Meals 193-199 (and our home away from home)

07/11 a delicious healthy meal to start this week! eggplant rollatini served over pesto spaghetti squash. this cheesy dish has all of the flavors of lasagna, but without the heavy feeling of the noodles. thin slices of eggplant wrapped around a blend of ricotta cheese, parmesan and spices. smothered with tomato sauce and mozzarella. baked until bubbly! tony isn't a big eggplant fan, and he loved this dish!

07/12 another avocado based meal. yay for avocados!! this time i stuffed them with a shrimp salad, and served them with a side of roasted zucchini. i tossed the shrimp with tomatoes, scallion and a sriracha greek yogurt sauce to add a little heat. a very simple meal, but so satisfying!

07/13 this is one of my favorite in the "low carb" collection. it's a take on the "monterey chicken" at chili's. chicken breast basted in bbq sauce and roasted until cooked through. then topped with a  sprinkling of cheese, and a few pieces of bacon, and broiled just until the cheese melt. it's finished off with diced tomatoes, chopped scallions and a little extra bbq sauce for good measure. the taste and crunch that those few pieces of bacon add? amazing. for the sides i did some ranch roasted cauliflower and a simple avocado tomato salad. overall the flavors of each dish complimented each other quite nicely!

07/14 now i know that bacon wrapped scallops isn't a "new thing"....but i discovered tonight a healthier, easier, and (in my opinion) even tastier alternative. grilled scallops wrapped in prosciutto. holy cow. the salty crispness of the thin prosciutto combined with the sweet tender scallops? such a beautiful combination. and so simple! just wrap a sea scallop with a thin piece of prosciutto di parma, and skewer (i did 5 per skewer). coat with a  little olive oil, salt and pepper. and grill for 3 minutes on one side, flip, 3 minutes on the other side. that's it. and  as long as the grill is hot? throw a bunch of asparagus on there for a side! asparagus always goes so nicely with sea food. and tastes amazing when grilled. i also did a side of wilted kale (stop sneering mom) tossed with apple cider vinegar, slivered almonds and diced shallots. of all the ways i've had scallops? this is definitely my new favorite!

07/15 tonight i was all over the place, and had almost no time to prepare dinner, so needed something super quick and super easy. so i tossed some crab meat with a little old bay, sriracha and greek yogurt. threw in some diced scallions and bacon left over from the monterey chicken, and put all that on slices of fresh tomato. done. tasty simple summer meal!

07/16 i'm back at good ole chincoteague to visit tony (and the other woman) this weekend! let me give a little shout out to the bed and breakfast that has been a gracious host to us on multiple occasions. the garden and sea inn, in new church virginia.

http://gardenandseainn.com

we started coming here because it's one of the few places near the island that's pet friendly. i highly recommend it to anyone looking for lodging in this area! the inn keeper, dorothy, has always been kind and welcoming to us and our princess (who loves it here even more than we do). they serve a wonderful breakfast, often with specialty german dishes from dorothy's home. it is an absolutely adorable victorian style manor just of route 13. and yes, it really is pink. very pink!

mahjong wags her tail as soon as we pull into the parking lot. she knows here she'll be given treats, belly rubs, and when on vacation? she can sleep in the bed! have you ever seen a hound so content?

while mahjong was taking over the bed....i was content in the world's largest jacuzzi tub. on my list of "favorite things" i need to add: bathrooms with skylights and hotels that have bathrobes. to me? that is luxury! i spent quite a bit of my saturday taking advantage of that very luxury!

for dinner tonight we took dorothy's advice and drove north a bit to "berlin" md. which is about the quaintest town you will ever find. if you saw the movie "runaway bride"? it was filmed here... we checked out a restaurant called "black smith" and were not disappointed. tony and i split a few of their small plates. thai meatballs, crispy pork belly and shrimp and grits. all three were fantastic. great flavors, and none were too heavy. they have a great beer selection here, and a lot of craft cocktails. a little hipster paradise!

07/17 tony and i spent our morning today lounging by the pool at the inn. on a day as hot and humid as today? a nice dip in the pool was perfect.

this was my view as i curled up on a chair with a good book. look how amazingly blue that sky is. you can't ask for a better sunday that this!

we had lunch at one of our favorite chincoteague spots (that i've mentioned before) "pico".  if you're ever in the area, stop by and check it out. i promise you'll be glad you did!

for lunch today i got the "maddox", the "main street" and the ridge". one has fried oysters and thai basil, one is steamed shrimp with slaw and guacamole, and one is carne asada with chimichurri and red cabbage. fried salted oysters are the regional delicacy of this area, so i figured, when in rome? it was actually my favorite of the three!

sadly, i had to leave chincoteague and head back home tonight. dinner was a quick stop at a royal farms for a chicken slider sandwich. i've mentioned it before, and i stand by my opinion. royal farms has the best fried chicken!!!

Meals 186-192

07/04 another fritter night! tonight's fritters were made of mashed sweet potatoes, kale and quinoa. a very healthy fritter full of vitamins, fiber and protein! i added cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and cayenne to give them a southwest flavor. they turned out quite lovely! filling and tasty!! for a side i took everything we had leftover from the camping taco salads (corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro and onion) and tossed that with a fresh avocado. altogether it made for a wonderful meal!

07/05 it is stupid hot outside. way too hot to have the oven on in the house. so tonight was a meal done entirely on the grill. grilled salmon with a ginger-soy glaze. grilled cauliflower. and grilled asparagus. and a little sliced avocado for good measure! mostly because i had an avocado that needed to be used up.....and it always pairs so nicely with salmon!

07/06 there used to be a restaurant in silver spring, md called "the piratz tavern". it is exactly what you are picturing. a dimly lit hole in the wall covered with jolly roger flags, treasure maps for placemats, waiters with bad accents, and a lot of rum based drinks on the menu. it was kind of a disaster of a place, it actually wound up on the show "bar rescue" at one point. but....it had such a high kitsch factor, that my friends and i actually loved it. in fact, one of my friends previously worked there as a "serving wench".....so was able to give us the inside scoop on what to order.

the universal favorite was their appetizer of piri piri chicken. the piri piri pepper (or bird pepper) is commonly found in a lot of west african and portugese dishes. it makes for a wonderful spicy sauce almost similar to a buffalo sauce, and is most wonderful when served over chicken. since the dear old piratz tavern has closed it's doors, i have yet to find any place to meet the flavors i have been craving in this dish! so after many searches on the internet, i combined some recipes at an attempt to recreate. one of my friends who was a frequent visitor to the tavern was kind enough to join us for dinner and give her assessment. she and i felt the same way....similar to what we remember, but not as spicy, and with a more varied layer of flavors. i highly recommend serving this over rice with a side of sour cream and pineapple, as the chicken does have a lot of heat!!!!

Piri Piri Chicken
(for the marinade-combine ingredients together in gallon sized ziplock bag)
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tblsp lemon juice
2 Tblsp brandy
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
5 piri piri peppers (leave in whole, be sure to remove after baking)
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cayene pepper
1 tsp salt

-add 2 lbs of chicken to the marinade and let sit overnight. baked at 350F for 40 minutes.

07/07 tonight i met a friend of mine for dinner at a pizza place in leesburg. i have been by this place a few times, and always wanted to check it out! i heard the reviews were great, and i was not disappointed! thin crust brick oven pizza always makes me happy!! and they allow you to do "halfsies". a personal sized pizza with two different toppings on each half. so i didn't even have to decide between their margherita and smokey bleu, i could have both!! i have to say i was very please with both, and look forward to returning again!

http://www.fireworkspizza.com

07/08 tonight was a special meal.....over the past years this has consistently ranked as one of tony's favorites. an asian twist on spaghetti and meatballs! i know that sounds weird, but trust me, this meal is phenomenal! it started when i came across this recipe on skinnytaste (the only change i made was adding thai chili paste to the sauce):

http://www.skinnytaste.com/asian-turkey-meatballs-with-lime-sesame/

i was intrigued by the flavors, and figured since they were meatballs, what else would go better than noodles?? so i decided to make a batch of soba noodles tossed with a sesame/garlic/ginger dressing tossed with edamame, scallion and cilantro. the combination was PERFECT. those wonderful flavors of ginger, garlic and soy all blending together. i threw in some broccoli just for an extra kick of color and vegetable, and it completed the meal!

07/09 ok.....so i know that tonight's meal is almost identical to one we had a month ago. cheddar brats with cole slaw. which ALMOST violates the terms of my goal. but.....i did add a new side? that i haven't made yet this year? so....i'm hoping that's enough to make this count as a new meal. it is the season for good sweet corn, and i so very rarely make corn on the cob. and i thought, what would go better with corn on the cob than those delicious cheddar brats from the butcher i visit at the farmer's market? we grilled these gorgeous ears of corn in the husk, and they came out beautifully. tender sweet kernels that didn't even need butter or salt!

07/10 we had an absolutely gorgeous day today. the weather cooled off a little, so tony and i joined a friend to bike part of the C&O tow path. a lovely day of cool shaded trail following along the potomac on the maryland side. i didn't realize how far we had ridden until i got home and realized i was STARVING. so tonight's dinner was simple, but hearty! i made bunless "french onion burgers" with a side of green beans and mexican street corn salad. the burgers were topped with swiss cheese that i browned with a creme brûlée torch, and then topped with caramelized onions to mimic the tastes and textures of french onion soup. the mexican street corn salad was a cob-less take on the classic street food that combines corn on the cob, mayonnaise and queso fresco. i used the corn leftover from last night and tossed it with some mayo, queso, red pepper, cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce. i will have to make that as a side again soon!!!!

Adventures in False Cape

for the long 4th of july weekend this year, we met up with some friends to go on a biking/camping/kayaking trip. our friends had gone to this campsite a year ago, and loved the experience. it's at a location as far south in virginia as you can get before you are technically in north carolina. there's a secluded little state park called "false cape" that you can only get to by foot, bike or kayak. no cars allowed! it's situated on a narrow strip of land between the ocean and the bay, so you are never more than a few feet away from gorgeous waterfront views. 

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/false-cape#general_information

the ride to get to the campsite goes through a wilderness refuge along back bay that is gorgeous. i had only ever seen this area from a boat. my family frequently stays at sandbridge (the area of virginia beach closest to false cape) and my dad would take his boat through this area of the bay. strange that in all my visits to virginia beach and sandbridge, i had never even known this park existed!

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Back_Bay/about.html

here we are in the parking lot at the very south end of sandbridge. loading up our bikes and trailers, getting ready for the ride to our campsite! we had to leave SUPER early that morning to make sure we got a good parking spot. yes, that's me on the far left. cheesing to the camera....

the requisite "pre-ride" group shot. all lathered up with sunscreen and ready to go!

leaving the main road and entering the park!

tony was kind enough to take the bulk of the packing. he loaded up a bike trailer (the kind you see people pulling their kids in) with all of our gear. tents, food, sleeping bags, food, drinks, food and....food. we definitely pushed the weight limit for that trailer. but with some creative bungee cord maneuvering that resembled something from the beverly hillbillies? we got everything from point A to point B. and were very well fed!!

i'm not nearly a strong a biker as tony, so my carrying capacity was whatever i could fit in a back pack. it was a gorgeous late morning ride. sunny. mid 80's. light breeze. and the path was easy to ride. flat with packed gravel. 

once we arrived to our site. it was time for a celebratory drink! i had frozen a gallon of blackberry lemonade before leaving the house. the heat of the sun from the ride in had melted it into a perfectly slushy consistency by the time we were off our bikes. a healthy pour of bourbon into that lemonade? made for a perfect way to relax and congratulate ourselves on a safe and successful ride!

that night we all went out on a "sunset kayak tour" along the bay. i had never kayaked before, so was a little nervous. but it really did make for a gorgeous and relaxing way to explore the waterfront. and it was a beautiful evening for a sunset. and eagle watching!

tony and i shared a tandem kayak (which admittedly is not the easiest beast to control).  it is a test of relationship to see if two people can survive two hours in a tandem kayak like this. getting the timing of the oars right. getting the pressure of the strokes right. not splashing each other with water. we had our moments of frustration....i can see why they're called "divorce boats". but all in all we made the trip in one piece. and are still together!

the main wildlife that we encountered at false cape? (beside the mosquitoes....that managed to chew me up through copious amounts of deep wood off) we the most adorable little frogs! these little guys were EVERYWHERE. and when they croaked? it sounded like little sheep bleated. the trees would sing with these baby frogs all night and day. 

Meals 179-185

06/27 meatless mondays are starting to become my favorite day of the week! tonight i made a tomato tart. slices of ripe farmers market tomatoes and boursin cheese situated on a rolled out piece of puff pastry (yes, the kind you but in the freezer section). then baked at 400F for 15 minutes, just until the dough begins to turn golden. it comes out like a light and fluffy pizza! for a side i made a twist of a caprese salad. since i used tomatoes on the tart, i wanted to use something different on the side. so the salad has the usual mozzarella and basil....but instead of tomatoes, i used peaches! the sweet juicy fruit pairs perfectly with the acidic balsamic and the herbaceous basil. if you like peaches? and you can get some good ones in season? i absolutely recommend you give this salad a try!

06/28 tonight's chicken recipe is one i see pop up all the time on pinterest: "melt in your mouth chicken". it's super easy. combine 8oz greek yogurt with 1/2 cup grated parmesan. add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. (i added a few shakes of red pepper flakes for a little heat). spoon over chicken breast. bake at 375F for 40 minutes. and done! that's it!! we had a friend over for dinner who loved it, and was very excited to hear how incredibly easy (not to mention cheap) it was to make. for sides i roasted some asparagus and cooked up some quinoa. but this dish could pair well with just about anything!

06/29 tonight was another happy hour! i introduced some friends of mine to jimmy's old town tavern here in herndon. they were all happy with the laid back, neighborhood feel of the place. and since jimmy's in known for wings? that was of course what i had to order! jimmy is actually from buffalo new york, and had the sauce from the anchor bar there brought down for his wings. and they are fantastic! never greasy. always meaty. and ALWAYS the best sauce!!

06/30 this was a meal i fell in love with while i was in mexico city. roasted poblano peppers stuffed with spiced chicken and served with mashed black beans. when i had it, they served fresh mango as a side. but i had a pineapple that needed to be used, so i figured that would be a good substitute! it's hard to see the peppers in this picture through all the cheesy spicy chicken goodness, but they are there! poblanos are a relatively mild pepper, just slightly more heat that a standard bell pepper. the trick is to roast them and remove the skins before stuffing and baking them. the filling is a combination of spices, rotisserie chicken, sour cream, cheddar cheese, scallion and cilantro. so much flavor. and as long as you don't go TOO crazy with the cheese, a relatively healthy meal too!

07/01 half way mark!!! i have officially made it through half of the year without having the same dinner twice!! and i still have many more recipes to try! but to be honest, tonight i was just too tired to cook. and was busy prepping for a weekend camping trip. so tony and i went to our good-old-stand-by for take out: the breeze. tonight i ordered their black and bleu burger (a cajun seasoned hamburger with bleu cheese crumbles) served with a side greek salad. a nice and hearty meal to prepare for the weekend ahead!

07/02 tony and i are off camping with friends tonight! (i'll post pictures from that separately). we decided to break up the cooking, so everyone was in charge of one meal for the group. tonight's dinner was mine! i had to work within the parameters that we would be 1) cooking and eating outside with only a camp stove 2) wanted as little to carry in and out as possible and 3) i had 6 palettes to appease. so i opted for "make your own" taco salads! every thing was packed into ziplock bags to eliminate weight and bulk. i pre-cooked some ground beef and shredded chicken. both seasoned heartily. since they were thoroughly cooked, we only had to reheat them once we were at our site. then i prepped a variety of toppings so people could pick and choose exactly what the wanted. lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, red onion, sweet corn, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, cheddar and pepper jack cheese. and a bag of tortilla chips to top everything off with! i highly recommend this if you ever need a camping meal for a crowd!

07/03 due to some spectacularly bad weather, our group was forced to cut the camping trip short. we decided to grab dinner on the way out of sandbridge. a quick internet search showed a new restaurant called "firebrew" had opened nearby, and was conveniently situated on our path out of town. they had a pretty good menu of "american fare" with a lot of seafood options, pizzas and burgers. everyone was able to find something that suited their tastes! i had a lemon basil salmon, served a bed of risotto with a side of brussels sprouts. there is nothing better after a day of wet camping than a nice warm meal!

Meals 172-178

apologies all, i know i've been terribly lax in my updates lately. but i promise, i have been vigilant with my goal! so here's picking up where i left off. this week i seemed to be on a savory sauce kick. three of my favorites: peanut, chipotle and avocado, all in the same week!

06/20 tonight's meatless monday meal is one that sounds obnoxiously healthy. thai tofu and kale salad. kale lightly massaged with olive oil and tossed with crisp red peppers, shredded carrots and grape tomatoes. then topped with firm tofu (oven baked to remove excess moisture) and drizzled with a spicy peanut sauce and sesame seeds. it's all super-healthy-good-for-you-nutrious-vegan food. and defies all reason because it is also really tasty!! the richness of the peanut sauce made up for the lack of animal products in the meal! the sauce is also really good for dipping chicken into:

thai peanut sauce:
1/4 c natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp thai chili sauce (leave out if you don't like spice)
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp rice vinegar

mix together until smooth! if you want a thinner sauce, drizzle in a little olive oil and mix until desired consistency.

06/21 tonight was a simple carb free meal. my late nights at work continue, so i'm going through my fast, low hassle recipes. these are taco stuffed zucchini halves. ground turkey browned with an assortment of seasonings (cumin, chili powder, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder and cayenne) and mixed with chopped red peppers and salsa. then stuffed into hallowed out zucchini halves and topped with pepper jack cheese. baked just until the cheese bubbles and topped with diced scallion. hits that craving for tex-mex without too much grease or too many calories!

06/22 there was a much needed happy hour tonight at a place not far from here called "the blue iguana". who names these places??? one of their happy hour menu items was a jalapeño bacon mac and cheese. and i am never one to pass on mac and cheese! spicy, salty, cheese and delicious!

06/23 this is a meal i've been making for a few years, and has consistently gotten good reviews. chicken breasts in creamy chipotle sauce over brown rice with a side of mango black bean salad. the sauce definitely has a good amount of heat, so i almost always serve mangoes on the side to balance the burn. and this spicy creamy sauce only improves with time. so as good as it is tonight? i'm already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!

chipotle chicken:

4 chipotle peppers in adobo (more or less depending on preference)
1/4 c adobo sauce (from chilies)
1/2 c tequila
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c lime juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 c ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/4 c olive oile
1/4 c sour cream
2 lbs chicken breast

-combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a blender. puree until smooth. pour over chicken and back at 375F for 40 minutes.

06/24 it was the end of a very long week at work, so neither tony nor i felt like spending much time in the kitchen. since the weather was so nice, we opted for a walk to mellow mushroom instead! we each had a spinach salad, and split their buffalo chicken pizza. thin slices of chicken with a buttery spicy buffalo sauce and (my favorite part) drizzled with a bleu cheese sauce! not a traditional pizza by any means, but one of my favorites!

06/25 another of my favorite sauces was featured tonight: an avocado cream sauce on top of baked tilapia and served with spinach quinoa patties. i've posted about the spinach quinoa patties before, so i won't go on (again) about how wonderful they are as a side, and how they are the best vehicle for any sauce you can think of. but i will focus on the avocado cream sauce! it pairs especially well with mild seafoods (tilapia, shrimp, mahi mahi) and also goes well as a topping on tacos and quesadillas.

avocado cream sauce:

2 jalapeños (seeded)
1/2 c red onion (chopped)
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c cilantro (chopped)
1/4 c sour cream
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 avocado

-puree in blender until smooth

06/26 tony took over in the kitchen tonight! we had a fair amount of brisket that we had frozen from last week, and were thinking of creative ways to use it up. the genius answer was....chili! tony made a spicy and smoky hearty chili with the brisket and some spiced pork shoulder. i was so distracted by how good the meal smelled, i completely forgot to take a picture of it!!! but trust me, it was delicious!