Greek Yogurt Lime Cake
by Emily
Liz and I get the biggest interwebby thrill when we see our blog followers pin recipes and images from our website onto their virtual pinboards. It’s exciting for us to think that friends and strangers alike have found some inspiration and resources to make a fab cocktail party or container garden happen. Thank you for stopping by and giving us the motivation to keep our blog and hobbies alive!
I admittedly spend a fair amount of way too much time gushing over and repinning beautiful food photography images on Pinterest. While I think Liz and I have both improved our photography skills (why thank you fancy cameras!), there is clearly some really amazing talent out there. Even though I enjoy cooking and baking, I find that it is sometimes a little intimidating to see all of these gorgeous pictures and executions. While I am pinning away it makes me wonder, “could I ever pull that off?”
The answer is, of course we can! Styling skills and a really fab camera are merely bonuses in the kitchen, it’s really the recipe that matters. Study the recipe and then judge its difficulty, don’t be scared by a magazine-worthy photo. This recipe for a tres bonjour Greek Yogurt Lime Cake in particular is something manageable, tangy, and really delicious. We say, go for it.
Greek Yogurt Lime Cake
inspired and adapted from Souvlaki For The Soul and Smitten Kitchen
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
zest of one lime
1/4 cup lime juice
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan with butter or oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper if the pan is not springform.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, sugar, lime zest and juice. Add the eggs one by one, whisking well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, over your yogurt batter. Stir with a spoon until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen. If you’re using the springform pan, unclasp the sides. Otherwise, flip the cake onto a plate and flip it back on the rack.
Once cooled, sprinkle with sugared lime zest (combine one tablespoon of lime zest with two tbsp of sugar).
The Friday Find: The Bloody Mary
by Emily
Between Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby Day celebrations falling on the same day this year, you may need to fight fire with more fire come Sunday morning. Say Good Morning to this kicked up Bloody Mary recipe via Octavia & Brown!
While this brunch drink du jour will surely solve all of your problems until Monday, this post would be incomplete without the coordinating design accoutrements. We have the aesthetics covered with dashes of tomato red and doodles in our favorite color of the year, tangerine tango. Cheers and happy celebrating!
Jonathan Adler Pop High Ball Glass
New Traditionalists Barstool no. Forty
Tangerine Ice Bucket
Faux Python Tray
Ikat Cocktail Napkins
Society Social The Double Bar Cart
Bloody Mary Recipe and Photo via Octavia & Brown
Chipotle Bourbon Grilled Chicken
by Elizabeth
Sadly I’ve let one of our Vows to be Classic in 2012 completely slip – entertaining at home. Somehow it’s already May and we just hosted our first cookout of the year last weekend. Which is particularly frustrating since I’m pretty sure we’ve now missed all of the pleasant patio-sitting weather…but regardless, it felt good to host a little neighborhood get-together, drink some white wine spritzers and snack on cheese-loaded carbs on the patio, and laugh and chit chat late into the night.
It was nothing fancy, just a thrown together meal that took remarkably little effort. (It would have been even easier had I actually already had the chicken in the freezer that I thought I did and didn’t have to add a last minute grocery run to the schedule, but whatevs…) We had this Chipotle Bourbon Grilled Chicken, venison sausages, olive cheese bread, fresh cantaloupe, and macaroni & cheese, tortilla roll ups, and Nutella pound cake kindly brought by my girlfriends. We still don’t have proper patio furniture so we ate on a too-small table crowded with mismatched chairs, the fire didn’t get hot enough leading to a 9 pm dinner, I used paper plates to lessen the dish-washing load and I’m pretty sure we ran out of forks – but none of it mattered. Entertaining doesn’t have to “perfect” to make for perfect evening.
Chipotle Bourbon Grilled Chicken, adapted from Always Order Dessert
1 8-oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups orange marmalade
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups bourbon or whiskey (substitute orange juice or chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 pieces of chicken, we used drumsticks
Combine all ingredients except chicken in the food processor, blend until a smooth purée forms. Place chicken in a large bowl or dish and pour marinade all over it. Marinate for several hours, 6-8 or even overnight is ideal. You can toss it once or twice to make sure all parts of the chicken are covered.
When you’re ready to cook, either grill outdoors or place in a baking dish (or two) and bake at 400˙ for 45-55 minutes. Test internal temperature of chicken, it should register about 165˙ to 170˙ at the thickest part of the meat.
Big Things Come in Small Spaces
by Emily
With the generous help of my parents, I spent the better part of the weekend cleaning out, packing up, and selling most of the contents of my Houston maison. While I basically delayed the inevitable “second move” by a few months, I was able to really edit down my belongings with very few question marks.
via Design Sponge
While my parents drove away with several things to store for the long run, it was freeing to not be weighed down by excess “stuff” in the end. I will happily return to my little studio with a working knowledge that living in small spaces is not only “doable” but really pleasant.
via Pinterest
I certainly don’t think New York is for everyone – although I’ve had an excellent experience - and I would most definitely trade in my studio for a larger space, but here are some great reasons and examples how urban living and small spaces can create for very healthy living.
1. Thoughtful Design, Long-Term Planning
Via Lonny Mag
There is only so much room in New York City – Manhattan specifically – and it really forces everyone to be more aware of their surroundings. There is an emphasis and value on design that doesn’t seem to exist in suburban cities. Whether you are an individual determining how to design your life in your studio or an architect negotiating air rights in a public plaza or a real estate broker selling lease space, people are highly aware of themselves and the impact they do or do not have on their environment, whether they are cognizant of it or not. Refreshing, right?
2. Personal Purging
Designed by Nick Olsen
Hopefully you learned this lesson long before I did (ie this past weekend), but stuff is just stuff. There will always be cool stuff around and available and while there are certain things that hold meaning, a lot of things are just things. Really deep thoughts. I am thankful for living in a small space because if I find something new that I really and truly must have that means I edit out something else. Editing, purging, and freeing up space for new treasures turns into a fun revolving door of design.
3. Availability of Fresh Foods
via Farm to Baby NYC and Eagle Street Rooftop Farm
Whether you want to buy organic, homemade baby food or cook exclusively with local produce, it is unbelievably easy to do that in New York. From rooftop gardens to farmers markets to subscription homemade baby food services, it is difficult not to eat well regardless of age or budget.
5. Access to Art and Culture
via The Met
The Met is one of the more obvious examples of access to the arts, but with architecture, music, and great design in abundance, art and culture are around every turn. You may live in a small space, but there are big things just outside your doorstep.
6. Personal Interaction
via Flickr
People often think that urban life is really impersonal. I beg to differ. People are out and about and interacting on very intimate levels. It is nice not being isolated in your car and instead constantly motivated to explore public spaces since personal space is at a minimum.
7. A Different Kinda Commute
Andy Warhol print
Not having to get in a car and drive to work is such a benefit of urban living. While it isn’t always the perfect scenario of grabbing a seat and reading a book or newspaper, the stress of driving and traffic is no longer a worry which I think creates a much healthier lifestyle. I will not try to glorify public transportation much more, but let’s just say I am a big fan.
Derby Days Soiree
Is anyone hosting a Kentucky Derby soiree this weekend? I’ve never been able to make it happen, but hosting a Derby party is on my entertaining teux-deux list. (So is actually attending the Derby, but that’s another wishlist all together…) I never need much of an excuse to host a party, but when there are sundresses, hats, bow ties, mint juleps, and seersucker involved my excitement goes to a whole new level. Time to break out the bourbon!
Napkins, Champagne Cocktail, Cherry Julep, Flowers, Tea Sandwiches, Bow-ties, Mint Julep Cups, Hat, Hot Brown, Bourbon Balls
If you’re looking for Cinco de Mayo Party ideas (which falls on the same day as the Derby this year) – check out our previous Fiesta guides, here and here.
Lime Shrimp Tacos
by Elizabeth
I finally conquered one of life’s greatest challenges – cooking a delicious, interesting, somewhat healthy, actual meal for dinner in under twenty minutes. I don’t know about you, but even for someone who loves to cook, it is just downright hard to get dinner on the table at a decent hour sometimes. I try to meal plan and shop on Sundays, plan ahead for days I know I’ll be home late, always cook for 4 so we have an abundance of leftovers in the freezer, keep pantry staples on hand so I can throw something together as quickly as possible, blah blah blah. But post work, commute, workout, errands, etc., sometimes I just want to give in and order a dumb pizza or microwave some Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese. Thankfully, dinners like this can save you from the cardboard box.
Now I admit to some meal planning on this one – I did purchase the shrimp with full intentions of making some sort of lime shrimp with my new BR Cohn Lime Olive Oil. But really, shrimp is one of those things I like to keep on hand. It freezes just fine, defrosts quickly in warm water, and cooks in about 4 minutes. Which makes it a pretty perfect protein for throwing together dinner.
Lime Shrimp Tacos
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons lime olive oil (alternately use regular olive oil and add 1 teaspoon lime zest to your dish)
juice of 2 small limes
dash of cayenne pepper – maybe 1/8 teaspoon, more if you like things spicy
sprinkling of kosher salt – maybe 1/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon oil
1 sweet onion, such as 1015, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
corn tortillas
Heat plain oil on a grill pan or in a cast iron skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onions and cook until soft and charred in spots, tossing regularly. This may take ten minutes or so, depending on how dark you like them. Set aside when done.
Meanwhile, place shrimp in a baking dish. Drizzle with lime olive oil, lime juice, cayenne, and salt. Toss to combine. Place under broiler for 2 minutes, then flip shrimp and broil for another 2 minutes. My broiler is not very hot, so I did this on High, but kept an eye on it to ensure the shrimp didn’t overcook. Remove from oven.
Heat tortillas either on grill or skillet for 30 seconds or so on each side. Alternately, wrap your tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.
In each tortilla, add onions, avocado slices, and 3 shrimp. Drizzle with a little lime oil from the baking dish and serve warm.
Pink Beans
I also threw together the Pink Beans (goya brand) you see in the picture. I added 1 tablespoon of oil to a saucepan, threw in about 1/2 cup diced onions and let them soften. I then added 2 small cloves of garlic (minced) for a few minutes. Added the drained beans, about 1/4 can of water, and maybe 1/3 cup of tomato sauce. Seasoned with a teaspoon or so of kosher salt, smoked paprika and cumin, and I let it all cook down and mingle while I made the rest of dinner. I’d never had pink beans but they were a nice surprise – very tender and almost sweet.
The Friday Find: Classic Motif Throw Down
by Emily
Job Hazard: I have the (re)decorating bug. Since I am usually keeping my eyes peeled for amazing finds for others, I am lucky enough to keep my blinders… most of the time. But alas, I want to make a few impactful changes around my wee apartment (a little paint here, a little editing there) and one thing I am focused on is finding a new accent throw for my bed. I’ve had The Wants for a gray classic motif throw for some time now and – lucky for you! – have done all the research to find the best options out there at several price points. Aren’t they lovely? I really can’t go wrong… it is now just a matter of deciding and pulling the trigger!
Best Value/Green Design:
In2Green Greek Key Throw in Gray via Furbish - $135
I met this group at the NYIGF – great product and love their green concept!
Best Brand Promise Option:
Matouk Arcadia Greek Key Throw via Creme de la Creme – $173
Classic, no? I love how the Greek Key extends over the entire blanket, not just the perimeter.
Best Iwillnevergetoutofbedagain! Option:
Jonathan Adler Richard Nixon Throw in Charcoal - $295
I’ve snuggled up to this in a Jonathan Adler store and it is quite plush! – (cameo on the blog here)
Best Design/Style Crush Option:
Cococozy Logo Throw in Grey – $333
I just adore Coco and her incredible line. She’s got a good thing going and, yes, her Cococozy Logo is a “classic motif” in my book!
Cauliflower, Fennel, and Artichoke Pasta Salad with Feta
by Emily
Do you ever have moments where you feel like your mother? This entire week I’ve felt like my mother. I’ve been wheeling and dealing on Craigslist, running around like a mad woman trying to finish up projects, start new ones, and just generally manage life. We all have hectic schedules, but it certainly makes me wonder how they’ve done it… for years.
Oh, and by the way, I’ve been making dinners like her, too. My mom would call this “clean out the fridge” pasta salad. While I’ve already attached another absurdly long title to this recipe, her descriptor is about right. Since I am hitting the road for Houston to close on my old-sweet-home, I not only needed to clean out the fridge, but fit in some healthy, heavy-lifting meals. Don’t worry, you can make some substitutions and make this pasta all your own – and turn into your mother, which really isn’t so bad after all.
Cauliflower, Fennel, and White Bean Pasta Salad with Feta
adapted from The Ktchn
1 package pasta – any type
1/3 cup olive oil
2 long sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 small head of cauliflower
1 (15-ounce) can artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 fennel bulb
Any other veggies found in your fridge, such as cherry tomatoes
Handful fresh chives
Handful fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400F.
Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan. Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch the thyme sprigs and then slide them through your fingers to remove just the thyme leaves. Cook in the hot olive oil just for a few moments, or until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
Chop or shred the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Chop and shave the fennel bulb using a mandoline or a chef’s knife. Place everything in a large baking dish. Toss with a little olive oil and roast, turning one time, until golden. Remove from oven and cool.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
Zest the lemon and set aside the zest. Juice the lemon and whisk the juice and vinegar together. Drain and rinse the artichokes. Chop into small chunks. Mince the chives and parsley.
Combine cauliflower, artichokes, fennel, pasta, chives, parsley, lemon zest, and thyme oil in a large bowl and toss. Mix in cheese. Add lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Season salad to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
Panko Crusted Salmon
by Elizabeth
By now we all have heard approximately 1, 412 times how healthy salmon is. Omega 3s! Anti-Inflammatory! Lean protein! Makes your skin glow! Better brain function! Heart healthy! Fights disease! Blah, blah, blah. All sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to someone who has been staunchly salmon-adverse for her entire life. As is typically the case with foods on my “do not touch” list, this all stems from having salmon ranging from not-so-great to downright bad too many times. Fishy fish is my worst nightmare. However I learned at a work lunch a few months ago that salmon isn’t necessarily overly-fishy by nature – when perfectly seasoned and grilled by one of the best seafood restaurants in town, it’s actually pretty good.
I still had absolutely zero interest in trying to cook it myself, regardless of its countless health benefits. Until I read that an anti-inflammatory diet (of which salmon is a staple) can be beneficial in fighting rosacea. I have mild rosacea but it does get worse this time of year, right when I start spending time in the sun regularly. Eating food for better brain function, pshh not interested – perfect skin, sign me up. Now, I have no idea if this really true – but I decided it was worth attempting salmon chez liz to see if I could start incorporating it into my diet at least on a semi-regular basis. I scoured through my dozens of cookbooks trying to find something appealing and settled on this Panko-Crusted Salmon by my favorite no-fail cook, Ina Garten. I added capers to the crust for some extra bite, and I really did enjoy it. The leftovers, not so much, but still – huge progress in the salmon department.
Panko Crusted Salmon, adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 2, easily doubled
1/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons good olive oil
2 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, preferably wild-caught
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 425˙.
In a small bowl, mix panko, lemon zest, capers, and parsely. Drizzle in olive oil, and stir until well combined and panko is coated.
Place salmon skin side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Brush dijon mustard all over salmon fillets, then top with panko crust. Press it down a little with your fingers to make sure it sticks.
Bake for about 15 minutes, then place under the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes to brown panko. To make sure it’s done, insert a knife into the thickest part of the filet, and see if the fish is a uniform color throughout – it should be light pink and flaky. If it’s still orange and raw in the center, return to the oven for another 2 minutes to finish cooking. Repeat if necessary, checking every 1 – 2 minutes to make sure you don’t overcook the fish.
Snack Time! Crispy Pimenton Chickpeas
by Emily
It rained all Sunday in the big N-Y-C, which translates to a whole lot of errand running regrets and a severely low grocery count. Alas, small self-inflicted problems lead to creative kitchen solutions. Thankfully, these Pimenton Chickpeas are a great, healthy snack and do not require a stockpile of kitchen supplies. In fact, toss those humus making plans aside, and roast the chickpeas like I did. While they would make a great party treat, they are great for rainy day munchies or a perfect on-the-go snack.
Crispy Pimenton Chickpeas
via Big Girls, Small Kitchen
1 15-ounce cans chickpeas (2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoons sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoons smoked paprika (pimenton)
½ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Rinse and drain chickpeas. Using a towel or salad spinner, make sure the chickpeas are as dry as possible. Lay them flat on a non-stick baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then shake to redistribute, and cook for 10 minutes more. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the roasted chickpeas and toss until well coated. Return the chickpeas to the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 more minutes, until very fragrant. Serve warm or at room temperature.
