September Catch-Up

Hello there, readers! I know I've been a ghost for the better part of a month and for that I sincerely apologize. It has been a whirlwind since Nate came home. We've been reconnecting with each other, re-arranging and updating our apartment and for awhile we were also preparing for Hurricane Florence. Thankfully Raleigh was largely spared, but pretty much everything East of Raleigh is either under water or completely devastated. It is absolutely shocking how quickly something as seemingly benign as wind and rain can leave entire towns and cities in ruin.


While we were hunkering down and preparing for possible loss of electricity, I cooked many vegetable-centric recipes to avoid waste. One such recipe was this delicious Mediterranean Zoodle concoction.


Mediterranean Zoodles

3 medium zucchinis, spiralized
2 C spinach
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, fine diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 C parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese


This recipe really couldn't be easier, which makes it absolutely ideal for a busy weeknight meal!


In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter and cook onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened. Wilt the spinach and cook zucchini for 3 minutes. The goal is to obtain a perfect al dente texture. Drain excess liquid. Season with salt and pepper, use salt sparingly because there will be a latent saltiness added by the olives, capers and cheeses.


Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley and olives. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss in parmesan and feta cheeses.


This meal was delicious, filling and tasted even better the next day! I was able to get 3 servings out of this recipe and they were not small portions by any means.


Would definitely make this recipe again in a heartbeat. I could see it going very well as a cold side for a grilled chicken or salmon.


Do you have a sweet tooth? Nate and I certainly do. We love ice cream, good quality dark chocolate bars, cakes, cookies, brownies. It is all fantastic. I adapted the following recipe from my dear friend Ashley, you may remember her from my Trip to Florida blog post. She described this dark chocolate pudding and I immediately began salivating at the thought of velvety dark chocolate. I had to make it for myself and inspiration led me to this amazingly rich and decadent mousse.


Dark Chocolate Mousse

1 can coconut milk, solids only
1/2 C liquid from coconut milk
1 bag 50-70% cocoa chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 C whipped topping


Melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in coconut milk solid. Stir the mixture constantly to keep the chocolate from burning. If the chocolate becomes too thick add in a little bit of the coconut milk liquid to thin.


After the chocolate is mostly melted, stir in the vanilla and remove from heat. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 minutes.


Fold chocolate into whipped topping and stir to fully combine.


Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set.


The fruits of your labor will be rewarded with a rich and luscious chocolate mousse! The chocolate is rich, the texture is fluffy and the richness goes remarkably well with a full-bodied red wine.


Stay tuned for an upcoming restaurant review and the promise to do better about posting in a timely manner!


Have a fantastic week, readers!