Caprese Egg White Scramble

We're in the thick of it: summertime!

I love summer, you have to love summer if you want to be a human. When summer rolls around I become obsessed with all things summer produce--cherries, for one. Tomatoes, for another. And with tomatoes comes my unstoppable summer obsession: CAPRESE SALAD.

If you follow me on instagram, you'll see that I recently started having caprese salad for dinner. I went to the store, uninspired to cook anything in sweltering heat, and came away with a big vine-ripened tomato and a fresh mozzarella ball (OK FINE I GOT TWO) along with a big bundle of fresh basil. A french baguette for the side made perfect sense.

Cut to a few days later and I still had quite a bit of fresh mozzarella begging to be used. That's when I came up with this delightful Caprese Egg White Scramble. A perfectly light but fulfilling breakfast that is satisfying and bursting with fresh summer flavor.

I started with a couple of cherry tomatoes (which I grew - ON MY PORCH! That's right. My very own tomato plant is proving quite lucrative). The tomatoes are sauteed in olive oil with fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Egg whites join the party as the tomatoes begin to burst. Fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes, becomes melted and stringy throughout the scramble. Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes give our taste buds a kick. Fresh basil and a few drops of balsamic reduction, because what is a caprese salad with basil and balsamic?

Enjoy this scramble with a slice of whole wheat toast on a slow Saturday morning. I'd eat it for lunch or dinner, too - it's THAT good!

Caprese, previously: Caprese Pasta Salad

Pork Tenderloin with Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Given the choice, in my next life, I would be a hammerhead shark. First of all, how AWESOME would I look? I'd have impeccable eye sight, and I'd be quite nimble. Fresh seafood for dinner every day doesn't sound like a bad deal. People would admire me as much as they feared me. Mhmm. The dream.

While these are all reasonable thoughts to have during Shark Week, one thing that would NOT rock about being a hammerhead shark would be lack of THIS delicious meal in my life. In my belly, all day.

Pork Tenderloin with Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sauce is a simple dinner that is dressed to impress. This sauce -- oh baby! -- it is smokey and slightly sweet, the perfect compliment to a perfectly roasted pork tenderloin, golden brown on the outside and juicy on the inside.

I love pork as an interesting alternative to chicken. You can get a lot of pork for not a lot of bucks, which is a huge plus! With a pork tenderloin, my favorite preparation goes something like this: season with salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder --> sear on all sides in a screamin' hot cast iron skillet --> roast in the oven until the inside temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Of course, I will never make a pork tenderloin again without this rich, delicious red pepper sauce. I poured it over my entire plate, self control is not an option here. I can't think of too many things I WOULDN'T slather in it! And isn't the color just gorgeous? I'm craving a big bite of this dinner just thinking about; time to put pork tenderloin and  roasted red pepper sauce on your dinner menu this week!

My life lately, as told by food

Hey, hi, howdy! Everyone have a good Fourth of July?! I'm still digesting. I should probably be doing some kind of detox or juice cleanse after eating all the burgers/sausages/cookies and drinking all the beers/wines/gin+tonics.

I have recipes that I want to share with you! Really yummy, tasty recipes. There are pictures on my camera and recipes in my brain but it feels like there is no time to bring it all together. It's no excuse! I know that! 

In the meantime I thought I would do a round-up of what my life looks like, in food. It's my way of showing you that yes, I still LOVE food and yes, it is still a big part of my life. So here it is! Everything I've been eating + growing + cooking! With a few cat and dog pictures for good measure :-)

WHAT I'VE MADE

I whipped up this roasted pork tenderloin with a fire-roasted tomato sauce and it. is. everything. This is absolutely a blog-able recipe and I hope to get it up by the end of the week!

These amazingly patriotic cookies are homemade lofthouse-style cookies with a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting. I used Wilton brand food coloring spray and red sand sprinkles to give these cookies a fun face-lift! They were the perfect dessert for those 4th of July cookouts.

These pretty cherry tomatoes came right from my front porch! I bought a single potted plant on a whim at Home Depot a few weeks ago and thought for sure it wouldn't live long enough for me to eat a single one. Boy was I wrong! Cherry tomatoes everywhere!!

WHAT I'VE EATEN

Wedding cake samples!! I, of course, chose the maximum number of samples possible. My favorites were vanilla cake with chocolate pudding and chocolate cake with cherry filling. My mom said I was boring for liking those best, but there is a reason those are classics!

Committee Boston is a new restaurant located in Boston's Seaport that features Mediterranean small plates and fabulous craft cocktails (notice the candied bacon garnish--my mouth is watering just thinking about it). I could not stop eating the dishes here! Everything was incredibly flavorful, fresh, and unique. I strongly recommend the zucchini crisps and the lamb pita pizza. The restaurant itself is spacious with a big bar and just-opened outdoor seating. I couldn't recommend it enough! 

Right near our apartment in Roslindale Village is a great local eatery called Birch Street Bistro. I had the grilled salmon with crispy shrimp. This shrimp was ADDICTING, I could have eaten a whole pound of that alone! Under the salmon was an equally addicting coconut cilantro sauce, which I could have eaten by the spoonful. Another gem in the greater Boston area that I would strongly recommend!

PET PICS FOR GOOD MEASURE

Star was EXHAUSTED after all the Fourth of July excitement! She passed out as soon as we got in the car! Luckily, she didn't react strongly to the noise of the fireworks and was able to stay outside with us while we watched them.

Dot continues to rule as the king of the castle. Here he is giving me his best "Judging You" face. He's the most photogenic creature on the planet (a totally 100% unbiased opinion)!

What are you eating or cooking that has you excited?! Leave a comment below!