happy monday munchies!

remember the pesto chickpea salad i made as a side during my panini party? well, i’ve been freelancing a lot and have been bringing my lunch to work. i decided to boil some quinoa and toss with the pesto chickpeas, adding split cherry tomatoes as a nice garnish for some added color. it is so delicious. make a big batch on a sunday night and jar it up for the week! it’s supe filling, tasty & healthy!

xoxo, julie

happy monday munchies! my kitchen tools + my carb-free lo mein!

hi! so, i made a delicious vegetable lo mein with chicken the other night. it was so great, and the best part was that the “noodles” were made from zucchini! 

sautee chicken, sliced onions, edamame & peppers in a pan with some grated garlic, ginger & soyaki sesame sauce. when the chicken is almost done cooking, julienne a carrot over top the pan and stir in with it’s friends. for your last step, raise the heat and twirl a small zucchini with your spirelli vegetable spiraler  and add 1-2 packets (your preference) of soy sauce to your zucchini noodles. after a couple tosses, turn the heat off—you don’t want your noodles to get soggy! serve with sriracha & enjoy! 

from left to right.

1. my vegetable spiraler. aka “the noodler” or the “vegetable pencil sharpener” (thanks, jess!)

2. my triangular grater. different zests and rubbing options for a variety of options. 

3. my julienne peeler. i love this and use it on loads of vegetables. great for slaws in the summer!

4. i have a teeny tiny kitchen with only 1 drawer for gadgets/silverware. this double sided cheese grater is perfect. a big grate or small grate stores flat in my drawer.

i credit these gadgets with lots of cool cooking things. thanks, gadgets!

xoxo, julie!

happy monday munchies! side salads!

i served both of these side salads (alongside a boring, arugula salad) at my panini party last week with my friend, mike. i made a bulgar-beet-spinach & feta salad and i also made a pesto chickpea salad. it was the perfect match to our fancy-schmancy sandwiches :)

bulgar, beet, feta & spinach salad:

3C dry cracked bulgar (i cooked mine in chicken broth)
1 1/2C roast beets (i bought and chopped the pre-roasted baby beets from trader joes)
1 package (8oz) feta cheese, crumbled.
chopped frozen spinach
1tbs lemon juice
1tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

cook all bulgar, add all extra ingredients, adding more or less where you see fit. i had a salad similar that used beet greens instead of spinach, i think i would use chopped kale or arugula for some added spice. when it is all mixed, pop it in the fridge.

pesto chickpea salad:
2tbs each: parsley, basil, oregeno, olive oil
1tbs fresh lemon juice
2tsp garlic (2 heads roasted, or use garlic paste)
1/3C grated parmesan romano cheese

salt & pepper to taste

mix & let sit overnight. amaze. both salads only get better with age. (just like me! ;) serve them at your next summer-y dinner party!

xoxo, julie!

happy monday munchies! panini: party of 2

last week i invited a new friend over for a panini party knowing that he had a love of pressed sandwiches (hey, who doesn’t?). it was just the two of us, so, “party” might be a bit of a stretch, but i love alliteration and we had a really good time, so a panini party it was. i set up all of the ingredients and sliced all of the bread in half so that we could hit the panini bar more than once (smaller sandwiches). i served them alongside some delicious side salads (which i will blog about next week) and made my cake batter truffles for dessert- which you need to make right now if you haven’t yet. here’s what i prepped for us:

toppings
shredded white meat chicken / crumbled sausage / diced pancetta / grilled onions, tomatoes & zucchini / sliced avocado

cheese:
cheddar gruyere blend / jalapeño pepper jack / quattro formaggio italian blend

condiments: 
pesto / red pepper eggplant spread / black bean & corn salsa / sriracha 

bread
trader joe’s tuscan pane.

after your sandwich is assembled, coat your panini press in olive oil (mine was infused with garlic!) and press until everything is melty, gooey and amazing. and was it ever. 

pictured sandwich:
pancetta+shredded chicken+avocado+cheddar gruyere+grilled tomatoes+onions

xoxo, julie!

happy monday munchies!

need a breakfast sandwich to get you going on a monday morning? this is it! healthy, filling & super delicious and this is how you make it. 

toast 2 pieces of bread and smash an avocado

smear the avocado all over a slice of bread and top with a black bean and corn salsa (i use cowboy caviar by trader joes) top the other toast with some lettuce.

cook up 2 fried eggs and top with pepper jack cheese. assemble the sandwich and enjoy! this would be equally good as a panini (with more cheese!)

xoxo, julie!

happy monday munchies! a delicious salad!

hello! i recently made this salad with whatever was in my fridge/cabinets and was so pleasantly surprised that i made it 2 days in a row for lunch. 

in a shallow pot, i poached a chicken breast and when fully cooked, ran it through my kitchen aid mixer (on 2) to shred it perfectly. i cut up some romaine lettuce and topped with black beans, sliced avocado and parmesan cheese. 

as a dressing i usually just drizzle some balsamic vinegar and call it a day, but i added a tablespoon of olive oil with some salt & pepper and it made it even better. the saltiness of the parmesan made the salad really pop. this is delicious. i highly recommend you try it! 

enjoy!
xoxo, julie!

ps. shredded chicken is also amazing on sandwiches or sprinkled on pizza!

happy monday munchies! grilled vegetable pesto pizza!

this was delicious, easy, and lovely to serve at dinner after a photoshoot to my models and crew. that morning i made the dough  and sliced up a bunch of fresh zucchini, pepper & onion and popped them on my cuisinart griddler with some olive oil until they were browned with grill marks, soft and perfect.

when i was ready to assemble, i spread my dough, rubbed pesto and crushed garlic all over it (didn’t have a chance to make my own pesto but trader joes’ isn’t bad. buitonni is actually my favorite). I topped that with my grilled veggies and covered the whole thing with cheese (quattro formaggio)

pop that baby in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes and you will have a delicious dinner to cool down, cut up and enjoy! 

xoxo, julie!

happy monday munchies! quinoa “fried rice”

love quinoa? love Chinese food? hate the calories? cook your quinoa as directed. in a sauté pan cook diced chicken breast, onion & peppers with some edamame in a soy/soyaki sauce. when the quinoa is done, add to the sauté pan and let it all get happy and crispy. it’s a fun and healthy take on Chinese takeout without ever having to tip the delivery man.

xoxo, Julie!

happy monday munchies!

hi. my name is julie and i’m a cheese addict. i am not proud of this. ugh. i wish i hated melty cheese, i would be so skinny. but i love it and i’m not so skinny and i don’t really mind, so here i am, presenting you with a pesto & pepper jack grilled vegetable & cheese sandwich. shout out to my cuisinart griddler jr. for grilling both the vegetables in this sandwich (sliced & peeled eggplant, sliced onion & red bell pepper) and the sandwich itself. i shredded some of my favorite jalepeno & pepper jack trader joes block cheese on some “health nut” bread. i love the crunch and the heartiness of a nutty bread (plus fiber + protein!)  muy delicioso! make your take on a classic grilled cheese!

xoxo, julie!

ps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! <3 

happy monday munchies! 

this is one of my favorite dinners for one! split  your brussels sprouts in half and dice a block of tofu (however much you’re hungry for). throw in a sautee pan with some pine nuts, olive oil, salt & pepper. sautee until everything is golden brown. when plating, top with feta cheese. i am drooling thinking about it. yum! 

xoxo, julie!