Eat Your Veggies

How the heck is it mid-August already?! Wasn't it just January!? The older I get, the faster time flies by. To slow time down a bit, I really like to spend my evenings cooking. I'm not the type to make "quick and easy" suppers, because I just enjoy it too much.  One thing I'm kind of obsessive about is keeping my fridge clean. By clean I mean that I like to use all of my fresh ingredients in the fridge before I buy anything else. I hate wasting food, and I hate a cluttered fridge. Because of this, my style of cooking is what I like to call "MacGyver Style," where I take what I have and create something delicious from it.  This is almost always seasonal, and sometimes it turns out better than others.

Chef Remy At Your Service

Are you sick of my summer recipes yet? I just can't get over my love for fresh summer produce that I can pick right outside my door.  This year we have tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, strawberries (someone help), and herbs.  After the BIT of rain we've had, haha, my eggplants all of a sudden exploded and I was able to grab the first few of the ripe tomatoes and peppers as well. With zucchini from my CSA share at Three Part Harmony farm, I figured it was the perfect time to make my quick stove-top ratatouille. You can find the baked version here, if you're trying to impress someone.  I've discovered that I like eggplant more when it's peeled - it gets caramelized and roasty and it's just delicious in this recipe. Defrost a few salmon filets and use up the rest of that pesto reserve for the perfect weeknight dinner. 

Lunch Bunch

One of my most favorite things my mom ever made for me growing up was chicken salad.  It was made with chicken from a can, Miracle Whip, celery, and lots of salt and pepper. She always shredded it so fine and piled it high between two slices of warm toasted bread, crisp iceberg lettuce and a slathering of some mayonnaise product. I lived for this. It was one of the first things I learned how to "make" haha, and I'd make it all the time in college. 

Garden Party

Is anything peak summer more than warm tomatoes and cucumbers fresh off the vine? Combine that with just picked basil and some Asian flair, and you've got my favorite salad of the summer.  What gives this salad it's Asian panache? Yuzu Kosho. It's a traditional Japanese condiment that packs a powerful salty-spicy-citrusy punch, and I'm completely obsessed with it thanks to Alison Roman and her book Dining In.  Anyway, this is my own recipe and I hope you love it.

Summer's Bounty Amplified

HEY FRANDS! If you live in the District and happen to source locally (cough, cough), you'll probably find yourself with an abundance of kohlrabi and cabbage. Especially now, after all of this gosh darn rain, these cruciferous edibles are growing like weeds. I'm a huge fan of the cruciferous fam, so wanted to create a recipe that really highlighted the flavors of these products, rather than hiding them.  Behold my light and snappy kohlrabi and green apple slaw made completely out of my haul from the Three Part Harmony CSA share.  It's bright, crisp and refreshing - using minimal ingredients that just get better the longer they marinate in the fridge.

Weeknight Recipe to the Rescue!

I love shrimp.  I always want it, I always order it at restaurants, and I wish I could eat it every day.  There's just something luxurious and sweet about them, I will never get sick of shrimp. One of my favorite things about shrimp, is that it cooks SO quickly. If you buy deveined, peeled shrimp, you can whip something up with those suckers in a matter of minutes. Keep reading for my quick and delicious shrimp dinner!

Get off your roost and roast!

Ok, folks, it’s 2018 and you need to learn to roast perfect f#$%ing chicken already. The time has come for you to put down that dry rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (yes, even the one from Costco…and I LOVE Costco), and learn how to roast your own bird.  It takes literally 15 minutes of prep and will taste SO. MUCH. BETTER.

It's easy as pie!

For some reason, I used to be extremely intimidated to make my own pizza at home.  However, since meeting hangry bf, his mom has sent us all the tools necessary to create America's favorite food. With her recipe in hand I tackled the challenge of making pizza at home. Guess what? It's INCREDIBLE easy and not scary at all! 

Crispy AF

I'm all about a flavorful recipe that utilizes affordable cuts of meat and healthy-ish accompaniments, especially for week-night suppers. I stumbled across this Bon Appétit recipe that highlights the splendor of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs -- a favorite protein of mine.  Upon discovering it was a one-pan meal with minimal items to prep, I was hooked.  

Take your lunch break.

It's 11:55am and I'm slugging away at my desk job in the beautiful neighborhood of Chevy Chase, DC. We've all been there and we typically have have two thoughts....Click the picture to keep reading to find out what they are.

A Cocktail Party Classic

What's better then smelling a whiff of hot roasted nuts? (That's what she said?!) In all seriousness though, I am an absolute addict to spiced roasted nuts, and find that there's no better time to make them than for the holidays!  This cocktail snack can be made weeks in advance and is the perfect thing to set around your house while entertaining guests.  They're sweet, savory, spicy and completely addicting.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

This Arm Work Out is Worth It

Read this first: CHOP EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU START TO COOK THIS ONE! This is a hands-on, all-in, no rest for the wicked type of recipe. If you stop stirring, it will burn. If you stop mixing, it will burn. If you stop combining, it will burn. Do you see a pattern here? This recipe is all about the steady flow of ingredients in and out of the pan to create a decadent sauce teaming with flavor. Are mushrooms really worth all this work, you ask? All I can say is, YES. And don't forget to pour yourself a glass of wine, I mean liquid motivation, before you start chopping. You're going to need it. 

Curiously Craveable 

I've been attempting a Whole 30/paleo diet the past few weeks and things are going GREAT. I feel great, I've lost some weight, I'm super motivated, and I'm a lot less lethargic. The one thing saving me from my carboholic tendencies? POTATOES.  My absolute favorite new potato recipe are these chile lime sweet potato fries. They take less than 10 minutes to prepare and they're ready in 40 minutes, with no mess from a deep fryer. Keep reading for this completely addicting recipe...

Seasonal. Summer. Succulence.

This recipe is out of control seasonal with all of the happy summery things that are ripening up this month.  For me, this bright, refreshing dish was sourced almost completely locally from my home garden and my CSA share with Three Part Harmony Farm, which is only three miles from my house.  I utilized the juicy, sweet, fruits in a savory component as a salsa -- adding spicy jalapeño, zesty summer basil, crisp white corn, and tangy red wine vinegar.  All of these summer fruits and vegetables work extremely well together, as do most things that grow together during a season.  I topped some buttery salmon with the sweet and spicy salsa, but it's also great with chips, on a grilled cheese, or even as a taco condiment! The best part about this dish is that you only have to turn on your oven for 15 minutes and no other heat is needed, so you can stay cool in this insanely hot DC heat wave!  Let me know how you like the salsa best using #hangrydistrict!

Date Night!

Each Wednesday, hangry bf and I choose recipes from some of my many cookbooks to make for date night! It not only makes my insane collection of cookbooks seem reasonable, but it's also really fun to cook together once in a while.  He does much better with a written recipe than my MacGuyver style cooking off the cuff. Last week we chose The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt and picked recipes that could utilize our pork chops from Liberty Delight Farms and a whole mess of green beans.  The result?  Succulent maple, mustard, Bourbon pork chops with crisp beans tossed with olives and almonds.  Try it for yourself with the recipe below!

Fancy Leaves

Making creative salads is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen.  The combinations are endless, and I typically feel really good about my decision to make and/or eat a salad.  That said, making salads can be one of the most time consuming dishes to make in the kitchen.  Each element of the salad usually requires some sort of preparation, whether it's roasting, chopping, mixing, seasoning, etc.  But the pay off sure is worth it.  One of my new favorite salad ingredients is roasted beets that have been slightly pickled.  I love the combination of beets and apples, so I created this show stopping salad and have been serving it at parties and catering events ever since.  It's got all the things a salad needs:  acid, fat, crunch, sweetness, leaves and salt.  I got the winning "Yum" of approval from none other than my mom, a cook's toughest critic, so you should feel confident in this salad choice!

Veg Out

Spring has sprung in DC!  I think? Hopefully we're finally in the clear from random snow storms, freezing weather and the fear of our gardens dying overnight. So, in honor of my favorite season, I whipped up this quick and easy meatless quinoa bowl utilizing farm fresh eggs from Liberty Delight Farms, herbs from Three Part Harmony Farm, and micro greens from Little Wild Things City Farm.  Enjoy!

Be the Brunch Hero

One of my favorite breakfast/brunch staples is the frittata – a fluffy egg pie that can be stuffed with any ingredient combination you can dream up.  Forget making omelettes to order or poaching eggs for a crowd, just pop this baby in the oven and get your mimosa on with your friends! Frittatas are delicious, impressive, and surprisingly easy AF to whip up.  Here’s my recipe for a loaded veggie frittata so decadent you’ll never miss the meat.  Don’t be intimidated – it will be egg-cellent (groan).

Spread on the Love

Have you ever had a linzer cookie?  They are delicate and flaky with lots of butter, a hint of lemon, and the crunch of ground almonds. What's even more EXTRA is that they are a sandwich cookie! Traditionally stuffed with jam, I turn things up a notch with a homemade chocolate ganache option. These cookies are probably my favorite sweet of all time, so I decided to make them myself - jam variety for me and mom, chocolate ganache for hangry bf and dad.  Treat yourself to these decadent cookies for Fat Tuesday before the fasting begins!

When You're Feeling Lazy AF

I'll keep this short because Hangry waits for no one.  When you're exhausted, it's still dark out before 6pm and the groundhog has been a little bitch and run back to his den, you want a quick and easy dinner to eat as fast as possible. So - chop everything up; toss it all in a skillet; throw some cheese on top; and dinner = served. You're welcome.

No soup for you? Make your own!

Soup.  One of my most frequent cravings.  I'm not picky either - I like all the soups: noodle, tomato, bisque, chowda', vegetable, lentil, etc.  Soup has that magical way of making you feel cozy and happy - a memory associated with the comfort of my childhood.  One thing I love about soup is that you can basically take whatever you have in your fridge and pantry and turn it into soup - so that's what I've done below!  Check out three of my favorites - Butternut Squash, Broccoli Cheddar, and Zuppa Toscana -  with topping variations to keep leftovers interesting!

Superbowl Sunday Victory

The big game is just days away! I am all about eating the typical Super Bowl snacks like fried chicken, buffalo wings, potato skins, nachos, etc. - BUT - I am really trying to be kind to my almost 30 waistline.  SO - I will be making my favorite Sunday Roast - it's totally amazing, with a slowly simmered onion gravy and tangy/peppery arugula salad.  I promise if you make this for your game-day groupies, they will be singing your praises all night.  Keep reading for the how-to.

Better than your average grilled cheese

The scariest part of this recipe is making the béchamel, one of the classic French mother sauces! But really, it's just melting some butter, and adding flour and milk to it. That's it. You can do it! After that, it's just like slapping together a grilled cheese sandwich amped up with ham, a creamy sauce, and all the cheddar cheese you can find in your, let's face it, over-crowded cheese drawer. Follow the easy step-by-step guide below and make one for yourself tonight!

The Ultimate Finger Food

I LOVE crostinis! You can literally take a bunch of random ingredients from your fridge and turn them into something snack worthy by putting them on a piece of toasted bread.  I am always creating crostinis out of leftover ingredients and I am going to share some of my favorites with you below!  Let me know what your favorite crostini toppers are by using #hangrydistrict in your posts!

Holiday Hors D'oeuvres

These brie and jam puffs are one of the first recipes I ever came up with for my first catering gigs. I absolutely love baked brie and wanted a bite sized version to serve as passed hors d'oeuvres.  Behold the brie and jam puffs.  A party favorite for all seasons, these bite sized beauties can be transformed into a savory snack with bacon jam or nuts, or served as a sweet treat with fruit preserves and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  Whatever you decide, they are destined to delight!

Brunch Hero

These tomato and onion tarts have been part of my recipe arsenal since my dad sent a similar recipe to me in 2010.  I had graduated college and secured a big girl job in Northern VA.  Having lived with my parents for about a year after college, they really started to understand my passion for food.  I think I even inspired them, because I started coming home to coq au vin and chicken with mushroom cream sauce -- things that were a far cry from the hamburger helper and spaghetti my brothers and I grew up on. When Dad sent me the tomato and onion tart recipe I thought two things:  1.  I absolutely HAVE to make them, because he has never sent me a recipe before and he must have faith in my abilities now; and 2. Dad HATES tomatoes, so challenge accepted. I made them for Easter brunch and watched from afar as Dad ate not one, but TWO glorious tomato puffs and I smiled to myself and kept right on cooking. Keep reading to find out how you can be the brunch hero of your family.

So Fresh & So Clean

SUMMER: The time of year when a lot of my favorite foods come together at peak ripeness and everything is available at the FRESHEST of fresh.  Why not combine all of the things into one tasty, fresh, and healthy dinner that can be eaten around a table full of friends, or standing up in your kitchen because you're too excited to eat it and you never make it to the table (guilty). These shrimp and pineapple lettuce cups are a breeze to make, and you can practice your knife skills during the prep. The pineapple lends sweetness to the tender shrimp, while the summer pico de gallo adds tang and brightness.  A little crunch from some water chestnuts and bibb lettuce, and you're on your way to a super summer supper.  Keep reading for the recipe...

The Best thing ON Sliced Bread

I have basically had radishes on hand since March thanks to my wonderful CSA share from Three Part Harmony Farm.  You may have read my pickling method for them, but they are also delicious in their natural state with softened, salted butter (what isn't?).  Here's an quick and super inexpensive appetizer utilizing herbs and radishes you have on hand to serve for guests or to bring for a light lunch at work.  I also tend to eat this for breakfast when I'm hangry! Keep reading to find out how to get your radish toast on.

Get Yourself Into a One

It's travel season for Hangry District and that means my CSA share from Three Part Harmony Farm has to be preserved in fun and interesting ways so that it's not wasted while I'm away.  With an abundance of fresh vegetables these past few weeks, I decided the best way to preserve would have to be my favorite way - PICKLING.  I haven't quite mastered canning yet, so I chose to quick pickle - or quickle.  Below you'll find the recipe for a variety of quickles that I made using what I already had in my pantry.  I've already polished off all of the cucumbers and I hope you'll enjoy this quick and easy technique as much as I do.  Happy pickling!

- See more at: https://michelle-scholtes.squarespace.com/blog/2016/7/8/i-got-a-pickle#sthash.zfviWzML.dpuf

For the Lazy Baker

Strawberry rhubarb.  Two of my favorite flavor friends.  I first discovered the wonders of rhubarb at my best friend's house when I was in middle school.  We had just spent a warm Summer day at the Spring Ridge pool and we came home to a rhubarb pie baked by her grandma!  It was love at first bite.  The aggressive tang from the rhubarb lends a perfect complement to the sweet strawberries.  They were meant to be together.  So, I combined my lovely seasonal strawberries and rhubarb from my Three Part Harmony Farm CSA share to make these purrrrfect hand pies and a rustic galette.  I hope you enjoy!