys. My favorite, and go to appy to bring is a Roasted Red Pepper dip with walnuts. I am actually amazed it has taken me so long to get this on the blog. Since it is one of my favorite things to eat, it is perfect to add to the Top 30 Countdown as #27.

Back when I was watching a lot of the Food Network, I once was slightly obsessed with Ellie Krieger, one of the Networks personalities who focused on healthy eating and cooking. I have a few of her cookbooks, one of which included a Walnut and Roasted Red Pepper Dip. I made it one afternoon when I was visiting my Mom and we fell in love! 

Over the years, I have made a few changes to the original recipe to simplify. The original recipe calls for pomegranate molasses, or making your own from pomegranate juice. We usually don't have pomegranate juice or molasses in our pantry, so I tried honey instead. I also prefer to roast my own peppers, it is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen for some odd reason! I included the measurement of jarred roasted red peppers too in case you are in a time crunch. 

Hint for tomorrow...it's a winner!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Recipe altered from Ellie Krieger 

Yields: about 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus cooking red peppers)

1/2 cup raw walnuts, lightly toasted
3 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs (or 1 small slice of bread, toasted and processed into crumbs)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained (or 6 red bell peppers roasted, skins and seeds removed)
2-3 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Serve with crackers, cucumber slices, vegetable platter or roasted artichoke leaves!

If roasting your own peppers, follow the directions on my previous blog post.

Toast the walnuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Watch this closely as they will burn fast. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Toast the slice of bread until dry and very firm, then add to a food processor and mix until you have bread crumbs.

Add the walnuts and process until finely ground. Add in the honey, lemon juice, peppers, cayenne and cumin and process until smooth. With the processor running, add in the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and additional honey if needed. The dip is best served with crackers, vegetables or cucumber slices.

30/30 - #29 Grilled Jalapeño Poppers

Day 2 of the ultimate recipe countdown on Kettler Cuisine - Grilled Jalapeño Poppers, which was another easy one to pick out from the list of recipes in my repertoire. These little spicy bad boys are easy to make ahead to throw on the grill during a cookout. I even make "special" ones without the bacon for my vegetarian friends.

Here is a hint for tomorrow....I want my babyback babyback babyback babyback....

Grilled Jalapeño Poppers

Yields: 12 poppers
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

You can find the recipe for Grilled Jalapeño Poppers here.

Lite Chicken Salad

I am about to board a plane for Chicago (which is currently hosting 45 degree weather). I am bummed since we planned this trip hoping for wonderful Chicago Spring weather. Oh well, Jimmy Buffett songs ease all winter, rainy blues...

The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful!!

Even though I am heading for dreary skies, I am hopeful for a little bit of Spring weather, picnics and outdoor gatherings when I get back!

Our friends do a lot of potluck parties, or as I like to call them "salad" parties. All types of salads usually show up - potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, green salad and the ever-so-popular, chicken salad.

Chicken salad might be something easy to make, but not in our house! The Hubby and I have completely different ideas of what chicken salad should taste like and how it should be made (i.e. ingredients). I like the crunch of veggies, flavor of fresh herbs and only a little bit of creaminess from yogurt. He likes the crunch from toasted nuts, flavor from fruit and A LOT of creaminess from mayonnaise. Do you see what I am dealing with here?!?!

Well, like all good wives (and chefs), I came to a compromise. I did a little research on chicken salad recipes and I decided to combine our taste cravings and make a new recipe. It is a bit different, but we both LOVE it! He asked me to make a larger batch next time so it would last longer.

I like to saute my chicken breasts (instead of boiling). It is a personal preference, but the chicken could easily be cooked in 

Chicken Salad

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use lite)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 cup red grapes, halved
2 tablespoon red onion, minced (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the chicken as desired and cool.

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients except the chicken and parsley until well combined. Stir in the chicken and fresh parsley and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to build. This is best if made the day before. 

Jalapeño Vodka and Roasted Guacamole for Cinco de Mayo

It must be a trend for Ryan and I to always travel on Cinco de Mayo. If you recall, we spent much of last year's Cinco de Mayo holiday stuck in Detroit, but that didn't stop us from celebrating with a little Mexican flare.

This year, we planned ahead. Knowing that we were flying to the Midwest again to visit family, we decided to prepare a little Cinco de Mayo treat for our followers! It started with just a simple guacamole recipe, then turned into a full on fiesta, including a refreshing cocktail (with a little flare)!

Despite the focus of this blog (compromising in the kitchen), Ryan and I always agree on avocados, especially when it comes to guacamole. We make it a lot as a pre-dinner snack or to eat alongside our meals. Simple smashed avocados are fantastic on any toast or bread. Then, when you add a few spices or a bit of salsa, smashed avocados turn into one amazing snack!

I started infusing vodkas several months ago to add some variety to our liquor cabinet. There are not a lot of liquors and mixers that I can drink, so by adding flavor to the actual liquor, I get more of a variety. Ryan kept asking me to make jalapeño vodka. This did not sound appetizing to me until I tried a new drink at our favorite taco restaurant that included jalapeño-infused vodka. It was spicy, yet refreshing at the same time.

We purchased a small bottle of Tito's vodka and took a shot! Not literally, but figuratively, by infusing the vodka with jalapeños. It was the perfect sidekick for our little pre-Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Vodka

Makes: mL of vodka
Prep Time: 2 minutes + 3 days

250 mL Tito's Vodka

2 jalapeños, thinly sliced (with seeds)

Pour the vodka into an air tight jar and add the jalapeño slices. Seal and store away in a dark cool place for 2-5 days. Shake the jar a few times a day.

After a few days, pour the mixture through a strainer or coffee filter to remove the jalapeño slices and seeds.

Suggestion for serving:

1 part Jalapeño Vodka

2 parts pineapple juice

Mix well and serve over ice!

Roasted Guacamole

Makes: 3 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 jalapeños

4-6 tomatillos, husks removed

2 avocados, mashed

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tsp red onion, minced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and roast the jalapeños and tomatillos for 20 minutes, removing the tomatillos after 15 minutes. Turn the jalapeños halfway.

In a medium bowl, mash the avocados and stir in the lime juice, red onion, salt, garlic powder and pepper.

Chop the roasted jalapeño and tomatillos once cooled and stir into the guacamole. Garnish with chopped cilantro and let sit in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Crispy Baked Sriracha Chicken Tenders

Fried foods. Something I swore I would NEVER make in my kitchen, and to this day, I am proud to say I have kept that promise. Unfortunately, we LOVE chicken tenders. There is just something about a crispy, juicy chicken tender that entices your taste buds. Friends, I am here to tell you that you don't need a deep fryer to produce crispy, juicy tenders!

I started following the food blog, Katie's Cucina after the Great Food Blogger cookie swap last year. She was one of the random bloggers that I sent my Cherry Walnut Oatmeal cookies to. 

Baked, Not Fried

She recently posted a recipe for baked (not fried) chicken strips that promised to be just as crunchy and tender as the fried version. I was immediately intrigued and drawn to one of my most requested (and most raved about) recipes for inspiration, the Buttermilk-brined Pork Chops. Why not marinate the chicken in a Sriracha-buttermilk mixture before coating in spicy, herby flakes and baking? 

Glad I merged the two recipes together, because it was fantastic, and a healthy alternative to fried chicken tenders. Crispy outside, tender and juicy inside...yummy!

These will be great for game day with several condiments for dipping. I also tried a few of the tenders in Panko bread crumbs instead of Corn Flakes. It was a nice alternative, but the Corn Flakes were my favorite.

Crispy Baked Sriracha Chicken Tenders 

Adapted from Katie Cucina's Crunchy Baked Chicken Strips
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes + marinating time
Cook Time: 25 minutes

2 14oz. packages of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 lbs of chicken tender cuts

2 c fat-free buttermilk

3 T Sriracha or other chili sauce

2 T salt, split

2 egg whites

4 c Corn Flakes or other unsweetened corn cereal

2 T paprika

1 tsp dried thyme
1 T garlic powder

If starting with whole chicken breasts, rinse and dry the chicken. Cut the breasts into long strips, similar to the size of a tender. I got about 6-8 tenders from a whole chicken breast.

In a large ziploc bag, mix the buttermilk, Sriracha and 1 T salt until the salt has disolved. Add the chicken and massage the mixture into the chicken and seal the bag. Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the more juicy the tenders.

Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F and lightly grease a cookie cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Whisk the egg whites in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the corn flakes, thyme, paprika and remaining salt. Pour this into a separate shallow bowl.

Remove each piece of chicken from the bag and dip into the egg white bowl to evenly coat. Then dip into the corn flake mixture bowl to evenly coat and place on the prepared racks. Repeat for all of the tenders and bake for 25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Serve with favorite dipping sauce such as Sriracha ketchup or honey mustard.

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

I have to thank my friends Erin, Nicole and Nancy for this post! Ryan and I are in the middle of a 6 weekend-in-a-row traveling frenzy, which has not left much time for cooking and blogging! However, I have received a lot of requests for Thanksgiving sides, desserts and snacks. First of all, I am extremely flattered that people come to me!! I am the first to admit I am not an expert, but I do love to cook. 

I responded to each with a long list of ideas and recipe recommendations, some from Kettler Cuisine and some from other sites. I thought it might be helpful to combine all of these into a Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup! Especially for those last minute planners that are in need of ideas.

I may not be cooking, but I never stop thinking about it!

Turkey Day Starters (Appetizers)

First up, the appetizers. The quintessential beginning of a food-filled day! There is usually one rock-star appy that appears at the Hegele Thanksgiving Extravaganza (and yes, we literally call it that) - Trash! No, I am not talking about the waste-filled bin that stinks up your kitchen, I am talking about the most delicious, addictive, buttery, herby, chex-mix you can imagine. Luckily for you, I have already posted the recipe.

Fillo cups with Caramelized Fennel and Pancetta

Other appetizer ideas from Kettler Cuisine past:

• Roasted Red Grapes, served over brie or goat cheese with crackers.
• Fillo shells filled with either Caramelized Fennel and Pancetta or a favorite cheese.
• Pimento Cheese with crackers or cucumber slices (for the gluten free folks)
• Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon for the Thanksgiving grillers.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon

Since I don't only cook from my blog, I wanted to also share some of my favorite recipes from fellow food bloggers:

• Caramelized Onion Dip, from 101 Cookbooks - seriously amazing, I promise!
• Walnut and Roasted Red Pepper Dip (my gluten free version is coming shortly, but for now enjoy Ellie Krieger's).
• Cranberry Feta Pinwheels are a festive and VERY easy.

The Side Show (Sides)

The side dishes that accompany the big bird on the Thanksgiving table are just as important as the turkey itself (especially for Vegetarians). I recognize that everyone has their traditions and I will be the first to tell you that we won't be doing anything different this year, but for those looking for a change of pace, here are some of Ryan and I's favorites:

Balsamic Red Cabbage with Bacon

• Balsamic Red Cabbage with Bacon, because bacon makes anything taste better!
• Brussels Sprout Saute is a new take on a old green cabbage.
• Roasted Garlic! Add this into your plain, boring mashed potatoes.

Roasted Garlic

And of course, there has to be stuffing! My family does oyster stuffing, but oysters tend to be an acquired taste. Here are some other options that I have tried or want to try from the blogosphere:

• Sausage Cranberry Apple Stuffing
• Paleo Stuffing
• Poblano Cornbread Stuffing

Give me the Sweet Stuff (Desserts)

We are pie people, and we don't joke around with our pies! I am working on a pie crust post, since I use it in several recipes on my blog. Until then, you will have to get by with non-pie desserts for the holidays from KettlerCusine. But don't worry, I have listed some killer pumpkin pie options from other blogs a little bit further down.

Cherry Galette

• Pumpkin Bars are a great substitute for the non-pie eaters. They NEVER disappoint!
• Chocolate Cherry Brownies for the chocoholics out there. Warning, chocolate coma ahead! Don't worry, I sneak in some whole wheat.
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble, for those not on the East Coast and actually have access to good produce outside the summer months.
• Cherry Galette can easily be made with apples or pears instead.
• Raw Brownies are my personal favorite, not to mention gluten free, dairy free, and good for you.

Raw Chocolate Brownies

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is the standard dessert for Thanksgiving, so I had to represent! I have used a recipe from a local bakery called Fosters Market for as long as I can remember. It is my go to pumpkin pie recipe for the holidays, except that I always double the spices and use freshly grated nutmeg instead of already ground. Ironically, pumpkin pie is not the family favorite in the Hegele crew, so I usually end up making my own to bring. I CAN NOT, I repeat, CAN NOT have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. This year, I am making two pumpkin pies! My standard and then a dairy free version from 101 Cookbooks. 

• Silky Pumpkin Pie from Fosters Market in North Carolina.
• Spice-kissed Pumpkin Pie from 101 Cookbooks, which I am literally in the middle of making right now!
• Gluten free and Paleo Pumpkin Pie from Deliciously Organic for all of my GF and Paleo friends :)
• Paleo Pecan Pie from Deliciously Organic that does not have corn syrup in the recipe.

Pumpkin Bars

More recipe ideas

I completely understand if you don't like my suggestions, in which case I hope you can find something from the below links. These are other recipe roundups from various blogs and sites I follow. 

• 101 Cookbooks Thanksgiving recipe ideas from her blog and others
• Oh She Glows for vegan holiday ideas
• The Wall Street Journal side dish ideas
• More Thanksgiving inspiration from Love and Lemons

Most importantly, plan ahead as much as possible so you can enjoy time with your family. Thanksgiving is a time to be with loved ones and be thankful for what you have. I certainly am!

Fall Spinach Salad

Fall into Spinach

Leftover night! Our attempt to clean out the fridge before Sunday Fun Day! And yes, Sunday Fun Day is my favorite day of the week, because it usually means going to the Farmer's Market and grocery store, then cooking all day! Oh and not to mention, football!

But, I digress. So, we were eating leftovers and I decided to use the remaining fresh spinach for a side salad to accompany the leftover soup (for me) and pasta (for him). I literally did not have any dressing in our fridge, so decided to make my own. A little homemade dressing, a little nuts and dried fruit and this became a "throw together" that turned into a delicious salad, especially for the Fall.

We devoured the salad so fast, that I didn't take a picture. So I woke up the next morning and remade it. 

Ryan is a Ranch-lover, we all know this. I have been on a mission to create (or buy) other dressings that he will equally love. This was one such success. The key for Ryan is to create a creamy texture that mimics the thickness and richness of ranch. However, I am not a fan of the fat content that accompanies ranch dressing. So I improvised a bit. Yes, I do add a little bit of mayonnaise to this dressing, but only in moderation to get the texture. I have to face the fact that Ryan will never stop eating Ranch, but if I can get him to use it less, then I consider that an accomplishment!

This is a very easy and quick salad, especially in the fall, when apples are crisp and abundant in most kitchens.

Fall Spinach Salad

Yields: 4 salads
Prep Time: 10 minutes 

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup apple, julienne (we use Honeycrisp)

1/3 cup raisins (can use dried cranberries, cherries or currants as well)

1/2 cup raw walnuts, toasted, chopped (can use hazelnuts or pine nuts here too)

Sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese, grated or chopped into small squares

2 tablespoon cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoon  honey

2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

For the salad, place spinach on a small plate and equally distribute the apple, walnuts, raisins and cheese among the plates. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil, while whisking. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Celebrating Anniversaries

It just so happens that today, I am celebrating two different anniversaries! First and foremost, my husband and I have been married for 1 year today! It is so hard to believe that it has been a year since we walked down the "aisle" in the mountains and committed ourselves to each other for the rest of our lives. I wouldn't change ANYTHING about this first year.

Ryan is possibly the most supportive husband a woman could have. He has supported me through it all...full time job, marathon training, house work and my favorite new hobby, KettlerCuisine! He was the one that encouraged me to start the blog on that fateful Spring day.

Speaking of a "fateful Spring day," it has been 6 months today since I officially launched this blog. I know it seems silly to launch a blog on April 1...think about it, April Fool's! However, it has been a lot of fun to keep alive. Friends and family are always asking me about how the blog is going and what they should expect for the future. Well, I can't give all of my secrets away!

Since Ryan is the center of my life and my second love is cooking, it seemed only natural to come up with an over-the-top Anniversary meal that we could plan and cook together. We decided on extending the celebration a day early so we could enjoy more time together.

Lobster!! That was the star of the show last night. We wanted to think of something easy enough that we didn't have to stress over, but delicious enough that would be memorable. 

Desert was taken care of, we had the top layer of our wedding cake that has lived in our freezer since last October 1. My father contributed a nice aged bottle of Tawny Port, and we completed the meal with two sides, one of which is from the blog - Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad.

Lobster Tails

No recipe today, but instead, some tips about our first experience handling and cooking lobster. We tried to find live lobsters, but decided against this once we knew we would have to face the inevitable killing! We settled (which I say lightly because they were amazing) for lobster tails from Whole Foods. I was intimidated!! I had never cooked lobster and it is quite pricey...so there was a lot of pressure to not screw up.

Ryan did his usual Google search for tips on cooking lobster and found some other cooking blogs online. The best bet was to broil them with melted butter on the side. This just further claims my theory of "seafood is best with nothing on it!" These tails were great - no fishy smell at all.

I only made one cut down the center of the tail, but I would suggest making two cuts (discarding the cut shell pieces). Then use your finger, being careful not to cut yourself on the shell, to separate the "meat" from the shell on both sides. The meat should then easily pull away and rest on top of the shell.

Most recipes call to brush the lobster meat with melted butter before cooking, but I did not do this. I simply placed the tails on a foil-lined baking sheet and broiled on high for 5 minutes. That's it!! Our tails were between 4-6 ounces each. If you get smaller ones, reduce the cooking time and visa versa.

Overall, it was a great anniversary. We started the day with a trip to Whole Foods (for our dinner ingredients) and favorite beer store, Bottle Revolution. We had to find some good beer to put in our cute new coozies from Cass and Mike!

We then sat and watched the amazing video that my cousins made from our wedding and the recording of our ceremony (while I sobbed). And finally, we turned on some beach music, (my personal fav - only Southerner's can understand this one) and re-lived our first dance, which started with a choreographed shag (again, only Southerner's can understand this)!!

We ended the night with our amazing meal:

• Lobster tails with melted butter
• Blanched asparagus, oscar style
• Cheddar and jalapeno stone grits
• Caramelized pancetta and fennel salad
• Wedding cake and aged Port

Happy Anniversary to the Kettlers and to Kettler Cuisine!