lemon + parsley mushrooms

the wes man is back!

after just shy of three weeks working at the big tennis tournament in indian wells, my partner in crime has returned. and i couldn't be happier. but with his return also comes the end of this little work break i have been on. i didn't take any catering jobs while wes was gone and i only had a few cakes. things have been mellow, and it has been AMAZING. 

but this weekend, that streak ends. back to engagement cakes, dessert bar tastings and lots of spin and yoga. and in many ways, i'm feeling refreshed and ready to get back out there. but a little part of me is bummed, because i have no clue when the next break will come. but bring on all the business. i'm ready! 

while we was gone, many nights i found myself quickly cooking up this tasty mushroom dish for myself. i only eat meat a couple of times a week, but it never feels like it when i'm eating this mushroom side dish. between the crimini mushrooms, the parmesan cheese and the pistachios, this simple side dish feels comforting and a bit decadent. this is a great option if you have a vegetarian friend coming over and if the dreaded vegan comes your way, just serve the parmesan cheese on the side. 

lemon + parsley mushrooms

serves: 2 (side dish sized portions)

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

total time: 15 minutes

ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil. 8 oz crimini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp lemon zest. 1 tbs lemon juice. .25 cup finely grated parmesan cheese. 2 tbs chopped pistachios. 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley plus a few extra leaves for garnish. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. lemon slices for garnish. 

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start by heating your olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat until hot and shiny. if it starts to smoke, it is too hot, remove it from the heat and let the oil cool.

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once your oil is nice and hot, add in your mushrooms. stir the mushroom so they are equally coated with oil and season with half the salt and pepper. cook the mushrooms, stirring every couple minutes until the mushrooms are nice and browned and have shrunken to about half their size. about 7 minutes.

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add in the garlic, the rest of the salt and pepper and stir. cook till the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

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turn off the heat and toss in the parmesan, parsley and pistachios.

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add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and toss well till everything is combined.

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transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter and top with parsley leaves and lemon slices. 

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xo, a

lemon + parsley mushrooms

serves: 2 (side dish sized portions)

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

total time: 15 minutes

ingredients: 3 tbs olive oil. 8 oz crimini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp lemon zest. 1 tbs lemon juice. .25 cup finely grated parmesan cheese. 2 tbs chopped pistachios. 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley plus a few extra leaves for garnish. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. lemon slices for garnish. 

start by heating your olive oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat until hot and shiny. if it starts to smoke, it is too hot, remove it from the heat and let the oil cool. once your oil is nice and hot, add in your mushrooms. stir the mushroom so they are equally coated with oil and season with half the salt and pepper. cook the mushrooms, stirring every couple minutes until the mushrooms are nice and browned and have shrunken to about half their size. about 7 minutes. add in the garlic, the rest of the salt and pepper and stir. cook till the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. turn off the heat and toss in the parmesan, parsley and pistachios. add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and toss well till everything is combined. transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter and top with parsley leaves and lemon slices. 

friyay happy hour: lucky clover

lately, i'm feeling pretty lucky. 

now, nothing is perfect. wes and i are still grinding away, trying to get our heads above water after starting our careers over. we've had ups and downs and setbacks and successes. 

but i used to fear uncertainty and financial insecurity. and now that i've gone through it, i feel stronger than ever. we still wake up every day, do what we love and spend more time together than we have ever been able to. i have amazing friends and family all over the globe and a healthy body that enables me to do what i love doing. 

all things considered, i'm lucky as hell. 

and i'm not telling you all this to brag. quite the contrary. no matter what you have going on, i hope you can take some time to think about what makes you lucky. i bet the list is longer than you think. 

i'm celebrating our good luck this st. patty's day with an interesting cocktail combination. and some clovers of course (yes, clovers are edible). 

lucky clover

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 oz st. germain. .5 lime juice. 3 oz sparkling lime soda (depending on how sweet you like it you could do a sweetened or unsweetened soda, but i used unsweetened since the st. germain is sweet). handful of arugula leaves (yes, you read that right, just trust). clover (likely you will not be able to find these in a store, but out in nature) and lime wheel for garnish. muddler. 2 cups ice. shaker. 

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start by combining the arugula, gin, lime juice and st. germain to the bottom of your shaker.

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use the muddler to crush the arugula till it is very smashed. the liquid should start to turn green. add in half the ice cubes, cover the shaker and shake well till everything is combined. add the rest of your ice to your serving glass.

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place your lime wedge on the glass.

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pour the contents of the shaker over ice.

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top with the soda.

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garnish with clovers and serve. 

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xo, a

lucky clover

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 oz st. germain. .5 lime juice. 3 oz sparkling lime soda (depending on how sweet you like it you could do a sweetened or unsweetened soda, but i used unsweetened since the st. germain is sweet). handful of arugula leaves (yes, you read that right, just trust). clover (likely you will not be able to find these in a store, but out in nature) and lime wheel for garnish. muddler. 2 cups ice. shaker. 

start by combining the arugula, gin, lime juice and st. germain to the bottom of your shaker. use the muddler to crush the arugula till it is very smashed. the liquid should start to turn green. add in half the ice cubes, cover the shaker and shake well till everything is combined. add the rest of your ice to your serving glass. place your lime wedge on the glass. pour the contents of the shaker over ice. top with the soda. garnish with clovers and serve.