Happy New Year! As we throw ourselves into yet another year of resolutions, here are a few healthy snacks to keep your energy up and your pant size down.

Kale chips are perfect for lazy days, movie marathons and Sunday football. They’re fast, easy and healthy to boot. With a crisp similar to potato chips, these antioxidant-rich snacks will give you the salty, crunchy effect you crave without the grease, carbs and fat.

Kale Chips:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale; washed & dried
• Non-stick cooking spray or EVOO in an oil mister
• Fine/sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray non-stick cooking spray or mist EVOO on a cookie sheet.
3. Rip kale into smaller piece and lay on cookie sheet; top with more cooking spray/mist with EVOO. Be careful not to overly soak, or else the chips won’t crisp up.
4. Sprinkle kale lightly with salt.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until kale is lightly crisp.

More healthy snacks:

• Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon
• Hummus and veggies
• String cheese
• Almonds
• Hard boiled egg
• Sliced tomatoes & cucumber spears w/ feta or light S&P
• Apple, banana, orange
• Edamame; 1/2 cup w/ shells (I buy frozen bags of these for easy snacking. Heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds)
• Strawberries & nutella yogurt dip; 1 cup strawberries dipped in 1 tablespoon nutella mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

Sunday football food in a flash! These semi-homemade jalapeno and cheddar cornbread squares were made as part of the ‘Eat the Enemy Challenge’ (which I hate to admit is failing miserably) when the Patriots played the Dallas Cowboys. A perfect sweet/spicy/cheesey accompaniment to some delicious Texas-sized grilled steaks. No kidding, these things were the size of my head.

Prep one box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix according to the directions and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely diced jalapeno. Remember, it’s the ribs, followed by the seeds that are the hottest, so include/remove according to your taste. Add a little over 1/2 cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese. Mix to combine all of the ingredients. Pour the batter into an 8×8 or 9×9 pan and bake in a pre-heated oven for the amount of time directed on the box. In the last 15 min of cooking, sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and continue baking (I didn’t add extra cheese for the pictures in this post).

Cool the cornbread and cut into squares.

Bon appetit!

Back in September (yikes), the Pats played the San Diego Chargers and came up winning right alongside my whipped guacamole and California fig jam crostinis. I had planned to add some prosciutto to those crostinis, but just couldn’t get it done (anyone that’s gone to the grocery store on a football Sunday and tried waiting in line at the deli knows what I’m talking about…) They were delicious regardless . The mix of the sweet fig jam and tangy Gorgonzola cheese is tasty and light.

Whipped Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• S&P

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients into a mini food processor (you might need to do this in batches), and blend until well combined.
2. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fig Jam & Gorgonzola Crostini

Ingredients:

• 1 French baguette, sliced into rounds
• 1 jar California fig jam
• Crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the baguette rounds on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Toast the baguette rounds in the oven for 7 min or until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn!
3. Once the rounds have cooled, spread on 1 ½ teaspoons fig jam and top with 1 teaspoon crumbled gorgonzola cheese.
4. Put back into the oven for 5-10 min, or until the cheese is slightly melted.
5. Cool and enjoy.

The last Sunday of September the Patriots faced off with the Buffalo Bills – the go-to dish? My Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip of course. This time I halved the recipe, serving up the perfect amount for four people (and preventing the weekly food coma).

The first Sunday of October I took a ‘bye’ week from the Eat the Enemy Challenge and watched to great college friends get hitched . The wedding was beautiful and we had absolute blast at the reception. Congrats Jackie & JoJo – hope you’re enjoying Italy!

Last Sunday I ventured out to Whiskey Priest in Southie to watch the Pats defeat the Jets. My plan was to dish up some cheesecake or New York style pizza, but I just couldn’t pass up some drinks with two of my favorite people .

Now on to the rest of the season. Below are the game dates and opponents through the end of 2011. Feel free to take the suggestions for Eat the Enemy dishes, or share new ones in the comments.

• 10/16 Dallas Cowboys – Pulled pork sandwiches; cornbread; chili
• 10/30 Pittsburgh Steelers – Italian wedding soup
• 11/6 New York Giants – Cheesecake (or cheesecake bites); soft pretzels
• 11/13 New York Jets – Hot dogs (Nathan’s); black & white cookies
• 11/21 (Monday) Kansas City Chiefs – BBQ
• 11/27 Philadelphia Eagles – Philly cheesestakes
• 12/4 Indianapolis Colts – Hoosier ‘Sugar’ Pie: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mae-dawsons-hoosier-sugar-cream-pie-recipe/index.html
• 12/11 Washington Redskins – Apple bundt cake
• 12/18 Denver Broncos – Cowboy cookies

I have plans to stay put on Sunday, so there just may be some Texas-style dishes here on Monday.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Happy Friday!  And a very cool one at that.  Fall is definitely coming, with temps at a high of 65 this weekend.  Brrr.

I’ve got a quick and ridiculously easy recipe for you this morning: Roasted Potatoes with an Herbed Cream Dipping Sauce.  Roasted potatoes are a go-to staple for last minute meals; they’re easy and delicious (but let’s be honest, anything that’s even close to tasting like a French fry is delicious).  The real star here is the herbed cream dipping sauce.  It’s similar to sour cream, herbed veggie dip, etc. but MUCH healthier.  I pair it with roasted potatoes, vegetable crudités, chips, fish and chicken.  The dip makes an appearance at least once a week in my house so I always have the ingredients on hand.  At the beginning of the summer my mom gave me a planter filled with all sorts of herbs, but you can really use whatever herbs you have (although, I would stay away from rosemary).

Give the dipping sauce/dip a go this Sunday for football – your guests will have no idea it’s actually healthy for them .  On that note, the Pats are set to play the San Diego Chargers on Sunday and I’m making guacamole and crostini with California fig jam, prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese for my Eat the Enemy challenge.  Stay tuned for the recipes on Monday!

Roast Potatoes with Herbed Cream Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Roasted Potatoes:

• Small –med red or fingerling potatoes
• Garlic salt
• Cracked black pepper
• Olive oil

Herbed Cream Dipping Sauce:

• 2 small containers plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup finely chopped mixed herbs (basil, chives, mint, thyme, etc.)
• Garlic salt
• Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (more to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 465 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes into two inch cuts and place on a baking sheet
3. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, garlic salt and freshly ground cracked pepper.
4. Toss the potatoes to coat and bake for 20-30 minutes, until easily pierced by a fork.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper.
6. Mix and refrigerate until ready to serve (allows the flavors to meld).
7. Serve the warm potatoes with the cool dipping sauce.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Ahh football season, you’re finally here.  Bring on the tailgate foods, (pumpkin) beers and Sunday Fundays.  I’ve been prepping all year; bookmarking recipes, researching teams (maybe a stretch…) and purchasing some sweet gear – I’m ready!  This year I’m implementing two new efforts into my Sunday food schedule: 1.) At least one healthy snack (similar to the Freshman 15, no one likes the Football 5) and 2.) Eat the Enemy.

Eat the Enemy will be a weekly ‘cannibalistic’ approach to Patriot competition.  For each match-up, I’ll make a dish that represents the opposing team and, quite obvious to the title, eat it .  Sadistic? Maybe.  Weird? Perhaps.  But delicious? Most definitely.  The challenge of crafting a new dish each week has been issued, and I’m not prepared to lose.

The Patriots’ season began with a big win over the Miami Dolphins…all thanks to my Cuban Sandwiches.  The lifestyle in Miami is heavily influenced by Cuban culture, so I knew these sandwiches would be the perfect start to my Eat the Enemy challenge – not to mention, they’re easy to put together and were a big hit.

I have ideas for the rest of the season match-ups, but if there’s something you think I should make, let me know in the comments.  I’ll be posting my plan for Sundays every Friday, with the full recipe the following Monday.  Cheers to good luck, good food and a winning ’11-’12 Patriots season!

Cuban Sandwiches

(makes 6)

Ingredients:

• 6 small sub rolls, halved length-wise
• 12 slices deli ham
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• Yellow mustard
• 6 dill pickle stackers (if you’re using pickle chips, you’ll need 4 per sandwich)

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill pan to med-high heat (or a panini press if you have one).
2. Spread 1 tb. yellow mustard on one side of the sub roll.
3. Layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, dill pickle(s) and 2 slices of ham.  Top with the other roll half.
4. Spray the grill pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the prepared sandwich on the grill pan and smoosh with the bottom of a frying pan or tinfoil-covered brick (very high tech, I know).  Grill for 3-4 minutes until grill mark form and the sandwich is lightly browned.  Flip sides and repeat.
5. Serve warm and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

-Christina

It’s September 1^st.  Wait a minute, are you serious?  Where did the summer go?  I swear, the older you get, the faster time flies – it’s scary.  (And I’m about to be one year older…also terrifying…)  But from what I can remember of the blur that was summer, it was all pretty great.  I moved into some new digs (and spent a few months HGTV’ing the place), threw a few dinner parties and BBQ’s with great friends, traveled to Canada, Maine and the Cape, and started a cool new job. Please note, the aforementioned activities can also be subbed-in for my lack of blog posts .

Yes, it’s been a great summer, but I still can’t believe it’s over.  With Labor Day weekend on the horizon, here’s a great recipe to savor the last of those summer flavors: Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Mango Salsa.  Go fire up the grill, pub a lime in that Corona and cheers to one last “summer” hurrah!

Ingredients: (Truthfully, I don’t really measure for this recipe, but these are a good gauge.  Feel free to add more/less as you wish)

Spice Rub Chicken:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper
• 4-6 chicken breasts

Mango Salsa

Directions:

1.)    In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

2.)    Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Coat both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture.  Cover the baking sheet/chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to grill (at least 20 min).

3.)    In the meantime, make the mango salsa and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve – this allows the flavors to meld.

4.)    Remove the chicken from the fridge 10 min prior to grilling to allow for even cooking. (Perfect amount of time to pre-heat the grill and open a bottle of wine, beer, shake up a margarita, etc.)

5.)    Grill the chicken for 7 minutes on both sides, or longer depending on thickness.  Let the chicken rest for 10 min.

6.)    Serve with mango salsa and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

- Christina

As you’d probably guess, the Food Network is one of my favorite channels.  Sure, I have my favorite shows/hosts (Giada, Barefoot, Bobby), but I’ll pretty much watch anything.  A few weekends ago I was watching Melissa d’Arabian make pavlova with berries and she said, “…if fruit isn’t cheap, you shouldn’t be using it.”  Well, I’d expect her to say that considering her show is Ten Dollar Dinners.  But on second thought, she makes a good point.  If fruit is cheap, it’s probably in season.  And if it’s in season, it’s probably pretty darn good .

Here’s a tip – right now, peaches are cheap.  I’m talkin’ 99 cents per lb. cheap, and that works for me.  So what do you do when you have a bizzilion peaches and you just can’t eat one more plain?  Grill those babies and put them in a salad!  Below is a recipe for what I promise will be one of the best salads of your life – sweet grilled peaches, toasty pecans, creamy goat cheese and fresh mint.  There are a few steps, but its easy nonetheless.  So head to your Stop & Shop, Shaws or farmer’s market – you now have a plan for those cheap peaches .

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 peaches, cut into slices
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 head green leaf lettuce or 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped mint

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 grinds of the pepper mill (so scientific )
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon EVOO

Directions:

1. Heat a grill pan to medium heat.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray and grill the peaches for 1.5 min on each side (you want nice grill marks).
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet to low heat and toast the pecans for 2 min.  Pay attention because these will burn if you leave them.  Once cooled, chop into large pieces.
3. In a small bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients of the dressing, then stream in the EVOO until emulsified.
4. In a large salad bowl, layer the chopped lettuce, toasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese, peaches and mint.  Drizzle with the dressing, toss and serve.

Bon appetit!

- Christina

One of the best things about living in my new digs are the weekly dinner parties!  It’s been great to see friends and family, make a nice meal and enjoy a fun evening without spending a fortune in the city.  These weekly gatherings ensure our place is always clean and tidy – great for living but time consuming for sure.  So on the nights when I’m cleaning the kitchen, chopping vegetables and marinating the main dish, it’s great to have a tasty but easy dessert at the ready.

I love strawberry shortcake.  The way the sweet fruit mixes with the whipped cream and crumbly shortcake is divine.  A perfect summer indulgence that comes together in a snap.  To make this dessert extra special (and semi-homemade), I combine store-bought shortcake with strawberries and blueberries, then top it off with limoncello-spiked whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Store-bought shortcakes
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons limoncello (more or less to taste)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries and blueberries with the sugar.  Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (I prep this in advance).
2. When ready to serve, whip the heavy whipping cream and limoncello in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer.  Stop once medium peaks form (approx. 2 minutes).
3. Split the shortcakes length-wise.  Layer a half with the berry mixture, whipped cream and more berries.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Woa – what a whirlwind (extended) weekend! From birthday dinners to beach-side bago, I’ve had a fun yet busy few days.  Stay tuned for a line up of restaurant reviews and some fresh new dishes for summer!

As I put the finishing touches on the posts, I’ve compiled a list of my recent kitchenware favs from Anthropologie.  Typically, I only like to use white serveware with clean lines.  I think that food should speak for itself and the best dishes are enticing both to your taste buds and your eyes.  However, as I make my monthly perusal of Anthropologie’s online site,  I just can’t help but envision some of these charming and colorful pieces in my kitchen.

Do you have Anthro-kitchenware in your house?

L’Epice Jar:

Into the Jungle Trivet:

Plate Presentation Apron:

Dining Room Measuring Spoons:

Atom Art Bowls:

Monogrammed Mugs:

Amazon Dreams Pitcher:

Mina Round Tablecloth:

It’s almost time to set off those fireworks!  The 4th is by far one of my favorite holidays – there’ nothing like the smell of the grill, warm sunshine on my skin and being surrounded by family and friends.  I’ll be bopping around this weekend – cooking (of course) and hoping to get in a little beach time as well.
With BBQ’s and parties right around the corner, I’ve put together a tasty compilation of celebratory treats.   What are you up to for the holiday?  Any special dishes you’re planning to make?

Enjoy!

Appetizers:

Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Hummus with Veggie Crudites

Pineapple Guacamole

Salads:

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

Carrot & Black Bean Salad with Mint & Feta

Sauteed Shrimp & Corn Salad

Blueberry Pecan Salad

Mains:

Honey Lime Chicken

Mediterranean Haddock in Parchment

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Caprese Baked Chicken

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Desserts:

Peach Cobbler

Monkey Bars

S’mores Cheesecake Bars

Happy 4th!

-Christina