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RECIPES

RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Caribbean Succotash

Caribbean Succotash

The first hints of fall may be in the air, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for the changing of the seasons. Inspired by a Jamaican recipe in Bon Appétit’s January 2011 issue, I recently whipped up a scrumptious vegan-friendly Caribbean Succotash. Made with a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables, including lima beans, carrots, zucchini, corn and cucumber, this dish is incredibly quick and easy to prepare.

Though the ingredients are fairly simple, what makes this dish extra special is the wonderful combination of fresh thyme, unsweetened coconut milk, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Not sure about you, but I’m clearly not clever enough in the kitchen to dream up that recipe combination! I am, however, clever enough to test and share this recipe with my dear blog readers!

While I don’t want to post the recipe on my blog for copyright reasons, please view it here on Epicurious. I can, however, share a few tips that helped me prepare this recipe. I omitted the onion and red bell pepper due to heartburn issues (boo hoo). I also found it helpful to use frozen lima beans and corn, in addition to pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store to save time. I also opted for light, unsweetened coconut milk to lighten up the dish a bit. My last tip is to chop the cucumber and keep it in a separate tupperware container if you’re planning to enjoy warm leftovers of this dish, as I don’t like the idea of microwaving cucumber.

Tips and swaps aside, the end result was fantastic and I’m sure the original recipe is equally incredible. Creamy with a subtle sweetness from the light coconut milk, the hints of cayenne, nutmeg and fresh thyme really round this dish out. I also love dishes with a good amount of crunch to them and the coconut milk sauce does a nice job of dressing the veggies without rendering them mushy after a few days in the refrigerator. I’ll be making this recipe again the next time I need a tropical boost. Hear that old man winter?

Buon Appetito!

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RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Long Live The Donut Muffin

I take no prisoners when it comes to donut muffins.

There’s a lot to love about Healdsburg, California. From great restaurants, to adorable shops and a variety of wine tasting rooms, it’s a great home base away from more touristy wine country towns. That’s lovely and all, but the real reason why I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Healdsburg is because it’s where the donut muffin and I were first introduced.

Located off Healdsburg’s quaint town center park, the donut muffin is made by the Downtown Bakery & Creamery. Not quite a donut and not quite a muffin, this treat is indulgent without being overly sweet. The flavor is inspired by that of a traditional cake donut with a cinnamon/sugar topping.

Donut muffin magic in progress.

After leaving Healdsburg, I had the brilliant thought to google the Downtown Bakery & Creamery’s donut muffin recipe. Through the magic that is internet search, I found the recipe online and quickly went to work in my tiny Boston kitchen.

The end result? Pretty darn good. I couldn’t figure out how to replicate the crisp outer crust to match the donut muffin from the Downtown Barkery & Creamery, but all of my taste testers seemed very pleased. While the recipe is a little labor intensive, mostly because I wanted to make them as mini muffins, versus large muffins, I found the process worthwhile.

The finished product: mini donut muffins!

Tip: Instead of dipping my mini muffins in melted butter, I used a pastry brush and brushed it on. I also gingerly sprinkled the cinnamon/sugar topping instead of rolling. I initially made them this way to make them lighter, but the end result still tasted indulgent, so I’ll continue to do this going forward.

To view the recipe for the Downtown Bakery & Creamery’s Donut Muffin, click here. Buon Appetito!

For more of my recipes, click here.

RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

Sesame Soba Noodle Salad by Jessica Gioglio

Fun fact: I’m a whiz at stir-frys and noodle salads. I love taking a few simple ingredients and turning them into a decadent, flavorful dish. This noodle salad recipe takes healthy whole wheat soba noodles and dresses them up with a mix of fresh, aromatic flavors including toasted sesame oil, white miso, mint and orange. The result – not your average noodle salad.

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BOSTON, FASHION, FOOD, RECIPES, TRAVEL

Introducing: The SavvyBostonian via Tumblr

Fenway Park by Jessica Gioglio

There’s a new SavvyBostonian in town and she’s set up shop on a brand spanking new Tumblr page! Filled with vibrant photos of Boston, fashion, food, compelling quotes and more, my goal for this site is to make it a daily inspiration page.

Launched nearly two weeks ago, I’ve quickly realized that Tumblr is the perfect place to indulge in my photography obsession. And, indulge I have. From fab fashion bloggers, to foodies, social media strategists, my follower list is eclectic at best. Unfortunately, where I’m lacking is discovering where all of the dynamic Boston-area Tumblr enthusiasts are.

Any Bostonians out there on Tumblr? Know of a cool site I show follow? Leave a comment below with your Tumblr url, or follow my site. I’d love to see how you’re leveraging Tumblr as your personal inspiration page….

http://savvybostonian.tumblr.com/

 

RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Easy Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash by Jessica Gioglio

Simple, yet delicious, roasted butternut squash is a side dish that I’ve been introducing to friends and family members for some time now.  If you enjoy potatoes, or sweet potatoes, you should definitely consider swapping to butternut squash on occasion.  Not only is it flavorful, but it’s also a lot lower in calories than the average potato.  FitSugar.com notes that one cup of butternut squash is 63 calories, while one cup of sweet potatoes is 130 calories.

Nutritional stats aside, butternut squash is a versatile veggie.  From pureeing into a soup, to lightening up breakfast potatoes, perking up a stir-fry, or tossing into a salad, I keep coming up with new ways to leverage my favorite squash.  While I’ll eventually get to sharing all of my incredible squash recipes, I recommend starting simple by roasting the squash with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary.

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