Summer Veggie Tian

Chris and I are BIG fans of summer produce and like to take advantage of it as best we can.  But how many times can you have a veggie saute or grilled marinated veggies as a side and not get bored?  In my calculations that's about once a week for two weeks and then its time to get creative and switch it up!  I found this Summer Veggie Tian recipe (well a couple variations of it) on Pinterest and thought maybe this would provide the much needed switheroo.

First things first, don't get intimidated by the word "tian" it is a French word for an earthenware dish used for cooking and serving.  It is also used to describe the dish that is prepared in it which is typically a compilation of vegetables by themselves or sometimes with meat that is cooked/roasted, similar to a gratin.

Summer Vegetable Tian
(makes 4 to 6 side servings)

 Ingredients:
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Russet potato, washed, pits/eyes removed, sliced
- 2 small zucchini (1 medium or large), sliced
- 1 yellow squash, sliced
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 c. - 1 c. shredded cheese blend, I used a mix of Parmesan, Asiago and Mozzarella
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prep your veggies by chopping the onion and garlic then thinly slice zucchini, squash, potato and tomato.
- In a pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic, saute about five minutes until slightly softened.
- Spread onion and garlic mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish.

- Place the veggies vertically in the dish, alternating each kind of veggie (there's no real science to this part so just have some fun).
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme (be generous!).

- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and top with cheese mixture, place back in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.

- Let cool a few minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!

This dish is so simple yet so yummy!  It really lets the taste of the veggies shine rather than covering it up with any sauce or anything.  Chris really loves this so I happily make it since its a cinch!  Like I said before it gives the much needed switch factor but nothing too labor intensive.

I'm hoping to get at least one more post up before going on mini vacation but we will see!  Stay tuned to hear about a local blogger party I'm attending this week at 16-Bit Bar & Arcade!

Cheers!
Steph

Local Foodie Moment: The Boat House at Confluence Park

Well like I said before our new restaurant trials go in waves and we are currently riding one now!  With such a great food scene in Columbus it seems like restaurant weeks and other such promotions are always going on (ok maybe not ALWAYS but you get what I mean).  One of my favorites is Columbus Crave Farm to Plate where participating restaurants commit to creating prix fixe menus of all local ingredients of two to three courses.  This year after looking at the Farm to Plate restaurant list we landed on The Boat House Restaurant at Confluence Park.  It had been on my wishlist recently and their menu sounded yummmmmy!

We made reservations with our friends Rob and Emily as we wanted to see them before Emily jetted off to India for two weeks for work.  The place is pretty huge and offers plenty of riverfront views.  We were seated near the window inside as it was a little chilly out.  Upon a few minutes at our seats we wished we would have sat outside on the patio as there was a smell that was particularly pungent and not at all appetizing.  Not sure if it was the carpets or what but it was unpleasant to say the least.

Barring the smell, the rest of the evening was great.  We saw the sunset over the city skyline and even a few little animals on the river.  Our server was very nice and very accommodating.  We all decided to give the Farm to Plate menu items a try as it was a good deal ($25 for three courses) and sounded too good to pass up.

Great view!

Before we jump to the main meal we can't forget cocktails!  Bottles of wine were half off so we ordered a red and a white.  Since I wasn't totally feeling the wine vibe right away I wanted to try their Gin Gin Mule cocktail.  Moscow Mules (vodka, lime juice and ginger beer served in a cooper mug) seem to be the newly revived cocktail of the summer for Columbus so I wanted to see what The Boat House's gin version was like.  It was good but rather sweet for my taste.

Gin Gin Mule

Ok now we can talk three course dinners.  To start the waiter brought us housemade potato chips with french onion dip.  The chips were excellent and the dip was equally as good!  Typically I wouldn't be impressed with chips and dip as a restaurant app but the presentation was fun and the flavors were elevated above your typical bag of chips.

Potato Chips and French Onion Dip

So for the first course most of us opted for the Strawberry Gorgonzola Salad.  Em switched it up and went for Zucchini Fries which were yummy but a little mushy.  The salad was good, I always love a salad with candied nuts, cheese and fruit.  I would have liked to see more of the Vanilla Bean Balsamic Vinaigrette but other than that it was very good.

Strawberry Gorgonzola Salad

Second course Em and Chris got the Lake Erie Walleye with Roasted Root Vegetables, Sweet Corn and Potato Cake.  Rob got the Grilled 12oz Ribeye with Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes and a Fresh Veggie Medley.  I decided on the Braised Lamb Shank with Goat Cheese Polenta, Caramelized Shallots and Spinach.  Everyone really liked their meals and the sides were very tasty!  My lamb shank was kind of massive and I ended up taking half of it home.  The goat cheese polenta was very creamy and I even liked the sauteed spinach (typically I'm not a fan).  Together all the flavors were very good and went well together.

Lake Erie Walleye

Braised Lamb Shank

For dessert our table was spilt in half, two went with Sweet Apple & Bacon Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaze and the other two went with Roasted Peach Creme Brulee.  As a recipient of the Creme Brulee I'd say the CB half of the table made the right choice!  I tried a bite of Chris' Bread Pudding but wasn't entirely impressed.  I'm also not a big bread pudding fan so that could have contributed.  The Creme Brulee could have had a bit more caramelized sanding sugar on top but the custard had great peach flavor and was good consistency.

Sweet Apple & Bacon Bread Pudding

Roasted Peach Creme Brulee

It seems given the amount of space The Boat House probably excels more on the large event front rather than regular dinning but maybe we'll go back and try the patio.  I bet the view of the river with all the fall colors with the warmth of the patio heaters and a bottle of wine would be fabulous!

This week is a sprint to the finish while we prepare to go back to Smith Mountain Lake for an extended Labor Day Weekend!  I want to squeeze in one last summer veggie recipe Chris and I have been loving and at least one more LFM!

Cheers!
Steph

Leftover Makeover: Mac & Cheese

Happy Friday!  Living in a house of two sometimes we end up with leftovers, I mean it happens to everyone right?!  There's some foods that are better the next day (chili, soups, sauces, etc.) others not so much.  As a guilty pleasure every once in awhile I buy Velveeta shells and cheese to make for lunch.  It's yummy that day but as leftover its mostly repulsive (strong wording?  sorry about it).  So I decided to give it a little makeover so it would be just as enjoyable the second time around!

I had seen a recipes for stovetop mac and cheese on different blogs and Pinterest and they looked delicious!  However I didn't really want to put as much effort into it (making the sauce from scratch, etc).  So I took the leftover Velveeta and changed its life.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
(This made a pretty big serving that I didn't end up finishing, I'd split it in two next time)

Ingredients:

- leftover mac & cheese, about two servings worth/half the box

- cooked chicken, sliced (this was leftover too)

- about 1 Tbsp. buffalo wing sauce (to taste)

- 1 Tbsp. blue cheese crumbles plus some for garnish

- 2 to 4 Tbsp. milk

- 2 Tbsp. shredded cheddar

Instructions:

- In a microwave safe dish, put leftover mac plus 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, cover and zap for about 1 minute.

- In a separate microwave safe dish add chicken and some buffalo sauce to coat it, heat until heated through.

- Once the mac starts to heat up and the milk loosens it up, add cheddar and another 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, cover and heat again for 30 seconds to a 1 minute until cheddar is melted and milk is absorbed.

- Add chicken and stir.  Sprinkle in blue cheese, cover and zap until just barely melted (30 seconds or so).  Use your judgement on if there should be more milk added or not, its up to you.

- Drizzle buffalo sauce on top and top with blue cheese crumbles if desired.  

- Enjoy!

You could also chop up some green onions to put on top but I didn't have them on hand at the time.  This was really yummy and I couldn't even tell it was leftover!  Super creamy with some spice and tang from the buffalo sauce and blue cheese.  Plus it had some protein to it with the chicken.  Definitely a good lunch but I was ready for a nap afterwards!  I think it'd be perfect in a smaller portion with a side salad.

This weekend is another "free" weekend for us so we are hoping to enjoy what's left of the summer sun!  Up next I've got two Local Foodie Moments to share!

Cheers!

Steph

Maple Pecan Twists

And here we are, hump day!  With all the fun new foodie places and recipes I have tried I forgot to get the last of the breakfast treat recipes up that I promised!  So without further ado, Maple Pecan Twists.

These are also easy and relatively quick.  The recipe I got from Pinterest was a little confusing in the way of instructions so I'd like to think I simplified it.  I used the full amounts for the recipe but have halved it before and it turned out fine.

Maple Pecan Twists
(Makes 16 twists)

 Ingredients:
- 2 cans crescent roll dough (I use the seamless sheets)
- 1/2 c. chopped pecans
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

For glaze:
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. maple flavoring
- 2 to 3 tsp. milk

 Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly spray baking 2 baking sheets or line with parchment or foil.  (I always use foil or parchment so I don't have to wash the baking sheets!)
- In a small bowl, mix pecans, granulated sugar and cinnamon.

- Unroll first can of dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- With a sharp pairing knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut it widthwise in half, then cut the halves in half.  You should end up with 8 rectangles.
- Brush with 1/2 of the melted butter then sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon, sugar and pecan mixture.

- Cut each rectangle in half to create two long strips.
- Take the strips and press the dough together at the top, then twist them around each other till you reach the end.  Press ends together and lay on baking sheet.

- Repeat with each rectangle then unroll the second can of dough and repeat all steps until all dough is used in a twist.
- Bake 10 − 15 minutes or until golden brown.

- Let twists cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth and of a good drizzling consistency.

- Drizzle glaze over twists and serve!

If you didn't catch the other breakfast treats I made check out the Cream Cheese Danish and Puffins recipes!

Coming up I've got another LFM to share plus a leftover makeover!

Cheers!
Steph

Local Foodie Moment: Matt the Miller's Tavern, Grandview

And we finally make it to Friday, YEY!  For some reason our new restaurant trials go in waves.  Get your surf boards folks because the next couple weeks there will be plenty of LFM's to share!

Last Saturday we made plans with friends to get dinner at Matt the Miller's Tavern in Grandview.  I feel like I heard a lot of buzz about this place awhile ago but never got around to going.  So we decided to give it a try!  For a Saturday evening it wasn't too busy which was surprising.  That could be in part to Pelotonia going on so maybe Columbusites were downtown near Columbus Commons instead.  Either way, we had a delicious meal, great service and will definitely return in the future!

Chalkboards behind the bar of what's on tap

Chris and I had an errand to run beforehand which didn't take as long as expected so we got there a little earlier than our friends.  We decided to take a seat at the bar and have a drink while we waited.  I landed on the Elderflower Martini and Chris picked a Chimay beer.  My martini was a smidge sweeter than I care for but was very light and refreshing, almost like spiked lemonade!  Chris' beer was good and it ended up pairing well with the burger he ordered.

Elderflower Martini

While we were at the bar we noticed a Creme Brulee Stout on tap that sounded too interesting not to get a taster of.  We both tried it and it was actually very yummy, the after taste was just like creme brulee!  I'm not sure I could drink a whole one but it was definitely be a good replacement for dessert!

Chimay

The menu was diverse but not overwhelming.  Our server was great at helping us make final decisions and had the bar tender come over to help with any beer pairings.  Chris and I had a late breakfast with no lunch so by dinner time we were pretty hungry.  

I opted for the Peppercorn Burger, which is dusted with peppercorns, topped with brie cheese, bacon, red onion marmalade, arugula, tomato and ale mustard sauce on a brioche bun.  I love brie, brioche and burgers so this sounded like an all around win.  It most definitely was a win worthy of hashtag proportions! (#winning...yep I just did that)  Typically I'm not into frilly burgers with lots of toppings but this changed my ways!  It was cooked just right and the combination of flavors was amazefest.  

Peppercorn Burger and Breckenridge Agave Wheat Beer

Chris decided to go big and go for The Miller Burger, a 3/4 lb. patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, swiss, cheddar, garlic sauce and creamy slaw on a rosemary potato bun.  As you can imagine it was a substantial burger.  Somehow he finished it all!  He was "Thanksgiving stuffed" when it was all said and done but he was vey pleased with his piggy decision.

The stages of "The Miller" 

They also have a great selection of flatbreads.  One of our friends got the Pear and Gorgonzola flatbread and she gave me a piece.  The pears were just right, not too mushy or gross, they still had a bit of crisp to them which I really liked.  

Overall we had a great experience.  Good service including complimentary valet parking, great food and good drink choices!  They have two other locations: Dublin, OH and Carmel, IN.  The restaurant was clean and the staff was all very friendly.  The prices were very reasonable for the quality of food.  They also had a kids menu and the atmosphere was one that welcomed families but didn't feel like you were overrun by little ones screaming and the like (i.e. other chain burger joints).

Next up I've got a few new recipes to share along with more LFM's!  Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

Steph  

Weekend Recap: Indianapolis!

Well its mid week and I'm finally getting back to the blog!  We had a hectic couple of days with traveling and such.  As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend Chris and I traveled to Indianapolis (another fav Midwest city of mine and home to my fav NFL team) for my college housemate's wedding.  It was such a beautiful day and we were so happy to share in Nikoo and Jon's special day with the rest of their loved ones! 

After getting to the hotel we decided to grab a late lunch at a diner/bar across the street called Ike & Jonesy's.  The food was yummy, the beer was cold and the Colts preseason game was on so I was one happy camper!

View of Lucas Oil Stadium from our hotel room, it was so tempting to go to the first preseason game!

Ike & Jonesy's, old diner feel plus tables made out of pinball machines

 Then we took a quick snooze, got dolled up and watched Nikoo and Jon say their I Do's!  I snapped a couple pictures but they don't do the stunning couple or beautiful venue (The Omni Severin) justice.

View from above at the cocktail hour

Freshman dorm girls, Dodds love!

Housemate picture, the first half of Springs Hotel to get married!

Chris and I on the dance floor!

 We danced and partied the night away with the newlyweds and had a fabulous time!  As if their wedding wasn't enough of a reason to celebrate but Jon told us he got a job in Indianapolis after he graduates from law school this year!  We couldn't be more proud of him and it's just a testament to what a driven and hard working guy he is.  Plus with friends in Indy, I see more Colts games in my future (wooohooo!).

After all the festivities we were slow moving the next morning but finally got showered and checked out of the hotel.  Then we sought out a place to grab some lunch before driving to Cincinnati to meet with our wedding photographer (oh right that wedding planning thing).

After a little research (gotta LOVE Urbanspoon and Google Reviews) we decided on City Cafe.  It doesn't look like much from the outside but it was delicious!  All farm fresh foods made with true TLC.  The owner waits tables with the rest of the staff and was so nice!  Chris ordered the special: Ham and Asparagus Quiche with Corn Salad and a side of apple slices.  I ordered the Zesty Black Bean Wrap that came with homemade potato chips (SO GOOD) and a pickle.

Our City Cafe lunches

Well that was the weekend!  Coming up I've got the last of the breakfast treats recipes I told you about along with a summer veggie side and some new Local Foodie Moments!

Cheers!
Steph

Watermelon Martinis

Happy Friday!  Who doesn't love a refreshing summer cocktail?  As I'm sure you could assume, I am a big fan!  Today I want to share one of the fun martini recipes I inherited from Chris' mom when I turned 21, Watermelon Martinis.  These are fun for the summer and don't pack too much of a punch so they are perfect sipping on the patio!

Watermelon Martinis
(Makes 1 martini)

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Watermelon vodka
- 1/2 oz. cranberry juice
- splash sweet & sour mix
- splash flat 7up or sprite

Instructions:
- Pour everything into a shaker with ice.
- Shake, strain and serve!



You could also switch it up and use a watermelon puree or juice from fresh watermelon with citrus vodka rather than the above recipe.  Probably a 2:1 puree to vodka ratio, give or take based on your preferences.  This would require the purchase of fresh watermelon, which I don't do often enough to justify a whole new post on this variation.

This weekend we are going to my college housemate's wedding in Indianapolis.  I'm SO excited!  It seems like yesterday we were living in our little basement apartment senior year, now she's getting married!  I couldn't be more thrilled for her and it was such a joy to see her and her soon to be husband's relationship grow over the years.  

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Cheers!
Steph

Wedding Wednesday on The Bear Necessities!

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Today I'm featured in Wedding Wednesday on The Bear Necessities!  My dear friend Danielle is the bloggess over there and asked me to help!  This week's topic was Bridesmaid Asks.  Check it out!

Cheers!

Steph

Puffins!

So I can't help but use exclamation points when I type (or say) the word Puffin!  To clarify, I'm not talking about the funny looking bird or the sweet moniker Holly Madison used to use for Hugh Hefner (Girls Next Door fans you know what I'm talking about, non-fans don't pretend you didn't watch it at least a little!).  What I'm talking about is a pancake muffin aka Puffin!

This is another one of the breakfast goodies I featured for Chris' co-workers.  Also on the menu were Maple Pecan Twists and Cream Cheese Danish.  The puffins were by far the easiest but they are just so stinkin' cute!

Puffins
(Makes about 24 minis)

 Ingredients:
- 1 c. pancake mix (bisquik or whatever brand you prefer, Aunt Jemima is my homegirl)
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
- chocolate chips, nuts or crumbled cooked bacon (for topping)

Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients (minus toppings) in a large bowl until there are no more lumps.

- Scoop mixture into a well greased mini muffin pan.
- Sprinkle toppings on top.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until sides are golden.  The tops won't turn golden but don't worry they are cooked through!

Bacon Puffins

- Remove from baking pan, let cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Puffins

These were yummy and EASY!  Definitely give them a try for your next breakfast or brunch potluck!  You can serve them with extra maple syrup for dipping if you'd like.

This week I'll be featured on my friend Danielle's blog for Wedding Wednesday!  So check it out at The Bear Necessities tomorrow!

Cheers!
Steph

Grilled Naan Pizza

Happy Friday!  Chris and I are so ready for a little R&R this weekend after a semi hectic week getting back to work after vacation and helping my brother move out of his apartment.  He'll be staying with us while he is in between places so some of my upcoming recipes may be with the help of a sous chef!

While on vacation we decided to spilt dinner duties with Chris' grandparents.  Since we had more time on our hands it made it nice for trying some new recipes!  This recipe for Grilled Naan Pizza was a hit! Best of all, it was easy and quick!

Grilled Naan Pizza
(we made six pizzas for four people, three were caprese, three were pear, mixed greens and brie, we had about one pizza leftover for lunch)

Ingredients:
- 6 loaves of naan (we just bought it from Kroger, if you have a good homemade recipe go for it!)
- olive oil
- toppings: we used grape tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella (the smaller cherry size), fresh basil, pears, brie, spring mix and balsamic vinegar but you can pick any combinations you want!



Instructions:
- Prep veggies or fruits and cheeses that you are using for toppings.  For the caprese pizzas we sliced the grape tomatoes in half, same thing with the mozzarella then we let them sit in a mix of 1/3 c. olive oil, 2 to 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. dried basil.
- Heat grill to medium heat.
- Brush both sides of naan lightly with olive oil.
- When grill is ready, place naan on grill for 1 minute or until there are some grill marks.
- Flip it over and place toppings on top, let cook for 5 minutes until cheese is just melted or until the underside is cooked to your preference.
- Drizzle with balsamic, slice and serve.

Mixed green, pear and brie with balsamic drizzle

Caprese with balsamic drizzle

Things to keep in mind:
- Have all your toppings ready to go before grilling, the naan cooks up pretty fast so you have to work quickly.
- Brie (and softer cheeses) melt pretty quickly so try adding it halfway through the cooking time so it won't run everywhere.
- Fresh basil wilts and dries quickly so adding halfway in makes it a little more visually appealing.
- The cheese doesn't have to be fully melted before removing the pizza from the grill, if its cooked on the underside take it off and let the cheese melt with the residual heat.

Obviously you can get really creative with it and switch up your toppings based on what's in season.  We went with caprese with balsamic drizzle and the pear, mixed greens and brie with balsamic drizzle to keep things light and have some contrasting flavors.  These were really easy and very yummy.  Some of them got a little more crispy than I care for but that could be avoided next time.  Chris manned the grill while I prepped so it was a team effort!  His grandparents were big fans of both types of pizzas and so were we!

This weekend our summer slows down without any travel plans!  But as I've blogged about before "free weekends" tend to be fleeting concepts if I have anything to do with it!  Stay tuned for Puffins and Maple Pecan Twists!

Cheers!
Steph