Coconut and Chickpea Stew over Quinoa

Over the past few years I've seen many recipes calling for coconut milk and I never understood the hype.  It reminded me of the days when my mom and I would make virgin pina colodas before watching TGIF, and of course, 20/20 with Hugh Downes and Barbara Walters.  Turns out that the drink calls for the classic Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut while the popular food dishes call for coconut milk.  My bad.

Anyway, I found this recipe on The Kitchn and adapted it to what I had in my actual kitchen and with items I could quickly pick up from the grocery store (i.e. coconut milk).  The result was a somewhat spicy, flavorful meal that yielded several servings that got better over time. 

Veggie Lovers Soup

A couple days ago, I went to Whole Foods without a shopping list.  I don't consider myself a very organized person - I'm totally that person who only picks up clothes off the floor when guests are visiting - but I'm truly committed to planning out my meals for the week and buying only what is needed.  This is necessary for managing my time but also prevents me from buying gourmet cheeses, desserts, and other temptations at Whole Foods.

Anyway, I went a little crazy in the produce section and ended up with a ton of veggies.  Because this was unplanned, I had that "oh sh*t" buyer's remorse moment when I had no idea how I'd consume so many of them.  Luckily I had a few staple items in the kitchen, such as vegetable broth and canned tomatoes, and realized that I could make a pretty dynamite soup without having to make another (unplanned) trip to the store.

The other cool thing is I've made enough soups to not have to follow a recipe this time around...ahhh...progress.

Just a small portion of what I was working with...

Can't forget these guys!

Pasta with Basil Avocado Pesto and Julienne Vegetables

Not too long ago, the idea of making a pesto seemed complicated and almost foreign.  I'd only known it to come either in a jar or in specialty packages from Whole Foods, almost as if the difficulty of making such a flavor encouraged the simplicity of buying pre-made.  Looking back, I probably should have just opened a cookbook to see that pesto is simple to make yet can have such a complex range of flavors - just like this creamy avocado pesto I made this evening.  And, true to form, this dish has complex flavor but only took about 30 minutes from the chopping board to table top.  Sounds good to me :)

Pumpkin Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Dressing (A White House Recipe)

This pumpkin cake recipe is straight out of the White House Pastry Kitchen - how lucky am I?  This dessert followed the Beef Bourguinon I made for dinner on Christmas Day.  I can only hope that Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia were enjoying this cake while on their Christmas vacation in Hawaii.

Anyway, as you can imagine, this cake is legit and might become a family tradition for years to come.  If you decide to make it, I'd recommend checking the cake while it cooks to ensure it's not over cooking.  While the recipe calls for baking for an hour at 340 degrees, mine was a bit over cooked.  I'm sure it has to do with the oven, and of course it still tasted wonderful, but I think it can be improved over time.

Christmas Eve Dinner: Beef Bourguignon

For me, Christmas Eve is one of those rare nights when all seems right with the world.  It's peaceful, spiritual and a time when I feel love is all around.  The last few months have been particularly difficult for me but I'm quite fortunate to have parents who support and comfort me through the best and the worst of times.  I wish I could return the favor to them tenfold - and while it's a lot to live up to - I thought making a meal that requires a lot of love would be a good place to start.  That's where the Beef Bourguignon comes in.  It may seem silly to think that a meal could even begin to equate to my family but, really, it's just a small token of my gratitude.

Also, some background:  This dish isn't as daunting as it sounds.  Just know it must be made over a span of two days; unless, of course, you're willing to wake up at 4:00 a.m. to start the process.  I love cooking...but not that much :)