Crostini's w/ Radishes & Melted Brie

One of the best things about spring and summer is the wave of fresh LOCAL produce -- after all, winter is not a very good time for growth, is it? Go into any grocery store now and you'll find fresh fruits and vegetables from your own region -- sometimes even a farm down the road! One of these that doesn't get much shine is the radish -- a beautiful, slice-able, cube-able, (whatever you can think of -- its versatile) slightly nutty vegetable that screams springtime. Add it to salads, sear it with some garlic, the possibilities are endless!

I found the inspiration for this recipe in an old scrapbook of mine with magazine cut-outs. This same scrapbook (and love of recipes) is one of the things that inspired me to walk out on a limb and start a blog! I hope you enjoy these yummy hor d'oeuvres (appetizers for the fancy in you), perfect for your next cookout :)

Servings: 12

What You'll Need:

• 1 baguette, sliced diagonally
• Even Better Choice: Crostini Slices (you can get these from a place like Trader Joe's in the entertaining section)
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 radishes, sliced thin
• Brie Cheese
• Don't be non-cheddarcheese-scared, brie is a mild, creamy cheese that spreads when at room temperature!
• Salt/Pepper
• OPTIONAL: 1 lemon

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Arrange bread slices onto a flat oven pan, and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, toss the arugula with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and a dash of salt & pepper in a small bowl.
4. Take out the bread, and while still hot, spread brie cheese on each slice.
5. Top with arugula.
6. In another small bowl, toss radish slices with the other 1tbsp of olive oil and a dash of salt & pepper.
7. OPTIONAL: If you have a lemon, rub it against a grater to get some fine shavings of its peel. This is called lemon zest and adds a remarkable citrus flavor to many dishes (even some of the baked goods you love!)

This is sure to be a crowd-pleaser -- I'm all for recipes that make you look like a chef with practically no-effort. Who's with me?

xoxo n

Fire Salad w/ Shrimp, Blackberries & Goat Cheese

In the few days I've been in Arlington (see a few posts back,) I've had the wonderful opportunity (read: excuse) to try out the local dining scene. Luckily, as I've discovered, I live close to this incredibly local eatery named FireWorks Pizza. They have amazing pizza varieties (the first time Austin tried balsamic glaze,) spicy-glazed wings, drinks, and most importantly in my experience -- salad. Yup, I said it -- salad. At a pizzeria. (back story: Austin & I were going to a movie later and I was saving myself for the yummy popcorn.) Anyways, I tried my hand at a salad with goat cheese, candied pecans, and blackberries. It was DELICIOUS! I didn't even feel like I was "eating what I was supposed to eat." So delicious in fact, I decided to make my own. My version doesn't have pecans or the dressing they made, but I used a plain olive oil to deliver the healthy omega-3 fats my body craves to perform at it's best.

Servings: 1

What You'll Need:

• 5 medium shrimp (raw, or frozen)
• Cooking spray
• A pinch each of Salt/Pepper
• Some good ol' Old Bay
• 2 cups salad mix (about half the bag)
• 2 tbsp Goat Cheese crumbles (a container is about $4)
• About a handful of blackberries
• If you don't have blackberries, blueberries or strawberries (even green apple chunks!) work perfectly instead!
• About 1 tbsp olive oil

The Step-by-Step:

1. Put the shrimp and seasoning in a bowl. Mix together well with your hands. Let sit in fridge for 10 minutes.
2. Spray a small pan with cooking spray. Turn on the stove to medium heat and add shrimp to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then until shrimp is no longer see-through. Turn off heat.
3. Place salad mix on plate (or bowl.) Add goat cheese and blackberries, then shrimp.
4. Drizzle with some olive oil, and sprinkle just a little more salt & pepper on until it tastes right to you.
5. Enjoy!

xoxo n

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A word on shrimp

When you hear bodybuilders talk about eating protein, you'll probably hear them talk about how much chicken breast they eat. But I beg to differ -- shrimp is actually one of the most amazing proteins there are -- in my opinion -- especially if you're trying to get a big bang for your calorie buck. A raw medium-sized shrimp is about 7 calories -- yes, SEVEN. So, even though I am a fan of chicken, shrimp is a nice treat for me! If you are pressed for time, some seafood sections at the grocery store offer it already cooked, and sometimes already seasoned too! Literally, all you would have to do is take it out of the container and put it on your salad!