It’s time for episode 9 of TV Dinner on ulive and I saved the best for last. (Last one just for now, not to worry.) My friend Brooke Hammerling came over and I made my favorite post-workout meal: avocado toast with an egg on top.

Brooke runs Brew PR, a firm she founded to provide media relations to cool tech companies. Among other things, she’s also a big supporter of charity: water. I don’t need to tell you that she, just like the rest of us, is busy. It’s hard enough to find the time to workout; who wants to come home and start slaving over the stove after? Not me. Not Brooke. And I’m guessing not you, either.

Avocado toast with an egg on top is not only the fastest, easiest meal to make, but it packs the necessary 1-2 protein-carb punch that your body needs post-workout. Win – Win. Time to get familiar with it.

And like I said, this is the last episode of TV Dinner — for now — but I have a Valentine’s Day special coming in a few months. And until then, you can catch up on the other 8 episodes and recipes. Be sure to let me know if you make any of them and how they turn out.

Hope you had as much fun watching as I did makin ’em!

I’ve been a big fan of Of a Kind for a while now, so I was shocked — and disappointed in myself — when I saw them tweet about the 3rd volume of their cookbook a few weeks ago. Third! Where have I been? Not wanting to miss out on anymore one of a kind recipes, submitted by designers featured on their site, I ordered it right away.

Grace Lee’s Miso Sea Bass caught my eye immediately because not only had I not made sea bass in a long time — maybe ever for B? — but also because there are 4 ingredients for the entire recipe. Four! And one of them is the sea bass.

My friend (and former camper) Lara was going to be spending the day with me on Monday, documenting my whole day for her fun new photo documentary project, so I knew this would be perfect to make that evening. After an early morning at work, errands, and spin class, who wants to slave away in the kitchen and try to make sense of a complicated recipe? Not this girl.

I made it over simple, lemon roasted asparagus, but it would be delicious with any vegetable, really. Sea bass is definitely more expensive than other fish at the market, but man, is it worth it. B said it was the best fish I’ve ever made. What more can I say?

It couldn’t have been a better fit either, because much like Felicia, this pomegranate, nut, and green herb quinoa surprises you — in the best way possible. I hope she doesn’t mind being compared to food! But seriously, they’re both full of flavor and the most perfect juxtapositions: punchy but sweet, intricately layered but delicate. After I told Felicia that Jane’s other quinoa dish I made was very much in the same vein, she picked up her phone and ordered the cookbook from Amazon Prime, right on the spot. (She’s also now itching to buy my favorite Kyocera knife and my Vitamix too! More on that in a moment.)

What I love most about Felicia though is her infectious excitement over food and food photography. It’s so delightful being around someone who’s just as crazy (again, in the best way possible) about the taste and styling of her meals. And her attention to detail pays off, big time, as evidenced in her post about our cookfest yesterday; her photos are stunning.

She has the full quinoa recipe there so I’ll just add the one for homemade hummus, which is where that Vitamix comes in. Sure you can buy hummus at the store, but making your own is super simple and so much healthier. Plus you can tailor it exactly to your liking, which for me means Garlic to the enth degree. You might ask, as I did when I first saw the recipe: what is hummus even doing in this quinoa dish? I’ll tell you: making it amazing. It adds a creaminess that holds all the ingredients together and a surprising mediterranean feel. It’s almost like you’re on DVF’s yacht with Jane. Almost.

If you know me, you know I love me some football; it’s one of the only beautiful things about summer being over. There’s also something really calming about getting back into the routine: cooking dinner for B (then blogging about it!), and watching the game together on the couch. What a game it was, too. My boys really kicked off the season in style the other night. Before I knew what kind of romping it would be — okay, fine 33-27 isn’t as much a romping as it felt like — I was planning a winning menu of my own.

I wanted a healthier version of a tailgate: something hearty and fried, but that wouldn’t leave me feeling sacked on the couch. Enter Gwyneth Paltrow’s gluten-free old bay fish fingers for kids (from her It’s All Good cookbook, which I’ve cooked from before). Inspired by those, I made these spicy mustard fluke fingers. Use as much sriracha as you like in the mustard mixture (I used a ton) and then whip up a little dipping sauce with it too (sriracha + vegenaise = heaven). It only takes about 15 minutes — prep and cook time, combined.

They taste just like fried chicken fingers you’d get at the stadium, but without any of the guilt. I’d say less noise too, but we get pretty into the games around here. Serve ’em with a side of broccoli like I did, or any vegetable or salad really — and even try ’em out on your kids too. I bet if you tell them it’s chicken, they’d never know the difference. It’s like running your very own play-action in the kitchen.

B knew it was fluke, and he loved it anyway. He asked if I could please add these to the regular TV Dinner repertoire. TOUCHDOWN.

If I had to pick a favorite item of clothing in my closet, it’d probably be my leopard print Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress. I remember first putting it on in the store, how hesitant I was about its cut (accentuating  every curve of my body) and its bright pink print, attracting a little more attention than I wanted. But after a nudge from a smart stylist I wore it on TV and instantly fell in love. What had all seemed too much, was in fact the perfect mix of fun, smart, and sexy.

It’s no surprise then that the cookbook by DVF’s personal chef aboard her yacht, Jane Coxwell, conjured up those exact same feelings. Fresh Happy Tasty is full of colorful, vibrant, and flavorful recipes. A lot of the ingredient lists — like the one for this green apple and macadamia nut quinoa — are full of food and spices that I would have never dreamed of putting together. And then, just like that dress, after one bite I was hooked. I stood in my kitchen, serving spoon in hand, shoveling it in my mouth before my guests arrived. (Sorry Callie + David!)

I had never thought to put yogurt with quinoa — even one you’d eat for breakfast, let alone dinner — but it added a subtle sweetness and creaminess that held the dish together beautifully. I’ll never make quinoa without it again. Then you’ll notice the Maldon salt in both the recipe and one of the photos. Jane showcases this salt as one of her kitchen essentials in the beginning of her cookbook, so I decided to hunt it down. I actually found it in the produce market in the back of Chelsea Market (for my NYC readers) and it was well worth it. I got the smoky version, which offset the yogurt and hot peppers perfectly.

The best part of this dish though? How easy it was to make. Only the quinoa and nuts need to cook; everything else is just chopped up and thrown in raw. So think of me as that stylist who first convinced me to buy and wear that DVF wrap dress: get yourself involved with this recipe this weekend. Then buy her cookbook. You’ll thank me later.

And what a ceviche it was! If you’ve never “cooked” ceviche, it’s as simple as throwing the fish in a container with lime juice and letting the citrus “cook” it in the fridge. The outcome is light, sweet, and summery.

But you’re still wondering about the “scorching” part, aren’t you? That’s where the serrano pepper comes in. After his first bite, B described the heat as “challenging” while I think I used the term “glorious.” However you say it, serranos are hot. Jalapenos might be a safer bet, should you not be up for the high level spice. But like, YOLO.

Similarly I’m not a fan of cilantro, but I used it as a garnish because it adds a bit of color and pizazz. I also love the flavor of the smoky salt I used, which came recommended by the chef Jane Coxwell. I cooked her green apple macadamia quinoa as a side dish for this dinner party and will be posting that recipe soon. Stay tuned!

Two things caught my eye about this recipe. First, the shrimp were roasted. I have always sauteed or grilled shrimp, never roasted them, so that was exciting. (Hey, we all get our rocks off in different ways.) Second, they didn’t have too much stuff on ’em, which is perfect for B, who likes his tacos — and really most food if we’re being honest — plain. His regular order from our neighborhood Mexican joint is “shrimp tacos, nothing on it but shrimp and cheese. No lettuce, no tomato, no salsa, no pico de gallo, nothing. Just shrimp and cheese.” I know, bor-ing. (Like I was saying about the rocks…) But that’s what was great here: the avocado mango salsa (which takes about 3 minutes to make) can be served on the side. Then each person can assemble their taco as he or she likes.

I tried these sprouted tortillas so I’d feel even healthier about the whole meal, and they wound up being fantastic. Highly recommend those, and serving them with my Mexican corn salad, and some lime and hot sauce on the side. Enjoy! I’ll see you on the beach.

After sauteing the corn, I sliced up a jalapeno pepper, a bunch of scallions and mixed it up with a few dabs of vegenaise, then topped it all with sriracha. The veggies and sauces are the perfect spicy balance to the sweetness of the corn. Sprinkle a little smoked paprika on it too and you’ll be zing-zang’ing all over the kitchen. But the best part? It takes less than 10 minutes to whip this bad boy up.  I made it alongside some delicious shrimp tacos with avocado mango salsa — recipe coming later this week — but it would also make a great side dish at any summer barbecue.

After B took his first bite he proclaimed: “I could eat this corn all day, everyday.” Not a bad endorsement.

All you need is kale, avocado, lemon, and sea salt. I added a little extra virgin olive oil cause I only had one lonely lime laying around and it needed a bit more liquid. (The lime by the way, was great — but I bet lemon would be even better a la Rina.) She also sprinkles it with parmesan cheese but since I don’t eat dairy I decided to add some pumpkin seeds. The crunch (and added antioxidants) were a perfect addition.

I’d love to hear what you put in your kale salad, or how you prepare yours — so let me know. Either way I can’t think of a better, healthier meal that takes less than 10 minutes to make.