It's 11:55am and I'm slugging away at my desk job in the beautiful neighborhood of Chevy Chase, DC. We've all been there and we typically have have two thoughts....Click the picture to keep reading to find out what they are.
Read MoreWhat's better then smelling a whiff of hot roasted nuts? (That's what she said?!) In all seriousness though, I am an absolute addict to spiced roasted nuts, and find that there's no better time to make them than for the holidays! This cocktail snack can be made weeks in advance and is the perfect thing to set around your house while entertaining guests. They're sweet, savory, spicy and completely addicting. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Read MoreRead this first: CHOP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU START TO COOK THIS ONE! This is a hands-on, all-in, no rest for the wicked type of recipe. If you stop stirring, it will burn. If you stop mixing, it will burn. If you stop combining, it will burn. Do you see a pattern here? This recipe is all about the steady flow of ingredients in and out of the pan to create a decadent sauce teaming with flavor. Are mushrooms really worth all this work, you ask? All I can say is, YES. And don't forget to pour yourself a glass of wine, I mean liquid motivation, before you start chopping. You're going to need it.
Read MoreI've been attempting a Whole 30/paleo diet the past few weeks and things are going GREAT. I feel great, I've lost some weight, I'm super motivated, and I'm a lot less lethargic. The one thing saving me from my carboholic tendencies? POTATOES. My absolute favorite new potato recipe are these chile lime sweet potato fries. They take less than 10 minutes to prepare and they're ready in 40 minutes, with no mess from a deep fryer. Keep reading for this completely addicting recipe...
Read MoreThis recipe is out of control seasonal with all of the happy summery things that are ripening up this month. For me, this bright, refreshing dish was sourced almost completely locally from my home garden and my CSA share with Three Part Harmony Farm, which is only three miles from my house. I utilized the juicy, sweet, fruits in a savory component as a salsa -- adding spicy jalapeño, zesty summer basil, crisp white corn, and tangy red wine vinegar. All of these summer fruits and vegetables work extremely well together, as do most things that grow together during a season. I topped some buttery salmon with the sweet and spicy salsa, but it's also great with chips, on a grilled cheese, or even as a taco condiment! The best part about this dish is that you only have to turn on your oven for 15 minutes and no other heat is needed, so you can stay cool in this insanely hot DC heat wave! Let me know how you like the salsa best using #hangrydistrict!
Read MoreEach Wednesday, hangry bf and I choose recipes from some of my many cookbooks to make for date night! It not only makes my insane collection of cookbooks seem reasonable, but it's also really fun to cook together once in a while. He does much better with a written recipe than my MacGuyver style cooking off the cuff. Last week we chose The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt and picked recipes that could utilize our pork chops from Liberty Delight Farms and a whole mess of green beans. The result? Succulent maple, mustard, Bourbon pork chops with crisp beans tossed with olives and almonds. Try it for yourself with the recipe below!
Read MoreMaking creative salads is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. The combinations are endless, and I typically feel really good about my decision to make and/or eat a salad. That said, making salads can be one of the most time consuming dishes to make in the kitchen. Each element of the salad usually requires some sort of preparation, whether it's roasting, chopping, mixing, seasoning, etc. But the pay off sure is worth it. One of my new favorite salad ingredients is roasted beets that have been slightly pickled. I love the combination of beets and apples, so I created this show stopping salad and have been serving it at parties and catering events ever since. It's got all the things a salad needs: acid, fat, crunch, sweetness, leaves and salt. I got the winning "Yum" of approval from none other than my mom, a cook's toughest critic, so you should feel confident in this salad choice!
Read MoreSpring has sprung in DC! I think? Hopefully we're finally in the clear from random snow storms, freezing weather and the fear of our gardens dying overnight. So, in honor of my favorite season, I whipped up this quick and easy meatless quinoa bowl utilizing farm fresh eggs from Liberty Delight Farms, herbs from Three Part Harmony Farm, and micro greens from Little Wild Things City Farm. Enjoy!
Read MoreOne of my favorite breakfast/brunch staples is the frittata – a fluffy egg pie that can be stuffed with any ingredient combination you can dream up. Forget making omelettes to order or poaching eggs for a crowd, just pop this baby in the oven and get your mimosa on with your friends! Frittatas are delicious, impressive, and surprisingly easy AF to whip up. Here’s my recipe for a loaded veggie frittata so decadent you’ll never miss the meat. Don’t be intimidated – it will be egg-cellent (groan).
Read MoreHave you ever had a linzer cookie? They are delicate and flaky with lots of butter, a hint of lemon, and the crunch of ground almonds. What's even more EXTRA is that they are a sandwich cookie! Traditionally stuffed with jam, I turn things up a notch with a homemade chocolate ganache option. These cookies are probably my favorite sweet of all time, so I decided to make them myself - jam variety for me and mom, chocolate ganache for hangry bf and dad. Treat yourself to these decadent cookies for Fat Tuesday before the fasting begins!
Read MoreI'll keep this short because Hangry waits for no one. When you're exhausted, it's still dark out before 6pm and the groundhog has been a little bitch and run back to his den, you want a quick and easy dinner to eat as fast as possible. So - chop everything up; toss it all in a skillet; throw some cheese on top; and dinner = served. You're welcome.
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Soup. One of my most frequent cravings. I'm not picky either - I like all the soups: noodle, tomato, bisque, chowda', vegetable, lentil, etc. Soup has that magical way of making you feel cozy and happy - a memory associated with the comfort of my childhood. One thing I love about soup is that you can basically take whatever you have in your fridge and pantry and turn it into soup - so that's what I've done below! Check out three of my favorites - Butternut Squash, Broccoli Cheddar, and Zuppa Toscana - with topping variations to keep leftovers interesting!
Read MoreThe big game is just days away! I am all about eating the typical Super Bowl snacks like fried chicken, buffalo wings, potato skins, nachos, etc. - BUT - I am really trying to be kind to my almost 30 waistline. SO - I will be making my favorite Sunday Roast - it's totally amazing, with a slowly simmered onion gravy and tangy/peppery arugula salad. I promise if you make this for your game-day groupies, they will be singing your praises all night. Keep reading for the how-to.
Read MoreThe scariest part of this recipe is making the béchamel, one of the classic French mother sauces! But really, it's just melting some butter, and adding flour and milk to it. That's it. You can do it! After that, it's just like slapping together a grilled cheese sandwich amped up with ham, a creamy sauce, and all the cheddar cheese you can find in your, let's face it, over-crowded cheese drawer. Follow the easy step-by-step guide below and make one for yourself tonight!
Read MoreI LOVE crostinis! You can literally take a bunch of random ingredients from your fridge and turn them into something snack worthy by putting them on a piece of toasted bread. I am always creating crostinis out of leftover ingredients and I am going to share some of my favorites with you below! Let me know what your favorite crostini toppers are by using #hangrydistrict in your posts!
Read MoreThese brie and jam puffs are one of the first recipes I ever came up with for my first catering gigs. I absolutely love baked brie and wanted a bite sized version to serve as passed hors d'oeuvres. Behold the brie and jam puffs. A party favorite for all seasons, these bite sized beauties can be transformed into a savory snack with bacon jam or nuts, or served as a sweet treat with fruit preserves and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Whatever you decide, they are destined to delight!
Read MoreThese tomato and onion tarts have been part of my recipe arsenal since my dad sent a similar recipe to me in 2010. I had graduated college and secured a big girl job in Northern VA. Having lived with my parents for about a year after college, they really started to understand my passion for food. I think I even inspired them, because I started coming home to coq au vin and chicken with mushroom cream sauce -- things that were a far cry from the hamburger helper and spaghetti my brothers and I grew up on. When Dad sent me the tomato and onion tart recipe I thought two things: 1. I absolutely HAVE to make them, because he has never sent me a recipe before and he must have faith in my abilities now; and 2. Dad HATES tomatoes, so challenge accepted. I made them for Easter brunch and watched from afar as Dad ate not one, but TWO glorious tomato puffs and I smiled to myself and kept right on cooking. Keep reading to find out how you can be the brunch hero of your family.
Read MoreSUMMER: The time of year when a lot of my favorite foods come together at peak ripeness and everything is available at the FRESHEST of fresh. Why not combine all of the things into one tasty, fresh, and healthy dinner that can be eaten around a table full of friends, or standing up in your kitchen because you're too excited to eat it and you never make it to the table (guilty). These shrimp and pineapple lettuce cups are a breeze to make, and you can practice your knife skills during the prep. The pineapple lends sweetness to the tender shrimp, while the summer pico de gallo adds tang and brightness. A little crunch from some water chestnuts and bibb lettuce, and you're on your way to a super summer supper. Keep reading for the recipe...
Read MoreI have basically had radishes on hand since March thanks to my wonderful CSA share from Three Part Harmony Farm. You may have read my pickling method for them, but they are also delicious in their natural state with softened, salted butter (what isn't?). Here's an quick and super inexpensive appetizer utilizing herbs and radishes you have on hand to serve for guests or to bring for a light lunch at work. I also tend to eat this for breakfast when I'm hangry! Keep reading to find out how to get your radish toast on.
Read MoreIt's travel season for Hangry District and that means my CSA share from Three Part Harmony Farm has to be preserved in fun and interesting ways so that it's not wasted while I'm away. With an abundance of fresh vegetables these past few weeks, I decided the best way to preserve would have to be my favorite way - PICKLING. I haven't quite mastered canning yet, so I chose to quick pickle - or quickle. Below you'll find the recipe for a variety of quickles that I made using what I already had in my pantry. I've already polished off all of the cucumbers and I hope you'll enjoy this quick and easy technique as much as I do. Happy pickling!
- See more at: https://michelle-scholtes.squarespace.com/blog/2016/7/8/i-got-a-pickle#sthash.zfviWzML.dpuf
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