Happy New Year!

Wow, I can't believe it's 2011! Happy New Year, everyone! 2010 was a great year. I graduated from UT Austin, traveled around Italy and Alaska, went on my first cruise, moved to Houston, started my Masters, got a 4.0, discovered Bikram Yoga and overall became a happier, more confident woman. I also started this blog which helped me channel my passion for cooking. 2010 wasn't perfect but it was memorable. I hope that 2011 will be just as exciting. Wishing you all the same.

We hosted our annual New Year's Eve party at our house. And this year, I offered to put together the spread. I had intended to make everything but with 5 families RSVPing at the last minute, it was damn near impossible. Instead, I put together a menu with both homemade and store bought treats-- chips with salsa and guacamole, bruschetta with garlic parmesan italian toast, madeleines with mixed berry salad and jalapeno-cilantro hummus with veggies and pita chips.



Bruschetta. Bruschetta to me means a clean, light meal that is best served with a good red wine and a sunset. It's also a vegan meal that is packed with nutrients. I was a little nervous making this in the winter when tomatoes aren't in season but Costco had some amazingly sweet cherry tomatoes that were asking to become bruschetta.


Basic Brushetta

2 lbs good cherry tomatoes, quartered (don't even think about making this if the tomatoes aren't sweet and delicious)
10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried oregano

1. Um, combine everything. Done. Serve on toasted bread, store bought italian "toast", or a bed of cooked pasta.

A little tip- if possible, let the mixture sit around for an hour or two before consuming. It makes it SO much better.


Mixed berry salad is so understated. Even people that aren't fans of berries love this salad. Just combine a variety of berries with the zest and juice of a lemon and a small amount of powdered sugar. I served this with store bough madeleines. It was such a great combination. A buttery, cake-like cookie with clean, fresh, sweet berries. Yum.



I first had jalapeno-cilantro hummus from Whole Foods. I ate the entire container in one sitting. It was soooo good. Fresh, lemon-y and a little spicy. I couldn't get enough. I though this would be a great dish for a party. I recreated this dish and it came out a little spicier than the one from Whole Foods, but it went over well with the guests. I served it with a veggie plate and pita chips.

Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus

3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 jalapenos, deseeded if desired
1 bunch of cilantro, just the leaves
Olive oil

1. Combine everything in the food processor. Add olive oil as needed to reach desired consistency. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Wishing you all a prosperous and wonderful new year!