LP's final requests

My little sister is currently enjoying a fun-filled orientation weekend at the best university in the nation, James Madison University of course. She had a couple final requests before she left and we made sure to oblige. For her final dinner she requested a salmon specialty, which I have perfected over the years (recipe to follow), and on the morning of her departure she requested I play Just Dance 3 with her one last time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Just Dance, it is a video game that tracks your body movement to ultimately compete for the title of the best dancer!

The salmon I made is our family rendition of an entree my mom once had at bonefish grill. It is baked naked, then broiled with cooked spinach, bacon crumbles, and blue cheese. To finish it off we top it with a lemon, white wine, cream sauce :) I usually serve this particular salmon dish with a side of cauliflower mash, yumm!

Salmon à la Haley

In the words of my Gran: "Doesn't that look DI-LICIOUS"

Ingredients:

• A filet of salmon sectioned into 4-6 servings
• 1 bag of spinach (9 oz)
• 4 oz. of cooked original bacon
• 1 container of crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

White Wine Sauce

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 3 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp lemon
• 10 Tbsp butter

Cooking Directions:

Salmon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up) and place the sectioned salmon on the sheet. 
3. Season each section of salmon with a little olive oil and salt and pepper (save some olive oil for the spinach).
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 25-30 minutes. 

Toppings

1. Sauté spinach over medium heat with a little olive oil and salt (add a pinch of garlic powder if so desired).
2. Crumble the cooked bacon into little pieces.

Sauce

1. Simmer wine and lemon for about 15 minutes.
2. Slowly add cream and cook until slightly thick.
3. Turn heat to low and whisk in chilled butter.

Final Preparation

1. Remove the salmon from the oven.
2. Top each section of salmon with spinach, bacon crumbles, and blue cheese.
3. Return salmon to the oven on broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt. 
4. Remove the salmon once again and top with a tablespoon or so of sauce.
5. Serve and enjoy!

A Grassroot Soccer Going-Away Party

Throughout the summer I have enjoyed standing alongside Matthew as he prepared to leave for a year long internship in South Africa. I knew our time together would fly by but it went even faster than I could have imagined. To celebrate his last few days in Alexandria, I threw together a little going away party. I had the best time creating decorations, cooking bbq (my mom did most of the cooking!), and coming up with an African themed playlist with my siblings. As "rains down in Africa" played in the background, friends from high school, James Madison, and Virginia Tech came pouring in! By the end of the night I had everyone write encouraging notes to Matthew and we all wished him the best on his upcoming adventure!
Here are some pictures from the night:

Mason Jars for collecting spare change towards Matthew's fundraising.

I printed Matthew's address and blog address on cardstock
and added these ribbons to make little bookmarks.

I love cowboy boots :) Doesn't necessarily match the African or Soccer theme
but it's a little touch of Haley :)

I made this giant map of Africa and gave myself a little geography lesson!

Spice cake cupcakes are my favorite, Matthew likes them too ;) I also made his favorite... chocolate covered strawberries!

Lindsey, Mommy, LP, and Me waiting for the guests to arrive!

 Matthew said he felt so special at the end of the night and was extremely encouraged by the amount of support he has received from so many family members and friends. I was so pleased to be able to put this little shin-dig together for him! Thank you to everyone who helped and came! Click here to hear the latest details from Port Elizabeth!

Yummy Hummy!

Hi friends! I'm back after a long break from the blog. Sorry to keep you waiting but here is a recipe that I can guarantee you will love! My mommy, sister, and I are obsessed with hummus. Needless to say we have been working on perfecting our own Mertins Family Recipe and are a little bit snobby when it comes to the store bought brands (we love sabra). We also love edamame so, this recipe is for an edamame hummus that we have lovingly named Yummy Hummy.

Yummy Hummy

Ingredients:
1.5 cups drained chick peas (save 1/2 cup of the juice)
1 cup peeled edamame
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup olive oil (I used light olive oil)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Drain the chick peas in a strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the juice.
2. If your edamame are in their shells, pop the seeds out of the casing.
3. Combine all ingredients in a food processer and puree until smooth.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with pita chips and carrots and enjoy!

Yummy Chicken in a Cabernet Sauce!

So a lot has happened since we've spoken last!
1. I spent a wonderful weekend in Chicago with some lovely friends and Matthew at the APS annual Convention. We had a great time exploring the city, eating wonderful food, and of course enjoying the convention. If you are ever in Chicago make sure you go to a restaurant called the Purple Pig, it is very unique and fun!
2. Upon returning home Matthew found out his placement for where he will be living in next year... Port Elizabeth, South Africa!! From all the research I have done it looks absolutely wonderful and I am looking forward to visiting ;) After that exciting news we celebrated Date Night with a couple rounds of corn-hole and made Matthew's family dinner.
3. Our dear friends, Paul and Erin, were married this past weekend! Matthew and I had such a wonderful time celebrating with them and many other friends as we danced the night away! Congratulations Paul and Erin :)

Now that you are all caught up, it's time for a recipe!

Chicken in a Cabernet Sauce with Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts halves
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 2 ounces of bacon
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces of baby portabella mushrooms cleaned
• 1/2 a sweet onion chopped or 10 shallots quartered
• 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Cooking Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Flatten each chicken breast half by placing it between two sheets of wax paper and pounding with a kitchen mallet til the chicken is about 1/3 inch thick.
3. Once flattened, spread 2 tablespoons of mustard on one side of each chicken breast and press two sage leaves into the mustard. Set Aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon and place it on a paper towel to drain the grease. Set the skillet aside.
5. While the bacon is cooking, cube the mushrooms and combine with the onions in a baking dish along with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. In the set aside skillet, add the remaining olive oil and put over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook each chicken breast 3-4 minutes on each side (turning once) until breasts are golden brown. Remove the breasts from the skillet and set them aside. 
7. Raise the heat of the skillet to medium-high. Add the Cabernet Sauvignon to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen any brown bits. Stir until the wine is reduced by half. Add the cream by stirring and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce becomes slightly thick. 
8. Return the chicken and bacon to the skillet with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve the chicken topped with the roasted mushrooms and onions as well as a spoonful of the sauce and enjoy!!

Yellow Tomato Caprese Sandwich

My boyfriend is going to be doing an internship in Africa starting in August for a year! We decided it would be fun to have a weekly date night where we plan something special for each other until he leaves. Last night I planned and I took Matthew on a picnic!

Our menu was:
A fresh mixed greens and baby spinach salad with champagne dressing
Yellow tomato caprese sandwiches (yellow tomatos are my favorite)
Chocolate covered strawberries for dessert (Matthew's favorite)
Orvieto Classico white wine

My sister showed me this wonderful spot that overlooks the Potomac River to take Matthew for our picnic.

Here is my recipe for 

Yellow Tomato Caprese Sandwiches

Makes two 6-inch sandwiches
Ingredients:

• 1 multi-grain french baguette
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella
• 2 medium yellow tomatoes 
• 2 medium red tomatoes
• A couple slices of grilled chicken (optional, I gave Matthew chicken because he loves meat!)
• 2 tbsp basil pesto (I used a Trader Joe's brand)
• 6-8 leaves of fresh basil
• fresh ground pepper to taste 

Preparation:

1. Slice the mozzarella and tomatos into thin slices. 

2. Using a serrated knife, cut two 6-inch pieces of the multi-grain baguette and then slice all the way through both leaving the baguettes facing open. 

3. On the inside of the baguette spread the pesto on one or both sides then begin to assemble the tomatoes (alternating red and yellow slices), mozzarella, basil, and chicken on one side of the baguette. Top it off with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.

4. Place the other half of the baguette on top of the prepared side and place the fully assembled sandwiches in a panini maker for about 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. 

5. Enjoy!

I'd say it was a successful first date-night to kick off the summer!

Now my mom wants to know when I am making dinner for the family... Stay tuned :)

Lemon Mint Cake

I was watching Giada yesterday and she made this cake that looked so light and fluffy. I woke up this morning and rummaged around my mom's pantry and just so happened to find all the ingredients (one perk of being a stay-at-home daughter)! So, I must give full credit to Giada but here is my rendition...

Lemon Mint Cake

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing
Flour for dusting the pan

Cake:

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• pinch of salt
• 8 large mint leaves chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and flour. 

For the cake: 

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks. 

In a separate bowl, beat the canola oil, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and salt. Add egg yolks one at a time. Add the chopped mint, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add flour and mix until combined. 

Slowly add 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the oil mixture using a rubber spatula and carefully folding the two mixtures together. Continue to carefully fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before slicing. 

For the syrup: 

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer until sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes) stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and allow syrup to cool (about 20 minutes). 

To serve the cake, pour a spoonful of the syrup on a plate a lay a slice of cake on top. Drizzle the cake with additional syrup and garnish with a small sprig of mint! Enjoy!

Pastel De Tres Leches

In March I spent a week in Magdalena, Guatemala where I lived with a host family and another girl from JMU. Luckily she knew a good bit of Spanish because my background in French was not cutting it! During that week I celebrated my birthday and we found out that our host mom was a baker. She surprised me by making a delicious chocolate cake for breakfast.

This is the yummy chocolate cake mi madre, Antonieta, made!

By the end of the week we worked up the nerve (and the vocabulary) to ask our madre for some of her recipes. She gladly gave us the recipes for four of her favorite cake. I promised my friend for her birthday we would make the tres leches cake... So, here it is!

I will let you know now that the recipes were all in Spanish... So after hours on google translator I decided to call up a friend for her translating expertise...

Pastel De Tres Leches
Para el bizcocho: (dry ingredients)

• 9 eggs separated 
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Para el bano: (wet ingredients)

• 1 can condensed milk (14 oz.)
• 1 can evaporated milk (14 oz.)
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 tbsp liquor, rum or whisky (optional)

Para la cubierta: (icing)

• 5 egg whites
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• cinnamon to decorate the top

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.

For the dry ingredients: beat the egg whites til they peak. Add sugar little by little. Add egg yokes one by one, beating until spongy. Incorporate the flour and baking soda, alternating with milk and vanilla. Pour into mold. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. 

For the wet ingredients: Blend wet ingredients, pour over the cake after the cake has cooled. 

For the icing: Mix sugar and water until a hard ball point forms. Beat the egg whites to a peak. Combine in mixer and let mix for 5-10 minutes or until the icing is firm (be patient, I had to try the icing twice!). Sprinkle some cinnamon on top! 

The wet ingredients soaking into the cake.

Happy Birthday Lindsey! The cake turned out perfectly!