London is an AMAZING city for artisan cheese. On a recent trip to Borough Market, one of my absolute favorite places to buy produce, olives, bread, and of course cheese, I picked up a delicious double cream cow’s milk French cheese. The French man running the stand tried to sell me a goat, however he did not tell me the name of the cheese I bought! After a bit of Internet researching, my best guess is that it was Fromage d’Affinois. It is a very soft, tangy, Brie like cheese. Easily spread and melted, but with an almost liquid texture and infinitely better tasting rind than Brie.

What better to go with a powerful and slightly sharp cheese than sweet juicy figs??!! My favorite pizza is fig and goat’s cheese pizza, so these crostinis are inspired by that creation. This recipe is a super quick and easy appetizer to have in your wheelhouse.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
Butter
Grated cheddar cheese
5 fresh figs
A soft cheese (camembert, brie, goat’s cheese, etc)
Fresh bread, sliced ¼ inch thick

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay out however many slices of bread you would like to make. I made 8 for this recipe.

2. Spread a very thin bit of butter on the bread slices.

3. Lay a very thin layer of grated cheddar cheese on top next.

4. Chop the figs into bite size pieces. Slices would work as well if you feel so inclined.

5. Add as much or as little of the soft cheese as your heart desires

6. Pop in the oven for 5 minutes just until the cheese has melted and the crust of the bread starts to get crispy.

Enjoy immediately, these won’t last long!

What is your favorite fruit and cheese pairing?

So father’s day is this weekend, in case you forgot, or you didn’t know. If you’re celebrating by cooking for the old man, here’s a slew of recipes guaranteed to make his heart go pitter-patter. And we’ve included an infographic on how to make a great steak, if the easy-to-prepare is your dad’s fave.

First up, there is coffee crusted steak. This was pretty easy to put together, and it is a delicious but creative dinner option – serve with a veg and some mashed potatoes or corn on the cob!

Here’s a great take on Shepherd’s Pie that Nikki and Ky made…I might have to make this just for myself, it looks so good!

Of course, if you want to make something naughty, try these bacon wrapped sliders with homemade French fries – they are divine!

If your dad is a veg, make him this mac and cheese. If you’re looking for something lighter, try this Steak Salad. Or browse our gluten free or paleo sections if your dad’s diet is more specialized! We hope you get to celebrate with your dad over a delicious meal!

Image compliments of Best Health Science Degrees

I’ve always known that fish was “healthy,” but it wasn’t until recently that I realized just how useful it can be to fill me up and provide great nutritional value. The more I learn about ways to cook fish and incorporate it into my diet, the more appealing it has become as a staple food item. I recently learned how to “bread” fish with Paleo friendly options, which keeps the focus on protein and away from cream/breading/butter, etc.

Ingredients:

1 pound of white fish (I used tilapia here but I prefer to use Trader Joe’s wild caught Alaskan cod, which can be found in their frozen section)
1 cup almond meal
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 egg
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt/pepper
Coconut oil (can sub other oils, such as olive oil)
1 bag of spinach
garlic
olive oil

I lessened the recipe since Jennie and I made less than 1 pound of fish and even when I cooked this dish on a previous occasion, I found I had leftover breading. Try to keep the ratio proportional but there’s no need to waste ingredients! Only use as much as you need.

Directions:

Start by beating the egg in a dish and setting the oven to 450.

Set aside and mix together the almond meal, coconut shreds and cayenne pepper (also cut back on the cayenne pepper if you are not a fan of spicy. This amount will give it a big kick). Salt and pepper to taste.

Dredge each fish fillet in egg and then press into the almond meal mixture. Once both sides of the fish are covered, place on a lightly greased baking sheet (I typically use coconut oil). Bake for 15 minutes at 450. Fish should be flaky and break apart easily.

Now, make your side. I chose a super simple spinach sauté. Pour a little olive oil in a pan, add your garlic and the bag of spinach. Sauté and mix until soft. I’ve also made this simple side with mushrooms, yum!

This is a fairly simple and quick way to make a nice, light dish that will fill you up!

As previously mentioned, we celebrated Jennie’s birthday last weekend by trying out a new bread pudding recipe. But because we can’t make just one recipe when we could be making at least 2 or 3, I also let Jennie pick whatever her heart desired for a pre-birthday dinner.

She thought about it for a few minutes and then proclaimed, “I know exactly what I want: fusilli with broccoli rabe, spicy sausage, garlic and chili flakes.” This was an oddly specific request, but I know better than to question Jennie’s food wishes. Apparently her favorite restaurant in Boston used to serve something similar, so it was my task to recreate it.

Turns out this is the easiest, most delicious pasta dish you’ll ever throw together in under 20 minutes.  Sauté your garlic in a little olive oil, then throw in your crumbled sausage to brown while you get your pasta water boiling. Cut your broccoli rabe into thirds and cook with the sausage while you wait on the fusilli to cook. Toss everything together with some olive oil, red pepper flakes, and about ½ cup of the pasta water.

Don’t forget to top with some fresh parmesan!

I’ve been dying to go to Berkeley, CA ever since the show Parenthood first aired. Luckily I had a chance to swing through on my way up to Mendocino a couple months back! The city reminded me a lot of the east coast, which always brings a familiar comfort. After a quick Tripadvisor search, I decided to try out Local 123.

It did not disappoint! Colorful and eclectic, it was full of that crunchy-granola charm that Berkeley is famous for.

Speaking of crunchy granola…! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). After eating a fast food breakfast sandwich on the road, I was in need of something healthy.
What? What is this? Not coffee?! As much as I love my java, it was time for some herbal tea come mid-afternoon.
Okay. Confession time. This teapot arrived and I had no idea how to use it. I was expecting a simple teabag and was too shy to ask how to use this fancy contraption. So I used my, er, wit…and did this. 
I was so proud for filling it up and not spilling! This must be correct, right?! (Also, please forgive my travel appearance).
It took me an…embarrassing amount of time to realize that the teapot worked like this. Sigh. Of course. Obviously.
Mmmmmmmmmm.

As tasty as they were, my herbal tea and granola just didn’t satisfy my sweet tooth. This flourless peanut butter cookie was just the thing!

A perfect and refreshing pitstop!