Five: Time to Be Shellfish

What is it about summer that makes time get away from us? If you're anything like me, you've packed every ounce of your free time with plans and have ended up with no free weekends until October. I've created a cycle of work, plans, sleep, plans, work, repeat that has the summer flying by yet I'm not sure that I've taken enough time to stop and be where my feet are. I'm consistently looking ahead to the next thing on the calendar. Hell, I haven't even had time to sit down and blog for over two weeks and it's something that I thoroughly enjoy. That isn't a complaint. I LOVE spending time with my friends and family. I am so lucky to have people in my life who fill my free time with laughter, good news, and good company but I've started to wonder if I've been fully present with them. I'm very guilty of reciting my schedule to anyone who will listen; how often do we find ourselves talking about what the rest of our weeks, months, seasons look like instead of providing a space for someone to share their story? Lately I've felt like a chicken with my head cut off (I hate this phrase - anyone have a better one that means the same thing?), running from one thing to the next without taking the time to breathe, often losing the opportunity to be in the moment due to the constant calendar scrolling through my head. I think that what I'm missing is balance. We often hear a lot about a work-life balance but what about a life-life balance? Are you taking the time that you need for yourself this summer? The time that you need to recharge in order to be more present during your busy weekends or weeknights from here until October? Have you recognized your limitations? Do we just feel guilty for saying no, we aren't free next Thursday, not because we have somewhere else to be but because we need a night to bring us back to normal? I know that I fall into this category, the "feel bad about saying no even though we have a lot on our plate so we say yes anyways" category. And it doesn't mean we love our friends and family less or that we don't want to spend time with them but instead we just need some time for ourselves. Stop. Smell the roses. Be selfish. Take time for you. Reset. Recharge. Relax. Catch up on sleep. You deserve it. Your friends will understand because they will want you to be the best version of yourself (and if they don't, then it's time for a different conversation. We'll save that for another blog.) Then get back out there and be where your feet are (hopefully in the sand somewhere).

Recipe Number Six: Crab Stuffed Salmon

This past week, my mom was in town. Despite her staying with me, we only had one free night together (the curse of the summer schedule) so I said I would cook. My mom has always loved salmon (it took much longer for it to grow on me due to unfortunate timing with a stomach bug and my being stubborn - TMI? Maybe. My bad.) My mom loves it grilled (throw some marinade in a Ziploc bag along with the salmon, leave it for a few hours, and then toss it on the grill on a fancy grill pan and she'll be pumped about it). The majority of my family loves it this way too and so it made regular appearances on the dinner table. I, however, don't love to repeat meals too frequently. I'm not someone who could eat the same thing every single morning for breakfast or have the same meal every Monday night. I get bored. Anyways, I knew I could have gone with our old faithful recipe, but I opted to push the envelope and make crab stuffed salmon. And let me tell you, I am so glad I did! I loved this meal and would eat it again and again (until I get bored). This recipe will be making a more regular appearance in my house - probably only for company so you better get yourself on the busy calendar. I'm sure you could incorporate any sides you wanted, but I went for my favorite Balsamic Roasted Brussel's Sprouts from my girl Ina Garten (find that recipe here) and some baked sweet potato fries (had to use the Ziploc bag trick somewhere - add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika to the peeled and cut sweet potato fries before baking at 450 for 20 minutes, flipping occasionally - sorry, didn't measure this time around but can quote my mom and let you know that they were the best sweet potatoes she's ever had).

4 large salmon fillets
1 lb lump crabmeat
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 lemon (cut in half)
1 egg lightly beaten
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix crabmeat, egg, breadcrumbs, juice from half the lemon, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Cut a slit down the middle of the top of each salmon fillet (careful not to cut all the way through). If the skin is on the salmon, remove prior to stuffing and cooking.

Stuff the pocket of each fillet with the crabmeat stuffing. I used all the stuffing so the pockets were overflowing - made it so I had stuffing with each bite and it was so, so good.

Drizzle juice from the other half of the lemon over the top of the salmon before baking for 30 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.

Recipe Number Seven: Grilled Shrimp in Foil Packets

Tested out this recipe today on my day off before the big thunderstorms came rolling in. Delicious and so super easy. Found the recipe here. Can't wait to try other grilled foil packet recipes!

4 corn on the cobs snapped in half

4 red potatoes washed and cubed

20ish uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (I bought frozen shrimp on sale and let them thaw prior to peeling)

1 lb sausage (I chose hot Italian sausage because we know I love the spice), cut into slices

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, cut into quarters

Melted butter

Cajun seasoning

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

Heat grill to 400 degrees.

Evenly distribute the corn, sausage, potatoes, lemon, and shrimp among 4 heavy-duty sheets of aluminum foil (12x18 if you can swing it).

Drizzle melted butter, chicken broth, and seasonings over each packet before tightly sealing the foil by folding up the sides over the food and folding over each seam. There should be no openings in the foil.

Grill 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, rotating packets around the heat of the grill once or twice while cooking. Be careful when you check on the contents of the packet, as steam will be released once the foil is open. Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying! I chose to sprinkle some fresh parsley over the top before digging in!

I'm hoping to try a grilled dessert in a foil packet soon - I'll get back to you on what I decide! Have you tried any grilled packet recipes before that you would like to share with me? Leave it in the comments!

Happy Cooking!

- Kela

Four: Take Another Little Pizza My Heart

Back in February, I went on a date with a guy from online that wasn't anything special. We both realized we weren't compatible (I think I knew before I went but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I met him at his suggestion - the townie bar - for drinks). There was mutual ghosting at the end but there was one part of the date that's stuck with me. He wasn't much of a chef (he joked about eating Hot Pockets on the regular) but did talk about making pizza in a cast iron skillet and somehow this idea has been in and out of my head ever since. (Sadly, or not so sadly, this guy hasn't been in my head until right now that I've practically dedicated a blog post to him. If you're reading this, I'm still not interested, but thanks for the cooking idea!) It took me almost 6 months to buy one (super cheap on Amazon - what up free shipping?!) after the Williams Sonoma that's closing next door to me at work reminded me that I should have one (and I wasn't selling my first born child to get one from there, even if the entire store was 50% off).

Consider me a mutual friend between you and this cast iron skillet pizza. Because at the end of the day, we all just want a friend who knows our online date to tell us that they aren't a serial killer, or a serial dater who thinks you won't notice that they're dating a few people at once, or someone who's going to break up with you via a text message (a modern day version of Berger breaking up with Carrie on a post-it on Sex and the City), or someone who doesn't get married to someone else while you're dating, or someone who didn't just get out of jail for vehicular manslaughter, or who won't pocket your change at the end of the date, or who will at least look you in the eye once during dinner, or any other ridiculous bad date story my friends and I have experienced through the years. But we keep on trucking, and until then, you may have found the love of your life, but we don't have to share our pizza.

Recipe Five: Deep Dish Pizza

Recipe inspired by the Minimalist Baker.

Hey - I'm all for making it easier when you can, and I didn't have all the time in the world, so I cut some corners. Here's the recipe I followed with my shortcuts. You're going to love it, promise!

1 store-bought crust

1/2 cup pizza sauce - I added a little hot sauce to bring the heat (highly recommended if you are looking for a little spice)

1 cup mixed veggies of your choice  - I went with broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms, but you do you!

Meat of your choice - I bought too much pepperoni for my tortellini salad last week so I used the rest of the stick for my pizza

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil

Garlic

Olive Oil

Leave dough out on counter prior to cooking so that it can come to room temperature before use. I did for a little over an hour.

Once you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 and get to work on your toppings!

Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet (not your cast iron skillet - save that for your dough). Add chopped garlic and stir over medium heat for about a minute. Add veggies and sauté together for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, coat a cast iron skillet (or round baking dish if you don't have one but you should get one) with extra virgin olive oil and run a garlic clove around for seasoning. Plop your dough down into the pan and push it up around the sides about 1 to 1.5 inches. Let rest for a few minutes while preparing the rest of your toppings.

Since I used pepperoni, I chopped mine into small slices and then zapped them in the microwave for a minute to cook down some of the grease before putting it on the pizza. Learned this trick from my Dad before we made pizza at home.

First sprinkle in 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, then add veggies, then sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese, italian seasonings if you're feeling fancy and grated parmesan cheese (the real stuff, please).

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese and sauce are bubbly. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting, then serve immediately to yourself or to your SO or your family or whatever.

This pizza was GOLD when it came to taste - honestly might be one of my favorite things I've ever made. Next time, I'd work harder at the crust. Mine was a little too crusty for my liking so I wouldn't push it up as high on the sides. I was the kid who never ate my crust - I've grown into an adult who does eat it, but it isn't my really my favorite so it's on the list of fixes for the next time. There will absolutely be a next time, and probably soon! Even the leftovers have been phenomenal - last round tomorrow for lunch!

So take my word for it. Get yourself a cast iron skillet. I promise it will be a match made in heaven, or if not, at least you'll get a meal out of it (isn't this how we rationalize nerves on a first date?) Feel free to set me up with some of your favorite meals!

Happy Cooking, friends!

Kela

Three: Insert Corny Joke Here

Two weeks ago I started a new job that's different from your typical Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm schedule. In adjusting to my new job, I've taken advantage of my days and nights off by packing them to the brim with plans. I started writing a blog about food, often late at night, because it's something that I've found out I love to do and get an immense amount of gratification from posting. I'm not getting enough sleep. I feel like I've barely been home in the two weeks since coming back from vacation, including just finishing up my laundry a few days ago. I stand at work for 8 hours a day on the flimsiest flip flops, often sending me home with tired, sore feet. I suppose if I wanted to, I could find a bunch of other things to complain about, but I won't. Because in lieu of the sleepiness, the achy bones, and the lack of hours in the day to get things done, I am happy.  You read that correctly. I'm happy; really and truly happy.

I've known this for a while now. And I also know why. 

I am surrounded by some of the greatest people on this planet. This post is dedicated to the people who perpetually have my back. I hope you all have some of these friends - the friends who show up to your house with a bottle of wine and willingly sit outside with you next to your closed pool despite the lack of break from the heat or chat with you on your couches until all hours of the night; the friends who you haven't lived in the same state or time zone as in years but take time out of your hectic schedules to make your bi-weekly phone date where you laugh and cry over the ridiculous moments happening in your life, knowing that though you may be separated by hundreds or thousands of miles, you'll be completely heard and unjudged; the friends who you're in a group message with and could tell the story of your love life of dating more frogs than princes through the memes you've sent back and forth to each other; the friends who will let your team "win" a game of Kan Jam only for you to legitimately win the next two games and celebrate by wearing the cans as masks and holding the Frisbee like it's your first born for your victory photo shoot; the friends who you get together with weekly to watch the Bachelorette and fill out brackets with like it's March Madness because though you like sports, rooting for people to find the love of their lives is an inherent part of your hopeful romantic self; the friends who surprise you with little "just because I saw it and it made me think of you" gifts; the friends who support your crazy ideas, whether it be for a "M" or "B" (million or billion) dollar business plan or tell you to go for it when you tell them you're thinking about starting a blog because they believe in you; the friends who leave you love notes on your desk or in your mailbox, telling you all that you're worth and worthy of in this world on days or weeks or months when you're feeling down on yourself because someone or something tried to dull your shine. These friends, the ones who are your cheerleaders, your secret keepers, your laugh 'til you cry or cry 'til you laugh partners, are, in fact, the real MVPs.

The way those summer salad side dishes support your hamburger and hot dog BBQ, these friends support you. Because what would the Fourth of July be without a little potato salad? And though these sides don't always get the recognition they deserve, it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge these friends (some disguised as coworkers and family members) who have built me up to this point of true happiness. If I ever tell you that you're my pasta salad, this is why. Go tell the french fries to your cheeseburger that you'd be a little lost without them, and if you thought that was a little corny, time to stop reading.

I really hope you had a great Fourth of July. Next time you're looking for a fun side to spice up a cookout, here are two of my favorites! One of the reasons I love summer side dishes is that you can toss a few different ingredients chopped up in a bowl, add a little dressing (oil vs. mayo - you decide) and you've got yourself a salad! What are some of your favorite summer sides? Let me know in the comments - I'd love to give them a try!

Recipe Number Three: Corn Salad

Recipe inspired by the Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Corn Salad. Find that recipe here.

5 ears corn, shucked (or a couple of cans of corn drained and rinsed would probably do the trick if that's more up your alley)
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for about 3 minutes. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the corn in a large bowl with the red onions, red pepper, red vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Chill until ready to serve then add the basil and toss until adequately dressed.

Recipe Four: Tortellini Salad

Recipe inspired by my dad :)

2 lbs. cheese tortellini

8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed

6 oz. black olives, sliced

1 stick of pepperoni

1 head of broccoli, chopped (I use much more of the florets than the stem but that's personal preference)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

14 oz. artichoke hearts, chopped (I didn't use them but I wish I had)

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions. Drain water and add to large mixing bowl.

While the tortellini is cooking, saute garlic in 3 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add broccoli and toss in the garlic and olive oil until broccoli becomes bright green and tender. Remove from heat and add to the tortellini. Toss broccoli and oil with the tortellini to prevent pasta from sticking together. Add pepperoni, black olives, and artichokes. Dress with olive oil until lightly coated. Chill for 2 hours. Add cheddar cheese (don't do it before chilling because the cheese will melt due to the heat of the tortellini and broccoli). Salt and pepper to taste; then serve.

I hope you had a great holiday weekend and are feeling rested for the upcoming week. Give these side salads a try for your next summer cookout and keep me posted with your recipe modifications!

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Happy Cooking!

- Kela