Holiday Flatbread (Roasted Grape and Pomegranate)

Okay, okay so this recipe isn’t just for the holidays- but you’re lying if you’re saying the color scheme doesn’t remind you of jolly Christmas magic! This is my FAVORITE flatbread recipe base, and I think it’s really fun to switch up and play with different ingredients for each season. 

- Pita Bread

- Double Cream Brie Cheese

- Grapes

- Pomegranate

- White Onions (carmelized)

- Arugula

- Fig Glaze

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Personally, I really like to roast my fruit to really bring out the flavor, so I pop my pita and fruit in the oven for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats.

3. After you take the pita out of the oven and it's cooled, spread the double cream brie throughout generously and then pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes to melt.

4. While the pita and cheese cook, start caramelizing some onions on your stovetop.

5. When the cream cheese has firmed up a bit place in the pizza dough ball.

6. When the cheese has melted, pull it out of the oven and let it cool. 

7. Now assemble your flatbread! I like to start by arranging my roasted grapes first, then adding on onions, arugula, and the pomegranate seeds.

8. Finally, drizzle a fig glaze over top of the flatbread and its ready to be served!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Asparagus Salad

Look I think I may be one of the few people who actually really loves salads- but in my attempt to make everyone around me like them, I love trying out new variations and recipes for salads. Salads are a really healthy alternative, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. Playing with different proteins (meat, beans, nuts), carbs, cheeses, fruits and vegetables can really change a salad and turn it from a boring diet- to something you just like to eat!

- Kale Bunch

- Arugula Bunch

- Spinach Bunch

- Sweet Potato

- Sweet Onion

- Asparagus

- Goat Cheese

- Pecans 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees. Dice up sweet potatoes, onion, and asparagus. Drizzle vegetable oil over top. Put the mixture in the oven for 45 minutes and flip around about half way through.

2. Cut up kale, arugula, and spinach and spin in salad spinner/large bowl. 

3. When the sweet potatoes, onions, and asparagus are cooled mix into the salad. 

4. Mix in Goat cheese and pecans then top with your favorite dressing.

*Some really good additions to this salad would be chicken, steak, or quinoa!

The Laundry: Fenton, Michigan

This restaurant in particular was one that I knew I had to add at some point. Fenton is a cute little town, kind of in the middle of nowhere, and one of my favorite traditions as the seasons change is to visit my favorite garden (Heavenly Scent Herb Farm- this is a must go) and then grab lunch with my mom and sister and The Laundry.  After trying nearly half of the menu I can honestly say that this has NEVER disappointed me. They offer tons of different options from salads, to meat-packed sandwiches, even vegan options! They also have an extensive drink menu and quite possibly the cutest little bakery. No matter what you're looking for here, you'll find it.

On my most recent trip here I decided to try one of the vegetarian options, #46 The Information Operator. This is a hefty sandwich with swiss cheese melted on a balsamic marinated portabella mushroom, topped with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and spinach. They also spread, arguably, one of the best sauces I've ever had, a special garlic aoili, on top and it really brings the whole sandwich together. The whole thing is meshed together by two thick slices of their house-made "downtown bread". I'm not a huge sandwich girl but this was by far one of the best dishes I've ever gotten here. 

This next item is something you can NOT knock until you try it. One of their signature cocktails is the ~Beetlejuice~.  This interesting concoction is made with Corralejo Reposado Tequila, Roasted Beet Jalapeno Shrub, Lemon and Ginger. Now, if I haven't lost you yet, this drink is one of the tastiest drinks I've ever had (and I was even a bartender at one point), my go-to each time I visit. I know all of the ingredients seem strange together, but the Beetlejuice is a smooth blend of earthy tones, some heat, and just that little bit of sweetness. It may not be for everybody, but it is definitely worth a try!

The Laundry is clearly not just a one hit wonder. As much as I would love to say they are best known for one thing in particular, they really hit each branch- food, drink, and baked goods. Their bakery is not to be underestimated. This is where they create all their bread, and their phenomenal desserts. From their award winning donuts all the way to their various pies, they sure know their way around the bakery. Stop in to try their seasonal pumpkin bug bar (one of my favorites)!

While I could probably write a five page review on The Laundry- I think i'll leave it at this: if you're looking for a mini getaway with a full promising meal, this is your place.

Cheers!

Lyssious

Roasted Vegetable Flatbread

I don't know what my obsession with flatbread has been but I have been LOVING on them recently. Just last weekend I had a girls night and invited my friends over to drink wine and make flatbreads. Then yesterday while at a local shop I stumbled across an inspiring flatbread cookbook- I think the universe is trying to tell me something... After reviewing some of the recipes in the book I decided it was time to head to the kitchen and create some new recipes myself. I wound up making a few dlyssious combinations, but this will officially be the first one I share!

*Pro tip* use pita bread as flatbread base! This is my hack to getting a flatbread with the perfect consistency, and it also takes a ton of time out of the equation. Also don't be afraid to play around with cheese and toppings- if you choose to use strong cheeses make sure you balance them out with contrasting flavors. Flatbread is so awesome because you have so much room to create unique flavor profiles.

- 1 Pita 

- Brussels Sprouts bundle
- Red and Golden Beats 
- Sweet Onion
- Cherry Tomatoes 
- Goat Cheese
- Pine Nuts
- Cranberry Bourbon Jalapeno Sauce (whatever sweet sauce you would like)
- Vegetable Oil


Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Thinly slice brussels sprouts, beets (make sure they are peeled) and tomatoes.

2. Place cut veggies on baking sheet and drizzle with vegetable oil. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. 

3. In the meantime, chop up your onion into thick strands and caramelize. 
4. Start adding goat cheese on top of the pita evenly. 
5. When the vegetables (caramelized onions too) are done cooking, carefully place them on top of the goat cheese pita. Top the pita with pine nuts and place in the oven for 10 minutes. 
6. Take flatbread out of the oven and let cool.
7. Drizzle cranberry bourbon jalapeno sauce over-top for a sweet and spicy addition!

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Ravioli

Y'ALL I cannot express how excited I am about this recipe!!! Back in the day my mom used to buy this amazing butternut squash ravioli and would make it for dinner, and it was easily one of my favorite meals. Unfortunately a few years ago they stopped making the ravioli leaving my mom and I seriously depressed. Ever since then I have been searching high and low for some butternut squash ravioli and have just ended up disappointed. 

Finally, I decided I was going to challenge myself and make my OWN butternut squash ravioli. While I'm confident in my cooking abilities, let's be real- I don't know how the f*** to make pasta! Now my Italian ancestors are probably rolling over in their grave, but I decided to use wonton wrappers. At that point too I figured why not jazz this up some more and throw in some goat cheese and pecans, and let me tell you IT WAS D-LYSSIOUS.

- 1 pack of Wonton Wraps
- 1 Butternut Squash
- Vegetable Oil
- Chicken Broth
- Heavy Cream
- 1 log of Goat Cheese
- 1 package of Crushed Pecans 
- Eggs
- Alfredo Sauce 
- Basil


Instructions:

1. Start by cooking the butternut squash- after carefully cutting in half drizzle oil over top and bake for roughly 45 minutes at 375 degrees. 
2. While still warm scoop out the butternut squash inside and mash it with a fork until you have an overall smooth mixture (you can use a food processor to do this as well).
3. Then transfer the squash into a saucepan and add in only enough chicken broth and heavy cream to where it helps bind the squash together (you want almost a cookie dough texture), take off heat when well combined and let cool. 
4. Layout as many wonton wraps as you would like to make- I used a sheet pan to lay them on top.
5. Once cooled enough to handle, spoon out a dollop of the squash mix onto the wonton wrap. Continue this until all wraps have mix.
6. Add your desired amount of crumbled goat cheese and crushed pecans on top of the squash mix.
7. Brush egg yolk around the edges of the wonton to create a seal and take another wrap and place it on top. Pinch down the sides and try to squeeze out any air pockets, then leave it alone for a couple minutes to bind. 
8. Carefully drop your ravioli into boiling water and let them cook for around 2 1/2 minutes. 
9. After straining, pour creamy alfredo sauce on top and sprinkle with pecans and goat cheese. Finally, garnish with some basil and enjoy!

The Fed: Clarkston, Michigan

I am super excited writing about this today because let me tell you this place is so ADORABLE. I absolutely fell in love with this place from the moment I stepped in here- from the ambiance to the food itself everything about The Fed is wonderful.

The Fed is a cute little nook, in the even cuter town of Clarkson. While there are a number of restaurants in Clarkson on my bucket list, this was the one I was strongly urged to try first. I met up with one of my best friends for dinner here last week and as soon as we walked through the doors I was impressed. The chic, modern-rustic decor was so cozy (perfect after getting caught in the rain). There were two bars, one central bar and then one in the back- which I think was actually a food bar. The rest of the seating ranged from large tables to wicker chairs, all of which perfectly meshed together.

However the food was truly the star here. After ordering some sangria, we decided to split the crispy cauliflower appetizer. This cauliflower was life changing. I know I can be dramatic but honestly this was the best cauliflower I have ever tasted. They batter it in a tempura mixture and then toss it in this delicious sweet and sour sauce. Between the texture and the flavor you could seriously mistake this cauliflower for chicken. I honestly haven't stopped thinking about it since we left.

I have also been obsessing over flatbread lately so I was pretty happy when I saw the grilled peach flatbread. On it was a creamy brie, grilled peaches, arugula (my favorite) and it was sprinkled with almonds and drizzled with a tangy/sweet sauce. I was also pleasantly surprised with how large the flatbread was- next time I would definitely choose to share with someone.

While I didn't try quite a bit, I definitely left that night knowing I'd be back soon. The rest of the menu looks so interesting, and I'm looking forward to trying their brunch as well! Until next time.

Cheers!

Lyssious


Below is a link to The Fed's website where you can look at the menu and make reservations:

The Fed

Thick n' Chewy Choco-Chunk Cookies

I love a lot of different foods but one of my all time FAVORITE foods is the classic chocolate chip cookie. I have spent years of my life attempting to make the best, thick, chewy, chocolate cookie. After searching thousands of sites and I think I have finally nailed it.

- 1 cup of Butter
- 2 tbsp of Veg. Oil
- 1 cup of Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
- 2 tbsp of Cornstarch
- 3 cups of All Purpose Flour
- Lots of chocochunks (semi sweet, milk, dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. Preheat over at 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter in mixing bowl.
3. Add veg. oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla into creamed butter and mix together until combined.
4. Sift together baking soda cornstarch and flour and slowly mix into wet mixture.
5. Mix in chocolate chunks (I like to use variations of chocolate to give it a little more depth) the more the merrier, each bite should have chocolate in it!
6. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or more (pro tip, package some up and freeze it and then throw in the oven for fresh baked cookies whenever you want).
7. Place on greased baking sheet or parchment paper and cook for 7-10 minutes until golden brown!

Asian-Sesame Quinoa Salad

Truthfully my inspiration behind this one, is a faded memory. One night back when I was in college I came home after one too many drinks and definitely raided my roommates portion of the fridge. Not really sure if lit lyssious was feeling healthy or what but I drunkenly ate my roommates Asian salad leftovers. Obviously it was good enough for me to think about it the next day, so I decided what the hell, I'm gonna create my own.

- Kale

- Carrots

- Red Cabbage

- Red Peppers

- Peas

- Quinoa 

- Peanuts

- Asian Sesame Dressing

Instructions: 

1. Heat a pan of half chicken broth half water and follow Quinoa cooking instructions. 

2. Cut up kale, red cabbage and red peppers.

2. Crush up peanuts.

3. Place kale, carrots, cabbage, peppers, peas and quinoa in a mixing bowl, drizzle Asian sesame dressing over top. 

4. Sprinkle desired amount of peanuts over top.

Bagel Bombs

You know, I could lie to all of you and say that I wish I would wake up in the mornings and start my day productively but that's just not the case. My favorite part of the day is when I wake up and sit in my bed and watch all of the Tastemade Snapchat stories. That's where I found this AMAZING idea to make stuffed bagel bombs- so that's a good enough excuse for being lazy, right?

- Pizza Dough
- Cream Cheese
- Desired Mixings (I used smoked salmon and chives)
- Everything Bagel Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the cream cheese is softened.
2. For this specific recipe I used smoked salmon so I cut the salmon into small chunks and mixed the salmon and some chives into the softened cream cheese mixture.
3. Roll the cream cheese mixture into small balls and place in the fridge to set up.
4. Grab your pizza dough and separate it into balls slightly larger than the cream cheese balls.
5. When the cream cheese has firmed up a bit place in the pizza dough ball.
6. Arrange around a greased up cake pan.
7. Brush and egg-wash over the top and sprinkle on the everything bagel seasoning.
8. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, keeping an eye on them until they are golden brown all the way around. Let cool and enjoy!

PAO: Detroit, Michigan

While I may complain about being an adult, one part that I absolutely LOVE about grown-up life is being able to enjoy nice dinners. I live in the Metro-Detroit area and new, trendy restaurants pop up pretty frequently around here. Just recently a new restaurant, PAO, opened in downtown Detroit (Grand Circus Park). PAO is an Asian fusion restaurant with an exciting menu. In the couple times that I've visited, I've had the opportunity to sample multiple dishes. 

My all time favorite food is chicken wings by a landslide, so its no surprise that when reviewing the menu the first thing that caught my eye were the confit chicken wings. So naturally, I decided I had to have them. When the wings came out I was immediately impressed. They served four, generously sauced bone-in (the best) wings, two drummies and two wing dings, and were topped with sesame seeds and scallions. If the presentation and scent weren't good enough, the moment where I bit into those wings and the meat fell right off the bone, sealed the deal. The sauce had a unique teriyaki flavor, that was almost a little smoky. PAO definitely exceeded my standard for wings. 

Even though the wings were impeccable, I think the real star of the show here were the tuna tacos. Ahi tuna can be tricky- I really like it, but I am very picky and tend to be disappointed when ordering it. However PAO nailed it with these tacos. Inside of a crispy wonton shell lies a mixture of ahi tuna and pico de gallo. All the flavors blend beautifully and are tied together with a delicious sambol aioli- making this one of my top dishes here. The order comes with 3 tacos and are a nice light course. 

While these are just two of the dishes I felt the need to rave about, I would easily recommend other intriguing options like the creamy rock shrimp, king crab truffle gnocchi and the 48-hour lamb lollipops, which all scored very highly in my book! Make sure to head downtown soon to try it before all the tables are swooped up, and if you're feeling frisky try the unique, mother of dragons cocktail- it wont disappoint. 

Cheers!

Lyssious 

Below is a link to PAO's website where you can look at the menu and make reservations:
PAO Detroit

~Fancy~ Ramen

This is another dish inspired by one of my old roommates- Lexi. Freshman year Lexi religiously ate ramen with Tabasco hot sauce. When I got to school I promised myself no matter how broke I was, I would never allow myself to eat the plastic-coated, ultra-cheap ramen. Unfortunately, my random hatred of ramen kinda sucked overall because let's be real, ramen can actually taste good.

One day I was watching the Guy's Grocery Games (don't sleep on this show- it ROCKS) and I saw someone make ~fancy~ ramen. I was so intrigued that immediately after I went to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients and try it out for myself.

- 1 carton of Soy-Ginger Chicken Broth (I used the Simply Asia brand)

- Stir Fry Noodles (I used udon for a thicker texture) 

- Carrots

- Celery 

- Mushroom

- Green Onion 

- Red Cabbage

- Chicken Breast 

- Egg

- Blackened Seasoning 

Instructions:

1. Add carrots, celery, mushroom, and red cabbage into a crockpot and pour soy-ginger chicken broth over top. Let sit on high for an hour.

2. Pan fry chicken breast with blackened seasoning. 

3. Pan fry stir fry noodles until they have reached a softened texture. 

4. Soft boil an egg (take an egg refrigerator, and place in boiling water for 6 minutes, place in ice water after too cool down and peel).

5. Assemble! I ladle out my vegetable and broth mixture into a bowl, add the cooked stir fry noodles, cut up the blackened chicken breast and lay on top, cut the soft boiled egg in half and place on top, garnish with green onions. 

Sweet Potato Tacos Recipe

If there's one thing that just really grinds my gears, it's opening up a recipe on Pinterest just to read a long ass blog post about the recipe. I'll try to make each of my posts short and sweet when including recipes! Most of the dishes I make are inspired by something. Whether it be someone, someplace, or just any random food, I seem to be craving at the moment.

My old college roommate, Taylor, inspired this dish. She was one of the most wild, intelligent, and genuine soul I had ever met. Taylor also loved to cook, so nothing was better than coming home from the bar after drinking two dollar doubles all night, and cooking up Buddha bowls. Taylor loved her sweet potatoes, and that's where this recipe comes in. If there is one thing that you ever need to know about me, it's that I LOVE tacos. Multiple taco recipes will be coming your way, but this right here is the first!

Sweet Potato Tacos:

- 2 Sweet Potatoes

- Red Onion

- 1/2 can of Black Beans

- Tortillas (corn or flour- I prefer corn)

- Queso Fresco

- Avocado

- 3 Jalapeños

- 2 Limes

- Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

-Fajita Seasoning (Optional)

Siracha Sauce:

- 1/2 cup of Sour Cream

- 1/4 cup of Mayonnaise

- Siracha

- Lime

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 360 degrees. Dice up sweet potatoes and red onion, drizzle vegetable oil over top and massage in red pepper flakes and fajita seasoning. Put the mixture in the oven for 10 minutes, take out mix around and put back in for another 10 minutes.

2. Put tortillas on a skillet or pan and roast each side.

3. Drain and wash beans.

4. Cut up avocado, jalapeño, and lime slices for garnish.

5. Remove the sweet potato and onion mixture from the oven and add drained black beans. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes.

6. To make the sauce- Add the sour cream and mayonnaise into a bowl eyeball in siracha sauce (the more you add the spicier the sauce with be), squeeze about half a lime in and mix well.

7. Assemble the sweet potato, onion, bean mixture into the tortilla, sprinkle queso fresco on top, drizzle on the siracha sauce, add whatever garnishing you choose, squeeze lime over top.

      

My Food Journey

I swear I have been obsessed with learning how to cook ever since I watched Eddies Million Dollar Cook-off when I was 7. While it took a few years before I finally realized I can't bake for shit, I learned that cooking was a whole different battlefield. Cooking was messy and random, a little bit like myself. Yet at the same time cooking was like an art form. Ever since I was little I loved creating things, whether it be painting or drawing or sculpting, it was like that was the only thing that could completely shut my brain up and let me forget about everything. Eventually, I took a couple years off from creating, due to time, mostly.

When I moved into my first apartment, at nineteen, I was Pinterest obsessed. Looking back on it, I made the most disgusting food combinations, like barbeque chicken pop-tarts (yes, that's a real thing, and yes, I ate it) or flamin' hot Cheetos mac n' cheese. So my culinary experience started with humble beginnings, made of munchies. No matter what I made though cooking kind of felt like a mix of the things I loved the most, food and art. I could put the two together and make something not only aesthetically pleasing, but it would taste great too (even if I ended up in a sodium coma). When I was cooking I suddenly felt that same focus I felt from creating art. Fast forward to four years later, after gaining about ten pounds, I decided to start making more balanced meals and documenting them on my food Instagram @d_lyssious. It was perfect, the name worked, I loved being able to create the perfect shot from the perfect dish, and my friends were always super supportive and uplifting.

Cooking, and food overall has become one of my top passions. Going out to eat is a full experience now, I want to go home and try the dishes out myself, tweak and improve them. I often think about if I had a restaurant- what would the menu consist of? All of it has become therapeutic to me. I am excited for you to follow along, through successful recipes and the failures (sometimes cookies are better advertised as scones). To all my Gordon Ramsey's and all my amateurs,

Cheers!

Lyssious

About D'Lyssious

Hello everyone! First and foremost, I would like to formally introduce myself as Alyssa Smith, but from here on out- you can call me Lyssious (L-IH-S-UHS)! Lyssious has been a forever evolving nickname of mine since high school. Whether it be my written across my bright pink, senior year powder-puff shirt as 'lyssious248', the year in college I spent working the school radio as 'DJ Lyssious', or my current food Instagram handle '@d_lyssious', the name Lyssious has served me many unique experiences and has become an overall preference if were being honest. Now, after probably being a little confused about the explanation behind my desired identification- I'm sure you're starting to question what the hell you're doing reading this anyway. Well, this past year I graduated college and have begun the battle of being an adult. During this time, I've begun to realize that binge drinking for 4 days straight isn't considered an actual hobby and I need to have some real interests. Luckily for me I seem to have a few- and most of them orbit around food. Between trying new restaurants, watching the Kids Baking Championship, and whipping up my own creations, I think about food more than the average person. Once I started my food Instagram, I really enjoyed all the traffic and conversation that came from it and after some time I finally decided to take a step further and start this blog! My main goal is to connect with all of you and share my love of all things culinary- whether that be new dining recommendations, recipes, or even trying out some new fads. I figured that I would also try to share some of my other favorite things like art and comedy to give my ~lyssious~ spin on this site. So welcome, here is to the raw, unknown future of D'lyssious!

Cheers!

Lyssious