Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach, Pancetta and Bocconcini

Whenever I’m seeking dinnertime inspiration, I almost always start with my Pinterest boards, full of beautiful pictures of tempting recipes I’ve vowed to recreate myself. One such recipe, Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach and Burrata. I adooore the fresh, creamy cheese, so mostly any burrata recipe is guaranteed Pinspiration.

So that’s how Saturday’s dinner began but then I made the dish my own, adding fresh basil and pancetta for flavor. Plus as luck would have it, the grocery store did not sell burrata so instead I ended up with local bocconcini which I guess is kind of the same – not quite as divine – but delicious none the less.

Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach, Pancetta and Bocconcini

• 10 oz Ohio City Pasta Fettuccine
• Cooking spray
• 20 large cherry tomatoes, halved
• 7 oz pancetta, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• handful fresh basil, chopped
• 4-5 bocconcini balls, room temperature, halved
• Salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Place tomatoes, cut side down onto skillet and cook for 2 minutes, until quietly sizzling. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pancetta to the pan and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside, leaving rendered fat in pan.

Turn heat to low. Add garlic and red pepper to the fat, cook for 2 minutes. Then add diced tomatoes and simmer mixture for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach, basil, tomatoes, pancetta, and cooked pasta into the pan; toss well until spinach and basil wilt slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind pancetta is salty. Divide pasta mixture onto plates. Top with bocconcini and serve.

Serves 4-5

xo Beth

Wednesday Weekend Recap

It’s Wednesday and we’re recapping the weekend. Things have been busy! But I think a Wednesday weekend recap will do, especially for one as scrumptious as this.

Friday was spent with my sweet old high school friends at Cornerstone Brewing Company in Berea Square. Looking so adorable still dressed up for Christmas! Although their food doesn’t really light my fire, their Seven IPA is as delicious as they come and I can’t say no to that.

Saturday was so (rainy but) warm! A perfect winter day for a trip to the Westside Market. We bought ingredients for that evening’s dinner, healthier “fried” chicken and minty Greek salad. Plus a delightful loaf of fresh bread from my favorite, Mediterra Bakehouse. It was a lighter yet yummy supper, perfect for a January I’m-so-sick-of-resolutions-already dinner.

Post-dinner we crossed the first item off my 2014 CL Bucket List and attended the late show at Hilarities. Yannis Pappas was the headliner and as with all of the night’s comedians – just. too. funny. And only $18 a ticket! Why don’t we do that more often.

Sunday’s breakfast was rather decadent, another product of our WSM shopping trip. Sausage gravy and homemade biscuits. Dare I say better than Lucky’s? Perhaps not but certainly closer to home and impressively delicious for our first try!

Followed by way too much television time but who can resist all those gorgeous (and not so gorgeous) Red Carpet fashions? Not I. And so there’s last weekend. Likely, I’ll see you again after the next :).

xo Beth

14 Healthy Recipes for 2014

Oh my, I am so done with eating. Well not done eating exactly (never that!)…but certainly done overindulging. Too much wine, too many treats, too many multicourse, celebratory meals. Those holiday moments sure are fun while they last but now I’m ready for a serious January detox.

I don’t believe in diets or cleanses or juice fasts or extreme exercise resolutions. But I do believe very much in getting back to the basics, eating in more, out less, cooking wholesome dishes and consuming less alcohol and sweets (although I miss them dearly). We can all do that, right?

If you’re feeling like me but need some inspiration, here are 14 delicious yet nutritious Craveable Cleveland recipes to get you going. Dig in!

Berry Green Reset Smoothie

Mushroom Bourguignon

Oatmeal with Apricots, Crème Fraiche and Honey

Toasted Oatmeal Smoothie

Butternut Squash Risotto with Mascarpone, Sage and Toasted Almonds

Thyme Scented White Bean Cassoulet

Creamy Polenta with Roasted Portabellas and Kale

Creamy Greeny Chicken Tortellini Soup

Black Bean Ragout with Avocado, Crème Fraiche and Lime-Pickled Onion

Warm Ratatouille Over Cous Cous

Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake Smoothie

Deconstructed Club Salad Sandwich

Grilled Verlasso Salmon with Arugula Chimichurri

Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie

xo Beth

Superior Pho

For a few weeks there, Cleveland had such a lovely Fall. Bright and sunny and it almost felt like Spring. I’ll take it. But then just like that, we were hit with rain and grayness and this morning – snow! Mother Nature is on fast forward lately.

But rain and snow are not so bad when they inspire coziness, especially cozy dishes. Like soup! Light yet filling, warming and comforting. And with so many variations, you can almost never get bored. Above, a delicious chicken noodle soup sans recipe. There was enough for several days of enjoyment, only a certain scatterbrain left it on the stove overnight. That was a lot of beautiful soup down the drain :(.

But nevermind, for it gave us a chance to try Superior Pho for lunch the following afternoon. And that was a very good move.

All in all, we tasted:

Banh mi thit – Vietnamese sandwich on a crispy French roll with homemade pate, roasted pork, cucumber, fresh herbs and mayonnaise sauce.

Goi cuon – Summer rolls with shrimp, fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, wrapped in rice paper skin, served with peanut sauce.

Pho tai chin – noodle soup with well done brisket and eye-roundsteak.

The Banh Mi was fantastic, a great combination of flavors packed inside crispy soft French bread. Summer Rolls are Summer Rolls, fresh and light. I love them, especially dipped in that dreamy peanut sauce. And Pho, served quick and piping hot, packed full of tasty meat and soft noodles. Topped with plenty of Sriracha, guaranteed to make your nose run run :).

So yes! Superior Pho, a bit hard to find although very easy to enjoy. A soupy few days for sure.

xo Beth

Zack Bruell at Cleveland Clinic Farmers Market

Aren’t Farmers Markets the best? Always full of fresh, local, incredibly tasty food and the people who work hard all year to deliver it to us. Farmers Market peaches and tomatoes in the summertime have to be two of my favorite foods on this earth. What a difference from grocery store produce! I think I never really knew what nature intended those two to taste like before I bought them local.

And yet, since moving back to Cleveland last fall, I’m ashamed to say I’ve not visited one Farmers Market! That’s way too many peaches and tomatoes missing from my mouth. So I’m glad to have had the opportunity to change that this past week.

Cleveland Clinic’s Farmers Market welcomed Zack Bruell, chef and restaurateur of five Cleveland restaurants, to demonstrate cooking and offer food sampling using produce purchased at the market. They kindly invited me along to watch and I happily braved the summertime heat to attend.

Bruell demonstrated Farmers Market Gazpacho and Chilled Pasta Primavera with Pesto to his little crowd of market shoppers and spectators. And of course, they were delicious! Simple, fresh, flavorful and best of all chilled, which was very welcome in the 90-something temperatures. I also enjoyed their live music and a leisurely stroll through the vendors, where I found my beloved peaches (no tomatoes!), some cherries and a divine handmade raspberry basil popsicle that hit the spot/melted all over my dress.

The market is open weekly, Wednesday from 10:30AM-1:30PM at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus near E. 100th Street, between Euclid and Carnegie Avenues. Perhaps I will see you there.

Thank you to the Cleveland Clinic for the information/invitation. Opinions are of course, all my own.

xo Beth

Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie

 

July is upon us! Oh boy, did that come quick. And how? One minute we’re ringing in the New Year, the next thing you know we’re half way through and it feels like it all happened in a blink. But 2013 has been so good so far, sometimes it just makes me want to take off my shoes and dance.

July will be a stay-put month for this girl as June was heavy on the travelling adventures, leaving me with the desire for more easy CL summertime fun with Cleveland family and friends.

If a few weeks at home are just what I need after a whole lot of summer travel, then a diet heavy on fruits and veggies is just what I need after a whole lot of summer travel eating. So, let’s whip up a smoothie!

This smoothie is wonderful. Not just because it’s packed with many good-for-you ingredients. It also happens to be red, white and blue. What could be more appropriate on July 4th? Hot dogs, burgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, potato salad, cold beer, ice cream…nope, nothing I can think of.

 

Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

Pop all of your ingredients into a blender, top with the lid and blend at high speed for 30 seconds or so. Pour into a small glass. Serve immediately.

Serves One

xo Beth

Grilled Verlasso Salmon with Arugula Chimichurri

This weekend’s cool, rainy weather was far from your typical Memorial Day intro to summer and this weekend’s fishy fare was far from your typical Memorial Day barbeque. If we’re going to be different, let’s go all out.

But although the weather was kind of crummy, this meal was just the opposite. We grilled salmon to mark the occasion and it was absolutely delicious.

And not just any salmon! Harmoniously Raised Verlasso^® salmon, from our friends at Heinen’s. I love Heinen’s and I’m SO glad they’re here in Cleveland. Although I’m not sure they’re so glad I’m here in Cleveland, as I usually shop there several days a week straight from the gym (sorry).

In any case, I realize sustainable seafood is most certainly the way to go. My sister is a huge environmental advocate and she and her boyfriend only ever purchase sustainable options. I am not always that well-behaved myself…but I do mean to try harder.

Fresh flavor with a buttery melt-in-your-mouth texture, this dish was absolutely fantastic. So if eating sustainably always tastes like this, it shouldn’t be so hard at all.

Grilled Verlasso Salmon with Arugula Chimichurri <- recipe here

See for yourself? Tasting events held in-store:

FRIDAY, MAY 31
11 a.m.                 Shaker Heights (16611 Chagrin Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH 44120)
2 p.m.                   University Heights (2180 S. Green Rd., University Heights, OH 44121)
5 p.m.                   Hudson (19 Clinton St., Hudson, OH 44236)

SATURDAY, JUNE 1
10 a.m.                 Avon (35980 Detroit Rd., Avon, OH 44011)
1 p.m.                   Rocky River (19219 Detroit Rd., Rocky River, OH 44116)

Thank you to Heinen’s for the information/invitation. Opinions are of course, all my own. 

xo Beth

Deconstructed Club Sandwich Salad

Isn’t deconstructed food fun? Whenever I see deconstructed dishes on a menu I get excited. It’s neat to see a creative chef break down all the delightful components of a classic dish. Unfortunately, I am much better at eating these reinterpretations then dreaming them up myself :). In that case, it’s lucky I can get my hands on a good cookbook.

Also in my last life, I spent a few weeks participating in a blog series to promote Patricia Wells’ new cookbook, Salad as a Meal. It was a very fun few weeks! I sampled lots of recipes from her lovely book and enjoyed an abundance of fresh vegetables for lunch and dinner for weeks on end. What could be bad about that?

Though I’m sorry to say I’ve not cooked from it since. I mostly blame this on my hoarder-like collection of cookbooks, most of which remain firmly on the shelf while I browse through Barnes and Noble and buy even more (help).

But now it’s spring again and time to bring back the main course salad in all it’s glory. We can thank Patricia for this delicious idea…but here is my bacon-less adaption. You can add the pork back in if you like, I might be the only non-vegetarian on the planet who loves avocado more :).

Deconstructed Club Sandwich Salad

• Half a firm ripe avocado, chopped
• 2 firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 thin slices of lightly toasted bread
• Poached chicken breast (about 8 oz), sliced*
• Creamy Lemon Mustard Dressing*
• Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, avocado and lettuce. Toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients.

Place a slice of toast on each plate and lightly drizzle with dressing. Layer half of the chicken on each slice. Sprinkle salad over top and finish with a few cracks of salt and pepper to taste.

*I poached my own chicken and made my own dressing but sometimes I have too much time on my hands. If you’re in a pinch, let someone else do it for you!

Serves Two

xo Beth

Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake Smoothie

It’s springtime, it’s smoothie time.

Not in an I-ate-too-many-Christmas-cookies-now-I’m-going-to-drink-green-smoothies-until-I-feel-righteous-again kind of way, just in a cool smoothies on a warm day taste delicious kind of way. Which is a much better way, really.

Cool smoothies on a warm day are an excellent combination, this is true. An even excellent-er combination? Peanut butter and banana. Probably the best in the world! Marry the two in smoothies, oatmeal, sandwiches, cookies, even on their own as a snack…they’re just a decadently delicious pair. And healthy too! How did that happen.

So drink this smoothie that tastes more like a milkshake, give yourself a pat on the back for being such a health nut and go enjoy that sunshine. Slurp.

Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake Smoothie

• 1 banana, cut in chunks and frozen
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Pop all of your ingredients except spices into a blender, top with the lid and blend at high speed for 30 seconds or so. Split the smoothie between two glasses, top with a pinch of each of the spices. Serve immediately.

Serves Two

xo Beth

Warm Ratatouille over Cous Cous

This much I know. If you are what you eat, then I only wanna eat the good stuff. – Disney’s Ratatouille

Although I normally cannot stand rats, Remy the rat is pretty much the cutest thing ever. And so wise! I love that little quote and try to apply it to my own daily foodie philosophy :).

It was way too gorgeous outside today, which put my taste buds in the mood for something full of fresh summer flavor for dinner. In deciding what that would be, I flipped straight to the Summer Supper section of Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights.

I know, I know – it’s not even close to summer yet and none of the veggies used in this dish tonight are locally grown. But for one night it’s okay to pretend, right? In that case I did not spend the day frolicking through the Metroparks but rather harvesting a bounty of summer vegetables for tonight’s dinner. Sure thing.

Packed full of eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, sweet onion and tomato, sprinkled with fresh cilantro. Served over a fluffy bed of cous cous, which pairs deliciously with the spicy crushed coriander stirred into this dish.

Warm Ratatouille <- Recipe Here

A bountiful bowl of “the good stuff”. Dig in!

xo Beth