2 Ways to Make Stovetop Garlic Bread

One of the easiest ways to spruce up that "darn Dutch Oven Bread that's all over Pinterest" is simply to turn it into garlic bread. There are about 40 ways to do this. Really. You can use a grill, your broiler, a toaster, a frying pan, or, if you live in Colombia you can just slap on the garlic butter and hold your bread under the sun for a few minutes. (This works for all countries along the Equator.) You can use fresh minced garlic, roasted garlic, or go super easy with garlic salt.

For the sake of my readership, I'm only going to show you two of the ways I like to make garlic bread, both using fresh garlic and both on the stovetop.

Ina's Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil

At the beginning of September some of your gardens are still donning several lovely cherry tomatoes. If your gardens aren't wearing these sweet little polka dots, the grocery stores certainly are! For those of you who're done turning them into gazpacho or throwing them over your salads, I have a recipe for you that will give the 'matoes new life while helping you soak up these last weeks of Summer with gusto.

If it's possible for a recipe to be light and indulgent at the same time, Ina Garten's Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil has it nailed. It's one of my all-time favorite main dishes for its freshness, deep flavor, ease of preparation, and capacity to satisfy. Salty, sweet, savory, mildy tart, and the juicy pops as you bite into each ready-to-burst tomato... mlup, mlup, mlup. I have all the ingredients on hand, so I think I'm going to be making this tonight for the fifth time this Summer.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Presenting the next installment to the Cinco de Mayo menu!

I had a good laugh recently when I asked one of my best friends if she happened to own a tortilla press that I could borrow. She thought I was kidding and responded, "The day I own a tortilla press is the day I own a wheat grinder.... and grow my own wheat."

Cafe Rio Style Shredded Chicken

How lucky am I that I went to college 2 miles from the original Cafe Rio? How lucky am I that the first Cafe Rio that opened East of Colorado is 30 minutes from our DC home? And now there's one 15 minutes from our DC home? About as lucky as I am to have a mom who gets me Cafe Rio gift cards for Christmas and my birthday.

Here's my very slight adaptation of their shredded chicken recipe. Actually, it's a copycat recipe by Crumbs and Chaos.

Cinco de Mayo Menu!

¡Buenos Dias! ¡Y Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

As I write this post "Oye Como Va" by Santana plays through my headphones. I never get tired of this song.

I've been wanting to host a Cinco de Mayo party for years. There are just so many fun ways to spend a day celebrating Mexican pride. I'm pretty sure I have zero Mexican in me, but I do speak conversational Spanish, I've been to Mexico three times with Family to Family Humanitarian Expeditions, and I like tacos...? Oo! And paletas! Yum! Aaaand, I LOVE Latin dancing! See? Not too bad! I do hate chili powder on my fruit, though. -1 Mexicana point for me there. -10 Janna points for them.

Guest-worthy Sandwiches: Ham & Cherry Sandwich

I do a whole lot of hand-puppeting and re-folding laundry and assuring that Diego will find all the missing pieces of the moon with my daylight hours. But sometimes I do things that feel ridiculously luxurious during the day like host little lunch dates with my girlfriends. When I do, I try to avoid PB&J's (no disrespect to the scrumptious classic) if I can help it. Instead, I like to serve a guest-worthy sandwich like this little number from Martha Stewart's crew at Whole Living.

I Smell Things

Not in an "I see dead people" kind of way, or in an I-have-the-skills-of-a-hound kind of way either. I'm just curious about and like to enjoy how things smell. Not everything. Just things like clean clothes, crayons, pencils, and leaves, and more obvious things like fancy soap and a good bisque.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs

I started young. My childhood friends Becky and Cally were older and wiser (and more normal) and helped me to rid myself of any of these sorts of tendencies which might have done long-term damage to my social life or created unnecessary paranoia in those around me. Thanks, Becky & Cally. (Sorry, Mr. & Mrs. R.)

Anyway, I was thinking of this because one of my birthday presents from my thoughtful parents-in-law was the latest cookbook by the ever-reliable Ina Garten. Before setting it on my display shelf of favorites I had to stop and breathe in its untouched pages. New or old, I love the smell of books.

In this instance, I also love the look. I mean, look at those crostinis!

Her dedication goes to her husband. "For Jeffrey, he's foolproof." Too cute.

Crispy English Potatoes

Accidental Turkey

Roasted Asparagus & Prosciutto

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Sidecars with Dried Cherries

"Foolproof means so many things to me. Clearly, it means the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can be made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an outrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire." -Ina

I plan to put her to the test, and to enjoy every bite (and whiff) of it.

Kettle Brand Bakes Winners!

It is one good morning! Kate slept in until 9:00, which she hasn't done for weeks. Good girl, Kate! We got up, grabbed some breakfast, and headed over to Random.org to do the Kettle Brand drawing.

And the lucky winners are.....

#6 Laura W. who said, "Mmm...I would choose Hickory Honey BBQ, Cheddar & Roasted Tomato and Sour Cream & Onion. Keeping my fingers crossed!"

and

#18 Whitney Morris who said, "Liked your fb page! :)" She'll be receiving a box including Sour Cream & Onion, Sea Salt & Vinegar, and Sea Salt.

Congrats, ladies!

Kettle Brand Makes Bakes! and They're Good! and They're Giving Them Away!

Giveaway!!

I don't know of many people who wouldn't choose a healthier alternative to their favorite foods if one were offered that still tasted good. Which is why so many of us tried baked chips when they came out several years ago... and then tried to actually like them. Baked chips tasted okay and the texture was okay. I assumed the book was closed on that one.

But then I was contacted by Kettle Brand again- they know I like to add kettle chips to the mix when hosting casual lunches or picnics- and was told that they were releasing a line of bakes. My interest was piqued. They sent me three bags to sample, and I'll just cut to the chase and say they are about 5 times better than any other baked chip I've ever tried. Truly. It's CLEAR they made the chips by slicing real potatoes and not by compacting potato flakes into the shape of a potato round. What a relief to know that some companies still use whole foods. Amen? And they taste really, really good. Really.

We sampled their Sea Salt, Sour Cream & Onion, and Cheddar & Roasted Tomato flavors. The first two taste very much like elevated versions of other chips because of the higher quality ingredients Kettle Brand uses. The Cheddar & Roasted Tomato is a flavor unique to Kettle Brand and it is GOOD. I will definitely buy them in the future. Shawn and Kate really liked them, too, which is saying something because I really wasn't sure Shawn could enjoy a baked chip.

Now for the Giveaway. We're going to be selecting TWO winners this time! And each winner will get to CHOOSE which three of the five available flavors they want in their gift box. Here are their baked flavors:

• Sea Salt
• Hickory Honey Barbeque
• Sea Salt & Vinegar
• Cheddar & Roasted Tomato
• Sour Cream & Onion

You can qualify to enter up to three times. Here's how:

• The first one is a freebee. Enter your name along with which three flavors you're most interested in trying! My bag would consist of the Hickory Honey Barbeque, Sea Salt & Vinegar, (for Shawn; it's his fav,) and Cheddar & Roasted Tomato.
• You can enter your name a second time if you "like" the Eats and Beats Facebook page.
• You can make a third entry if you send someone else to "like" the Eats and Beats Facebook page. As soon as they've "liked" it, come back and enter your name a third time.

All comments must be posted by Midnight PT Tuesday, February 5th. The two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday by the end of the day!

Pretty great that you can actually SEE the potato skin!

Thanks, Kettle Brand! Click the link to see my last Kettle Chips giveaway and learn more about their company.

Fall Veggie Bisque

So, I realize that the next logical post would be the mashed potatoes recipe, but it's not quite ready yet, so we're just going to skip right on to this post which is. :)

Let's all give a very, very hearty "Thank you!" to my girlfriend Beth for this recipe. She's one of those people who I think might be able to write this blog better than I can. The girl has a near flawless eye for food and I have yet to taste something she's made that I didn't LOVE. And she has a knack for nailing it with a wide variety of foods. And she sticks to whole ingredients. And she's super down-to-earth, has a fashionably understated sense of style, and has a cool house that she decorates with great statement pieces. She's just plain cool. So, if you ever move to the DC area I'd recommend wooing her into becoming your friend so that you can benefit from her culinary and other artistic talents. (Blushing yet, Beth?)

Anyway, right now she's all of our friend because she's introducing us to this simple, but pretty dang genius combination of flavors below that will start off the seated portion of the fancy dinner party menu! Another reason she's our friend is because this recipe is not only inexpensive and quite nutritious, it's also easy, easy peasy. Trust me when I say this is a small investment that will pay major dividends with your guests.

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Fall Veggie Bisque
adapted by Beth Luke from Family Circle Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large onion, peeled and halved

1 granny smith apple, peeled and cored

3 carrots, trimmed and peeled

2 TBS unsalted butter

2 packages frozen cooked squash, thawed

3 cups vegetable broth

2 TBS sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup heavy cream (this is optional- or at least substitutable)

Directions:

Shred veggies. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add shredded veggies and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

Stir in squash, broth and spices. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Puree using an immersion blender or a regular blender. Return to pot and add cream (or not). Gently heat though and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.

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Get a little more creative than I was and garnish your bisque with a little bundle of carrot shredding or a teeny sprinkling of cinnamon for flair!

Told you it was easy!

Kettle Brand Chips Giveaway Winner!

What a day!

Many thanks to my awesome husband for getting up with Kate in the middle of the night and taking her in the morning so that I could get some much-needed rest. When I'm pregnant, I feel like I could sleep for almost 12 hours before feeling refreshed! I can't believe I have less than 4 weeks to go before the arrival of our new baby girl! Anyway, I spent the day doing some major late-pregnancy nesting. After digging out Kate's newborn clothes and early-infancy gear and doing laundry, I decided to dive into our storage closet and start sorting, consolidating, throwing away, and giving away.

So, I'm announcing our giveaway winner a little later in the day than I'd hoped, but when that productivity bug strikes, I know better than to push it aside.

Our winner of a free collection of Kettle Brand Chips 30th Birthday Limited Batch flavors is........

Julie who said, "Salsa! Yumm!"

You're a girl after my own heart, Julie. Make sure to come back and tell us what you think of each of the four flavors! Congrats!

For anyone else that would like to try these flavors at a discount, visit this link for a promo code.

Happy crunching!

Mediterranean Orzo (You'll Forget It's Vegetarian!)

Every ingredient my friend, Julie, touches turns to edible gold. I've never eaten anything from her that I didn't want to take home and snuggle. I am slightly biased because our food perspective is pretty much the same; we both love to take fresh ingredients and turn them into colorful, healthy dishes. But since she does it better than I do, I find myself really excited and inspired by what comes out of her kitchen.

You love Julie, too! You love her because she introduced me to this knock-out pasta and I'm now sharing it with you. Of all the vegetarian dishes she makes, this is her husband's favorite, and now I know why. Lots of color, little bit of sweet from the bell peppers, little bit of bite from the red onions, little bit of citrus from freshly squeezed lemon juice, savory garlic, crunchy pine nuts, crispy green onions, soft feta, can be served warm, cold, or room temperature... da-dee-da-da-da-LAAAAAAA! 

Just look at the beauties I started off with.

I used 3 green, 2 red, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 large red onion.

Here's what they look like when you lean in closer to get a better look.

Here's what they look like shuffling down a crowded NYC sidewalk... wearing olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

And here's what they look like stopped at the corner waiting for the go-ahead to cross the street.

Aaaaand, here's the recipe. Julie's version.  :)

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Mediterranean Orzo With Roasted Vegetables Julie's version, with notes from Janna

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

6 Bell Peppers, 1 inch diced

1-2 Red Onions, 1 inch diced

2 minced garlic cloves

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed thoroughly, and dried with a paper towel. 

1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (Requires 1 1/2-2 lemons)

4 scallions minced, green and white
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1/3-3/4 cup of feta (depending on how much you prefer. Julie adds less, I add a bit more.)
15 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded (Here's a great little tutorial on how to chiffonade by The Pioneer Woman.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss together the first 6 ingredients and roast for 40 min, turning once. (Since oven temperatures tend to vary, keep an eye on the veggies and don't be afraid to pull them out earlier if you think you should. You don't want them to come out burned or limp.)

In the meantime, place the garbanzo beans on a separate pan, drizzle them lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roll them around to get a nice, even coating and place them in the oven when there's about 15 minutes to go on the vegetables. 

Once those are in the oven, cook 1 box orzo pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add roasted veggies to pasta, scraping liquid and seasonings in. Add the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil if dry. Allow to cool to room temp.

Then add the remaining ingredients and season with extra salt and pepper as needed.

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Janna & Ina's Margherita Pizza

The culinary goddess Ina Garten and I recently collaborated to come up with one seriously delectable pizza. Perhaps a little more accurate, I took a pasta recipe of Ina's that I'm in love with and decided to convert several of the ingredients into a pizza.... without consulting her. So, that's a bit of a let-down. BUT, I do like this pizza enough that I would serve it to Ina should she ever choose to come over for dinner. (Anytime, Ina!)

You can bet your perky little bum that I'll be sharing that pasta recipe with you, but I want to do it proper justice with a blog entry of its own. Patience, grasshopper. 

K, let's get this show on the road, shall we?

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Janna & Ina's Margherita Pizza

Makes 1 large pizza

Ingredients:

1 ball of your favorite pizza dough, room temperature

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves freshly minced garlic (not the kind you buy in the jar that's already minced!) 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning

1 16 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4" slices

2 medium vine tomatoes, sliced

3 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/4-1/5 teaspooon crushed red pepper flakes (optional. I opted out this time because my hubs is quite sensitive to spicy foods.)

quality grated parmesan cheese

12 fresh basil leaves, sliced julienne

freshly grated black pepper, for seasoning

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. If using a pan, choose your largest one and lightly grease and flour it.

Take your room temp dough and roll it out so that it's very thin and will fit your pizza pan or stone. Place the rolled-out dough onto the pan and bake it in the oven for 5-7 minutes. In the meantime, combine the olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt. 

If the crust has bubbled up, poke a few holes in it with a fork and gently press it flat. Top the entire surface of the pre-baked crust with the olive oil mixture. (You probably won't use all of it.)

Next add the mozzarella, followed by the tomato so that they cover the inner surface of the crust. (Depending on how big your pizza is, you may not use all the mozzarella.) Top with the thyme, and bake for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and the crust is golden brown.

Juices from the tomatoes may emerge and run while in the oven. If this is the case, simply dab the pizza gently with a paper towel to remove the excess juice. Season the pizza lightly with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Finally, top it off with with parmesan cheese (not too heavy), and the fresh basil.  Cut into slices and serve while hot!

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Behold my favorite pizza I've ever made.  (If you want Shawn's favorite pizza I've ever made, check out this Ham and Pepperoni Stromboli.)

Wedge Vine Tomato & Avocado Salad, and Choosing the Best Produce

Some of the best food is the food you leave the heck alone. Well, you eat it, so I guess in that way you're not leaving it alone at all. I just mean that if you choose your ingredients with an eye for freshness, there's often very little else you need to do to bring out their best. One of my favorite examples of this is my Wedge Vine Tomato & Avocado Salad.

This salad depends almost entirely on choosing your produce wisely. Here are some tips for getting the right tomatoes and avocados into your shopping basket as well as how to prepare them for serving.

1. Shop the day before you plan on serving.  You're going to need to give your avocados a night to ripen.
2. Buy avocados that are barely soft to the touch. Doing the best you can to keep them from touching (because they'll bruise) put them in paper bags overnight to help them completely ripen.
3. Choose tomatoes that are still on the vine, firm (but not hard), nice and red, and have a good, strong garden smell. You don't need to refrigerate them. Even though refrigeration will extend the life of your tomato once it has started to become overripe, there's no sense refrigerating them before that point as it messes with the flavor in a big way. But keep them out of the sun!
4. Slicing the tomatoes, and especially the avocados, is one of the last things you'll want to do before your guests arrive. Slicing the avocado too soon will result in an unappealing brown color. 
5. Finally, if you're serving these outdoors, for example as part of the Picnic Lunch Menu, you'll want to wait until you get to the picnic site before cutting the avocados. Otherwise, you risk them being brown and mashed.

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Wedge Tomato & Avocado Salad

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

6 medium vine tomatoes

4 avocados

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Slice each tomato and each avocado into six even wedges. Arrange face-up on a serving tray or in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper and serve. Doesn't get much easier than that, kids!

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Picnic Lunch Menu: Cashew-Chicken Rotini Salad

When I have a picnic, I want foods that mimic the moods the outdoors inspire: simplicity, freshness, lightness, and vibrancy. There should be a healthy dose of unadulterated, natural foods as if you could be eating what you just picked from a nearby garden. Don't you think?? Nobody wants to leave a picnic feeling weighed down, just pleasantly satisfied.

I mentioned that my friend, Shauna, and I served this for a casual baby shower, but this could just as appropriately be served for any kind of outdoor (or indoor) social gathering this Summer. We received so many compliments from our guests and many of them thanked us for not serving heavy foods. You betcha, ladies!

The Menu:
Main Dish: Cashew-Chicken Rotini Salad
Side Dishes: Wedge Vine Tomato and Avocado Salad, Fresh Berries, Kettle Chips
Beverage: Lemon & Mint Ice Water
Dessert: Caramel Apple Kits

The Cashew-Chicken Rotini Salad is a recipe that my mother found from Taste of Home and made for me while she was visiting after Kate's arrival last year. I pretty much never, ever, ever cook using prepared foods like ranch dressing, but almost everything else on the menu is so light and fresh, and the pasta is so delicious that I made an exception. With just a few adaptations, here's the recipe!

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Cashew-Chicken Rotini Salad from Taste of Home
Prep Time: 30 Min
Chill Time: 1 hour
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 package (16 ounces) spiral or rotini pasta
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups sliced celery
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 cup seedless green grapes (I used 2 cups of only red grapes to make my life easier, but having both does add a little extra variety to the dish.)
1 package (5 ounces) dried cranberries
1 cup ranch salad dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cups salted cashews

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onions, grapes and cranberries. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into chicken mixture.
In a small bowl, whisk the ranch dressing and mayonnaise. Pour desired amount over salad and toss to coat. (The original recipe calls for all of the dressing/mayo combo, but I thought it was overkill. Adjust it to suit your individual preference!) Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in cashews. Stirring in the cashews any earlier will make them lose their texture. If you think you'll end up with leftovers, you may want to serve the cashews in a separate dish.

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And a big "CONGRATULATIONS" to the expectant mother of the baby shower who welcomed baby Alison into the world on Monday! I got to visit her just 6 or 7 hours after she was born and she is one of the most beautiful newborns I've ever seen. We love you already, baby girl! 

Healthy St. Patrick's Day Lunch Menu (No Green Food Coloring!)

Get a mini Irish Flag toothpick and stick it in the middle for added flair!

This is a time of year that I love the fact that I'm about 1/4 Irish 'cause I get to feel totally legit in this kind of odd way. I loved wearing the "Kiss me; I'm Irish" stickers as a teen 'cause I really was Irish! Me máthair's maiden name comes from Ireland and there's many a Patricia in the family line. Anyway, for weeks I've been trying to figure out how I would celebrate this spirited holiday if we weren't already planning to do something for Kate's first birthday. Especially since St. Patty's Day falls on a Saturday this year! It really opens it up for menus that can be served at any time of day.

I know for a lot of you, celebrating St. Patty's Day doesn't go far beyond wearing green and sporadically blurting out something said by the Lucky Charms leprechaun, so I'm giving you something just a step or two beyond that this year. :) I've seen a lot of green food-colored pancakes on other blogs, so I thought maybe I'd steer clear of breakfast, and I feel like I need to try more Irish main courses before I feel comfortable providing you with a St. Patrick's Day dinner menu. That left me with lunch. I knew I didn't want to use food coloring or make everything green since monochromatic meals usually turn me off. So I decided to bring orange and white onto the scene, too, in reference to the Irish flag, and before long I had concocted a very easy and nutritious lunch menu that you'll feel great about serving your family or guests!

Here's the breakdown and the first recipe:

Irish Flag Lunch Menu
Main Dish: Irish Flag Sandwich
Sides: Golden Greek Yogurt Parfaits, Pistachios, and Carrots
Drink: William of Orange Water
Dessert: Rainbow Fruit Tart

This is a non-recipe recipe because you really don't need measurements.

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Irish Flag Sandwich

Makes 4+ sandwiches

Ingredients:Loaf of quality whole-grain bread, toasted

Mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

1/2-3/4 lb Oven roasted turkey

Spinach and mixed greens

1 Green apple, sliced

Directions:
Spread mayo on one slice of bread and the dijon mustard on the other slice. On the mustard side, top with cheddar and then turkey. On the may slice, top with mixed greens and then then about 4 slices of green apple. Eat while the bread is still warm!

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And, there you have it: the Irish flag!

An alternate bread option would be a spinach wrap, which is usually more fun for kids, but it won't show off the flag colors as well. Just throwin' it out there. :)

Why this menu works:

• It's absolutely nice enough for special guests, but casual enough for those of you who tend to opt for a low-key St. Patty's Day.
• It's very, very healthy. Nearly every ingredient in the menu is pure and natural. We love the taste of organic mayo, and organic turkey blows the processed stuff out of the water. (Though the deli was closed when I went to the store, so, unfortunately, what you see in the photos is the processed stuff...)
• Besides the dessert, this menu takes virtually no prep time, so all of your energy can be spent on your guests!

Roasted Tomatoes & Mozzarella on Toasted Whole Grain

I had lunch at 10:30 this morning. Why? Because I had an absurdly early breakfast? Nope! I ate breakfast at 9:30. Because I'm a big, fat pig? I certainly hope not. Lunch came early today because I find that I like mid-morning light the best for photographing food, and I didn't want the freshness of this little guy to go to waste.

A few posts ago I said I loved the Whole Living list of "Super Sandwich Combinations" enough that I was tempted to make all of them. I was only maybe 30% kidding. I can tell you now I'm not attempting the poached salmon sandwich, but there are about 20 on that list that I'd love to get my lips on.

Anyway, here's today's sandwich along with a handful of pics to wet your whistle.

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Roasted Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 240 cal; 10 g fat (5 g sat fat); 23 g cholesterol; 28 g carbs; 247 mg sodium; 11 g protein; 5 g fiber

Ingredients:1/2 pint (5 oz) cherry tomatoes

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 slices (1 oz) fresh mozzarella

1/2 whole-wheat bagel (I didn't have bagels on hand, so I used a loaf of whole grain that we bought from the bakery a few days ago.)

1/2 cup baby arugula

Directions:

1. Roast tomatoes: Heat oven to 425degrees. Arrange tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes begin to burst, 20 to 25 minutes. Scrape tomatoes and any juices into a bowl and let cool.

2. Heat broiler. Place mozzarella on sliced halves of bagel and broil until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Top with roasted tomatoes and arugula.

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Here's what makes this sandwich so good.

• Roasting and toasting. The bread contains whole grains, nuts, and seeds which have heightened flavor when toasted. Likewise, the flavor of the tomato receives a boost when roasted. 
• Arugula. The typical green you see paired with fresh mozzarella and tomato? You guessed it: basil. The caprese is a classic for a darn good reason, but who doesn't love a yummy twist on an old classic? I'm loving their choice of arugula as a substitute. If you're not yet a crazed fan of this leafy morsel, buy some and make it your friend. 
• Blend of temperatures and textures. It's not just the combination of flavors that makes a dish worth returning to, but also varying textures and temperatures. The cooled-down tomatoes and cold arugula pair with the warmth of the bread and mozzarella. The crunch of the toasted grains against the cushiony cheese and the juicy tomato and drizzled olive oil... all of these elements give your mouth a dynamic experience.
• It's nutritious! Only made with whole ingredients, this sandwich will leave you feeling satisfied and guilt-free
• Vegetarian. Shawn and I started cutting back on our meat consumption a couple years ago and 80% of what we do buy is organic. I love meals that prove meat doesn't have to be at the center of a delicious meal!

Cheddar and Avocado Sandwich

Remember how I joked yesterday about making today National Vegetarian Sandwich Day? Well, guess what! It's technically National Clam Chowder Day, but since I don't like clams, we made vegetarian sandwiches instead. And, man, oh, man were they good!

Any of you out there on Pinterest? If not, you should be! I find so many ideas and so much inspiration for every part of my life, from parenting to food to fashion to exercise. Anyway, I recently came across this awesome collection of sandwich combinations by Martha Stewart's Whole Living while browsing Pinterest, and I may very well end up eating my way through it.

The first to be checked off my list is this simple and delicious Cheddar and Avocado Sandwich. It probably looks like something you've already tried, but there are a couple things that make it really special.

• Lemon. The ratio of lemon to avocado is pretty high which turns out to add greatly to the appeal of the sandwich. Add the olive oil, salt & pepper, and you have yourself one vibrantly delicious spread!
• Sprouts. Nutritious with a unique, earthy flavor and fantastically crisp texture. Totally underutilized, in my opinion.
• Good bread. An absolute MUST for any impressive sandwich is well-chosen, quality bread. This recipe calls for multigrain, which is healthy and delicious, but I opted for a loaf of pain de campagne.

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Cheddar and Avocado Sandwich

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 440 cal; 26 g fat (8 g sat fat); 30 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbs; 485 mg sodium; 18 g protein; 11 g fiber

Ingredients:

1/4 avocado

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon wedge

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices multigrain bread

1 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese

3 to 4 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sprouts

Directions:

Mash avocado with oil and juice of lemon wedge. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread mashed avocado on one slice of bread.

Top with cheddar, 

tomatoes, 

red onion, 

and sprouts. 

Top with the second slice.

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This Week's Sandwiches

Terra Sweet Potato Chips

I wrote at the beginning of last week that I was taking it easy when it came to lunches for my family and our house guests, but that doesn't mean I fed Bryn and Alex bologna (not to insult those of you who enjoy this childhood classic, of course.) Our mid-day munching consisted of sandwich buffets with a variety of fillers and sides to choose from, eating out, and delicious dinner leftovers. Here are some pics from the sandwich buffet that Shawn and I are still finishing off, including the applewood smoked cheddar with hand-pressed paprika I told you about. 

Oh so delicious applewood smoked cheddar with hand-pressed paprika. Pairs very well with roast beef, and is also a perfect cheese for veggie sandwiches.

Fresh, classic hummus from Wegman's. Use as a sandwich spread in lieu of mayo or mustard.

Are you licking your lips?

My Guests Arrive Tomorrow!

Thanksgiving: the food holiday, and an appropriate place to start our blog, don't you think? This year I'm hosting not just Thanksgiving Dinner itself, but we are having guests at our home for the entire week, starting tomorrow! Thank Heaven we finally finished the brunt of the renovations in our basement where reside our guest bedroom and bathroom. We still need to install the toilet, which will have to wait until just hours before they arrive (*fingers crossed all goes smoothly*), but otherwise we're in good shape.

We're not doing Thanksgiving with family this year even though Shawn's family lives just 45 minutes away and the holidays with them are always beyond wonderful. However, since we'll be having Christmas with them and spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas with them last year, they've graciously agreed to do without us this time around so that we can host our friends Bryn and Alex from Boston who we haven't seen in two years. And as luck would have it, mutual friends of ours Shauni and Richard found themselves without family this year as well, so they'll be joining us on Thanksgiving Day, too! For me, both couples are family, so I'm thrilled.

Whenever I have special meals or events to host, I always make a Google document so I can plan everything out and keep track of my progress. Preparing for Thanksgiving is stressful enough, but to be also in charge of a week's worth of meals surrounding Turkey Day...

As always, my imagination gets carried away with me when I first start planning. I imagine myself making quiche from scratch for brunch one day and rising early to make gourmet pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast the next. But I am not a morning person. So, I end up having to discipline myself enough to simplify, knowing that if I don't, I'll become my own (and my husband's) worst enemy. Besides, who wants to forgo precious visiting time with friends to stress over a quiche crust, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner? So, I've decided to make breakfast and lunch incredibly easy and just worry about dinner. For now I'll just give you what we're having for breakfast and lunch and then document our dinners throughout the week. Here's what's on the menu:

Breakfasts for the Week:
-Quiche- Buy ready-made and ready-to-heat from a reputable bakery. Costco also sells yummy ones in sets of two.
-Fruit- Apples, Oranges, and Pears are in season. Cut some up and put them in a nice bowl.
-Greek Yogurt- To be mixed with quality honey and topped with dried cherries and good granola. Set out a little yogurt station of sorts if you want to make it special.
-Cereal- We keep a good mix of all-natural and standard varieties on hand. I know this isn't glamorous, but some people are very simple breakfast eaters (like me) and will appreciate the option.
-Hard-boiled Eggs- Make sure they're fresh so the shells are easily removed. Make them ahead of time, and consider peeling them so your guests don't have to struggle though it. Pat them dry with a paper towel and place them in a sealed container in the fridge. They'll last up to a week. Serve with salt and pepper shakers in case they prefer to eat them that way.
-Apple Cider- Find a brand you love. If you're willing to indulge, order a gallon or two from Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Vermont. You'll thank me.

Lunches for the Week:
-Sandwich buffet- I keep my favorite sliced wheat bread on hand. If you want to go the extra mile, run out and grab a good loaf of fresh bread from your local bakery. A crisp, French baguette (should make a nice crunchy sound when you squeeze it) sliced once lengthwise and then three or four times horizontally makes sets of sandwich ends that your guests can fill as they choose. Ciabatta, focaccia, and quality pita breads are great options as well. Here's what I'll be offering as fillers:
      Sliced cucumber, (room temp.) sliced vine tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, sliced apples (granny smith or fuji,) plain hummus, mayo, yellow mustard, brie, applewood smoked cheddar (or muenster or havarti, if you can't find this,) bourbon ham, roast beef, and roast turkey (all from the deli, and organic if the budget allows, since it tastes best.)
-Terra brand Sweet Potato Chips, or plain kettle chips
-Sliced fruit
-Baby carrots
-Ice water- Just put it in a nice pitcher and nobody will think anything lacking!

This is all I'm planning because, not only might we eat lunch on the go while touring museums in the District, but we'll also have plenty of dinner left-overs from the night before that can make for great midday eats. 

Wish me luck!