My {Peppermint} Fix

The combination
of peppermint and chocolate.
Ok, call me basic. 

It's a simple fact. The marriage of chocolate and mint has become a symbol of the holidays. Falling second to the dreadful pumpkin craze of course.

But why do these iconic flavors we hold so near and dear to our hearts trigger our seasonal cravings? It's no wonder why peppermint mocha lattes are so popular.

Maybe it's the calming nature of peppermint that draws us in. It flavors our tea, gum and toothpaste, but when you add rich and decadent chocolate, it becomes something else entirely.

I know the holidays can be busy enough with surprise visits from your in-laws and that last minute gift you have to buy for the kind-of, sort-of friend from your yoga class who just ambushed you with a super thoughtful present. So here's a way to jazz up store bought brownie mix, by adding your own personal, holiday touch. Outside of what the brownie mix calls for, you only need three additional ingredients.

Peppermint Oreo Brownies
Makes 20 Brownies

You Need:
-1 box triple chocolate Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
-Peppermint extract
-6 candy canes
-1 container of Oreos

Wet Ingredients:
-2/3 cup water
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Pour two packets of brownie mix into a large mixing bowl. Combine water, oil and eggs in a separate bowl and whisk together until blended.

Crush candy canes into fine pieces in a blender or plastic bag. Pour half of the crushed candy canes in the brownie mix bowl, and set the others aside.

Add the bowl of wet ingredients into your large mixing bowl and stir together until everything is well mixed. Add a few drops (2-4) of peppermint extract and mix thoroughly into the batter. {Peppermint extract in very strong. The small amount packs a lot of flavor.}

Scoop half of the batter into a 9x13 in baking dish. Layer whole Oreos on top of the batter and then add another layer of batter on top.

Place the brownies in the oven, and set a timer for 55 minutes. This recipe makes the texture very soft and gooey. If you like your brownies more well done, add 5 minutes to the baking time.

Once the brownies are cooked to your liking, take them out of the oven and sprinkle remaining candy cane pieces and Oreos on top. Let them cool for about an hour before cutting.

These are great to bring to a holiday party. The brownie mix tackles all the hard work for you, and guests will be impressed that you added your own, homemade spin. Or serve them up with peppermint ice cream. It's both and fun and indulgent way to enjoy the season.

My {Serrano} Fix

Helpful breakfast tip:

First - Pour creamer in your mug.

Second - Add coffee.

Adding your favorite creamer first and then brewing fresh coffee over it helps the two mix better together, as opposed to adding the creamer afterwards.

Needless to say, I am a big fan of breakfast foods. Most of the time I am too excited about the whole experience, I end up eating everything before I even have a second to snap a photo. 

But lucky for you, I have captured one of my new breakfast creations so you too can enjoy my favorite meal of the day! It is packed with a full serving of veggies and healthy fats, perfect for a weekend brunch!

Arizona Veggie Scramble 

Serves 3

For Scramble:

6 whole eggs

1/4 cup non-fat milk

2 avocados, cubed

2 tomatoes, diced

2 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 white onion, diced

1 handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For Beans:

1 can pinto beans

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 handful shredded cheddar cheese

For mock sour cream:

3 large spoonfuls unsweetened Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Sea salt to taste

Gather all of your veggies and start chopping them up, leaving one half of an avocado. I typically use jalapenos when I cook, but serranos have a little less heat. Depending on how spicy you want your scramble, you don't have to remove the seeds in one pepper. If you don't like any heat whatsoever, I recommend you remove all the seeds, gutting the peppers with a knife. 

Open the can of beans and pour them in a colander. Rinse with water to remove excess liquid from inside the can. Shake the colander a few times until all the liquid has drained out, then pour into a bowl. Mix with taco seasoning and set aside. 

For the mock sour cream, combine Greek yogurt, garlic powder and salt. Mix together until smooth. This also makes a great dip for snacks like raw carrots or peppers!

Once you have chopped up all your veggies, combine them in a bowl and cut slits into the remaining avocado half. It will be used to top the scramble once it is done cooking.

Crack all six eggs in a bowl and whisk together with milk until both are well mixed.

Heat your burner to medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into a large skillet and let the eggs start to scramble, but do not add the vegetables yet.

Add cheese on top of the beans and heat in the microwave for two minutes.

Once the eggs are about halfway cooked (after a few minutes), gently add the veggies and fold into the eggs.

Serve up your breakfast with the sliced avocado and a dollop of mock sour cream. Enjoy a great start to the rest of your day!

My {Graham Cracker} Fix

Chewy, gooey treats
for your summer appetite.
...not your beach body.

I can't resist a warm, fresh-baked cookie out of the oven or a good s'more at a summer bonfire, and this recipe combines the two. If you are looking to enhance your "cheat day" experience, you can find all the ingredients in a single grocery store aisle for about $20.

Seven-layer or magic bars are essentially lots of sinfully sweet ingredients, layered atop lots of other sinfully sweet ingredients. Disclaimer: this recipe is not healthy by any means, but anyone who tries these bars never seems to regret it.

Gooey S'mores Magic Bars
{featured in Progressions online}
Makes 1 Dozen Bars

You Need:
-1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
-1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
-1 cup dark chocolate chips
-1 cup peanut butter chips
-1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
-1 cup pecans, chopped
-1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

-Spread graham cracker crumbs across the pan -- TIP: Stores sell boxes of just the crumbs so you don’t need to worry about crushing the regular size crackers. 

-Combine the condensed milk and graham crackers, firmly pressing the mixture down to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Most magic bar recipes combine the graham crackers with butter then use a layer of condensed milk on top, which creates a crunchy crust. Combining the graham crackers and condensed milk eliminates the need for butter and creates a soft, cookie-like texture.

-Layer the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, marshmallows, pecans and coconut on top of the graham cracker crust.

-Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, or until the marshmallows and coconut become golden brown.

-Let bars cool for one hour, and cut into squares. Enjoy!

The rich dark chocolate complements the creamy peanut butter so the sweetness of the other ingredients is not overpowering. The combination of roasted coconut and marshmallows adds a crunch to these gooey, melt-in-your-mouth treats. 

My {Taste of Chicago} Fix

Rainbow Cone from Original Rainbow Cone

40 tents of food,

17 food trucks, hot sun,

cold beer, live music.

The Taste of Chicago food festival was a carnival of sight, smell and taste! Over my one week stay in the Windy City, I got to experience city icons like deep dish pizza, classic Italian pasta, and even finger-lickin' BBQ -- but the bites I had at Taste really take the cake.

Immediately after entering the gates I was sucker punched with a cornucopia of culinary delicacies and the aroma of roasted sweet corn and funnel cake.

Now of course I did my research ahead of time on ideal booths to stop and sample, but with more than 70 choices, the gravity of barbecued meats and cinnamon churros was enough to make even a foodie like myself disoriented. 

The currency system was tickets, which you could trade for a small taste of an item or a full-sized meal. At some restaurant booths it was heartbreaking to walk away with only a sample of what treats they had to offer, but I had to stick to my game plan and try every fried, pickled, charred, dipped and candy-coated morsel I could manage to sip, chew, and munch.

My marathon of eating capped at 10 individual portions, where I found a vacant hammock and soaked up the summer sun with an ice-cold beer.

Pad Thai + Potstickers from Star of Siam

Truffle Fries with Rosemary Aioli from The Fat Shallot

Smoked Aligator Sausage form Chicago Dog House

Authentic Chicago Dog from Gold Coast Dogs 

Jerk Chicken + Red Beans and Rice from Zee-Zee's African Restaurant

Bulgogi (marinated ribeye beef) from Jin Ju

My {Guacamole} Fix

Four avocados, 

a little citrus and spice,

makes my day so nice!

Holy Moly Guacamole 

Serves 6 

This is such a fun date night recipe! My boyfriend, Wes, has been perfecting this recipe for years now and it is always fun to head into the kitchen and make it together.

It takes time to chop up all the ingredients and clean up, but I've made it for a lot of family parties and everyone goes crazy over this recipe. The dynamic flavors, lime juice and little kick of spice really make this guacamole a crowd-pleaser! 

4 avocados, cubed

1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

4 tomatoes, diced

1/3 onion, diced

1 large jalapeño, diced

1 clove fresh garlic, pressed 

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

Juice of 2 limes

Sea salt to taste

1 bag tortilla chips 

And the secret ingredient? {1/3 cup whipped cream cheese}

The cream cheese adds texture and fluffiness to your guacamole. I've also tried plain Greek yogurt and low-fat sour cream, but the cream cheese is my favorite. Don't be intimidated by the amount either, this recipe makes a big batch of guacamole so you'll only be eating a small portion of the cream cheese.

Find a large mixing bowl. Wash and chop up your veggies, placing them into the bowl as you go. 

TIP: You will want to remove the inside of the tomatoes, so the guacamole doesn't become watery. Just use a serrated knife to cut all the seeds out. 

Make sure to remove the seeds from the jalapeños, and avoid touching your face and eyes. This guacamole is fairly spicy, so you may want to cut the amount of jalapeños in half if you don't like a lot of heat in your guacamole. 

Once all of your ingredients are added in the same bowl, gently mix them all together. Add sea salt to taste. 

It's best to let the guacamole chill in the refrigerator for an hour but if you can't wait, I understand. Most of the time, I can't either!

Plate with tortilla chips and fresh cilantro!

You will most likely have leftovers once you are done chowing down. Make sure to put the remaining guacamole in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator so it doesn't brown.

I love to eat the leftovers for breakfast in the morning! Just toast some whole wheat bread, cook your eggs however you like them, and add the guacamole for a flavor-packed breakfast sandwich!

Happy cooking! And as always, Happy Eating!

My {Nectarine} Fix

Summer has arrived!
And what is hot this season?
"The Brazilian Peach"

Nectarines are the perfect sweet addition to your summer cooking, and they are really just hairless peaches. This simple recipe is such a vibrant, refreshing dish for summer!

Honey Seared Salmon with {Nectarine and Mint Salad}
Serves 4

For Salmon:
2 fillets, salmon
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Kikkoman light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt

For Salad:
5 nectarines
1 handful mint leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 sheet aluminum foil

I love cooking with fruit, especially during these hot months in Arizona.

It's best to purchase nectarines that aren't quite ripe yet, because the heat from the grill will soften them. If you buy nectarines that are already too ripe, they may become mushy when you try to cut them up.

To prep your ingredients, marinate the salmon fillets in a plastic bag with the honey, soy sauce and sea salt. Let the bag sit in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Cut the nectarines in half and remove the pits, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sugar.

Turn your grill on high heat. After five minutes, turn your middle burners to low and brush a little olive oil onto the grill surface.

Tear off one sheet of foil and place it on the grill with the nectarines on top.

As the skin on the nectarines starts to caramelize, place your salmon on the grill with the skin side facing down.

Cook for about two minutes on each side.

The inside of the nectarines should become golden and the outer skin should be charred just a bit.

When the salmon starts to char and catch a flame, it is done cooking. Lay the salmon on a cutting board and let it sit for five minutes before serving.

Chop up the nectarines and mint. Mix together in a bowl and plate on top of your salmon! Enjoy!

TIP: If you have leftovers of the nectarine salad, you can add chopped avocado and red onion to make a simple salsa.

My {Eggroll} Fix

Proceed with caution.
These eggrolls have potential
to be addicting.

Sweet and Spicy Eggrolls
Serves 4

You Need:
1 package egg roll wrappers
2 cups bok choy, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts, chopped
2/3 lb lean ground beef
1/2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tb ginger
1 tbspn low sodium soy sauce
1 tbspn Szechuan sauce
1 tbspn sesame oil
Canola oil (for frying)

This recipe is a fun one, and it is perfect for a party snack or family dinner!

Brown the ground beef over medium heat in a skillet.

Combine the vegetables in the skillet and let simmer. Once the ingredients are well mixed, add the soy sauce, Szechuan sauce and sesame oil.

Take the eggroll wrappers out of the package and get three plates to hold the wrappers, add the filling and place the finished eggrolls.

Add about a forkful of the mixture onto a single wrapper. It helps to have a cup of water next to the plate to wet the edges of the eggroll wrapper. This seals the corners so your eggroll doesn't unravel while it's cooking.

Form the eggroll just like you are wrapping a present. Fold the top of the wrapper over the mixture and press into the middle of the eggroll. Fold the outer corners into the middle of the eggroll. Then roll toward you and wet the remaining edge so it sticks to the eggroll and seals all the corners together.

Pour enough canola oil into fresh skillet to coat the bottom. Once it is bubbling, add the eggrolls and cook for ten minutes.

Allow them to cook on each side until golden brown. 

Take the eggrolls out and let them cool on a baking sheet and paper towel to absorb the grease. These eggrolls are packed with a dynamic flavor from the sauces! But they are a bit spicy so use less of the Szechuan if you want more of a mild spice.

Enjoy! It's quite a challenge not to eat the entire plate.

My {Macaroon} Fix - Dining Profile Video

Happy National Macaroon Day!

The Phoenix Public Market Cafe is a great spot to relax with friends, hang out on the patio or grab an artfully crafted pastry. The macaroons come in flavors like strawberry, blackberry and white chocolate vanilla bean! The restaurant is open everyday serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner with local and seasonal ingredients.

Check out my dining profile on the cafe!

My {Cashew} Fix

A cashew can be

much more than your daily snack,

dress up your salad!

Summer is finally here! And I'm sure everyone is on a bit of a health kick right now, with swimsuit season and all. We just got a new putting green put in our backyard and while contemplating recipes to make for the upcoming months ahead, I figured I'd stick with the green color palate and whip up a big, colorful salad! I often find myself staring at kitchen cabinets on weeknights, wondering what to make for dinner that can be both healthy and satisfying. This salad is a quick and fairly simple recipe that you can make with virtually any veggies you have in your kitchen. It is both vegetarian and vegan and you may be surprised to find you have all the dressing ingredients already!

Rainbow Kale Salad with Zesty Cashew Dressing

Serves 1

Dressing:

1/2 tin of cashews (unsalted)

1 cap full of apple cider vinegar

1 cap full of light Kikkoman soy sauce

4 cap fulls of olive oil

1 orange (juice and zest)

1/4 cup of water

1 pinch of salt

Salad: 

1 bunch of fresh kale

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1 avocado

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 handful carrots, shredded

Anything else you would like to add!

Gather your ingredients for the dressing and add them all to your blender. I have a Vitamix which grinds up the cashews nicely, but a regular blender or food processor should work as well. Depending on how thick you like your dressing you can add more cashews. Make sure to refrigerate the dressing before serving.

Plate your salad and veggies while you are waiting for the dressing to chill. I love adding the sweet kale mix at Costco, which is full of brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and chicory! 

It is that easy and makes a beautiful presentation. The dressing is both creamy and tangy, and the acidity of the vinegar pairs well with the citrus. Next time you're in a crunch for dinner, just reach for any veggies you have and toss up the dressing! The salad is a "hole in one!"