02/09 since last night's meal was so rich, this night's meal i made much lighter. bruschetta chicken with a side of roasted zucchini. it's a very simple meal. the chicken is roasted and topped with diced tomatoes, shallot, basil and balsamic. everything that is wonderful about bruschetta as an appetizer, but done as a main dish!
02/10 tonight was a "girl's night out". i have a friend who is getting married in may, so the bridal party needed to get together and discuss strategy. dresses. shoes. hair. makeup. etc... we met at a local korean bbq place. honey pig. oh dear honey pig. it is truly a wonderful place. each table has a round grill in the middle where they bring everyone's meat choices out to be cooked nice and crispy right in front of you. the beef bulgogi here is down right addictive. and the spicy pork belly is insanely good (tonight we feasted on the beef rib kalbi and spicy pork belly). definitely not a place to take a vegetarian!! one of the best parts of dining here is the atmosphere. they have k-pop videos playing constantly every where you turn. the bright colors, crazy costumes and dizzying animation are hypnotizing. a big part of why we keep coming back here!
http://www.eathoneypig.com
02/11 tony is out of town for work, so i was looking for a meal that was simple and wouldn't overwhelm my fridge with leftovers. i made a quinoa crusted chicken with a side of curried cauliflower and asparagus. i toasted the quinoa and mixed it with a few spices out of the cabinet. then i dipped chicken breasts in beaten egg before coating it with the spiced quinoa. it had the juicy tenderness of breaded chicken, but was much lighter. not the most exciting meal i've made this year, but it was pleasing enough.
02/12 tony was held up at wallops, so i was on my own for a quiet friday night. i had an abnormally stressful week at work, so desperately needed something simple and comforting for this night's dinner. a cobb salad from chick fil a fit the bill perfectly! i try not to eat fast food too often, and this meal doesn't fill me with too much guilt. that being said....i'm sure a big mac or filet o' fish will show up on this blog at some point!
02/13 it is absolutely ARCTIC outside this weekend. bitter cold and biting wind. so it seemed like a good night to try a type of beef stew. i've been wanting to try a recipe for boeuf bourguignon (you know that julia child's voice just popped in your head) for years. i have the most wonderful memory of when i first had this savory french beef stew. i was at a window seat in a cafe in paris. down the street from the world's tiniest hotel room in montemarte. it had such an amazingly rich flavor to the broth. so wonderfully comforting. beef slow braised in dry red wine with herbs and vegetables. tonight i did my best to recreate that delightful experience. i got a bottle of cote du rhone, some boneless short ribs, all the vegetables and herbs, and pearl onions. what other recipe calls for pearl onions? and who knew they would be so tasty? tony (who is home safe and sound) and i both very much enjoyed the outcome. served over egg noodles it really was the ideal dinner for this blustery night.
as a side i wanted to try something i had never made before. beets. i've had them pickled out of a jar on salads, but have never tried to make them fresh. i boiled them, peeled off the skins, cubed them and tossed them with butter and tarragon. and wow. these little roots have the most RIDICULOUS colors. i was not expecting that everything in my kitchen would be hued magenta. i mean really mother nature. how did this happen??? it was a nice change up from the roasted sweet potatoes i usually make as my root-vegetable-go-to. and look how pretty!
02/14 "singles awareness day", "boo appreciation day", "valentine's day". call it what you will. it's february 14. tonight we had an invitation to my brother's home for dinner. to celebrate and appreciate the love that is family. they set up "make your own taco" stations. and made the brilliant decision to use navajo fry bread in place of tortillas. if you haven't spent time out west, you may not be familiar with fry bread. it is a decadent piece of fluffy bread that is fried in a skillet. i've had it served as a dessert with honey and butter. but i have to say, as the base of a taco (let's be honest, it was open face, i way overstuffed that piece of bread) it was even better. all the components of the meal were amazing on their own. tender pulled pork. cheesy been dip. fresh guacamole. i've already begged for the recipe of the fry bread so i can add this to my rotation of meals!
a wonderful evening to end the week. good food with good company! it's a luxury to have my family so close that i can spend moment like this with them.
yum yum yum yum! You are inspiring!
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