Two ingredient breakfast

I enjoy cooking and sometimes I thrive on making recipes that are complicated. For example, I told my mom I wanted to make Baked Alaska when I was 10... and so we did! And surprisingly it turned out!

But my life is far more crazier now than when I was 10 and I've learned that simplifying is usually the best solution, especially for breakfast! Here is a quick recipe I learned from my friend Becca for a simple breakfast. It's perfect by itself on the go or with toast and eggs or even pancakes!

Grapefruit Soup
1 Grapefruit
2 Oranges

A citrus juicer works best if you have one.
Cut the grapefruit in half and with a butter knife cut each segment out into a glass. Juice what is left of the grapefruit into the glass. Do the same with the other half of the grapefruit into a separate glass. Juice both oranges with the juicer. Poor the orange juice in the glass until its full. Drink and enjoy! Makes 2 glasses of juice.

*If you like a heartier and more tart drink then do one grapefruit to one orange.

Daily Eats #03

This week's Daily Eats is a round up of sauces, syrups, frosting and dips.

Breakfast: Buttermilk Syrup from my cousin Jarica
I'm excited to share this recipe with you because its a family recipe and we've been making it for years at all our waffle parties. This syrup is so delicious and easy. I'm convinved that even if I poured it over cardboard and ate it would be delightful.

Buttermilk Syrup
1 square butter
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
Take off heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda-this will make it foam and expand
*store in the fridge when not using

Lunch: "The best hummus you'll ever have" featured on A Cup of Joe, by Sprouted Kitchen
I was excited to make this because I had bought tahini for another recipe and I needed to use it up. We halfed this recipe and it still had plenty for the two of us. We accidentally doubled the red chilli flakes and caught it just in time to scrape some out but the hummus did have a nice "kick" to it, so I'm not sure if that is normal or because of our mistake. I love the use of lemon and herbs in this recipe. I did substitute dry dill for fresh dill because I couldn't find any fresh dill and I reduced it by more than half so it wouldn't be too overpowering.

Dinner: Great Grandma's Pasta Sauce by Table for Two
I'll admit I haven't made this recipe yet but it looks tasty! Right now the way we do spaghetti sauce is 1 jar of pasta sauce, throw in some spices and frozen meatballs and let it simmer in the crock pot all day. I'm wondering if I could get the best of both worlds and mix the two recipes!

Dessert:  Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting by Not So Humble Pie
This frosting has so many things going for it. It has a great consistency for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and melts perfectly on warm cinnamon rolls. Its not overly sweet and has a great cream cheese taste. I've made this frosting many of times and its definitely on my "keeper" list.

daily eats #02

I started a new series last fall called daily eats and never really took off with it but its something that I'm still excited about so I'm rolling with it.

For a recap, Daily Eats is a days worth of meals all in one post! It will include recipes that I've tried and wanted to try and some tips and pointers along the way.

For this round up I found some real gems.

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Waffles by The Faux Martha
I enjoyed the recipe because they aren't overly sweet which means you can put things that ARE overly sweet on top, like buttermilk syrup, for a perfect balance. Also they have a bit of orange juice in them which adds a nice zip.

Lunch: Glazed Beet + Carrot Salad by Sprouted Kitchen
I'm not a salad girl but I thought this recipe was divine. The sauteed veggies on top takes away the yucky salad feeling that I usually get yet it still leaves the feeling of eating healthy and fresh vegetables. The recipe calls for yellow beets, which are kind of expensive so next time I would substitute for red beets. Also my dressing seperated on the stove but on the salad you couldn't tell the difference. I would make this again but plan it for a dinner party or a special occasion rather than a weeknight meal/lunch just because the presentation alone is THAT awesome.

Dinner: Pan Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade from Simply Recipes
We've been on a salmon kick over here and I think the reason why salmon works so well for us is because we cook it on the grill. And when I say we I mean my husband. Seriously my man has some of the best grill skills I've ever seen. That being said, we didn't pan sear this salmon but my husband did sear it on the grill... which means crispy on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside. He also cooked it with lemon and butter (the most perfect pair in my book). The avocado remoulade was good but made WAY to much for the two of us. It would make a nice guacamole as leftovers though. But next time I would cut that part in half.

Dessert: Baked Lime Pudding Cake by Tyler Florence
These little cakes are delightful. They are tart and pair nicely with some homemade whipped cream. They do take an hour to bake and aren't "cake mix" easy but they are worth it in my book. I've already made them three times!

Restaurant Group // The Stinking Rose

Res•tau•rant Group | groõp | noun
a number of people who gather once a month to partake of delicious and unique foods and sometimes even babies.

First Documented Stop: The Stinking Rose/San Francisco
Type of food: GARLIC
Atmosphere: Dark (hence no inside pics), full of character and old bw pictures of famous people.
Biggest Surprise on the menu: 40 clove garlic chicken
Approximate number of days the smell lingered: 2
Was it worth it: Heck yes
Favorite item: the garlic relish to dip your rolls in
Best Part: Watching my husband hold cute baby Vivian and hanging out with good friends.

Next Stop: Chicken and Waffles. TONIGHT!

Daily Eats #01 Recap

 I just wanted to give a quick recap on the recipes that I posted for the first Daily Eats. I managed to make two of the four recipes...not too bad eh? I made the granola but realized while making it that I had quick oats instead of the whole rolled oats so it turned out soft instead of crunchy. I also made this RIGHT before/during my teeth problems so I really didn't end up eating more than a couple nibbles. SO in all fairness I think I will have to try this one again. And I do recommend it! It's peanut butter and honey after all.

 As for the WINNER...... The black bean veggie tacos! We actually made them again last night. I cheated and used canned black beans because I didn't plan ahead but they still turned out great. We also added a little bit of red cabbage to ours as well, which was a nice crunch. The first time we made it I didn't have any paprika and after making it with the paprika last night I have to say I think I liked it better without! Overall a great vegetarian dish that doesn't leave you hungry or thinking, where is the meat?! Even Alden said so. And you know how those men love their meat. Stay tuned for Daily Eats #02!

Daily Eats #01

Its been a long month since I've posted! And in that time I traveled to 4 states, attended girls camp for a week, went white water rafting, cliff jumping, swimming in lakes, and everything in between. I'll be posting pictures of some of our adventures this week, you can also follow me on instagram (@ashleyaikele) if you want to spoil the surprise, or just take a gander at my daily happenings.

Meanwhile.... I've been in a cooking mood so I've decided to start a new series on the blog called Daily Eats- a days worth of meals all in one post! I will gather recipes from around the web and post them here... and HOPEFULLY it will motivate me to do MORE good ol fashion home cooking. (The Wendy's diet has to go!). Then as I try the recipes (and hopefully you will too) I can give tips and comments on what I liked/what I would change etc.

Here are some recipes that have caught my eye as of late.

Breakfast: Peanut Butter + Honey Granola by Eat Sleep Cuddle
Lunch: Black Bean Veggie Tacos by Eat Sleep Cuddle
Dinner: Zucchini Rice Gratin by Smitten Kitchen
Dessert: Sour Cream Peach Ice-Cream by Cafe Johnsonia

we be jammin

As I mentioned last week I got the homemaking bug and decided to make jam. And bread! because what good is homemade jam without homemade bread?

The results....

 • Even if you put raspberries and cherries in your jam if the majority of the fruit is strawberries it will taste like strawberry jam. Lesson learned.

• Using this article and this article was helpful and I am now a believer in Pomona's pectin.

• What is Pomona's pectin? A natural pectin that allows you to use honey or sweetner in your jam instead of sugar. Good stuff right there. (Can be found at Whole Foods for around $5).

• The calcium water it calls for comes IN the pectin packet. Learned that lesson the hard way... after asking two different people in Whole Foods where I could find calcium water and then calling up Orchard Supply.

• Side note... Whole Foods is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE. My grandfather owned a grocery store for 50+ years and we take our grocery stores seriously. Its what my dad likes to do for fun on a Friday night, just ask my mom.

• Whole Foods breaks the budget times ten. For that it turns me into a jealous teenage girl and I want to call it ugly behind its back (out of pure envy of course).

• I will be making more jam... soon I hope! And this time I want to do a little more experimenting with flavors. I grew up eating huckleberry-peach-strawberry jam and I'm not sure if there is a flavor that can top that right there. No sir.

• The bread turned out ok. My oven is fickle and I think I overcooked it slightly. But I have had it at its best and it was DELIGHTFUL! (thank you Elyse). It is easy to make and has a nice hearty feel to it because it is made with oatmeal. You can find the recipe here.

• You can make jam too! It really wasn't that hard and if you are super nervous then try making freezer jam. Its simple as pie...or jam.

ps. I am moving where//there to tomorrow for this week. Stay tuned!

Weekend Breakfast

Alden and I go through phases. When we were dating it was waffles. EVERY WEEKEND. The first appliance we ever bought was a waffle maker. Bought at a garage sale only after a few months of dating. Good thing we never had to decided who got to keep it!

Lately we've been into pancakes. Alden's sister Addie makes the most amazing pancakes. The consistency is a mix between a pancake and a crépe batter with a yummy tangy sour cream flavor that goes well with a drizzle of maple syrup. I finally got the recipe from her and we tried them out. DELISH. I know what we are going to make this weekend. What do you make for breakfast/brunch on the weekends?

This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen

EDNA MAE'S SOUR CREAM PANCAKES
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ree says this makes 12 4-inch pancakes; I got 8 that were closer to 5 inches

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (I swapped some with yogurt when I realized I was short, to no ill-effect)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup (or perhaps some Cranberry Syrup)

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface [See Pancakes 101 for this and other tips], flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.

Classic Roasted Salsa

Last week when we were deciding on the Thanksgiving menu Alden's sister Afton mentioned that we should throw turkey out the window and have lobster instead! The Aikele's had a tradition growing up of eating lobster tacos in Mexico while visiting their grandparents in southern California. I wasn't too keen on the idea because hey, I am a traditionalist. I like my turkey and I am not too hip on sea food. So like most things in life we compromised. Lobster dinner on Wednesday night and turkey dinner on Thursday night. I now have to say... I am a believer. Tortillas stuffed with beans, avocado, homemade salsa, cilantro lime rice, lobster, and drizzled in butter and fresh lime juice.... um yes please. I know, you just caught yourself drooling right? I fear we may have started a tradition, which means the 5 lbs I usually gain at thanksgiving just turned into 10.

*Scroll down to see the recipe for our easy homemade salsa. Who doesn't love dips this time of year anyway?





Classic Roasted Salsa
Recipe via Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients:

* 2 large tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds)
* 1 medium white onion, halved
* 3 jalapenos
* 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat broiler, with rack in top position. Place tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Broil until vegetables are blistered and slightly softened, rotating sheet and flipping vegetables frequently, 6 to 8 minutes (garlic may need to be removed earlier if it is browning too quickly).

3. Discard garlic skins. In a food processor, pulse garlic and vegetables until coarsely pureed. Add lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and pulse to combine.

4. Transfer salsa to a bowl and stir in cilantro. (Refrigerate, up to 3 days, or freeze, up to 3 months.)

* The first time we made this we made it with 3 jalapenos, just like it calls for. Holy Tamoleee it was HOT! And we like hot! I suggest starting with one jalapeno or even half with no seeds if you don't like spicy. Then you can always add more to pump up the volume.

Crépes!

Spring is coming. You know how I can tell? Strawberries are a $1.50 at the grocery store. That has to mean that spring is coming right? Stocking up on fresh berries can only mean one thing.... crépes.... and for dinner none the less!

Here is my favorite super easy crépe recipe that you just throw into the blender(Recipe courtesy my old roommate Courtney). Bon appétit!

4 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
2 T melted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T sugar

mix the wet ingredients then the dry.
Cut the recipe in half for two people... unless you like LOTS of crepes :)

ps. What are your favorite crépe toppings/stuffings?

Weekend Getaway pics

We had a fabulous time on our weekend getaway to the city. We stayed in the heart of Union Square at Hotel Union Square, hailed a cab to a delicious French dinner with live jazz at Cafe Claude and shopped around Union Square for the evening.

My absolute FAVORITE part of our getaway was on Saturday when we walked down to the Ferry Building Marketplace and enjoyed delicious food, live music on the pier, and people watching. Thank you Oh Happy Day for this awesome recommendation. I cannot wait to go back!

And thank you to my sweet husband, Alden. I can't think of anyone I would rather spend the weekend with.

Sushi and a Shoot em Up Movie

Sushi and a shoot em up movie with our friends on one of our last nights in Hawaii. (AND ice cream of course!).