Ingredient of the Month // Rhubarb

Happy May Day everyone! And, it is also the first Thursday of the Month which means we are announcing May's Ingredient of the Month...

Rhubarb!

It didn't take me long to find a slew of pies and cakes and muffins that combine rhubarb with strawberry (another seasonal item right now) but I kept looking and found a delicious quinoa and arugula salad. We served it as a "side" dish with grilled chicken (coated quickly in tahini) but both Danny and I ate more salad than chicken!

Rhubarb will only be in season for a month at best and I plan on making this salad a few more times while I have the chance. I was also reading that it freezes really well so I might give that a shot.

Rhubarb, Quinoa and Mint Salad
(via NPR's Kitchen Window blog)

Ingredients
Quinoa Salad:
- 1 1/4 cup dried quinoa, prepared according to package directions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white parts only
- 5 ribs rhubarb, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
- 3-4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, slightly toasted (optional)

Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp tahini 
- salt and pepper

Process
Prepare the quinoa as directed and set aside to cool when it is finished.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the honey and stir to combine. Add the scallions and rhubarb and sautee for 5-7 minutes until the rhubarb is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (olive oil, apple cider vinegar, tahini, salt and pepper). Add the cooled quinoa, the scallions and rhubarb and the remaining ingredients and toss to coat in the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature.


/// psst - don't forget to enter for a chance to win a DavidsTea Spring Collection set: http://www.colormestyled.com/2014/04/book-review-place-at-table-giveaway.html

Ingredient of the Month // Squash

Last week I mentioned that I wanted to start a few new series on Color Me Styled and today I'm launching The Ingredient of the Month Club.

The idea is easy.  I'll pick an ingredient and I'll post the recipe that I tried on the 1st Thursday of every month.  All you have to do is try a recipe with that ingredient on your own and send it in!

We're going to focus on healthy, whole, balanced ingredients to promote a healthy lifestyle but if you want to rock kale cupcakes, be our guest.  The submission method may change but for now, complete the form by clicking the link below and if you have a picture send it my way via e-mail.

Recipe Submission Form

For January we've selected Squash.  Since there are several varieties we figured we'd leave it open and give you all the flexibility to try Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, or Turban.  You can prepare it as a side dish, as a main dish, or as a component of a main dish like in our tart below.

Acorn Squash & Chorizo Tart (adapted from Williams-Sonoma's One Pot of the Day Cookbook)

Ingredients

 - Pie Crust (quadruple points if you make it yourself... we picked up a pack of Pillsbury)

 - 1/2 lb acorn squash (1 at least 5 inches wide should be enough), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

 - 2 tbsp olive oil

 - salt

 - 1/4 lb cured Spanish-style chorizo, diced (or 1/4 lb fresh ground chorizo from your deli counter)

 - 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

 - 1 clove garlic, minced

 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

 - 1 egg yolk

Procedure

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Put the squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and toss to coat.  Spread the squash out in an even layer and season with salt and roast until almost tender, about 10 minutes.  Set the squash aside to cool.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tbsp oil.  Add the chorizo and sautee until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  If you are using raw, bulk chorizo be sure to cook it all the way through, or about 6-8 minutes.  Transfer the chorizo to a paper towel and pour off all but 1 and 1/2 tbsp of the fat and return the pan to medium high heat.  Add the onion and sautee until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, season with salt, and cook for another minute.  Set the mixture aside to cool.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and spread out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.  Evenly distribute the squash and chorizo and sprinkle with the cheese.  Fold the edge up and over the filling, forming loose pleats.  Lightly beat the egg yolk with 1 tsp of water and brush on the boarder.

Bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.  Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Color Me Styled - Meet my new BFF

(image credit LensCrafters/Flint Chaney)

I don't want to brag but Natalie Coughlin is totally awesome.  She's down-to-earth, funny, and I really wish she'd invite me over for dinner next time we're in Cali.  

Color Me Styled - CMS Turns One!!

Oh, they grow up so fast don't they?! 

Tomorrow will be Color Me Styled's first birthday. It has been such a fun year and I can't wait to keep this baby rollin.

Color Me Domestic - Saucy Poached Eggs

I adore eggs. I love them cooked any way with nearly any topping. So when I found this recipe for Spaghetti Sauce Poached Eggs I couldn't pass it up.

When you are cooking for one or two a whole jar of spaghetti sauce is way too much for the small portions of pasta cooked. Typically I end up with 4 open jars in my refrigerator. This is a fantastic way to use up sauce during the same week it was opened.

Spaghetti Sauce Poached Eggs

Ingredients:

 - left over spaghetti sauce (figure 1/3 cup per egg)

 - eggs 

 - extra veggies in your fridge

Process:

Heat a medium sized frying pan to medium and saute your extra veggies in just a little bit of olive oil or butter for about 5 minutes. Add in appropriate amount of spaghetti sauce for the number of eggs being cooked and heat it for about 3 minutes while stirring the sauce in the pan.

Using the back of a spoon create a small cradle in sauce and crack one egg into it. Repeat for each egg. Season all eggs with salt and pepper and cover the pan to cook.

Medium to hard cooked eggs will take about 6 minutes - if you prefer a runnier egg try 4 minutes or until the white part is no longer transparent.

Serve with toast or english muffins or whatever you've got!

Color Me Domestic - Nutty Times

With cocktail parties, threats of huge storms and last minute shopping, this time of year always gets a little nuts. Pun intended. 

A great snack for guests to munch on, pack along in case you get snowed in and on-the-go at the mall are nuts. A little baggy of almonds goes a long way! But, a batch of Ina Garten's  Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts goes even further.

Buying the nuts can get a bit expensive but if you buy them in the bulk section of your local store then you can get just the amount you need and not over buy.

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Ingredients

Vegetable Oil (3+ tbsp)

3 cups whole cashews

2 cups walnut halves

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 cup whole almonds

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tbsp fresh squeezed OJ

2 tsp ground chipotle powder

4 tbsp minced fresh roasemary - divided

kosher salt

Process

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a rimmed sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine all nuts, another tbsp of oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, OJ and chipotle powder on the sheet pan, tossing with your hands to coat the nuts evenly.

Try to wash hands but maybe just wipe off as much as you can onto paper towel.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Repeat trying to clean hands.

Roast the nuts for 25 minutes tossing twice.

Remove from the oven and add the other 2 tbsp of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt. Toss again.

Set aside to cool and mix them occasionally to prevent clumps.

Store in an airtight container for a few days... or eat them right away!

Notes

This makes a lot of nuts - you can cut it all in half if you'd like. But, just plan to snack on them for a few days!

You can really use any kind of unsalted & raw nuts you want. The combo above is just the suggested amount. You'll need about a pound total.

If you don't have chipotle powder, you can use chili powder and paprika or a BBQ blend of spices.

These nuts are smokey, savory and sweet all at the same time making them great appetizers for, say, a cookie exchange!

Color Me Domestic - Candy Bar Bark

More cookie style recipes for you! Originally I found this recipe in Food Network's 12 Days of Cookies series and it has become a staple.

First of all, it is totally delicious. Secondly it is both quick and pretty easy. Finally the options are endless! You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, pecans, walnuts, almonds, coconut or dried fruits.

Candy Bar Bark
Ingredients
Graham crackers (about 14 for a full cookie sheet)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
12 oz chopped chocolate

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper making sure the sides are covered and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread out graham crackers to cover the cookie sheet.

Melt the butter, sugar and nuts in a small sauce pan, stirring constantly.

Once melted pour it over the graham crackers and spread it as evenly as possible. Put the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water in a pot (youtube it if you're questioning the method). When the graham and butter and sugar baking sheet is finished in the oven, pour the chocolate over the top and again, spread it as evenly as possible.

Let the whole thing cool for 15 minutes then place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before breaking it into 2-3 inch pieces.

Color Me Domestic - Christmas Confetti Cookies

Sprinkles are delightful year round but even more so at Christmas time. Making sugar cookies and decorating them is an annual tradition but not everyone has several hours to dedicate to that process. Sprinkles are mixed  right into these Christmas Confetti Cookies which opens up the time spent on decorating for hot chocolate in front of the fire!

Christmas Confetti Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box of vanilla cake mix (I love Duncan Hines French Vanilla)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable / canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract OR 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp peppermint extract OR 1/4 vanilla and 1/4 almond extract

1 cup sprinkles (I used Wilton peppermint sprinkles which add a nice hint of mint to the cake cookies)

Process

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the cake mix and baking powder. In a smaller bowl whisk all of the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir vigorously until all cake mix pockets are gone. Fold in the sprinkles, but don't over mix because you don't want to dye the dough.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the lined baking sheet. Make sure the cookies are taller than they are wide (the middles will puff up but then fall when cooling).

Bake for 9 minutes and don't let the cookies brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.

Try to only eat one at a time! These cookies are the best!

Color Me Domestic - Green Beans & Ravioli

Green Bean, Shallot and Ravioli Salad with Toasted Almonds (via Whole Living)

One of our favorite dishes of fall / winter / thanksgiving is this Green Bean & Ravioli Salad. It is perfect on its own for a dinner entree or as a lighter option for a full thanksgiving meal. Plus it doesn't get much easier to put together.

Green Bean, Shallot and Ravioli Salad with Toasted Almonds

Ingredients

salt & pepper

8 oz green beans, trimmed

12 oz fresh ravioli (like the Buitoni brand in the refrigerated section)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

juice of half a lemon

Prep

It is easiest to have all your ingredients assembled and ready to go. I recommend toasting the almonds while you bring water to a boil. Just put them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and let them toast for a few minutes.

Bring a medium pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the beans until just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water; when the beans are finished cooking, transfer them to the ice water bowl with a slotted spoon. Drain them, slice them in half or thirds. 

Add pasta to the bean water and cook according to package directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (you can re-use the one for toasting almonds) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until crispy, about 2 minutes. Add beans, cooked ravioli and almonds and toss to coat them in the olive oil. 

Transfer to a serving dish and season with any additional salt and pepper if you want and add the lemon juice.

Color Me Domestic - Potato Season

What is your favorite dish of Thanksgiving?

Potato Round Up (top left | top right | bottom left | bottom right) 

I have a difficult time narrowing mine down. I could eat turkey for days as long as there is cranberry of some sort smothered on it. I love green beans in a casserole, sauteed in butter or in a bright, citrus dressing (all of those recipes are coming, I promise). But I think what I come back to over and over is potatoes. I love potatoes and aside from fries don't eat them that often.

So I'm not surprised when my recent pins have included potatoes of several varieties. Mashed, scalloped and baked. Sweet and Yukon Gold. 

Luckily this year I have at least two Thanksgiving celebrations to try these recipes. And, again, as I do, I'll put them up. I have been cooking lately but they're classic recipes that I've featured before! If only you knew how often I actually eat the Asian Turkey Meatballs.

(side note: it isn't too sophisticated but it is my first official Photoshop creation. I am excited to continue learning and creating new fancy stuff for the blog!)

Color Me Domestic - Cake for One

There are some days that just need chocolate cake. Okay, a lot of days would be better with cake! But when you're craving just one slice there is a way to make it at home... in a coffee mug. 

We've seen recipes for them on Pinterest and in honor of Bosses Day today we whipped up one as a gift. After making one for ourselves of course!

Chocolate Cake with Caramel Melt Center
original recipe via Babble

Ingredients:
4 tbsp all purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg - beaten
3 tbsp skim milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 caramels (or salted caramels if you can find them)

Crack and beat the egg in a small bowl. Add the other wet ingredients and whisk together. Add the salt, baking powder and whisk again. Add the cocoa powder, sugar and flour and mix well until combined (it will look like brownie batter)

Pour batter into a regular (8 oz) sized coffee mug. Drop the caramels into the middle of the mixture, one at a time.

Microwave on High for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Test the cake with a toothpick (we used a chop stick since the mug is deep). If the toothpick comes out gooey continue to microwave in 15 second increments until it comes out clean.

Then enjoy! Or, as we did, wrap it in a box or a small gift bag with some of the left over caramels. And, if you didn't know today was Bosses Day... just celebrate but not complaining about yours for a whole day. You get a free pass for any you've already aired.

Color Me Domestic - Basil Orange Muffins

Since fall is upon us and temperatures have reached the dreaded "frost" level for outdoor herb plants it is time to bring them inside. Once I had my basil plant sitting on the counter I suddenly wanted to use it in everything. So I added fresh basil to a store-bought muffin mix and the result was delicious!

I was torn between this Cranberry Orange mix and Blueberry mix but decided to go with these. I think either would have been tasty.

All you needed to add to this mix was water! Which made the little guys super easy to make and also fat free.

The result was an herby and sweet muffin that was good morning, noon and night!

Other combinations to consider would be rosemary and lemon or adding herbs to a cornbread / corn muffin mix. 

Color Me Domestic - Shiitaki Mushroom Tacos

Taco night is a staple in many homes far and wide. But every once in a while it is nice to shake things up and go beyond the "brown meat, add seasoning, serve with toppings" routine.

For our new take on Taco night we turned to the handy-dandy Herbivoracious cook book by blogger Michael Natkin for Shiitake Tacos with Asian Pear Slaw.

Ingredients:
taco filling:
 - 4 jalapeno peppers
 - 6 garlic cloves (not peeled)
 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil
 - 1 white onion, diced
 - 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
 - 2/3 head of bok choy*, carefully washed and cut into 1-inch slices
 - 1 tsp kosher salt
 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
 - ground cinnamon

slaw:
 - Juice of 1 lime
 - 1 Asian pear 
 - 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
 - A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
 - 1/4 tsp kosher salt

And tortillas!

For the filling: place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Without adding any oil, dry roast the jalapenos and unpeeled garlic cloves until blistered and charred, about 8 minutes, turning a couple of times and then remove from heat. When the jalapenos are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stems. Remove the seeds and the ribs if you want a milder dish, then cut the peppers into thin slices. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and roughly chop.

Return the skillet to high heat. Add the oil and when it is shimmering, add the white onion. Saute until moderately browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shiitakes and saute until the shiitakes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the roasted jalapenos, roasted garlic, bok choy, salt, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. Cook, stirring occassionally, until the leaves of the bok choy have wilted and the stems are mostly tender but still have a bit of a bite, about 6 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.



For the slaw: Put the lime juice into a small bowl. Peel, quarter and core the Asian pear. Using a mandoline or a knife, julienne the Asian pear (cut it into thin, slices... think of a thick shredded carrot), tossing with the lime juice as soon as it's cut so it doesn't brown. Add the red onion, cilantro and salt.

To serve: Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp, clean dishtowel and microwave until soft and steaming, about 2 minutes. Make 8 stacks of 2 tortillas each. Top each pair of tortillas with a big spoonful of filling, and a smaller spoonful of the slaw and enjoy! This recipe makes 8 tacos which serves 4 or 2 with left overs.

This recipe is Vegan and Gluten Free as long as the tortillas are corn and certified G.F.

* Bok Choy: this is the full grown vegetable, not baby bok choy. Usually bok choy is 10-12 inches long with dark green leaves. The base looks like the base of a celery bunch but it will be a white color. If you can't find it, ask the friendly person at your local grocery store!

If you haven't worked with jalapenos before use a pair of disposable rubber gloves (or, if you're like me and don't just have those lying around, use two zip lock bags, one on each hand) when handling the pepper and the seeds. They can burn your hands and the worst case scenario would be transferring the capsaicin to your eyes! OUCH!

Color Me Domestic - Red Wine Capellini

Pasta is always an easy base for any meal and can be combined with nearly anything you can imagine. Seafood, chicken and almost every vegetable will flawlessly pair with the pasta of your choice. And, what can be easier than boil water, add salt, cooking pasta, rinse and serve?

Color Me Styled found a way to elevate your pasta standbys with this "peppery absorption-cooked red-wine capellini" dish from Michael Natkin's debut cookbook, Heriboracious. Earlier this summer we met Michael at Heaven on Seven in Chicago for a vegetarian's delight of snacks and great conversation between foodies.

Yes, we cooked dinner at 9:30 but it was a Friday night in if that helps.

The absorption method might seem odd and frankly, scary, to those of us who have the boil, salt, cook, rinse and serve mantra down pat but it is super easy and adds this rich flavor to the pasta itself. This dish is is flavorful and peppery and great for a date night in.

Vegan peppery absorption-cooked red-win capellini (serves 4 or two with left-overs)

Ingredients
 - 1 lb capellini
 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
 - half a large white onion, thinly sliced
 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
 - kosher salt
 - 1 1/2 lbs zucchini diced (about two medium zucchinis)
 - 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
 - 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
 - 1 tbsp smoked paprika
 - 1 tsp black pepper
 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
 - 2 tbsp fresh oregano
 - 1 tsp fresh rosemary
 - 1 1/4 cups red wine (we used an inexpensive Spanish Tempranillo), plus additional
 - 1 1/4 cups water, plus additional
 - minced fresh flatleaf parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Break the capellini into approximately 3-inch lengths and spread on a baking sheet (no oil or cooking spray needed). Slide into over and toast, tossing occasionally with tongs until golden brown. About 10 minutes.

Measure out the 1 1/4 cups of wine and then pour a glass for yourself and your cooking buddy. Make sure there is at least 1/2 cup remaining in the bottle. Cheers. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot (at least 5 1/2 quarts) with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cooking for about 5 minutes (the onions should soften but not brown). Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini and another pinch of salt. Saute until the zucchini is well browned, about 5 more minutes.

Place the toasted noodles on top of the zucchini mixture. Layer the asparagus and 1 cup of the cherry tomatoes on top of that and sprinkle the smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and rosemary. Pour the red wine and water over the top and toss as best you can with tongs. It is tricky to toss it at first because the pasta is stiff. Return the heat to medium and cover the pot.

Every 2-3 minutes, toss the pasta (and cover again) for a total of 8-12 minutes. Toward the end, taste a noodle each time you remove the lid to see if it is done. If you run out of liquid left on the bottom of the pot, add a bit more water or wine about 1/3 cup at a time.

When the noodles are cooked to your liking, transfer to serving bowls. Garnish the pasta with the remaining cherry tomatoes, parsley and another grind of pepper. Serve immediately.

This dish is vegan as described but you can add some Parmesan cheese to the top if you like. But, we suggest trying it without the cheese first to get the true flavors of the dish. And for those of you who think no meal is complete without a meat portion, we encourage you to try this vegan dish. You won't miss the meat, we promise.

Color Me Domestic - Kitchen Jenga

Don't ever say "I can't cook". If you can make a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese you have at least a bare minimum ability to use kitchen appliances. If you know how to cut things (or to you tube how to cut them) then you can pretty much make anything you find in a standard cook book. Yes there are more advance tricks but really most cooking is cutting, moving cut items around in a pan and serving. And with Pinterest posting having the most wonderful foods out there you've got to be inspired to get cookin'!

Here at CMS we are constantly playing "Jenga" with our meal preparations. Usually because an item was forgotten at the store. A recent Jenga was Lemon, Onion, Dijon and Honey sauce when the main ingredient in a peanut sauce was assumed in stock and only had a few scrapes left (someone ate it for breakfast).

This jenga turned out really well and could be used as a marinade for chicken or white fish, a salad dressing or like we used it, a topping for grilled chicken. 

Ingredients (emphasis on using what you have, feel free to experiment a bit and taste as you go)
- Onion- Chopped (about a 1/4 of a cup)
- Butter or Olive Oil (for sauteing the onion)

- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Lemon (or orange or lime)
- Worcester sauce
- Chives (or a fresh herb you have on hand, don't use dried, they'll over power the flavors, honestly I don't think they added much)

In a sauce pan (the smallest pot in your set) warm the butter or oil over medium/high heat (7 out of 10) and after a minute or so add the chopped onion. We used a sweet yellow onion, red would work too. Saute the onion for a few minutes until it just starts to get transparent. 

Add two spoonfuls of Honey, two or three squirts of mustard (start with two, you can always add more), squeeze all the lemon juice out (be mindful of seeds, juice it in a small bowl before and then pour it in once you've fished out the seeds). Add the chives or parsley or mint if you have it. Then finally two dashes of Worcester sauce.

Reduce the heat to low (1 out of 10) and stir it occasionally while you prep the rest of your meal. If you are using it as a marinade, let it cool completely before adding it to raw meat. All marinades should be at room temperature or cooler before added to raw meats. Then let it sit overnight or for at least 30 minutes before cooking the protein. 

Jenga dinners are easy. Just think of what you would find at a fancy restaurant and think about their ingredients and try it. At the very least there is that frozen pizza in the freezer or Chinese take-out.