bates teaser | celebration!

#BatesMotel

season 2 back on!

i was so excited to come home to watch one of my favorite shows

last year, i was fortunate enough to get to work with A&E on the second season campaign.

my passion project of last year (along with duck dynasty)

 although we didn't win the bid for the whole campaign, we did get to finish this awesome teaser poster. 

we had the neon "2" build and photographed it in L.A. , which now lives in NYC at the A&E offices

to celebrate the premiere of season 2

i made the yummiest pasta EVER

(all ingredients from sunday's farmers market)

wild mushroom papardelle

(recipe below)

ingredients:

1¼ ounces dried Porcini mushrooms
8 ounces dried or 12 ounces fresh papardelle (wide) noodles
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large Maitake (also called Hen of the Woods) mushroom (about 3.5 ounces), trimmed and petals separated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, plus more for topping
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup (2 ounces) grated pecorino cheese

directions

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl with 2 ½ cups very hot water. Set aside and let soften for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving leftover liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to package directions if using dried noodles, or approximately 4 to 5 minutes for fresh noodles, or until just al dente. You want the pasta to be done at about the same time as the mushroom sauce, so time your cooking accordingly.

Melt butter together with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted and frothy, add shallot and red pepper flakes and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rehydrated mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add Maitake mushroom pieces, stirring until slightly softened and coated in butter, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1/4 cup of reserved mushroom liquid; season with salt and pepper.

Add drained noodles to pan with mushrooms, sprinkle parsley over top, and gently toss until noodles are coated and have absorbed some of the liquid, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among serving bowls, top with a generous sprinkling of pecorino cheese and more parsley (if desired), and serve immediately.

recipe here: www.loveandoliveoil.com/

lamb stir-fry with pomegranate and yogurt

so for the most part i cook vegetarian during the week and allow from some "meaty" splurging on the weekends, but i bought some lamb at the local market, and couldn't wait 2 days to cook it! 

(+ i don't really like waiting over a day to cook meat)

this recipe is just too good not to share

enjoy! and let me know how it turns out for you.

lamb stir-fry with pomegranate and yogurt

makes 4 servings

ingredients

• 2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp paprika

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1½ lb boneless leg of lamb, thinly sliced against the grain

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (i didn't have any and white wine vinegar worked just fine)

• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided

• kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

• ½ cup plain greek yogurt

• 1 medium red onion, cut into ½" wedges

• cooked rice for serving (i made jasmine rice--my fave!!)

• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds 

• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios (i couldnt use these because the beaux is allergic)

• fresh oregano, mint, and/or cilantro leaves 

directions

toast cumin and coriander seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. let cool, then finely chop (i just stuck them in my food processor for a couple mins on chop mode -- i'm lazy, i know). toss lamb and cumin, coriander, paprika , garlic, vinegar, and 2 tbsp oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper. cover and chill 15 mins.

whisk yogurt and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat). working in batches, cook lamb, tossing occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

add onion to skillet and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown and soften, about 3 minutes. add ½ cup water; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender and water is evaporated, about 3 minutes. return lamb to skillet and toss to combine. season with salt and pepper.

server lamb over rice. topped with yogurt, pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and herbs.

calories: 420 fat: 36g 

recipe adapted from bon appetit

peanut butter banana cream pie

all i can say is... i love extra days off work.

honey-roasted peanut butter banana cream pie 

(and get this--no bake!)

ingredients

(for crust)

• 8 oz chocolate wafer cookies (i used teddy grahams!)

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

(for filling)

• 10 oz (2 cups) honey roasted peanuts

• 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 cups heavy cream

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

directions

(for crust)

• crush cookies in a food processor until finely ground 

• transfer to a bowl and stir in brown sugar

• add butter and mix until evenly incorporated

• press into the bottom of a 9in spring form pan (or you can use a 9in pie pan)

• freeze crust until filling is ready

(for filling)

place peanuts in a blender (or food processor) and turn machine on lowest speed, gradually increase (you may have to stop the blender every now and then to scrap the sides). mix until the peanut butter begins to flow freely from the blades. transfer the peanut butter to a large bowl, scraping as much of the peanut bugger out as you can. 

don't worry about cleaning the blender at this point. add banana chunks and honey. turn to the lowest speed and then increase for about 1 minute or until the banana is liquefied. pour into bowl with peanut butter and stir to combine

wash and dry the blender to remove any residual peanut butter. you want to be sure it is very clean at this point so your cream will whip up properly.

add cream, sugar, and vanilla to blender. turn to the lowest speed, then increase for about 10 seconds. watch very carefully, the second the top of the cream stops moving, turn off the mixer immediately. over-mixing will result in butter rather than whipped cream.

stir the whipped cream in the blender to even out the consistency. remove about 1 cup of cream and set aside to use as a garnish later. add about half of the remaining whipped cream into peanut butter mixture; fold to incorporate and lighten the filling. fold in the remaining whipped cream until smooth.

pour filling into prepared crust, smoothing top with an offset spatula or butter knife. spoon or pipe remaining whipped cream in a decorative manner around the edges of the pie.  if using a springform pan, cover the entire thing with aluminum foil (without touching the cream). if using a pie pan, leave it uncovered. refrigerate or freeze for 1-2 hours or until set or frozen. (if frozen let it come to room temperature for 10-15mins before serving.

recipe adapted from love & olive oil

Barley, Cauliflower, and Herbs with Burrata

oh boy you guys don't even KNOW!

i'm feeling generous tonight and gifting you healthy, yummy goodness

something sooo good you'd probably pay top dollar at a fancy-shmancy restaurant.

so without further ado, i share with you a recipe that you must try...

barley, cauliflower, and herbs with burrata

ingredients:

1/2 cup pearl barley

1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup finely chopped celery hearts

1/4 cup finely chopped celery leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley stems

1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

2 tbsp champagne vinegar (or white vinegar)

8 oz burrata, torn

1 tbsp creme friache

coarsely ground black pepper

directions:

preheat oven to 350°. cook barley in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender (about 15-20 mins). drain and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet; let cool.

meanwhile, toss breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp olive oil on another rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. bake, tossing once, until golden brown (10-12 mins); let cool. (i used japanese panko breadcrumbs)

bring milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; season with salt. add cauliflower and cook until just softened (about 3 mins); drain well. discard milk.

toss cauliflower, barley, breadcrumbs, shallot, celery hearts, celery leaves, parsley, parsley stems, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar in a bowl (i used orange champagne vinegar from trader joe's -- so good!). season salad with salt.

mix burrata and creme friache in a medium bowl; season with salt. divide burrata mixture among plates, drizzle with olive oil and top with barley salad; season with pepper

I ALWAYS recommend buying as much of your produce from a local farmers market. it tastes better, i swear!.. and you're supporting local famers and businesses :)

*adapted from bon appetit january magazine

mexican chicken chili verde lasagna

last night i made one of the best things i've ever made.

mexican chicken chili verde lasagna

so good that it'd be a shame not to share with you!

i've subscribed to the fresh 20

which is a site that provides 5 recipes for the week

...and all you need are 20 fresh ingredients

its perfect for those of us who enjoy to cook, and even those who find it to be a chore

and everything is healthy... and GOOD... and fairly simple to make

imagine that.

anyway, if you want the recipe, go over and sign up for the fresh 20

you won't be sorry i promise!

jalapeño cheddar waffles with fried egg

i woke up in the best mood on this beautiful saturday

its sunny, its bright, its 76 degrees at 9:30 in the morning...

i wanted to fix up something colorful and yummy to kickstart this weekend

and here you have it

jalapeño cheddar waffles with fried egg

it has all the pizzaz to compliment this morning

happy weekend!

recipe from: easty

i finally made banana bread!

 banana bread is one of my favorites!

today, while taylor and i were sofa shopping

we wondered by the baking section of crate & barrel

and i finallyyy got a bread pan

i have to say, for the first time baking banana bread,

it was pretty darn good

moist, rich banana & nut flavors and chocolate-y goodness

i didnt even use butta!

what you need:

1 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 ripe bananas, smashed

1 egg

3/4 cups greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional -- my secret touch)

what you do:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease a large loaf pan

2. mix together bananas, egg, greek yogurt, vanilla and sugar.

3. gradually stir in the pastry flour, baking powder and salt.

4. add in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts (optional)

5. evenly pour batter into the pan about 3/4 full. bake for 45 minutes  or until toothpick comes out clean. cool completely before removing and cutting.

some new year recipes

i don't think it is any secret that i love to cook.. love! and one of my new year goals is to try a new recipe every week.  the list goes on and on and on, but here are a few things i'd like to try in the near future. 

1. creamy mushroom sauce

2. milk chocolates chunk cookie with pink sea salt

3. new england clam chowder

4. short ribs tagliatelle

5. chocolate birthday cake

6. warm butternut squash & chickpea salad with tahini dressing

7. chocolate peanut butter torte

8. handmade ice cream cones

9. orange pancakes

stay tuned for pictures and successes (and hopefully no failures...)

waffle festivities

a cloudy morning called for a small celebration

and what better way to celebrate a cozy morning 

than with some comfort food

last week taylor picked out a delicious white peach at the farmers market

yes, thats right, only one

the golden one

one out of a million

so we chopped it up and threw it on top of a good ol' waffle

with some greek yogurt and a touch of whipped cream

and mmm mmm it was yummy

starting off the day right

.... i have a feeling today is going to be a good one!

summer blueberry cobbler

 well hello there

its been a while

...i've missed you!

so as a gift of my long absence i share with you this a.m.a.z.i.n.g. blueberry cobbler recipe that i decided to try from the latest bon apetit magazine. berries are at their peak right now and i couldnt pass up the opportunity to do something delicious with 2lbs of blueberries from the farmers market!

what you need:

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 tbsp plus 1 cup sugar

1 1/2  tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp creme fraiche (or sour cream)

6 cups fresh blueberries (about 2lbs)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

what you do:

preheat oven to 375 degrees. whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. add butter; using your fingertips, incorporate until only pea-size lumps remain. gently mix in creme fraiche. knead in bowl until a biscuit-like dough forms, 5-7 turns (over-mixing will make dough tough).

combine remaining 1 cup sugar, remaining 3 tbsp flour, berries, juice and zest in a large bowl. toss to coat. pour into 8x8x2 glass baking dish or divide among six 6-oz ramekins. tear biscuit topping into quarter-size crumbles; scatter over berries. 

bake cobbler until juices are thick and bubbling and topping is cooked through and deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes for ramekins or 45-50 minutes for baking dish. let cook for at least 1 hour.

this was the perfect summer treat to a beautiful sunday.

today taylor and i did our usual:

farmers market, beach day, cook a yummy dinner on the bbq

... and last will be hbo's true blood and newsroom

i hope you have a great rest of your sunday!!

blog of a blog

my dearest friends

i started another, new blog!

i have folders and folders of photography on my desktop that inspire me

recipes that i'd love to try

diy projects im ready to jump on

and architecture that i admire

...so i decided to put them all in one place

please check out my new site:

http://mollykins.tumblr.com/

i hope to inspire in the way i'm inspired everyday

...if only i could get paid to blog and tweet (@chelsea_lyn) all day 

hmmm

french toast friday!

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french toast friday, back in action!

i'm loving how bright and sunny it is in the morning

i was up by 6am ready to cook up something delicious!

today i made good ol' french toast from my regular recipe

but threw in some of my espresso and served with farmers market cut strawberries

and homemade whipped cream (mmmmm)

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i'm actually excited for "spring forward" tomorrow night

spring is my favorite season and for me, this marks the start of it

there's so much to look forward to in the coming months

grilled cheese festival, taylor's 26th birthday, trip(s) to san francisco and, best of all, longer days!

happy happy friday my dearest friends!

cookies and cream cookies

i have been on a baking frenzy the past couple of weeks! 

i love the lingering smell of freshly baked cookies that fills our home

i find cooking and baking very therapeutic

nothing makes me happier than conquering a recipe

and watching other people marvel in its yummy goodness

last night i made "cookies n' cream" cookies 

brown sugar cookies with chunks of oreo and mini marshmallows

im thinking next time ill sandwich two cookies together with cream filling (like a moon pie) 

milks favorite cookie just got a little better!