Posts in lemon
fig & arugula bruschetta

today is a very special day. yes, fig and arugula bruschetta is pretty freaking fantastic, but that is not the only reason that today is special. september nineteenth so happens to be my lovely husband's birthday. and today, we celebrated the way any good, hard working man and his wife should. by lounging about, relaxing and watching day long football coverage as we prepare for our head to head fantasy football battle this week. 

it is our seventh year of celebrating birthdays together and it is hard for me to believe how much has changed. when we met, he had a crazy roommate who inexplicably made wes's french press vanish and i lived with my parents. he worked a regular old nine to five job at a construction company that sold concrete and i was a customer service coordinator for a surf company. 

the first night we met, i gave him a long lecture about how he should be doing something that he loved, not just a job. i didn't then realize i was also talking to myself. and more than that, i had no idea that what we loved would end up being making food together. and yesterday, to ring in another year of wesley, we enjoyed this sweet and tangy bruschetta dish in our tiny garden with a crisp glass of wine and our cat by our side. this dish is a true celebration. 

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze. 

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start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. 

combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. 

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in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. 

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then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. 

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after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture.

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add in the olive oil and lightly toss. 

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top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. 

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place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. 

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serve and enjoy. 

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xo, a

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture. add in the olive oil and lightly toss. top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. serve and enjoy. 

tips & tricks: dried citrus

if you ask me, most of us could really use a few extra hours in the day. i know i sure could. my house would be cleaner, the dark circles under my eyes would be much reduced and i would likely spend even more time in the kitchen. 

unfortunately, that is a pipe dream. we are stuck with our measly twenty-four/seven to get everything we need done. and if you cook regularly or entertain, you know it is always a mad scramble to get things done, served and looking pretty. 

so for todays tips & tricks, i'm showing you one of my go to make in advance styling and flavor helpers. from start to finish, drying citrus takes an hour with approximately 2 minutes of active time. you can get these bad boys going and use the rest of your hour for whatever time consuming activities you have on your plate. 

when i have a few minutes to spare and i know i will be at home, i make a point to dry whatever citrus i have on hand. and what do you use it for you may ask? i use them as garnish for savory dishes, decor for cakes and they are amazing chopped up in a sauce when you do not have citrus on hand. not to mention, they store well. you can keep them in something airtight for up to six months. 

dried citrus
serves: 10-15 wheels (depending on how large your citrus is)
prep time: 2 minutes
active time 1 hour (add about 20 minutes for larger fruits like grapefruit and oranges)
total time: 1 hour 5 minutes ingredients: 1 citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, kumquats, get creative!). sharp knife. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicon mat. oven. 

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start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees f. line your baking sheet with the parchment or silicon mat. slice the citrus THIN. as thin as you can based on your skills (thicker fruit will take longer to dry out). 

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lay the fruit in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. dry in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes for larger fruit, flipping the fruit over halfway through. 

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when the fruit is dried, remove from the oven and allow it to cool till you can handle them. 

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use as you desire, but if you are storing them, allow them to cool completely before packing them into an airtight container. 

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use or store for up to 6 months. 

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xo, a

dried citrus
serves: 10-15 wheels (depending on how large your citrus is)
prep time: 2 minutes
active time 1 hour (add about 20 minutes for larger fruits like grapefruit and oranges)
total time: 1 hour 5 minutes ingredients: 1 citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, kumquats, get creative!). sharp knife. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicon mat. oven.
start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees f. line your baking sheet with the parchment or silicon mat. slice the citrus THIN. as thin as you can based on your skills (thicker fruit will take longer to dry out). lay the fruit in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. dry in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes for larger fruit, flipping the fruit over halfway through. when the fruit is dried, remove from the oven and allow it to cool till you can handle them. use as you desire, but if you are storing them, allow them to cool completely before packing them into an airtight container. use or store for up to 6 months.