Katie's Birthday

Last week my dear friend was thrown a surprise birthday party.  The party was intimate,  great food and drinks were served and memories were created.  I hosted the gathering at my place and with the help of a few friends the table got set, the appetizers were placed out and vegetables were prepped. I am never afraid to ask for help, I have found it makes my life a million times easier.  Enjoy and happy birthday again to an amazing friend who is deserving of so many celebrations. 

The Menu;

I served two roasted chickens over a medley of winter vegetables.  This is such an easy dish to make and such a "Wow" moment when it comes out.  I was inspired by all of the beautiful winter citrus and used them to make these birds burst with flavor. As sides I made a baked spaghetti squash and a kale with cabbage salad.  

Two Citrus Roasted Chickens

2 Organic 3-4 Pound Birds (I prefer mine to be locally sourced, free-range and locally sourced)

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 pds of mixed root vegetables I used Turnips, Rutabaga, Carrots, Onions and Purple Potatoes  

A bunch (roughly 15 strands) of thyme

2 Satsuma Oranges, 2 Cara Oranges & 2 Meyer Lemons cut into quarters

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450º.  I like to let my birds come to room temperature for 30 minutes.  During that time, I clean and chop the vegetables into a quarter size so they roast evenly.  Toss the vegetables with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, salt and pepper, reserve the rest of the oil. Place the vegetables into the bottom of the roasting pan.  Scatter several of the thyme sprigs over the mixture.  

Out of the cut citrus, take 4 quarters of each citrus and lightly squeeze over the vegetables and then place around the vegetables.  

Squeeze two quarters of each of the citrus into the remaining olive oil, you should have two of each of the remaining citrus left.  Mix together and let rest.

Season the birds with coarse salt, rub all over the exterior and under the skin where it is looser above the breasts.  Be sure to salt the empty cavity of the bird.

Stephen catching me in the act of tying!

Split the reaming citrus and thyme evenly and place in cavity.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string.  Take the olive oil and citrus mixture and rub all over the exterior of the bird. Don't forget to get under the skin of the breasts.  

Place the birds directly on top of the vegetables.  

Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, I like to get the skin really crispy and golden.  I rotate the birds and reduce the heat to 425º and roast for another 30 minutes.  Remove the birds, cover them with aluminum and let them rest for 15-20 minutes.  

I carved the birds right on top of the veggies, you can place on a cutting board if you prefer.  I added the root veggies to people's plates in addition to the other sides.

For dessert....the most delicious flour-less chocolate cake. I will share my recipe this upcoming weekend, I have been playing with different ways to serve it and have found that in individual ramekins it just takes it to the next level! I of course will share a picture....

The more powdered sugar the better

I came up with a signature drink for Ms. Katie.  A Sparkling Blood Orange, it's delicious.  

Blood Orange Sparkler Makes 10 Glasses

2 bottles of Champagne or Prosecco

2 cups of fresh squeezed blood oranges (about 8 oranges)

Slice the oranges in half and squeeze into a measuring glass.  If you prefer it pulp free strain the liquid before serving.

Fill each glass 1/2-3/4 way with bubbles and top with the blood orange juice.

The night was wonderful and I am grateful we got to celebrate such a wonderful person.  I couldn't have done it with out the help of many, thank you to everyone.  A big shout out to my Sous for the night, the amazing Stephen and the incredibly talented Chase for designing the table!

Homemade Vegan Granola

Granola is one of my favorite things to eat in the morning.  This tasty item is flavorful, full of texture and delicious. Granola can also be quite nutritious but it's hard to know how much of certain ingredients are in store bought brands, leaving room for excess sugar you don't need. A couple of weeks ago I came up with this granola recipe, it's vegan, gluten free and I don't use any regular sugar.  I eat this with yogurt or milk, sprinkle it on top of oatmeal or eat it on it's own as a snack.  I hope you enjoy it!

2 cups gluten free oats

1/2 cup olive oil (I prefer regular to extra virgin in this recipe, it is much milder in flavor)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup slivered almonds

4 tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Toss the oats with olive oil and half of the maple syrup in a bowl.  Spread out mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in oven and cook for ten minutes.  Remove from oven and remix granola on pan adding the remaining maple syrup, almonds and cinnamon to the mix.  You want to make sure the ingredients are evenly coated with the wet ingredients. Place back in oven and bake for ten minutes. Make sure the mixture is thinly spread so it evenly cooks.  If it starts to look like it is getting to dark, turn down the oven temperature.  You should start to smell the nutty flavor of the mixture, remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.  Break into pieces and store in airtight containers.  

You can add different nuts or dried fruit to your recipe.  I like to keep mine plain so I can add different flavors when I eat it to change things up.  Below, I made hot grain cereal topped with the granola, almonds, pistachios, pears and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Winter Night-time Moisturizer

The weather has been pretty frigid these past few weeks in many places.  I've experienced my own bit of extremes from being out in the cold and coming into my heated apartment which ends up drying out my skin!  My saving grace during these cold months is a combination of ingredients that I keep on hand and yes, a lot of my beauty tips come from ingredients I keep in the kitchen. "You like to nourish from the inside out" is what one of my dear friends told me and it's true! Coconut oil is something I am currently using daily to change things up since I can't have dairy right now.  Adjust the ingredients to your liking, I found this combo works happily on my skin and I wake up glowing.  

1 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Argan Oil

2-3 drops of pure essential Lavender Oil

I place all the ingredients in a cupped palm and rub my hands together till combined.  I massage into my face in an upward and circular motion and finish by rubbing into my neck and chest.  Two of the most overlooked spots to moisturizer are our neck and chest, don't forget these places! I finish by taking a little extra coconut oil and rubbing it on my lips and around my eye area.  

I love this combination of ingredients because each one has amazing benefits. Coconut oil acts as a natural exfoliant removing excess dead cells on the surface of your skin while strengthening underlying tissues.  Argan oil helps balance out the oil in the skin while penetrating and moisturizing.  Lavender oil is amazing for clogged pores and the beautiful aroma helps calm my mind before I fall asleep.  

A few notes for anyone interested.  

• The idea might seem crazy to some to put oil on your skin, won't it make you skin more oily?  The truth is that one of the leading causes of breakouts is a lack of moisture. Moisturizing with natural oils will balance out your skins oil level and help you towards a more even complexion.  
• A little bit goes a long way so find the combination that works best for you.  Maybe Argan and Coconut aren't for you, other awesome essential oils to try are Almond, Castor, Olive and Grapeseed.  All of these oils have amazing benefits too and I swap them in from time to time. If the measurements are too high or low for you adjust to your liking.
• When buying these oils be sure to buy 100% pure versions of these, not any blends.  They will cost a bit of money but that's the real deal, you don't want the diluted stuff.  A little bit goes a long way and you would end up spending more on generic night creams.  Be sure to read all of the labels.
• In the spirit of the New Year and trying new things I would say go for it, it's about taking a moment for yourself and indulging.  

I hope you enjoy this and please reach out with any questions or comments!

xxo Lexie 

Sweet Potato Fries

Over a week into the New Year and I am feeling refreshed.  The first week of my detox was not as bad as I had thought but my cravings for things skyrocketed.  Around day five I needed to get creative and realized I actually didn't have to look that far. I had a sweet potato looking to be used and I had the perfect idea, I made my tried and true sweet potato fries.  This recipe is something you should never feel guilty about enjoying!

1 sweet potato

1/4 cup of olive oil

Sea Salt

Fresh Thyme (dried will work too)

Preheat your oven to 450º Fahrenheit.  Take your sweet potato and slice off either end, then slice in half. Place the larger circle side of the sweet potato down onto a cutting board and slice long ways at a 1/2 inch thickness.  Take each slice and cut a 1/4 inch slices to make into the fry size.  Repeat on the other half.  

Place the fries into a bowl and toss with the olive oil.  Make sure the fries are well coated and that there isn't too much excess liquid.  

Place directly onto a sheet pan (no foil or parchment needed) and space out so the fries are not overlapping or touching too much.  

Place in the oven and baked for 15 minutes, remove from oven and flip fries over.  Place back into the oven and cook ten minutes longer.  I really like mine a bit darker and crispy, adjust to your preferred taste by lower oven temperature and cooking time.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh thyme and serve.

Enjoy!

New Year New Things

With the New Year upon us it seems everyone (myself included) is making resolutions to help ring in the fresh beginning.  In years prior I have always rolled my eyes at people who proclaimed they would be doing a "cleanse" or "detox." Well, this year I should be rolling my eyes at myself because I too have joined the bandwagon and have adapted a sort of cleanse of my own.  Too many fun-filled weeks of holiday goodness has left me feeling a little worse for wear.  

I will be sharing specific recipes from this cleanse over the next few weeks.  To be clear, it is an elimination diet where you slowly add food back into your diet over the course of three weeks to see how your body reacts.  With it being mostly a vegan diet I am excited to share with you all of the fun discoveries of dishes I uncover and can share.  

In keeping with the New Year and new things, I will also start posting about beauty/health related topics. You asked for it so I am happy to share.  

Something I will be drinking every morning over the next few weeks is a tea that has been referred to as a golden elixir.  It's beneficial for a healthier you inside and out. The drink contains nutrient dense ingredients of liquids and spices that help from digestion, antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory aid and nausea to name a few. The list goes on and on with each ingredient having many benefits making this an easy choice to add to your daily life.

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

xxo Lexie

Golden Elixir Tea

1 cup hot water

Squeeze Juice from half of a lemon

1 tbsp. Honey

1/8 tsp. Ground Tumeric

1/8 tsp. Ground Cayenne

1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger or freshly grated

While the water comes to a boil add all the other ingredients into a mug and stir together into a paste.

Add the hot water to the mix and together.  Drink while hot, you may need to stir again while drinking if ingredients settle to the bottom.  

The best part about this tea is that it can be modified to your liking, keeping the same base of turmeric and honey, I sometimes add chopped garlic, cracked black pepper and whole pieces of ginger to steep.

Lemon Bars

On a weekend afternoon recently, a wonderful friend of mine headed my way for an afternoon of baking. Adrien is beyond talented at many things, photography being one of them.  She tagged along with me for the day seeing the whole process from start to finish (taking photos and being hilarious) of how I make my one of my favorite desserts, lemon bars.  Thank you for the wonderful memories and photos Miss Adrien, you are a delight.  

I modified these bars with a crust that uses pine nuts to sub out for some of the flour. The result is a simple nutty flavor with a tangy lemon topping…perfection to me!

A trip to the local store to gather supplies.

Ingredients;

Crust

3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp cold butter cut into cubed pieces

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped

1/8 tsp of salt

1tbsp butter additional butter for greasing pan

Lemon Filling

4 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from two large lemons)

1/3 cup of whole milk

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions;

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Place flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, pine nuts, and salt in a food processor; pulse a 4 times to combine.

Add butter and canola oil. Pulse 6 to 8 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Place mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish rubbed with butter; press firmly into bottom of pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

While the crust bakes, prepare the lemon filling.  

Combine the eggs, sugar and flour in bowl, lightly beat all together with a whisk.  

Stir in lemon zest, juice, milk and salt.  Stir together till combined.  

When crust is done, reduce the oven temperature to 325, stir filling together a few more times before pouring over warm crust.  

Return the crust and filling into the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  The filling should appear to be slightly firm.  

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour at room temperature.  This is the most painful hour of waiting....

I like to then place the bars in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to make sure they are nice and chilled....again more painful waiting.

To finish the bars, take a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and place in a sifter.  Lightly tap the sides of the sifter while you have it over the bars to sprinkle.  

Slice across from side to side and top to bottom 4 times, yields 16 bars.  

Enjoy!!!!!

*you can cut these to a size of your preference, when sharing I cut into 16 pieces, when it is just in my house there is no proper dimension I use, I go by as much as I want.....