Feeding My Obsession

It’s no secret that I have a slight Pinterest addiction. When I had to split my “Recipes” board into appetizers, entrees, and desserts, I realized there are way more recipes in this world than I ever realized. And then when I had to split desserts into bars, cookies, cupcakes, etc… well, you get the idea!

Clearly there is not enough time to make all of these recipes right away, but I wanted to share some of the top recipes I’m excited to try out soon!

Appetizers

Creamy Brussels Sprout & Shallot Dip – The Minimalist Baker

Find me a get-together and I’m all over this! I may love brussels sprouts as much as I love Pinterest 😉 [P.S. did you know that there is an “s” at the end of brussels?]

Reuben Rolls

Meatless Meals

This has quickly turned into one of my favorite categories. I’m loving experimenting with different forms of protein outside of the normal chicken, pork, beef.

Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Nuoc Cham – Alexandra’s Kitchen

This reminds me so much of sesame-crusted tuna.. I can only hope it tastes just as delicious!

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust – Carrots N’ Cake

Really, it’s sweet potatoes and pizza. How can you go wrong?!

Butternut Squash Casserole – Waking Up Vegan!

I have a thing for squash. Ok, let’s just agree that I have a thing for food in general.

Pork

Pork Carnitas – My Kitchen Escapades

Two words: crispy bits.

Poultry

Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken – Better Homes and Gardens

Peanut butter? Again. It’s my thing. So clearly a peanut chicken dish appeals to me. Not to mention, it’s a slow cooker dish, which means it’s great for the Crock Pot Challenge!

Kung Pao Chicken – Closet Cooking

Seafood

Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw + Sriracha Ranch – Peas and Crayons

Nathan doesn’t eat seafood so I rarely make it for dinner, but I definitely see this as something I could duplicate for him with chicken.

Desserts

Black Bean Powerbake – Powercakes

I’ve been trying to cut sugar out of my diet as much as possible so this looks like the perfect snack to curb my chocolate cravings!

Coconut Almond Butter Bites – Running to the Kitchen

Coconut. Almond butter. Chocolate. Need I say more?

Dark & Stormy Quick Bread with Lime Glaze – A Cozy Kitchen

If the drink is good, the bread must be good too, right?

Well, that should be enough to get started. Looks like I have a quite a bit of cooking to do this weekend! 😉

Food for Thought

What recipes have you pinned that you’ve been dying to try?

The Best Part of Wedding Planning

Food!

Last week my mom and I went to meet with a potential caterer for the wedding, Innovative Gourmet, and were rather surprised to find out that we would not only be discussing food, we would also be tasting!

One of the first things I said to Nathan when we got engaged was “OOH!! Now we get to taste cake!” So needless to say, I was excited! Unfortunately I arrived sans camera, so my camera phone had to do.

First Course
Chilled soup / Turkey, bacon, cheddar panini on pumpernickel bread

Both delicious and such a great combo!

Second Course
Grilled and roasted veggies / Vegetable flatbread / Duck bites with crunchy pecans / Smoked brisket on french baguette

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with grilled and roasted veggies. I ate those up! The duck was fantastic with the sweet crunch from the pecans and I loved the smoke flavor in the brisket.

Third Course
Polenta bar with shredded chicken, roasted peppers, sauteed spinach, smoked gouda, and bleu cheese.

This is such a fun idea; rather than doing the typical pasta bar, you substitute creamy polenta and put out a bunch of toppings. A make-your-own so everyone gets what they want. And each piece was equally tasty.

Fourth Course
Chop salad / Heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad over asparagus with frisee and balsamic reduction

I’m not a huge chop salad fan, but the heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad is right up my alley. I love the layered, deconstructed visual appeal of the dish, and the flavors were fantastic!

Fifth Course
Brown butter rockfish over roasted corn, carrots, green beans, & red pepper / Pistachio crusted lamb over roasted vegetables and tzatziki

The rockfish was flaky and delicious, but the lamb stole the show. It was cooked perfectly; so tender and flavorful, and the pistachio crust gave it a beautiful crunch. We took a few leftovers home, but the lamb was not one of them.

Sorry Nathan. (Not really……)

Sixth Course
A beautiful assortment of petit fours

What can I say? I’m a sucker for sweets! Chocolate. Chocolate. And more chocolate. And a few other bites of desserts, but my favorites were all of the chocolates!

This has definitely been the most fun I’ve had during the wedding planning thus far and it makes me so excited for more tastings!

As for the caterer choice? Decisions still to come…

Speak Up!

If you’re married or engaged, what was your favorite part of planning? And if you’re not married or engaged, what are you most looking forward to while planning?

Don’t forget! Today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a case of CalNaturale Svelte! Don’t miss it.. entries accepted until 11:59pm EST! Four lucky winners will be chosen Friday morning!