Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

Every Christmas, my father-in-law makes these delicious blinis (which as far as I can tell are just mini-Russian pancakes) with caviar and smoked salmon.  I had actually never had caviar until I had it at my in-laws house.  And boy, as with all things of luxury, was it a slippery slope.  It was so delicious and decadent and I was immediately hooked.  Until, that is, I found out that caviar costs upwards of $100 for an ounce.

Since over at my house life is more along the lines of "champagne taste on a beer budget" than the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous that Robin Leach was always talking about, I have never before attempted to make this dish.  But since Christmas I have been craving it and I decided to give it a shot by making my own poor man's rendition.  I of course bought the least expensive caviar that I could find, which was $9.99 for two ounces (the most expensive part of this meal thank you very much):

I scoured the internet for blini recipes and all of them called for buckwheat flour which I could not find for the life of me, even after going to 3 different grocery stores, so I gave up and bought whole wheat flour.  I really didn't notice a difference.

To make the blini batter, whisk together the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

until it looks smooth and light brown, like so:

Pour the batter into a frying pan over medium-low heat by the 1/8 cup full (about 2 Tbsp).  Cook for about 2 minutes before flipping - you will know when they are ready to flip when tiny bubbles rise to the surface, like so:

Cook for about another minute and then transfer to a plate.  Cover with a paper towel to keep warm.

Don't get discouraged if your first few come out a bit wonky looking - I had the same problem:

But with some practice, I eventually got the hang of it:

Top the blinis with smoked salmon, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, and caviar:

Go ahead and serve them with a glass of champagne (or if you're budget conscious like me, cava) and toast to your resourcefulness at making a beautiful looking yet budget conscious meal.  Cheers!

Eat Light and Fit, Be Light and Fit

If you're anything like me, you ate and drank WAY too much over the holidays.  Now that it's a new year and time for a fresh start, I have a few seemingly simple goals (in theory) in mind:

1.  Spend less/save more.
2.  Eat better.
3.  Exercise more.
4.  Drink less.

So far, in these first 4 days of 2011, I have succeeded in not drinking any alcohol and eating fewer carbs, although I still have yet to hit the gym and am still struggling to pay off those Christmas gifts and holiday trips (which I anticipate I'll be doing for quite some time).

In the spirit of focusing on the positive (as in what I have managed to achieve thus far), I thought I'd share a light and healthy carb-free recipe.  It's super easy (it literally takes under 5 minutes to make) and filling, yet light on calories and fat.  It's great for a light and healthy lunch or dinner, but of course could make a delicious breakfast/brunch option too.  Basically, it's a win-win!  Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Omelette

2 eggs
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 oz fresh chives, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
2 oz. smoked salmon

Whisk eggs, water, and herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper:

  
Spray frying pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat.  Add egg, water, and herb mixture and cook until edges begin to set.  Flip once and cook until eggs are set but still moist.  Transfer to plate:

Whisk mustard and sour cream together in small bowl:

Spread 1/2 of omelette with sour cream mixture (use as much or as little as you like):

Top with sliced smoked salmon:

Fold over  to seal and serve immediately:

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011 everyone!  

This holiday season was crazy busy for us, but some of the fun highlights included:

 Baking tons of sugar cookies (and eating all of them before even having a chance to frost them).

 

Decorating a tree (and having Charlie only eat three of the ornaments this year, instead of several ornaments plus the lights).

Finally having a fireplace to hang stockings from!

We headed out to Utah this year and spent 4 days skiing.  We were fortunate enough to arrive there just as it was getting hit by a winter storm that dropped 7 feet of snow in 2 days.  In a word: heaven. 

We spent Christmas Eve at our friend Charlie's cabin up at Alta.  We had to hike through the aforementioned 7 feet of snow to get there, breaking trail on fresh bootpack the entire way.  Here's the view from his front porch just after we arrived:

It was worth it just to see this sunset:

And the Christmas morning sunrise:

I hope that everyone had a very happy holiday season and that 2011 finds you all happy, healthy, and well!