Food For Thought Thursdays: Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwich

Make no mistake about it, I'm a carnivore. My tastes typically lean towards fresh fish and poultry however a great steak has its place at my table. That being said, I also love my veggies; steamed, grilled or roasted like in this recipe from The Kitchen Sink. Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable & Goat Cheese Sandwich
1/2 baguette, sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 ounces goat cheese
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
several basil leaves
handful of baby spinach or arugula

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Toss the sliced pepper, zucchini and onion with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and browned.

On the cut side of one baguette half, spread the goat cheese, pile up the roasted vegetables and top with the basil and greens. Top with the remaining baguette half.

I saw these over on InStyle Weddings and had to share! For those who think outside the box (my favorite type of client, btw), these invitations by Bliss Weddings Market are so clever. Think bachelor party, birthday party or even wedding invites. Definitely not for ultra formal fetes but absolute fun for something more casual.

Sparkling Bubbles

I went to a little gathering over the weekend where I was introduced to the most divine cocktail I'd had in a while. It's called Nuvo, the world's first sparkling vodka, courtesy of France. Yes darlings, that's right...sparkling vodka. Now, I'm not a vintner so I won't get into how make sparkling vodka but I do know my taste buds and they were loving me! Not only is this liquor fabulous but it is clearly marketed towards women. Do you see this bottle?! All subtle curves and femme pink...If I didn't know any better I'd think it was perfume. Serve it over ice in an equally fabulous champagne flute and enjoy it with your girlfriends. Perfect for a bridal shower, bachelorette party or a girl's night in. Enjoy!

Friday's Escape: The Setai, South Beach

I don't know if I've mentioned this to you before or not, but South Beach is my fav weekend getaway here in the States. Every time I go, I hate to get on the plane for that return flight. Miami has the power to always put me in a great mood, start to finish. It's one of those cities where you can have a myriad of experiences: the trendy beach, see and be seen, nightclub, family time, passion-filled romance or even much needed alone time. One of my favorite hotels is The Setai . It can best be described as serene luxury. You'll definitely enjoy yourself. Happy Weekend!

The property's courtyard
Suite living room

Penthouse Suite Ocean view
One of the hotel's pools
The restaurant at The Setai

Food For Thought Thursdays: Seared Scallops

Hi Everyone! It's full-on summer and the last thing you should be doing is slaving over a hot stove. So, with that in mind, I found something rather light and quick and oh so tasty! Scallops should be readily available and fresh. Serve with a well chilled white wine. Enjoy!

Seared Scallops with Spicy Honey-Citrus Glaze
Bon Appetit, September 2007
Glaze:
1/2 cup orange blossom honey
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
4 tsps finely grated lemon peel
2 tsps finely grated lime peel
1 tsp hot chilli sauce (such as sambal olek) or a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes

12 -16 Dry-Packed Sea Scallops (approx 1 1/3 pounds)
Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Warm, stirring to incorporate all the ingredients. When heated through, remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Clean the scallops removing the tough tendon from the meat. Pat dry.

Thirty (30) minutes prior to grilling, toss the scallops with the room temperature glaze. Pre-heat your grill over medium high heat.

For this recipe you want to protect the scallops from direct contact with the grill, so either use a fish grilling pan or fold a large sheet of aluminum foil in half, spray with PAM and grill the scallops on top of the foil.

Grill the scallops for approximately 90 seconds per side. Serve with a light salad or steamed rice.

From Mama Gena's Lips...

I was checking my email this afternoon and found a note from Mama Gena. For the unfamiliar, Regena Thomashauer (better known as Mama Gena) is in the business of female empowerment. Ms. Thomashauer is all about showing women how to enjoy life to the fullest at her school in New York. Who can argue with that? I really liked this particular letter and wanted to share it with you...Enjoy!

"I had a Sister Goddess regale me with this story the other day. She had to go to a friend's birthday party in the City. She and her housemate were happily nestled in their beach house in the Hamptons and the thought of going into the city was about as enticing as going to the dentist! But they love the birthday gal, dearly. So, what's a Sister Goddess to do? Figure out a way to make it pleasurable and FUN! This was just the spark to get them moving.

They decided that they would start by stopping for snacks and drinks for the 2 hour drive, flirting with everyone they encountered. While at Kmart they decided to buy a small disposable video camera to give to their friend. They thought that turning themselves into director and producer, and the party into a movie might make both a wonderful gift for the hostess, and really good fun for themselves. As luck would have it (and it always does when PLEASURE is involved) there was no traffic, and they sped happily to their destination. When they got there, they were the life of the party! Chatting and flirting with everyone. Listening to all sorts of fun stories about the birthday girl that they'd never heard and, even better, they captured it all on tape for her. Not only did they have a great gift for their friend, but they were no longer wishing they'd stayed at the beach house. They took themselves higher and everyone around them, too!
Regena Thomashauer
This is the power of pleasure, my loves. Choosing to have fun, no matter what, is up to you. It's a choice in each moment. Every day we have the choice to make the boring, brilliant; the mundane, memorable; the difficult, divine. Make no mistake, it's a choice. We've been conditioned for so many years to suck it up or grin and bear it. That's not what we're talking about here.

These Goddesses made a choice to celebrate their friend. They could've just went and been the "good friends." They would have spent the day eating birthday cake and making chit chat with the other guests, all the while counting the minutes 'til they could hightail it back to the beach, and then complain about everything the whole way home.

Not my Sister Goddesses! They learn to put themselves as the leading ladies in their lives, creating memorable moments for themselves because it lights them up. And because it brings them pleasure, the end result is that everyone around them goes higher!

There is a legendary story at my school. I've watched this particular Sister Goddess spice up an intercontinental love affair, and then use every opportunity to create intimacy and fun as she allowed one of the most beautiful desires of her life unfold. Her story puts me flat out on the floor in awe. . . "

Flower Power

Last week I mentioned I'm currently working to improve my floral design skills and in my search I came across celebrity floral designer Michael George. As a second generation florist, Mr. George has flowers in his blood. He has designed flowers for Martha Stewart, Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta among others. What I love most about his work is the clean, graphic architectural style to his arrangements. From what I've seen, Mr. George does not use a lot of greenery and I love it! He also teaches design classes at the Flower School NY. The classes are small in number (max of 12 students) and really provide a hands-on experience. New Yorkers have all the luck!
Pink peonies by Michael George
Mr. George's book can be purchased on Amazon.