Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs in Flower Arrangements

Everyone likes to receive flowers. I’m personally on the same level of flower-receiving-happiness if someone brings me a basket of peaches or a bit of lox. If you bring me cheese we can be BFFs. But combine fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers together in an arrangement? Twice as nice. My love of produce in wedding flowers started back in October but while reading the most recent Martha Stewart Weddings, a featured designer brought it all back. “If you can eat it, you can use it in a display”. 

Consider food as design inspiration for your next get together or your next coffee table display. I’m no floral designer (I do know an excellent one who did my produce wedding bouquet!) but here’s what i’ve learned when I make small arrangements at home:

• Kumquats, asparagus, leafy greens and herbs are some of the easier pieces to work with.
• Utilize skewers for stability.
• Keep the arrangement hydrated. You may need to mist the top to keep produce looking lively.

Here’s a round up of food in flowers:

Photo Credits: Kumquats, Tangerines and Peppers, Olives and Artichokes, Rosemary , Kumquats and Berries, Berries , Apples, Mint Boutonniere 

Baltimore Aquarium & Restaurant Adventure

The latest Chris and Carlene adventure took us north to Baltimore, Maryland. Our main goal? Go see the fishies at the Baltimore Aquarium. Then go eat fishies at a well recommended restaraunt from some Twitter followers. Here are some of our favorite shots from the day:

    
 Although the aquarium has a steep thirty dollar per person entrance fee, the exhibits are beautiful and awe inspiring. With multi story shark tanks and a bridge over a ray tank, you’ll definitely feel immersed. Just don’t lean over too far. Our favorite exhibit was the puffin tank. This guy in the shot above was a show-off and followed the camera under water, jumping above water, side to side…very cute for something that looks like a bat underwater.

Headed to Charm City? Here are my suggestions for making your Baltimore experience great:

The aquarium

• Go immediately when the aquarium opens or after 1 pm. Why? You will be trampled by entire schools on field trips if you fall between these times. You will not be able to see anything. You will be smacked in the head with fanny packs. It’s worth it to get there early!
• Bring snacks. After we finished seeing the first building, we were ready for some munchies. Both of us get cranky if we don’t snack. We always have travel ‘nanners on hand.
• Taking pictures? Spend a few minutes at the start adjusting your camera for the darkness. And after a while, just stop taking pictures. Experience it.

The restaurants

• This is why the post is titled ‘adventure’. Double check the restaurant. I asked my Twitter followers where we had to eat. My only parameter was that it could not be a chain restaurant (basically knocking everything at inner harbor out of the picture). But, for some reason, nearly every restaraunt outside of the harbor is closed for lunch. If you’re looking for someplace to have dinner, Woodberry Kitchen and 1542 Gastropub came well recommended. Side note: We ended up walking two miles to find the restaurant closed for lunch (Sorry honey!) And then ate at Quiznos in a hypoglycemic state. 
• Eat somewhere in the inner harbor for lunch. Most everything is a chain restaurant, but you’ll want to grab some food before driving home. Embrace it and enjoy the harbor!

Have you ‘done’ Baltimore? Where are your favorite stops?

Until the next Chris and Carlene adventure,

-Carlene

Gluten Free Tostitos Crust Party Quiche Recipe

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month Frito Lay worked with Recipe Redux members to create Gluten Free recipes. The other day I posted a recipe for a savory chipotle Frito meringue. Today I’m sharing what may be my favorite recipe I’ve created to date: individual party perfect quiches (quichelets!) made with a Tostitos crust.

Tostitos Crust Party Quiches

This main dish is portioned up just right for brunch guests. A warm and soft, corn flavored crust wraps up a veggie dense quiche, topped with blue cheese and cilantro. 

Yield: 3 individual quiches- Prep time: 40 minutes total, 30 minutes in the oven

Ingredients:

• 1 small tomato, chopped

• 1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 C onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C milk
• black pepper
• cooking spray
• 20 Frito Lay Tostitos Chips
• 1 T butter, melted
• 2 T blue cheese
• cilantro

Instructions:

For the Crust: Place Tostitos in a food processor and pulse until the chips are a coarse meal. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter to the chips and pulse once more. Spray ramekins (I used 1/3 C Crate and Barrel ramekins) with cooking spray, being sure to swipe the interior walls of the vessel. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the Tostitos coarse meal into each ramekin. Starting with the walls, press the Tostitos to create a packed crust. Press remaining Tostitos to create the base of the crust in the ramekin. Bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 F.

For the Quiche: Chop the onion, spinach, and tomatoes. Add chopped to the baked crust. In a separate bowl, whisk one egg. Slowly add milk, whisking, until the egg mixture turns a pale yellow color (approximately 1/4 C milk). Add black pepper to the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture over chopped vegetables in the quiche crust until each ramekin is full. Bake ramekins on a baking sheet at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. The quiche is done when a knife can be inserted into the quiche and be drawn out cleanly. Add  blue cheese to the top of each quiche and broil until the cheese begins to melt and bubble. Remove from oven.

Plating: Wait for the quiche to cool slightly (about five minutes). Take a sharp knife between the ramekin and the quiche crust to loosen. Flip the ramekins over to remove the entire quiche. Place the quiches upright and top with fresh cilantro.

Warning: These quiches are delicious. Waiting for them to cool will feel like an eternity because you are so excited. The Tostitos crust turns to a warm and soft, almost cornbread like, exterior (see below photo!). The crust completely transforms from chips after baking. The quiche interior is smooth and savory with a hint of blue cheese funk and a bright cilantro topping.

Remember, you can still enter the giveaway for a Frito Lay Gluten Free prize pack until mid week!

Disclaimer: I received free samples from Frito-Lay of the products mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Frito-Lay and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

See more gluten free goodness here from Recipe Redux members here:

The Frito Lay Gluten Free Recipe Challenge & Giveaway: Chipotle Frito Meringues

There’s something about meringues that just makes you feel special. They’re delicate, light and they look like they take a lot of work to make (making you look like the best hostess ever). But the most appealing part to me is how they are a blank canvas for any occasion. And since they’re mostly egg white and air, these crunchy appetizers can be a healthier alternative to sugar loaded, butter laden, and sodium saturated snacks. In this case? Chipotle Frito Meringues. Healthy hostess approved.

In honor of Celiac Awareness month, Frito Lay is hosted a Gluten Free Recipe Challenge. Frito Lay has been hard at work validating many of their naturally gluten free products, like Fritos, so they can be labled as such for consumer ease. It’s just one of the ways Frito Lay is working with community members with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. You can also check out their website for up to date gluten free qualifications, and soon you can even utilize a newly developed gluten free recipe section!

Chipotle Frito Meringues

These appetizers are light and crisp but pack a warm kick of chipotle heat and earthy corn for your taste buds. Serve on a platter or as a topping for a Mexican cilantro lime bean salad (shown).

Yield: 15 small meringues- Prep time: 40 minutes total, 30 minutes in the oven

Ingredients:

• 2.5 T Fritos Scoops! Corn Chips, crushed in a food processor
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 t chipotle seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place Fritos Scoops! inside  a food processor. Pulse until Scoops! are reduced to a powder. Mix with chipotle seasoning and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip two egg whites until they reach the stiff peak stage. Fold egg whites and chipotle mix together. On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, drop meringues spaced evenly apart, with two spoons. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy.

 

Storage:

It’s highly unlikely you’ll have any leftovers (Good luck keeping hands off of them until you plate them!), but meringues are best stored ASAP in an air tight container. Meringues hate humid days. Just like my hair.

Like any good fiesta, there’s something else to celebrate too! You can enter this giveaway for a Gluten Free Prize Pack by:

• Let me know in the comments section what your favorite party food is.
• Extra entry: Follow me on Twitter ( @CarleneFutureRD)
• Extra entry: Tell me your favorite thing to see or do in Virginia, Maryland, or DC.
• Giveaway ends May 30th at noon EST.

Disclaimer: I received free samples from Frito-Lay of the products mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Frito-Lay and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

See more gluten free goodness here from Recipe Redux members here:

Recipe Redux: Nori Popcorn

“Sea What You’ve Been Missing” in this month’s Recipe Redux challenge, where members used sea veggies or small fish to create a healthy recipe. After a yucky experience with sardines, I chose to use sea veggies for the Recipe Redux. Nori, or dried seaweed, has become an easily available product in grocery stores across the country. Nori is most often used as a sushi wraper, which was in fact, why we have nori in our house.

Don’t be scared of this recipe. A whiff of a lonely nori sheet may bring you ocean side, but this Nori Popcorn recipe uses chili, lime, and a touch of sugar to create a crisp treat with popcorn. Hot, sweet, salty and tart, all in one bite!

 

Nori is a good source of minerals and vitamin C while popcorn is a whole grain. A handful or so of this mix is a satisfying snack at home or on the go. I’m personally thinking about just taking the nori crisps in the car with me!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of popcorn (un-buttered is best)
• 1 sheet of Nori
• Lime
• Sugar
• Chili powder

Directions: On a cutting board, lay out one sheet of nori. Squeeze lime juice over the sheet, enough to evenly dampen the nori. Sprinkle chili powder and sugar evenly over one half of the limed nori. This will create a light coating of sugar and chili. Fold the nori in half, sandwiching the sugar and chili. Cut the sandwiched nori into strips about 1/4 inch in width. The strips should run from the crease to the opposite end of the nori.

Preheat the oven to 250 F. Place the nori strips onto parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put in oven for 15-20 mins, or until the nori is completely crisp. Pop the popcorn and toss in a large bowl with nori crisps.

So go ahead and buy the pack of nori! Even if your sushi doesn’t work out well, you always have this easy and snactastic backup. Looking for more Recipe Redux recipes? See this month’s collection here:

-Carlene

Natural Soda: Dry Cucumber Soda

I have a new obsession: DRY natural soda. This product fits my usual preference list to a T. For example: I’m constantly suggesting people buy others a Soda Stream (in home water carbonator) for gifts. “Oh, she learned to parallel park? Get that girl a Soda Stream!”.  That and I always order vodka seltzers or gin and tonics. I just love light, slightly fizzy drinks.

But DRY natural soda goes so far beyond other beverages. With only four ingredients, each 12 oz bottle contains 45-70 calories, minimum sweetness, and a light fizz to let unique flavors like cucumber shine. The products were created by a woman who loved to pair wines with food (relatable), but once she became pregnant looked for non-alcoholic alternatives. Soda was too sweet, juice was overwhelming and so she filled a niche market. The founder continues her pairing practice with each soda suggestion for consumers (see below example).

 There are currently seven DRY soda flavors including: Wild Lime, Lavender, Blood Orange,Rhubarb, Juniper Berry, Vanilla Bean and Cucumber. Each kind has a flavor profile, food pairing recipe, and cocktail recipe. The suggestions are so well planned and a hostess’s dream. For cucumber, DRY suggests mediterranean foods, salmon, eggplant, tandoori pork, and gazpacho. Making cocktails? Use gin, citrus vodka, and tequila.

 So where to find these fizzy gems? You can buy online, or try Wegmans and Whole Foods. But, there’s no complete guarantee. I couldn’t find DRY at Whole Foods near DC, but it easy to find at Wegmans. Search for retailers near you here. Drive as far as needed. This is a must try item.   Do you have a favorite new brand?

-Carlene

Baked Falafel Recipe

During my ‘culinary road trip endeavor’ at the boarding school, I tweeted about my cooking experience. Specifically the day I crafted about 100  hand made falafel and wanted to know if I could add ‘falafel making’ as a LinkedIn skill. Post-Tweet, I had lots of requests for an intro to this protein packed vegetarian option.

I’ve made a some changes to the school’s recipe, (which called for 8 pounds of chickpeas), and scaled it back to fit your home. Unless you really, really like falafel. Then you can email me for the 8 pounds of chickpea and 18 cloves of garlic version. These oven baked beauties have a kick of cayenne and a crispy shell, but served with yogurt cilantro sauce, they’re an all around party pleaser.

What is falafel? 

Falafel is a spiced vegetarian bean patty that is traditionally fried. There are two main regional types of falafel. In Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, chickpeas and  fava beans are used. In Israel, falafel are made only with chickpeas. Falafel is often served with pita bread, a yogurt sauce, and a variety of vegetable toppings like onion, lettuce, or cucumber. I personally like falafel over a salad with extra herbs and lemon.

Is falafel healthy?

Falafel can be part of a healthy diet if you bake it as in this recipe, not fry it. Since the falafel is filled with protein rich chickpeas and anti-inflammatory foods like garlic, falafel is a functional food! It’s also flavor packed with cumin and parsley, meaning you don’t have to load on extra salt or fat.

Baked Falafel Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 oz can of chickpeas
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 th large white onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 -2 T flour
• cilantro
• olive oil
• yogurt/sour cream

Directions

Add all ingredients except the sour cream and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until chickpeas are mashed and ingredients are thoroughly distributed. The mixture should be close to a paste consistency. Let the mixture rest for 30 mins.

Lightly spread olive oil onto a baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Roll the chickpea mixture into small, slightly flattened balls (they should be ping pong ball sized). Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the falafel are browned and crisp on the outside.

Are you a falafel newbie? Try it!

-Carlene