Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I spent the entire day with my family, enjoying a delectable brunch at our country club and then relaxing at home.

Naturally, I had an urge to bake, so I made Martha Stewart’s recipe for these adorable mini Easter egg cakes. Instead of using a glaze, as suggested in the recipe, I decided to make a frosting. I figured this would guarantee a thorough coating of the cakes and would give them a stark white color to resemble an egg.

Not only were the cakes adorable, but they were delicious–especially with the lemon curd filling, or shall I say egg yolk.

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I bought some ground turkey at the market the other day, not having any idea how I wanted to use it. I’d already made turkey chili (here) and lasagna (here), and although I’d already made turkey burgers (here) as well, the components of this burger recipe were much different.

I made a few alterations to this Bobby Flay recipe–I added sautéed red onion to the turkey patties for more flavor, and added a bit of mayonnaise to the mustard sauce to use as a thickening agent.

The burgers turned out juicy and delicious. The warm and fluffy goat cheese melted in my mouth upon each bite, and was delicious with the subtle bite of the Dijon mustard sauce oozing along the sides of the patty. I recommend having a napkin in hand. :)

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After attending Coachella this past weekend where my daily meals consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and overpriced, low-quality festival food, I was thankful to get back to cooking homemade meals with fresh ingredients.

I had an urge to make pesto, as it is one of my favorite sauces,  so I made a simple basil pesto farfalle dish with sautéed chicken pieces and diced tomatoes. Although I typically make this pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, I didn’t have any on hand, so I figured tomatoes would work just as well.

The meal was absolutely delicious, and made even better alongside a generously poured glass of red wine and some friends.

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When I read the title of this recipe on the Food Network website, I was instantly sold. Cooking and baking with alcohol adds a unique dimension of flavor to dishes that other ingredients often can’t imitate.

I altered the recipe a bit, primarily because I didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand. For the batter, I used Blue Moon beer, since I already had some in my fridge. The citrus infused beer worked splendidly with the lemon juice and zest in the dipping sauce and batter. My roommate absolutely loved the sauce and commented on how well it would pair with grilled artichokes.

Frying the asparagus posed somewhat of a challenge, as the batter was extremely sticky. Therefore, my roommate and I created an assembly line–I coated the asparagus in the batter while she fried a few at a time.

I recommend serving the asparagus immediately after frying, or warming in the oven before serving.

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I’m not sure what spurred my idea to make strawberry shortcake, other than the sheer fact that I hadn’t baked anything in a while. I wanted to bake something simple and quick, as I’d already worked a video shoot all morning this past Sunday.

I found the recipe on the Food Network website and was extremely pleased with the result. Once the shortcake absorbed the juices of the fresh strawberries macerated in sugar, the dessert was even more incredible. The moist cake, fluffy homemade whipped cream and sweet and slightly softened strawberries made for a deliciously divine combination.

I may or may not have devoured the entire shortcake in the photo above for breakfast. :)

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Spaghetti squash has become one of my favorite vegetables. It’s extremely easy to make, requires minimal seasonings, and is delicious as is, or as I described in the title, au naturel.

Cutting into the tough outer shell of the uncooked squash is a bit of a challenge, but made much easier with a large knife and strong arm muscles. I typically enjoy eating spaghetti squash alongside chicken breast and a mixture of sautéed vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, garlic and onion). The slight crunch of the sweet spaghetti squash provides a nice contrast to the semi-soft veggies.

My roommate, Whitney, was skeptical about trying the squash, but I convinced her to try a small bite. As I expected, she didn’t think the vegetable was all that bad–maybe just a little too healthy. :)

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I bought one of my friends, Dana, an ebelskiver kit for her birthday this past December. Go figure though, her mom already had the pan and tools–of all things!

I decided to keep the pan and cookbook (bought her something else, of course), and have wanted to make these little pancakes, which originated in Denmark, ever since. I made peanut butter and jelly ebelskivers this past weekend with my friend, Danielle.

Unfortunately, I was not entirely satisfied with the outcome. The batter was bland and lacked sweetness; however, the strawberry jelly helped immensely. Next time, I plan to make a recipe with more components. Three recipes in particular look exceptionally delicious in the cookbook: strawberry shortcake, sticky toffee and banana rum ebelskivers.

Although not as delicious as I’d hoped, I enjoyed making the ebelskivers, as it was a new and different cooking experience.

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My meal the other night was solely based off of ingredients I already had in the fridge and pantry. I considered looking up pasta recipes online, but figured I could probably whip something up on my own. I worked with the ingredients I had and added spices here and there when necessary.

I was extremely satisfied with the dish–the pasta was flavorful, with just enough kick from the chili powder. I made a boatload, so it was convenient when my roommate, Whitney, came home from work with no intention of cooking dinner. She approved!

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I’ve wanted to make this simple Giada recipe for a few weeks, as there’s not a single ingredient I don’t like–bread, cheese, chicken, apricot and prosciutto. I knew the saltiness of the silky prosciutto and Fontina cheese would pair wonderfully with the sweetness of the apricot preserves.

The recipe says to serve at room temperature; however, I decided to warm the bruschetta in a toaster oven once assembled. Toasting the bruschetta provided even more texture, from the crunchy crostini to the melted cheese to the slightly crisped prosciutto.

If serving at a luncheon or dinner party, the appetizer would be equally delicious cold, especially with spring and warm weather approaching.

I made a similar bruschetta recipe (here).

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Hosting dinner parties is one of my all-time favorite things to do, particularly because they offer something to look forward to during slow work weeks. I invited a few close friends over a couple of nights ago for dinner, as some of them had yet to see my new apartment.

I made Giada’s healthy roman-style chicken recipe with red and yellow peppers, prosciutto and capers. My brother used to make this dish for my family and I remember absolutely loving the complexity of flavors. I knew my friends would enjoy the meal as well–and enjoy they did.

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