Become a Leftover Whiz

I've always told my Dad he should start a restaurant where people bring in their leftovers and he turns them into an amazing meal. He could literally take anything left in the fridge and turn it into a breakfast of champions. I think the trick to leftovers is to transform them so they are totally different than their original form. Otherwise I have a hard time repeating a meal several times.

My leftover Carnitas meat has been a perfect addition to meals through out the past week. Here are a few examples:
--added the pork into egg scramble with veggies and cheese
--pork pizza with mushrooms and pesto
--potato smash with zucchini, squash and pork with chipotle sauce

A few other leftover tricks:
--pack leftover items separately (ex. pasta and sauce can be used in two different ways- use the pasta in an egg frittata and the sauce over grilled chicken)
--even if you are cooking for 2 people- double the recipe so you have leftovers, it will help you eat great breakfasts and lunches through out the week
--while prepping a meal like a casserole if you have to cook meat double the meat needed and place half in another container for later in the week, throw the meat on salads, etc.
--leftover veggies can be roasted and blended to create salsa and sauces

--leftover bread can be toasted for croutons or blended for homemade breadcrumbs

Don't be afraid to explore the leftovers in fridge- being creative is always better than just reheating last nights meal!

The Perfect Girls Night

Entertaining could be my middle name. I love cooking and having friends and family over to my place. Even when I was little I got excited when my parents had dinner parties. I always wanted to play waitress and help serve the guests. There is something so special about cooking a meal and sharing it with people who mean a lot to you. 

Last week it was my night to host girl's night and after much deliberation I decided to serve pork carnitas. As I have mentioned before, tacos are so great to entertain with. You can have most of the prep work done beforehand and have a clean kitchen when your guests arrive (something I learned to appreciate from my mom). Using the slow cooker allowed me to clean up all my prep dishes, which means I spent the hour before everyone arrived reading a magazine and enjoying a glass of wine. I prepped all my side dishes ahead of time and had the toppings for the tacos (guacamole, sour cream, cheese, coleslaw) ready in serving bowls in the fridge.

Here's my ingredients for a Carnita's dinner:

Spicy coleslaw- I use broccoli slaw shreds instead of cabbage- holds up better. Just mix a bit of ranch and hot sauce and let sit in the fridge.
Corn and/or flour tortillas- I heated mine in the skillet right before serving
Toppings- guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, tomatoes, etc
Sauteed veggies- I did onions and red and green peppers in a bit of garlic and olive oil

Tortilla chips
Pork Butt/Shoulder

For the Pork:
I used a 4lb Pork Butt. I cut it in 3 pieces and cut off as much fat as possible. I then browned the pieces on all sides in a skillet with a bit of oil (less than 10 minutes total). Place the browned pieces in a crockpot with:
-Cumin
-Garlic cloves
-Salt, pepper
-Chili powder
-Paprika
-Half a beer
-Little chicken stock
-Optional- I used a chipotle raspberry marinate - to kick up the flavor
-Optional- add slices of onions

After about 6 hours on low, or 4 hours on high the pork should be very tender and shred easily. You can serve from there, or I choose to shred and place in a skillet, removing any other fatty pieces. I brown the meat a bit more to get the traditional look and taste to the pieces.

Nutella!

I'm not a huge sweets person. Give me a bag of chips or a cupcake and I'll take the carbs all day long. But there are a few sugary snacks that I do crave. While growing up my sister and I had the pleasure of a few family vacations to Europe. While our grandparents were hoping we would fall in love with French Impressionism, we instead discovered Nutella. If you haven't had it, leave your computer right now and go to the store. Its a chocolate hazelnut spread that kicks peanut butter's butt any day. My favorite use is on a warm flaky croissant, or a toasted English muffin. Last fall I discovered the recipe below and probably made 20 batches over the course of a few months. It started as a Halloween treat with orange sprinkles, and became a New Years surprise with candies on top. Try variations like mini peanut butter cups on top, or skip any toppings and just make them plain. Any way you decide they will be an instant hit with friends and family and likely to become your go to cookie recipe. 

Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup orange sprinkles, or orange sugar
• 1 (9-ounce) package of chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped (recommended: Hershey's)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, place the chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, and both sugars. Using a hand mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 3 minutes. Add the

egg and vanilla and blend until incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated.

Shape the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Rolls the balls in the orange sprinkles or orange sugar, pressing to adhere. Place the cookies on a heavy cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Quickly place a chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Pike Place Market

The Pike Place Market is one of the most magical spots in Seattle. No matter the time of year, the aisles are bustling with an array of people. Everywhere you turn there is amazing produce, huge bouquets of fresh flowers, and street performers perfecting their craft with a crowd watching on. I remember growing up spending Saturday afternoons at the market with my family. Katie and I would choose new flavored honey sticks, Mom would pick out food for that night and Dad would be sampling all that was available to taste. When I graduated from college my first office was right down the hill from the market, which meant many days I was able to wander the streets of the market finding a new fun spot for lunch. Its no surprise that on my recent trip to visit Mom and Dad, a stop at the market was high on my priority list. We made our usual stops for fresh seafood, Chukar Cherries, and pastries from Le Pannier. Next time you find yourself in Seattle make sure to plan a day to wander the market, come hungry and leave happy.

Famous Market Sign

The most beautiful flowers!

Market fish stand- huge King Crab legs!

Fresh salmon

Dried chilies to hang in a kitchen- add so much color

Worlds best mac & cheese. They also make a mean grilled sandwich and tomato soup

Great French bakery

Panier's great selection- my favorite is chocolate crossaint

The original Starbucks

Stunning produce everywhere

Chukar Cherries- chocolate covered goodness