I Aint Never Had A Beef Like You

b.good - Cambridge, MA
http://www.bgood.com/index.php
   

Frank's Potatoes

     Eons ago, after a cleverly crafted tweet, the b.good truck came to my work and delivered free chocolate

milkshakes to us. It was THE BEST way to end the work week. So, that was my introduction to b.good and I've been following them and getting their emails ever since because I'm technically part of their "family." I'm not sure if I've explained their story yet, but their focus is making fast-food "real" by making it the way it should be... by people, not factories. I still hadn't visited one of their actual restaurants yet, when I got an email about Frank harvesting his potatoes, and if you came in before Sunday, you'd get a free order of fries. Also, I still had 2 other free orders of fries loaded onto my "family" card that I hadn't taken advantage of yet. Well... it's impossible for me to turn down free food, so one Saturday after the workout, Meagan and I went over to b.good to take advantage of two orders of free fries. On the wall right when you walked in, they had a picture of Frank on his farm and a little blurb about his potatoes from Hatfield, Massachusetts. Along with Frank were photos and information about two other families that b.good was sourcing their beef and other ingredients from. I'm a real big fan of this. Locally sourced and "real" ingredients. It's comforting to know who I'm supporting when I'm eating out. Not to mention, the environmental impacts of buying local.
     As I mentioned before, we went for our free fries and they were phenomenal! They came out looking just as I expected. Real. All different shapes, sizes, and textures. As if an individual, rather than a machine, had imperfectly sliced all different sizes of potatoes. The first thing Meagan said was "they're kind of creamy," and she was totally right. The outside was slightly crispy, but the potato inside was so moist and practically creamy. They also had some sort of delicious seasoning on them, perhaps with a little paprika? I'm unsure. But I do know that I can't wait to go back one day and try their burgers.


Coolidge Corner Clubhouse - Brookline, MA
http://www.thecoolidgecornerclubhouse.com/index.php

Mile High Nachos

     Remember my "nacho average run" pre-CRASH B? Well... I'm slowly checking off the six restaurants that I visited with "the best nachos in Boston." Very very slowly. I've currently only been to one. However, Coolidge Corner Clubhouse was highly recommended by everyone and their mom, so one Saturday evening after sitting outside at MixFest downtown, Meagan wanted to go get food. We scooped up Jimmy and headed to Coolidge Corner Clubhouse where I could finally put their nachos to the test. I was pumped. The place looked like your standard sports bar, but a little older. By that I just mean there weren't seven thousand TVs and the look and feel wasn't very modern. I will instantly love a place if they offer me something free before my meal. For example, bread, popcorn, peanuts, or in this case, small packets of breadsticks. I care not of the quality because it's free and delicious. Jimmy and I decided I'd order the half plate of Mile High Nachos, he'd order a greek salad and we'd split both. That's a lie. We didn't agree on the half plate size. I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes when I told the waitress I only wanted the half order.
     The greek salad was actually really awesome. It had a bunch of grilled chicken, green peppers, a few tomatoes and they used a mix of romaine lettuce, spinach and a bunch of other mixed greens. I love when places do that. Makes me respect them a little more. Maybe because it makes me think that they value nutrition and are willing to spend a little more on greens rather than just romaine or iceberg lettuce. I'm weird.
     The nachos were, in fact, a mile high. Never have I ever seen a place do such an incredible job layering cheese and chips. The entire bottom of the plate was covered in cheese, and it seemed like each chip in the entire stack had cheese on it. It was incredible. And it was a good blend of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. The meat chili that came on top was great too. It was practically all meat and full of flavor, but I wished there was more. It also came with jalapenos and salsa with huge globs of guacamole and sour cream thrown on top. There was no skimping on these guys. I'd definitely say they're the best nachos I've had here in Boston so far. They beat out the nachos from Cambridge Brewing Club, the Hill Tavern and Tavern in the Square because of the cheese layering technique and the delicious chili.


Sloppy Joes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

   

My Heavenly Sloppy Joes

      I do like sloppy joes... I do. But when they're at some sort of function, I'm never going to be super excited about it or anticipating seconds before I even finish my first. Don't get me wrong, they're tasty, but generally, I feel like they're pretty standard and generic. However... I stumbled upon a sloppy joes recipe on pinterest (from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network) and thought I'd try it out for myself. Real homemade sloppy joes. No packets. No cans.
     Conveniently, that week Whole Foods had a sale on grass-fed, free range, antibiotic and hormone free 90/10 ground beef from some family farm in Missouri. I picked up about a pound and a half of it and knew it was sloppy joes time. First of all... this was the most amazing ground beef I've ever eaten. "The look of it, the taste of it, the texture... "(-Goldmember) was so different than any other ground beef. There was very little fat that cooked out, and it almost smelled game-y. The taste and the feel of it in my mouth felt so clean. I know that's really really weird, but it was just different and eye opening. I had no idea that ground beefcould be different in so many ways.
     Anyway, I threw in some kidney beans, a ton of spices, onions, garlic and a few other key ingredients (similar to the mountain meatballs recipe Jake and I made a while back) like molasses and Worcestershire sauce. I'm sure if I followed her recipe exactly it would've been delicious, but I made a few additions and substitutions, as always. I omitted the jalapeños and red peppers (simply because I didn't have any on hand), and instead of using a mix of tomato sauce and tomato paste, I used only a tomato basil tomato sauce from Trader Joe's (it's my favorite). I also added from fresh basil from my mom's garden. I would definitely say that this is up in my top 10 favorite dishes I've ever made. It's incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. I spent everyday at work dreaming about getting home to eat it. Here's my version of her recipe.

Sloppy Joes

1.5 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 3/4 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4/5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Brown the meat and the onion in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard.

2.  Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes more.


Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

She's pretty

     I want to bake everything... all the time. Brownies, cookies, cakes, muffins. You name it. But I can't for lightweight reasons. So whenever the opportunity arises where I can make a recipe I've been wanting to make for a while, and I can count on other people being there to enjoy 95% of the fruits of my labor, I seize it. Thank you Head of the Kevin 2! For the breakfast post HOK2 I decided to make these peanut butter banana oatmeal muffins. The picture looked great, they had great ingredients and they really caught my eye when I found them on Annie Eats. I've made similar breakfast banana-y muffins before, but these ones took the cake. They were so easy to make and incredibly tasty, especially when they were fresh. With a slight hint of peanut butter in the muffin, creamy peanut butter on top and the sweet taste of banana all throughout, it kind of felt like a treat but was still full of nutrition. An energy powerhouse.  I think it also helped that I used some super ripe bananas that were plenty sweet. This is key.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. applesauce
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
6 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I mixed 1% milk and a tbs of lemon juice)

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin cups with paper liners (this recipe made about 15 muffins for me). In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, banana, peanut butter and buttermilk until smooth. 

3. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients gradually and mix just until fully incorporated.

4. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

     

   

I wish you could've smelled these shrooms

     It's finally getting a little chilly outside and it's making me super eager to make soups. It's a very exciting time. I've had this Adventures in Cooking recipe for a Hungarian Mushroom Soup on the back burner since the spring. A little more rich than my normal soups, this one is up there in the top 5. I made it with sliced baby portabella mushrooms, sliced large portabellas, and a ton of paprika and dill. I wonder if the paprika and dill are what make it Hungarian. Hmm... Also, instead of sour cream like the recipe called for, I used greek yogurt (which I feel like is practically the same thing), and it gave it an awesome creamy texture. I'm pumped to have a huge pot of this in my fridge for dinner all week.

Final product

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

8 Ounces Crimini Mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 Ounces Small Portabello Mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt)
2 Cups Onions, chopped
5 Teaspoons Hungarian Paprika
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
1 Teaspoon Fresh Dill, finely chopped (I used only dried dill)
1 and 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Marjoram

1. Sauté the onions in a little olive oil in a cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 cup of vegetable stock, paprika, thyme, marjoram, dried dill and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms soften and become dark in color (This smell will blow your mind).

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then whisk in the flour and continue whisking while the mixture cooks for another 3 minutes. Add the milk and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes allowing the mixture to thicken, stirring once every minute or so. Empty the mushroom mixture into the milk mixture. Add the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable stock and the lemon juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and watch mixture until it stops boiling. When the boiling ceases, stir in the sour cream, salt, pepper, and fresh dill if you have it.

"You Two Look Drowsy" - A Post NSR1 Feast

MIXX - Allston, MA
http://www.mixxboston.com/

Toppings galore from MIXX

     Racing season was picking up quite quickly, along with the search for healthy treats. Cookies? No. Cakes? No. Froyo? Perhaps. After spending the afternoon watching the Boston Marathon with Joan, I decided to keep walking a bit and hit up MIXX, a frozen yogurt place in Allston that's always packed. I've heard it's one of the best in Boston, so I had to give it a try. All froyo places seem to have the same feel. Simple, bold colors. Modern furniture. Clean. This place was just like Zinga in Kenmore. They had self serve frozen yogurt, so naturally I had to try all of them. Cookies and cream, banana split, original, chocolate, taro, peanut butter... you name it, they probably had it, and I probably tried it. I'm just a lost cause when it comes to the toppings. My treat went from "healthy" to "excessive" within 30 seconds of hitting the toppings bar. All in all, it was delicious. Namely because I topped the thing with at least 2 full mashed reeses cups. But the frozen yogurt was so good. Each flavor was unique and spot on. The taro was really good, and the original was great without an overly powerful zing that you get with some frozen yogurts. I'm not sure how to compare frozen yogurt places, because the concept is simple, but MIXX is definitely worth the extra trip down Comm.

   


Uno Chicago Grill - Princeton, NJ
http://www.unos.com/

   

Avocado Egg Rolls

     Large sums of melted cheese on bread had become a thing of the past as a result of NSR1 weight requirements. I was absolutely determined to get a deep dish pizza for lunch/dinner the day of our last weigh-in in Princeton. Mary and I found an Uno, a restaurant I've been wanting to go to for a long time. There's one in Kenmore in Boston, and it always smells incredible when I go by. That Saturday evening we headed there for dinner. We may have gone a little overboard (naturally), but who cares? As an appetizer, we got these awesome avocado egg rolls. They were basically avocado, onion, cilantro and lime wrapped up in your standard egg roll wrap, deep fried and served with this INCREDIBLE tamarind cashew dipping sauce. What is tamarind? We had no idea, and we attempted to research it with no success. The warm avocado was absolutely delicious, especially with that sauce. I'm not kidding. We saved every bit of that sauce and put it on anything and everything that we could the rest of the meal.

     We spied another table with a plate of breadsticks. Instant panic. Those were not on the menu. I did not see those on the menu. What are those? Waitress, can we get some of those? The salt on these fluffy, warm, toasted cheese topped breadsticks was out of this world. I know that sounds stupid, but try avoiding sodium for a couple weeks, and then we can talk. These breadsticks hit the spot ... especially with that tamarind cashew dipping sauce.

The Chicago Classic

     In an effort to not get in too far over our heads, we decided to split the individual Chicago Classic deep dish pizza and get a side salad with chicken. The grilled chicken with the salad was pretty good, and the salad itself was decent. Nothing too fancy. But this pizza.... oh my. This pizza had crumbled sausage, chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella and romano cheese. We added broccoli and onions as well. Mary mentioned that chunky tomato sauce on pizza was a game-changer for her, so I really wanted to try it. I swear, we must have looked like crazy people. We sat there staring at our slices of pizza in absolute amazement after each bite. The crust was thick and crispy on the outside and was lined with cheese. They must've layered the cheese down on top of the crust first, then added the vegetables and topped it with the tomato sauce. Genius. Maybe this is how Chicago deep dish style pizza works, I don't know. Either way, it was a new and unique way of topping a pizza for me. Mary was right, the chunky tomato sauce was incredible. It was more of a topping as opposed to just a sauce. Make sense? In combination with the broccoli and onions and sausage, it was fabulous.

     We walked out of Uno in an absolute state of euphoria. The waitstaff at the door even said, "Wow, you two look drowsy" as we left. So what?


Hoagie Haven - Princton, NJ
http://www.hoagiehaven.com/

   

      It is virtually impossible to go to Princeton and not have someone, somewhere recommend you go to Hoagie Haven. Well... I now understand why. The Sunday after racing NSR1, Mary and I stuck around to row some double combinations with a few other girls. With no weigh-in in the absolute near future, we wanted lunch. And I mean we wanted LUNCH. Mary dropped me off at the door and I navigated myself through the sea of high school lacrosse players and soccer players and finally made it to the counter, behind which at least 10 workers were sliding around frying meats, pouring sauces, and toasting buns. It was chaos. The place was miniature to begin with. I ordered one "Body Bag," a BLT and a side of fries. I knew as soon as he pulled out the 16 inch hoagie roll (I'm guessing) for the Body Bag that we weren't going to need that BLT or the fries. It was too late. Ready for this?

The Body Bag

     After getting our food, we made our way to a park by the river to sit and enjoy. I'll start off with the easy stuff. Salt and pepper on the fries? Incredible. Why don't more places do a s/p combo? And the BLT was great. Refreshing compared to the other mountain we attempted to climb (see below).

The precious insides of the Body Bag

 We unwrapped the Body Bag, and it was still piping hot. This behemoth was lined with a layer of hash browns and ketchup first. Next was your standard Italian hoagie. In this case salami, capicola and ham I'm guessing. Other inclusions: provolone cheese, cheese steak, 4 fried eggs and sliced onions. Overkill? Absolutely. The grease was running down my arm, and all was right in the world. The meat, the salt, the bread. All good things. All things that don't go well with a weigh in. It was like stepping into heaven. Let me just say, maneuvering our long boats through downtown Princeton was worth it.




Beet Hummus - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

     In my pinterest stumblings one day, I came across a recipe on The Inventive Vegetarian for Beet Tahini that looked very similar to a recipe that my boss' wife, Meredith, had made one day for me. It was so delicious when she made it, so I wanted to try to recreate it. When Meredith served hers, she served it on a greek yogurt covered piece of whole grain toast with a piece of mint. Hmmm... maybe it wasn't mint. I can't remember. Either way, I'd totally recommend taking a piece of toast, spreading a little greek yogurt on it for the zing, and topping it this beet hummus. It's so simple and satisfying. Another winning combo: toast, regular hummus and this beet hummus. I don't think I'm an enormous fan of tahini, so partially out of fear, I only used 2 tbs of tahini instead of the half cup this recipe called for. Feel free to experiment. Warning: if you try to make this, you will make an enormous mess. Guaranteed.

Beet Hummus

Beet Hummus on toast with Greek yogurt

2 beets

Juice of 2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup tahini (I used 2 tbs)

Salt, to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400F

2) Wash and trim, but don’t peel, the beets, then wrap each one in tin foil and toss it in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until a knife can easily pierce each beet.  Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, rub them with your thumbs and the skins should come off easily.

3) Roughly chop the beets and the garlic and put both in the bowl of a food processor.  Give them a quick pulse to start breaking down the beets.

4) Add the tahini and lemon juice and puree until smooth.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.  Serve cold or room temperature with crackers or raw vegetables.

Middle Eastern Chic Pea & Sweet Potato Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

   

Middle Eastern Chic Pea and Sweet Potato Soup

      I think this may just be THE BEST soup I have ever made. No joke. My excitement to eat it everyday for lunch was just stupid. I found this recipe off of Eating Well's website, and decided to tweak only one thing (this is unusual for me). This recipe called for basmati rice, but I used red quinoa instead for the protein. I'm sure rice would be good too. The key ingredients in this recipe, I think, are the orange juice, sweet potato and cumin. Yes, I said orange juice. It gave the broth a refreshing and citrus-y sweetness. I was totally surprised by how much flavor the cumin added as well. Normally I wouldn't see cumin as being critical to a recipe, but it really complimented the flavors of this soup. This soup was a little bit sweeter than most (perhaps the reason I liked it so much), and I believe it to be because of the OJ and sweet potato. The longer the soup sat in my fridge, the better it got. I think the sugars from the sweet potato started to break down and began sweetening the broth. But the soup didn't have a dessert-y sweet taste. It was more a savory sweet taste. The combination of the chic peas, the sweet potato and the flavors infused into the broth made this such a unique treat. Definitely give it a try. 

Middle Eastern Chic Pea and Sweet Potato Soup

1 tbs olive oil

3 medium onions, sliced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 cup orange juice

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can chickpeas

3 cups sweet potato, diced

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 

1) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring often, until tender and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. 

2) Add cumin and coriander and stir for about 15 seconds. Add orange juice and broth. Stir in chickpeas, sweet potato, rice and salt. Bring to a boil.

3) Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the sweet potatoes are breaking down to thicken the liquid, about 45 minutes. Season with pepper and add chopped cilantro. The soup will be thick and will thicken further upon standing.

Will You _____ My Fish Taco?

Homemade Larabars - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA 

    Sometimes I go through these phases were I realize how much money I'm spending on things out of convenience, and it bothers me. So I do something about it. Bars are easy calories and taste delicious, but they're so crazy expensive. After realizing at 1-2 bars a day, I'm spending 35-50 dollars a month on bars, I decided to start experimenting. I'm really into the idea of simple foods. Simple raw foods to be specific. I stumbled upon this blog called Rawified that has recipes for every single kind of Larabar. If you're unfamiliar, Larabars are made of very simple ingredients. Generally they contain dates, maybe another kind of dried fruit, and raw nuts. End of story. With easily absorbed sugars and healthy fats, I figured these would be great for before a workout. While J-money was here a few weeks ago, we decided to give the Blueberry Muffin Larabar a try. The most important lesson we learned from this process? Don't just throw all the ingredients together and expect your food processor to blend it evenly. Most recipes recommend just throwing it into a food processor and ... boom... done. Now I'm not sure if my processor is just not up to speed (ha... pun) or if I did something wrong, but throwing all the sticky fruits and nuts together was just too much for it to handle.
     Regardless of the non-uniform texture of all of our ingredients, our Blueberry muffin "bars" were delicious! They tasted just like the Larabars! The only difference was that I had to add a little water in order to get the ingredients to mix, thus resulting in the inability to form them into bars. They then became Blueberry Muffin balls. I forgot to take a picture and we destroyed them before I finally remembered.
     Per Jake's recommendation, I decided to give the Key Lime Pie Larabars a try and process each ingredient separately. This worked like a charm! I got a much more uniform consistency for the entire mix, not to mention they were phenomenal! Once again, tasted just like the Larabars themselves. A simple blend of raw nuts, sweet coconut and dates and the bite of the lime juice.
     It cost me around $4.87 to make the whole batch of 14 bars, at 140 calories a piece (70% of the calories of a normal Larabar). From a dollar per calorie perspective, that's 60 cents per 200 calorie homemade bar versus the $1.30 Larabar you buy in the store. Yes... I really did figure all that out. Don't ask how. You'll think I'm crazy. On second thought, it's probably all ready to late for that. Let's just say it involves heavy research and excel skills.

Blueberry Muffin Larabar

Key Lime Pie Larabars

1 cup pitted dates
1 cup almonds
2 tbs shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 tbs pumpkin pie spice (I just mixed cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice)

Key Lime Pie Larabar

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almonds
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup shredded coconut
splash of lime juice 


Curry Coconut Lime Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Curry Coconut Lime Soup

     Another interesting soup experiment of mine turned into a great success. I had some leftover coconut milk from a curry dish I made and decided to somehow get it into a soup. I had about three recipes that sounded great, but couldn't decide which to use, so I just combined parts of each, took out others and came up with some crazy Thai-like soup. I say it's Thai-like because it has that typical coconut curry flavor to it. One recipe called for a Thai chili paste, so I attempted to create this with a bunch of random ingredients like garlic, ginger, ketchup and a variety of spices. This is a really light tasting soup, but it's totally satisfying... not to mention you'll feel kind of fancy eating it. Like you're some kind  of culturally experienced chef. Now, I added a little shredded chicken to this for some protein, but it's totally not necessary if you wanted to make this vegetarian. Not to mention, the chicken breast I put in this recipe was about the size of a deck of cards. I'd maybe get a hunk or two per serving. Almost pointless. Here's me attempting to recreate this masterpiece.

Curry Coconut Lime Soup

1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped fresh pea pods
1 chopped orange pepper
2 large carrots, sliced
1 chicken breast
2 oz. angle hair pasta
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup fresh spinach
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow hot pepper, chopped (or one chili pepper)
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp white pepper
A few shakes of red pepper flakes
1 tbs curry
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1) In a small bowl, prepare your Thai-chili paste by combining the ginger, garlic, minced hot pepper, ketchup , white pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Mix until thoroughly combined.

2) In a large soup pot on medium heat, bring the coconut milk, vegetables, chili paste and all of the other spices to a simmer. Let these simmer for a good 20 minutes. The whole mix will start to thicken. That's ok. 

3) Add in your shredded chicken, stock, lime juice and angel hair pasta that has been broken up into small pieces. Stir to mix evenly and let simmer another 20 minutes. Add in the spinach (optional) 10 minutes before serving. 

Border Cafe - Cambridge, MA
http://www.bordercafe.com/

     Well, let me just go right out and say I've found my new favorite Mexican place in Boston. Border Cafe

Mesquite Grilled Salmon Salad

in Harvard Square was the destination of choice for Meagan's short visit to Boston. As soon as I walked in to meet Meagan, Karl, Jimmy and Dave, I was overwhelmed with the congestion, but it was the good kind of congestion. The place was packed and the wait staff was scurrying around like crazy. Every wall was decorated and music that made me want to break out my not-so-great salsa skills poured out the speakers. They took the Mexican feel to a whole new level.
    The only downside? I'm in serious weight loss mode, so I had to stick to a salad and, at first, I was bummed about it. More on that later. The first thing to our table was a piping hot basket of chips and salsa. I don't just mean warm. I meant HOT. As in, you were bound to burn your fingers on the first chip you reached for. These chips were absolutely incredible. They are EXACTLY what I've been looking to find in Boston. Not kidding. They were thin, crispy, homemade and hot. In total, we had three baskets (maybe four) delivered to the table and each basket was hotter than the previous one. Worry not, I was good and only had a few from each basket. You know... had to try some from each basket... make sure they were safe.
      So this salad I ordered sounded good, but I was not expecting it to be as delicious as it was. It was their Mesquite Grilled Salmon salad. I figured it was a good pre-pieces option, full of greens, protein and healthy fats. This was by far the best salmon I have ever had. There was this delicious sweetness on the outside because it had  been slightly crisped up from the lime-soy glaze. What really took it to the next level was how the filet was marbled and the grilled taste. Normally I can't tell the difference when something has been grilled a certain way, but the wood fired flavor in this fish was so present. It arrived at the absolute perfect temperature and just melted in my mouth. The salmon sat on a corn and bean salsa with a bed of greens that had been tossed in a citrus vinagrette that I would pay large sums of money to get the recipe. It was incredible. It was lightly sweet with a little bite and went perfectly with the flavors in the salmon.
     Naturally, I had a few bites of Meldrim's swordfish tacos, which were stuffed with really unique vegetables and mangos. Their menu was so unique and full of really interesting flavor combinations. I've got to go back a) when I can destroy 4 baskets of those heavenly chips myself and b) to experience another one of their awesome creations. Everyone was super satisfied, cleaned their plates (Jimmy and I helped Meldrim), and once again, the waiter was impressed.

Saloon - Cambridge, MA
http://www.saloondavis.com/

     Ok so I'm going to make this quick, because I intend to return to Saloon to fully experience it at some point, and I'd love to write more about it. Long story short, Bluetrain finally closed our round of funding, and I met up with a bunch of coworkers at Saloon in Davis Square. The place is absolutely gorgeous! It's underground, and there is no real sign outside. It's like walking through a trap door into a beautiful parlour. The bar and all the furnishings were made of dark wood and brassy metals. The lights were dim, and the place gave off a real classy/swanky/seductive vibe. This place was topping the charts for unique design. I felt like I was stepping into an underground bar from the roaring twenties.
     Back to the food. I ran there, and didn't intend to eat while there, but I should've known there would be appetizers. My coworkers ordered some of the best fries I've had in Boston, Beer Battered Pickled Feta Cheese Stuffed Peppers, and a platter of thinly sliced meats, pâté, pickled veggies, stone ground mustard and a small loaf of bread. Oh and Devils on Horseback. They were these incredible feta cheese stuffed and bacon wrapped figs. The sugars from the figs and the fats from the bacon perfectly caramelized on the outside and it was just delectable. The presentation was five star, and so was the taste. Going back asap.

In (Hibernating) Lightweight Mode

Cauliflower Pizza Crusts - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Our toppings of choice

     Ok, I'll admit right away, that both of these posts may seem really unappetizing to most, BUT... totally worth a try if you're looking for some healthy, low sodium alternatives to some standard fare.

     It was a Saturday evening, and since my nightlife (as well as Antonia's) is virtually non-existant, we decided to go make dinner and fall in love with Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers. In an effort to be smart about our Saturday meal, we decided to try out these Cauliflower Pizza Crusts that I found on Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. They're basically a pizza crust made out of cauliflower, basil and mozzarella cheese. Oddly enough, I kind of thought they tasted just like a pizza with thin crust. You really couldn't tell the difference. Yea... I was surprised too. Then again, the crust was maybe even a little more delicious because it was half cheese that had been browned. It's important that you crisp the crusts up in the oven before adding your toppings. That's what's going to prevent them from getting soggy. Top these bad boys with any toppings of your choice, and it's sure to be delicious! You may be surprised. 

Crusts fresh from le oven.

Cauliflower Pizza Crusts 

2 eggs
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater or in a food processor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh julienned basil

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray.

2) In a medium bowl, combine riced cauliflower, basil, eggs and mozzarella. Divide into 4 amounts and press evenly on the parchment paper. You can omit the basil or sub it for others herbs of your choice.

3) Bake the crusts at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (we went for about 20 minutes actually to get them a little more stiff).

4) Remove the cookie sheet from the oven, add your toppings, and bake for another 5-10 minutes. 

Lentil Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Lentil soup. Terrible picture. Don't care. 

     Lentils always remind me of Diane in our college lightweight days. Kind of a weird and twisted memory. Last weekend, lentils just sounded good (definintely not something you hear often). Regardless, I made some and it was super easy, delicious and really filling! Not to mention, full of protein. I feel like lentils get a bad rap. I kind of made this recipe up. Enjoy. 

Lentil Soup

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 or 3 carrots, sliced

2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I added an additional 2 cups of water and it was necessary for the lentils)

1 16oz bag of lentils

A few sprigs of fresh parley, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup plum tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs ground cumin

Pepper

1 bay leaf

1) Heat the olive oil in a large pot and saute onions and garlic until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook another 7 minutes or so.  

2) Add in the broth, lentils, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer at least 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. The lentils will soak up a lot of fluid, so you may have to add some more water/broth/canned tomatoes to achieve the consistency you're looking for.

Noodles From Heaven... Shoo Doo Bee!

Basta Pasta - Cambridge, MA
http://www.bastapastacambridge.com/index.php

Look at them babies. Chicken Cacciatore with radiatore noodles. 

     FINALLY! Joan and Lauren used to talk about Basta Pasta all the time, and I had never been. Finally, after one 2x6k Saturday death workout, Joan and I headed over. Jake said to get their homemade noodles, so that was #1 on my to do list. I went with the Chicken Cacciatore with whole wheat radiatore noodles. Now this was seriously a treat for me... let me tell you. A HUGE plate of pasta popped up on the counter for my taking. Billowing steam, the beautiful creation was made up of peppers, onions, mushrooms, their homemade tomato sauce, romano cheese and these absolutely enormous radiatore noodles. I mean, these guys were. Each noodle was a full bite in itself, but man were they delicious! You could taste how fresh they were. I have decided that this is my favorite kind of noodle. Why? Radiatore are full of ridges. What do these ridges do? They provide pockets for sauce, cheese and other decorations to get caught in. So each noodle you bite into isn't only a noodle, but there are hidden treasures buried within each one. The sauce these guys make is fabulous too. It's slightly sweeter than standard pasta sauce, and it's full of a basil flavor. Big fan over here. I was so impressed for this being a tiny little place tucked in residential Cambridge. A return visit is definitely in order.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Picture sucks, but the soup didn't. 

     In an effort to try something new, Jake suggested a lemon chicken soup. Truthfully I can't say I'd ever had such a thing, let alone tried to cook something like it on my own. After a short bout of interwebz research, I found an easy recipe on the Whole Foods website. I modified the recipe, yet again, by adding a can of garbanzo beans (highly recommended), swapping out the rice for orzo, not straining the soup, doubling the amount of parsley, and using 4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes instead of 6 cups of chicken broth (simply because that's what I had).

     The most fun part about making this soup was the step involving adding the eggs, which I had never done before. You have to whisk the eggs really fast until they're foamy, add the lemon juice, continue mad whisking, then slowly add a cup of the boiling broth. Aside from getting a forearm cramp while doing so (#athleteproblems), it's really fun to watch how adding the hot broth to the egg/lemon mix cooks the egg. It doesn't clump up like it would if you dropped an egg into boiling water. The egg just disperses and more or less cooks as little egg particles.

     Long story short, I literally CAN NOT believe how amazing this soup is. I'm not even kidding. It's a week later, I'm still eating it and every time I do, I'm still in amazement. The way the egg, lemon and the chicken flavors all blend just make this such a rockin' soup. It's light and refreshing but full of protein. By far one of my best so far.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 can garbonzo beans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup long grain rice or orzo
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1) Bring broth, onion, carrot, bay leaf and salt to a simmer. Add chicken breasts, cover and gently simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove chicken breasts, let cool slightly and pull or cut chicken into thin strips. Set aside. Return to boil. Add rice/orzo and gently simmer for 20 minutes, then add chicken back to soup for another 5 minutes. 

2) Whisk eggs until they are frothy, and whisk in lemon juice. Add a cup of the hot soup to egg-lemon mixture, very slowly, whisking while you pour it in. Add another cup in the same manner. Take soup off the heat and add egg mixture to it. Sprinkle with parsley, season with pepper and serve.

Friends Don't Let Friends Throw Away Leftover Pie Crust

Deep Ellum - Allston, MA
http://www.deepellum-boston.com/

Duck Confit Hash

     Deep Ellum is one of those places you can never go to once. One of those places I can never just write about once. I had been yearning to test out their brunch menu for almost a year and with weigh-ins out of the picture for quite some time, I conned a couple fellow foodies to dive in with me. Jimmy, Antonia and I embarked on the long walk on a chilly Sunday morning with palette satisfaction on our minds. Greeted immediately by the dark wood, and industrial undertones, I felt my hipster level skyrocket when we walked in the door. I wouldn't say the menu is ultra-extensive, but everything just sounds amazing. Every dish is unique and unlike anything I'd ever seen anywhere else. I finally decided to go with the Duck Confit Hash. After learning that "confit" basically means cooked in fat, I knew there really wasn't another option. The dish came piping hot to the table served in a small cast iron skillet. This was totally one of those dishes that you hope is the same as what that lady two tables over ordered. I was geeked. This dish was a mix of perfectly tender fingerling potatoes, braised swiss chard, red peppers, duck and topped with two fried eggs. Even the egg was cooked perfectly to my liking. Not to mention the whole ensemble was picture perfect. If I could've described this dish in one word, it would be succulent. It had every element of the perfect breakfast that I was looking for that morning.  Meat, potatoes, egg.

     Jimmy ordered the biscuits and gravy (I was debating getting both). After having to send it back once because it wasn't that warm, it came back steaming. I only had a bite or two, but I could tell both the biscuits and gravy was homemade. It was phenomenal. Perhaps I'll have a more involved experience soon.


FoMu - Allston, MA

Maple Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream

http://www.fomuicecream.com/

     As I know I've mentioned before, immediately after I finish dinner, I'm thinking about dessert. Well… I have evolved. Now after every meal, I'm thinking about dessert. So post breakfast at Deep Ellum, Antonia and I were thinking FoMu. FoMu is practically right next door to Deep Ellum, and they're a vegan ice cream shop. We sampled a few of their flavors at a free ice cream gig downtown back in the summer, but it was time for the real deal. After sampling dozens of flavors, I went with the maple bourbon pecan and the carrot cake. The maple bourbon pecan was so good and really interesting. You were really able to taste the bourbon but it wasn't unpleasant or like you were drinking booze. It just had the flavor of bourbon and went really well with the maple and pecan. The carrot cake was equally as delicious and had decent sized hunks of carrot cake in it. It was pretty sweet, and I was totally ok with it. It still blows my mind how such amazing ice cream can be made without dairy, but props to FoMu. You've mastered it.

Beet Cupcakes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Beet Cupcakes

     Antonia and I will always try something once. There are few recipes that we'd steer clear of our of fear. My coworker Caitlin shared a recipe for beet cupcakes with me, and I knew, being the beet connoisseurs that we are, it'd be something we make together. We ended up using both standard red/purple beets as well as these yellow/orange beets that I've never seen before. I'm sure they would've turned out much more purple if we only used the purple beets, but who cares. I will say, however, that if you're looking to keep a clean kitchen, this recipe will put you quite behind. Other changes that we made to the recipe included using about half of the amount of sugar, and replacing half of the oil with applesauce (always trying to justify our baking expeditions by baking it more lightweight friendly). In the end, I couldn't believe just how moist these cupcakes were. They were incredible. And the cream cheese frosting paired perfectly. You could definitely taste the beet flavor, so if you're not a fan of beets, you may not like these. We also made half of the batter into a shallow cake, which was equally as good. I was impressed.

Beet Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup pastry flour
1 cup sugar (we used 1/2 cup)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded beets

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare large muffin pans with cupcake liners (approx. 12)

2) Whisk together dry ingredients until well combined.

3) Beat together eggs, oil and salt. Add apple sauce and combine.

4) Fold in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5) Stir in vanilla and shredded beets, pour into molds, bake for 20 min.

6) Frost when cool.

Cupcake icing:

1) Combine cream cheese, sugar, a dollop of milk, and cinnamon.


Apple Gilette - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Apple Gilette

     This was my first year away from family for Thanksgiving, and it was really different. I'm not going to say I liked it, but I was really glad and felt really blessed to share it with Alyse, Jimmy, Karl and Dave. Master pie maker Jimmy had some leftover pie crust that he was going to throw away. I appropriately scolded him and took the pie crust home with me. After a little debate, I flattened the dough into a terrible circular shape, sliced up some apples, arranged them on the crust so they looked pretty, and sprinkled on some leftover toffee bits and cinnamon. Dude. I thought I was a genius (Apparently it's actually called an Apple Gilette if you want to look up a real recipe). This masterpiece was… well…. a masterpiece. It was delicious! Tasted like an apple pie without a top. The little toffee pieces melted slightly and browned, giving them a slightly burnt flavor. So good.  I highly suggest you try it whenever you have leftover dough or even if you're just in the mood for apple pie.


Four Burgers - Cambridge, MA
http://www.fourburgers.com/

  "I don't actually eat. i just watch people eat and judge them. HPD moment."

My baby burger :]

     So, I'm still unsure of what Friday nights feel like for normal people (thanks rowing), but I kind of got a taste of it a few weeks ago. Jake was leaving town, Joan needed some chill time, and I was hungry so we all went to Four Burgers in Central Square on Friday night. The place looks pretty standard inside. Your typical red, white and black, giving it the classic burger joint feel. In trying to stick to my calorie neutral eating, I ordered this baby burger (3.5 oz) with amazingly oozy Gouda cheese and sweet potato fries. The fries really hit the spot. It feels like it's been eons since I had something fried. It's really rare that you can find a burger that comes close to tasting like your parents make on the grill during the summer, but this baby came close (hahah… "rare" … get it? Jokes all around). I love my burgers still mooing a little and this lil guy was. He was served on a baby bun too. While I really wanted a big, fat loaded mother, I was proud of my control. This just means I'll have to go back sometime to get one like Jake's. That sucker had avocado, bacon, gouda cheese, jesus, onions and who knows what else. Next time, I'm going for the big guns.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

     I'm not sure why, but I always feel like I'm accomplishing some outrageous task when I successfully cook something I find on Pinterest. However, this recipe was much more simple than most. I had some leftover fingerling potatoes from Haymarket that I didn't know what to do with… uuuuuntil I found this recipe for Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes. Basically, they're roasted and smashed potatoes with garlic, lemon, parsley and parmesan cheese all tossed together. Not quite just roasted or just mashed potatoes, but these beautiful (actually very picturesque) golden brown potatoes mixed up with a little heaven. Since I only had a few fingerling potatoes, I had to modify the recipe quite a bit, but I'll post the full recipe for reference. The recipe says to add the garlic, parsley, lemon zest and parmesan cheese mix in with the potatoes after you pull it out of the oven, but I wanted the parmesan to melt a little bit (I had shredded instead of grated cheese) so tossed the mix with the potatoes and stuck the whole thing back in the oven for another 5 minutes. I'd definitely say this is the way to go. Each bite had so much flavor. The browned potatoes, the cheese, the zing of the lemon and the freshness of the parsley made the whole thing complete. Yummerz.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup olive oil (or less)
1 tsp sea salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced (should be about 1/4 cup when minced)
1 lemon, grated zest of
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water (about an inch higher than the potatoes). Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (about 15 minutes for these little potatoes). Drain the potatoes and let dry in a colander or on a kitchen towel.

3) Drizzle a little olive oil on a shallow rimmed baking sheet. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to get some oil on the base of each potato, and gently press each potato flat with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a heavy-bottomed drinking glass to about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Drizzle the olive oil over the smashed potatoes and then sprinkle salt over the potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes over at 15 minutes with tongs or a spatula.

4) While the potatoes are roasting, mix the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, and toss them in a large bowl with the Parmesan-gremolata. (This is where I suggest putting them back in the oven for another 5minutes). Serve hot.

Sweet - Cambridge, MA
http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/

Merry Schnappsmas!

     This past Saturday was National Cupcake Day, and as a lightweight, there's no way you can't take advantage of those types of holidays. "Sorry Tom, it was National Cupcake Day. I had to eat a cupcake. There was just no other option." Joan and I headed to Sweet in Harvard Square around 8:40pm looking for cupcakes. I didn't really think about the fact that they'd probably be picked through considering they were about 20 minutes away from closing their doors. Either way, no sweat off my back. They had 3 types of cupcakes left, so I got 4 cupcakes… naturally. But it's ok because I bought 3 of them for Jimmy, Dave and Karl for Schnappsmas (let's forget the fact that I still ate nearly 2 of those 3). One cupcake was a chocolate cherry cupcake. It had some fancy name that Jimmy knew but I can't remember. I'm not a huge cherry in sweets fan, but this was pretty good. The chocolate cake part of the cupcake was incredibly moist because part of it was filled with some sort of cherry substance.  There was a course grained but fluffy white frosting on top with a maraschino cherry to make it look pretty. The little guy was pretty delicious, I'll admit, but I can't say I'd purchase it again. Just not my style.

     One of the other cupcakes I got was your standard chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Oh. My. Gosh. That buttercream frosting was out of control. My roommate Andy was telling me about how Sweet sells frosting shots (yes, you heard right), and I thought that was a silly idea. Now I understand why. The cake was perfect too. Perfectly cooked, perfectly moist and perfectly dense.

     The final two cupcakes I purchased were vanilla cake and vanilla frosting with red and green sprinkles. That was Karl's favorite part (of course). Yet again, another incredibly simple cupcake that they've perfected. The frosting was just stupid good. It's like they know what they're doing or something.


Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup - Cambridge, MA

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

     I haven't been blogging about my soups recently because, frankly, they've been pretty standard. But I've got to talk this one up because it was so unique. A few Sundays ago I made a curried coconut pumpkin soup from a recipe I found in a cookbook given to me by my Grandpa. This soup is hip because it has a slightly tropical coconut taste mixed with the rustic, autumn pumpkin flavor and brought together with an ethnic curry pizazz. What? I don't know. I don't know who came up with this or if my description just now makes it sound appetizing at all, but let me tell you, it's good. The only modification I made to the recipe was I added some brown rice that was mostly blended when I used my immersion blender. Anyway, here's the recipe. Give 'er a whirl!

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

2 tbs butter
1 large onion
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup brown rice
4 cups vegetable/chicken/turkey broth (if it's just after Thanksgiving like it was for me)
2 tbs curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground coriander

1) In a large soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until tender

2) Add in all spices and sauté another minute

3) Add in the stock, coconut milk, pumpkin, and rice. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

4) Either use an immersion blender or cuisinart to blend soup.