I pulled out all the produce we had on hand so I could visualize my options and then added things one by one. The sweetness of the peaches and corn, the crunch of the baby gem, pistachios, and snap peas, the tartness of the pickled red onion, and the savoriness of the basil dressing and stilton cheese all come together so beautifully.

It is truly a GEM!

Ingredients

• 2 heads of baby gem lettuce

• 1 peach

• 1 cup snap peas

• 1/4 cup pistachios

• 2 ears of corn

• 1/3 cup apricot stilton cheese

• 2-3 tablespoons basil aioli

• pickled red onion

Instructions

1. Prep your produce:

   1. Pull off and discard any dirty outer leaves of lettuce. Then cut off the butt of your lettuce and start separating the leaves. I usually discard the core where the leaves get tiny and bitter. Rinse and gently dry.

   2. Carefully pinch the ends of your snap peas and pull off the thread that runs along the center seam. Then thinly slice each snap pea at a slight angle.

   3. Slice your peach around the pit and pull apart (like an avocado) then remove the pit and thinly slice each half of the peach.

   4. Cut your corn off of the cob, I like to do this by laying the corn down on its side and just slicing from top to bottom then rotating until all sides have been cut off.

2. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the pistachio nuts (shells off!!!!) into small pieces.

3. Add all ingredients (except pickled red onion) into a salad bowl and gently toss until combined. Plate it however you wish and then top with pickled red onion.

I didn’t think too much about this salad when I started making it, didn’t think to film the process at all. But once everything was in the bowl, I knew I was on to something great. I filmed the final step of plating it and adding pickled red onion on top then proceeded to demolish the whole thing (jk I shared some of it with Kris).

1. Whole Foods sells 12 oysters for $12 on Fridays and

2. They’ll open them for you and send them home on a bed of ice.

Now that we have a grill (#HotGrillSummer) I’ve been wanting to make grilled oysters and while no meal could ever outshine my ring but I thought this would be a cheeky little bite to celebrate with. Typically Oysters Rockefeller have spinach on them, I prefer to just cut to the chase with butter, panko, and parmesan.

Start by making a compound butter

• 1 stick of salted butter

• 2 tablespoons diced chives

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp chili flakes or chili powder

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

Cut the butter into chunks and let it come to room temp, then microwave it for 5 seconds at a time until its softened and spreadable. Add in the seasoning, herbs, etc. and mix until fully incorporated. I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and roll it into a little tootsie roll shaped mound then put it in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.

Now time for the oysters! I bought mine from Whole Foods and the guys at the seafood counter will open them for me BUT if you’re going to shuck them at home - here’s a little tutorial video I found. Even though the ones I buy come opened, they leave the top shell on to keep them fresh so I still had to cut the oyster from the top shell to fully shuck them.

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Now that we have our oysters shucked we’re ready to grill. Turn the grill burners to medium heat.

Oyster assembly - you’ll need wine, compound butter, panko, and parmesan cheese.

1. I like to toss my panko with a little bit of olive oil or melted butter, salt, and pepper, and garlic powder. This add seasoning and will help the panko brown and crisp evenly! Plain dry panko will also work.

2. Cut a few lemon wedges for serving, I also like to have a hot sauce option.

3. Optional: add a splash of white wine to each oyster. I used Chablis!

4. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to each oyster then top that will 1/2 tablespoon of the seasoned panko.

5. Grate parmesan cheese on top, enough to cover the panko.

6. Place each oyster directly on the grates (shell side down, I shouldn’t have to say that). Close the grill for 3 minutes. The butter should be bubbling at this point, that means they’re done!

7. Remove from the grill and set on you serving platter.

8. Serve while HOT! It’s helpful to have little forks. I like to add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of tabasco (original flavor).

I made this batch just for Kris and myself on Friday. They were shockingly easy to make - it’s such a fun party trick that feels way fancier than it is. I’ll be making them again this coming Friday when we have friends in town! And since now we’re planning a wedding, grilled oysters will probably be on the menu for cocktail hour!

Our dearly beloved Kris was out of town this weekend for a board meeting - Mr. Fancy Man! And as much as I wanted to go to Kansas City and hopefully run into our best friends, Taylor and Travis, I needed to stay home for something much more important: GIRLS WEEKEND.

As you, my readers, are mostly women (except for my dad, hi dad!), you’re all familiar with the concept. Also the name makes it pretty clear, no? There’s something euphoric and nostalgic about spending a weekend with two of your best friends, even before it begins you know that you already cherish the memories.

I’ve spent a lot of weekends with these two over the past 10 years. From Dallas, to Asheville, Nashville, La Paz, Aspen, Destin, and beyond. Even DC right after I moved 5 years ago and knew nothing about anything. Mary Charlotte moved home to DC almost a year ago and Caroline flew in from Dallas for the weekend. The plot twist: Caroline is very pregnant!!

We went into the weekend with the following outline:

This girls weekend itinerary feels quite different from what we would have planned 5 years ago. I wanted to include plenty of built in flexibility and time to just sit and yap. We didn’t want to eat every meal out or be over-booked and chasing timelines.

Highlights of our weekend:

Getting to make dinner for two of my favorite people (more on that later!). Picking up a bottle of non-alcoholic rosé for Caroline beforehand. Sitting at the table and yapping about what’s changed and feeling happy that so many things have but the important things have not. Life in two different cities, hardships, celebrations, hopes for the future, and random things we’ve learned on the internet. Kris surprising us with a floral arrangement delivery topped with a “welcome little one” balloon which prompted Caroline to give me permission to marry him (phew!). Telling a restaurant that we need a booth because ‘my friend is very pregnant.’ Picking up coffee and browsing around Crate + Barrel deciding how we’d decorate hypothetical rooms and asking why chairs are so low to the ground. MC discovering that both Caroline and I had not seen “The Princess Bride” and then promptly fixing that.

It reminded me of the saying “Joy shared is doubled, sorrow shared is halved” and how true I’ve found that to be in my adult life.

To have friends who have seen 10 different seasons of your life and are excited to be part of the next 10 is as rich as a person can get.

Before I sign off, here’s a peak into what I made for dinner on Friday night - I will be sharing full details over the next week or so!

Chicken skewers: chicken breasts cut into chunks and marinated with honey, paprika, ras el hanout (a Moroccan seasoning blend), dijon mustard, avocado oil, and lemon juice. Grilled over medium high burners for about 12 minutes.

Baby potatoes: tossed with avocado oil, pepper, and a garlic onion salt blend. Double wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill over medium low burners for 30 minutes, flipped at the 15 minute mark.

Tzatziki: Standard recipe with greek yogurt, shredded and strained cucumber, dill, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.

Cucumber + Tomato salad: roughly cut persian cucumber, heirloom tomato, very thinly sliced red onion, mint, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes.

Carrot Ribbons: carrots peeled into ribbons, tossed with homemade ranch dressing and extra dill.

Coming up this week:

• Salad I made on a whim that turned out to be my new favorite salad

• I want to grill salmon over a bed of lemon slices, or maybe tuna steaks

• Instagram has a new “series” feature and I need to learn how to use it

• Hopefully signing a contract with our venue and wedding planner!!!

• A trip to Dallas for Caroline’s baby shower

So if you’re not subscribed, now would be a good time to change that.

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I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!

xoxo,

Anna

ps: if you saw my BLT w/ Basil Aioli recipe in your inbox yesterday, I meant to post it but not email it so SORRY but I hope you enjoyed it anyways.

Per each sandwich you’ll need

• 1 ciabatta roll (or your bread of choice)

• 4 pieces of crispy bacon

• 2 thick heirloom tomato slices

• 2 baby gem lettuce leaves (romaine works well too!)

• Basil aioli

• Garlic, olive oil, salt + pepper

Instructions

1. If you haven’t made the basil aioli yet, now is a good time to do so. Let it sit in the fridge while your bacon cooks, or make it a day in advance.

2. If you want your bacon to stay flat while cooking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper then lay out your slices. Put the sheet in the oven while its still cold, then preheat the oven to 400°F. Check on your bacon at about 15 minutes to see how close it is to being done. This will take about 20-30 minutes depending on how thick the bacon slices are.

3. Cut your tomato slices somewhere between 1/4” and 1/2” then drizzle with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Do this on both sides. Thinly slice a garlic clove and add those on top of the tomato slices. Let this sit for 10 minutes (longer works too!)

4. Toast your bread! Wash your lettuce!

5. To assemble: spread basil aioli on both pieces of bread. You can stack your sandwich whichever way you like, if you’re eating them right away order matters less. Do what makes you happy! I like to do bacon on bottom, tomato in the middle, lettuce on top. If you’re making these ahead of time and they’re going to sit for a while, you should to lettuce on bottom, tomato in the middle, bacon on top to avoid a soggy sandwich.

voila!! a summer staple!!

Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 cup basil leaves

• 1 small garlic clove (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp peperoncini juice (can replace with lemon juice)

• 1 tbsp peperoncini peppers (optional if you don’t have them)

• 1 tsp honey

• salt + pepper

Instructions

**Note: I used an immersion blender, a food processor also works with these instructions. Whisking will not work because the basil, garlic, and peperoncini need to be blended.

1. Roughly chop the basil and garlic clove.

2. Crack the egg into wherever you’ll be blending things. Then add in the basil, garlic, and all other ingredients except for the oils.

3. Blend those ingredients together until there are no more large pieces.

4. Slowly add in the oil while still blending. It will thicken up and have a similar texture to mayo but a bit thinner. Pour into a jar, bottle, or deli container to store in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using - this gives the flavors time to mix and the aioli will thicken.

Perfect for BLTs!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a box of pasta - I like to use radiatori, gemelli, and other short pastas for this. Cook in heavily salted water and let it cool down.

• 2 chicken breasts

• Chicken marinade of your choosing! (examples below, see notes)

• 2 cups shredded and massaged kale, I prefer dinosaur kale (also known as Lacinto or Tuscan Kale) - see note below on massaging

• 1 cup thinly sliced snap peas

• 2-4 ears of corn, sliced off the cob

• 1/2 cup pickled red onion

• 1/2 cup cotija cheese

• 1 cup regular or chipotle ranch dressing

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes, all day would be great. Later, let them come to room temperature while the grill is heating.

2. Grill chicken at around 400°F for 6-7 minutes on each side, longer for an extra thick piece. See note about meat thermometer. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes so that it stays juicy and cools down a bit.

3. Either ahead of time or while the chicken is grilling, prep your veggies! Slice corn kernels off the cob. Remove snap pea ‘strings’ and then thinly slice at an angle.

4. For the kale - you can either remove the stems and then thinly slice and massage with olive oil OR because the grill is already on, once the chicken is done cooking, turn the burners to low and then throw your kale leaves on the grill for about a minute on each side. Then let them cool down, remove the stems, and thinly slice. No oil needed! Keep a close eye on them in case the heat is too high, you’ll notice the leaves turning a brighter green as they cook.

5. After the chicken has rested, dice into small bite sized pieces, around the same size as your pasta shape.

6. You’ll want a large bowl for this one - add in the pasta, veggies, chicken, cotija cheese, pickled red onion, and 1/2 dressing. Use tongs to toss until everything is mixed and the dressing is spread throughout. Add more dressing and toss again as needed! I did about 3/4 cup but it’ll change based on your preference, how much pasta you use etc.

7. Serve immediately or store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Marinade: You can keep the chicken marinade really simple on this one - I like to do a quick BBQ dijon marinade such as

  • Cover chicken in BBQ sauce or BBQ seasoning

  • Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and a squeeze of lemon juice or pickle juice

  • Pour the wet mixture over the chicken and stir or turn until coated.

  • Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

• Thermometer: If you get worried about whether or not your chicken is done cooking and don’t want to risk overcooking it, this thermometer gives an instant read and works wonderfully!

• Kale: Since the grill is already one for cooking chicken, you can “massage” your kale on the grill! Turn the burners down to low and put the kale right on the grates. Cook for 1 minute on each side, keeping an eye on it to make sure it is wilting but not burning (a couple of crispy edges are fine). No oil needed! Remove the kale, let it cool down for a couple of minutes then pull off the stems and chop. This cooks the kale so that it’s less bitter, softer, and easier to digest.

The inevitable part of having a video get that level of reach is that some people are bound to not like it!! And they will likely tell you just that!! Perhaps they’re having a bad day, perhaps they don’t like to see other people enjoying life, perhaps they’re right about the feedback they’ve so boldly shared from their 3x6 screen. These people who don’t dare put themselves out in the world and risk being perceived.

In the end, their motivations don’t matter. I scroll through videos just like they do, scratching my head with thoughts like “this has to be satire” “that steak is overcooked” “gross” and other mindless observations. I keep them to myself but I’m not above pressing ‘like’ on other peoples’ comments voicing my own thoughts.

My favorite observation was “this is not the time for raw cilantro” which had Kris and I gasping for air between full belly laughs. Tacos aren’t the time for raw cilantro! Who knew!

There’s a type of humor that only exists in instagram comment sections. I’ll see a video and think ‘why am I seeing this?’ until I open the comments and see some of the funniest quips ever quipped. The ‘cook your tortilla’ comments didn’t hit that level of humor but I won’t ever skip that step again (sorry my propane tank DIED and I was HUNGRY).

Moving on to another Meta forum - the wild world of Facebook Marketplace. I don’t like logging on to the facebook app, it’s a barren place full of forgotten relatives, that weird kid from your freshman dorm, and feels like being transported back to a 2012 poke-war. How’s everyone’s Farmville doing?

We have a lot of blank walls in our new home and my goal is to fill them with artwork. Unfortunately (for me), most of the original artwork I like has a starting price of about $20,000. Aspirational! So until we can justify that level of investment (give me 10 years), I need to find other ways to fill our walls.

I turned to facebook marketplace looking for oil paintings with nice frames. I forgot until just now that this isn’t my first time buying art off of FBM - when I first moved to DC five years ago I read an article (tiktok video) about a girl who found a 19th century oil painting by a German artist on FBM. So I went looking and found a beautiful impressionist style oil painting that I still have hanging in our house today!

After spending a week looking and saving things that I liked (I learned this helps curate your searches and recommended listings) - I found two paintings that felt like the perfect fit. One was $300, the other $280, both with large professional frames, and both within a 30 minute drive. What a thrill. Just getting these framed today would cost upwards of $1,000!! And they look fantastic on our walls.

I’ll keep you updated on any other gems I find. I’ll also be painting a few things on canvases that have been sitting in my craft box for far too long.

And finally - some bites from this week!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

I marinated easy peel colossal shrimps in what I am calling my “universal taco marinade” because it works for shrimp, chicken, steak, and fish. You don’t even have to use it for just tacos.

If you saw my video then you saw my double skewer trick - this makes it so much easier to flip the shrimps over while you’re grilling them! If they’re on just one skewer, they have a pesky habit of turning every which way when you go to flip them. It also makes cutting them fun and easy!

And yes, this is the perfect time for ‘raw’ cilantro (unless you have the soap gene). I like to toss it with diced vidalia (sweet) onion and fresh corn.

Tomato + Peach Toast

I love summer produce but I’ve always felt a sense of FOMO when it comes to tomatoes because for years (my whole life until this year) I couldn’t stand tomatoes in their original state. Salsa? Pasta sauce? Bruschetta? Absolutely. But a tomato slice on my sandwich? You’re kidding.

Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful and I wanted to have a tomato girl summer so for the past three years (ever since I had a particularly good tomato in a caprese salad at my friend Alex’s wedding) I’ve been determined to teach my tastebuds to love tomatoes.

Mostly this involved dicing small san marzano or cherry tomatoes and drenching them in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic, and basil. Basically just bruschetta. Then last summer I fell in LOVE with pan con tomate. This week? Heirloom tomato slices with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic on top of toast. Maybe I just like garlic? Either way, I feel like I can finally fully appreciate the euphoria of tomato season. Even if I still don’t really like unseasoned tomatoes. Who honestly does?

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I’ve had tomato + peaches on toast three days in a row for lunch and the only thing standing between me and having it again today is a grocery run.

Now it’s time to decide what I’m going to make this week!

TTYL,

Anna

I like tomatoes when they’ve been cooked or blended (pasta sauce, salsa, etc) but I’ve never been able to just eat a slice of tomato. Bruschetta made me believe I could change that and finally experience the joys of tomato season.

So I’ve been micro dosing tomatoes - I started by marinating them in olive oil, balsamic, basil, salt + pepper, and garlic. Now I can eat them with just olive oil, salt, and pepper but I still like to add thinly sliced garlic. And red pepper flakes of course.

This recipe combines a new and a long time favorite summer fruit - tomatoes and peaches!

You’ll need

• Sourdough bread

• Butter

• Heirloom tomato

• Peach

• Cottage Cheese (could replace with burrata)

• Basil

• Salt, Pepper, Red pepper flakes

How to:

1. Thinly slice your tomato (about 2 slices per toast, depends on the size of your tomato + toast though). Drizzle both sides with olive oil, then add salt, pepper, and thinly sliced garlic. This only needs to marinate for about 5 minutes but they can certainly sit longer!

2. Toast a piece of sourdough bread, add a bit of butter (optional but… do it)

3. Spread about 1/4 cup of cottage cheese onto one side of the toast.

4. Add tomato slices and a pinch more pepper. Top with peach slices, thinly sliced basil, and red pepper flakes.

It’s really so simple! Minimal effort, high reward.

A couple of tips to make it extra delish:

• Use basil olive oil if you can find it! I have some that a friend gave me as a hostess gift and it’s perfect for this dish.

• Drizzle the finished product with the oil the tomatoes were marinating in. YUM.

Happy summer! Get outside and offline!!

xoxo,

Anna

The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a smokiness and a bit of heat. The orange and honey add sweetness and a freshen things up.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup avocado oil (thank you high smoke point!)

• 2 chipotle peppers (canned)

• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

• 1 can (4oz) diced green chiles

• juice from 1/2 of an orange

• 4-6 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons kosher / sea salt

Instructions

1. Easy - just combine all ingredients in a blending device of your choosing, and blend the heck out of it.

For chicken + steak I recommend marinating for 2-4 hours.

For shrimp I recommend marinating for 30-60 minutes.

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This sauce is a little smokey, a little spicy, and very hard to resist. It’s versatile - salads, tacos, pizza, quesadillas, chicken sandwiches, french fries… you get the gist.

This recipe makes about 1.5 cups of dressing.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayo

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 packet of ranch seasoning

• 2 chipotle peppers

• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

• 4-6 garlic cloves

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons chives, finely diced

Instructions

1. Add everything except the chives to a blender and blend until fully combined. Use a chip or a piece of lettuce to give it a taste test. If you want it to be runnier, add another tablespoon or two of milk to thin it out. It will thicken a bit while sitting in the fridge.

2. Once you have the desired consistency - pour into a jar, add the chives and stir. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can mix.

3. Pour it on everything!! Store in the fridge for up to a week but it’ll be best within 5 days.

So far I’ve used it for tacos and a salad - next up is a grilled chicken sandwich.

Let me know what you dip in it!

xoxo,

Anna

• Whole Foods sells 12 oysters for $12 on Fridays and they’ll open them for you and send them home on a bed of ice.

• We’re getting marrieddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know how adding a pinch of salt makes everything taste better? That’s how I feel about Kris. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, my life is fuller, tastier, richer with him in it. And unlike salt, there’s no such thing as too much Kris.

The past several days have been so so sweet getting to share the news with family and friends and celebrate in person and over facetime. I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Not only do I get to share the rest of my life with the love of my life, but we are surrounded by so many people we love and UGH! sometimes life turns out better than you ever hoped.

There’s so much more I could say but we have a recipe to get to!!

Now that we have a grill (#HotGrillSummer) I’ve been wanting to make grilled oysters and while no meal could ever outshine my ring but I thought this would be a cheeky little bite to celebrate with. Typically Oysters Rockefeller have spinach on them, I prefer to just cut to the chase with butter, panko, and parmesan.

Grilled Oysters

Start by making a compound butter

• 1 stick of salted butter

• 2 tablespoons diced chives

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp chili flakes or chili powder

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

Cut the butter into chunks and let it come to room temp, then microwave it for 5 seconds at a time until its softened and spreadable. Add in the seasoning, herbs, etc. and mix until fully incorporated. I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and roll it into a little tootsie roll shaped mound then put it in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.

Now time for the oysters! I bought mine from Whole Foods and the guys at the seafood counter will open them for me BUT if you’re going to shuck them at home - here’s a little tutorial video I found. Even though the ones I buy come opened, they leave the top shell on to keep them fresh so I still had to cut the oyster from the top shell to fully shuck them.

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Now that we have our oysters shucked we’re ready to grill. Turn the grill burners to medium heat.

Oyster assembly - you’ll need wine, compound butter, panko, and parmesan cheese.

1. I like to toss my panko with a little bit of olive oil or melted butter, salt, and pepper, and garlic powder. This add seasoning and will help the panko brown and crisp evenly! Plain dry panko will also work.

2. Cut a few lemon wedges for serving, I also like to have a hot sauce option.

3. Optional: add a splash of white wine to each oyster. I used Chablis!

4. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to each oyster then top that will 1/2 tablespoon of the seasoned panko.

5. Grate parmesan cheese on top, enough to cover the panko.

6. Place each oyster directly on the grates (shell side down, I shouldn’t have to say that). Close the grill for 3 minutes. The butter should be bubbling at this point, that means they’re done!

7. Remove from the grill and set on you serving platter.

8. Serve while HOT! It’s helpful to have little forks. I like to add a squeeze of lemon and a dash of tabasco (original flavor).

I made this batch just for Kris and myself on Friday. They were shockingly easy to make - it’s such a fun party trick that feels way fancier than it is. I’ll be making them again this coming Friday when we have friends in town! And since now we’re planning a wedding, grilled oysters will probably be on the menu for cocktail hour!

xoxo,

Anna

The key ingredient is chipotle peppers - they are smokey and spicy and should be a pantry staple if they’re not already. You can find them canned in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of your grocery store. This recipe doesn’t use a whole can so you can use the rest of it in a chicken marinade, soup, salsa, beans, or enchilada sauce. There are plenty of other good options.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I like 5% milk fat)

• 2 chipotle peppers (the ones that come canned in adobo sauce)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons mayo

• 1 lemon (juiced)

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy! Give it a taste test and adjust as needed. Salt will bring out more flavor and honey will counteract an acidic bite.

2. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (this is an estimate, I usually finish it within a few days)

Wondering what to make with this dressing? These grilled chicken wraps!!

Before we get started - these measurements are for 2 wraps!

Chicken Marinade Option 1: Mexican Caesar

• 2 large chicken thighs

• 1-2 tbsps avocado oil

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp chile powder

• a bit of hot sauce like Cholula (optional)

• salt + pepper

Chicken Marinade Option 2: Classic

• 2 large chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• ½ tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• ½ tbsp lemon juice, just a squeeze (or a splash of pickle juice!)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp bbq sauce (optional!) it won’t taste like bbq chicken, just adds flavor

• salt + pepper

Other ingredients

• a head of romaine lettuce

• 2 large flour burrito wraps (at my Whole Foods I buy the Vista Hermosa brand)

• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional, but by the end of grilling it was not spicy)

• 2/3 cup of tortilla chip crumbs (panko also works here, goal is to add crunch)

• parmesan cheese (measure with your heart!)

• ¼ cup caesar dressing

A note on the dressing: I have a bottle of Chopt’s Mexican Caesar dressing in my fridge right now. I know not everyone lives near a Chopt. You have several great options - use your favorite store bought caesar dressing! Or you can make your own at home! I love making caesar from scratch because I can adjust it to my preferences (extra lemon, extra pepper). If you want a chipotle twist on the caesar dressing, you can either add a smokey hot such as Cholula’s chipotle hot sauce, into your dressing or you can use my Mexican Caesar Copycat recipe.

Instructions

1. Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 15 minutes - this can be while you are heating up your grill! Also rub the jalapeno pepper with a drop of avocado oil.

2. Heat your grill up and let it get to about 450° F or up to 500° F. Once the chicken is on the grill you’ll want to keep it around 400-450.

3. Add the chicken thighs and jalapeno pepper to the grill. Shut the hood and let them cook for 7 minutes unbothered. The chicken should release from the grates easily at this point. Flip and cook for another 7 minutes on the second side. Turn the jalapeno on to a different side. If it’s getting burnt instead of just charred, move it to a cooler part of the grill. You can flip the chicken thighs again for another 2 minutes if they look like they need it. I cooked mine for 15 minutes total.

4. Remove chicken thighs and jalapeno from the grill, let them rest for 10 minutes.

5. Rinse and chop your romaine. The key to this recipe is chopping the romaine really small - like each piece should be less than an inch. So keep chopping!!! Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the tortilla chips and parmesan into the bowl.

6. Cut the chicken thighs also into really small pieces - aim for less than an inch. Finely dice the jalapeno (toss out the stem). Add both into the mixing bowl. Add caesar dressing and mix really well!

7. Right before wrapping, it helps to throw your tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side (keep the grill open for this). If you’ve moved inside at this point, just give them a quick 15 seconds in the microwave.

8. Add half of the salad mix into your tortilla and then wrap! You can cut it in half and eat it immediately or roll it up with foil / parchment paper and let it sit for 10 minutes. This helps the structure hold together a bit more!

Notes:

• Wrapping a burrito is kind of like an envelope. Place your filling in the middle, slightly below the center. Fold up the bottom third over the filling, then fold in the sides, then roll it forward, tucking the filling under the tortilla and making sure the sides stay folded in. Roll forward until it’s fully sealed!

• You can sequence this however you’re comfortable doing so. If you have a table outside by your grill where you can prep the salad and cut your chicken and roll the wraps, then do it all outside! If you need to go inside for the salad/ cutting/ wrapping parts, that’s a great time to let the chicken thighs rest!

• Don’t have a grill? Cook your thighs in a skillet! Sear them over medium heat and let them cook on each side for 7 minutes without being disturbed. This helps build color.

• But Anna! You grilled four chicken thighs!! Yes - and saved two of them for another meal because it was easier to just cook them all at the same time. Four chicken thighs would be great if you were doubling this recipe but is too much for just two wraps.

I hope you make these wraps! Kris has brought them up several times so we’ll be making them again soon I’m sure.

xoxo

Anna

I have a bad habit of thinking I can have friends over for dinner and film a recipe at the same time, it almost never works out! I didn’t film the final product, I didn’t even want to have my phone out at that point. Also all of my videos have us yapping in the background.

So I woke up, went to Whole Foods, and made it all again! When I told Kris where I was headed and why, he just laughed.

For dinner I grilled chicken thighs, shrimp skewers, corn, zucchini, and shallots. I also did an extra skewer of just red onion for Kris because he asked nicely! The protein went into tacos, corn went into a summer corn salad, and the zucchini + shallots went into a rice side dish. I’m going to re-do shrimp tacos another time to give them their moment and the rice dish still needs a bit of work (salt probably) so here are recipe details for the chicken tacos and summer corn salad!

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Chicken Tacos

The following is for about 3 pounds of chicken thighs (two packages, a total of 12 thighs)

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup avocado oil (neutral flavor, high smoke point)

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• juice from 1 lime

• 1-2 tablespoons chile powder

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons each of black pepper and onion salt (regular salt is fine)

Add chicken thighs and all marinade ingredients to a bowl, stir and cover to marinate for at least 15 minutes. They’re best when marinated for several hours!

For grilling:

1. Preheat your grill and let it get to about 500°F then turn the burners down to about medium. All grills heat differently but I try to keep mine around 400-425°F for chicken.

2. Add chicken thighs over direct heat (the burners you have turned on). Close the lid and let them cook for 7 minutes. Flip and cook with the lid closed for another 7 minutes. Remove and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. If you’re using a thermometer, chicken is safe at 165°F but thighs are best when cooked to 175-180°F because they have dark meat.

3. Tip: as the chicken rests it will release a bit of liquid. Let them rest in a dish or a tray with sides so that liquid doesn’t go to waste! After you cut the chicken, toss it in that liquid for extra juiciness and flavor.

4. Cut the chicken thighs into thin strips and toss in the extra liquid!

5. Once you’ve removed and cut the chicken, turn the burners down to low heat and toss your tortillas on the grill. Let them heat for about 15-30 seconds on each side. Once you flip them, they should start to puff up a little bit! Remove and cover with a towel to keep them warm.

6. Assemble your tacos! We eat family style so everyone makes their own. Top with Summer Corn Salad (below) and Jalapeño Ranch!

Summer Corn Salad

Make this while you’re making the chicken!

• 1/4 of a red onion

• lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

• 3 ears of corn (husk on is fine!!)

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• juice from 1/2 of a lime

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice your onion on a mandolin or with a very sharp knife. Put it in a bowl and cover with water, add in 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let this sit while you prep everything else! It will lightly pickle the red onion and remove the harsh bite.

2. If you corn still has the husk on, remove a few of the outer pieces and cut the hairs that extend past the husk. Put them directly on the grill as is! If the corn husks have been removed, rub each ear of corn with a little bit of avocado oil.

3. Grill your corn for 20 minutes while the chicken is cooking (will be around 425°F). Rotate it every 5-7 minutes!

4. Remove and let it sit to cool down. If they’re still in the husk, remove the husk. The hairs should come off really easily!

5. Place you corn horizontally on a cutting board and slice the kernels off the cob. Chop the cilantro into small pieces. Drain the red onion. Add everything into a small bowl, squeeze in lime juice and add a pinch of salt!

6. Add a couple spoon fulls of this to each taco!

This is also great with breakfast tacos, steak, quesadillas…

Grocery checklist for easy shopping:

• 3 lbs chicken thighs

• tortillas

• 1 red onion

• 1 bunch of cilantro

• 2 limes

• 3 ears of corn

• Pantry items: honey, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, chile powder, soy sauce, dijon mustard, salt + pepper

Too keep things simple, I’ve put the Jalapeño Ranch recipe on it’s own page!

My key takeaways from this dinner:

Tacos are great for hosting! Everyone can assemble their own tacos w/ whichever toppings they want, it’s easy to make a couple of different protein options, and its relatively few ingredients. Taco marinades are forgiving, especially on the grill.

Prep-work is my best friend. Making a side and a sauce several hours in advance freed up a lot of time and headspace for me. Especially when grilling, it’s hard to grill and have rice on the stove inside at the same time.

I can’t do everything all at once. I love cute videos of hosting dinner parties but cooking and hosting and filming all at the same time is not my strong suit! and it makes me feel less present. Perhaps eventually I’ll find a balance.

I hope you love these tacos, I hope they earn a spot in your rotation of meals this summer! Please let me know if they do.

If you have questions, dazzling reviews, or more grilling ideas, drop them in the comments!

xoxo,

Anna

My current favorite is German fans discovering Ranch Dressing!!! My Dad’s family originally came over from Germany and settled in Kansas so this hits on both my German and Midwestern roots.

While I love a classic ranch dressing, traditional ranch would be weird on tacos (but not on pizza ofc). I also love a little bit of heat! So when I started making a Jalapeño Crema for tacos, it quickly turned into ranch.

Ingredients:

• 1 16oz container of sour cream

• 3 jalapeños (stems removed, seeds mostly removed)

• 2 tablespoons chives

• 2 tablespoons dill

• 1/4 cup cilantro

• 3 green onions (just the green tops!)

• 2 garlic cloves

• juice from 1/2 of a lime

• 1 tablespoon honey

• Salt + Pepper to taste

If you want to take it to the ~next level~ add two tablespoons of hidden valley ranch seasoning.

Instructions

1. Rinse all greens as needed, chop things so that they can fit into your blender. Peel garlic. Depending on the size of your blender you made need to only add half of the sour cream to start off (I have a small bullet blender).

2. Add everything to a blender and blend until fully mixed and bright green! Give it a quick taste test and adjust as needed - more honey if it’s too bitter, salt if its tasting bland.

3. Store in the fridge for several hours to let the flavors fully combine.

4. Serve on tacos, salads, baked potatoes… whatever your heart desires!!

This makes about 3 cups of sauce… which sounds like a lot until you start using it and it disappears very quickly!! Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week!

xoxo,

Anna

grilled chicken caesar wrap deets are at the end but please read the middle parts too

As all of you wonderful people who subscribed to my newsletter a couple years ago are aware - I absolutely LOVE grilling. I love how much you can do with a grill, I love the char, the grill marks, the variety of things you can throw on the grates or in a grill basket. Most of all, I love that simplicity is rewarded. Chicken, a couple of veggies, and a simple dressing over romaine? Best salad you’ll ever have. Steak, a potato, butter, and fresh herbs? Nothing I would rather see on my plate.

To give credit where credit is due, my parents bought us the grill right after we moved into our house and a very nice handyman put it together because we are not the kind of people who should be messing with spark plugs. Ever.

And then on a walk the concept of “Hot Grill Summer” became so clear in my head I knew I had to start writing things down. So while I got acquainted with my new grill I worked on a list of things I am so excited to make on it this summer. Simple meals and sides, all sorts of flavors, some new ideas, some classics…. I think you get the point.

In past summers when I’ve had access to an apartment grill I’ve done “girls that grill” and it was always so fun to learn new things and spend some time outside.

Now we’ve graduated to Hot Grill Summer where the plan is to bring 2-3 grilling recipes or concepts to you every week until it gets too cold out to grill or home depot runs out of propane.

Here’s a short list of ideas I’m working on just to give you a taste and maybe get everyone bought in on this:

• peach skillet w/ homemade ice cream

• lemongrass chicken skewers

• shrimp rolls

• burgers + burger bowls

• baked potato bar

• oysters rockefeller

• pasta salads

• so many tacos

• seriously, so many tacos

When I got started I felt certain I had to start with something near and dear to my heart - Here’s everything about the Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap:

Measurements for 2 wraps!

Chicken Marinade Option 1: Mexican Caesar

• 2 large chicken thighs

• 1-2 tbsps avocado oil

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp chile powder

• a bit of hot sauce like Cholula (optional)

• salt + pepper

Chicken Marinade Option 2: Classic

• 2 large chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• ½ tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• ½ tbsp lemon juice, just a squeeze (or a splash of pickle juice!)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp bbq sauce (optional!) it won’t taste like bbq chicken, just adds flavor

• salt + pepper

Other ingredients

• a head of romaine lettuce

• 2 large flour burrito wraps (at my Whole Foods I buy the Vista Hermosa brand)

• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional, but by the end of grilling it was not spicy)

• 2/3 cup of tortilla chip crumbs (panko also works here, goal is to add crunch)

• parmesan cheese (measure with your heart!)

• ¼ cup caesar dressing

A note on the dressing: I have a bottle of Chopt’s Mexican Caesar dressing in my fridge right now. I know not everyone lives near a Chopt. You have several great options - use your favorite store bought caesar dressing! Or you can make your own at home! I love making caesar from scratch because I can adjust it to my preferences (extra lemon, extra pepper). If you want a chipotle twist on the caesar dressing, you can either add a smokey hot such as Cholula’s chipotle hot sauce, into your dressing or you can use my Mexican Caesar Copycat recipe which I’ll put at the bottom of this.

Instructions

1. Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 15 minutes - this can be while you are heating up your grill! Also rub the jalapeno pepper with a drop of avocado oil.

2. Heat your grill up and let it get to about 450° F or up to 500° F. Once the chicken is on the grill you’ll want to keep it around 400-450.

3. Add the chicken thighs and jalapeno pepper to the grill. Shut the hood and let them cook for 7 minutes unbothered. The chicken should release from the grates easily at this point. Flip and cook for another 7 minutes on the second side. Turn the jalapeno on to a different side. If it’s getting burnt instead of just charred, move it to a cooler part of the grill. You can flip the chicken thighs again for another 2 minutes if they look like they need it. I cooked mine for 15 minutes total.

4. Remove chicken thighs and jalapeno from the grill, let them rest for 10 minutes.

5. Rinse and chop your romaine. The key to this recipe is chopping the romaine really small - like each piece should be less than an inch. So keep chopping!!! Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the tortilla chips and parmesan into the bowl.

6. Cut the chicken thighs also into really small pieces - aim for less than an inch. Finely dice the jalapeno (toss out the stem). Add both into the mixing bowl. Add caesar dressing and mix really well!

7. Right before wrapping, it helps to throw your tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side (keep the grill open for this). If you’ve moved inside at this point, just give them a quick 15 seconds in the microwave.

8. Add half of the salad mix into your tortilla and then wrap! You can cut it in half and eat it immediately or roll it up with foil / parchment paper and let it sit for 10 minutes. This helps the structure hold together a bit more!

Notes:

• Wrapping a burrito is kind of like an envelope. Place your filling in the middle, slightly below the center. Fold up the bottom third over the filling, then fold in the sides, then roll it forward, tucking the filling under the tortilla and making sure the sides stay folded in. Roll forward until it’s fully sealed!

• You can sequence this however you’re comfortable doing so. If you have a table outside by your grill where you can prep the salad and cut your chicken and roll the wraps, then do it all outside! If you need to go inside for the salad/ cutting/ wrapping parts, that’s a great time to let the chicken thighs rest!

• Don’t have a grill? Cook your thighs in a skillet! Sear them over medium heat and let them cook on each side for 7 minutes without being disturbed. This helps build color.

• But Anna! You grilled four chicken thighs!! Yes - and saved two of them for another meal because it was easier to just cook them all at the same time. Four chicken thighs would be great if you were doubling this recipe but is too much for just two wraps.

I hope you make these wraps! Kris has brought them up several times so we’ll be making them again soon I’m sure.

If you have grilling ideas you want to see - comment below or send them to me!! I want this to be big, I want it to be so much fun, I want it to inspire a lot of dinners this summer. It’s a series for me to have fun playing around with and hopefully it’s a series for you to get inspired to grill something new and have a few more dinners outside.

Thank you for sticking around. I hope to make it worth your time!

xx

Anna

ps: a housekeeping note - over the next couple of months I will be moving recipes from my website onto substack. This won’t trigger a bunch of emails I promise!

Mexican Caesar Copycat:

You’ll need

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I like 5% milk fat)

• 2 chipotle peppers (the canned in adobo sauce kind)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons mayo

• 1 lemon (juiced)

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy! Give it a taste test and adjust as needed. Salt will bring out more flavor and honey will counteract an acidic bite.

2. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (this is an estimate, I usually eat within a few dates)