salt and pepper Archives

Snow Crab & Granny Smith Apple Guacamole

July 22, 2015 by Kristin

I love, love, love the guacamole sampler at La Condesa. It’s a total must-order when I have visitors in town. And every time I order it, I secretly hope the company I’m keeping isn’t a fan of crabmeat so there’s more crab and apple guacamole for me.

Until recently, it never dawned on me how straightforward this guacamole was. There’s nothing super complex about the guac itself, no marinades on the meat or fruit, and no secret sauce drizzled on top {to my knowledge}. Its simplicity is what makes it so delicious. So why not make it at home?

I couldn’t remember much about specific flavors of the guacamole other than crabmeat and apples, so I whipped something up that was super delicate that really allowed the garnishes to shine. Typically, I’d put red onions and garlic in a guac, but shallots seemed like the more appropriate choice tonight. And instead of serving with tortilla chips, I changed it up by using dried plantains.

Will knowing how to recreate this dish reduce my future La Condesa visits? Absolutely not! But having a homemade guac recipe with such a fun twist will surely come in handy for future dinner parties.

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Homemade Dr. Praeger’s Spinach Cakes

January 12, 2015 by Kristin

While diving back into Pinterest land for bedroom inspiration, I allowed myself the more-than-occasional food pin distraction. And during one of these food tangents, I was drawn to a pin showing a stack of spinach pancakes. I clicked on it, secretly hoping the post would outline a homemade recipe for Dr. Praeger’s spinach cakes {one of my favorite freezer staples}. And it did!

I really liked Meg of Veggie Staple’s recipe, but knew immediately that I wanted to try a few things differently. Like more spinach {puréed} and turnips in place of potatoes.

The turnip version yielded a lower carb, lower calorie, higher calcium-containing cake. And puréeing the spinach made for the most vibrant cake in all of the land! I’ve enjoyed them solo as a quick snack or topped with an egg for a nutrient-dense breakfast.

Turnips have a slight bitterness, so if you’re not a turnip fan, try replacing half of the turnips in this recipe with a white or sweet potato.

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Germinated Rice with Tomatoes & Mozzarella

January 9, 2015 by Kristin

Our first dinner at the Casale Di Valle was memorable in so many ways. All of the Storytellers were together around a single table for the first time. We were familiar faces, familiar voices, but we didn’t know each other at all {a frequent feeling in the blogging world}. And over the course of our first dinner, a home cooked meal by Chef Ana and an array of DaVinci Wines, we’d skip straight past acquaintance to friendship.

The meal consisted of a variety of grilled meat and veggies and a grain salad I would never forget: farro with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. Such an ordinary list of ingredients may leave you wondering why this dish was so memorable. But its simplicity allowed the flavor of each ingredient to shine. And it was the first time I had ever noticeably appreciated the taste of olive oil. I’d be sure to bring a few bottles of Chef Ana’s olive oil of choice home with me.

Oh and the wine! The wine allowed us to enjoy each other’s company long past the point of jet lag exhaustion. We started with Pinot Grigio and, from there, moved to Chianti and Chianti Riserva. This meal would also be the the first of many meals where all three wines {and occasionally the Brunello} would be passed across the table, from friend to friend, to complement our meal.

My version of Chef Ana’s recipe below pairs wonderfully with DaVinci Chianti.

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