easy side dish

Pico de Gallo and some Mid-Week Inspiration

August 6, 2014 by Asharae 5 Comments

Every once in a while I like to share a little mid-week inspiration here on the blog. I find it so helpful to take a step back and look at the things that have been inspiring my days lately. These are a few of the things I’ve been enjoying – I highly recommend checking them all out!

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. This is the first cookbook I’ve ever read cover-to-cover. My dear friend Paige gifted it to me for my birthday back in May, and I spend the last few weeks moseying through each page, devouring each of Deb’s stories and recipes. Most nights I’d sit in bed and read through a few recipes until I got so hungry I either had to get up and grab a snack or make myself go to sleep.

Two of the weddings we’ve photographed this summer even used The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook as their guestbooks – an idea that I’m obsessed with now. “Sprinkle a little love throughout our guest book and we’ll add it to our next meal!” Adorable right?

Although I feel that this cookbook is filled with more wintery comfort-food recipes than summer ones, we’ve enjoyed making several of Deb’s recipes. So far my favorites have included her corn risotto-stuffed poblano peppers, baked ranchero eggs, and big cluster maple granola. So good.

Courtney and Ryan Thomas’s Story. These dear friends of ours have been on quite the whirlwind journey of letting go of their own plans in exchange for the Lord’s. Their story of adoption is truly beautiful – you can read it in their own words over at their blog. They adopted their daughter Nara just over a year ago and recently have felt called to return to her home country of Ethiopia and serve as full-time missionaries there. They’re currently on a three week “trial-run” trip to work with the ministries they’d be serving in and see how Nara does being back in Ethiopia.

I love these sweet words they wrote on their blog several months ago, “We know that God is already working on sweet Nara’s heart and preparing her for what is to come. We have prayed big things over her from the start and Courtney has said from the beginning that she wants Nara to be a little Esther. We even considered Esther as a middle name for Nara. Esther, like Nara, was adopted. I’m sure her life was hard and considering her circumstances she probably felt as if there was no purpose or calling on her life. However, it turns out, as a result of the events that God sovereignly orchestrated in Esther’s life, she had the chance to save her people. We want the same for Nara. Before we even brought Nara home we both decided that we did not want to “Americanize” Nara, but to prepare her to one day go back and help the people of Ethiopia. We just didn’t realize it would be this soon!”

We’ve been filming bits of Courtney, Ryan, and Nara’s story throughout the past couple years, not knowing what the final film would look like. We now have the opportunity to tell their story in an even more professional way through a film contest that The Music Bed is putting on. We would LOVE your votes to help us tell their story more fully through free music licenses, gear rentals, and sound equipment! If Courtney and Ryan discern that full-time ministry is what they’re being called to, we’d love to share their story in a way that would help them raise support in the future.

Female Entrepreneur Association. I’ve been recommending this site to all my friends who are starting up their own businesses. Their mission is to inspire and empower entrepreneurial women around the world. First of all, Carrie has the most fabulous accent, so she’s fun to listen to. She posts inspiration each week – anything from how to set goals and create a successful business manifesto, to overcoming your fears, to creating social media strategies. If you sign up for her newsletter, she’ll send the blog posts right to your inbox – I’ve found that super helpful for my scatterbrained self.

Pinterest. On what days does Pinterest not inspire me? If you don’t enjoy using Pinterest, I’ll either accuse you of not being a “visual” person or try to convince you that you’re not following the right people. They’ve smartened up their site in the last several months so that finding people who pin things you’d find interesting or inspiring is much much simpler!

When you click on a pin, try scrolling down below it. Have you discovered the “Also on these boards” and “Related pins” sections? If not, then you’re missing out! I also like to click on one of the “Pins from..” profiles at the top of my own home page. From there I explore who those people “Pin from” – that’s a great way to find new favorites! Take some time to explore and find new boards or people that inspire you. This board is my personal favorite this week. I just love all the colors and textures – reminds me of summer!

Speaking of summer. How about a perfect summertime recipe? The tomatoes in our garden are producing like crazy right now, so it’s the perfect excuse to make loads of pico de gallo, bruschetta, or caprese salad.

This recipe is really just a guideline (you know how I roll). You can add more or less of any ingredient to suit your preferences, and you’re welcome to leave out the jalapeño entirely if you don’t like spicy salsa.

Pico de Gallo

Asharae Kroll

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Ingredients

3 medium tomatoes
1/4 or a red onion
1 jalapeño diced (seeds removed for mild or with some seeds to add heat)
Handful of cilantro leaves finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/8 tsp kosher salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of garlic powder

Instructions

Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
Let rest in the fridge or at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (more if you can stand to wait) to let the flavors get happy.
Enjoy with chips, on tacos or quesadillas, over eggs, or straight out of the bowl.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

July 21, 2014 by Asharae 1 Comment

Last week when I shared a recipe for tzatziki, I promised it would soon be followed with this cucumber and tomato salad recipe. One of my favorite meals includes naan, tzatziki, one of a few variations of spicy chicken (like this recipe), and this tomato and cucumber salad.

I prefer tearing off a piece of naan and scooping up all the flavors into one big bite. Somehow it’s more satisfying than using a fork. It almost feels like finger painting – you remember the one day in kindergarten when you were allowed to make a mess, it was okay to have your hands completely covered in paint, the colors oozing between your fingers as you balled up your little fist, trying to make that squelchy noise we all took so much joy in.

That’s what this meal is to me. It’s getting familiar with your food, being okay with the tomato and cucumber bits that fall off the naan, back onto your plate. Or sometimes they miss your plate and tumble onto the floor where the dog happily cleans up your mess. You may end up with tomato juice running through your fingers and down your arm, but it won’t matter. What matters is that you’re enjoying good food with the people you love. And the people you love don’t care if you make a mess and have red wine vinegar dribbling down your chin.

Let’s all get out the finger paint and make a mess, shall we?

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

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Ingredients

1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
3-4 medium tomatoes diced (I prefer to remove the seeds as well)
1/4 c red onion finely chopped
1.5 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Feta mint, and kalamata olives for serving (optional)

Instructions

Whisk together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.
Combine with the rest of the ingredients and place in fridge till ready to serve.
(Optional) Top with feta, mint, and kalamata olives right before serving.

Tzatziki. And the benefit of personality tests.

July 18, 2014 by Asharae 2 Comments

Tim and I are always intrigued by (ahem, obsessed with) our Myers-Briggs test results. We were RAs in college together when we first took the test to understand ourselves better and learn how our individual personalities would best thrive in leading a floor of college students. Since then we’ve seen our results only shift slightly, depending on our circumstances, jobs or lack thereof, and general season of life we happen to be in at the time. Tim and I come back to our results over and over because they help us better understand the way we each think and operate. Our results provide a framework for us to talk about our marriage, our business, our families, and how we interact with and understand each of these things. I’m INFP and Tim is ESFJ, if you really want to know.

Last year a good friend of ours recommended the Strengths Finder test – he even bought two books for us so Tim and I could each take the test! I gave mine away to my brother as he was in the midst of job searching and applying to grad schools at the time, so I didn’t end up taking the test until last week. The results were fascinating to me, and comparing my strengths to Tim’s was even more interesting.

The test is a simple one – 177 questions where you choose from one of two phrases or sentences that resonates with you the most. It only takes about a half-hour, and at the end they provide you with 5 strengths – the things you’re gifted at, the areas you excel in. If you purchase the book which includes descriptions of all the strengths, you get one voucher to take the test online. If you’d rather just see your own 5 strengths, you can take the test online for around ten dollars. I promise Strengths Finder isn’t paying me to tell you this! Hah! We’ve just found it so valuable that I think everyone should take it! I believe it’s valuable for your friendships, your marriage, your workplace, and the ways that these relate to one another and how you relate to each of them.

One of the most valuable take-aways for me after doing the test was seeing that Tim and I both have the strengths that this test labels “Empathy” and “Developer.” Out of 34 different strengths this test names, we share those two. I began to think about how Empathy (the ability to sense the emotions of those around you) and Developer (the ability to see the potential in others and take great joy in seeing others grow) relate to owning our own photography and videography business, the ways that we work with our couples, and how we can maximize our strengths to better serve others and dream bigger. I don’t have a conclusion yet – I feel like we’re just getting started. But as we begin to unpack all of these thoughts and brainstorm what all of it could mean, I’m excited to see where it leads us.

Have I convinced you yet? Will you take the Myers Briggs and Strengths Finder tests? I’m certain we could all stand to learn a little more about ourselves and how we interact with and understand the world and the people around us.

The other night we invited my parents over for dinner. We sat around the table eating good food and chatting about many things – our “strengths” included. I especially love looking at the two of them, seeing the areas they excel in and the things they’re gifted at. I’m endlessly fascinated by the traits I inherited from each of them (that sounds horrendously narcissistic, I know, I know.) Really it just fascinates me how the human brain is a little sponge that soaks up and adapts and reacts to its environment.

Somehow in all my years growing up I inherited some of my dad’s love of dreaming about the future, his compassion and love of animals, his desire to carefully craft each and every thing he sets his mind to creating or building, and even some of his fondness for making up silly lyrics to well-known songs. And somewhere along the way I also got my mom’s penchant for crafting all the things, a fraction of her determination and dedication to projects and causes she believes in, and her deep love of those around her and her desire to see each of them grow. I love that I’m finally starting to be able to put words to these traits, understand a little about where they came from, and begin to wonder how they’ll be used in the long run.

I made this recipe the other night when we had my parents over, and it’s one I make often – tzatziki might be one of my favorite foods. And I’m okay with that. If we ever have leftover tzatziki, you can find me hovered over the sink, using tortilla chips to scoop out every last morsel of this garlicy-minty-goodness the next day. And GARLICY it will be. Stay away from friends, family, pets, you name it, if you’re eating this on the second day. The garlic “flowers” overnight and becomes much stronger. But I’m okay with that too. Gotta keep those vampires away somehow right?

Be sure to check out the links below the recipe to see what else I served with tzatziki this past Wednesday night!

Tzatziki

Asharae Kroll

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Ingredients

1 c plain Greek yogurt
1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (you can grate the cucumber but I'm too lazy for that)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic minced
1/8 tsp pepper
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 c mint finely chopped

Instructions

(Optional step) Place finely diced (or grated) cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle with 1.5 tsp salt. Stir and let sit for 20 minutes or so. Press the water out of the cucumber with the back of a spoon and shake the sieve to release the water. If you do this step, you'll likely not need to add salt later on.
Combine cucumber with the rest of the ingredients and place in the fridge till ready to serve.
Note: the garlic will "flower" over time and the flavor will be much stronger the next day. I recommend serving to guests the day it's made, and staying away from friends if eating it the next day 😉

Make it a meal! We served tzatziki with the following:

Grilled chicken with tikka masala spices – Recipe from The Perfect Pantry

Cilantro Mint Chutney – Recipe from Spice Roots

Cucumber Tomato Salad – My own recipe! You can find it here!

Naan – Store-bought this time. I’m working on perfecting my naan-making skills 😉 Let me know if you have a good recipe!

Summery Greek Pasta Salad

July 16, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

Well hello there ol’ bloggy blog. Nice to see you again!

This summer has been a whirlwind so far – I can hardly believe we’re halfway through July already! Tim and I spent most of June traveling to Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin to visit friends and family, attend my cousin’s wedding, and do a little sightseeing along the way.

At the end of our trip we totaled 11 different locations that we’d spent the night – ranging from hotels to friend’s guest rooms to pull-out couches in the living room to separate twin beds (and separate bedrooms hah!) at my grandparents’ house to the floor of the airport when our late-night flight was cancelled on the way home.

Needless to say, we’re happy to be home and have our very own bed to sleep in. It’s taken me a couple weeks of being back at home to feel like I (maybe?) have my feet back under me and can get back in the routine of life here. We’re in a wild season right now (see what I did there?) as we figure out our next steps with our business, deal with the looming uncertainty of Tim’s job this coming school year, and as we dream about the possibilities of the next few years of our lives.

We keep reminding ourselves that we don’t have to have it all together right now. We’re nowhere near “having it together,” so that’s a reassuring reminder that we need daily. I’m so guilty of comparing myself and our lives to others and it quickly becomes discouraging. I keep coming back to the thought that my story isn’t the same as theirs and it’s not supposed to be. Tim and I are meant to live our own story – one that is unique to the gifts and the passions that the Lord has given us. Comparing ourselves to others isn’t just unrealistic, it’s comparing two different things that do not compute.

I’m reminded of this pin I came across on Pinterest recently that says, “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.” I see these words as freedom from feeling like I have to fit into someone else’s expectation for my life (or even my skewed perception of what I think someone else’s expectation is for my life.) God does strange things and works in unexpected ways – often we don’t see what He was doing till after the fact.

I also like to turn the tables and see this quote from the other direction – “Sometimes you won’t understand other people’s journeys. You don’t need to, it’s not for you.” In other words – stop comparing, stop setting unrealistic expectations, relax, focus on the things that you are meant to be doing, enjoy where you are right now, love on the people in front of you, be present and mindful, breathe, and say no to the lies that say you’re not good enough and you never will be. Live your own story. Enough with trying to live someone else’s.

And on that bombshell, (as we like to say in our house – Top Gear anyone?) let’s get on to the recipe!

This is a great summertime recipe – the cucumbers in our garden are multiplying daily and our tomatoes aren’t far behind. This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve, making it perfect for a picnic or an outdoor dinner on a warm summer evening!

Summery Greek Pasta Salad

Asharae Kroll

A light pasta recipe, perfect to make-ahead for a picnic or outdoor dinner on a warm summer evening.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

2 cucumbers peeled, seeded, and diced
2-3 medium tomatoes diced (I also like to remove the seeds)
1/4 of a red onion diced
3/4 lb of pasta I love using tiny bow ties or orzo
2 Tbs red wine vinegar add more to taste - I usually do
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs pesto optional, but if you have a jar in your fridge I definitely recommend using it!
1 tsp honey
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta and chopped mint for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside to cool completely.
Combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, pesto, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour over the top of the cooled pasta. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors to suit your preferences. I tend to add more red wine vinegar at the end for a little extra zip.
Place in fridge until ready to serve.
Serve topped with feta and chopped mint.

I picked up this adorable screen-printed flour sack towel at The Handmade Market in Raleigh a while back – you can see more fantastic designs from The High Fiber and purchase items at her Etsy shop!