End of Summer Scones

Oh, scones. You are the food of my childhood tea party dreams. These are best right out of the oven, with a dollop of clotted cream, or a quick smear of softened butter alongside your favorite black tea.

Scones are ridiculously easy to make, and you can substitute this or that when you've run out of something (milk for cream, butter for shortening). I'd never tried layering my scones like this, which I thought was a pretty neat experiment, and they look so darn pretty this way. I had this lonely peach left over a few days after the famers market which was on its way to peach heaven and decided to slice it up and utilize it before it was inedible when I stumbled onto this recipe from joy the baker (everything on her site is just ahhmazing).

I don't know if I would layer the peaches again next time, but I certainly enjoyed the experiment, and they came out tasting oh-so-yummy with my cup of english breakfast when I made them that morning.

Prosciutto & Mozzarella bites

I am a fiend for any cheese or cured meat, so naturally when I tried this at Locally Grown Love over the weekend I was pretty determined to make them at home. Luckily for me, the process was very easy and the ingredients were simple enough that it was easy to figure out without too much effort or knowledge of cooking. 

Olive oil, Proscuitto & fresh mozzarella. 'Nuff said. 

 After tossing some mozzarella around in some garlic (regular is fine too) olive oil  and salt and pepper wrap that sucker up in half a slice of prosciutto and stab it with a toothpick (...Or feel free to keep the peace and gently poke through it ;] …).

And then arrange them like so on a plate:

Or don't bother arranging them in any kind of fancy way because it's midnight and you were up late experimenting for yourself.. or do..whatever… and then be very naughty drizzle them with balsamic and eat one.. or two.. or three… and then serve/save.

*As a side note: These refrigerated nicely, so these would be great to prep ahead of time for a dinner party. 

Ingredients: 

Makes 12-15 bites

1 package of fresh mozzarella (ciliegine -- for the bite sized shape)

1-2 packages of prosciutto (I used one, but if you're making this for  h'orderves I would say err on the side of 2)

Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper to taste. 

Package of Toothpicks or small skewers.

Balsamic Vinegar 

Friday Five

Sometimes there are few greater things than a homemade BLT, walks with your loved ones, signs of spring, your pup (who thinks he's a person), and some new duds (like these ankle booties I got on sale, and denim from H&M for $20-- take that Thrift Shop!).

Garlicky Edamame

Living at home can have its downsides (read: having to use my moms decorated dishes vs. my own style dishware). However despite my less than photogenic plates, I can still make something pretty damn delicious.

Recently my boyfriend and I ate at a restaurant in downtown Campbell called Sushi Confidential that featured this amazing trio of edamame, and one out of the trio really stood out. Normally edamame on it's own is perfect and all I need, but throw in a little garlic and shoyu and DANG I'm in! This recipe is pretty close to the one I had at Sushi Confidential and has a nice roundness and zing!

Once I had these I was hooked, and had to figure out a way to repeat this deliciousness at home.. so below is the recipe I conjured up...

You'll need:
1 bag edamame with shells
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce (to taste)


1. Open the bag of edamame
2. Cook edamame per bag instructions
3. In a garlic press (or mince if you're so inclined) 3 cloves of garlic.
4. In a pan sauteé (eyeball a splash EVOO) half the amount of garlic for one minute or less. Do not allow to brown or burn or your garlic will taste acrid. (Basically just warm and soften the garlic enough to take away the zing
5. Mix together cooked edamame, soy, garlic, and sesame oil.
6. Enjoy!

I seriously am a sucker for garlic anything and despite my unkissable breath afterwards, I really don't care.

Which salty snack do you crave most? 

xoxo

Siobhain

Healthy Lemon & Dill Dip

During the Superbowl, I wanted to create a dip that would allow me to indulge without feeling regret afterwards. My boyfriend happened to be making homemade chips at the same time, which inspired me to use lemon and dill with greek yogurt.

This combo turned out to be exactly what I was hoping! It was light, creamy and tasted great on several of the snacks we set out, including the zucchini skins I made as an alternative to potato skins (recipe found here)

For the dip you will need: 

1/2 juice of a lemon

1 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)

1 tbsp. Dill

1 oz container Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

Directions: Mix ingredients until fully combined.

You can find the recipe for the baked potato chips here

Zucchini Skins

This year for the Superbowl I wanted to lighten up snacks that are generally feel like one million calories a bite. In honor of my love for potato skins (oozy cheese c'mon!), I decided to take away the starchy element, and replace them with zucchini for a lighter but still scrumptious option:

(Recipe Makes 12 'skins')

You will need: 

1/4 cup low-fat mixed cheese 

3 green onions

3 slices turkey bacon

2 medium to large zucchini

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

6oz Lemon Dill Non-fat Greek Yogurt Dip (I will post the recipe later)

1. Begin by cutting the zucchinis into thirds, and then halving those thirds. 

2. You will need a spoon to scoop out a pretty large portion of the inside of the zucchini leaving behind what looks like a little boat. 

3. Cook slices of turkey bacon in a pan and set aside on paper towels to drain. 

4. Preheat the oven to 350°

5. Mince bacon into desired consistency (I like mine chopped finely, but some might enjoy theirs more chunky!) 

6. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, paprika, cayenne pepper, olive oil and salt until evenly coated. 

7. On a baking sheet line the zucchini boats up evenly and place in the oven for 15 minutes. 

8. Take the zucchini out of the oven and add the cheese and bacon to each boat, placing back in the oven for another 25 minutes (cooking time can vary based on preferred doneness of cheese and zucchini)

9. While you're waiting go ahead and chop your green onion and set aside to use as a garnish.

10. After 25 minutes in the oven take skins out of the oven and plate, finishing with chopped green onion and a dallop of greek yogurt. 

What are some recipes you lighten up for game day?

xo Siobhain

Grandma's Teriyaki Marinade

One of my favorite things growing up was my Grandmother Juneko's chicken teriyaki recipe. My mom always prepared it using chicken wings and drumsticks, but now that I'm older I have found it to be delicious as a marinade for everything (Tofu, steak, pork etc.).

This marinade is so simple, and great for those days where you have very little time to prep dinner without sacrificing flavor.


(Please pardon the paper plates -- I was cooking for the Superbowl and was aiming for minimal cleanup!)

You'll need:

1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Water (or if you're in a hurry you can use sprite and just omit the sugar)
2-3 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste.
1lb "Party" Wings


Mix together in a bowl with your chicken wings, cover and let sit for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. (For the best results allow chicken to marinade overnight!)

Preheat oven to 350° and bake for roughly 30 minutes, or until wings are done and juice runs clear. This recipe is also awesome on the grill if you've got the time and know-how!

Voila! I'm telling you, despite the simplicity it really does pack a punch.