Erica

Red Beet and White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

July 5, 2013 by Erica

Beet lovers, this one’s for you.

I would not necessarily consider myself a lover of beets. I adore beets in the right time and place (and have a slew of beet recipes on this site), but I also occasionally think they taste like dirt. Needless to say, I was a little wary of trying a beet ice cream. But once the idea suggested itself, I was too intrigued not to go through with it.

As I researched beet ice cream recipes, I found that the road was paved with mixed reactions: all the way from “rude essence of beet” to “damn tasty!” I decided to follow the recipe that was declared “damn tasty,” and was quite pleased with the results. It tasted nothing like dirt, and miraculously, seemed to be exactly the right time and place for beets.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Truffle Oil, Mint and Almonds

July 3, 2013 by Erica

Roasted Cauliflower with Truffle Oil, Mint and Almonds

We have a great tradition at work of going out to lunch on Fridays. Our office is a few miles from downtown Salt Lake, and without a lot of options nearby, lunches out aren’t really an option everyday. Plus, with all the food I cook, I could hardly justify that! But on Fridays, we’re in the habit of venturing downtown (or to other neighborhoods) for long lunches. It’s a great way to start off the weekend, and a great way to find new favorite restaurants.

This simple dish is inspired by an appetizer I had recently at Vinto, one of my favorite casual Salt Lake spots. We ordered it as an afterthought during one of our Friday lunches, mostly because I’m unable to pass up any dish with truffle oil. The flavor combination was just as interesting as it sounded, and being so simple, I knew I had to recreate it for you immediately.

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Red, Mint & Blue Fruit Salad

July 1, 2013 by Erica

Red, Mint and Blue Fruit Salad

Good morning! I thought we could all start our week off with some beautiful fresh fruit.

It has been ridiculously hot here for the past few days – over 100. I think the whole West has been experiencing this heat wave. Those temps aren’t unusal for a Salt Lake summer – but in June?! I was looking forward to a few more weeks of 80s before we moved into the triple digits! But instead we have highs in the 100s until Thursday, when it will be a cool 98. Eek!

Red, Mint and Blue Fruit Salad

Thank goodness for central air, lots of cold water, and fruit salads like this one. They are basically how I survived the weekend! (Oh and I made some ice cream, too. Just to keep cool, you know?) I’m snacking on this fruit salad as I type, and it’s wonderfully cooling and hydrating. I don’t usually make a conscious effort to choose hydrating snacks, but it strikes me as I’m munching that the water content is half the reason I’m enjoying it so much. Mmmmm melon.

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Chunky Lola Cookie Dough Ice Cream

June 28, 2013 by Erica

If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.

And if you give a mouse Chunky Lola cookie dough, he just might ask for vanilla bean ice cream.

Or something like that.

If you’ve spent any time with me (in real life), I’ve probably fed you some cookies called Chunky Lolas. And now, even if you and I have never had the chance to hang out outside of blog-land, I’d like to do the same to you.

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Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto

June 27, 2013 by Erica

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto

For me, risotto is one of those foods: the kind I love, but would rather pay someone else to make for me. Right up there with croissants, fresh bread, and pad Thai. There are some exceptions, but usually… $18 instead of stirring for an hour? Yes please!

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Risotto