How to Sweeten the Season with Nature Nate's

As holiday desserts consume our Pinterest boards, and menu planning for holiday feasts become a top-of-mind task, I cannot think of a more appropriate sweetener to a holiday moment (or meal). Nature Nate's is a 100% pure raw and unfiltered honey from my good 'ole stopping grounds of Texas, and I've quickly found myself craving the simple sweetness in each drop.

I personally adore Nature Nate's relevance to my blog mantra, "sweet touches to everyday experiences." Its delivery, first of all, is quite charming; the hand-written label is enough to convince me to choose Nature Nate's over the generic product on my grocery aisle...before even tasting it! After adding the bottle to my pantry shelf, I have found countless reasons to use it: in my nightly cups of tea, in the scones recipe I'm trying out before Thanksgiving travels, and in a new vinaigrette I'm concocting for a kale and pomegranate salad. If you're in need of honey-infused recipes, look no further than the BeeSweet blog, which lists dozens of seasonal dishes, especially beyond desserts.

When I picked up a loaf of fresh pumpkin bread from The Fresh Market this past weekend, I drizzled a bit on each slice before serving to friends. And you bet I'll be adding the blueberry honey syrup to my next batch of buckwheat pancakes!

How will you sweeten your holiday season?

This post is in partnership with Nature Nate's, and ingredients were made possible by The Fresh Market. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

featured image courtesy of Nature Nate's

Sea Bass with Chickpea Puree and Parsley Sauce

I'm the Bon Appétit and Food & Wine fan who dreams about (and drools over) each issue's recipes, rips them out for later use, and completely forgets about them after the fact. However, when Zoe and I invited a few friends for dinner earlier in the month, I spent one evening sorting through dozens of torn pages and narrowing them down to the finest. This sea bass recipe stood out among the rest; and boy, does it still stand out. The chickpea puree leftovers made for a fabulous post-work appetizer and wine accompaniment the following day, and the parsley sauce added just the right amount of color and flavor to the mix.

I served my fillet with a green bean salad with mustard seeds, roasted fingerling potatoes, and some sautéed portobello slices.

Makes 4 servings

1 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 4 six-ounce sea bass fillets Salt and pepper 4 fresh bay leaves 4 small rosemary sprigs 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary 2 cups Italian parsley leaves 2 tablespoons lemon juice Two 15-ounce cans chick peas, rinsed and drained 1 small garlic clove

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium baking dish, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to marinade, and nestle with bay and rosemary leaves between fillets. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. In a blender, combine parsley with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water. Puree until smooth. With the machine on, gradually add 1/2 cup oil until incorporated. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

3. In a food processor, combine chick peas with garlic, minced rosemary, 1 cup water, remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Transfer puree to a medium saucepan over low heat. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove.

4. Remove fish from marinade. Place on baking sheet. Roast for 12 minutes, until just cooked through. Spoon chickpea puree onto plates and top with fish. Drizzle with parsley sauce and serve immediately.

P.S. The parsley sauce and chickpea puree can be made ahead!

adapted from food & wine

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Has this week been declared salad week? Well, I'm declaring it. I am not boasting that my diet has consisted of substantial salads (although that's a fine idea), but Monday's green bean salad with mustard seeds and tarragon kickstarted some salad inspiration. The leaves may be changing from greens to oranges, but why not celebrate the green in your season through a bowl of tasty and healthy ingredients? A kale salad with parmesan and pine nuts was delivered to my parents' home in a box of homemade goods, from monkey bread to tomato soup and parmesan toasts. I swooned over the packaging -- all in individual mason jars. I insisted that Cathy send me the salad recipe, which surprisingly only requires 5 ingredients. Cathy's one mandate? Don't buy the pre-bagged kale. Find the fresh heads of kale at Whole Foods or Fresh Market, and remove the veins in order to prevent notorious bitterness. While it may take longer to wash, dry, and chop, the kale will have just the right amount of spice without overwhelming your palette. Thanks, Cathy!

Makes 4-6 servings

1 head of kale, washed, dried, chopped 1 lemon, juiced 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and pepper 1 cup parmesan 1 cup pine nuts

1. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper for dressing. Pour over kale and toss.

2. Add parmesan and pine nuts.

Green Bean Salad with Mustard Seeds and Tarragon

Are your eyes also stuck on the the brightness and beauty of this salad? I didn't even enhance the color while editing my photography. . .This is authentic cooking, and I think you are going to love this salad to serve during any season.

You must get this cookbook, first of all. The pages are absolutely beautiful and literally urge you to get off the couch, find a farmers market, and attempt to mimic the colorful, visionary vegetarian recipes.

For a dinner party last week, I adapted this green bean salad as a starter to roasted halibut with homemade chickpea puree (also known as hummus) and red potatoes. We all loved the lemony crunch and appreciated the slightly licorice taste of the tarragon. The mustard seeds, which I had never before owned in my spice cabinet, were a warm touch. Above all else, though, this gorgeous dish will turn any dinner plate into a masterpiece. I assure you. Blanch away, and Happy Monday.

adapted from Plenty

Makes 6-8 servings

1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed 1 1/2 cup snap peas, trimmed 1 cup snow peas, trimmed 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 red onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced Grated zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon Coarse sea salt 1 cup arugula & spinach mix

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Blanch green beans for 4 minutes, then immediately drain into iced water. Drain and dry. repeat Repeat for snap peas (Blanch 1 minute), snow peas (Blanch 1 minute), and peas (Blanch 20 seconds).

2. Combine all beans and peas into a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil, mustard seeds and garlic. When seeds begin to pop, pour contents of the plan over the beans and peas.

3. Toss mixing bowl, then add red onion, lemon zest, and tarragon. Mix well and season with salt to taste.

4. Just before serving, fold spinach and arugula leaves in the beans and peas. Serve at room temperature.

Friday Finds: Halloween Sips and Sweets

Happy Halloween! While I will not be trick or treating for candy tonight, my sweet tooth is unsurprisingly at an all-time high. Luckily, this holiday hands us the excuse to add a punch of sweetness to our diet, whether in dessert or cocktail form. Tonight, in my 1920s garb, I'll be whipping up this folklore blackberry brew from last week's All Hallows Eve dinner party shoot with West Elm and Art in the Find. Below are a few other sweet-tooth-friendly finds for your holiday weekend...It is not too late to plan something special for your Halloween gathering!

Halloween-appropriate puppy chow (pictured above).

Mini pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling by the beloved Martha.

Joy's apple snap cocktails. . .hello.

A "fig"ment of your imagination with honeyed mascarpone.

A classic martini with the most crisp and creepy presentation!

Featured image courtesy of Edible Perspective

Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Pecorino

This vegetarian recipe -- so simple, yet so satisfying -- was recently crafted during a panicked lunch break. Having been out of town, my fridge was bare-boned with just a package of pecorino and fully ripened cherry tomatoes. Well, almond milk and white wine were also on the shelf, but those did not move forward my mission of quickly whipping up a lunch. I moved to the pantry and found my embarrassingly large collection of wildly shaped pastas. You name it, and I most likely own it. . .bucatini, orrechiette, penne, angel hair. . . Disclaimer: I am not trying to prove any master chef culinary skills here. But, having made the best out of a needy situation, this final product was too tasty to not share with you. My bowl of caramelized tomatoes and whole wheat gnocchi (only 200 calories per serving, according to the box) was ready for consumption in under ten minutes! Let me know what you think -- what would you add to your gnocchi bowl with any refrigerator leftovers?

Makes 1 serving

1 cup whole wheat gnocchi 1 tablespoon butter Approximately 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tablespoon pecorino, shaved Salt and pepper

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. While water is heating, heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add tomatoes (cut side down) and leave untouched to caramelize the tomato halves.

2. Add salt and gnocchi to boiling water. Set a timer for 4 minutes. Once cooked, strain gnocchi and immediately add to saucepan with tomatoes. Stir carefully for 2 minutes to combine. Add salt, pepper, and pecorino. Immediately transfer to a serving bowl. Enjoy warm!