Summer Fruit Chicken Salad with Crispy Fried Goat Cheese

This salad can stay. 

When you receive a fit bump from your husband after dinner, you know you've scored big time. Plus this salad really works better with a partner, since one of you can man the grill while the other fries the goat cheese. Yes. Fried. Goat. Cheese. So perfectly crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside, there's nothing better. Mix that with fresh mango and blackberries, and you've got yourself a KILLER salad. Plus, you can easily make this with your favorite combinations, or whatever is in season. I'm already dreaming about replacing the blackberries in my vinaigrette with strawberry, pineapple, and even mango! So grab a friend or two and get busy before the summer fruit is gone!

so pretty. can't handle.

Summer Fruit Chicken Salad

Blackberry Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. peach white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fried Goat Cheese

• 8 oz. log honey-flavored goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. high-heat oil (such as peanut or avocado)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Salad

• 1/2 lb. chicken breast
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 mango, sliced
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• butter lettuce leaves

In a food processor, whip together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette until smooth. Keep in the fridge until ready to use. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Add the chicken breast to a large zip lock bag and pour in 1/3 of the vinaigrette to marinate the chicken with. Keep in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Slice the goat cheese log into 1/4-inch thick medallions, place into a cutting board and pop into the freezer for about 10 minutes, allowing them to keep their shape when fried. While they are chilling, set up your assembly line. Line up 3 bowls, and add the flour to the first one, your whisked egg to the second bowl, and your panko to the 3rd bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high and grill the chicken until cooked through; a few minutes on each side, until an instant read thermometer reads between 160 and 106 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest.

Add oil to a large frying pan or skillet and heat to high. Cover frozen goat cheese medallions in flour, then egg, then panko, repeating until all medallions are covered. Lower heat to medium-high and fry the breaded goat cheese, for 1-2 minutes on each side, until both sides are crispy golden brown. Remove from the oil and allow to rest on a paper towel, absorbing the excess grease.

Once the chicken has rested, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices, and prepare to plate the salad. Add butter lettuce to the bottom of the plate, top with sliced chicken, fried goat cheese medallions, avocado, mango, onions, blackberries, and top with the blackberry vinaigrette. Serve.

Cherry Blueberry Tart

It's been a crazy (but wonderful) 2 weeks. As you would know by the absence of me from this here blog. But don't forget, if you miss me, you can always find me over at AZ Foodie for some fun recipes and write-ups as well. After recovering from a weekend of fun and sun in Santa Barbara for a very good friend's wedding, we are barely back in the swing of things before heading back out of town this weekend to spend some time in weather that's about 20-30 degrees lower than the blazing hot sun of Phoenix, and I couldn't be happier. All of this 4th of July weekend and cabin fun is what inspired today's recipe, a fresh Cherry & Blueberry tart, thrown together in just minutes, and on the table just in time for dessert!

Cherry Blueberry Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 2 cups pitted cherries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• sanding sugar and/or powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, carefully mash the cherries with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. You just want them slightly flattened, not turned into mush. Add in the blueberries and toss to combine.

Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the puff pastry into an 1/8 inch thin rustic rectangle. Specific size or shape does not really matter here.

Pour the fruit filling onto one half of the rectangle, leaving about 1/2 inch border around the outside. Brush 1 tbsp. coconut oil around the edge of the filling and then take the other half of the puff pastry and close it over the top of the filling.

Using a fork, press down firmly around the edges of the tart to seal the edges. Brush the remaining coconut oil on top and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you prefer.

Summer Fruit Tarts with Peach White Balsamic Reduction

Welcome to class, students! Yep, that's right. Gonna teach you all a little something about vinegar. Did you know that balsamic vinegar come from Modena, Italy? The same area that I went to on my honeymoon and learned more than I ever thought there was to know about how olive oil is made, and where vinegar comes from, and that there are government minimums for the number of years that it must age, and how to spot the good stuff from the cheap. 

Spoiler alert, Queen Creek Olive Mill is one of the good ones. The best in fact. While they grow their own olives on their 100-acre farm in Queen Creek, Arizona, they get their balsamic directly from Modena. Add in a swirl of peach puree and you've got the perfect addition to fruit, chicken, or fish with their Peach White Balsamic Reduction.

This dessert is great for kids of all ages. The vinegar reduction provides the perfect acidity to cut through the sweetness of the fruit. Plus, who doesn't love flaky golden puff pastry? 

Summer Fruit Tarts with Peach White Balsamic Reduction
Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 ripe peach, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted cherries, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Peach White Balsamic Reduction
• mint (for garnish)
• powdered sugar (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Roll your puff pastry out and cut into 6 evenly-sized pieces. Place onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Pierce all over with a fork.

Place sliced peaches, cherries and blueberries all over the puff pastry, leaving about 1/4-inch around the edges. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before drizzling with Peach White Balsamic Reduction.

Garnish with mint leaves and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve within an hour or 2.

Peach White Balsamic Reduction was provided to me by the fine folks at Queen Creek Olive Mill. All recipes and opinions are my own. 

Mexican Mimosas

It's May. Like, what? Where did the year already go? Oh, I know. Wedding. Honeymoon. Boom, May. To celebrate the gorgeous weather we are having here in AZ (the calm before the fiery pits of hell come upon us), I made us some celebratory drinks. Oh, and because tequila rhymes with Cinco de Mayo. So there's that. Consumers beware, these babies are lethal. I wouldn't suggest serving these as a bottomless mimosa brunch if you know what I mean. Or maybe you should? Things could get a little rowdy. The jalapeno simple syrup gives them the perfect punch of spice, and the mango puree just goes down so smoothly! So break open the tequila, pop the champagne, and let's get some Mexican Mimosas flowin'!

Mexican Mimosas
Makes 1

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. tequila
• 3/4 oz. jalapeno simply syrup *
• 2 oz. mango puree (process peeled, seeded mango in a blender or food prcoessor)
• 3 oz. champagne

Add the tequila, syrup, and mango puree in a champagne flute. Carefully stir together, then top with champagne. Serve cold. 

* To make the simple syrup, simmer together 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water and 4 slices of fresh jalapeno. Whisk until the sugar is completed dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Can be kept for up to 2 weeks.

Baked Oatmeal & Berry Souffle

It's Friday. And where have I been for the last week you ask? Packing my life away and trying to fit 2 weeks worth of clothes into a carry-on suitcase. Can we just talk about how much easier men have it? My husbands packing list for our honeymoon is 5 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and a sweater/jacket. Basically times that by 18 to get my packing list (hint: it's 3 pages). I wouldn't consider myself high-maintenance, but it's really hard to pack for a trip that your husband planned (I planned the wedding, he planned the honeymoon), and somehow have all of your bases covered. Italian women are known for their classic fashion sense, so I'm not about to pack my nikes and yoga pants (though I'm really considering it at this point). 

You know what's not high maintenance though? This baked souffle. It's basically a giant (healthier version) of a blueberry muffin. It's light, fluffy, warm, and filled with fresh berries. I had planned to make my version of this recipe last weekend, but my husband surprised me by getting up early and recipe testing it for me. I can say that it did not disappoint! 

So do me a favor while I'm in Italy for the next two weeks. 1) follow my travels over on instagram to see what I'm devouring (hint: all of the things), and 2) make this baked souffle for good measure!

Baked Oatmeal & Berry Souffle

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats (I prefer old-fashioned)
• 3 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 cups mixed sliced strawberries and blueberries
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• confectioner's sugar, for dusting
• 100% maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 qt. cast-iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan combine the oats, milk, sugar, salt and simmer, covered, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Quickly add in the egg yolks into the thickened oatmeal until well combined. Then fold in 1/2 of the berries, and the lemon zest. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, then fold it into the oatmeal mixture. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cast iron and make in the oven for 30 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Should only jiggle slightly when shaken. 

Serve with the remaining berries and maple syrup. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm. 

Banana Blueberry Chocolate Muffins

As much as I love a creamy sauce covered stack of eggs benedict and a bloody mary for breakfast, sometimes you gotta cut the cord because you know, bikini season or whatever... you replace the canadian bacon with blueberries, and the english muffin with old-fashioned oats. But don't worry, we still invited chocolate to the party. Because you don't want to just eat your breakfast. You want to enjoy it! These muffins are great to grab on the go  and if you really can't escape that warm buttery craving, then warm one up and slather some butter on it! Don't say I never did anything for you.

Banana Blueberry Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 overripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, whisked
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil 
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a muffin pan by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a medium bow, whisk together the bananas, eggs, sugar, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until just comes together. Fold in the blueberries and chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin tin almost to the tops and bake for 25-29 minutes, until golden brown, and toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.

Allow muffins to cool in muffin pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to completely cool on wire rack. 

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

Internet friends, I have something exciting to share with you! We're under the 1 month countdown for our wedding! It means so many things to me besides just the obvious. Only one more month to use the word fiance (I love being able to introduce Andrew as such and am sure husband will pack an even more exciting punch!). Only one more month of making decisions like which napkins to use, or where to seat people, or how many hors d'oeuvres to serve during cocktail hour. Only one more month until the next chapter of our lives begins. Our forever. It has been a great 14 months of planning, but I am ready to see all of our hard work come to life as we take the biggest step of our relationship thus far. So what does all of this have to do with pudding? Well, not much. Except the fact that it has been my saving grace when the cravings for dessert strike and I am torn between driving to the nearest Dairy Queen for a Blizzard, or looking svelte in my wedding dress.

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medjool dates, seeded
• 1 1/2 tsp. coconut or almond milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. organic maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor and whorl until smooth. Scrape down the sides and blend again as needed. Place into cups and place into the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Chipotle Pineapple Chicken Lettuce Cups

It's my final recipe of the week and with that I am sharing with you a recipe that can be made smaller as an appetizer (you know some big sports game is coming up in a few weeks), or made large enough to be a main course entrée for lunch or dinner! I love the combination of spicy and sweet. Probably because it reminds me of myself. I won't ramble on too much today because A) it's Friday, and B) you should be making these ASAP.

Chipotle Pineapple Chicken Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. raw chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 head romaine or butter lettuce
• 1 egg, scrambled and chopped
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 3 tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce

In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.

Add chopped chicken, chipotle sauce, in the same pan and cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes.

Add bell pepper and fresh pineapple. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add in the cooked bacon, chopped egg and cilantro. Stir and serve in lettuce cups.

Pumpkin Pie Date Bars

Remember when I revealed to you the secret to homemade Lara Bars? Well, take that recipe and make it so basic that you are so consumed by pumpkin spice that you can't remember life before it. A simple list of ingredients, when whirled together in a food processor, creates the most flavorful, filling, and healthy to boot, breakfast or snack on the go!

 Pumpkin Pie Date Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• pinch of sea salt

Add the dates, almonds, and pepitas to a food processor and whirl until broken up into small pieces. Add in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whirl again until the mixture is well combined and sticks together.

Pour the mixture out on to a sheet of parchment paper, form into a ball, then flatten into a 4x8-inch rectangle. Place into the fridge for 30 minutes, then remove, cut into rectangles and wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap. 

Blackened Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

I am taking a detour from my standard rotation of fall-inspired recipes today. I found the very last remnants of summer produce at the market and created this freshly garnished chicken for a delicious and healthy meal. Especially since it is supposed to be 102 degrees in Phoenix today {why, fall, why must you do this to us?!}. We are huge blackened chicken fans in this house. Working in the restaurant business in the past, I would always replace the chicken in my caesar salad with blackened chicken. I prefer the slight kick from the spices above anything else. Take that and up it another notch with a sweet mango and avocado salsa. 

Blackened Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp. blackening seasoning*
• 1 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced jalapeno
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

**To make blackening seasoning, combine 1 1/2 tbsp. paprika, 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 tbsp. onion powder, 1 tbsp ground thyme, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. dried oregano. 

Blueberry Mint Mojito Ice Cream

I'm kind of at a loss for words today. I know, my fiance is appalled right now. But I have started, deleted, and re-started today's post 3 times now. I just don't know what to say. Like I said, speechless. But what I do know is how absolutely crave-able this ice cream is. Creamy. Sweet. Minty. All the perfect descriptions of a delicious mojito on a warm summer day. But in ice cream form. Can we all just go to the beach together? But like, skip the bikinis and sunscreen and just sit under a tiki hut eating this all day? All aboard!

Blueberry Mint Mojito Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. rum or vodka (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries, sugar, and salt over medium heat, mashing with a fork or potato masher once the blueberries begin to soften and burst. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove form the heat and allow the mixture to cool for at least 30 minutes. 

Once the blueberries have cooled, add them to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, stirring to get all of the liquid through the mesh, and discarding the leftover skins and seeds (I used the skin and seeds on toast; makes an amazingly thick jam!). Stir in the lime juice and set the bowl aside.

While the strained blueberries continue to cool, heat 1 cup of the heavy cream, the milk, and the mint leaves over medium heat in a medium saucepan (I rinsed and used the same one that I previously used for my blueberries). Once the mixture begins to come to a simmer, stir the mixture, remove from the heat, cover, and allow the mint leaves to steep for 1 hour. 

While the mint cream is steeping, add the remaining 1 cup of cream to the cooling blueberries. Mix well to combine. Once the mint has steeped for 1 hour, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (again I washed and used the same one from earlier) into a medium bowl, allowing the cream to pass through and catching the mint in the sieve. Press firmly down on the mint leaves to allow them to extract all of the mint flavor into the cream mixture. Discard the mint leaves. 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. 

Return the cream to the medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Once the cream mixture has heated up again, slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the warm cream into the egg yolks, This allows the egg yolks to "temper", which prevents them from curdling or turning into scrambled eggs in your ice cream base. Return the tempered egg yolks into the saucepan with the rest of the cream. Stir constantly until the cream/egg mixture thickens and coats the back of your spoon or spatula. 

Place the fine mesh sieve (cleaned after discarding the mint leaves) over the blueberry mixture bowl, and pour the cream/egg mixture through the mesh and into the blueberry bowl. Clean the fine mesh sieve once more. Stir the cream and blueberries well until combined. Pour the mixture through the sieve once more into a clean bowl and discard any blueberry/milk solids. Now stir in the rum or vodka if using (this will make for a softer/creamier final ice cream product). 

Cover the bowl with non-stick cling wrap and place the bowl of the ice cream base into the fridge for 8 hours until cooled completely.

Recipe slightly adapted from Treats + Eats

Watermelon Mint Coconut Ice Cream

I have been perfecting my ice cream recipes time and time again, experimenting with base consistencies, different dairy mixtures, and the most fun part, the add-ins! Today I am going to show you a dairy-free version of ice cream that gets it's flavor from fresh watermelon syrup, coconut milk, and fresh mint. Simple, summery, and refreshing. I did find that the coconut flavor sort of overpowered the watermelon, so if you wanted, you could sub out 1 can of coconut milk for plain milk or cream, but I like the tropical flavor of the coconut shining through.

Watermelon Mint Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups fresh watermelon juice (I juiced mine, but you could blend up fresh watermelon and strain out the pulp)
• 2 15-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup organic honey
• 1/2 lime, zested and juiced
• 15 fresh mint leaves

Add the watermelon juice to a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Allow the juice to reduce down to 3/4 cup, about 35 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, sugar, honey, lime zest and juice, and mint leaves. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is warmed through. 

Pour the mixture into a bowl, and place into a larger bowl filled halfway with ice water. Place in the fridge until the ice cream base has cooled completely. Pour the ice cream base through a fine mesh sieve, and discard the mint leaves. 

Place the cooled and strained ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn for 15 minutes until thickened. Place into an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 hours until hardened.

Recipe slightly adapted from Yeah...Imma Eat That