I spent far too much on this ridiculous thing, but when in Rome I guess? I kind of love it.

Skinny jeans: Urban Outfitters:
Sweatshirt: via Kitson
Dark green leather jacket: L.L. Bean Signature
Black quilted purse: vintage, thrifted
Silver sandals: Jeffrey Campbell

The other downright ridiculous element of this outfit was a steal. Jeffrey Campbell wood sandals found at… wait for it… MARDENS! For non-Mainers, Mardens is a haven of ridiculously cheap surplus goods. These babies were $11. I’m in love.

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for stone encrusted skull faces and silver wood heels. Well, at least I am. Have you made any treat yo’ self purchases lately?

Soooooo…..

VOTE SWEETER SALT!

(you know, if you wanna)

Voting ends next Friday, April 26 at 5pm. Yay! If you’re interested in buying tickets, click here.

VOTE SWEETER SALT!

So! There’s your background. On to the nitty gritty. Since spring is a little slow in coming this year in New England, I knew I wanted to pair the leg of lamb with some bright, fresh flavors. My mind wandered to the Caribbean – I’m talking jerk seasoning, sweet and creamy yams, and bright and spicy mango salsa. There, I’m already feeling a little warmer.

This plate transported my taste buds straight to Jamaica. Sadly we had snow showers on Friday, so they were shocked back to life shortly thereafter. But! For a little while at least, I could imagine sunny skies and warm beaches. The jerk-infused, robust flavor of the lamb is met with slightly sweet, creamy mashed yams, and spicy, tart flavors from the mango salsa. The acidity from the salsa and sweetness from yams break right through the richness of the meat – yum.

Now, let’s get cooking.

Caribbean Roast Leg of Lamb

Ingredients
One 7-8 pound boneless leg of lamb
Jerk seasoning (see below)

To start, prep your lamb. I was provided with a 7-8 pound boneless leg of lamb. If you’re working with a smaller cut, just adjust your timing. Trim fat to no more than 1/4″ thick and score the fat by making shallow cuts over with the top of the meat using the tip of a small knife knife. I made a grid pattern. Now, make your jerk seasoning.

Jerk Seasoning

Ingredients
1 tbsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. kosher salt

1.) Combine all of the spices except for garlic and salt in a small bowl, make sure they are thoroughly mixed.
2.) Using a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and kosher salt to form a paste.
3.) Add the rest of the spices and mix to combine.

Slather the jerk paste all over the meat. I made sure to get into the cut marks, and on the inside as well. Place the meat into a large roasting pan with a rack insert. Here’s how she looks at this point.

Allow it to sit out for 30-45 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350*F. Roast for 1.5 hours and check the temperature. It should read 130*F at the center of the meat.  If it isn’t fully cooked, try another 15-30 minutes and check the temperature. Mine took a total of two hours. Once it reaches 130*F, let it stand for 15 to 25 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 140°F for medium-rare.

While the lamb is roasting, prep your sides. You can also do these up to one day in advance.

Caribbean Mango Salsa

Ingredients
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped into 1/2″ dice
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped into 1/2″ dice
4 scallions, green part only, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1.) Heat a large fry pan to medium-low heat. Add the olive oil.
2.) Saute the red pepper, scallions, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno until softened, 3-4 minutes.
3.) Stir in the mango, lime juice, salt and pepper and cook for one minute. Let sit at room temperature, you’ll serve it with the lamb at room temperature.

Mashed Yams
* Serves 4-6. If you’re feeding a crowd, double or triple this recipe

Ingredients
2 pounds of sweet potatoes / yams, peeled and diced into 1″ chunks
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)3 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1.) Add enough water to a large pot to fill half-way. Add the sweet potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil.

2.) Once boiling, remove the cover and allow to cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

3.) Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the butter, milk, allspice and salt. Use a potato masher to mash. I used a food processor because I wanted mine very smooth, but you could skip this step.

4.) Keep warm until the lamb is ready.

Now, if you like what you see (you know you do!) make sure to vote starting April 17. If you’re a New Englander, check out the American Lamb Pro-Am on May 19 in Boston – should be a fun event.

Side note: you know what else is soul warming and bright and cheery? My Giovanni Rana giveaway. You have until Wednesday at noon to enter!

If you’re ready for fish tacos and margaritas on the porch, but the weather man is predicting temps in the 40′s and drizzle – go make yourself some soup. You’ll feel better about life. Sweet potatoes add flavor and viscosity, and tender turkey meatballs and bell pepper create texture. Salsa and chipotle pepper add spice and acidity. That creamy, delicious avocado? The cherry on top.

Mexican Meatball Soup

Ingredients

Meatballs:
1.25 pounds lean ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. smoked sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. canola oil

Soup:
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 bell pepper (any color), cut into bite-size chunks
1.5 cups salsa (I used a spicy chipotle salsa)
3.5 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
minced chipotle to taste
salt and pepper to taste (adjust to how salty your salsa and stock are)

Optional toppings: avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

1.) Pre-heat a large pot to medium heat. Add canola oil.

2.) Combine all meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Roll into 1″ meatballs. In batches (I did two) brown the meatballs in the pot for about 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping with tongs. You don’t need to worry about fully cooking them because they will be simmered later. Once they’re browned, remove to a plate covered with a paper towel.

3.) Add your green pepper to the pot and saute for about 3-5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Remove from the pot.

4.) Add the stock and sweet potato to the pot and raise the heat to high. Cook until the sweet potato is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, lower the heat to medium-low and puree the sweet potato and stock using a blender (in batches) or an immersion blender. Blend until smooth.

5.) Stir in the salsa and chipotle pepper. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning. Add the bell pepper and meatballs to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes until flavors are combined and the meatballs are fully cooked.

6.) Serve with toppings of your choice.

Enter to win the artichoke ravioli, spinach and ricotta ravioli, the fettucine paglia e fieno, basil pesto, and marinara. Just leave a comment below with your favorite pasta dish. For an additional entry: tweet, facebook, or share any which way your please. Just leave a separate comment letting me know. The giveaway closes on Wednesday, April 10 at 12:00pm EST. The giveaway package will be overnight shipped to the winner directly from Giovanni Rana. Make sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch.

Check them out on Facebook (Giovanni Rana Pasta and Sauces) and Twitter (@GiovanniRanaUSA).

Good luck!

Brown skinny pants: H&M (years ago)
Navy print top: via SWAPmaine
Tan cardigan: Forever 21
Sunglasses: Banana Republic (via Marshall’s)
Shoes: L.L. Bean Signature

So I’m trying this new thing where I actually style my hair from time to time. Crazy! On this particular day I let it air dry, straightened my bangs (I always do this), then used a large barrel curling iron on a few pieces throughout my hair. I was feeling like Tammy Taylor, from Friday Night Lights, all day. She’s my hair idol.

Do you have a hair idol? I just want her perfectly styled, but not toooo styled, golden mane of amazingness every day.

A little while back I was contacted by Giovanni Rana about sampling some of their fresh pastas and sauces. I was sent some of their fresh raviolis, pasta, and sauces since they are now selling their products in grocery stores in Maine (I saw them at Hannaford near the deli department). I’ve sample a few of their products, and they all taste fresh and quite tasty. I used their Artichoke Ravioli and Basil Pesto for this recipe, which was delicious, but feel free to make your own!

I love the combination of flavors here. The acidity of the artichoke plays nicely off the richness of the pasta and cheese, and the strong flavor of the basil and garlic in the pesto. The chicken sausage adds protein and a savory bite. I baked it for a mock lasagna, but you could skip that step.

Baked Ravioli with Pesto, Artichokes, and Chicken Sausage
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 12 ounce package of ravioli (I used Giovanni Rana Artichoke)
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts (you could also use fresh or frozen)
2 chicken sausages (I used a sun-dried tomato flavor)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup of pesto (I used Giovanni Rana)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
fresh basil for topping

1.) Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat oven to 375*F.

2.) While waiting for pans and oven to heat, drain your artichokes and roughly chop them. Set aside. Slice your chicken sausages into 1/4″ disks.

3.) Add the oil to the pan and add the sausages. Cook for a 3-4 minutes, to get some color on them. Add the artichoke hearts and sautee for another minute or two.

4.) When the water is boiling, add the ravioli. Cook one minute under the suggested cooking time on the package since you’ll be baking them. Drain.

5.) Combine the drained ravioli, artichokes, and sausage in a mixing bowl. Stir in the pesto. Place the mixture in a baking dish and top with the parmesan cheese.

6.) Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until a little bubbly. I also broiled it for a couple minutes to brown the parmesan a bit.

7.) Serve with a sprinkle of fresh basil.

The problem? I don’t own a juicer, and I don’t really want to. I have enough dang appliances. The solution: blend and strain my friends, blend and strain. Simply blend your assortment of produce with water as long as you can stand the buzz saw noise, then pass the green gold throw a fine mesh strainer to remove the larger pieces of pulp. Huzzah! Green juice, sorta.

After drinking my juice one morning, I felt as though I could tackle the world. See this tweet for evidence:

So, do it my friends! Pulverize your greens; feel like a super hero! You’re not perfect, but this juice sort of is, so you’ll feel like a good and righteous person after consuming it. Happy January!

Green Juice – Without a Juicer
*serves one

Ingredients
1 heaping cup of kale leaves (packed)
1 heaping cup of baby spinach (or regular spinach) leaves (packed)
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1.5 cups of water
minced fresh ginger to taste, I use about one teaspoon because I’m a big fan
1-2 stevia packets, or honey to taste
optional: 1/8 teaspoon xantham gum (a natural thickener and emulsifier, this keeps the juice together)

1.) Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until totally combined. With my blender, it takes a minute or two.

2.) Place a fine mesh strainer over a small mixing bowl. Pour small amounts of the juice through the strainer. Use a spatula to work the juice through, mashing the the pulp a bit to extract the juice. Scrape off the pulp between each batch.

3.) Serve your juice super cold, I like mine with lots of ice and a straw.

These pictures were obviously taken some time ago. Why is that so obvious? Because there is not two thousand feet of snow on the ground, that’s why. Ok, more like a foot or so, but still.

Brown tweed skirt: H&M (old)
Chambray shirt: Banana Republic (old)
Brown tights: J.Crew
Tan suede booties: Audrey Brooke (DSW) (old)
Orange necklace: vintage

One sure fire way to brighten my mood is with a punch of a bright citrus color, like this vintage necklace. I love these orange beads, and think they really complement chambray – like a little wink and a nod to South West style.

How do you combat the winter blues?

I based this concoction on a recipe for the Bardstown Sling (in this post, second one down). However, I wanted a touch of sweetness, so I doctored it up a bit with a lime simple syrup to counter the bitter, un-sweetened cranberry juice.

You should totally shake up a couple of these for your next holiday party. OR, like me, on a random Saturday night at home with a special someone. Get festive, y’all!

Port Town Punch Cocktail
* makes two cocktails, with extra lime simple syrup
* based on this Cold Glass recipe

Cocktail Ingredients
2 shots of Bourbon (I used Maker’s Mark)
1 shot of Triple Sec
2 shots of un-sweetened cranberry juice
lime simple syrup to taste (I used 1 tablespoon)
ice

Lime Simple Syrup Ingredients
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
zest from one lime

1.) Prep the lime simple syrup in advance by combining the sugar, water and lime in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve (to remove the zest) and store in the fridge.

2.) For the cocktails, combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice. Shake for a minute or so to combine and chill.

3.) Strain the cocktail into two festive glasses, I used antique champagne coups.