Make it stop.

http://vimeo.com/57126054

Preparing for the end of the school year...

As the school year comes to a close for my boys I am finding less and less time to post all the fun things I want. So I'm going to give into it for the rest of this week and resume posting next week. Until then, here are some fun yums I'm excited to try out this summer.

Check them out here!

Kitchen Jams

The only thing equally important to good, real food, is good music. Not really, but it is pretty important. This post may throw me into the total nerd category, but I'm sure my coolness already peaked at age 4 and it's been downhill from there. With kids in the house it is a struggle to find good music that I love and that they love... ya right, who am I kidding, I totally make them rock out with me to the Biebs and Macklemore. But when I'm not corrupting their small impressionable minds with explicit lyrics and sub-par dance moves, we listen to The Okee Dokee Brothers. They rock. Just give this little ditty a listen while you make dinner next time and you'll be air banjoing in no time. And did I mention they are Grammy winners? And did I also mention that they are adorable? Ooookee dokee.

Mustang Mosey

I just had my first "Mustang Bar" and I have to say it was like eating a hunk of cookie dough. Delicious and nutritious! You can check them out and order them at Paleotreats.com. They are divine!

Oh. My. Cod.

I ordered this new cookbook this week and was excited to try some new recipes. I had a few meyer lemons on hand so I thought this simple cod dish sounded pretty good. Well I was wrong. It wasn't pretty good, it was one of the best fish dishes I've ever made. I'm noticing a trend with my obsession with lemons, so maybe it's just me, but this was to-die-for-good. I altered the recipe a bit, so here is my version:

Roasted Wild Cod with Meyer Lemon and Caper Relish

 Ingredients:

2 small to medium Meyer lemons

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons of champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons of honey

3 or 4 (5 oz) Wild Alaskan Cod Fillets (got mine at Trader Joes)

2 shallots, minced (about 3 Tbsp)

1/3 cup capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped

5 tablespoons of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

 3 tablespoons of EVOO

1 Tbsp coconut oil

2 Tbsp butter

Do it:

Start the lemons preferable the day before and no fewer than four hours before you plan to devour, I mean eat this dish. Cut both ends off the lemons, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Use a sharp knife to cut into thin wedges and then finely dice. Add the lemon pieces to a bowl with any juices that have puddled on the cutting board. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, the vinegar and honey and stir. Cover and leave at room temp for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. 

Remove the fish from the fridge and allow to come to room temp. and pat dry. Arrange the rack on your oven to the top third and preheat to 400. Add the shallots, capers, parsley and EVOO to the bowl with the lemon mixture and stir to combine. The mixture should be pretty wet. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Warm the coconut oil and 1 Tbsp of the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the fish fillets to the pan without touching each other. Sear each side for about 2 minutes until just golden. Spoon the lemon relish on top of each fillet, allowing the liquid from the relish to drip into the pan as well. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter to the pan and pop it in the oven until the fish is done (about 6 minutes). After removing the fish from the oven carefully transfer to a plate and and drizzle some pan sauce on top and then prepare for mouth orgasm.

 

My marinading lemons.

Relish done.

Right before going in the oven.

Viola!

This morning I had an affair...

...with my eggs, veggies and bacon. Sauteed the veggies in butter, broiled the bacon and scrambled the eggs (they were camera shy). But they are in love with each other and I am in love with them. And I hope it's a love that lasts forever.

My balls are special.

Growing up, we always had steel cut oatmeal as a breakfast option. I remember other kids getting to annihilate their cereals with sugar on top. I was kinda jealous at the time... kinda. The reason it wasn't a sad start to the day for us is because we got my mom's "special topping". Super uncreative name, but it was a super delicious, sweet alternative for topping our oatmeal. I don't eat much oatmeal anymore, but I still crave Special Topping. So I thought, what's better than topping? Well the answer is balls. Actual balls, not like, "Ah Balls!" Everything is better in ball format. Hence the Special Balls were born. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of raw almonds
1 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1 cup of raisins (golden or regular)
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans or any other nut you so desire
Roughly 1 cups of almond butter
1 Tbsp of vanilla
1 tsp of sea salt
1 Tbsp of honey (optional)

Do it:

I made my balls mix in the blender, but I actually prefer the food processor. Pulse the almonds in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the raisins and the sunflower seeds. Pulse until they are all medium to finely chopped. (Now you have Special Topper, done!) Or, make balls: Add the pecans. Combine the nut/raisin mixture and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. I prefer to combine everything with my hands. The mixture can get crazy sticky, but if you have a little coconut flour, you can add it in small spoonfuls so it's workable. Roll the mixture into bite size balls as big or small as you like and refrigerate them so they harden. Eat those balls! Yum.