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!

Meals 165-171

06/13 tonight tony and i had tickets to see flight of the conchords at wolf trap; a local venue that not only brings in fantastic acts, but has amazing lawn seats for decent prices. the best part about sitting in the lawn here? is that they encourage picnicking, and aren't restrictive to what you bring! with the weather being so hot, i thought it was a perfect occasion to make a watermelon gazpacho. a savory cold tomato and cucumber soup with just the perfect amount of liquid and sweetness offered from the melon. very refreshing for an evening outdoors!

06/14 today i knew i was going to be stuck late at work, so tony kindly agreed to get dinner prepped and ready! remember my ravings about the butcher that comes to our local farmer's market? well tonight we used another of his amazing wares. i had frozen some cheddar bratwurst that i had purchased a few weeks ago. tonight they were thawed out and boiled in beer for a few minutes (just until the insides were no longer pink). then they were ready for the grill! a little spicy mustard and a toasted bun? and these beautiful brats are one of my favorite warm-weather meals. i had some 3 bean salad and coleslaw leftover from sunday's dinner, and they made for the perfect sides!

06/15 it just so happens that we had tickets for a second show at wolf trap tonight! a group of our friends were getting together to see bare naked ladies. with the open acts being howard jones and orchestral maneuvers in the dark. holy 80's throwback batman, HoJo and OMD? i was way more excited to hear "tesla girls" live than to see the headlining band. i remember my older sisters seeing OMD open for Depeche Mode in 1988, but i was too young to go with....and was so jealous. nearly 30 years later, i finally get my chance!!!! since it was another late day of work, i had no time to prepare anything for tonight's picnic. so it became a "grab and go" type of meal. tony went to our local wegman's and picked up some sushi. delicious, easy, and perfect!


06/16 i had the smallest bit of pulled pork left in the fridge, and wanted to use it up tonight. i saw this idea and was inspired! pulled pork and bar-b-que sauce used to stuff a baked sweet potato. why did i never think of this? the flavors married so well with each other! i will have to keep this idea in mind for future leftovers......

06/17 i had a craving for fish tacos tonight, but realized i had made them just a few weeks ago. so going by the rules of "no dinner twice" i've set for myself? i had to find a compromise. so tonight's version was a "fish taco salad". a bed of cabbage and romaine, red peppers, red onions, tomatoes and a spicy grilled mahi mahi. of course the quintessential part of this....is the spicy creamy sauce on top. i didn't even miss the tortilla!

06/18 one of the best parts about our town, is the fact that it has a large indian and pakistani population. and that means.....AMAZING indian restaurants!!!! tonight tony and i got carry out from our favorite of these restaurants "paradise". they have an appetizer of gobi manchurian (sweet and spicy cauliflower) that is addictive. that is a mandatory order whenever we go. for our main dishes we split an order of the aloo palak (spinach with potatoes) and malai kofta (vegetarian croquettes in a savory yellow sauce). everything here is always so perfectly flavorful, without being overwhelmingly spicy.

06/19 a warm and sunny sunday! tony has been having a hankering to bring the smoker out of storage and get a nice piece of brisket. so we picked up a lovely piece of cow, got it nice and spiced and put it to rest in a warm bed of hickory and mesquite smoke! i made up a batch of smashed potatoes to sit as a side for the smokey delicious meat. and of course the savory and sweet mop sauce to top everything off!

to bring some vegetables to the meal, i made one of my favorite go-to summer side dishes (yes, i know, summer isn't technically here....yet....but still) panzanella. this is a wonderful and light salad that i learned to make while i was in tuscany. a combination of bright red tomatoes and toasted bread. it is a great way to use up the sweet local cherry tomatoes that are starting to show up at local farm stands. and also the best way to get rid of any bread that's starting to stale. here's the recipe i've been using:

for the bread
4 cups cubed bread (i like a sourdough)
2 Tblsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
*toss together and toast at 400F for ten minutes

fort the tomatoes
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large bunch basil, ribboned
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
*toss together

-toss bread and tomatoes together and let sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. this gives time for the juice of the tomatoes to soak into the bread without making it soggy.

look how bright and colorful this turns out!

Meals 158-164

06/06 i am always and forever looking to improve my techniques at making pie crust. and i am a believer that a skill not used is a skill lost, i.e. "use it or lose it". so i try to make a pie crust every so often. i do love a good fruit pie, especially if it's sour cherry. but i actually prefer a savory pie. and for tonight's "meatless monday meal"? the savory pie du jour was a cheddar broccoli quiche. it was actually broccoli....and every leftover vegetable in my fridge that needed to be used up. that's what so wonderful about quiches. you can put pretty much anything in them, pour some beaten egg over top, and bake! the warm, flaky, buttery crust makes it a delicacy. and a meal that will double as breakfast for the next few days. *a piece of advice for a re-heated piece of quiche. or reheating anything that has bread or crust. put a cup of water in a pyrex cup in the microwave next to the dish. it keeps the starchy portions from drying out. and it helps if you can reheat at 50% power*

for a side i made a very simple salad of spinach, spiced pecans and fresh berries. i fondly remember a little french cafe in new york near one of the theatres i worked at. one of their cheapest meals was the "quiche of the day and mixed green salad". and as i was in the midst of my starving artist days? the cheapest meal was always the one i opted for. this meal was always perfectly filing. a lovely balance between the crisp salad and hearty quiche. so i harkened back to this meal for tonight's dinner!

06/07 my mom and sister are coming to visit later tonight. as i know we will be up late chatting and snacking, i made a very simple dinner. salmon in a mustard dill sauce with a side of roasted tomatoes. the sauce for this tastes decadently creamy, but is actually quite healthy. greek yogurt mixed with fresh dill, dijon mustard and a little lemon juice. it was a meager meal....to make room for the requisite snacks that come with "girls night"!

i set out a plate of cheese, crackers, dried apricots and grapes. the cheese is a "salted caramel wensleydale". a savory/sweet combination that is absolutely amazing combined with fruit.

and no girls night would be complete without....CUPCAKES!!!! since i wanted a variety, i figured it was easier to go to a local bakery and buy tonight's treats rather than make them myself. i split them all into quarters so we could each sample the different flavors. from left to right, top to bottom, the contenders are:  lemon, strawberry champagne, nutella, red velvet, kaluha, and oreo. my personal favorite? definitely the lemon!

06/08 there is a sad lack of thai restaurants near my home town. since my mom and sister were here for dinner? that's what we decided to have! i took them to the nearby thai luang (one of my favorites) to indulge in the cuisine. we all split an order of the house dumplings. and each got a different dish that we swapped back and forth from. my mom got the red curry with chicken. a delectable broth of red curry and coconut milk that covered thin pieces of tender chicken, sliced eggplant and bamboo shoots. amy got the shrimp pad thai. here their pad thai isn't overly sweet like at some places. i could eat pad thai daily and never get tired of it! but tonight i got the spicy drunken noodles. and boy were they serious about the spicy part! so to cool our respective palettes we ended the night by splitting an order of mangoes and sticky rice. one of the most genius desserts ever created!

06/09 after the indulgences consumed with my mom and sister's visit, i kept tonight's meal fairly simple. i made a mediterranean wrap. a small flour tortilla with a spread of hummus, tzatiki, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, black olives, tomatoes and feta. all wrapped up and ready to go!

06/10 i've been seeing a lot of "copy cat" recipes for the bang bang shrimp served at bonefish. i've only ever had the dish once, but the memory of the sweet, creamy, spicy sauce definitely stands out in my mind! so tonight i compiled a few of the recipes to create a wonderful dish of sautéed shrimp tossed in a combination of greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sriracha, sweet chili sauce and scallions. it was actually very quick and easy to throw together. and a phenomenal balance of textures and flavors.  the addition of the greek yogurt to substitute part of the mayonnaise lightened it up significantly. and actually added a nice tangy flavor.

as a side dish i made something i've been wanting to experiment with for a while. oven baked "fried green tomatoes". well....actually these were tomatillos. i was hoping to find green tomatoes at the farmer's market but struck out. though i read many reviews that tomatillos make a good substitute, so i gave them a try! i had never even heard of fried green tomatoes until i moved to atlanta. and it took me a while to try them. they sounded so....weird. tomatoes are squishy, why would you fry them? but after i had my first bit of a cornmeal crusted fried green tomato at the flying biscuit cafe in candler park i was hooked. since then i've ordered them whenever i've had the chance (which is far and few between when you don't live in the deep south). i figured the crispy, slightly sweet, slightly tangy and slightly spicy creation would be a good side car to the shrimp. i am happy to say, i was not wrong! i mixed the cornmeal and breadcrumbs for these guys with old bay which added a wonderful flavor that complimented the heat of the shrimp. i opted for an oven baked version to be health conscious. maybe they weren't as crispy as if they had been fried. but they were still good! next i want to use these as part of a "blfgt"....bacon lettuce and fried green tomato sandwich!

06/11 i had a fair amount of shrimp left over from last nights meal, so tonight i threw together a salad and topped it with those wonderful spicy crustaceans. i added some sweet corn and bacon to bring extra flavor and texture to the salad. the shrimp were just as good the second day!

06/12 at least once a summer i make a batch of pulled pork bbq. i guess technically it isn't summer yet, but it sure feels like it! so i turned on the crock pot and put a beautiful pork tenderloin on a bed of sweet onions to slow cook for the day. i know pulled pork is usually made with pork shoulder, but i was trying to cut out a little fat and add extra flavor. when i slow cook this recipe, i pour in a bottle of ginger beer, which not only adds and excellent flavor, but provides enough moisture to keep the tenderloin from drying out! once it's tender enough to shred with a fork, all it needs is a little bbq sauce! this has consistently been a successful meal over the years. pulled pork always calls for a side of cole slaw. and personally? i like a three bean salad. and i'm not ashamed to admit, i use the kind from a can! i find that hanover brand has an excellent three bean salad. the strong bite of vinegar and the sweetness of the sauce pairs perfectly with the pork and cole slaw!

Meals 151-157

05/30 today we celebrated my father's birthday (two days late) in true maryland style. with a crab feast. picking and eating blue crabs can be a daunting experience. a table piled high with scary crustaceans that look like bright orange angry shelled spiders creatures. clouds of old bay seasoning that makes sure every single knick and paper cut you didn't even know you have turn into burning searing flesh wounds. sharp knives and wooden mallets that send pieces of shell into shrapnel. the surgical precision required to open the crabs and remove the meat inside. the wonderful, sweet, buttery meat that makes all the other dangers worth the trouble. i don't even know how or when i learned to pick a crab. i think it's a knowledge you are born with if you are born in maryland. like a geographical dna imprint.

anyone who's been to a crab feast understands the catch 22 of crab picking. the amount of energy exerted in getting the meat out of the crab? is more than the caloric energy yield from the meat inside the crab. which means.....the more you eat......the hungrier you get. so no meal can be made of crabs alone. you have to have a mountain of sides to stay satiated. steamed corn being almost essential. fresh seasonal fruits like cantaloupe (or lopes as they're advertised on farm stands here) and strawberries. any type of picnic side such as cole slaw, potato salad, or macaroni salad. and you definitely want something hearty like fried chicken, hot dogs, or as we had today....hamburgers.

then you situate yourself around your friends and family, grab a mallet and knife, and prepare for an afternoon of eating and chatting! and dodging rogue shells......

05/31 i am determined to work avocados into as many meals as i can while they are in stores and in the prime of ripeness. tonight was a simple "southwest chicken salad". rotisserie chicken on a bed of greens with black beans, pepper jack cheese and sliced avocado. sometimes a hearty salad is the perfect meal.

06/01 tonights meal came from a suggestion a coworker of mine had. she has four kids, so is always trying to find meals that will appeal to a table full of picky eaters. she told me about this creation and it sounded so good, i had to try it. and it involves a stuffed chicken breast, which i am always a fan of! this particular chicken breast is stuffed with prepared dressing (i won't lie, i used stove top tonight for convenience sake), and covered with a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. then baked at 400 for 45 minutes. served with a side of green beans it makes for a hearty comforting dinner. very reminiscent of thanksgiving! the soup keeps the chicken tender and moist, and creates a type of gravy.

06/02 i saw this recipe a while ago and was dubious. but intrigued enough to give it a try. seared scallops served with a "strawberry salsa". the salsa is simply diced strawberries tossed with shallots, basil and balsamic vinegar. a very simple garnish. and since it's peak strawberry season, i figured this was a good night to give it a shot. it turned out much better than i anticipated! the vinegar and shallot balanced the strawberries nicely so they didn't overwhelm the delicate scallops. and combined with a side of asparagus, it made for a light and flavorful meal!

06/03 oh sweet avocados, how i do love thee. i remember there were some nights my mom would make blt's for dinner. simple delicious blt's. as a kid i saw them as a treat. as an adult i realize they are not only a treat, but super simple to make! tonight i decided to combine that wonderful idea of a simple blt with my beloved avocados. bacon and avocados. best friends for life! i also added a few slices of smoked salmon. because.....well it's tasty. all of these wonderful ingredients on a toasted piece of pumpernickel. not the most complicated of meals. but a fantastic combination of flavors.

06/04 this weekend is the annual town festival. you know the kind of event where they set up a ferris wheel in the municipal parking lot, carnival games along the downtown sidewalks, and vendors offering every variety of fried food you can think of? every year we stroll through mostly for the people watching. of course we have to sample at least one of the offerings of grease laden options. last year it was the "red velvet fried oreos". oreos dipped in red velvet cake batter. deep fried and drizzled with cream cheese icing. those? where unbelievably good. this year i opted for savory over sweet. i'm always jealous of the plates of "ribbon fries" i see walking around. thin slices of potatoes flash fried and piled on a plate with melted cheese, ranch dressing and bacon bits. they're like super crisp kettle gigantic kettle chips. so this year i finally got a plate of my own. omg. SO GOOD!!!! luckily i had help from tony and our friend chuck. or this plate may have put me into a coma. worth it.....

06/05 we took advantage of the grill tonight to make some burgers. not just a plain burger....no no. these are stuffed with bleu cheese! lean ground chuck mixed with one packet of lipton onion soup mix and an egg. then formed around about 1 oz of bleu cheese. and grilled barely past medium rare. served on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and red onion. tastes like summer!! and since the grill was on, we threw on some portobello mushrooms that were marinated in balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, olive oil and soy sauce. and a few oven baked onion rings on the side.