“I guess the coastal air gets a girl to reflect…”

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The very first time I met Alex Turner, I was 20 years old and visiting NYC while the Arctic Monkeys were touring North America to promote their debut album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’. I was waiting to leave a hotel lobby with a couple of friends of mine from their road crew to head out to dinner plans we had made when Alex came off of the elevator and we were introduced.

What I remember most about Alex back then was how baby-faced and young he appeared. We were the same age, but he seemed years younger. He was shy, soft-spoken, polite and had a couple of pimples (I did too- which was a relief)– but never, not once- did he ever strike me as a “rock star”. He was simply Alex from Sheffield. A nice kid in a band that wrote catchy songs and was in the same boat as me in the sense that we were in one of the most exciting cities in the world- but still weren’t old enough to legally get into bars.

Over the years, I’d seen Alex plenty of more times. We laughed and took what is undoubtedly the most unflattering photo of either one of us while I was in London for Reading Festival years ago. We talked music and food backstage at a gig in San Diego after I’d turned 21- and whenever he and the Arctic Monkeys would visit Boston (and specifically the House of Blues)– there would almost always be a competitive bowling tournament next door after the show where the band, the crew, myself, and anyone else who tagged along would pound a few drinks and slide around in bowling shoes until closing time.

Even though his appearance changed from youthful-looking, mop-headed kid into a more put together and handsome adult man- I still always thought of him as Alex from Sheffield. Even when he thrashed around on stage. He was never a “rock star”.

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Then I saw Alex and Miles Kane perform as The Last Shadow Puppets this past Sunday at the House of Blues in Boston, and that perception entirely changed. I suddenly understood the crowd- FILLED with shrieking women professing their undying love for Alex- and why they were so frenzied. Gone was the shy, soft-spoken kid I’d met years ago- and in his place was a loud, exciting and provocative rock star. Right there before my eyes.

It was a trip.

The show was impressive and pretty incredible- and I’ve been loving the new album, ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ that they were/are promoting with this current tour. Their opening act, Cameron Avery- was really fun, too. I enjoyed his set very much.

Since Sunday night post-show at the HOB, I’ve been working and trying to get my sleep schedule back on track since these past couple of weeks have consisted of a tremendous amount of staying out late and getting up obscenely early. Tuesday, my usual day off- was spent lazily lounging around my best friend’s new apartment in Melrose- watching “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” episodes on Netflix, napping, fooling around on Snapchat (I just downloaded it for the first time and I’m having way too much fun with it) and only exerting myself when it came time to load up on Mexican food and banana split sundaes.

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So, so good. I love my days off!

I’m looking forward to this weekend, since I have a couple of recipes I’ll be trying my hand at- and a trip to Mystic, Connecticut I’ve been meaning to take for a few weeks now.

I’ll be sure to bring my camera with me since the town and it’s surrounding areas are really beautiful in the late Summertime.

Jul 19

Day Off Date!

Quick Eats: Roasted Potato Crostini with Pesto Cheese

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Well hello, and Happy July! I hope my fellow Americans had a wonderful, fun, and firework accident-free Independence Day yesterday! I did what any true patriot in the U. S. of A would do and celebrated by eating a lot of (mostly unhealthy) foods, sweets, and sporting some red, white & blue while watching people set off illegal firecrackers they purchased across state lines.

You know. The usual.

My long holiday weekend actually extends through today, and I’m spending my last day off before returning to work tomorrow in NYC with Sean to do some shopping, a little sightseeing, and to try and hunt down these incredibly elaborate milkshakes everyone has been talking about lately. We’ll see how it goes!

Before I leave to catch my train into Grand Central, though- I wanted to share a recipe I tried my hand at this past week (as part of that aforementioned unhealthy food binge I went on in celebration of the 4th.) I randomly came across this appetizer in a local flyer recently, and being a fan of both roasted potatoes AND pesto- I knew I had to give it a go.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

1/3 lbs (4 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
6 ounces soft cream cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/4 cup finely chopped prepared roasted red peppers
Snipped fresh chives (optional)

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray or rub with olive oil.

2. On baking sheet, arrange sliced potatoes in single layer; spray/rub lightly with additional cooking spray/olive oil.

3. Sprinkle potato slices evenly with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt.

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4. Roast potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until they are are tender and browned- turning them over halfway and sprinkling with the remaining garlic salt.

5. While potatoes are finishing roasting, mix together cream cheese and pesto in a small bowl.

6. Once the potatoes are done cooking, spoon the pesto/cheese mixture on top of each slice. Top with chopped red pepper and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

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To call this an appetizer is actually a bit misleading, since these potato slices are pretty filling and could actually be a meal by themselves, but they tasted delicious- a perfect combination of saltiness and cheesiness- crunchiness and gooey-ness. I plan on making these for the next get together or party I throw and/or attend since I know they’ll be a hit and go fast!

I’d also like to experiment a bit with the ingredients, like maybe substituting chopped onions in place of the red peppers or seasoning them a bit differently. There’s a lot of different ways these can be prepared!

Jun 21

Quick Eats: Lemon Bars

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My mom recently baby-sat my seven year old niece for a couple of days since her Summer vacation is officially underway but my brother and my sister-in-law’s work schedules haven’t changed quite just yet. My mom had a full itinerary for the whole two days- including arts & crafts, a Super Soaker watergun fight- and plenty of baking since my niece’s stomach is essentially a bottomless pit where no amount of food ever satisfies her hunger.

I digress. Apart from cookies, brownies, and pastries- the two made boxed lemon bars my mom had picked up on a recent shopping trip. Since I have a love of all things lemon in the Summertime- I had stopped by during my lunch break to pick up a couple to take back to my office with me- only to be told they had come out horrible and tasted like “battery acid” (my mom’s descriptions are really great, for the record.)

Sure enough, when I opened my mom’s refrigerator to take a look for myself- I was greeted by the most unappetizing and orange (I’m still not sure why or what happened there?) colored lemon bars I’d ever seen in my life. I thought for sure my niece, who would eat literally ANYTHING– would be excited about them- but even she was grossed out by their taste and texture.

Inspired by their kitchen disaster, I decided to seek out a lemon bar recipe on my own- and voila! I found this one through PureWow that seemed easy enough. I gave it a try- with my mom present- to show her how it’s done.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

16 ounces refrigerated sugar-cookie dough
2¾ cups sugar
1 cup (plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
7 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Confectioners’ sugar, as needed for finishing

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper with nonstick spray.

2. Press the sugar-cookie dough into the base of the prepared pan in an even layer. Dock all over with a fork and transfer to the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.

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3. Bake the cookie crust until it’s lightly golden at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. When you remove the pan from the oven, hit it firmly on the counter to help flatten the crust. Let cool while you make the filling.

4. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and flour to combine. Whisk in the lemon juice, eggs and lemon zest. Mix until well combined.

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5. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Bake until the filling is set and lightly golden at the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely.

6. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar all over the surface. Cut the bars into 12 even squares, and then cut each square in half to make two triangles. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve.

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These bars were awesome. They were gooey, tangy- and actually yellow (the way they’re supposed to be!) I actually had some extra filling left over from this batch that I used to make a lemon custard that turned out just as delicious. I’m really looking forward to making more of these throughout the Summer. They’re a perfect and refreshing treat!

Jun 13

Quick Eats: Pizza Muffins

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For any of you reading this who know me particularly well- you’ll know that there are three types of food I will eat no matter what because I don’t think there is any feasible way for them to be prepared incorrectly or cooked poorly: Mexican food, breakfast food- and pizza. There’s just no way pizza can be sub-par. Even the stalest or greasiest slice of pizza is still incredible. It’s (probably) science.

What’s that saying? Pizza is like sex- even when it’s bad- it’s still pretty good? Something like that.

I digress- I’ve been in the mood for some homemade pizza for a few days now, and only recently stumbled on this pizza muffin recipe that looked quite delicious, unique and ridiculously simple to make- so over this past weekend I decided to gather the ingredients and give it a go to make sure that the longstanding theory of there being no such thing as a bad pizza was still alive and well.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

3 pounds pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
1½ cups marinara sauce, plus more for serving
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive oil, as needed for finishing

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the cavities of a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. Divide the pizza dough into 12 even pieces. Use your hands and a lightly floured surface to pull each piece of dough into a ¼-inch-thick, 2-by-4-inch rectangle.

3. Working one at a time, spread 2 tablespoons marinara sauce on the surface of the dough. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon oregano over the surface and then sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese on top.

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4. Starting at one of the longer sides, roll the dough into a spiral. Fold the spiral in half and place it in one of the prepared muffin cups (ends facing up).

5. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings. Brush the surface of each muffin with the olive oil and then bake until the dough is golden and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Let the muffins cool slightly and then serve warm (or at room temperature) with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

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I’m not gonna’ lie. I ate three of these things in one sitting. Three. The equivalent to a personal pizza, I think- but they were SO good. They were warm, cheesy, crispy- and oh so satisfying. Best of all? Just like regular pizza- they taste awesome cold, too. Any muffins I couldn’t shove into my mouth were put in the fridge to munch on later.

I don’t know if these count as a breakfast food since they’re technically a muffin- but I won’t judge if anyone makes these before 10 a.m.

May 13

Quick Eats: Zucchini Fries

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On my quest to achieve my ideal beach body for this Summer- I’ve been scoping out recipes for healthier alternatives to what could otherwise be considered not-so-healthy meals and snacks (sadly, there is no comparable substitute for cheesecake. Sigh.) My research has been eye-opening, to say the least- because not only did I never fully realize just how many variations there can be for different kinds of foods- but I also never imagined that “healthy” versions of that food could taste even better than the originals!

Case in point: these zucchini fries- a lighter, less artery-clogging alternative to regular greasy, fattening French fries- but still pack a crunchy and flavorful punch without making you feel gross or remorseful after you eat a bunch of them.

Best of all? They don’t take long to prepare at all- making these my new favorite quick-time snack when I need something to munch on in-between meals or if I’ve got people coming by and need to whip up something fast and/or outside-the-box.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

* 4 medium zucchini

* ¾ cup all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to finish

* ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 2 eggs

* 2½ cups panko bread crumbs

* ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

* ½ teaspoon garlic powder

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Trim the ends from the zucchini, then cut in half width wise. Cut in half again, then cut each piece into 4 fat wedges (you’ll get about 16 wedges per zucchini).

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3. In a large, shallow bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper to combine. In a second large, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Finally, in a third large, shallow bowl- mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan and garlic powder to combine.

4. Working in batches, dip each piece of zucchini first into the flour mixture, then into the egg, then into the bread crumbs. Transfer the breaded zucchini to the prepared baking sheet.

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5. Bake until the breading is golden brown and crisp- approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Season with additional salt to taste and serve immediately!

I admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect the first time I made these fries- but I was pleasantly surprised the second I tasted one (and then proceeded to eat an embarrassing amount of them in one sitting.) The zucchini still tastes fresh and crisp after baking- but the breading gives them a nice salty and crispy finish. The fries are filling- but not in a bad way.

I’m addicted- and I’ve already planned on experimenting with this recipe a little more and incorporating some summer squash into the mix the next time I cook up a batch of these!

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Apr 20

Quick Eats: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut-Butter Pretzel Bars

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So, funny (but not really funny) story- but for years I had to be cautious about the types of pretzels I ate since generic, cheaper-brand ones would often make me break out in hives from head to toe shortly after being ingested. Be it because of whatever preservatives, sodium, or colorings were used in aforementioned brands- I’ll never know- but I learned to trust a couple of different companies over time that I could eat without needing to keep a bottle of calamine lotion and Benadryl nearby for afterwards.

I saw this recipe online recently and the photos of the finished product looked really, really good. I grabbed a couple of packages of pretzel sticks from one of my trusted snack brands and decided to try it out for myself. Whipping it up was easy enough- especially with no actual baking required- but it was the waiting to try/eat them that proved to be the most difficult part of the process!

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

2½ cups pretzel crumbs (from about half a full-size bag)
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1¾ cups smooth peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup lightly crumbled/grated pretzels

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray and then line it with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of extra parchment to hang over the sides.

2. In a large bowl, mix the pretzel crumbs with the confectioners’ sugar to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter with the 1½ cups peanut butter and the vanilla extract to combine.

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3. Add the peanut butter mixture to the pretzel mixture and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated and moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.

4. Place the chocolate chips in a medium-size heat-safe bowl. In a small pot, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. When the cream is simmering, add it to the chocolate chips and let sit 15 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth and well combined.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the pressed pretzel crumb layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crumbled/grated pretzels evenly over the chocolate.

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6. In a small bowl, stir the remaining ¼ cup peanut butter to loosen it. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, then drizzle the softened peanut butter over the crumbled pretzels.

7. Refrigerate until firm, 30 to 45 minutes.

8. Cut into 16 even squares. Store the bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.

These squares were so, SO good! They were the perfect combination of chewy and crunchy- and sweet and salty. I’ve been indulging on these over the past couple of days and I’m looking forward to making a batch for the people in my office for the next weekend we all put in some overtime together.

And best of all? No hives!

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Mar 08

Quick Eats: Red Velvet Lava Cakes

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Remember at the end of February when I said I intended on sharing a recipe for what I considered to be the greatest dessert ever? Well, here it is- unless you don’t like red velvet cake, of course- in which case please get far, far away from me. I will side-eye you into the next century.

A look at any of my birthday celebrations over the past few years is all the documentation anyone would ever need to see I love anything red velvet (and I only recently ran out of a limited edition red velvet-scented body wash that Bath & Body Works created a couple of months ago for the holiday season.) The only thing I may love more than the cake itself is miniature indulgent versions of it- or any dessert, really. I’m all about small- but satisfying- portions of cakes/pastries/sugary snacks. Less goes to waste and I’m less inclined to overeat/put myself into a food coma when I have a tinier serving on my plate.

When I first laid eyes on the recipe for these little, round and personal red velvet lava cakes- I knew I had to give them a try. How could I not?!

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

* Pinch of salt

* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 1½ ounces semisweet chocolate

* ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for finishing

* 1 egg

* 1 egg yolk

* ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 2 teaspoons red food coloring

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease two ramekins (or two cavities of a muffin pan) with nonstick spray.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder and pinch of salt to combine.

3. In a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in 15-second intervals in the microwave until melted and smooth.

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4. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar into the butter and melted chocolate mixture until well combined. From there- add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and food coloring- and stir until well combined.

5. Add your now red-tinted concoction to the whisked flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix thoroughly until there are no lumps.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. Bake until set at the edges but still soft in the center, approximately 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 3 to 5 minutes inside the pan, then un-mold each cake onto a plate.

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7. Serve warm- immediately- and garnish with confectioners’ sugar.

8. Don’t burn the roof of your mouth as you inhale your serving of molten deliciousness!

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These little cakes came out so much better than I could have ever anticipated- and the inside was cooked to gooey, warm and sweet perfection. I served these prior to Sunday night’s sit-down for the latest ‘Walking Dead’ episode and they were a big hit!

I can imagine that if you substitute a few of the ingredients, you could probably make all sorts of flavor variations of these cakes with minimal effort or disaster. I’m tempted to try my hand at a dark chocolate or more fruity/lemon version the next time!

… But not after I make a few more red velvet ones, first.

Feb 10

Scenes From Snowpocalypse ’16!

Quick Eats: Baked Breakfast Cups

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I’m fairly certain I’ve said it before- but I am a breakfast food fiend. It’s my favorite meal of the day and the meal I could eat any time of day, really. With that being repeated, I’m always looking for new and delicious ways to kick-start my morning so that I’m left feeling full but not bored with the same old routine (I can’t eat the same thing every single day- even if I love it!) so when I first saw this recipe for “Breakfast Cups”, using hash browns as a sort of bowl to hold the ingredients together- I knew I had to give it a try. Worst case scenario if the cups didn’t come out as planned was that I’d have a very funny shaped omelette- but I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as a bad omelette.

Having recently and unexpectedly been snowed in (I did NOT anticipate the storm that hit us last week to be as bad as it was!) my mother was kind enough to lend me some of the ingredients for this concoction until I can drag myself to the market- as well as her mother (my grandmother’s) antique muffin pan- which looks rusted, I know- but I SWEAR it’s just discolored from years and years (50+!) of use. It’s completely clean and sanitary for anyone looking at the photos in this post and recoiling in horror.

Give me a little credit, please!

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

12 breakfast sausages
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) of shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (or any cheese you prefer!)
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups of frozen country-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onion

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

2. Prepare the breakfast sausages according to the package instructions, cool slightly, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set the sliced sausage aside.

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3. Combine/whisk the eggs, cheese, and pepper in a bowl- and set that aside as well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the hash browns, butter, salt and pepper. Divide evenly into 12 greased muffin cups.

5. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the muffin cups to create a bowl-like shape to hold your egg/cheese mixture and sausage.

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6. Cook the hash brown bowls for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

7. Once you remove the muffin pan from the oven- divide sausage pieces into the hash brown bowls. Top each bowl evenly with the egg/cheese mixture. Sprinkle each bowl with chives and onion.

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8. Return your muffin pan to the oven and bake another 12-15 minutes or until set.

9. Serve and enjoy!

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I was really pleased with how well these little cups turned out- and even more pleased with how good they tasted. They were the perfect combination of saltiness, crisp-ness and cheesy-ness- and were very, very filling. I managed to scarf down two before I felt stuffed- and I also felt inspired to re-create these for my next brunch gathering (I do love a good brunch, too!)

One word of advice, though- just make sure you grease the muffin pan properly! A couple of my cups got a little stuck around the edges, which made for a not-so-clean removal when it came time to serve these. Other than that- these are incredibly simple to make an I urge anyone who may be finding themselves in a dreaded “breakfast boredom rut” to give them a try!

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Legally Redhead

The Life and Times of Ashley Elizabeth

Tag Archives: foodie

“I guess the coastal air gets a girl to reflect…”

Day Off Date!

Quick Eats: Roasted Potato Crostini with Pesto Cheese

Quick Eats: Lemon Bars

Quick Eats: Pizza Muffins

Quick Eats: Zucchini Fries

Quick Eats: No-Bake Chocolate Peanut-Butter Pretzel Bars

Quick Eats: Red Velvet Lava Cakes

Scenes From Snowpocalypse ’16!

Quick Eats: Baked Breakfast Cups