Rachel McCarthy, Author at A Blonde's Moment

roasted chickpea + cauliflower tacos with avocado-lime crema

August 7, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

These tacos are one of my very favorite dinners. It is so simple and so quick to make…perfect for any weeknight! The cauliflower and chickpea filling is so amazing, I catch myself eating it by itself before I even assemble the tacos! And the avocado-lime cream is so creamy, it compliments the cauliflower and chickpeas perfectly! This time, I used flour tortillas {I normally use corn tortillas, which are much healthier, but Wegmans is in the process of moving everything in the store and the corn tortillas were missing!} but not only do corn tortillas work, but this mixture would be great over a salad! Happy cooking and thanks for reading!

roasted-chickpea-cauliflower-tacos-avocado-lime-crema

Roasted Chickpea + Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado-Lime Crema

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon chili pepper powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
Flour or corn tacos of your choice

For the Avocado-Lime Crema:

1 avocado, pitted & peeled
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tablespoons cilantro
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3-4 tablespoons lime juice
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower florets and chickpeas with all the spices, lime juice and olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. For avocado-lime crema: add avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, cumin, lime juice and salt to food processor. Blend until smooth. Check seasoning and add more lime juice if necessary. Keep refrigerated while cauliflower and chickpeas are cooking.

Once cauliflower and chickpeas are done, you can wrap your corn or flour tortillas in foil and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until warm. To assemble tacos, place a spoonful of cauliflower and chickpea mixture on taco and top with avocado-lime crema.

white peach + blueberry sangria

August 6, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I made this Saturday and it was so refreshing and delicious! The white peaches and blueberries not only gave the drink a great flavor but also such a pretty presentation!! Try it out this weekend — it makes for the perfect summer cocktail!

White Peach + Blueberry Sangria

1 750 mL bottle Cava {you could also use Prosecco}

2 white peaches, diced
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups ice {more for each glass if desired}

Place peaches and blueberries in pitcher.

Add the ice.

Pour the Grand Marnier over the ice followed by the Cava. Stir in sugar. Serve immediately.

caprese mac + cheese

August 5, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

I cook healthy most of the time. But sometimes, you just want to eat something rich, delectable and well just not that good for you! For me this week, it was mac and cheese. There is nothing like mac and cheese. Barefoot Contessa was making it this past week and I instantly had a craving for it! What I liked most about her recipe was the use of Gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese. For my recipe, I decided to use both cheeses Barefoot Contessa used, while adding the mix of Mexican cheese. I also used fat free milk {I couldn’t be totally unhealthy 😉 } and added tomatoes and basil to freshen up the dish. Happy cooking and enjoy!

Caprese Mac + Cheese

1 pound pasta

1 quart milk {I used fat free in an effort to save some calories}

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese {I used Sargento}
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 cup panko

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Begin by cooking pasta according to the package directions; drain well when finished cooking. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, over low heat. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large pot. Whisk in the flour and cooked for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for another 2 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove pot from the heat and add Gruyere, cheddar and Mexican cheese and pepper. Stir in the drained pasta. Add the tomatoes and fresh basil and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Combine butter with panko and sprinkle on top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the pasta begins to brown on top.

Spicy Pepper Pizza

August 4, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

For this pizza, I used a mix of fresh and canned peppers. You can really use any kind of pepper you like or whatever your grocery store has, which makes this recipe even better. There was a “locally grown” section at Wegmans this past week, and the sweet Italian peppers looked so good, I had to find something to use them in. And, while browsing the extensive pepper section, {Wegmans is truly amazing!} I found the hot cherry peppers. Not only was the pepper mixture spicy and delicious, the colors were absolutely beautiful! What types of peppers would you add to this pizza?!

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Spicy Pepper Pizza

1 sweet Italian pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
6 ounce jar hot cherry peppers, drained & rinsed
8 ounce jar banana peppers, drained & rinsed
1 14 ounce jar chunky pizza sauce
1 store-bought pizza dough
1 fresh mozzarella ball, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the red and green bell peppers and the sweet Italian pepper in slices. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add all the peppers and season with a little salt. Sauté until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, work the pizza dough onto a sheet or pizza pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread a layer of the pizza sauce on the dough. Evenly space mozzarella slices on top of the sauce. Once peppers are soft, disperse the peppers across the pizza to cover. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Cook about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

the citi open

August 3, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

This is one of my favorite times of the year. And it’s not because of the summer weather or the warm weather clothing or the outside cooking. In just a few weeks, the U.S. Open will be in full swing, which means no matter what time it may be, there’s a good chance tennis is on television.

There are several tournaments leading up to the U.S. Open {which are part of the U.S. Open Series} and one of the tournaments brought both men and women to Washington, D.C. this past week. The Citi Open, played in Rock Creek Park in the District, is something I have always wanted to see. I grew up going to the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, so I was anxious to see what the Citi Open had to offer.

Dress: J.Cew {last seen here} | Jacket: J.Crew (on sale!) | Wedges: Steven Madden, no longer available {similar here} | Bracelets: here, here, here | Watch: Kate Spade | Sunglasses: Ann Taylor | Nails: Essie – Watermelon

We got tickets to go to the Tuesday session {I wanted to make sure we went on a day when we had the best opportunity to see the most players, of course}. The weather was so perfect for tennis – by the end of the evening, people were wearing scarves and sweaters, which is extremely unusual for summer in D.C.

American Jack Sock

The first match we watched was the young American, Jack Sock, and Michael Berrer of Germany. The match was on an outer court that allowed for open seating, which meant we could get really close. We only ended up staying for the first set {so we could catch some other matches} but it was a great first set. Although, watching Jack Sock play made me feel really old when we realized he was born in the 1990s!

We then headed over to the “clock your serve” booth. While I haven’t played competitive tennis in four years, I still wanted to give it a try {while wearing four-inch heels!}. What I learned: I have lost some speed on my serve, but from the pictures my husband took, I don’t think I lost too much of my form! And the best news…I didn’t throw my shoulder out!!

American Sloane Stephens

When Tuesday’s schedule was released, one of the highlights for us was the match between Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens, two young Americans. The stadium {which was also on an outer court with open seating} was absolutely packed! You could tell people were really getting excited to see a competitive match between two girls who could be the future of American women’s tennis. Unfortunately, the first set was pretty slow with unforced errors and double faults. We only stayed for the first set because we had to catch a shuttle back to a parking garage that was closing within the hour. And apparently we missed a lot – McHale ended up wining the match in three sets. {As much as we would have liked to stay and watch all three sets, we really didn’t want to get stuck without our car in D.C.}

Overall, it was such a great evening at the Citi Open. I wish we could have gone back to see more matches later in the week, but with the temperatures heating up, I know it wouldn’t have been quite as enjoyable as the cool 50s we experienced on Tuesday!

Catch the men’s finals today {Sunday, August 3^rd} on ESPN2 at 3pm featuring two Canadians, Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil!

As always, thanks for reading! Don’t forget to “like” my new Facebook page here!

nautical stripes

August 2, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Can you believe it’s August already?! I love white jeans and since we are approaching the traditional end to white pant season, I figured I better wear them while I can! I love pairing jeans with a blazer or jacket, it’s so sophisticated! And this nautical stripe jacket is too perfect for summer. I accessorized with neutrals and golds…how do you wear your favorite summer blazer?

Thanks for reading!

P.S. A Blonde’s Moment has a Facebook page! Click here to “like” the page so you don’t miss a post!

kale + quinoa salad

July 31, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

This is the perfect healthy summer salad recipe. It is light and refreshing but with the kale and quinoa, it’s definitely enough for a meal. This was my first time using Tuscan kale {I normally use the more common, curly kale} and it was great! Tuscan kale is a little sweeter and much more delicate than curly kale. For this recipe, you can use curly or Tuscan kale – I just decided to go with the Tuscan since I had never seen it in the store 🙂 Take advantage of the warm weather and fresh vegetables while you can – this is the perfect salad for this time of year! Also, be sure to check out some of my other favorite quinoa recipes (here, here, here)

Thanks for reading and happy salad making!!

Kale + Quinoa Salad

2 ½ cups Tuscan kale, de-ribbed

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pint cherry orange tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the quinoa according to package directions. {See how I cook my quinoa here} Once the vegetables are prepared, add the kale, zucchini, red pepper, black beans and tomatoes to a salad bowl. To make the lemon vinaigrette: add lemon juice to a small bowl. While whisking, add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the vegetables. Toss with lemon vinaigrette. Top with avocado slices.

chicken sausage + pepper kabobs…

July 30, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

By this time of the year, I am always trying to think up new ideas for using our grill. As summer is drawing to a close, I want to make sure we use the grill as much as possible before the cold weather sets in. Normally when I make sausage, (I always use turkey or chicken sausage) I cook it in the oven with a tomato sauce and red and green peppers. But after our grocery store trip this past weekend to Wegmans, I was looking at the meat counter and saw the most beautiful kabobs — the perfect summer grilling item. And then I saw the sweet Italian chicken sausage. I thought this was too perfect…I could combine the grill with one of our favorite oven meals! I decided to go with red and yellow peppers this time {truthfully, the green peppers just didn’t look that great} and cherry tomatoes to act as the “tomato sauce”. It was such a quick and delicious meal – this will definitely be making another appearance before grilling season is over! Happy cooking!

Chicken Sausage + Pepper Kabobs

4 sweet Italian style chicken sausage links (I used al fresco)
1 red pepper, cubed
1 yellow pepper, cubed
1 pint red cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into fourths and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Cube the red pepper, yellow pepper and red onion. Place in large bowl with cherry tomatoes. Toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut each sausage link into 4 pieces. To assemble kabobs (I used my nonstick barbecue skewers, but you can used wooden skewers too. Just be sure to soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling kabobs!) Place the vegetables and sausage links on the skewers in any order you desire. Grill the kabobs for about 7-8 minutes or until the vegetables and sausage have a nice char. {P.S. The al fresco chicken sausage is fully cooked when you buy it!}

kale + goat cheese pizza

July 28, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Kale is one of my favorite vegetables to cook with. I love adding it to salads, as a side or even making kale chips 🙂 So I thought, I should add it to our weekly pizza! Goat cheese can have a pretty strong taste, but when mixing it with the mozzarella, it almost takes on the taste and texture of ricotta {which, by the way, ricotta cheese would be amazing on this pizza too!} Although, I think what really made the pizza was the crispy kale on top 🙂 This pizza will definitely be added into the weekly pizza rotation. Happy cooking!

Kale + Goat Cheese Pizza

2 cups kale, stems removed

¼ – ½ cup pesto (I used store bought)
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces goat cheese
1 store bought pizza dough

Salt to taste

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the kale with olive oil and spread out onto parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with salt. Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until crispy. Remove the kale from the oven. Spray pizza pan with cooking spray and form dough onto pan. Place pizza dough in oven, with no toppings, for 5 minutes. Remove dough from oven and add pesto, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese and top with crispy kale. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pizza is golden brown.

white lace

July 27, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Dress: Cremieux (sold out, but love this) | Shoes: Jessica Simpson, no longer available (similar style) | Bag: Chanel, similar style here (on sale!!) | Earrings: Sabika | Ring: Ariella Collection| Sunglasses: Ann Taylor | Bracelet: Kate Spade (on sale!) | Lipstick: Bobbi Brown {Pink Blossom}

Although the last couple posts have been all about fall, it is still July and white dresses {especially white lace dresses} are one of my favorite summer pieces. I normally don’t pair black accessories with white, but I was liking the contrast of the white dress with black shoes, bag and sunglasses, especially for a more formal occasion.

Exciting things have been happening with A Blonde’s Moment this weekend! As you may have noticed, we have a new website and new design! It has been a little stressful making the switch, but it has definitely been worth it 🙂 So please excuse the “dust” in the next week while we make sure everything is in order and visit the new link: ablondesmoment.com.

Hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend. As always, thanks for reading!