Goat cheese is a guilty pleasure- it’s creamy saltiness amplified when added to delicate produce like tomatoes or roasted beets. This summer dish only requires five ingredients, and the hands-on cooking time is minimal. Also, don’t expect this to be the last beet recipe I post – I’ve been craving these things throughout my entire pregnancy and can’t seem to get enough! Could be worse, right?

Sunflower Oil Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Glaze (serves 4)

• 4-5 medium red beets, cut into bite-size chunks
• 6 oz herb goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• Balsamic glaze for drizzling
• Pink Himalayan salt, to taste (ground sea salt second best option)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spread your beet chunks on a metal baking sheet, drizzle with sunflower oil and gently toss with your hands to evenly coat. Your hands will look like you’ve just done surgery on someone, but that’s what soap and water are for. Roast beets in oven for 20 minutes, then toss again, this time with a spoon. Bake for 20 more minutes. Divide the beets onto four plates. Evenly divide the goat cheese, sprinkling ample amounts on top of beets. Grind salt on top, to taste. Drizzle balsamic glaze on side of plate or on top of beets.

Easy. So… I need more ways to cook beets now. Make a pregnant lady’s day and post your favorite way to cook them below!

I made this  salad from Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s New York restaurant ABC Kitchen after Men’s Journal published the recipe. It’s an understatement to say it’s an instant house favorite! My husband has requested we eat it everyday this week, and so literally, we are. Thought I would share it since it’s not yet available on mensjournal.com. Plus, kale has so many powerful health benefits, it’s nice to find tasty ways to incorporate it into your repertoire.

We prefer a lot of tweaks… I left out the croutons off to make it healthier. I also found it worked well without the olive oil, a little less of the sunflower oil and only a 1/2 teaspoon of salt (the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons!). I strongly suggest switching to whole grain mustard for the dressing (just leave out the food processing step so the bitter grains don’t get ground, ruining the taste balance). Here is the unedited Men’s Journal version so you can do as you’d like:

Kale Salad with Lemon, Serranos & Mint (serves 4)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 5 tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, halved length-wise
• 1 1/2 inch-long piece of serrano pepper from stem side
• 5 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• Pinch finely ground pepper
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon

Croutons

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 slices sourdough bread, crust removed, cut into 1/8-inch cubes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Pinch freshly ground pepper

Salad

• 2 bunches lacinato kale, washed and dried, stems removed, cut in bite-size ribbons
• 16 medium mint leaves cut into small ribbons
• 12 extremely thin slices serrano pepper
• 1/2 cup dressing
• Fresh cracked pepper

Step One:

For the dressing, combine red-wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, serrano pepper, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor. Puree and then, with blade still turning, slowly drizzle in the oils. Then add the lemon zest.

Step Two:

For the croutons, heat a medium saute pan with oil until smoking; add bread and saute until all sides of the croutons are golden. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Three:

Prepare the kale by removing center stems, either with a knife or by holding the stem end in one hand and stripping the leaves off the stem with the other. Discard the stems. Stack the leaves in a neat pile and, holding them steady, slice crosswise into very thin (1/8-inch) ribbons.

Step Four:

In a mixing bowl, combine the kale, mint, serrano slices and dressing and mix well. “Dress the salad ten minutes before you eat it”, Vongerichten says. This gives the lemon juice, mustard and salt time to tenderize the kale. Serve on four plates topped with croutons, garnished with lemon zest and freshly cracked black pepper.

This is an effortless, fresh recipe to throw together if you need to bring a dish to a grill out. Made this last just last weekend and was sad I didn’t have any leftovers to take home! Double the recipe for a larger gathering.

• 2 cup Israeli couscous
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves ~ minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 oz or more crumbled feta
• Pint and a half grape tomatoes ~ halved or quartered
• Cup and a half fresh basil ~ chopped
• Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
• Time: 20 minutes

Heat one tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Stir couscous until aromatic and/or a bit brown, just a couple of minutes. Add broth or water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Transfer couscous to a bowl, tossing with lemon juice, garlic and remaining olive oil and let cool. Once cool, add tomato, basil, salt and pepper.

• Popsicle molds – We love blending a pineapple and making popsicles. It’s easy to grab when I crave sugar and my daughter thinks it’s candy. Amazon has a fun selection of molds, most for under $10. When looking for recipes, a good rule of thumb is, if it tastes good as a smoothie, it will taste good as a popsicle (there are far more smoothie recipes floating about than popsicle recipes!). These are the best sicle-specific I’ve found so far.

• High-quality, clear storage containers – Pyrex makes my pantry look pretty, easily displaying all of the whole foods, snacks and whole grains we keep. I keep a piece of chalk in the same cabinet to scribe on the lid what’s inside. I’m also able to dice fresh veggies and salad toppings at the beginning of the week so assembling a healthy omelet or lunch isn’t as much work. Lastly, a big-batch recipe can be stored all week for meals. I stress the HIGH-QUALITY storage container because the flimsy ones break down after a few washes and the seal isn’t as effective.

• Plentiful spice rack – You can’t use butter, salt and sugar to make healthy food taste great, at least not much of them. That burden falls on spices and herbs, and the more you have, the more creative you can get trying out-of-the-box recipes and your own concoctions. You’ll use your spices more if they’re in reaching distance of your stove, so pick a good drawer or make sure you get a rack you can proudly display on the counter.

• Mandolin – My husband loves chips, so getting away from processed foods meant breaking up with the Doritos bag. Imagine my delight when I found this make-your-own-chip contraption for him over Christmas! We use the included mandolin to slice sweet potatoes, apples, beets and lots of other produce for chipification. It’s also great for cheese and quickly slicing veggies for other recipes.

• Food choppers – Is it just me, or do 90% of healthy recipes require garlic? I spend so much time chopping and mincing. Then, last week, I used my sister-in-law’s garlic chopper and immediately realized how much easier life could be. Mine’s on it’s way (thanks, Amazon). A quick Google showed me life could get even sweeter – herb rollers and other food choppers? Talk dirty.

• High-powered blender – Everyone who owns a Vitamix sounds like a spokesperson for the company. Let me be the next: the difference between my crappy ex-blender and the $400 Vitamix is amazing. I can actually blend things now (a testament to how crappy my former blender was), make smoothies, pestos, soups, salad dressings, and much more. Eating fresh food is half of the battle of eating healthy, and this handy-dandy contraption makes it a lot more interesting.

• Good knives – I know this, because my knives suck. Every time I cook at my in-laws house, I’m reminded how much easier life is with good knives. So learn from my mistakes: invest in good, highly-rated cutlery and never, ever put it in the dishwasher! Good Housekeeping has a few good tips if you don’t know where to start.

• Bowl – You may have heard that displaying fruit and healthy snacks makes you more likely to eat them. Began doing it in my house 3 months ago, and it’s so true! Especially with my toddler, who will eye a piece of fruit for snack before anything else.

What kitchen tools do you find make healthy living easier?

It wasn’t long ago we were teenagers, smuggling Boone’s Farm and Goldschlager to drink straight from the bottle. In college, we took the class level up a notch: a nice display of $5 vodka, Mardi Gras beads and cute shot glasses we’d collected on spring break. Post grad was a little better… a few good staples to fill the liquor cabinet and a couple of bottles of wine. But now we’re grownups, and it’s time to badassify our home bar. I mean really badassify it with the highest quality liquors.

For this task, I needed an expert. Brock Schulte is an award-winning mixologist (fancy word for bartender, anyone?). He was featured in GQ magazine for the Bombay Sapphire competition, heads up the Drum Room Lounge in downtown Kansas City’s iconic Hilton President and is about to compete in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic and Paris of the Plains competitions. The point is, he’s an authority on this issue and just trust what he says already. Here’s how he recommends we build out the bar in our new house. Take note of what you’ll need if you want to upgrade too:

• A “good” vermouth: To Schulte, this means anything but Martini de Rossi. Dolin, both in sweet and dry, is best. Schulte says most people forget to chill vermouth, a must since it is a wine product that will go bad.
• Quality bitters: Bitters is added to drinks for a nice, bitter undertone. Angostura is high-quality, but Schulte says if you can find Jerry Thomas Own Decanter Bitters, you’ll be golden. The bitters was first concocted by (you guessed it) Jerry Thomas, one of the first bartenders to write and publish recipes back during the Gold Rush – a man considered the father of American mixology.
• Vodka: Ketel One is a must. If you have more money to throw at your vodka stash, consider adding Shpilka or Van Gogh varieties. Van Gogh specializes in flavored vodkas – double espresso being one of my personal favorites.
• Rum: Schulte prefers Plantation or Sailor Jerry over Captain for mixed drinks. Expand on the basics with a sipping rum like Smith & Cross Navy Proof.
• Gin: I just learned that any noteworthy bar has Hendricks, so… get some of that. If you need to save a little money, refill the bottle with Uncle Val’s, which our expert says tastes the same for half the price. You’ll also need Tanqueray to round out your gin display.
• Tequila: El Jimador is Mexico’s #1 selling tequila, and who knows tequila better than Mexico? Herradura Silver and Dos Lunas are also reputable brands for your cabinet. If you’ve got more to spend, the Granddaddy of sipping tequilas will take your bar to the upper echelon: Don Julio 1942, according to Schulte.
• Whiskey: You’ll need at least one of each category if you plan on entertaining whiskey drinkers: an Irish, a bourbon and a rye. Jameson is the Irish staple. Bourbon calls for Four Roses Yellow Label. Lastly, there are plenty of nice ryes to choose from, including Templeton (made in my home state of Iowa since prohibition), Rittenhouse or Old Overholt.
• Scotch: Any of Balvenie‘s line will add sex appeal to your setup. Bruichladdich, Red Breast or Middleton are also good main-stays. Expand your stash with a smokier scotch like Lagavulin.
• Cordials: Many people like drinks with Kahlua and Bailey’s, so stock up. Schulte says Averna can be used for a chocolatey taste for those who don’t like their drinks overly sweet. Many of the classic cocktails that are coming back call for Campari or Aperol, which are apertifs that can be served alone or used in a sweeter drink. All have a place in your new, badass bar.
• Simple syrup: Mixology is back to it’s roots with fresh cocktails (i.e., minus the soda). Keeping simple syrup on hand is a must if you want to serve classic cocktails or any new twist on them. You can buy this, but it’s so easy to make, why would you? Boil equal parts water and sugar, allow to cool. Store, chilled, for up to three weeks or until it begins to recrystallize.
• Fresh fruit and garnish: Schulte says a huge drink trend are drinks with fresh-squeezed juices. Plus, what drink doesn’t look better with a fresh sprig of garnish springing from it’s belly? Obviously fresh garnishes go bad quickly, so buy when needed. Keep kosher salt, olives and cherries in the cupboard at all times.
• Tools: Shaker with strainer, martini, jigger (meaures liquor), long cocktail spoon and glassware are standard. Add in a muddler if you’re really into perfecting your presentation – it will come in handy with fresh mint cocktails and such. A juicer or citrus reamer will make the most of your fresh-squeezed juice cocktails.
• This book: “The Joy of Mixology” by Gary Regan – a full education on cocktails, including history and recipes. It’s everything you need to know to take full advantage of your new bar!

So, there you have it. Now all we need is a lot of extra money so we can get this thing done. Donations welcome for this good cause, especially if you’re our frequent guest. Kidding (kind of).

I’m going to the Iowa State Fair this week. It’s tradition. It’s also one of “1000 Things to See Before You Die” according to author Patricia Schultz (and not just because of the absurdity you’ll find in people-watching) . Millions come from all over the world for the massive spectacle and of course, the over 200 foods on-a-stick.

It’s the one day a year I’ll actually stomach a deep fried candy bar or indulge in a guinea grinder. But this year, there’s new competition to rival the funnel cakes and crab fritters: healthy food. Whaaaatttt??? Does this mean I have no excuse to deviate??? What is the fair COMING TO????

Kidding aside, I’m super excited that I’ll be able to have a salad-on-a-stick after my bacon-wrapped, deep-fried corn dog and chocolate chip cookie dough pop. If you’re going to the fair and looking to keep your head above the grease, check out their website for a complete list of vendors and dishes. They even compiled a list of gluten-free eats! Just know you’ll be missing out on that special once-a-year self-loathing and that can only come from fair food.
Ok. We’re off to try to milk a cow, see a butter statue and see some live music. See you on the other side.

No, Hy-Vee isn’t paying me money to write this. In fact, I got a call back to be in one of the Curtis Stone commercials, but didn’t make the final cut (true story), so if anything I should be really bitter (insert smiley face). Back to the subject. Yesterday I walked into Hy-Vee and immediately ran into a sample stand. Score. One bite of the watermelon salsa and I knew I had to make it at home. The happy Hy-Vee dietician even had the recipe printed out for me. If you want to make it too just combine:

• 2 cups diced watermelon
• 1 cup diced strawberries
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 diced jalapeno
• …and serve it with tortilla chips. Even better second day.

On with the story. I was looking up this recipe to share on Twitter when I realized that my own, Iowa-based grocery chain has become a recipe resource! They have really healthy ideas, stuff for the budget-minded, even things for those with special diets (gluten-free for instance). Curtis Stone’s recipe additions aren’t as healthy, but look pretty tasty. Also, the weekly menus have cute little tabs so you can choose from weight-controlled, diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy and regular (whatever that is suppose to mean). Anyway, just a heads up in case you, like me, are getting a little tired of perusing the same recipe websites every week. The thing that really got me was that you could add the ingredients to your grocery list and the recipe to your recipe box if you like it. Damn Hy-Vee and their successful marketing tactics. They’d better give me an a part in their next commercial for writing such a glowing review.

Brock Schulte is up and coming in the national mixology scene, and I don’t just think that because we’re related. After winning Bombay Sapphire’s Most Inspired Bartender Kansas City 2010, he went to the national competition and was featured in GQ Magazine. He now serves up inspired cocktails at Kansas City’s Manifesto and Rieger Hotel & Exchange. Despite his busy schedule, he was nice enough to come up with a great summer recipe for this blog that he says will pack some punch (100 proof whiskey will do that), go well with most summer dinners and be perfect for entertaining. Here is how you make his cocktail of the moment, “Seamless”:

2 oz Ritthouse 100 Rye Whiskey
.5 oz Luxardo Marachino Liquor
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Simple Syrup
5 dashes Peychauds Bitters

Agitate vigorously in a shaker and serve on the rocks with a a lemon wedge garnish.

I loved the balance of the drink. I’m going to serve it with one over-sized ice cube like he did so the ice won’t melt at my next outdoor function (it also looks cooler than regular ice). This cocktail’s ingredients are used in many other classic cocktails, so they will be great additions to your bar. If you’d like to make your own simple syrup, Schulte says you boil equal parts sugar and water, letting cool before using or storing. Enjoy…

The old Lulu’s space on Southwest Boulevard is back – this time as a vegetarian oasis otherwise known as Cafe Gratitude. The California eatery’s third location (and first out of state) is a positive, refreshing space with organic food that will entertain the palate, even make the most meat-hungry carnivore forget the meat is missing.

Some might find it too hippie with menu selections titled “I am Beautiful”, or my favorite, a kid’s dish called “I am a Winner” (delicious by the way- a blend of cashew mozzarella and quinoa that my daughter and I took down together). But after you get past the slight cheesiness of affirmation-named food, its a relaxing, rejuvenating experience that won’t have you popping tums as you leave.

I asked our server for the best thing on the menu. I got “I am Transformed”, soft corn tortilla tacos with pistachio nacho cheese, brown rice, guacamole, black beans, salsa fresca and a side salad of spicy greens. I’ve thought about it every day since – the perfect, light combination of ingredients in portions that left me satisfied yet still mobile. While I ate, my daughter was entertained by the abundance of pillows lining our pew seating. She also loved the hazelnut milk.

Because this gem sits just blocks from our loft and serves breakfast/lunch/dinner, we’ve been ordering from there often. My favorite concoction since the tacos was a slice of German chocolate cake, which was perfectly balanced, even for someone who doesn’t like coconut.

We definitely recommend this brand new restaurant. Follow them on Twitter or on Facebook for weekly updates including their produce shipments from local farms, which will get your mouth watering before you even read the menu.

Brussel Sprout Skewers

This is the only way I can palate brussel sprouts, and man are they delectable this way! I like them sliced in half with a light basting of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I also like to vary the skewers with petals of vidalia onion, chunks of sweet or bell peppers, mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes or cauliflower. I think the key to making this a filling and tasty meal is charred vegetables edges and pairing them with a light bulgar or quinoa-based salad. It also helps to have a hearty white wine to wash it all down.

Eggplant, Lentil and Bulgar Salad

Speak of the devil… While meal planning this morning (have I mentioned I was meal planning this morning?), I realized I have a crazy amount of bulgar to get rid of. My awesome googling skills landed me this recipe, which looks healthy, delicious, and most importantly, also helps me use up those dam lentils that have been sitting next to the bulgar for months now.

Poblano, Pepper Jack and Avocado Pizza

I don’t care how commercial Rachel Ray is, her magazine always makes my mouth water the minute it hits my mailbox. This pizza just screams freshness. Don’t those decorative lime wedges beg for a corona?

Black Bean, Corn and Cilantro Dip

I’ve got to hand it to my mom – she’s been finding and tweaking some really good recipes lately! This is one of those dips you find yourself standing next to at a party because it’s so addicting. Mix together 2 cans of rinsed black beans, one can of white shoe peg corn, one chopped beefsteak tomato, 1/2 cup cilantro, 6 tablespoons each of olive oil and fresh-squeezed lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin and garlic salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips. It’s even better second day.

Linguine with Chickpeas and Arugula

I will try any recipe with arugula. It’s like my crack. I have no idea what this tastes like, but I’m making it tonight because I’m dying to find out!

Berry Trifle

Even though this is technically a Weight Watchers recipe, prepare to lay like a glutton on the couch for an hour afterward, because you are most definitely going to overeat once you taste this fluffy perfection. My mom made this recipe this weekend and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Ever.