Grilled Artichoke with Roasted Garlic Aioli

It feels like summer is finally here! Obviously this means so many meals prepped on the grill. I've teamed up with Fred Meyer to bring you my favorite grilled artichokes and a recipe for housemade roasted garlic aioli.

EQUIPMENT:
- Immersion blender
- Tall and narrow jar with an opening wide enough to fit your immersion blender, I used a pint and a half wide mouth mason jar

INGREDIENTS:
- one large/extra large egg
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp roasted garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- the juice of one lemon
- a generous pinch of salt

BLEND all ingredients together in your mason jar, where you can then store the remaining aioli, so easy and delicious!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Fred Meyer. The opinions and text are all mine.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

There are so many yummy things about fall and this healthy dish is one of many.

The crunchy yet crumbling texture of these cauliflower florets is perfection.



What you will need:

1 head of cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic
Juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°(F). Thinly slice garlic and sauté in olive oil on medium, until warm. Cut cauliflower into florets and toss onto cookie sheet. Pour garlic over cauliflower and drizzle a little extra olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and sprinkle salt & pepper to taste.

2. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Stir florets 20 minutes into baking for even cooking. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower.

(I made this dish vegan, however I've heard good things about sprinkling fresh Parmesan cheese over the top once removed from oven.)

Foodie Friday: Mexican Egg Rolls with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

My mom is always finding new, fun recipes to try and I think she gets more excited than I do when she can find a way to vegetarian/veganize it! While I was visiting Southern Utah last week, she made these awesome Mexican egg rolls (I kept calling them hot pockets) that were just too good to not share here! My favorite part was the creamy cilantro dipping sauce, that I later used on everything else in sight (burgers, salads, etc.).



What you will need:

For Egg Rolls
1 package Spanish Rice (we used Uncle Bens 90 second Spanish rice)
1 pound ground sausage (any vegetarian meat crumbles will work here!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Mexican style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
28 egg roll wrappers (by the prepackaged salad bags at the grocery store)
optional: add a package of taco seasoning mix for more flavor

For Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce:
1 can Mexican style diced tomatoes
4 oz. package of cream cheese (half a block)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup sour cream


Directions:
For Egg Rolls

1. Cook rice according to package, cool completely.

2. Cook sausage/crumbles in skillet over medium heat until cooked thoroughly.

3. Stir rice together with the sausage and black beans in large bowl. Once everything is mixed well, stir in tomatoes, cheese and onions.

4. Spoon 1/3 cup of mixture in center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom of wrapper over filling, tucking in the tip under the filling, then fold left and right corners in. Lightly brush remaining corner with egg (or water), tightly roll end toward remaining corner, and gently press to seal.

5. Bake on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side).



For Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Process ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Foodie Friday: (gelatin-free) Golden Graham Treats

When I worked at Aveda in 2009 one of my coworkers brought this vegetarian-friendly treat into work and I swear if no one was looking, I would have devoured it all. It goes without saying that I immediately asked her for the recipe. It's a bit sticky, but a good replacement for the regular ol' Rice Krispies treats ;)



What you will need:

1/4 cup butter
1 jar Jet-Puffed marshmallow creme
4-6 cups Golden Graham cereal
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)



Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, stir butter and marshmallow creme on medium heat until smooth.

2. Turn off heat and mix in cereal right away.

3. Pour into 8x8" pan/casserole dish and add chocolate chips.

4. If you're making them into individual bars, press in pan with buttered back of spoon. Cool completely and cut into bars.







(I chose not to add chocolate chips to this batch as I'm not a huge fan of chocolate and these were pretty much all for me)

link love v.20

I absolutely need this vintage steamer in my life.

Whoa, cool technique for chopping onions.

Cute lace leggings.

A good little reminder of 30 things to stop doing to yourself. Take note, Ainsley.

An outfit that was made for me.

Tiny houses = ♥

These mini block polaroid albums are awesome.

DIY red velvet cupcakes in a jar.

So odd, but I love it, the invisible mother.

Foodie Friday: Fruit Dip

Okay, so my grandma makes this really amazing dip that I had no freaking clue what it could possibly be. Lo and behold, these three simple ingredients pack so much delicious flavor when combined and you can dip practically anything in it for a tasty treat!

What you will need:

1 cup brown sugar
1 tub cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 tablespoon vanilla

Oh! And don't forget, this can easily be made vegan by using Tofutti cream cheese!



Directions:

In a bowl (larger than this one, I didn't realize how much stirring was involved) blend together the three ingredients until smooth. Voila!



My favorite thing to dip... Apples!

Foodie Friday: Spicy Soy Sauce Aioli

I'm always up for trying new aioli's, dips and sauces to eat with my artichokes... I found a close version of this one while searching the #artichoke tag on Instagram and it was surprisingly really delicious!

What you will need:

Mayo
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Cayenne pepper



Directions:

In a small bowl or dipping dish add two heaping scoops of mayo, a generous pour of soy sauce, a small squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you like it!).





I can't really describe how it tastes without simply telling you that you just have to try it!

link love v.18

25 ways to wear a scarf. I usually wear mine in the "European loop".

I kind of need this pizza sleeping bag.

I die.

This photobooth purposal story (and the idea in general) is so very adorable.

Wow, what a fun way to celebrate a birthday... and 70 years old to boot!

Grilled cheese rolls, a little twist on one of my favorite comfort meals.

Loving all the unique and precious Pillows By Poppy that are hand stitched by Taza's mother! Too cute.

DIY Dixie cup garland, at first I was a little skeptical, but it's super cute when lit up.

This HILARIOUS Thanksgiving comic.

Marcel the Shell is back!

...and in case you missed the first Marcel the Shell video.

Foodie Friday: Chipotle Potato Salad

My good friend Perry passed along this chipotle potato salad recipe a little ways back and it's taken me a while to get it all in order. Last week I went to the store to get all the fixins and I forgot... the potatoes! I finally got around to buying a bag and let me tell you, this was not only the best potato salad I had ever made, but in fact the best potato salad I had ever tasted!



You will need:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup scallions
1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo seasoning
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds potatoes (red or sweet)



Directions:

1. Wash and chop potatoes (I used red potatoes).

2. Cook potatoes covered in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender.

3. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.

4. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss with potatoes.








...and not bad to share with an artichoke.


__________________________________________________

Also, here is an awesome guide on what potatoes work best for specific dishes!

Best for baking: russet potato

Best for potato salads, gratins and scalloped potatoes: yellow finn potato, new potato, red potato, white round potato and purple potato

Best for mashing: russet potato, yukon gold potato, caribe potato and purple potato

Best for soups and chowders: yukon gold potato, yellow finn potato, red potato, white round potato and purple potato

Best for pan-frying: red potato, white round potato, new potato and fingerling potato

Best for French fries: russet potato, purple potato and bintje potato

Best for purees: fingerling potato

Best for roasting: new potato and bintje potato

Best for steaming: new potato and yukon gold potato

Best for potato pancakes: russet potato and yukon gold potato

Foodie Friday: homemade jalapeño dressing

After reading Danielle's short and sweet (well, spicy!) recipe of her favorite homemade salad dressing, I had to try it myself! I never even knew jalapeño mustard existed, but it does, and it is awesome. Good for sandwiches, hot dogs and this here salad dressing.





What you will need:

Jalapeño mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Salad of your choosing
Small container to mix your dressing in

Directions:

Throw a generous amount of jalapeño mustard in your dressing container, add a little bit uh balsamic vinegar and shake, shake, shake!





(and for those of you wondering, I bought this bottle of mustard at Target)

carving pumpkins, roasting seeds

My favorite thing about fall (aside from bundling up) is roasting pumpkin seeds. No joke, I go crazy for them when October rolls around. I'm not entirely artistic when it comes to carving, so bear with me as my punkin was drawn freehand.


I found my punkin! I kid I kid.


Little helper.


Voila!


Enjoying some homemade chick'n pot pies while the seeds bake.





Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds in colander, picking out the pulp and strings (aka guts).

2. I like to pour the seeds back into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp. oil and a whole mess of salt.

3. Pour the pumpkin seeds onto a cookie sheet in a single layer (I did a few different batches, so tin foil works just as well).

4. If you are doing any flavors other than salt (ie: garlic, dill, etc.) sprinkle with said salts or spices.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until desired toastiness, stirring once halfway through.

6. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.


Salt and Garlic!

link love v.15

First and foremost, my dream wedding location.

I love love these pear shaped wooden coasters.

If I had a dog, I would buy it every single one of these costumes.

Lasagna cups!? How insanely delicious these look.

Combining two of my favorite fall foods into one amazing soup.

Wow, what an amazing transformation that is this office makeover.

Some of this street art is utterly amazing. Love seeing this stuff in person.

These Dara Scully photos are uhhh-mazing!

Craigslist is good for a lot of things, especially for laughs.

Really really love this dress, in Mocha.

Wut? A cuddle mattress?!

Swoon.

Foodie Friday: Green beans

Green beans are an absolute necessity on Thanksgiving and works wonderfully as a side to dish to a lot of meals. I love love them!

After seeing Angela's rendition of cold green beans, I had to try something similar myself so I grabbed some like ingredients from around my somewhat empty cupboards and voila!

Hers:



1. White wine vinegar
2. Sugar
3. Soy sauce
4. Sesame seeds
5. Chilled

Mine:



1. Sugar
2. Soy sauce
3. Rice vinegar
4. Partially chilled
(I was too excited and hungry to let them cool completely)

link love v.13

Really cool switcheroo photos.

Hi, who wants to dress up as THIS with me for Halloween?!

I've always wondered but never sought out a way to remove the navigation bar on my blog, Liz shows you how.

Deep dish cookies? Yes, please.

These split family faces are incredible! I want one of my mom and I.

Make your own crayons, what a fun project!

Adorable and easy instagram wall photo display, something I'll definitely be doing for my new place!

Best. Roommate. Ever., super hilarious.

Looking for a slice of pizza in Manhattan? You have quite a few options.

Foodie Friday: Espresso Brownies

Even though these were a month late (as were my birthday cupcakes), I made espresso brownies for Jon's Birthday. I originally wanted to make a coffee cake, replacing water with coffee, but I had misplaced the particular recipe I wanted to use and it took me this long to get around to finding another one.

What you will need (brownies):

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.





2. Whisk water, oil, eggs, and espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended.





3. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes.





The recipe also included a glaze to cover the brownies, but I knew Jon would prefer the plain ol' espresso brownie.

What you will need (glaze):

2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, room temp.

Directions:

1. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla.

2. Add powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour the glaze over the brownies (make sure the brownies have completely cooled).

4. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

stunning dinner, for one

The other night I made a fancy pants dinner all for myself. Once in a blue moon I'll have a craving for salmon and wherever I get it from is usually a let down. I'm not exactly sure where in my lifetime I had some amazing salmon, but nothing compares. After watching a newer episode of Master Chef, I had an immense craving for pan seared salmon. Not to pat myself on the back, but this was the best salmon I've eaten to date.



What you will need:

Salmon fillets
Crushed garlic
Fresh basil
Lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil
Artichoke





Directions:

1. Coat skillet with oil and preheat over medium heat for 3 minutes.

2. Place salmon (face down, if the skin is still attached) in skillet and increase heat to high. Cook for about 3 minutes, you should see the sides of the salmon gradually turning a lighter pink.



3. Turn salmon over, spread some garlic and chopped basil over the top. Season with salt and pepper and squirt a bit of lemon juice on top. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

4. Transfer salmon to plate and add a scoop of butter to the top.



As for the artichoke, I boiled this one for 1hr 15min (I started the salmon almost an hour into cooking). For dipping sauce, I melted butter with crushed garlic in the microwave for about 20 seconds.