i know that i’m about a month early, but i am already getting excited for valentine’s day. it is hands down my favorite holiday. yes, yes, i know that seems a little odd. and you could probably dive deep into years back to hear all my theories on love and valentine’s day. but i’ll sum up the moral of the story for you.

to me, love isn’t just about feeling all warm and fuzzy about your significant other. to me, that special day of love is all about showing love to your friends, your family and yourself. love is beautiful in it’s many forms and it should be celebrated a little bit EVERY day.

with all that love in mind, i’m spending the next few weeks focused on delicious and beautiful dishes that are perfect for celebrating love with anyone you love. dishes that are great for a crowd, an intimate gathering or enjoyed all on your own.

first up is an absolutely DELECTABLE and beautifully seasonal winter salad. citrus is at it’s BEST right now and are the brightest, boldest and most colorful deep in the winter. not only that, it is packed full of vitamins & minerals to keep your immune system pumped up during cold and flu season.

i prepped this salad for wes and i to enjoy together, but i gave him one bite to show him how amazing it was and then i ate the rest by myself. you know, showing myself some self love.

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes.

while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside.

when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette.

serve and enjoy.

xo, a

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes. while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside. when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.

spring is just a couple of weeks away, and you know what that means? spring means parties. and parties, mean guacamole. guac is great, but avocados are pricey and can be temperamental. so here are some tips and tricks on picking, slicing and preserving your avocados so that your guac comes out perfectly every time. 

the first thing you need to know is how to pick a good one. good food starts with good ingredients. when looking for a ripe avocado, it is not so much about the look of the skin, but more about the feel of the avocado and the stem test. you want your avocado to feel firm, but to have a slight give when your press your thumb into it. you do not want it to feel soft or mushy. too hard is no bueno either. once you think you have picked a good one, find the top of the avocado where the fruit would have come off of the stem. remove the little nub. 

it should look like it is bright green in there. then you know it is ripe. 

when it is time to slice your avocado, find that little nub where the stem was. start there and slice your knife around the pit in the center of the avocado. once you have cut around the whole outside, take one side of the avocado in each hand and gently twist so that the sides separate. use your knife or a spoon to remove the pit. now, avocado flesh begins to oxidize (turn brown) when it is exposed air. so wait until the last minute to slice them. now that you have slice avocados, it's time to make some guac! 

in a small bowl, combine your tomato, shallots, half the salt and pepper, cilantro and garlic. stir well to combine and set aside. then set up your guacamole bowl. you will want a large bowl and you need your cooling rack. place your rack on top of the bowl. one half at a time, place your avocado flash side down on top of the rack. 

use your hand to press the flesh through the holes in the cooling rack. you get perfect cubes with little time, effort and mess.

after you have finished all your avocados, season with the rest of the salt and pepper. 

then add your tomato mixture into the guac. 

stir well to combine. 

stir well to combine and serve with your favorite chips. now, it is very rare, but sometimes, just sometimes you have a bit of extra guac. there are lots of suggestions on how to keep your already made guac from oxidizing and turning brown. manny suggest plastic wrap or more acid from the lime juice but while researching this post a came upon a method that seems to be a true winner. before you put your guacamole in the fridge to store, cover the guac with a very thin layer of water. the guac will not absorb the water and when you are ready to eat it again, dump the water off the top, stir and serve. 

xo, a

guacamole
serves: 4
prep time: 7 minutes
active time: 3 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 3 medium or 2 small ripe avocados. 2 tbs diced tomato. 2 tbs finely chopped shallots. 1 garlic clove, minced. juice of 1 lime. 1 tbs finely chopped cilantro. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. cooling rack (you can get one HERE). tortilla chips for serving.
in a small bowl, combine your tomato, shallots, half the salt and pepper, cilantro and garlic. stir well to combine and set aside. then set up your guacamole bowl. you will want a large bowl and you need your cooling rack. place your rack on top of the bowl. one half at a time, place your avocado flash side down on top of the rack. use your hand to press the flesh through the holes in the cooling rack. you get perfect cubes with little time, effort and mess. after you have finished all your avocados, season with the rest of the salt and pepper. then add your tomato mixture into the guac. stir well to combine and serve with your favorite chips. now, it is very rare, but sometimes, just sometimes you have a bit of extra guac. there are lots of suggestions on how to keep your already made guac from oxidizing and turning brown. manny suggest plastic wrap or more acid from the lime juice but while researching this post a came upon a method that seems to be a true winner. before you put your guacamole in the fridge to store, cover the guac with a very thin layer of water. the guac will not absorb the water and when you are ready to eat it again, dump the water off the top, stir and serve.