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10/09/12 In The Kitchen: That Time We Made Burgers and It Was The Best.

A while back, a bunch of really fantastic people (who are also kind enough to be my friends) got together for an epic Burgerfest that featured some really delicious cheese. You might be thinking this is a tad summery for October, BUT friends, I’ll tell you that you are wrong. While the cooler temps are upon us, we are in the heart of FOOTBALL SEASON. And football means the BBQ stays out a little longer. So meat-loving readers, grab your closest football fan friends and try out some cheese-stuffed burgers at your next tailgate.

Burgerfest 2012

The MENU.

4 varieties of cheese-stuffed burgers
2 varieties of grilled buns (english muffins & ciabatta)
A Toppings Bar
Grilled Corn: with Feta and Lime toppings
Salad: Watermelon, Mint & Feta

The MEAT.

Step One:
Season your meat with this:
2 Tbsp Salt
1/4 C Garlic Powder
1/2 C Minced Onion
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 C Black Pepper, fresh cracked if possible
1 1/2 Tbsp White Pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Step Two:
Stuff your burgers with CHEESE. Real. Good. Cheese. I used four varieties of Wisconsin Cheese:
1. Ground Beef with Jalapeño Cheddar
2. Ground Turkey with Balsamic Asiago
3. Ground Beef + Pork with Feta
4. Ground Turkey with Bleu Cheese

The TOPPINGS.

Tomato
Basil
Avocado
Proscuitto
Corn Relish
Tzatziki Sauce
Marinaded Cucumbers
Red Onion
Spicy Mustard
Sautéed Onions
Sautéed Mushrooms
Bleu Cheese
Ketchup

I left all of these on the table and let my friends make their own masterpiece on either a grilled english muffin or ciabatta bun.

The SALAD.

Ingredients:

Cubed Watermelon
Feta Cheese
Mint
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Toss ingredients together to taste. You can change this up by using mozzarella and tomatoes if needed.

The CORN.

Directions:
Soak corn in the husks and throw them on the grill for 10-15 mins. Leave on the table with some feta cheese and limes. Rub the cheese on the corn, sprinkle with salt and pepper then squeeze with lime.

——————–

The best part about cooking dinner for your friends is sharing what you’ve created. We all helped cook, we drank good beer, we told stories, we made new friends and walked away with full stomaches. A good meal with good company can turn an average day into a truly memorable one. This was one of those nights, for me.

Thanks to Faith for hosting, to her husband Matt for manning the grill and schooling us in furniture building, to Melissa for capturing the night so beautifully, to Kate and Fred for providing such great comedy and to Emily and Tate for being there to share in the fun. Thanks to Wisconsin Cheese for sending us some samples to eat and giving us an excuse to get together for a great meal. You can find more recipe inspiration and videos to inspire your meals here.

08/30/12 For the Love of Pie: Outtakes with Anne Sage

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While in San Fran for a work trip, the lovely Anne Sage and I got together for our first “in person” meeting. I’ve been cyber-stalking Anne for years and she is as funny, generous and creative in person as she is online. Anne asked me to be part of Nikole Herriot’s fantastic series, “for the love of pie.”

Anne cheekily named the mini-cherry pies we made “friendship pies”. They were as delicious as they look! I also had the pleasure of meeting Edyta, talented photographer who captured the process. Edyta is an all-around cool chic. I posted some outtakes from the shoot, but be sure to head over to fourty-sixth and grace for the recipe and story behind the pies.

06/12/12 In The Kitchen: French Toast with Orange Zest + Ice Cream

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We have an extra special In The Kitchen feature today! Wit & Delight is being featured on Glitter Guide TODAY, and as part of the feature, we made a really delicious breakfast to share with you and GG readers. It’s exciting to share a little glimps into my life & home, captured by my talented and lovely friend Melissa Oholendt.

As many of you know, I have a deep passion of breakfast foods. We stepped it up a notch for Glitter Guide, because it is Glitter Guide after all! This is an over-the-top indulgent breakfast for anyone who’s got a bit of sweet tooth, perfect for breakfast in bed for your loved one. Served with a side of ice cream, this french toast breakfast makes the whole kitchen smell like a dream. Don’t forget to add coffee & freshly squeeze OJ!

French Toast with Orange Zest + Ice Cream

Ingredients:

5 eggs
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. unsalted butter
8 slices day-old Texas Toast
1 cup black berries
1 pint of Dulce De Leche
Good coffe grounds

Directions:

Crack eggs into a shallow dish and beat until blended. Add cream, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, vanilla, & salt. Place bread in a casserole dish and pour the batter on top. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare the griddle on medium-high heat. Coat griddle with butter and place toast on the griddle until brown. Flip and repeat. Serve with warm real maple syrup & top with blackberries.

I love serving my french toast with a side of ice cream. If you’re feeling really wild, just plop a scoop on top of the french toast. Or serve in a small bowl. I’d highly recommend you top your ice cream (I recommend Dulce De Leche) with coffee grounds. Talk about YUM.

Get the recipe card here.

04/26/12 In The Kitchen: Lobster + Ricotta Pizza with Basil + Egg

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This pizza is the result of going to the grocery store while famished. Stopping in after going for a run, I had an agenda- to make a lot of pizza. This is where my stomach starts calling the shots.

I recently made a visit to the new MPLS restaurant Butcher & The Boar, where I shared an intimate moment with a lobster grilled cheese sandwich- which was topped with a fried egg. This is the key to me heart, people. Still thinking about those delicious bites, I knew I had to recreate the flavors on a pizza.

So here we have it: Lobster + Ricotta Pizza with Feta, Avocado, Proscuitto, Basil, Roasted Red Pepper, Egg, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt + pepper. It’s as delicious as it looks. I went overboard with the toppings (I actually left a few things off), but at least give the lobster + cheese + egg + proscuitto combo a shot. You will not be sorry.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Roll out dough. Brush with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt.

Add your cheese, then basil, lobster, avocado, proscuitto, and red peppers. Crack an egg over the middle and bake until the crust begins to crisp.

03/29/12 In The Kitchen: Pesto Potato Egg Bake

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In the Kitchen is back! This week I’m sharing a really easy baked egg dish. I stumbled on the recipe via Pinterest, and the next thing I know I’m at the store buying the ingredients. The recipe below serves one hungry adult.

Pesto Potato Egg Bake

Ingredients:
1 medium sized potato
2 eggs
pesto
blue cheese
arugula
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
garlic + salt and pepper
basil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Scrub and thinly slice potatoes
Toss potato slices w/ olive oil, salt & pepper
Add crushed garlic
Cook potatoes over medium until just cooked
Spoon in the pesto and toss to coat evenly
Put potato mixture in ramekin
Bake for 5-10 minutes until crisp
Top with eggs & cheese
Bake until eggs set
Top with lightly fried basil leaves

Recipe adapted from Notions & Notations from a Novice Cook

Photos & Layout by Wit & Delight

03/08/12 In The Kitchen: 3 Meals a Day

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I’m not one to follow a recipe. Most often, I get inspiration from blogs, Pinterest and cookbooks, then I just kinda wing it. Here are three such meals:

Breakfast // Caramelized Grapefruit

Cut a ripe grapefruit in half. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Place under the broiler until lightly browned (5-10 mins)

Lunch // Warm Brussels Sprouts, Avocado & Bacon Salad

Fry three pieces of bacon until crispy. Remove from pan. Crumble when cold enough to handle.
Cut off stems and remove loose leaves from brussels sprouts. Sauté the brussels sprouts in some remaining bacon grease.
When the brussels sprouts have softened, add sliced avocado and stir gently until warmed through. Add crumbled bacon, a squeeze of lime, salt & pepper.

Dinner // Rigatoni with Ricotta and Roasted Mushrooms and Kale

Boil salted water and cook rigatoni.
Slice baby portabella mushrooms. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, a few garlic cloves and thyme. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes.
While pasta and mushrooms are cooking, sauté a handful of baby kale leaves in olive oil, sliced garlic and red pepper. Squeeze half a lemon over the cooked kale. Combine all ingredients with 1/2 cup ricotta and toss thoroughly.

photos taken with Instagram

Also, my favorite cookbooks: 1 | 2 | 3

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02/02/12 Let’s Toast- to Toast!

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Let’s talk about toast. I love the stuff. Toasted, grilled, fried, freshly baked, you name it and I’m all over it. Yet, what I like most about toast is how handy it is. Toast is basically a tasty vehicle delivering a variety of different toppings and flavors to your mouth, all in a nice portion-controlled size. I mean really! The possibilities are endless here!

I’ve been enjoying fancy toasts a lot lately (all my Instagram followers are giving a sarcastic nod/eyeroll to this)- so I thought it was time to share my favorites with y’all.

Enjoy!

1. Avocado, honey, red pepper, sea salt
2. Roasted grapes, ricotta, olive oil, thyme, sea salt
3. Roast salmon, goat cheese, truffle oil, dill
4. Nutella, pears, cracked pepper, honey

12/15/11 In The Kitchen: Healthy Eats

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Are we all enjoying the decadent tastes of the season? Who else is feeling a little regretful for having a chunk of cookie dough for dinner? I might be all alone on that one, but readers- I’m feeling a little sluggish from my baking adventures. So for the past 2 weeks, I’ve made a point to enjoy some healthy meals where ever I can.

Here’s what’s worked for me:

1. Load up on super foods like quinoa, roasted sweet potato and kale. Mix with a squeeze of lime, feta and a bit of red pepper. What can’t you accomplish with all those healthy nutrients?

2. Make a huge batch of your favorite chili (I use this vegetarian recipe) and serve it in roasted acorn squash. It looks festive and tastes amazing. I learned this from my mom, so you can thank her. (THANKS MOM!)

3. Keep it simple when it comes to snacking. Grabbing a handful of almonds is as easy as it gets. They’re also filling, so you can keep your hands away from the company cookie plate for a good 3 hours. Truth.

12/01/11 In The Kitchen: Fried Egg with Avocado, Tzatziki & Feta

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Rarely do I miss the opportunity to start the day with something hearty and healthy. I have a great affinity for breakfast foods and take my love for eggs very seriously. This recipe is currently my favorite way to jazz up a fried egg. The tzatziki sauce is the real hero of this open faced sandwich and pretty much blew my mind when I first tried it. The creamy tang of tzatziki is the perfect compliment to the cool crunch of cucumber, buttery avocado and nutty pita bread. Top with your favorite hot sauce and you’re in breakfast heaven!

Fried Egg with Avocado, Tzatiki & Feta, serves 1

Ingredients:
- Organic, cage-free egg
- 1/2 pita bread, toasted or fried
- 2 T Tzatziki sauce
- 1/2 small avocado
- 1 T crumbled feta
- Marinated cucumbers
- Siracha (or other hot sauce)

Directions:
Fry the egg in cooking spray while you toast the pita bread. Top the pita bread with sliced avocado, tzatziki sauce, cucumber, feta, and lastly, a perfectly fried egg. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

11/17/11 In The Kitchen: Chicken Pot Pie with Root Vegetables

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This chicken pot pie recipe makes your whole house smell so flippin’ good, you’ll want to dive head first into its buttery topping. Chicken pot pie always seemed like a cumbersome meal to put together, but this recipe from Sunday Suppers proves otherwise. I love the addition of root vegetables and sage, it’s sweet and savory all at once.

*Note: I have 16 oz ramekins and this recipe only fills two of them. But there is enough left over to fill four 4 oz ones, which I now jokingly call Savory Shooters. Hey, there IS wine in there somewhere. If you’ve got 8 oz ones, like most people do, you’re good to fill 4 of those.

Chicken Pot Pie with Root Vegetables, c/o Sunday Suppers

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, diced
1 parsnip, diced
2 sage leaves
5-6 mushrooms, diced
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
2 chicken breasts, diced
½ c. parsley, chopped
2½ tbsp. flour
1 c. chicken stock
½ c. white wine
Premade puff pastry dough
1 egg,
plus 1 tbsp. water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Saute potatoes, parsnip, sage, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in oil and butter over medium heat.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, allowing vegetables to sweat about 5 minutes.Remove vegetables and saute chicken breast 5 minutes.

3. Add vegetables, parsley, flour, stock, and wine. Simmer 5 minutes and season again with salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Fill four ramekins or baking cups with mixture and top each with a circle of dough about ¼-inch larger than the vessel.Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden.

11/10/11 In The Kitchen: Roast Salmon in Parchment

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This might be the easiest salmon recipe, ever. It’s great for nights you just need to make a fresh meal for one, and it’s healthy too. Use whatever vegetables you fancy most, just make sure you julienne them nicely. You could also rub the salmon with a variety of spices, but in my humble opinion, a little salt and pepper is all you need.

Roasted Salmon in Parchment Paper

Serves 1

1 salmon fillet
Salt
Pepper
Dried thyme
A few slices of lemon
Red pepper
Zucchini
Kalamata olives
Drizzle of olive oil

Directions
Cut the vegetables into a julienne, and toss with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Season salmon to taste. Put vegetables and salmon into a parchment bag, secure with twine. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

10/20/11 In the Kitchen: Rigatoni w/ Kale & Prosciutto

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I’m always looking for easy and adaptable recipes for weeknight meals. So this week I thought I’d share a recipe that is a staple in my kitchen. It usually goes something like this:

1. Pour a glass of wine.

2. Prepare the following:

+ Whatever pasta I have on hand
+ Grab a hunk of whatever cheese I’ve got in the fridge. Usually parmesan, goat cheese, or feta at any given time
+ Saute healthy greens like Kale or Chard with lots of garlic and some olive oil
+ Grab protein if I’ve got it, usually chickpeas, prosciutto, italian sausage, or roast chicken
+ A squeeze of lemon and a heavy-handed shake of the red pepper jar.
<br<>
Toss in a big bowl. Savor.

I made this pasta dish this week with leftover ricotta and loved it. So tell me, what’s your go-to recipe for weeknight meals?

—–

Rigatoni with Kale & Prosciutto

ingredients:

1 lb rigatoni
1/8 lb prosciutto
1 bunch kale
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tsp red pepper
3 garlic cloves
Salt & ground pepper

Directions:

Boil a big pot of salted water. While the water is boiling, chop the prosciutto into small pieces. Sauté the prosciutto over medium heat with some olive oil until crispy. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package. Chop up washed kale into small strips. Saute with olive oil and garlic over medium heat until the kale has wilted. Squeeze half a lemon on top of the kale.

Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining. Combine the pasta water with the cooked rigatoni, kale, prosciutto, ricotta, a small squeeze of lemon, and red pepper. Salt to taste, and ENJOY!

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