Butternut Squash Hummus with Sunflower-Pepita Pesto and Chipotle Relish

Have you ever seen a picture scream fall quite so much before? It's basically a girl in boots, flannel, a vest and a scarf, drinking a PSL, and buying mums and pumpkins. But this appetizer board is actually so perfect for fall! The colors, the flavors, the textures... all. of. it! I made this for a girls night sleepover last night, and it was so good that I refilled the snacks and veggies three times.

You could make the base hummus here alone, but it is so much yummier with the toppings and they're really quick to mix up. I bought a trail mix in the bulk section of Central market that had sunflower seeds, pepitas, and dried cranberries, so I got only the amounts I needed. This recipe makes a lot of hummus, so you'll have leftovers. Well, maybe. Who am I to judge?

Butternut Squash Hummus with Sunflower-Pepita Pesto and Chipotle Relish

Ingredients

Hummus

• 1 cup cubed butternut squash
• 1 head garlic
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 6 T. olive oil
• 1 T. sauce from chipotles in adobo
• 1/2 t. ground cumin
• 1/4 t. smoked paprika
• Small pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 1/4 t. pepper

Sunflower-Pepita Pesto

• 2 T. sunflower seeds
• 2 T. pepitas
• 2 T. chopped basil
• Olive Oil
• Small squeeze of lemon juice
• Sea salt, to taste

Chipotle Relish

• 2 peppers from chipotles in adobo, minced, plus 1/4 teaspoon liquid
• 1/2 t. minced dried cranberries
• Drizzle of honey, to taste

Ideas for Serving: veggie chips, carrots, zucchini, roasted artichoke, roasted sweet potato wedges, pita, crackers, pretzels

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Slice the top off the head of garlic, drizzle with some olive oil, and wrap in foil. Rub the butternut squash with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
2. Roast the squash for 30 minutes, until tender, and the garlic for 45 minutes. Allow both to cool a bit, then squeeze out 8-10 cloves of the roasted garlic.
3. Add squash, garlic, and all hummus ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil or lemon juice, if needed, for consistency.
4. To make the pesto: mince the first three ingredients. Add olive oil until desired consistency (a little extra liquid looks good for presentation) and a few drops of lemon juice. Salt to taste.
5. To make the relish: Combine peppers and cranberries, add a little honey to taste. 

*Basic butternut squash hummus recipe adapted from The Minimalist Baker.

Volubilis, Morocco

After our incredible visit to Chefchaouen, Adam and I (and our personal driver from Y'alla Tours) headed south on a long drive toward Fez. Along the way, we stopped at Volubilis for a little history. This partially excavated city was once capital of the ancient kingdom Mauretania, and was later taken by the Romans before they were ultimately overthrown by local North African tribes. By the end of the 8th century, it was occupied by Idris ibn Abdallah whose dynasty ultimately became Morocco. The city was abandoned in the 11th century as its inhabitants migrated to Fez. 

Aqueducts built around 70 AD carried water from the surrounding mountains to the city, and water flowed through intricate networks of stone channels through the houses and public baths. The grander homes boast elaborate mosaic floors telling stories of mythology, and sculptures of marble and bronze. Adam's favorite fact: the wealthy families owned slaves whose job was to sit on their toilets to keep the seats warm between uses. Seriously. Volubilis sat in a very fertile agricultural area, and their main export was olive oil; some of the stone olive oil presses are visible at the site.

The ruins were devastated and largely buried in the mid-18th century by a large earthquake. While Morocco was under French rule, between 1912 and 1956, much of Volubilis was excavated. The ancient city was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, and it's not hard to see why. This was such a beautiful and fascinating stop on our trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about Morocco's history outside of its modern day cities. 

Chefchaouen, Morocco

There is just no logical place to start this post other than simply with color. The small city of Chefchaouen, also known as The Blue Pearl of Morocco, is a photographer's dream, with supersaturated shades of blue covering nearly every surface. The countless colors of blue are so intense that it looks like your actual life has been filtered. Can a place possibly be as brilliant and colorful as the Instagram and Pinterest pictures? Yes.

Located in northwest Morocco, Chefchaouen is a magical town nestled in the beautiful Rif mountains. Some reports say the town is painted blue to ward off mosquitos, others say that Jewish refugees fleeing Europe introduced the color as a symbol of their faith. So, yeah, two very different explanations. Although tourism to the city is increasing, the town still feels very traditional and relatively untouched by visitors. Of the three major cities we visited (more on Marrakech and Fes later), Chefchaouen felt the most "local" or authentic.

To be honest, there isn't much to do in the city; there are no major sites to see, the central shopping area is small and easily covered, and alcohol is extremely hidden. However, just walking around the shops, and people watching at cafes is enough. I think I took truly over 1000 photos of every possible nook and cranny. We stayed for two nights, at the highly recommended Lina Ryad and Spa, and it was the perfect length of time. Riads are traditional Moroccan homes with an interior courtyard, many of which have been beautifully transformed into incredible small hotels. Ours was the highest rated in Chefchaouen, and was perfectly located, beautifully designed, had a quiet spa swimming pool, and beautiful views. The service was also beyond impressive.

After a day of just walking around, snacking at three different places, drinking mint tea, and exploring, we decided to settle in for a drink and some dinner. Most places did not serve alcohol (shocking that we still powered through to find it), but both the Hotel Atlas and Hotel Parador serve wine and beer alongside beautiful views. We watched the sun set over the city from the balcony of Hotel Parador before heading to dinner. Our favorite of the restaurants we visited, Beldi Bab Ssour, was recommended by a staff member at the riad as "like being welcomed into a Moroccan home" and did feel quite authentic. We had lamb koftas and chicken pastilla; it was all insanely flavorful and delicious.

This experience is one that will stay with me forever, through amazing memories and some of my favorite photos of all time. My insistence on seeing Chefchaouen changed the entire route of our trip, adding hours of driving time, but I wouldn't have changed it for anything.

STAY // Lina Ryad & Spa

EAT // Beldi Bab Ssour
DRINK // Hotel Atlas, Hotel Parador
SEE // Colors! Doors! No major can't-miss sites.

WEAR // Respectful clothing, covering legs and shoulders

Fried Green Tomato Stacks with Goat Cheese, Brown Sugar Bacon, Avocado, and Sriracha Crema

I drove down to the Texas beaches this weekend with some girl friends, and of course Oliver. After our visit to Surfside last year, I've been dying to take him back. I've never seen any animal or human come alive the way that he does at the ocean. This normally calm, gentle giant suddenly dives through waves, gets barrel rolled but comes back for more, and swims circles around the group, all with the biggest smile on his face. It makes my heart so happy to see him that way. (pic below)

After the somewhat long drive home, I almost bailed on the dinner I was planning to make, but I'm so glad I didn't! In my head it seemed complicated and arduous as I drove, but it really was quite easy to pull together, and tasted deeee-lish-ussss. The tomatoes are in season right now at Whole Foods and Central Market, so they're readily available. The mix of flavors and textures is so freaking good. You need to try it for yourself.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, Brown Sugar Bacon, Avocado, and Sriracha Crema
Serves 2

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
Heavy pinch of brown sugar (approximation)
1 green tomato, sliced into even rounds
1 egg
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, for frying
2 oz goat cheese
1 avocado, sliced or even mashed
Watercress
1/4 cup creme fraiche, sour cream, greek yogurt or mayo (any would do!)
Sriracha, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.
Place 4 bacon slices on a cooking sheet and rub the bacon with brown sugar to loosely coat.
Bake until bacon is desired doneness, around 20 minutes, checking on it often.

While the bacon cooks, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk together a bit. In a second bowl, make the breading mix. Combine 1/2 cup each of cornmeal and panko bread crumbs. Add the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a sauté pan, and place over medium-high heat. Dip each tomato slice first in the egg, letting the extra run off, then dip in and cover in the breadcrumb mixture.
Keeping space in the pan, add a few slices at a time and fry on each side until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side but check often. With a slotted spatula, remove tomatoes and place on paper towels to collect oil.

Mix the Sriracha Crema in a small bowl. Optional, transfer to ziploc bag or pastry bag for piping.

Remove the bacon when ready and break pieces in half. Assemble stacks using 3 tomato slices each, layering ingredients between them. Top with a little watercress and drizzle with the Sriracha Crema, and eat!

Mine from the top down was:
Crema
Watercress
Avocado slices
Bacon
Tomato
Avocado
Goat Cheese
Tomato
Bacon
Goat Cheese
Tomato

Iced Horchata Latte

Because I lack self control with any kind of spending, I've been trying to set rules for myself.  One of these rules is to stop spending money on coffee outside of the house. I'm in love with my Nespresso, and for my birthday Adam got me a great milk frother to go with it, so I can make as he calls it "frothy coffees" at home. This Iced Horchata Latte is to die for, and doesn't make me miss Starbucks in the slightest.


Iced Horchata Latte 

1 cup rice milk
1/3 cup almonds
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t vanilla extract
Sugar or sweetener, optional
1 shot espresso

Directions

To make the horchata milk, blend first four ingredients in a blender and strain. Since you're going to the effort, you can easily double the recipe to make more and store in the fridge.

Pour over ice and espresso.

Optional: blend the milk on the cold setting with the latte frother before pouring over the ice.

Triple Chocolate Cookies with Salted Caramel Mascarpone Glaze and Butter Roasted Almonds

These cookies. Seriously what is not to love about these cookies? Triple Chocolate? Yes, please! Salted caramel? Mascarpone? Salty, sweet buttery almonds? Yes, yes, yes. Honestly, cookies typically don't excite me very much, but these are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, just the right amount of chocolate, soft throughout, and almost cake-like in texture. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but it's totally worth it, and makes quite a lot of cookies for sharing. The cookies alone would be good, but the glaze is really what takes it over the top.

Ingredients 
Makes about 20-24 cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies
1 2/3 cup White Lily or other all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened
2 T. caramel sauce
1 egg yolk
1 t. vanilla extract
3 oz. chocolate bar, chopped in large chunks (I used one with almonds and sea salt)
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Salted Caramel Mascarpone Glaze
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened (cream cheese would also work just fine)
3 T. prepared caramel sauce, or homemade caramel
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sea salt, to taste

Almond Topping
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 T. butter
1/2 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. sea salt

Directions

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add butter, brown sugar, and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes. Or, add to a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer.
3. Add cream cheese, caramel sauce, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
4. Incrementally add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the bowl of the mixture. Mix until combined between additions until all dry ingredients are incorporated. 
5. Stir in chocolate chunks and miniature chocolate chips.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. The dough will be very sticky, and difficult to roll, so refrigerate for 15 minutes.
8. While the dough is cooling, combine all glaze ingredients and add to a Ziploc bag, and trim the corner of the bag for piping. If the glaze is too runny, add some powdered sugar. If too thick, add a teaspoon of milk.
9. To make the almonds: heat 1 T. butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until just melted. Add almonds, brown sugar, and salt. Toss to combine and cook until just toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat.
10. Form 1.5" cookie dough balls (they may not roll perfectly, but they will even a bit during baking) and place on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.
11. Allow cookies to cool completely, pipe with glaze, and sprinkle with almonds.

Frosé

You guys. I finally made Frosé. I doubt Frosé is supposed to be capitalized, but it's also not a real word (yet) so it's all good. Labor day is around the corner, and while frozen pink drinks could be enjoyed year round, it just feels right in summer. So make these this holiday weekend, please! The recipe is super easy, and wildly refreshing for the tail end of summer. Cheers!

Frosé 

Makes 4 drinks

1 bottle (750 ml) of dry rose

3/4 c water

3/4 c sugar

Optional: a few drops of orange blossom extract

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a low boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool the mixture in the fridge at least 30 minutes until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker for approximately 25-30 minutes until a thick slush is formed. 

Can be served as a frozen drink immediately, or put in an airtight container in the freezer overnight for more of a sorbet texture.