Garlic and Ginger Edamame

All I wanted was a healthy snack to replace my Britney-Spears-circa 2007-addiction to Cheetos. Luckily for me, I found that snack in these Garlic and Ginger Edamame beans.

They're absolutely perfect for a quick and light snack mid-day, are a perfect portion for 4 people, and great as leftovers the following day, just reheat them in a skillet! Unless, of course, you go through a pound of them while binge watching Hell on Wheels via Netflix.

What You Will Need for 4 Portions: 

- 1lb bag frozen in-shell edamame beans

- 1 T olive oil 

- 1 T butter

- 1 tsp grated or minced garlic

- 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger

- 2 T coarse sea salt or Pyramid Salt

What To Do:

- Boil/Microwave Edamame for 2 minutes or until fully defrosted. Drain and set aside.

- Grate/Mince the garlic and ginger. 

- Heat skillet on Medium High heat, add oil and butter, allow butter to melt. 

- Add the Edamame in and saute on high heat for 3-5 minutes. 

- Throw in the garlic and ginger, toss to cook through for about 1 minute and take off heat.

- Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes, add the crushed coarse salt and serve warm. 

- Don't forget the extra bowl for empty pods! 

Click for Printable Recipe!

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Mini Cherry Pies w/ French Tarragon

Have you ever been invited to a party or dinner with the request "Just bring dessert!" So you end up buying a fruit plate or half-assing your way through a store bought apple pie (I see you with your canned apples).

Now I'm telling you that there's no reason for that. Desserts, especially baked ones, are low on the effort scale and impressive to boot. 

I love this recipe for 2 reasons; 

1. It uses actual, fresh herbs. I find it incredibly rare that a sweet dessert will call for uses of any herbs, let alone Tarragon. 

2. Mini Cherry Pies are just plain adorable. Don't agree? Bring a batch of these to a party and put them next to someone's, aforementioned, store bought apple pie, I promise you'll be going home with an empty plate. 

What You Will Need for Approximately 12 Pies: 

- 2 Pie Crusts

- 1/2 lb of cherries, pitted and chopped

- 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh french Tarragon 

- 2 tbs sugar

- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract 

- 1 egg

- Sugar (for sprinkling)

What To Do: 

- Preheat oven to 375° F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. 

- Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface about 1/8-in thick. Use the top of a glass or cookie cutter to make 24 3 inch circles (work in batches so the dough doesn't get too warm). 

- Combine the chopped cherries, tarragon, sugar and vanilla extract. Avoid doing this too early on as you don't want your cherries to macerate. 

- Place about 1 tbs of the cherry mixture in the middle of each circle, brush the edges with water (you can use your finger for this) and place the second circle on top. Crimp edges or use a fork to seal. 

- Prepare an egg wash with one egg and a few tsp of water, whisk and brush on top of each little pie. 

- Sprinkle with sugar and bake for approximately 30 min, or until golden brown. 

Click Here to Print This Recipe! 

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Quick Tip: Pie Crust

Put down the frozen pie crust...and walk....away. 

I know, I know, it's incredibly easy and convenient to pick up a Sandra Lee Pie Crust from the Frozen section at your local Walmart. And, yes, baking from scratch can be time consuming. 

But I promise you, pie crust is a simple thing to make. Plus, it tastes ten times better than the store bought stuff. (How else are you going to get chunks of cold butter in your crust?). 

What You Will Need for 2 Pie Crusts: 

- 2 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour 

- 8 oz (or 2 sticks) cubed butter, very cold

- 1/2 cup of very cold water 

- 1 tsp salt (kosher is preferred) 

- 1 tbs sugar 

What To Do: 

- If you are using a food processor, you do not need to whisk. Simply combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse to mix. 

- Add in the cold butter. I suggest as cubing your butter and putting it into the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Same with the water! 

- Pulse the butter at 10-20 second intervals until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

- Only now should you take your water out of the fridge and add it to the mixture. Make sure your processor is on a low speed and slowly stream the water in. 

- Your dough should be slightly sticky and not crumbly at all.

- Do try to avoid over mixing, your dough should come together in just a few minutes. Keeping the dough cold is an absolute must. 

- Pat the finished dough into two discs and cover completely with saran wrap. 

- Keep your dough in the fridge (for up to a week) until ready to use. 

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My Take On: Paper Towns by John Green

It would seem that my love-hate relationship with all things John Green, continues.

Reading, to many like myself, is a release, a way to get lost in a different world and fall in love with an array of characters. So you can imagine my disappointment when I spent the majority of the time while reading this book, trying to escape the world of Paper Towns created by John Green.

The book follows John Green's typical writing style; at times heartbreakingly sad and then, immediately and inappropriately, funny. But those waves are far and few between. The characters are mildly interesting, too thinly spread out, and you never find yourself truly attached to any of them.

Paper Towns was, I believe, supposed to be set in  a calm and delicate world, laid back in its people and stories. Instead, it turned out weak and bland. It's a fine line to walk, and this time, John Green lost his balance.

The story itself concentrates on a well-behaved teenage boy, enthralled with an outrageously misbehaved girl, who has been the center of his unanswered affections since they were children. The book runs away rampant with cliches, predictable story lines and so little "action" that at some point you find yourself hoping for the possible death of a character. A character you're supposed to be rooting for!

This is not a book to read if you're looking to think or feel deeply. However, if you are in the market to  to take a break from heavy books, or cleanse your palate, then this may just be the lemon sorbet you're looking for.

"I didn't need you, you idiot. I picked you and then you picked me back."

Buy Paper Towns by John Green here. 

If you're looking for a John Green book that will pull you in and make you feel every ragged edge of your emotions, try The Fault In Our Stars.

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