Let Me Entertain You, Let Me Make You Smile...

February 20, 2012 Miranda

Dinner For Two

I felt inspired by a magazine that I recently acquired that is devoted to gatherings. Whether it is a get together for two or twelve, the stories shared in the magazine demonstrate that there is a multitude of ways to make your guest feel special. I had the opportunity to entertain twice this past weekend-purveying artisanal smoked fish from the institution Russ and Daughters for brunch and composing a simple home cooked dinner for a dear friend. Food brings us together and good sustenance usually leads to a great time.

Don't Get Your Coconuts in a Twist

February 13, 2012 Miranda

Recently, I have been feeling highly motivated to experiment with creative vegetarian cuisine. If I had to put a label on my dietary habits, I would fall along the lines of a pescatarian who dabbles in Pio Pio’s deliciously roasted and flavorful chicken and someone who fully embraces the comfort of turkey meatballs on a Sunday night. To find inspiration, I flipped through a lovely cookbook called Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. It is a vegetarian cookbook devoted to wholesome natural recipes. I found the author's philosophy about ingredients and cooking very in tune with my beliefs and was immediately consumed with decisions on which recipe to attempt first.

My Bananas Were Getting Old So....

February 10, 2012 Miranda

I guess I am in a banana bread state of mind or I am not that creative when it comes to figuring out what to do with a bunch of aging bananas-either way I whipped up a whole-wheat banana bread studded with dark chocolate chips and sweetened only with honey. Perfect along side my Siggi's topped with chia seeds.

Banana Bread Pancakes

February 8, 2012 Miranda

I got the craving for pancakes recently, yet wanted to step out of the box (literally and figuratively) and create a healthful and unique version. I uncovered a great recipe for these unconventional and tasty gluten free banana bread pancakes and studded them with blueberries. I got the recipe here (thanks pesto). This is not your traditional fluffy stack, but they put my craving at bay, especially with a decent drizzling of grade A pure maple syrup.

photo taken with instagram

February 2, 2012 Miranda

Moroccan Rainbow Quinoa

Spread the Joy

January 31, 2012 Miranda

The recipe for this pasta dish was given to me by one of my loyal readers (the number of which I can probably count on one hand). It is simple, smooth, and scrumptious, and tastes decadent despite its healthful ingredients. Whipped avocado becomes a creamy and dreamy sauce and was the perfect foundation for my spiced rubbed salmon.

Snowy Morning Breakfast

January 21, 2012 Miranda

Pearled Barley, Parm, Black Pepper, Poached Egg

Taco, Taco Night, I Love it When, its Taco Night

January 19, 2012 Miranda

Sprouted corn tortillas, seared wild grouper, vegenaise crema, salted cabbage, pico de gallo, guac, and organic broccoli sprouts

Curry Lane and French Fry Dreams

January 17, 2012 Miranda

The festive celebrating has continued into January as many of my friends celebrate their birthdays this month…which also means the convivial eating and drinking continues as well. With that in mind, I tried to recreate a light and refreshing salad that I had while on vacation. The salad was called the Simply Grilled and it was from the restaurant Veritas in Vieques. The salad is a variation on a Cobb, but the fresh lightly seasoned fish replaces the greasy fat-laden bacon. To accompany my large salad, I made fries from Delicata Squash. These fries were inspired by a lovely lunch I recently had with a good friend at a vegan restaurant called Peacefood Café on the UWS.

This Sauce is my Crack

January 11, 2012 Miranda

Cooking a whole fish can be intimidating, but in reality it is extremely simple and yields great reward. By cooking the fish whole, you gain more natural flavor and juiciness due to the bone. The salsa verde provided an incredible accompaniment that I could have just eaten by the spoonful. It is a great sauce to have in your repertoire and can be used for literally anything.

Miranda Hammer,

MS, RD, CDN