Life | Life Tastes Like Food

Brunch: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale with a Fried Egg

Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Dessert, Food, Life, Recipe, Travel No Responses »

Jun 162013

First of all…Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads out there! My dad actually passed away when I was 5 years old. I think about him often but I am also lucky enough to have a Stepdad in my life so this day is exceptionally meaningful to me. I hope everyone is celebrating and having a wonderful Father’s Day weekend!

Second, I am leaving for Peru tonight with my best friend Megan! IAMSOEXCITED! We’ll be spending some time in Peru and then a few days in Quito, Ecuador where we’ll meet up with our good friend Kristina who’s been living there. This blog will be a little quiet for the next two weeks but I’ll be sure to post about my Sudamerica adventures as soon as I can! You can also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.

Finally, this dish. Roasted sweet potatoes and kale are some of my favorite veggies to add to any meal. Top it off with a fried egg and I am in heaven. This recipe was inspired by my I’m-too-broke-to-eat-brunch-every-weekend meal plan. Combined with a piping hot cup of good coffee, and maybe a tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar (or lots of hot sauce), you’ll have a delicious, healthy, and cheap(!) brunch dish in no time. It’s also easy to double, triple, quadruple, etc. the recipe if you’re having friends over.

Tiny cubes of sweet potato, kale leaves, and onions are roasted until the kale comes out crispy, the sweet potatoes are soft, and the onions are caramelized. Then you just add a fried egg! You could also make this a scramble or poach your eggs instead if you’re not into frying eggs.

South America, HERE WE COME. Talk to you guys soon! :)

Brunch: Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale with a Fried Egg

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 Sweet potato
1/2 Medium sized red onion
1 Handful of kale leaves (about 1 cup), cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1.5 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut the sweet potato and red onion into small, 1 inch cubes.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onions and kale.
Drizzle olive oil over the mix and toss until the veggies are well coated.
Lay everything on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Sprinkle the red pepper flakes and salt over everything evenly.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and the edges are starting to brown.
About 10 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done, fry up the two eggs. You can actually make them however you’d like (poached, fried, scrambled, etc.).
When the sweet potatoes are done, split the mixture between two plate, top each plate with an egg and then finish off with a small sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Serve immediately (and with hot sauce if that’s your thing!).

Beer Can Chicken on the Grill

Cooking, Dinner, Food, Friendship, Grilling, Life, Recipe, Travel 4 Responses »

Jun 122013

You guys you guys you guys, I’m leaving for South America on Sunday! THIS SUNDAY! If anyone has any last minute tips about Peru or Ecuador, please let me know! I’m really excited about this trip but getting vaccines and everything has kind of been a pain–literally. I might have had an allergic reaction but won’t find out until I get an allergy test done tomorrow morning. Eek!

Anyway, beer can chicken! Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Chicken…on a beer can…on a grill. And it’s delicious.

Two weekends ago, some friends and I drove up to Willits (about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco) and stayed the weekend at a quaint little cabin nestled between giant trees on a 380 acre plot of land. No service (at least for us AT&T folks), no computers, and no city noise. I love weekends like these!

We had three cars drive up so each car was assigned to cook one meal that weekend. Our car got Saturday night dinner so after an intense game of 20 questions during the drive, we decided to make grilled beer can chickens for our main entree. My friends have made this dish in the past during our annual Tahoe trips but this is the first time Nicole and I got to experience this cooking method first hand. It’s so easy!! And the chicken always comes out moist and delicious.

You basically just get whole chickens, rub the skin with a good amount of butter, salt, and pepper, and then let it sit on a beer can (that’s about 3/4 full) for an hour and a half with the lid closed. Like so…

While the chicken is cooking, you can prep the rest of your meal. We also made roasted veggies, pesto pasta, fruit salad, and beer bread! The beer bread was a big hit, and the best part about the chicken and bread recipes is that you can use cheap beer to make them. I’ve used IPAs for the beer bread in the past and it really does add a great flavor. However, if a strong beer taste isn’t what you’re after, stick to the light, cheap beers to steam your chicken. You won’t regret it!

They come out looking awesome…

We even threw on some corn on the cob (also rubbed with butter, salt, and pepper) about 20 minutes before the chicken was done. Highly recommended–grilled corn is really tasty!

This recipe is very minimal and easy to make. The prep time is pretty quick and then you can just sit and relax while it cooks. Plus you can easily add your favorite fresh herbs or spice rub to it if you’d like. If you’re planning to grill soon (maybe 4th of July weekend?), this is a great recipe that feeds a good number of people. For even larger groups, double the recipe (like we did) and make it a party by adding some Spicy Jalapeño IPA burgers and a few hearty loaves of beer bread.

Now, what should I pack for my South America trip?? Happy grilling!

P.S. This blog was in the “Top 10 Food Bloggers of June” list made by The Huffington Post yesterday! Woo hoo!

Beer Can Chicken on the Grill

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 Whole medium-sized chicken, with the giblets removed
2-3 Tablespoons of butter (depending on how big your chicken is)
1 Can of beer
Salt and Pepper
Optional: Things to stuff it with such as sprigs of rosemary or thyme.

Instructions

Heat the gas grill on medium heat.
Rinse the entire chicken with cold water, inside and out, and then pat it dry with paper towels.
Spread the butter generously over the entire outside (skin) of the chicken.
Then season it with salt and pepper (or any other spices/rubs you like!).
Open the beer can, pour about 1/4 of the liquid out, and then with a sharp knife, puncture a few more holes at the top. This will allow more steam to get through to the chicken.
Optional: you can stuff the chicken with fresh herbs at this time.
Place the beer can on the grill and then gently lower the chicken onto the can so that it can sit by itself. You may have to cut the chicken a little so that the can fits properly.
Once the chicken is stable, close the grill lid and let it cook for about 1.5 hours (check around 1 hour though because the amount of heat can vary on different grills).
When the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear, removed the whole thing (chicken and beer can) from the grill.
Let the chicken sit for about 10-15 minutes to preserve the juices.
Then cut up the chicken and serve!!

Notes

PRO TIP #1: You can also add a little bit of the spices/rubs into the beer can so that more flavor steams into your chicken. PRO TIP #2: Don’t place the chicken directly over a hot flame (especially if you’re using a charcoal grill) as this will burn the bottom of the chicken too quickly.

Spicy Jalapeño and Bacon IPA Burger with Pepper Jack Cheese

Cooking, Dinner, Drinks, Food, Grilling, Life, Recipe, Side Dishes 4 Responses »

Jun 062013

I like my bacon extra crispy. Like so crispy that it’s nearly burnt. That’s the only way to eat bacon. Bacon + Avocado + Pepper Jack + IPA + Meat? Even better.

Cooking with beer is awesome. It adds so much flavor to a dish and is fun to pair with your meal. My friends and I headed up north to the quiet town of Willits last weekend and we even created a beer-inspired menu! More on that next week though.

This burger is a summer must. It’s really easy to throw all of the ingredients together. Switch up those boring frozen burger patties and give this a try! The IPA adds a nice taste and I love the kick that the jalapeños and cheese add. I also encourage using grass-fed beef and fresh ingredients to keep it on the healthy side (well, ya know what I mean). Also, this burger tastes just as delicious when it’s made on a grill pan in your kitchen as it does on an outdoor BBQ grill. Add some easy baked sweet potato fries on the side and you’re good to go.

You can also freeze them! I ended up doing this because it made about 6 patties. Every once in a while, I’ll take one out of a freezer, toast a hamburger bun, and cook one up for dinner. So if you’re planning on grilling this weekend or are just in the mood for a burger, you should give these a taste. My only wish…is that I topped the burger off with onion rings. Anyone agree? Next time!

Spicy Jalapeño and Bacon IPA Burger with Pepper Jack Cheese

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb Lean grass-fed ground beef
1/2 Cup of your favorite IPA beer
1/4 Cup bread crumbs
1/4-1/2 Of a small yellow onion (depending on how big the onion is)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard (a spicy brown one works too)
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Fresh cracked pepper (a couple turns, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)
4-6 Hamburger buns

Toppings (grab enough of the ingredients below to top each burger):

Bacon, fried
Avocado, sliced
Jalapeños
Pepper Jack cheese, sliced
Lettuce
Spicy mustard/ketchup

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients (except for the toppings) in a large mixing bowl. You can mix everything together with a wooden spoon or your hands.
Using your hands, grab a handful of the mixed burger meat, and shape it into a patty about 1 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
Heat grill pan or grill to med-high heat.
Place the patties on the hot grill and cook for about 4 mins on one side then flip and then cook another 3-5 minutes (depending on how thick your burgers are).
When the patties are almost ready, top them each off with a generous amount of jalapeños and then lay a slice of pepper jack cheese over the jalapeños.
Cover the grill (or use a large pot lid to cover an individual patty) and let them cook for another minute, or until the cheese is melted.
Serve the burgers on a toasted bun with all of the toppings.

Notes

PRO TIP #1: This recipe makes 4-6 burger patties depending on how big each of them are so adjust recipe accordingly when cooking for a group of people. PRO TIP #2: To freeze the burgers, individually wrap each patty in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer ziplock bag.

Blueberries + The SF Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Food, Friendship, Health, Holiday, Life, San Francisco, Uncategorized 4 Responses »

May 302013

This past weekend was awesome. And blueberry season has officially begun!

What started as Girls Night In (proof here) became such a fun adventure in helping out at the Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm stand at the SF Ferry Plaza Farmers Market last Saturday! Some of you may remember that I also helped Armen at the Berkeley Farmers Market last year. Armen is Will’s (my good friend and college roommate’s) mom. And this year, we joined Will’s dad, John, at the Ferry Building.

As much as I missed Armen’s wonderful personality and natural ease when chatting with her devout blueberry fans this time around, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was such a fun experience!

I’ve gone here on the weekends before but have never been on the selling side of the stand. We go to our spot and started setting up at 7:30am on Saturday morning. We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day. The morning light…was ah-mazzzz-ingggggg.

Amanda, Carolyn, and Nicole pictured above.
John (the farmer!) below.

Of course, Nicole and I had to show off the goods….

These blueberries taste amazing too. And they’ve been certified organic for over 20 years! (See blueberry mojitos and blueberry pie recipe if you’re in the blueberry mood.)

As I mentioned last year, helping this family sell their blueberries is truly incredible. Customers come up left and right asking for John and Armen…wondering how their sons are doing, what’s new on the farm, and just being genuinely happy that the Sierra Cascade blueberries are back at the market. The blueberries were 3 weeks early this season too, something John and Armen haven’t seen in previous seasons before.

Amanda, Carolyn, Nicole, and I had a blast dishing out these blueberries to everyone. So much so that we sold out half an hour before the farmers market closed! Even though it’s blurry, I couldn’t help but post the picture of all of us below.

The rest of the market was fantastic as well. As a vendor, it’s really exciting to trade your produce with the other vendors. We walked away with delicious cheese, fresh veggies, and some killer lox sandwiches.

There was also an awesome stand, EatWell Farm, that came by our table and chatted with us for a while. The sweet gal then came back with homemade naturally-fermented probiotic drinks for all of us (pictured below)! So nice of her and so glad I got to taste the Cherry Lavendar flavor they make. Seriously, that’s the true spirit of a local farmer and sustainable friend right there. Plus, I’m keeping the cool glass bottles to put flowers in at home :)

We also got to see a lot of the chefs and kitchen staff of all the local restaurants get to the market early so they could get first pick of the best produce. It was really cool to ask what restaurant they were from. flour + water even stopped by and bought a flat of blueberries! I almost fainted. That gives you an idea of the quality of these blueberries :) Here are some more photos from the Farmers Market:

After we left the Ferry Building, we went and ate dinner at Bask in North Beach with even more college friends (one who flew in from Wisconsin!), and then my parents came to the city on Monday so I got to spend some time with them. Lots of food, sun, and great times this weekend.

How was everyone else’s long weekend?

Blackberry Mint Spritzer

Drinks, Holiday, Life, Recipe, San Francisco 2 Responses »

May 242013

This week was a two dinners in one night kind of week. Literally. Pad Thai at 5:30pm and then 3 amazingly delicious pizzas (split between 9 of us) around 9pm on a Wednesday night. I mean, my co-workers and I were hanging out in North Beach and since that neighborhood is the home of Little Italy, we had to check out Tony’s Pizza. I don’t regret a thing. And yeah, my co-workers love food as much as I do! It’s awesome.

This week I watched the Great Gatsby! That soundtrack is…wack. I mean it’s good, but it’s weird. Jay-Z produced it? I can tell. Overall, I liked the movie though. There were a few scenes that didn’t fit but it was a good movie! Now when I see a pic of Leo I can’t imagine him without his Jay Gatsby accent…old sport.

This week we also saw Guy Fieri at the food truck park by our office! He was filming an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dive. I don’t even really watch that show but I thought it was awesome that he was there (Guy is actually from my hometown Santa Rosa!). I watched him drive back and forth 5 feet at a time trying to record the intro to the show, and I also snapped some pics. It was fun :)

This week I mis-read my own recipe and baked up a disaster. A salty distaster, friends. The kind that you just have to toss in the trash. Note to self: Don’t attempt to make cookies when watching the Sharks game. Ugh.

This week I made this Blackberry Mint Spritzer! It’s so refreshing and bubbly and easy to drink. This spritzer is the perfect fake fancy drink to make if you’re looking for a last minute drink recipe on Memorial Day weekend! AKA it tastes and looks awesome but is suuuuuuper simple to make. Fruit, mint, and bubbles. Delish. I didn’t add any alcohol in it but if you want, just swap out 1.5 oz (a shot glass size) of the sparkling water for rum or vodka and you’ll have yourself a refreshing cocktail to start your weekend off with. You could also pair this drink with these red, white, and blue chocolate dipped strawberries for a festive snack!

The week still has more adventures to come. A few of my college friends are coming into the city tonight and we’re going to have a girls night! Not like a let’s-hit-the-town girls night…but more of a 80-year-old-grandma girls night. My favorite kind of night. We’re going to order some take out, put on a chick flick, catch up on each other’s lives, and probably go to sleep at 10pm. Glorioussssss!

What are you up to for the 3 day weekend? Happy Friday!!

Blackberry Mint Spritzer

Ingredients

For the Simple Syrup (makes enough for 4-6 drinks)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

For the Spritzer (makes 1 drink)

5 blackberries
10 mint leaves
1/2 lime, juiced
1.5 oz simple syrup (a little less than 1 shot glass!)
1/2 cup sparkling water
Ice
Garnish (optional): extra mint leaves, 3 blackberries, lime slices

Instructions

For the Simple Syrup

Comine the sugar and water in a small pot and bring mixture to a boil. Stir when needed.
Once it boils, turn down the heat to low for about 2 minutes and let simmer until all the sugar is disolved. Let cool to room temperature.

For the Blackberry Spritzer

Combine the blackberries, mint leaves, and simple syrup in a cup. Using a muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon), muddle everything together, squishing the juice from the blackberries and mint leaves.
Then add the sparkling water and fresh lime juice.
Fill the rest of the glass with ice, garnish with some sprigs of mint, a few black berries, a slice of lime and serve immediately.

Notes

Pro Tip #1: Use more or less simple syrup depending on how sweet or tart your blackberries are — taste testing is encouraged! Pro Tip #2: If you want to make this an alcoholic drink substitute 1.5 oz. of the sparkling water (about the size of 1 shot glass) with your favorite rum or vodka.