Cheese Plate 101

For those not in the know, I am very fancy. We enjoy a fine selection of canned beans in the cupboard, toss rocks for our dog to retrieve and if you're lucky I'll even wear make-up on the weekend.

Another way we keep it fancy is by enjoying cheese plates down at the beach on a Saturday evening. If you live in Kona, head down to Westside Wines where you can buy samples of their large cheese collection for $2-3 plus a great bottle of wine to wash it down.

For this fancy cheese plate date you'll need:

- A decent bottle of wine. White or rose is nice for a picnic, but get what you like.
- A selection of cheeses. If you are lucky enough to live near a cheese store, grab a few small portions of whatever sounds good, try some you've never heard of. Be bold. If you are not lucky enough to live near a cheese store, places like Safeway have some decent cheeses. Or slice up the cheddar block in your fridge, it's no big deal.
- Root through the contents of your refrigerator door for things like olives, artichoke hearts, peppers, pickles, kim chee maybe a sauce or two. Don't worry about trying to pair them with the cheese, just grab.
- Cut some veggies and fruit like cucumbers, broccoli, peppers, carrots, apples or peaches. Fresh herbs are nice.
- Find some bread or crackers.
- Pack up your goodies, don't forget wine glasses, a wine key, a cutting board, small knife, and some napkins.
- Find a picnic spot. We like Otec because we can bring the puppy.
- Mix and match! A little brie with some honey and jalepeno? Truffled goat cheese on toast with olives? Get creative. Get fancy.

The puppy that chases rocks

How To Get Dinner on the Table

A lot of people have asked me how I have the time and energy to put beautiful food on the table every night. First of all, I don't have kids, so the pace of my life allows for a little more stretch. Second, the reality is I don't put beautiful food on the table every night. We eat pizza more often than I care to admit  and the tuna melt plays a supporting role in our meal rotation.

Eating healthy is a priority in my life so we do eat at home at least 5-6 days a week. I find it very difficult to find healthy choices when eating out, but that's a whole other post for another day.

Although we are not strictly vegetarian, the majority of our food is plant-based. I have found that if I start meal planning with the vegetables in mind it helps me avoid the meat-starch-side of veg rut. Just in case I haven't harped on this enough to you people, it is a myth that you need to serve a protein with every meal as vegetables and grains also have plenty of protein, enough to keep you healthy. We consider meat a delicacy in our home and eat very little of it.

So what the heck do we eat? Below is a list of my go-to recipes that I make over and over again and feel great eating over and over again. I rarely spend more than an hour preparing dinner.

Gwen's Go-To Dinners

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil from Smitten Kitchen. I like to add avocado, tomato, and asparagus to this pasta as well. You can add whatever veggies you like.

Potato, Orange and Arugula Salad by Giada de Laurentiis.

Tacos. A little beans, a little salsa, a little avocado, a little cabbage, a little sauteed onion and peppers = dinner in less than 15 minutes. Get creative!

Pasta with pesto sauce. I figured out that pesto can be made from virtually any green leafy substance and can be whipped up in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Here are some variations: traditional, arugula, sun-dried tomato, kitchen sink pesto.

Multi-grain risotto. Wonderful with squash, kale, chard, or asparagus. Use whatever blend of grains you have that have similar cook times.

Soup. Such an underrated meal and so easy to throw together with whatever you have. Ideas: Sausage, potato, and lima bean, hearty miso soup, curried carrot soup, broccoli soup, split pea.

Last but not least, SALAD. Honestly, this option goes last on my list because more often than not, I prefer a hot meal for dinner. But in a pinch, I'll toss together whatever greens I have along with some tomatoes, avocado, hard-boild egg, nuts, beans, even some microwaved sweet potato. I always make my own dressing with a little olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and salt & pepper.

That's it for now, remember, it's all about the veggies!

Review: The Strawberry Patch

I often dream about what it would be like to own a little cafe with a chalkboard menu and a tiny, intimate dining room decorated in antique furniture and lace. The offerings would change with the seasons and my guests would linger for hours over espresso and freshly made pastries.

That dream may be distant for me but is a reality for the owners of The Strawberry Patch. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday in Kainaliu, this adorable little bistro has all the charm of a family-run cafe plus all the quality of a high-end restaurant.

The menu has something for everyone from locally sourced salads to pasta and pizza, sandwiches and even a selection of curries. Specials change with the tides but are guaranteed to please.

We tried the fried green tomatoes, roasted beet salad, macaroni and cheese, and a cheesy mushroom pasta dish that was on special. All were excellent and lovingly prepared with many locally sourced ingredients. There was also a large selection of freshly made desserts, we had the apple cake and loved it. It felt like going to a friend's house for dinner.

If you want to avoid the road noise in the outdoor seating area, call ahead to reserve a table inside at (808)322-9060. There is no alcohol available at The Strawberry Patch, but you can bring your own and they will provide glasses, and don't charge for corkage. Ok for families, but not a lot of space for large groups.

Sustainable Sunday: Liver & Onions

Last week we discussed the powers of vitamin B12. The richest sources of B12 come from meat, eggs, and milk. And the absolute stand-out source is a little something called liver. My local grocery (KTA) carries grass-fed beef liver for a very reasonable price, so I knew my time had come.

I had a vague memory of my dad eating liver when I was a kid, so I called him up when it was time to prepare it. His mom, a single parent to five children, served liver and onions regularly in their South San Francisco home. True, liver is one of the cheapest cuts of meat out there, but hearing my dad (now a pescatarian) lovingly describe how to cook it to the perfect medium-rare, made me look at liver as a comfort food rather than something my grandma served just to survive.

Dad describes liver as having its own mild flavor. It definitely does; sort of a mineral taste, sort of rich, but subtle and mild all the same. Texturally it reminded me of a tender steak, which was a relief since I was expecting mush. Even my husband liked it, and he's a little picky when it comes to strange foods.

This photo explains what I thought of it.

Liver & Maui Onions with Alii Mushrooms and Sauteed Chard
serves 2

1/2 pound grass-fed beef liver, sliced to 1/4 inch thickness
1 Maui sweet onion, sliced
1 cup Alii mushrooms, sliced
2 TBL mac nut oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat a skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the mac nut oil, onion, and some salt & pepper and saute until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute some more, maybe another 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and onions have begun to brown.

Turn the heat up to medium-high, pushing the onions and mushrooms to the side of the pan so they don't burn. Add the liver slices, seasoning as you go with salt & pepper on both sides. The liver should be cooked between medium-rare and medium. If you cook it longer it gets rubbery. I cooked mine for 2 minutes on each side, but be sure to keep an eye on it, it cooks very fast.

Plate the liver by spooning onions and mushrooms on top. Using the same pan, over medium heat, squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and scrape the browned bits off using a wooden spoon of spatula. Don't even think about throwing this out! Add your chopped chard, some salt & pepper and saute until it cooks down, but retains its bright color, maybe 5 minutes. Add chard and juices to your plate. Serve with a lemon wedge if desired. Enjoy!

Liver, oil, and salt purchased at KTA. Onions from Costco. Mushrooms from the South Kona Green Market. Lemons and chard from my garden.

Want to participate in Sustainable Sunday? Learn all about it here.

Maui Bounty (Wordless Wednesday Teaser)

Legit cappuccino with salmon cream cheese bagel

HELP! I've been married to this man for 5 years!

Don't laugh, I've been Whole Foods deprived

No Carb Lasagna

I'm getting stressed. I mean, it's pretty safe to say we're all getting stressed right now. The thing that's stressing me out the most though is the smidgeon of weight I've gained since the summer time.

And I'm really trying not to stress about this thing because it is the damn holidays and there is just no way around eating foods that are dreadfully unhealthy.

So I say to myself, hey, these dreadfully unhealthy foods are also awfully good so you may as well enjoy eating them.

Tips on enjoying dreadfully unhealthy foods:


1. Stick to the homemade stuff. If the only desserts on offer are store-bought pumpkin pie or cake, I'm going to skip those because, in non-holiday world, I can eat those anytime. But it is not any old time when you get the chance to devour your co-worker's candied nuts or sister-in-law's chocolate pie. The time is now for these precious treats.

2. Keep it special. My best food memories are of treats that I only got to savor once in a very great while. Keep it that way.

3. Give it away. So you have a hankering for cookies or pie or salmon pate. Cool. Make some, eat some, then give the rest away. People will love you a little (read: a lot) more.

4. Get a dog. Since we got one I have no excuse anymore to skip a little physical activity because now I gotta make sure the dog gets his walk. It's like living with your personal trainer. Except cuddlier.

5. In between parties and big meals, cook the healthiest food imaginable. This totally cancels the bad stuff out.

No Carb Lasagna
Serves 4
Inspired by Dashing Dish

2 cans stewed tomatoes, drained or 1 jar pasta sauce
optional: 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup frozen spinach
2 Japanese eggplant, sliced to 1/4 inch
1 - 8 oz container ricotta cheese
2 large handfuls fresh herbs (I like basil and oregano) or several healthy shakes or a dried Italian herb blend
salt & pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. If using canned tomatoes, first cook your onions, garlic, and spinach over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cooked onion mixture to food processor and pulse a few times to get a sauce.

In a 9x13 baking dish begin layering the lasagna by first putting down a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of eggplant. Spread half the ricotta on the eggplant, add some salt & pepper and 1/2 the herbs. Repeat. Top with remaining sauce and parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

Dinner for Two: our week in food

Saturday: Roasted eggplant bruschetta

Sunday: Udon noodle soup at Lemongrass Bistro. Love that place!

Monday: Roasted kabocha squash with lemon butter thyme lima beans and thick slices of wheat bread from the farmer's market. I have a secret love for lima beans. Am I alone on this one?

Tuesday: Costco cheese pizza topped with eggplant. Gourmet to the max.

Wednesday: Lemon-thyme bulgar risotto with asparagus. Can't wait to share this recipe!

Thursday: Baked potatoes smothered in roasted garlic and cheese. Been doing a lot of roasting this week, maybe the oven needed a workout.

Friday: Zucchini "pasta" with roasted garlic cream sauce. Deadly.

Saturday: Pasta with chard, mushrooms, and goat cheese. Farmer's market score!

Highlight of the week: heading to the farmer's market in Waimea for lots of lovely island treats.

Honeycomb ginger flowers

Lilikoi juice

Teri steak for D and veggie lau lau for me! 

Dinner for Two: our week in food

Saturday: Leftovers from my nephew's first birthday party, including my lemony pasta salad and my sister-in-law's amazing baked beans.

Sunday: Zucchini "pasta" with walnut and sage "sausage." Genius! Although Dustin wasn't fooled and refused to admit it tasted of meat. Recipe coming soon.

Monday: Veggie burger at Bubba Gump. Not a fan, but am perpetually forced to eat there due to my brother's employment at this establishment. Also celebrated my nephew's birthday (yes, again, yay!) with our family's traditional lamb cake.

Tuesday: Awesome pizza at Kona Brewing Co. Yes, again. Having guests in town is a pretty good excuse.

Wednesday: Chips, Nutter Butters, and French Fries at girl's night while watching (part of) Bad Teacher. Not a film I'll recommend but stress-eating junk food after a hard week is a practice I will recommend.

Thursday: Asparagus and avocado pasta a la Martha Stewart. Dustin loved this one. Next time I'll add some lemon juice.

Friday: Black bean tacos with avocado. It is the start of avocado season y'all! My favorite food.

Highlight of the week: making a fort at the beach with my nephew.

Went crazy at the farmer's market today, can't wait to share what I've been cooking up. Have a great weekend everyone!

Dinner for Two: our week in food

This week I am in deep cooking mode trying to figure out my Signature Dish for my MasterChef application. One of my goals before I turn 30 is to try-out for a reality TV show. Therefore, October is Signature Dish month, can't wait to share what I've been creating!

Saturday: Roasted eggplant tacos with asparagus and avocado salsa. Signature Dish possibility.

Sunday: Fresh tombo ahi (albacore tuna) steaks with stir-fried buckwheat noodles, broccoli and chard.

Monday: Duck at the new Sam Choy's in Keauhou. Meh, we were expecting better. But, this was still a really fun night (my make-up date).

Tuesday: Seared albacore with roasted eggplant and arugula salad, balsamic sauce, and tapenade. Signature Dish possibility.

Wednesday: Roasted broccoli pasta dressed in olive oil, garlic, and olives. Signature Dish possibility.

Thursday: Store-bought cheese tortellini with asparagus and tomatoes.

Friday: Wild Mushroom and Puna Pie pizzas at Kona Brewing Co. with my folks. They are visiting from Washington!

Dinner for Two: our week in food

This week should really be Dinner for One since I spent most of the time out and about with my girls in Denver and backpacking with my friend here on the Big Island. Let me tell you, it was an interesting week of food and my tummy really needed a break by the time I got home. This is just a sneak peak of all the Colorado goodies we found, will be posting more about Denver food shortly.

Jessica floating down Larimer Square 

Saturday: Shepherd's pie with Colorado lamb at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in Denver, followed by bar hopping and good fun with my Americorps pals. A night like that brings a girl right back to her early 20s.

Sunday: Cup of tortilla soup and a strawberry margarita at the Rio in Denver. We used to come here for happy hour all the time back in the Americorps days.

Monday: Rattlesnake and pheasant sausage with fried green tomatoes at Biker Jim's in Denver. Could not pass up the chance to try snake, plus where Anthony Bourdain goes, I follow.

Photo by Love Ayi

Tuesday: Airplane cheese and fruit platter. Blegh. Stomach and liver detox in order due to eating snake and drinking too much beer.

Wednesday: Broccoli soup with carrots, onions, and absolutely no cream. Recipe to come. My version of a detox is a fruit and vegetable only diet for as many days as it takes for my tummy to calm down.

Thursday: Badass backpacking trip with my girl Rae led us to a secluded valley on the northern part of the Big Island. Bliss. Camper's salad of garbanzo beans, cucumber, tomato, Swiss chard, and macadamia nut oil.

Friday: Scrambled egg, tomato, cheddar cheese, and avocado on a roll made by my loving husband after coming home tired from camping.

Highlight of the week: How can all of this have happened in one week?!? Seeing my Americorps pals again was exceptional!

Have a great weekend!

Dinner for Two: our week in food

birdAve

Sunday: Vegetarian musubis. I made them with brown rice and jalapeno tofu. They were tasty, but totally fell apart. Will have to explore further options.

Monday: Crostini with roasted onion, eggplant, and brie served with a tomato and arugula salad dressed with basil infused macadamia oil.

Tuesday: Safeway pizza. Dustin claims this is the best take and bake around. I'm on the fence.

Wednesday: Teriyaki veggie stir fry with brown rice.

Thursday: Pizza, smoked salmon straight from Alaska, and my coleslaw at a beachside "Welcome Home" picnic for my brother in law. He has been away fishing salmon for the summer in Alaska. Glad you're back Brendan!

Friday: First day in Denver! Ate bar food that is too embarrassing to share. Let's just say I'm not certain it was food.

Dinner for Two: Our Week in Food

Introducing my new weekly post! I'll be sharing what we eat for dinner every night, plus some fun links, and highlights. Just another way to put my life in food parentheses.

Monday: Swiss Chard Salad with Crouton Overload

Tuesday: Veggie burger at Splasher's with waffle fries (my favorite)

Wednesday: Pasta with Arugula Pesto and garden tomatoes

Thursday: Musubis, chips, and deli salad after helping Dustin out at the shop. We make it to the beach just in time for sunset. Dinner on the beach is always good, no matter what you eat.

Friday: Roasted Carrot Soup with Biscuits. Thanks to my friend Becky for the inspiration!

Saturday: Breakfast for dinner with eggs, potatoes, and leftover biscuits. Made by Dustin, he really does a mean breakfast.

Sunday: Vegetarian musubis. Traditionally these hot sushi type rolls, a Hawaiian specialty, contain SPAM and I'm constantly finding myself sneaking a musubi when no one is around to witness the violation. A true guilty pleasure that must be stopped. Hopefully, my creation will curb the cravings. I'll let you know how it goes.

Highlight of the week: Speaking of guilty pleasures, mine was featured on the Joy the Baker podcast this week. If you listen in, I'm the girl who likes to rub her eyes;) This was super exciting for me since I love this podcast more than any other form of entertainment at the moment. Yay!

Hope you have a happy and healthy week ahead! I'm heading to Colorado to meet up with some friends next week, so I'm not sure how much blogging will get done, but you'll forgive me, right?