This salad was almost too pretty to eat...but I am so glad I did. The creamy, burrata mozzarella cheese, the sweet peaches, and the fresh juicy heirloom tomatoes create the most amazing flavor combination. I used to be afraid of combining savory with sweet. Fruit and savory dishes did not appeal to me, they belonged on separate plates at different times of the day. However, I was in Austin with my boyfriend, and we went to this amazing farmer's market. We couldn't resist getting the freshest peaches and heirloom tomatoes I have honestly ever seen (and felt awesome supporting local farmers!). We sliced them up for an appetizer before dinner, and soon enough we discovered that peaches and tomatoes taste incredible together. 

If you have been reading my blog, you know by now I am a fan of eating local and in season produce. Now is the time to snatch up these beautiful heirloom tomatoes and think of creative ways to use them. This recipe does just that. It is a fun spin on a classic Caprese salad. 

My mom and I went to Italy for my 16th birthday. Honestly, one of the most amazing places on earth. We tried the Caprese salad at practically every restaurant until we found our favorite. This little hole in the wall restaurant had the creamiest most delicious mozzerella and the ripest, freshest tomatoes. Little did I know this mozzerella was different. It was called burrata where cream and cheese are combined and encased in mozzerella. The creamy, salty flavor was unlike anything I had ever tasted so you can understand my freakout when I found that Trader Joe's carried it. This salad is the perfect appetizer to impress guests and/or family members and incredibly easy. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Burrata cheese
• 2 ripe peaches, sliced
• 4-5 heirloom tomatoes sliced 1/4 in. thick
• about a handful of basil 
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. Place slice of tomato, basil, peach, and dollop of burrata cheese on a plate. Continue this pattern until you have used all of your ingredients.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and top with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Serve and enjoy! 

I have already ranted and raved about grilling. It is one of the best things about summer. As summer draws to an end I try to grill as much as possible. Hey, it's still warm in September, so why not fire it up and have your friends over to celebrate the start of fall? I cannot believe this summer is almost over. It flew by, but it was one of the bests. I traveled (details to come), visited good friends, and ate some pretty amazing food. I begin work soon, and while I am sad the summer is coming to a close, I am excited to see what new opportunities and adventures lie ahead. 

Mahimahi is is one of those fish that people rarely know about but its delicious and easy to come by either frozen or fresh. It is also called, dorado or dolphinfish (don't worry its not the cute dolphins we love) and the most sustainable kind is wild caught in the Atlantic. Be on the lookout for this when purchasing! It might be a little pricey but the frozen kind is just as good because its frozen as soon as it is caught. Doesn't get much fresher than that. 
Grilling fish might sound a little intimidating. Won't it just flake and fall in between the grill cracks? I was a little worried as well, but this recipe uses Mahimahi. It's meatier, so its less prone to flaking, and the whole piece of fish does in fact return to your plate. A few good tricks to remember with grilling any type of fish is to: 1. DON'T TOUCH IT just let it cook and do its thang. If you do, it will fall apart and you'll probably end up ordering pizza. 2. Make sure the grill is cleaned, hot, and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray before placing your fish down. If you follow these two steps I guarantee you'll have perfectly grilled fish. 

Now more details about this recipe. It has bacon in it. Yes, I am obsessed with bacon. Hands down favorite brunch is scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. So simple yet so amazingly delicious I am craving some right at this moment. Anyways the bacon in this recipe adds a whole new dimension of flavor. It's smokey, salty flavor completely elevates the tomatoes and you will never want to eat Mahimahi another way again. This recipe is also on the lighter side so don't let "bacon" and "butter" scare you away. 1 slice of bacon and 2 tablespoons of butter divided among 4 people provides a whole lotta flavor for less calories. Serve with brown rice or quinoa and you've got a filling meal under 300 calories. 

Serves: 4
Adapted from Cooking Light, The New Way to Cook Light 


Ingredients: 

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fine ground sea salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 (6 oz.) mahimahi filets
• cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1 center-cut bacon slice, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot, smoked paprika
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Make sure sugar and salt dissolve. Add fish and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. (This step called "brining" pulls moisture from the fish and creates a more delicate texture).
2. Heat grill to high heat. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of table salt over fish. Lightly coat fish with cooking spray. Coat grill with cooking spray. 
3. Place fish skin side down onto grill. Grill 2 minutes or until well marked. Flip fish and place on indirect heat. Grill 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 
4. To make the bacon tomato butter heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan. Cook for 5 minutes until bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes and stir frequently so the garlic doesn't get burned. 
6. Add paprika and cook 20 seconds, stirring constantly. It will "speak" to you and tell you its ready with its strong aroma. 
7. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in butter. Remove from heat.
8. Place sauce over fish and serve! 

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I promised you I'd be posting another zucchini recipe...and this one is the bomb dot com. I love pesto. Something about it reminds me of hot summer days. My two best friends would come to visit in the summer, and after a long day at the beach I'd whip up some pesto with basil straight from the tiny herb pots we have growing on our porch. This is something I highly recommend doing. I used to hate being at school where I'd spend wayy too much change on fresh herbs and feel incredibly guilty not using the whole thing before it went bad. At home, we have individual pots where basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, etc would grow in abundance. All you really need to do is give it a little love, sunlight, and some water and bam! you've got fresh herbs at your fingertips. 

Now this pesto is a little different from your normal pesto. Instead of basil, I used kale! Noo not more kale I can hear you plead...but wait, I promise this pesto is a refreshing and delicious switch up from your normal pesto. It also has avocado which adds creaminess and healthy fats to this dinner. Don't get me started on avocados. Some people just don't have a taste for them, and I'm sorry I'm not judging but I think you're crazy. I add it to everything and anything any chance I get!! It is loaded with fiber, Vitamins A, C, E and monounsaturated good fats to promote beautiful hair, skin, nails. It also keeps you fuller longer so helps manage your weight. It is an amazing superfood I encourage you to try and incorporate more into your meals! 

This dish is made with pasta, but if you are going raw, vegan, or after an understatement of a binge weekend you can make this with just ribbon zucchini and you won't miss the pasta + you'll have more room for dessert yay :) 

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Rawmazing.com

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini 
• 1 bag of egg parpadelle pasta
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if vegan/raw)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 small bunch kale, torn into pieces and de-stemmed 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. 
2. Peel zucchini lengthwise using a peeler. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do, its easy! Set in a colander to strain the extra liquid.
3. Run food processor and add garlic cloves one by one. 
4. Add avocado, parmesan or nutritional yeast, olive oil, pine nuts, and lemon juice. Pulse until blended. 
5. Add kale and pulse until well chopped and incorporated. 
6. Drain pasta and combine zucchini noodles, pasta, and pesto sauce until completely covered in the pesto. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Top with tomatoes and serve!
8. Or, check out the pic below and add shrimp! 

I cannot believe summer is almost over. August is always the month where I like to frantically fit in all of the things I enjoy about summer. I try to hit the beach as often as possible, sip fruity cocktails, load up on fresh peaches, heirloom tomatoes, and zucchini, and of course barbecue. Soon enough it will be fall, and I will be reminiscing on those fun, outdoor barbecues where the sun is shining and the smell of the smokey grill  fills the air. Grilling fish is unique and I love the pretty grill marks and the smokey flavor the grill gives it. This dish is so incredibly easy and will really wow a hot date, BFFs, family member, or your amazing self. Not only is it easy AND delicious, its ridiculously healthy too. You've all heard about the incredible benefits of salmon. It is loaded with protein, vitamin A, and healthy fats like Omega 3s that keep your hair, skin, and nails looking gorgeous. The wild caught Alaskan frozen salmon from Costco surprisingly is of restaurant quality. Just make sure you remember to defrost a few hours before preparing dinner. 

 This quick asparagus recipe is honestly the best. Not only because its so easy but it uses simple, delicious whole ingredients like lemon, parmesean, olive oil, and salt and pepper. That's it! Asparagus is an awesome superfood as well loaded with fiber, manganese, and vitamins A, C, K, B1, B3, B6 that promote a healthy heart, boosts kidney and lung health, and helps prevent cancer. What you may not have heard is that asparagus is the best new hangover cure. A study done in South Korea showed that when liver cells were exposed to asparagus extract, it suppressed free radicals and more than doubled the activity of two enzymes that metabolized alcohol! So serve this dish before a big night out and your head and stomach will thank you! I honestly wish I knew this in college. Didn't think you'd go so hard the night before? No worries, whip up an omelette with asparagus and cure that pounding headache (eggs are also proven to ease a hangover) the morning after.

Salmon: 
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried Herbs de Provence (or any of your favorite dried herbs, sage or thyme would work!)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
olive oil spray
4 salmon filets
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
4 lemon wedges for serving

Asparagus:
1 pound fresh asparagus
olive oil
Parmesean cheese, grated
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Break off tough ends of asparagus. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss to coat evenly. Place asparagus in oven for 25 minutes until tender, but still crispy. 
2. For the salmon, in a small food processor, or using a mortar and pestle mash garlic cloves, dried herbs, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard until it becomes a spreadable paste. Set aside.
3. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat grill over high heat until hot. Spray grill with olive oil spray then turn down to medium-low heat. Place salmon on grill for 5 minutes. Be sure not to move it! Otherwise you will end up with most of your fish on the bottom of your grill :(. 
4. Turn and cook salmon for another 3-4 minutes and spoon half Dijon mixture on top of salmon. 
5. Turn and cook for an additional minute and spoon the rest of the mixture onto the salmon. 
6. Plate salmon and asparagus and serve with a lemon wedge if desired.