Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Are you super lazy and want to impress people with a recipe that looks like you spent a long time making it? Do you like zucchini? Do you like things that taste sort of like french fries? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I highly recommend that you check out this easy recipe especially if you are having people over or are going to a pot luck (real talk, I haven't been to a pot luck in forever! Someone should throw one). 

So this recipe is from Smitten Kitchen which is acting as my holy grail for food ideas right now. Check it out:

Instead of buying a carton of egg whites you can just use regular eggs and separate the yolks from the shell if you are either:

A. Not in the mood to go to the store

or

B. A cooking bad ass 

 

Just slice that baby up.

 

Bathing zucchini circles in egg whites is only semi-gross. Promise. Because then you get to coat them in your lovely Panko/Parmesan/Pepper/Salt mixture!

 

Make sure to coat both sides!

 

 Arrange them attractively on a cookie sheet and toss them in the oven. Half way through turn them over so they brown evenly. If any of the coating comes off sprinkle some more on.

 

You want them to be brown and crispy so that they have a nice crunch to them.

Now aren't you fancy?

Cornmeal-Berry Sheet Cake/Bastille Day

My grandmother doesn't like anything made with cornmeal. She finds it gritty. I personally love anything that includes it in its recipe. There is something that feels so comforting and home-y in the texture and the taste.

This recipe for cornmeal-berry sheet cake comes from Martha Stewart, someone I highly revere and adore and wish desperately that I could claim as a relative. I'm sure Martha had nothing but patriotic intentions for this cake, as when served with whipped cream it is red, white and blue. I may have made this cake almost two weeks too late for July 4th, but I did make it just in time for an equally rad holiday, Bastille Day (Bonne Bastille mes petites choux)!

 

Realistically I bet that you could make this recipe using any fruit that you wanted, but I loved how summery it felt to use berries and the juicy sweetness that they gave to the cake.

 

Unintentional smiley face in the dry ingredients : )

 

I love using a mixer because:

1. When I mix things by hand I can never get out all the lumps!

2. I feel incredibly grown up and responsible using one. 

 

Red, white(ish) and blue! Vive la France (and all the other countries that have red white and blue flags: America, the UK, Australia, Bermuda, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Iceland, Laos, Russia etc...)!!!

 

 So it was insanely delicious with whipped cream for dessert and would also make a lovely petit dejeuner without it. If you have any ideas for what I should make in the future don't be afraid to comment! Have a great week and stay tuned for my next post!

-Lily

Pasta With Pancetta & Tomatoes

I love pasta. No, like I LOVE pasta. Like, if I could eat any one food forever, it would be a pasta party 24/7. It also doesn't help that my friend Erin is currently studying abroad in Rome and has been telling me about the delicious pasta and pizza that she is having there. So naturally when I saw this recipe for pasta with pancetta, tomatoes, and ricotta, I knew what I was making for dinner tonight! 

 

I loved that this recipe didn't call for too many ingredients. Simple dishes always feel so elegant!

 

The pancetta, tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper, and garlic made my kitchen smell incredible. 

 

I also enjoyed how aesthetically pleasing this meal turned out to be! The tomatoes and pancetta combined with the scallions and mint was such a pretty combination. Red and green are complementary colors you know...(thank you basic art knowledge/ my DC274 class!)

  This recipe is forever bookmarked in my computer now. It was one of the easiest and most delicious pasta dishes that I have ever made. 10/10, would make again. All that was missing was a glass of white wine. Ah well, next time!

-Lily

First Post/Green Pea Hummus

I tried this blogging thing two summers ago and it went pretty well until I lost all motivation...So in the spirit of new beginnings, I thought I might try it again. Therefore, hi. Hey. Hello. Welcome. I'm doing another summer blog thing! It's probably going to consist of me cooking things and documenting it plus summer experiences and links to things I really like.

I'm calling this blog MidWest Coast because it's a combination of my two current locations in the world, Los Angeles and Chicago.

This first post is about green pea hummus. 

I found the recipe while reading my favorite blog ever A Cup Of Jo. Since recently coming back from Israel I have been super in to hummus (you would think that I would be so sick of it, but no)! So here is how I made this refreshing and summery dip.

 Ingredients! Did you know that they have stopped selling Tahini at Ralphs?? They sell like six different kinds at Whole Foods however...

 

Three cheers for my Ninja food processor/ Matching nail color!

 

Tip: Make sure your peas are not totally frozen! They are easier to process and your hummus will not be positively freezing if they are closer to room temperature.

 

Obviously I paired my hummus with pita chips, but this would go well with anything. The result is a lime-y, mint-y spread that keeps well when refrigerated.  

It was simple to make and now I can say that I have made my own hummus! How very Gwyneth. More to come soon. I have a lot of recipes that I want to make this summer, lots of museums and farmers markets to visit, music to talk about, things to see, places to go...stay tuned!

-Lily